Jyni felt a sting on her skin as she stepped inside the Academy. She glanced back and saw her friends unconsciously rubbing their arms as they stared, wide-eyed, at their surroundings. It was as grand in the inside as it was on the outside. Marble floors, glass windows, enormous staircase in the middle, and students milling around or hurrying to lectures. 

The Headmistress, Sindy, did not pause as she strode in, nodding her head to those that bowed to her. Jyni watched in stupefied amazement. Why are they bowing to her? This place is getting weirder by the minute. Ayumi and Lúcas snickered quietly behind Jyni at the bowing students. Jyni shook her head and kept walking. 

The Headmistress eventually took them up the marble staircase and into many hallways that Jyni had no hope of ever memorizing. "Your arrival timing couldn't have been more impeccable," the Headmistress said, breaking the tense silence. 

"How so?" Jyni asked, looking back to see her friends frowning. The Headmistress veered right and stopped in front of giant golden doors. On top of them rested a plaque with the words "Girls' Dormitory" carved in. 

"I believe you know where those doors lead to," the Headmistress said with a smile. She turned and pointed behind them. "Right across this hallway is another one that houses the boys' dormitory. Dinner is served at eight, but an hour before it, you'll see guards stationed by your doors. Do not be alarmed by them. We've had a few boys in the past sneaking into the girls' dorms and causing a ruckus, which made this a necessity."

Lúcas was grinning impishly while Ayumi sighed next to him. The Headmistress smiled at them but her stern expression did not change. "Those people that break the rules suffer grave consequences," she warned. Immediately, Lúcas's smile fell away. 

"Earlier you said we've come at a perfect timing...?" Jyni trailed off. 

"Oh, yes, thank you for reminding me," Sindy said, clapping her hands once. "You're just in time for our annual hunt." 

"A...hunt?" Ayumi asked. "What do you mean?"

Sindy smiled, her blue eyes gleaming. "Yes, a hunt. A very enjoyable one, might I add. You will know all the details in your orientation tomorrow. Do not forget what time it will be. The orientation's location will be held in the courtyard outside. If you have any problems with directions, stop by my office or ask your fellow students. They'll be more than happy to assist you." She checked her wristwatch and a little gasp of surprise escaped her lips. "Oh, my, time flew by. I must be going now. Once again, welcome to the Elite Academy. We are very pleased to have you join our ranks."

"Wait," Jyni said, halting the Headmistress as she prepared to leave. Sindy turned and raised an eyebrow. "Why were the students bowing to you earlier?" For some reason, that act had been bothering Jyni. 

The Headmistress laughed. "It's something my previous students initiated. They treat me like I'm their Queen for some odd reason. Now, I must be off." Sindy took a left turn and disappeared from Jyni and her friends' sight. 

"Am I the only one who finds this weird?" Jyni wondered aloud, her forehead furrowed in thought. "Even her word choices are weird. Like she's trying to speak modern but also old."

"I noticed that too," Ayumi said. "Could be because she's not from here?" Jyni and Lúcas shrugged. "Anyway, let's go check our dorm room! And you," she pointed her index finger at Lúcas. His eyes widened. "If I see you creeping around our dorms, my trusty daggers will remove your pride and joy. Capisce?" He nodded vigorously and half-walked, half-ran to the other hallway. 

The girls giggled as they opened the doors to their new rooms. Lúcas will forever be Lúcas. 

-:- -:- -:- -:-

"Now that we got the boring basics out of the way," their guide said, his eyes glinting with mischief. "It's time to discuss the most important part of our Academy: the Hunt!" Enthusiastic cheers erupted with his announcement. 

It was midmorning and Jyni, Ayumi, and Lúcas had been trudging along with the rest of the new arrivals through the orientation. Everything the guide had mentioned was written in the brochure, so the friends were beginning to think they woke up early for nothing. The only thing that was keeping them there was the announcement the guide had made about the Hunt.

"What is the hunt? And why did it sound like you capitalized it?" A girl with pink hair asked, popping her gum loudly.

"It's because I did," the guide said. "And the Hunt is the most anticipated event every year at our Academy. Each year, the Hunt's guidelines change, as does the thing you'll be hunting. For this year's Hunt, you'll be placed in groups of three and a faculty member will join your group. Don't blow breaths of relief just yet," he warned as some of the students had relaxed their tensed bodies. "The faculty members will not help or assist you in any way. They will be there to keep track and record your progress and that's all. Any faculty member caught helping his/her group will be disqualified, as well as the group they were responsible for."

Groans and shouts of displeasure answered the guide's statement. Everyone had been thinking it would be an easy Hunt with the assistance of those faculty members, but now they were realizing there were no shortcuts and they'll have to work to win it.

"Oh, and another thing," the guide spoke up, silencing the students' murmurings amongst themselves. "The Hunt is worth forty-five percent of your grade, so if you fail it..." He let his warning trail off, heightening everyone's sense of thrill and excitement. "Now break off into threes and your group's faculty members will find you."

"Hold on!" Jyni said, trying to make her voice be heard above the loud conversations. With Ayumi shooting them all Death's glare himself, the students quieted down. "You said we'll be hunting a thing? What does that mean, exactly?"

The students turned raised eyebrows the guide's way. They had missed that little detail in their eagerness to begin the Hunt. 

The guide's smile turned wicked. "Oh, you caught that, did you? The thing you'll be hunting will vary depending on your faculty member's mood. It could range from a harmless rabbit to a ferocious dragon." He shrugged and turned away, leaving dead silence behind him.

Lúcas was the first to break the stunned silence. He guffawed and rolled his eyes. "Where does that dude live, in Camelot?" His weak attempt at humor brought awkward smiles to the tense atmosphere. The students broke into groups of three and began discussing Hunt strategies.

Faculty members came out of the Academy and chose the groups they would be responsible for. 

Ayumi elbowed Jyni. "Look, even the Headmistress came out." Sure enough, Jyni watched as Sindy observed the groups with silence, her face expressionless. When her blue eyes landed on Jyni, she nodded and strode their way.

"Oh, no, I hope she didn't pick us as her group," Jyni said under her breath, trepidation coursing through her blood. "Anytime she's near, I get the weird feeling that she's up to no good."

The group stayed silent and watched as the Headmistress reached them. She paused by them and finally cracked a small smile. "It appears you are my group. I hope that is not a problem."

The friends shook their heads and smiled weakly, even as the rest of the students shot them resentful looks. They thought with the Headmistress as their guide, Jyni, and her friends would win without a doubt.

They had no idea how horribly off the truth they were.