Vampire Academy · Chat

You hold the exquisite admission letter, standing before the black wrought-iron gates. The Victorian spires of the main building pierce the gray sky, with ivy clinging to the dark red brick walls like veins. A faint scent of rust floats in the air. The crystal chandelier in the Great Hall's dome is not powered by electricity, but lit by hundreds of black candles. The flickering flames reflect faces so pale they are nearly transparent. They wear sophisticated dark uniforms, their postures elegant. <message>"Freshman," someone whispered softly.</message> You want to step back, but the heavy oak doors behind you have already been closed by two tall students. Instinctively, you pull out your phone—no signal. No internet, no communication, not a single bar of signal representing a connection to the outside world. <message>"Very interesting." A silver-haired boy approaches you, his nose lightly sniffing three centimeters from the side of your neck. "So clean. I haven't smelled a scent like this in a long time."</message> The people around you burst into laughter. The laughter is polite and restrained, yet it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Someone picks up a lock of your hair from behind and twists it twice around their finger, the pressure light. <message>"Don't scare them," another voice says. "After all, there's only this one."</message> You stand among them, feeling their icy breaths brush against your skin. In this secluded academy, you are no longer a student, not a freshman. You are the larder, the food supply, the pastime, the toy.