Prologue
Liv Aurelian stared at the letter in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly. The seal was silver, stamped with a crescent moon she did not recognize, and yet it felt familiar to her.
Althea Academy - the words sparkled across the page. She had been accepted into the academy.
She should have felt ecstatic, maybe even the slightest bit of relief. But all she could think about was the way her power had been acting out lately. Lunar Echoes - the ability she tried to understand and the one she had always tried to hide but failed. Lights flickered when she was nervous. Shadows bent strangely around her presence. And sometimes…even voices whispered in the corners of her mind that were not her own.
Althea Academy was not just a regular school for magic but it was a place where secrets were uncovered, powers were tested, and mistakes could be dangerous. She had spent years trying to control her power and trying to be careful. And now…they wanted her there.
Her eyes drifted over the words again. “Your presence at Althea is not only welcomed…it is necessary.”
Necessary. The word felt very heavy, like a weight pressing against her entire body. She did not know why they wanted her, or what they had seen. But one thing was clear: whatever exactly was coming, she would not be able to ignore it.
Liv folded the letter carefully, putting it inside her bag. The moon outside the window shined softly, as if echoing the warning that had been building inside her for years.
This was the beginning of something bigger. Something she couldn't exactly understand.
And somehow…she knew her life would never be the same again.
