Darkling

1| Arcane

Chapter 1: Arcane (Clara's POV)

"What do you mean you were born in a kingdom and we're moving there now?" 

I looked out of the car window. "This is what you meant?" I asked. "This is the kingdom?" 

"Welcome to Ilea," he chuckled, putting his book away. 

"It's not what I thought it would be. It just seems like a small town if anything." 

"It has a history. Which you'll find out in ten minutes." 

"What happens in ten minutes?" 

"We get you to your school," he sang. 

"I can't believe you're making me stay on campus even though the house is five minutes away," I scoffed. 

"The campus is safer. And it's your final year. I want you to experience life here as I did in my early teens." 

I'm sure you're a little lost, let me explain. I'm Clara, I'm seventeen, and I've just moved from the scandalous New York City to Ilea. There's no way I can describe it because I know nothing about it yet. Except for the fact that my father was born and lived here until he was fifteen. Now I'm going from my good old, careless, shitty high school in New York to Arcane High. 

It's a boarding school for some and a regular private for others. Normally, the students from other kingdoms, I guess, are the ones who stay on campus. But apparently, so do I. 

"Remember, when you go to the principal's office, ask for Daisy Zale." 

Daisy is meant to be my dad's best friend's daughter. She also studies there and stays on campus and she's the one who'll be showing me around and making sure I get familiar with the place. 

We get weekends off of campus which is when I'll be seeing my dad. 

And now for the reason we suddenly moved. Obviously, it wasn't a nice one. Around eight months before my dad decided we would move, my mom passed away in a car accident. And the worst part, I was in the car too. And I barely made it out alive. It's a scary and very heartbreaking memory which I struggled to bury deep down inside of me. Let's not dig it back up. 

The car slowed down to a stop in front of the school and I got out with my dad, both of us grabbing my suitcases from the trunk. 

"Dad, what does the word 'arcane' even mean?" I asked, wheeling my suitcase behind me as we entered through the huge black-barred gates. 

"I don't know, actually," he mumbled. 

Two security guards came and took the suitcases from us and then began leading us inside, to the principal's office, I assume. 

I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and searched up the word arcane. 

Understood by few; mysterious or secret. 

What the hell has that got to do with education? Everyone knows the secret. It's torture. 

"Flynn!" 

I looked up, spotting a man that seemed to be around my dad's age, walking over to us. 

"Kol!" my dad grinned, both of them exchanging a quick hug. "This is my daughter, Clara. Clara, this is my friend, Kol. Daisy is his daughter." 

"Oh, it's nice to meet you," I said, smiling at him. 

"I actually came here hoping to find you. Daisy has a test for her first period right now, so the principal has arranged for someone else to show her around, I hope that's okay."