Cursed By Fate

Cold welcome

Chapter 4: The Academy's Cold Welcome

The Academy loomed before Aria as she walked through its gates. The grand building, with its towering spires and expansive courtyards, was a place where many aspired to study, but few were chosen. The other students, dressed in their finely tailored uniforms, whispered as she passed, their voices laced with fear and suspicion.

"That’s the girl who was chosen by three cursed gods."

"Did you hear what she did to her stepmother?"

"She’s dangerous. Best to stay away from her."

Their words didn’t faze Aria. She had spent years being whispered about, hated, and feared. She moved through the crowd like a ghost, her face as unreadable as ever. Her dark cloak billowed behind her as she walked toward the main hall. She felt their eyes on her, but she didn’t care. Whether they liked her or not was irrelevant. She was here for one purpose—to understand the powers the gods had given her and to wield them in ways no one expected.

As she passed through the marble halls, she noticed how other students stepped aside, giving her a wide berth. It wasn’t just fear—they wanted nothing to do with her. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t here to make friends. She had long since given up on the idea of companionship, especially after the countless betrayals at home.

The Academy itself was beautiful, with towering walls of white stone and windows that let in streams of light. Yet, despite its grandeur, it felt hollow. The students inside carried airs of superiority, their snobbish attitudes barely masked by their expensive clothes and privileged upbringings. They believed their powers made them special, and they acted as if they were destined for greatness. Aria, however, knew better. Power didn’t make one great—it simply exposed the truth.

Her steps carried her to her assigned quarters, a small room at the far end of the dormitory. It was bare, with little more than a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. Aria didn’t mind. She had never been one for luxury, and this would do just fine.

As she set down her belongings, there was a knock at the door. Without waiting for an invitation, a tall girl with fiery red hair and piercing green eyes entered. She looked at Aria with a smirk that was half curious, half mocking.

“So, you’re the infamous Aria,” the girl said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “The one who was chosen by the cursed gods.”

Aria looked at her without a word, her expression unchanged.

The girl’s smirk faltered slightly. “Not much of a talker, are you? Well, you’ll find that people here aren’t as easily intimidated as those peasants you grew up with.”

Aria simply turned away, continuing to unpack her few belongings. The girl’s presence didn’t concern her in the slightest.

The redhead frowned, clearly annoyed at being ignored. “I’m not afraid of you, you know. Whatever power you think you have, you won’t last here without allies.”

Aria turned her gaze on her, cold and unfeeling. “I don’t need allies.”

The girl sneered, turning to leave. “We’ll see about that.”

As the door closed behind her, Aria exhaled softly. She could already tell that her time at the Academy would be no different than the life she left behind. People would fear her, misunderstand her, and try to tear her down. But Aria had survived worse. She was stronger now, and no one—no whisper, no threat—would break her.

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Back at the palace, Prince Ryker sat alone in the throne room. He had been summoned by his father, but the king had yet to arrive. As Ryker waited, his thoughts wandered to the Academy once more. Despite himself, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling he had about Aria. The girl chosen by three cursed gods. The one who didn’t flinch in the face of fear, who didn’t care about the world’s judgment.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the armrest. It wasn’t concern that gnawed at him. No, it was something else. A quiet curiosity buried beneath his icy demeanor. For the first time in a long while, Ryker found himself intrigued.