Raven Hills

Chapter 1

Lucas! Are you coming or not? We are going to be late.

Screamed my sister, who's one year older than me. Things had been hectic resently as with the new semester starting, both me and my siblings were quite busy summing up our assignments and getting all our essentials. And today, all the three of us are going back to the Salvador School of the Young and Gifted. On the surface, it's just a normal school where the most rich, privileged classes of spoiled kids went. But that was not all to it.

After getting my stuff ready and calling up to my twin brother, Lucifer. All three of us, i.e., including my sister, Luciana, went outside where my mom was waiting for us beside the car. She waved for us to get in and we started our journey to the school. The road to the school was through the hilly tracts of Raven Hills, the town where my whole family including my grandparents, had been living for a very long time. Both sides of the tracts were covered with seasonal plants along with pine trees, which added to the scenic view. The school was located on the outskirts, where none of the common folks lived within the vicinity of the school.
After about an hour or two, we finally were in the view of the school which could literally be defined as a vintage style castle of the 80's or the 90's.

As we approached the school, the entry gates were already open signifying a warm welcome of the returning students as well as the freshmen who were joining this year. My mother stopped the car in the front yard of the school and gestured us to get down. My sister as usual was clearly hyped up about the whole thing along with my brother. But I was not. As we were getting ready to say our goodbyes to mom, Professor Saltsman came up.

Hey Martha! I am so glad that you could make it and also I am so very grateful for your generous donations for the school. And of course, Welcome back kids! As usual my daughters shall show you the way to the new dormitories.

Martha is my mom's name. I had heard that my mom and Prof. S (as everyone calls him) were friends back in their university days. And so they still kept a friendly relation with each other. After being greeted by him, my mom also greeted back. As instructed by Prof. S, his daughters, Josette Saltsman and Elizabeth Saltsman, who were fraternal twins as they claimed, came out of the main entrance door. They waved to each and every student and greeted them, welcoming them to the school. And then they came up to us and indicated us to follow behind. My sister and brother went along behind them after saying goodbye to mom and giving her a hug and as I was about to go, my mom called from behind...

Lucas!

I looked behind and again went near mom as she had something to say to me. So, I told the others that I'll catch up to them later and they went on.

Lucas, listen to me carefully. Be safe and stay out of any sort of troubles. Don't fight with your siblings and take care of each other and lastly, use your powers cautiously. Never use them to do something that makes you to cross the line. I am telling you all these as you are the most sensible one and I love you, sweetie. Bye!

My mom told me all these, hugged me and hopped on inside the car. I nodded and smiled and waved her a goodbye. Afterwards, she went and I was left alone in the yard. So, I decided to follow behind the others. Lizzie (Elizabeth Saltsman) and the others were still by the entrance, waiting for me. The sisters then showed us to our new dorm rooms which had been renovated after the last semester.

As we reached our respective dorms I found out that one of my roommates was none other than my own brother, Lucifer, while the other roommate had not been decided as per Lizzie. In the Salvador School there were two main divisions of dormitories. One for the girls while the other for the boys. In each dorm room three people were assigned except the fact that the twins, Lizzie and Josie, had their own single rooms as the school was founded by their parents.

When one hears the term gifted, usually it's with respect to academic excellence, sports or other social activities. But in the Salvador School, that only aspect was the most different and unique one, that is, the term gifted was used to refer to beings that were not humans.

Yes, you read it right. The students in the Salvador School went beyond the concept of normal human beings. There are Vamps, short for vampires. These are beings who are technically dead but also alive at the same time. They suck the blood of the other mortal animals including humans. But in the Salvador School sucking the blood of humans by going  beyond the protective shield surrounding the school was strictly prohibited.
Secondly, there are the Wolfies, short for werewolves. These are creatures who are cursed by the full-moon curse such that they turn into wolves on days when there's a full moon. These beings are physically active and fit and they always go around in a pack led by their Alpha or the leader of the wolf pack.
And finally, there are the Witches, where I am also included along with my siblings. We, witches are spell casters and we can be referred to as beings who are mostly the magic handlers. We are not much social but at times of need we have each other's back.

And so then, coming back to the present...
After fixing our dorm rooms, the orientation session had been scheduled where Prof. S was to address to the newcomers and give a welcoming speech for the returning students. Things were going on smoothly (not mentally though) until I saw him...Leo Lionheart.
To simply speak about who he was, he was the one I had been seeing the last semester. But I don't know what got into him that at the end of term party, he told me that he was not into me anymore and that we should no longer continue with the whole fling thingie that was going on between us. I was so infuriated and humiliated back then that I thought to myself...

If you wanna forget the past and renew yourself, first, change your appearance.

And so I cut my hair short, freshened myself up into looking like one of the most hot guys. Earlier I had longer hair which I usually tied in a loose bun so you can say, I looked kinda feminine such that many thought that I was quite pretty (I guess... Not sure though).
Anyways when I saw him coming from the opposite hallway, at first I thought of greeting him but nah...who gives a damn... was what I thought but as usual my physical reactions were different. I kinda waved to him and he too nodded, but that was all. Some of the girl groups who were into Leo were also whispering standing in the corners but I didn't care about those and went inside the auditorium where the orientation was to be held.