Welcome to Lunisriver

“You lucky little bitch! Your mom actually married our city's billionaire!” Nyssa’s voice is bitter but thick with affection as she pulls me into a bone-crushing hug.

I stand on the precipice of my old life in the dilapidated slums of Grimvale, staring at the only best friend I have ever known. Before I can completely sever my ties to this impoverished hellhole, Nyssa grabs my hand. She secretly slips a heavy, cloth-covered dagger directly into my palm.

“A little transfer gift,” she whispers, her eyes darting around the empty street. “Don't let anyone find out. Stay safe.”

I offer her a reassuring smile, fully understanding the grave weight and necessity of the hidden blade. Growing up surrounded by the dangerous, unpredictable men my mother used to bring home had forced me to learn how to fight to survive. This blade is a necessity.

Lunisriver Boarding School is my golden ticket out. I am entirely focused on using its resources to achieve my ultimate, lifelong dream: becoming the first female warrior. I am absolutely determined not to waste this unprecedented opportunity, regardless of how fickle or demanding my new billionaire stepfather might turn out to be.

My stepbrother, Kaelar, honks the horn from the driver's seat of his pristine car. I shove the dagger deep into my pocket and walk over.

I yank at the edge of the sleek passenger door. There isn't a handle, and nothing happens.

Behind me, Kaelar sighs. I slam the heel of my boot against the metal, and the door smoothly glides open on its own. Kaelar’s humiliating cackles echo from inside the cabin.

“It's automatic,” he drawls, his lips curling in mockery.

Kaelar takes the wheel to drive me to the elusive academy. The ride is painfully tense, and once we finally pull up to a towering, castle-like building, he unceremoniously drops me off.

“You'll find your first-day guide in the student center,” Kaelar smirks with thinly veiled malice. He doesn't even bother to unbuckle. “Good luck.”

He completely abandons me, peeling out and leaving me to navigate the imposing campus entirely alone.

Stepping inside the massive, cavernous hall, I am immediately intercepted by a tall blonde girl. Her calculating eyes instantly judge my mud-caked boots, then slowly drag up to my vintage, worn-out tee.

“Are you sure you're in the right place?” she asks, her lip twitching.

“My brother said this is the student center,” I reply. I stick out my hand. “I'm Vespera,” I add, pouring every ounce of fake, sugary sweetness I can possibly muster into my voice.

She stares at my chipped black nail polish before extending her perfectly manicured hand. “Vexia.” She repeats my name, her tone dripping like maple syrup laced heavily with rat poison.

The moment she realizes my stepfather is the wealthy Alaric Thorne, her condescending sneer painfully morphs into a malicious, knowing smirk.

“Oh, so you're Carmela's daughter,” Vexia practically purrs. “Tell me, did your mom drug Alaric? Is that how she got rid of his former wife?”

Hot, unadulterated rage boils in my veins at the accusation. The dagger feels like a burning weight in my pocket.

“My mom didn't give Alaric shit,” I snap back aggressively. “He pursued her naturally, well after his previous split. Their relationship is real.”

“Interesting,” Vexia drawls. She aggressively brushes past me. “Well, I'm sure you'll be a hot topic of gossip. Everyone loves the gossip associated with a gold-digging mistress.”

I force myself to inhale. I crack my knuckles, plaster on a painfully fake smile, and obediently follow her deeper into the hall.

As her monotonous tour drones on, we step outside. Through the forest light, a massive, shimmering obsidian pyramid sits nestled in the center of the grounds.

Surrounding the bizarre structure, countless women are putting on desperate, pathetic displays of affection. Some are sparring aggressively, others are singing, and one girl is literally throwing herself into a split on the lawn like she is starring in some sort of pornographic film.

“What is that?” I ask.

“The Valkar Pyramid,” Vexia explains. “The sacred home of the four Valkar brothers. Their father, Tiberius Valkar, runs the school and is next in line for Alpha King.”

Suddenly, a sobbing girl rushes out from behind the shimmering pyramid, hiding her face in her hands.

Vexia cruelly coos, “Poor thing. Probably just another reject for the 'mother' role.”

I blink, completely baffled. “Mother? Aren't we under twenty? Why are teenagers applying for a mother role?”

Vexia casually hums. “An infant baby girl of unknown origin was abandoned on the pyramid's steps yesterday. The powerful Valkar brothers took the infant in, and they are actively searching for a female student to help raise her.”

I gasp in sheer disbelief. “Raise her?! We're all students with grueling, full-time class schedules! We have absolutely no time to raise a baby!”

As I process the sheer absurdity of the screaming, desperate women scattered across the lawn, I realize that Lunisriver is going to be infinitely more complicated and deranged than I ever anticipated.