Aria glared at Abigail so intensely that if looks could kill, the woman would have been dead already.

The medical assessment was finally over.

By the time they finally released her, every muscle in her body ached. Her wrists were raw from struggling against the restraints, while a dull pain lingered throughout her lower body.

She gritted her teeth as she followed Abigail out of the room. They stepped into the elevator once more and rode up to another floor.

This one was different. It was quieter, and more private. Abigail led her down a corridor where muffled voices drifted through the walls.

The woman stopped outside a door and said, "Time to meet your peers." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

She pulled it open and waited expectantly. Aria eyed her cautiously before stepping inside. A short passageway stretched ahead of her before opening into a small but luxurious conference hall.

Rows of elevated seats faced a stage at the front of the room where a man stood beside a massive electronic screen displaying what appeared to be presentation slides.

The moment Aria entered, every head turned toward her. She felt like a fish tossed onto dry land.

"You must be Aria Aspen." The man smiled politely. "I’m Professor Cletus."

Aria took in the square-framed glasses perched on his nose, the salt-and-pepper hair combed neatly back, and the practiced smile that seemed designed to put people at ease.

Only a fool would feel at ease in this place.

"What now?" Aria croaked.

"Hm?" The professor tilted his head in confusion before understanding dawned on him.

"Oh. Right." He adjusted his glasses. "I know the medical evaluation process can feel rather uncomfortable for some of you—"

"Uncomfortable is an understatement," Aria cut in coldly. "Why don’t we put you on your back and let some stranger poke your ass with weird instruments? Then you can tell me how comfortable it feels."

Snickers erupted throughout the room and a few girls outright laughed. Conversations immediately broke out around her.

"She’s the one, isn’t she? The girl who made a scene on national television."

Another voice answered, "Turns out she’s just as troublesome as she looked."

Aria’s brows rose.

Someone else said with obvious amusement, "This is going to be fun."

Professor Cletus cleared his throat loudly.

"You might as well take a seat," he said. "We were almost finished here anyway."

Having scowled at the man long enough to make her feelings perfectly clear, Aria turned to face the true battle of her life.

A room full of girls.

Perhaps because she had spent most of her life being bullied by them, Aria had never felt comfortable around her own gender.

Today was no different. All nineteen girls were staring at her. Judging her. Sizing her up like rivals. The program wasn’t even a competition. It was supposed to be a fight for their lives. But apparently, some people could turn anything into a contest.

Some wore their dislike openly, glaring at her as though she had personally offended them simply by existing. Most looked curious. A few seemed bored. One, however, looked intrigued.

Aria frowned and deliberately ignored her. Thankfully, there were plenty of empty seats available. She chose one far away from the clusters of girls already gathered together.

The move was intentional. A clear message that she didn’t need their friendship.

Apparently, someone took offense to that. One of the girls openly scoffed, unable to hide her annoyance. Aria ignored her too. Instead, she focused on the giant screen at the front of the room.

Three men stared back at her. Maverick Nightshade. Rhydian Drakhar. Caelis Corbyn.

Their names were displayed beneath their photographs.

Professor Cletus resumed speaking.

"As I was saying, Maverick Nightshade is one of our people on the inside and will help you adjust once you arrive tomorrow."

Aria already knew who Maverick was. His parents were practically legends throughout the Aster region. The man himself was a celebrity and half the girls in her class practically worshipped him.

Honestly though? Who wouldn’t fall for the purple hair and those strange gray eyes with their slit pupils? He was sexy as hell.

As for the other two, she knew very little.

Only that the red-haired one was apparently a dragon while the silver-haired one was a basilisk.

Fantastic. She was being shipped off to live amongst dragons and a basilisk. This program somehow managed to become more ridiculous every hour.

Professor Cletus said. "Compared to previous years, we’ve ensured there is sufficient anti-venom stocked throughout the academy. Snake attacks accounted for a significant number of casualties during earlier programs. You will also receive smart watches capable of monitoring your health and alerting school authority should you find yourselves in danger. All of this is intended to ensure—"

"Hello."

The voice suddenly sounded beside her ear and Aria nearly launched herself out of her seat. Every head in the room turned toward her.

"Is something wrong, Aria?" Professor Cletus questioned.

"Nothing," Aria muttered, embarrassed.

Some blonde girl snorted. "Attention seeker."

Aria slowly turned toward her. Their eyes met. Right then and there, she decided she disliked the girl.

"Sorry," the newcomer whispered. "Didn’t mean to scare you."

A grin spread across her face. "Actually, that’s a lie. It was pretty funny. You should’ve seen your expression."

Aria frowned. It was the girl who had been staring at her earlier. The one who looked interested. Apparently she had abandoned her own seat and crossed the room just to bother her.

Aria recognized trouble when she saw one.

"Brittney." The girl stretched out a hand in introduction.

Aria stared at it without taking it. Brittney merely shrugged, unaffected.

"Well, I already know your name," she said cheerfully. "I’d say we’re properly introduced."

"What do you want?" Aria asked, refusing to lower her guard.

Brittney’s lips curved mischievously.

"Would you believe me if I told you that the moment you walked into this room, I had a feeling we were destined to be best friends? Your name starts with an A, mine starts with a B. A and B. The alphabet itself is practically shipping us together."

Aria nearly lost her composure. She simply blinked.

"I know. Sounds crazy, right?" Brittney sighed dramatically. "Trust me, people tell me that all the time. Otherwise, why would my parents sign me up for the Concordia Program other than to get rid of me in the most legal way possible?" She laughed at her own joke.

Aria immediately went on alert. This was exactly how emotional attachments started, and she wasn’t falling for it.

"I don’t need friends," Aria grumbled, making herself perfectly clear.

But Brittney laughed as if Aria had just told the funniest joke imaginable.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said, leaning closer. "You think the beasts are the only monsters here?" She subtly gestured toward the cluster of girls seated off to the side. "There’s a pack of cheetahs sitting right over there and trust me, they’d tear you apart themselves if given the chance."

Some of the playfulness faded from her expression. "If you actually intend to survive this place, then you’re going to need an ally."