Selenephie stepped out of her room.
It was dinner time.
The hallway was dimly lit with cold, flickering lanterns hanging from the arched ceiling. The walls, dark and seamless, had no windows not a single crack to show if it was day or night. Was this even a palace? she thought. Or a prison dressed in velvet silence?
She walked quietly, trying to take in every strange detail, her footsteps echoing on the stone floor.
Today was her arrival. Tomorrow, the lessons would begin.
They said this place only accepted the elite children of the rich and powerful. Even so, this year only ninety students had enrolled, fewer than usual. All of them came from families like hers privileged, trained, shaped.
Selene entered the dining hall.
A massive, rectangular table stretched across the room like a royal banquet. All ninety students sat together boys, girls, some with confidence, others whispering quietly. It was strangely quiet for such a large gathering. No laughter, no clinking cutlery. Just soft chewing, stiff postures, and wandering eyes.
Selene found an empty chair and sat down. The food looked rich — but her appetite refused to come.
She lifted her fork, but her hands trembled slightly. Something about this place made her feel like she was being… watched.
And she was.
A pair of piercing silver eyes settled on her.
Then came a voice. Calm but sharp, commanding yet calm.
"Give them full-nutrition food. They need it."
The entire hall froze. No one looked up. No one dared speak.
The voice belonged to Agatha.
Tall. Composed. Mysterious. Her presence alone felt like a cold wind brushing the soul. With long white hair and robes stitched in symbols none could read, she looked otherworldly.
All eyes dropped to their plates. Fear crawled silently across the table. Even those who hadn't seen her yet felt her arrival.
Selene's eyes met hers for a fraction of a second.
A strange chill ran through her spine not of fear, but… recognition?
Then Agatha turned and walked away, her footsteps as silent as her entrance.
The moment she disappeared, the students began eating again, as if someone had hit play after pausing reality.
But for Selene…
The food still tasted strange.
And that single look from Agatha still echoed in her bones.
She finished her dinner quietly. As she stood up to return to her room—
"Are you Serenphile?" a girl suddenly asked.
Serenphile turned. She already knew who it was.
"How do you know me?" she asked, a little curious.
"I heard about you… that you're a twin. But your elder sister went missing."
Serenphile's eyes softened. "And you are?"
"Me? I'm Ezi." She smiled. "Sweet name, right?"
Serenphile smiled back. "Yes, it's sweet… sweeter than sugar."
Ezi giggled. "Wanna be friends?" She held out her hand for a shake.
Serenphile looked at her, then slowly shook her hand.
Their fingers met, and both girls giggled like old friends.
Serenphile lay on the soft bed, staring at the ceiling. The palace was silent, yet something about the air felt unfamiliar… cold.
She missed her mother.
Her voice. Her warmth. Her lullabies.
Without knowing what secrets were hidden behind those tall stone walls, Serenphile slowly drifted into sleep.
But outside her door… something stirred.
Unseen. Unheard.
A shadow stood still.
Agatha.
She stood silently in front of the door, eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
"The unexpected is coming," she whispered, as if the walls themselves were listening.
And inside, Serenphile slept—completely unaware.