The Curse ✔️

Chapter 1: Boys and girls of every age

Autumn leaves decorated the lawn, adding colour to grey statues and dry fountains. Red, orange and yellow danced before my eyes, vibrant under the warm sun. The Victorian building loomed over the front yard, so massive and imposing I thought it would swallow me whole.

An iron raven sat at the top of the gates and I slowly opened them, ignoring the judgemental stare coming from the bird. The gates creaked and screeched, dragging across the path, interrupted by rogue plants that grew through the cement. I always admired the plants that managed to do that, proving to us once again, that men were nothing compared to nature.

I fixed my silver hair and pulled down the sleeves of my dark red cardigan, hoping to disappear under the soft fabric. This was not how I pictured the rest of my academic life. Just like any girl, I dreamt of hot boys on campuses after high school, but I ended up here instead. Still, this was something I had to do. And spending two years here instead of five was a compromise I couldn't have passed on.

The driver left as soon as I exited the car, my parents were too busy to escort me to the Academy, so I had to settle for an impatient driver.

A quiver escaped from my lips as I walked down the path to the building, feeling the stares on my body even though no one was around. Leafless trees loomed over me, sending strange tingles through my spine. As I came closer, I realised the large building in front wasn't the only one. A whole complex of buildings spread in front of me, all covered in stone, textured wall surfaces and trims decorated with detailed, stony flowers and shapes.

I forced confidence into my step, hoping to leave a somewhat good impression. Despite my cold exterior, I was actually quite nervous and frankly, a bit scared. Would they all recognise me and immediately know about my family? Probably.

I sighed and went for the actual door. A massive, iron pentagram symbol awaited above the doorframe, eerily looking down at me. The door creaked and opened.

A white-haired lady showed up at the doorstep, her hands crossed on her chest and a tight smile dancing on her lips. There was age on her face, the slight wrinkles decorated the corners of her eyes and lips. But the blue in her eye seemed eternal and the look she offered made me feel small. She was entirely dressed in black, from her turtleneck sweatshirt to her plaid skirt. Sternness radiated off her and being in her presence made me feel like I was in trouble.

"Jade Montgomery." She said my name and a chill went through my spine. Her voice was melodious, but strong. One thing I knew how to recognise was power, and this lady possessed a whole lot.

"Yes, hi." I stuttered, remembering to offer a hand, which she didn't take.

"I'm Professor Lange, welcome to Hunt Academy." Immediately, she turned on her short, elegant heels and disappeared inside. Grabbing my suitcase, I followed her, hearing the door close behind me with a thud.

Before me, marbled double staircase awaited, covered by dark red rugs that intercepted above on the small balcony. The tapestry on the walls was beige, decorated by portraits of people from another time. I looked over to the balcony, where a dark-haired boy stood, his hands buried deep in his brown tweed pants and his white shirt loosely buttoned. His icy blue eyes scanned me quickly, making me force a sly smile on my face under the sudden attention. He was gorgeous, in that smart-ass kind of way, which made me want to punch him in the face. The smirk on his lips was directed towards Professor Lange, who angrily marched to the stairs as soon as she saw him.

"What?" She asked, the frustration seeping off her.

"Bella concocted something strange and Philip's hand began to rot. Again." A small amount of satisfaction danced on his face while he talked, a part of him was glad this happened. I smiled mockingly, realising where the aforementioned Bella went wrong.