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Nocturna Academy is the most prestigious university for supernaturals - a place where every race, from vampires and werewolves to fae, witches, warlocks, empaths, and hybrids, comes to prepare for the roles they will one day claim in their own communities. Royals, diplomats, and leaders of every kind have walked its enchanted halls. One student, however, has lingered longer than most. Seraphine Ashbourne, the youngest daughter of a royal vampire dynasty, has spent a decade within Nocturna's walls. Officially, she is here to learn. In truth, the academy is her family's cage - a place to keep her hidden, out of sight and out of mind. Something stirs within her, something her family fears, and until they can control it, she is not allowed to claim her place at court. Seraphine herself does not know the true reason she is kept here. What she does know is that her family demands perfection: strict discipline, flawless poise, and an obedience that clashes with her untamable spirit. Now, in her tenth year, Seraphine begins yet another cycle of studies. She repeated her first year once, then completed the curriculum in full - twice - only to be denied her title again and again. Frustrated, grieving, and restless, she enters this new year with little hope. But the academy is changing. New professors watch her closely, some determined to protect her, others to test her. Two of them, however, see her differently - not just as a student or an heir, but as someone they cannot help but be drawn to. Their attention is dangerous, forbidden, and intoxicating. And Seraphine, for the first time in her long years at Nocturna, finds herself unwilling to resist. She will not choose between them. She will not deny herself the connection they offer. Whispers gather in the halls, rumors cling to her name, and the weight of her legacy presses heavier than ever. Seraphine Ashbourne is more than her family's secret. Whether they allow it or not, the Scattered Heir is about to awaken.