I woke up with a pounding headache, like someone who had just been dragged out of a deep, uninterrupted slumber. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I found myself staring at the unfamiliar ceiling of a room I didn't recognize. My mind struggled to recall the events of yesterday; everything felt fragmented, like shards of glass scattered across the floor of my memory.

At first, panic crept over me where was I? What had happened? But then, slowly, the pieces of yesterday's events began to filter into my consciousness. Oh shit. Aethoria.

I gasped softly, the realization hitting me like a ton of bricks. This wasn't just any school it was a place for those like me, a place for supernatural beings. The Academy for the Gifted, where vampires, witches, and all other creatures coexisted under one roof. And somehow, I had ended up here.

I was still trying to wrap my head around it when I heard a knock on the door. My throat felt dry as I managed to croak out, "Come in."

The door creaked open, revealing a girl in a pink short skirt, black ponytail swishing as she moved, and red high heeled boots that clicked against the floor as she entered. She looked like someone who just walked off a magazine cover. Her eyes, bright and sharp, locked with mine, and she smiled.

"Hey, you're awake!" she said, her voice full of energy, as though I hadn't just woken up in an unfamiliar place with no memory of the last few hours.

I sat up, still groggy. "Yeah, I am... Please, where am I?"

She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my confusion. "You're in your room, obviously. Welcome to Aethoria Academy, the joint school for all things supernatural." Her tone was calm, but also slightly dramatic, like she was used to making grand entrances.

"Aethoria Academy?" I muttered, feeling dizzy at the mention of the name. The pieces were coming together slowly, but it was hard to shake off the feeling of uncertainty.

"Yep," she continued, almost like she was reading my mind. "Now, what's up? You look lost."

"Where's Emerald?" I asked, before I could stop myself. I had to know where was the boy who had appeared out of nowhere in my life, and why did he seem so important?

"Oh, the cute boy? He's probably off to his room," she replied casually, as if talking about any other person, but there was a teasing lilt to her voice when she called him "cute."

I rolled my eyes. "Cute?" I muttered under my breath, unsure why everyone kept using that word for him. Sure, he was attractive, but the whole "cute" thing just seemed… weird.

She didn't seem to notice, or maybe she just didn't care, as she leaned against the doorframe. "I'm Constantina, but you can call me Tina. Seems like that's what everyone calls me around here."

"I'm Eve… Evelyn, but Eve works fine." I offered a half smile, still getting used to the idea of introducing myself in this strange world.

"Nice to meet you, Eve. So, dinner's ready. You feeling hungry? 'Cause I am." Tina's stomach gave an almost inaudible growl as she finished the sentence, adding emphasis to her words.

I felt the tightness in my own stomach, suddenly aware of how empty it was. "Nah, I'm good," I replied, but before I could say anything else, my stomach betrayed me. A loud, embarrassing rumble echoed in the room, unmistakably signaling that I was, in fact, starving.

Tina's smirk was immediate. "Guess your stomach says otherwise," she teased.

I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Yeah, well... guess it's time to eat," I muttered, finally admitting that I was, indeed, hungry.

Tina led me out of the room, and as we walked down the hall, I couldn't help but gape at the surroundings. The entire building was like a palace high, vaulted ceilings, shimmering crystal walls, and gold floors that practically glowed under the soft light. It was nothing like I had imagined, and my sense of awe was overwhelming. Every lobby we passed had chandeliers that sparkled like diamonds, and the walls themselves seemed like they were made of the purest glass.

I paused to admire an intricate painting on the wall—one of a forest bathed in twilight—and before I knew it, Tina had called my name, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Eve! Come on, I'm not waiting all day!" she laughed, her voice teasing as she motioned for me to follow.

We finally reached the dining hall, and it was just as magnificent as the rest of the academy. A long table stretched down the center of the room, with eight chairs around it. The room was filled with students, some sitting with groups, others alone, talking and eating like any normal cafeteria except these were no ordinary students. Each of them had a unique aura that radiated power and mystery. Some were clearly vampires, others witches, and a few had an air of danger about them that I couldn't quite place.

"Over here!" Tina called, already heading toward a small empty table.

I followed her, my eyes scanning the various foods on the counter. The variety was unreal everything from hearty, traditional dishes to elaborate, mystical looking desserts. My mouth watered just looking at it. I picked a simple egg omelet and a cup of coffee, not quite sure what else to choose, but Tina's pick made me pause.

She was holding a glass of deep, dark crimson liquid. Animal blood, I realized with a jolt. My stomach churned slightly at the sight of it. Tina, however, seemed to enjoy every drop as she drank from her glass with a satisfied sigh.

I couldn't stop myself from asking, "So... You're a vampire, huh?"

Tina winked at me, a playful gleam in her eyes. "Yup. Vampire, through and through. And you're a newbie witch, right?" she asked, pointing to the bracelet on my wrist, a mark of my status as a new witch here at the academy.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to smile but feeling a bit awkward. I wondered why I hadn't told her yet about the vampire part of me. It just didn't seem like the right time.

We were halfway through our meal when a voice interrupted our conversation.

"Hey, can we join you guys?" The voice was smooth, almost hypnotic. I turned to see two identical sets of twins, a girl and a boy approaching. They were stunning, with doe like eyes and the kind of beauty that would stop anyone in their tracks.

The girl had brown eyes, and the boy had deep sea blue eyes that seemed to pierce through me.

"That's if you don't mind," the girl continued. "We just got assigned our rooms and decided to grab a quick bite."

"Sure," Tina said with a smile, and I nodded, signaling that they could sit with us.

"I'm Eve well, Evelyn but you can call me Eve," I said, offering a polite smile. "And this is Tina." I motioned to the vampire beside me. "She's a vampire, and I'm a witch. New here, obviously."

The girl grinned. "Nice to meet you, Eve. I'm Dixie Kyrie, but you can call me Dix," she said.

"I'm Daxton Kyrie, but most people just call me Dax," the boy added, sitting down across from me. His presence was quiet but commanding, and I couldn't help but notice the almost magnetic energy between him and Tina.

"We're the Kyrium Witches," Dix said with a wink. "Which means we have a pretty unique power set."

I blinked in confusion. "Kyrium Witches?" Tina echoed, equally perplexed.

Dix smiled knowingly. "Yes. We're a set of twins, and our powers are polar opposites. I can manipulate light, heal through it, and use it to reveal hidden truths. I can also protect against dark energies. Dax, on the other hand, controls darkness and shadows, and can manipulate emotions, thoughts, and actions. Our powers resist each other, but together, we're stronger. We create balance, and when our powers blend, we can amplify each other. It's a hybrid synergy light and darkness working in unison."

She paused for a moment, letting the weight of their abilities sink in. "The first Kyrium twins were from around 2500 BCE Aethon and Nyx of the ancient civilizations."

I was speechless. Their powers were incredible. And yet, there was an odd tension between them, a subtle connection that was difficult to place.

Tina, meanwhile, had been eyeing Dax the entire time. Dix noticed and couldn't help but grin mischievously.

"Don't even try it, Tina," she said with a laugh. "It's never going to work."

Tina raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked, clearly intrigued.

"Well, Dax doesn't really talk about girls," Dix explained. "He shuts them down without a second thought. Trust me, you're not his type."

Tina looked taken aback. "But... I'm literally every man's type!"

Dix burst into laughter, and I couldn't help but join in. The way Tina had fallen for Dax so quickly was hilarious, but it also felt... off somehow. Still, Tina was undeterred.

As the night wore on, we made our way back to our rooms. When we entered, I realized that Tina, Dix, and I were roommates, which made things even more interesting. Tina immediately retreated to her bed, her mind clearly preoccupied with Dax.

"So," I said, sitting on the edge of my bed, "what's your deal with him?"

Dix just shrugged. "It's a long story," she said, but her smile suggested she was enjoying the drama unfolding before her.

Tina, on the other hand, had already closed her eyes, pretending to sleep, but I could tell she was just lying there, her thoughts consumed by the idea of Dax.

As I tried to drift to sleep, an uneasy feeling crawled up my spine. Something felt... wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I wasn't about to ignore it.

I closed my eyes, hoping the feeling would pass, but the unease lingered, hovering in the back of my mind. Something was coming, and I had no idea what it was.