Chapter 36 Administrative office
SOMA
The wind stings my eyes. I stand there, staring at the car that vanishes behind a set of tall, black gates. My chest grows heavy with the certainty that I don’t belong here. But returning to the palace isn’t an option.
Sienna already thinks I’m spineless. I won’t let Lilith or the king think they made the wrong choice. So, I put one foot in front of the other, closing the gap between me and the gates that ease open as if in welcome.
No one questions me as I step into the compound. Despite my morning starting so horribly, I can’t help but pause to take it in. The buildings here are massive, tall enough to scrape the sky, with their white stone walls gleaming beneath the soft morning light.
This is Shadowspire Royal Academy.
Five towering structures wrap around a grander one at the center. Manicured lawns stretch between each building, their blades of grass so green they almost look artificial. From where I stand, I know this isn’t even half of what the Academy holds, but what it’s willing to show newcomers at the gate.
Students move in pairs and groups with a quiet majesty that shows they belong here. Most of them are in uniform, while a few are in sports gear and cute dresses.
My hands close around my backpack straps, and I start for the grand building in the center, hoping it’s the admissions office. A few students stare at me, with no doubt about my identity in their eyes.
How many people have watched that video?
Thankfully, a large sign with ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE written above the door catches my attention, letting me know I’m on the right track. Someone must have been notified about my arrival because the door slides open as I reach for it, and a lady rushes out, breathless.
“My lady,” she says, bowing. “You’re finally here.”
Her face shows no sign of me being in trouble, but I still say, “I’m sorry I’m late. The car broke down on our way.”
“Oh, my lady. I wouldn’t dare demand an explanation from you.” Her smile seems forced, but I let it slide, like I’ve done with many other things since I woke up today. She steps back and pulls the door open. “Please, come in.”
We step into an airy, tiled lobby with large windows that overlook certain parts of the academy. That must have been how she knew I was coming. From here, I can see winding stone paths, training courts, and the edge of a garden.
With the older design used for the exterior, I expected something similar inside. Maybe wood-paneled floors, oil paintings, or something with that faint scent of history.
But everything here is modern.
The floors gleam beneath soft overhead lights embedded in the ceiling like stars. Sleek benches line the walls, and there’s a floating digital directory in the center of the lobby, rotating slowly in the air. The color palette features a clean mix of whites, silvers, and subtle navy tones, with glass panels that divide the spaces instead of solid walls, creating a sense of openness.
It feels like stepping into a different world. One that doesn’t match the outside, but maybe that’s the point.
She leads me toward the front desk and slides behind it. The click-clack of her fingers against the keyboard cuts through the quiet.
“Can I just say that your rise to fame is inspiring?” she gushes. Is that what everyone is now calling it? They can have the spot, along with the trauma and assholes. “If an omega can be chosen by the moon, then anything is possible.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Anything is possible.”
She sighs dreamily. “You’re so lucky. Anyway, my name is Heather. I’m the receptionist.”
“Soma. Somadina Bello,” I say. “Can I please get my class schedule or whatever else I’ll need to begin my day?”
Heather waves a hand. “While that’s not a problem, it’s not my job.” She nods at a door with a plaque I can’t read from here. “Ms. Peterson has been waiting for you. She’ll furnish you with whatever details you need here.”
“Ms. Peterson?”
“Yeah,” Heather replies. “She’s the chancellor.”
So why did she keep me? I take a step toward the door to the right of her desk and pause. “I can go inside?”
“Of course, my lady. But first, can I take a selfie—”
The chancellor’s door opens, and a tall, imposing woman stands in the doorway. Heather shrinks behind her desk as the woman’s bespectacled gaze drops to her. Her black hair frames her face, and she smiles on seeing me.
“My lady,” she calls. “Please, come in.”
“I was about to send her right in,” Heather says.
Ms. Peterson doesn’t bother with a reply. She waits until I’m past the threshold and shuts the door with a soft bang.
Her office is like her. Unadorned. Simple.
The walls are bare except for a single framed certificate and a clock that ticks softly above the door. Shelves line one side of the room, stacked neatly with files and a few worn books.
No personal trinkets. No photos. Just the essentials.
A large window behind her desk lets in soft natural light, casting faint shadows across the tiled floor. The blinds are half-drawn, cutting the light into stripes. Her desk is organized with almost clinical precision: a notepad, two pens aligned side by side, a filing cabinet, and a closed laptop.
She settles into the chair behind her desk and gestures for me to sit in one of the empty chairs across from her. I settle down into it, my hands folded in my lap.
“It’s good to have you here, my lady.” She riffles through the small filing cabinet on her desk and pulls out a brochure she slides across to me. “Here at the academy, we believe in providing our students with a well-rounded education. As a lady and the future Luna of Shadowspire, we’ll take yours even more seriously. There’ll be no slacking.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Since you’re in your first year,” she continues. “You’ll take the basic classes as all other first-year students and a few extra, more refined lessons that’s befitting of your status. Etiquette. Dance. Arts. Music, to mention but a few.”
“That’s a lot.”
For the first time, she smiles. “You’ll get the hang of it.” She searches through the cabinet again and offers me a pamphlet with the school building on the front page. “It contains your schedule for this semester. You don’t have to take all the classes at once. There’s time.”
I skim through the pamphlet, already overwhelmed by the subjects outlined inside. The brochure contains the names of the buildings where I’ll have the classes.
“About your textbooks and other writing materials, those have been sorted into your locker,” she says. “Don’t worry about getting to class today or navigating the campus on your own. I’ve assigned a student to help with that. The second year’s best and brightest student, Helga. She will assist you with whatever you need, but if you have a problem bigger than her, don’t hesitate to come to me.”
“Thank you.”
She nods. “Helga must be waiting for you in the lobby.”