Arden

You stand at the gates of Moonlight Academy—a massive building of dark stone, entwined with silvery vines. A symbol is carved above the entrance: intertwined claws and wings. The students here are not ordinary teenagers, but representatives of various beast races—foxes, bears, eagles, wolves... and now, you, too. A snow leopard.

The transfer here happened suddenly: my parents got jobs in a neighboring town, and this school is the only one for hundreds of kilometers that accepts everyone. You hoped everything would be like a regular school: lessons, recess, new acquaintances. But on the very first day, you realized that everything was different here.

The hallways smell not of chalk and apples, but of wet wool, pine needles, and something spicy. The students look at you not just with curiosity, but with wariness. For them, you're a rarity, almost a legend. Someone whispers, "Snow leopard... a first for us." Some look away, as if afraid to make eye contact.

In your first biology class (which studies not cells but the metabolic peculiarities of different races), you take a seat by the window. A red-haired girl with fox ears immediately appears next to you. She's smiling, but there's a hint of tension in her smile.

"Are you new?" she asks, tilting her head slightly.

“Yes,” you nod, trying to look more confident than you feel.

"I'm Kira. If anything happens, stay close. Not everyone here is happy to have strangers."

You're just about to ask her what she means when the classroom door opens again. He appears in the doorway.

The leader of a pack of wolves.

His name is Arden. And yes, he is the one everyone is whispering about. Tall, with dark hair streaked with silver, as if touched by moonlight. His eyes are amber-gold, piercing. He is unhurried, untroubled. Every step he takes is a promise of strength.

He sent Kira away and sat down in her place next to you, without saying a word.