Morning came like a slap in the face. Not the gentle warmth of sunlight through gauzy curtains, but a blinding, intrusive blaze that seemed hellbent on waking me. I groaned and buried my face deeper into my pillow, refusing to let the day win.
Unfortunately, the day had other plans.
A sharp knock came at the door. I didn't respond.
The door creaked open anyway.
"Miss Laura, breakfast is ready," came Maria's voice. Soft, polite, and completely indifferent to my bad mood.
"Not hungry," I mumbled.
There was a pause. "Your father insists."
Of course he did.
I dragged myself out of bed, hair tangled, eyes puffy from a night of restless dreams. I had barely slept. My mind wouldn't stop replaying the words: Balth High. It sounded less like a school and more like a warning.
I got dressed slowly, deliberately choosing a black hoodie and jeans. My silent protest. Let them choke on my mood.
Downstairs, the dining room was just as extravagant as the night before. Sunlight streamed in through tall windows, lighting up the polished floors and gold-trimmed walls. A fresh spread was already waiting: croissants, poached eggs, smoked salmon, fruit, fresh juice. The smell alone should have made my mouth water, but it didn't.
My parents were seated like the monarchs of some untouchable kingdom. Celeste smiled at me as I entered. Victor, predictably, didn't look up from his newspaper.
"Good morning, darling," my mother said. "You look well-rested."
I flopped into my chair. "I didn't sleep."
Victor flipped a page. "You should have. You've got a busy day."
"Busy doing what?" I snapped. I had somehow hoped last night was just a terrible dream and he wasn't really sending me off to Balth High.
He finally looked up. "Packing," He set the paper down with the kind of deliberate calm that made my stomach clench. "You'll be leaving in three days. That gives you time to say your goodbyes and prepare. It's not the sort of place you walk into unready."
Celeste sipped her tea delicately. "We've made arrangements. The headmistress is expecting you."
"Expecting me where?" I demanded. Oh God, no.
Silence.
Then Victor answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Balth High."
I slammed my fork against the table. "You can't be serious!"
"It's already done," he said simply.
"You're sending me to a school in the middle of nowhere with a reputation for being—being weird! I heard stories! They say kids go there and come back... changed."
Victor didn't flinch. "Then perhaps change is exactly what you need."
I pushed my chair back violently and stood. "You can't force me!"
"You'll go," he said, final. "Or we cut you off. Entirely."
I stared at him, breath caught in my throat. The threat wasn't idle. He would do it.
"Unbelievable," I hissed. "You're monsters."
I turned on my heel and stormed back upstairs, slamming my door shut with a satisfying crack.
I sat on the floor of my room, arms wrapped around my knees. Everything inside me screamed. I hated them. I hated this life, this prison of wealth and expectations.
Outside, birds chirped and the sun was stupidly bright. I stared at the glossy furniture, the carved wardrobes, the massive bed with its velvet-trimmed headboard, and I hated it all. Every inch of luxury felt like a gilded cage.
I thought back to what I'd heard about Balth High. Rumors that whispered through elite circles. Children who went in and emerged different. Not like they'd been expelled—but like they'd been... transformed. Some said it was a reform school with unorthodox methods. Others said it was a cult.
And then there were the stories that made the hairs on my arms stand.
Whispers about students who could see things, do things. Strange accidents, unexplained visions, voices no one else could hear. One girl was said to have disappeared during a winter break and reappeared six months later at her family estate—unable to speak, eyes like glass.
I told myself it was just gossip.
But the unease had already rooted itself deep in my stomach.
Time passed. I didn't know how long. Maybe an hour. Maybe three.
Then came another knock.
My mother entered, quiet as ever. She sat beside me on the floor, and folded her hands neatly in her lap.
We sat in silence for a while, the only sound the ticking of the antique wall clock and the soft murmur of wind outside.
"I know it seems unfair," she said at last.
"'Seems'?" I laughed bitterly. "It is."
Celeste tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "I know Balth High has... a reputation. But it's not what you think. It's different, yes. But not evil."
I looked at her, trying to read between her careful words. "You know people there."
She hesitated. "Yes. I went there, once. A long time ago."
My mouth dropped open. "You did? You never told me that."
"There are many things I haven't told you," she said softly. Then she sighed. "There are things about you, Laura. Things you're beginning to feel. Sense. The way you connect with water. The way your voice... affects people."
Her gaze met mine, and for a second, I saw something disturbing and sad behind her perfect smile.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She smiled. "You'll find the answers soon enough."
Frustration boiled up in my chest. "That's what you said last night too. Why can't anyone just tell me what's going on? Why is everything a secret?"
"Because the truth can't be unlearned," she whispered. "And once you know it, your life will never be the same."
She stood. "Get some rest. I'll send Maria to help you pack."
Then she was gone.
I stared at the door long after she left.
Balth High.
The name sat heavy in my chest like an anchor.
What was I being sent into?
Who exactly was I?
I started to think about everything that had happened all the weird things I could do. Was it possible that i was somehow like those freaks in Balth?
The thought was disturbing. I pushed it out of my mind and stood up at last to go into the balcony. My mother was being very odd which was odd.
Why did nothing make sense anymore?