Aurora's POV: I hurried straight to my boyfriend Charles Brown's apartment as soon as the mail carrier handed me my acceptance letter. The envelope was still sealed, but I couldn't wait to tell him and talk about the four years we'd spend together at Wharton School of Business. I rang the bell. However, it was my cousin Oriana Kingsley who opened the door. She had on the white shirt I'd washed for Charles just a few days before, and below the waist she wore nothing except black panties. Several hickeys covered her neck. My fingers loosened, and the envelope fell to the floor. Charles came out wearing only a towel around his waist, and I struggled to take in what was right in front of me. "What the hell..." I looked from one to the other as my eyes filled with tears. "What's she doing here, Charles? What were you two doing?" Charles kept his gaze away from mine. Without the slightest hesitation, Oriana put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. "We just had sex. Isn't that obvious?" I couldn't stop the tears from running down my face. Both my hands were trembling, and I wanted to slap the two of them. "Did I really mean that little to you, Charles?" I could barely get the words out. "We had plans to go to Wharton together. You said we'd get married and that you'd help me leave that house. So why did you go behind my back and sleep with her?" My cousin sneered at me, while Charles turned his face away. "What did you expect, Aurora? Oriana's parents took you in because you were an orphan. What could you possibly do for me?" His voice grew colder as he continued, "Getting a decent job in finance isn't easy. You know that. If I graduate without anyone who can open a few doors for me, I could spend my whole life stuck in a job that goes nowhere. And that's assuming I even get hired. What if I have to get by on part-time shifts at a convenience store? I won't settle for that." Apparently, he'd talked himself into believing he had nothing to be ashamed of. "There's no point dragging this out. It's over between us. This was never going to work." I held on to the doorframe as I cried, but I couldn't make my tears stop. Aurora Purwett was my name. An accident had killed my parents when I was still a baby. My aunt and uncle had taken me into their home, only to spend the years that followed treating me as their maid. Growing up, I'd endured their shouting, their beatings, and the cruel things they said to me, while Oriana had bullied me at every chance she got. For a while, I'd believed Charles could help me build a different life. According to him, he'd never leave me to face things alone, and he'd keep me safe. Once we were both at Wharton, I'd finally be free of the house that made me feel as though I couldn't breathe. He'd turned out to be one more person I couldn't trust. For a few seconds, I thought my legs might give way from how badly it hurt. After bending down to pick up the letter, I stood and slapped him with all the strength I had. "Someone like you has no business at Wharton! You'll see when I get there. I'll do better than you ever could, and I'll make damn sure you know it, you cheating bastard!" Every bit of my anger had gone into that slap. As his cheek began to swell, he turned on me in a rage. "Wait. You actually believe you're going to Wharton?" Charles pushed me to the floor, then looked down at me. "Maybe you should check where that letter came from before you start talking. Did you really think you were good enough to get into Wharton with me?" Nothing he said made sense at first. Was he saying I hadn't gotten in? My eyes dropped to the envelope in my hand. Instead of Wharton School of Business, the return address belonged to a local community college. There had to be some mistake. I'd earned SAT scores that gave me a strong chance of getting into Wharton. How had I been accepted by a college I'd never even applied to? "Don't be stupid. Charles doesn't want you following us to Wharton and getting in the way." Oriana laughed in my face. "We've fed and housed you for eighteen years. You thought you could just walk out on us as soon as you turned eighteen?" She snuggled up to him and went on with obvious pleasure. "Charles changed your application materials for me. Wasn't that sweet of him? You're staying here to attend that college and look after my parents. After we finish at Wharton and get married, you can be our little maid." Her hand went over her mouth, but it did nothing to hide her laughter. "I even picked culinary arts for you. You'd better pay attention in class. If you learn to cook properly, we can save ourselves the cost of a chef." Finding out my boyfriend had slept with my cousin hurt, but this was even worse. They expected me to settle for a community college! To me, that was where people went when their grades weren't good enough for anywhere else. Most of them seemed to want something to put on their resumes without having to work too hard for it. The professors only worked there part-time, and I couldn't imagine anyone taking their studies seriously. For years, I'd pictured myself leaving that house behind and building a career as a financial analyst. My future was supposed to involve work I'd chosen, rather than spending my days making someone else's meals and scrubbing their floors. Now they'd changed my applications behind my back, and I'd missed every deadline to apply somewhere else. Because of those two bastards, the future I'd worked for was gone. Their smug expressions were more than I could bear. Without thinking, I threw myself at them, determined to kill them even if it'd land me behind bars. He knocked me to the floor as though it took no effort at all. "Stay away from us," he blurted out coldly. "Keep this up, and we'll let Oriana's parents deal with you. They could stop you from going to that college, too. Is that what you want?" The door slammed shut before I could get up. I squeezed the acceptance letter in my hand and sank my teeth into my lip until I tasted blood. How could I fix this? There was no way my aunt and uncle would let me stay home and apply again the following year. Did I have any choice except to attend the college they'd picked for me? Somehow, I made it out of the building, too dazed to decide where to head next. The rain started coming down hard just as the same mail carrier hurried up behind me. "Miss, wait! I've got another acceptance letter for you! This one's from..." He paused to read the envelope. "Norden Academy of Magic?"

Aurora's POV: I stared up at the mail carrier in disbelief. "Sir, you've got to be kidding me." There was no such place as Norden Academy of Magic. Even if a school like that somehow existed, I had never applied to it. And magic wasn't real. It couldn't be. "I'm serious." Then he shoved the envelope into my hands and drove away without saying anything else. I lowered my gaze to the envelope. Sure enough, the words "Norden Academy of Magic" were written across the front. I couldn't tell what kind of material it was made from, but somehow, the rain hadn't left so much as a mark on it. A dragon had been stamped into an antique gold wax seal in the center. Everything about it looked carefully made, almost like something that had come straight out of the Middle Ages. I hesitated for a few seconds before hurrying into a convenience store to escape the rain. Once I was inside, I opened the letter. "Dear Ms. Purwett, we're pleased to inform you that you've been accepted into Norden Academy of Magic. Once you receive this letter, please get in touch with your assigned guide, Connor Lancelot. He'll help you purchase everything you'll need for enrollment and take you to the academy on your scheduled arrival date. You can find him on the top floor of Lancelot Tower." A faint rosemary scent rose from the paper. I frowned. This had to be some elaborate joke. Lancelot Tower served as the headquarters of the Lancelot family's massive business empire. People would do almost anything for the chance to work there because getting inside could open doors to opportunities most people could only dream about. Someone like me probably couldn't even get past the lobby. Reaching the top floor was completely out of the question. From what I'd heard, only the people in charge of the family's empire were allowed up there. I nearly tossed the letter into the trash, but I stopped myself. Whoever had made it had clearly put a lot of effort into it, so I slipped it into my bag instead. I stayed inside the convenience store until the clerk finally gave me an annoyed look and said, "We're closing. You need to head out." It was already past midnight when I finally left. When I got home, I crawled into the cramped storage room that doubled as my bedroom. I held my community college acceptance letter against my chest and cried until the sun began to rise. Exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I fell asleep. I hadn't been asleep for long when the door flew open after someone kicked it. "Get up, you lazy brat, and make breakfast!" my aunt, Diane Kingsley, snapped. "Oriana and Charles are going out to buy their college stuff today. If you make them late, you're going to regret it!" I slowly pushed myself upright. My entire body felt heavy from lack of sleep, but for once, I didn't immediately obey her. "No. I need to work on applications for other colleges. I don't have time to make breakfast for them, and I shouldn't have to." "What the hell has gotten into you?" She sounded genuinely stunned that I had dared to tell her no. "After everything we've done for you, this is how you act? Keep it up, and you can forget about us paying for your education." "I'll figure out how to pay for school myself. And I'm not going to that community college." I made myself get to my feet. "I'm done with all of you." I grabbed my identification documents and the letter from the magic academy out of the drawer, brushed past her, and headed for the door. Oriana and Charles moved in front of me before I could leave. "You really think you can just walk out of here, Aurora?" Oriana sneered. "My parents spent a fortune raising you. You're not leaving until you pay them back. You signed those IOUs, remember? Every cent they spent on you is written down." Charles looked annoyed, as if I were the one making things difficult. "Can you stop making such a big deal out of this, Aurora? What's so terrible about community college? You're an orphan. You should be thankful you're getting the chance to go to college at all. Just stay here and help the people who raised you. Once Oriana and I graduate and get our company running, maybe we'll even let you clean the office." Anger shook through me at the nerve of them, but I had no way to pay back the amount they claimed they'd spent raising me. They knew I couldn't pay them back. That was exactly why Diane looked so pleased when she grabbed my hair and pulled me toward the door. "You little bitch! No money? Then you can forget about sleeping in a bed from now on. The doghouse is good enough for you. I'll call Rocco. He can put you to work today. If you're going to live under my roof, then you'd better start bringing money home. And you'd better learn fast how to keep a man happy." My whole body shook as I fought against her grip and tried to tear myself free. I knew exactly who Rocco Wood was. He was a pimp who worked in the red-light district, and plenty of young women had fallen into his hands. He had tricked them, exploited them, and forced many of them into prostitution. If Diane really gave me to him, there was no telling whether I'd ever get away. I needed help. I couldn't let this become my life. I didn't want to spend years being used by men and barely managing to survive from one day to the next. Diane kept pulling me across the room until we reached the front door. The second she opened it, I lost my footing and fell forward. Someone caught me before I hit the ground. My body pressed against a firm, warm chest, and strong hands kept me upright. I froze. Then I raised my head and met the stranger's eyes. He towered over me in a perfectly fitted suit. One of his hands was still around my waist, holding me steady. A gold dragon earring gleamed against his right ear. For a second, I forgot what was happening. He was ridiculously handsome. The girls my age were always obsessing over celebrities, but even the most popular actors I'd seen didn't look like him. His eyes were sharp and clear. His features were so striking that he almost didn't seem real. Sunlight fell across his face and left a faint shadow beneath his thick lashes. When our eyes met, my heart gave a sudden, stupid jump. Who the hell was he?

Aurora's POV: Had this young man come looking for my aunt? I quickly stepped away from him. Being seen like this was embarrassing enough, and somehow it felt even worse with someone like him standing there. Diane, Oriana, and Charles had gone completely quiet. All the confidence they'd had a moment ago was gone. Diane forced on a polite smile. "I'm sorry, sir. Who are you?" "Connor Lancelot." His voice was deep and calm. The name was enough to leave everyone speechless. Diane's eyes widened, and excitement immediately replaced the shock on her face. Connor was the heir to the Lancelot family, one of the richest and most powerful families in the world. People practically bragged if they'd ever been in the same room with him. And somehow, he was standing right outside our house. Oriana couldn't stop staring at him. That was when I suddenly remembered the letter. The guide assigned to me was named Connor Lancelot. Was this really him? Had he actually come here to take me to the magic academy? Diane seemed to recover first. She reached toward me and snapped, "Aurora, don't just stand there. Move out of the way and go make some coffee." Then she turned back to Connor with an eager smile. "Mr. Lancelot, did you come to see my husband? He's been trying to arrange a meeting with someone from one of your companies. We had no idea you'd come yourself. I'll call him right now." Before she could touch me again, Connor stepped between us. "I'm not here to see your husband. I came for Aurora." Connor didn't even look at her as he added, "And your husband isn't important enough for me to come here personally." Diane's face fell. Everyone stared at him. I'd already started to suspect why he was here, but hearing him say my name still left me stunned. Oriana seemed to forget all about being polite. "Mr. Lancelot, that can't be right. Why would someone like you come here for Aurora? She's nobody. She doesn't even deserve to..." Her words suddenly stopped. She grabbed at her throat and gasped for air, as if something invisible had tightened around her neck. Connor barely glanced at her. "You're being annoying." Then he looked at me. "Pack what you need. We're leaving for the academy." My fingers tightened around the hem of my shirt. I couldn't even think of what to say. I was really going to a magic academy, but I still couldn't wrap my head around any of this. Was magic actually real? And even if it was, what was I supposed to do after learning it? Could I actually find a job in the magical world? What would happen if I couldn't? Before I could say anything, Charles suddenly rushed forward. "What academy are you talking about? You're some kind of scammer, aren't you?" He pointed at Connor, though the fear on his face made his bravado hard to believe. "Aurora's going to community college. Why would someone like you show up here just to take her somewhere?" Connor glanced at the finger pointed at him. "Kneel." Charles scoffed and opened his mouth to argue. His knees slammed into the floor before another word came out. The tiles by the entrance cracked beneath him. The impact looked so brutal that I was sure he'd broken both legs. He crumpled forward, grabbing them as he screamed and stared at Connor in horror. "What the hell did you do to me? What are you?" I stood frozen. I'd never seen anything like it. Diane was trembling too, but apparently, even fear wasn't enough to make her forget about money. "Aurora, you're not leaving!" she shouted. "You still owe us for everything we've spent raising you!" Then she turned to Connor. "Mr. Lancelot, if you're taking her with you, then you can pay what she owes us. Otherwise, I'm calling the police." Connor stopped walking. "She's lying," I said quickly. "They've treated me like garbage for years. I don't owe them anything. I..." Connor gave a small nod. "Fine. If money's the problem, I'll take care of it." He snapped his fingers. A stack of gold bars appeared in the middle of the living room. Then another appeared. And another. Within seconds, the pile had grown into a glittering mound. Diane's fear disappeared the moment she saw the gold. She rushed toward it, snatched up one of the bars, and bit down on it. "Oh my God. It's real! All of this is real gold!" But the gold didn't stop appearing. More bars spilled across the floor and spread into the other rooms. The piles kept rising until there was barely any space left to move. Diane's excitement quickly turned into panic. "Stop! That's enough!" she screamed as the gold closed in around her. "Please, make it stop! My legs are going to get crushed!" Connor didn't even look at her. He turned to me instead. "I need to go. Are you coming?" For a few seconds, I just stared at him. After everything I'd seen, I couldn't make myself speak. So this was what magic looked like. I could hardly believe my eyes. And soon, I'd become a mage myself. Would I really be capable of doing something like that, too? The idea made me nervous. I barely knew the man who had shown up for me, and now I was following him into a world where magic was real and science couldn't explain everything. I had no clue what was waiting for me at the academy. But if I stayed, I already knew exactly what my life would look like. I'd end up at that community college, stuck with a future I didn't want while Oriana and her parents kept controlling every part of my life. That was enough to make up my mind. I grabbed my identification documents and the acceptance letter, then hurried after Connor. As he headed outside, the mountain of gold that had broken through the walls and turned the house into a wreck suddenly disappeared. Diane, Oriana, and Charles were left unconscious in the middle of the ruins. I expected something magical to take us away. Maybe a flying broom, or some kind of spell that could transport us in an instant. Instead, there was a Rolls-Royce parked outside. I stopped for a second. Connor opened the back door, and only then did I slowly walk over and get in. Once the car started moving, curiosity got the better of me. "So... mages use cars too?" Connor gave me a look that made me feel like I'd just asked the dumbest question imaginable. Okay. Fair point. We were still in the ordinary world. If I looked up and saw someone flying across the sky on a broomstick, I'd probably call the police too. Connor clearly wasn't much of a talker, so I decided not to push it. We drove all the way to the harbor. I assumed we'd be going through the passenger terminal, but Connor led me around the main area and toward an old cargo dock instead. The second we passed through the iron gate, something felt different. The sky seemed darker, and the gray water ahead churned hard enough to make my stomach tighten. This didn't look like the kind of place where students boarded a ship. It looked more like somewhere people disappeared. I nervously grabbed the hem of my shirt. I wanted to ask Connor where we were going, but one look at his serious expression made me keep the question to myself. We waited for what felt like forever. Then the sea suddenly moved. A huge whirlpool opened in the water offshore. Wind roared around it, and waves crashed violently in every direction. Somehow, the rest of the harbor farther away stayed completely calm. I stared as a massive three-level ship slowly rose from the spinning water. Soft orchestral music drifted toward us from the deck. I couldn't look away. The ship kept coming until it finally stopped right in front of us.