PROLOGUE

Orbs of honey gazed at the sombre depths of the inky night, her finger tracing intricate swirls across the frosted condensation on the window. She took her finger away, and with a monotonous expression painted across her features, her eyes followed a droplet fall from the tip of her finger and hit the leather of her seat with a soft splash.

The subdued feeling of mystery that was emitted by the onyx darkness fascinated her and the girl's natural instinct cried with intrigue, yet she was confined to the suffocating griege void of the car she sat in and quietly sighed under her breath a curse of her annoyance.

They passed abundant beds of plentifully flowering mauve and pale honeydew petals, crumbling mossy stone brick houses choked by vibrant ivy, crunching bronze pebble and steel gravel pathways – the storybook aura it gave off made you feel as if you were a sweet princess in an enchanting fairy tale. Yet a feeling of uneasiness washed over her for some reason, like she was anticipating something to go terribly wrong...

The car she rode in took a smooth turn and drove through an open wrought iron gate adorned with delicate patterns, and they embarked up a steep hill decorated with luscious oak trees and bright grass. Dim amber lights of gently swaying lanterns flickered and lit up the cracked cobblestone road that the car drove along, and she couldn't help but doubt that this was the right place...

Suddenly, an abrupt jolt startled her presence and the car came to an unexpected stop. Desperate for even just a split-second's breath of the fresh winter air, she forcefully slammed the door open with bold vigour and the bored trance that gripped her consciousness just a moment ago disappeared within seconds. The muffled dialect of the driver announced to her that the disturbance was due to a sharp rock that had punctured a tire, but she was oblivious to his voice in her state of awe and didn't hear a word he said.

An icy, bitter gale blew her tangled apricot locks and she shuddered as a freezing chill went down her spine. With wild, untamed determination reflected in her eyes, she sharply took in a breath and confirmed it with herself, as if she was reassuring the righteousness of what was about to happen in the next week:

Yes. This was the right place.

. . .

HARUNA'S P.O.V.:

I was exhausted from travelling all day, and couldn't wait to submerge myself beneath the soft pure white linen sheets of my bed. Hopefully things wouldn't go too bad here at the academy, and with a sigh, my body fell backwards through the air and I landed with a loud 'thud' on the soft sheets of my new bed. I stared at the plain, colourless white ceiling, and pondered about what the events of tomorrow would tell.

Hair pooled in subtle waves around my head, my eyes fluttered shut as my thoughts were clouded with the excitement – and also the slight feeling of nervousness – of investigating the untold mysteries of Cross Academy. Clutching my dear notebook close to my chest as a cherished keepsake, sleep engulfed my senses and I drifted away to the land of dreams before I even noticed.

The next morning, I awoke to the soft chatter and hushed noises of students waking up and preparing to attend classes for the day. Of course, the idea of attending class today hadn't even crossed my mind until now, and I still had had no intention of doing so – I liked to explore, and not be restrained or held back against my will. The danger of the discovery that I was skipping class, especially on my first day, slightly intimidated me, but not as much as to delay my adventure.

I got dressed into the elegant Cross Academy uniform, and peered at myself in the mirror with inquisitiveness at my appearance. The charcoal blazer seemed slightly too big on my petite frame and reached all the way to my knees, but at least that way I had confidence that I would be able to fit my prized moleskin notebook inside without being questioned by anyone. On the creamy pages of parchment that lay inside, I document all my findings in smooth black ink and keep an accurate track of all evidence I discover.

Straightening my clothing and brushing off invisible dust, I froze. Everything was perfect, except one thing: how was I going to get out without being noticed by my peers? An idea rushed through my head, but immediately I brushed it off.

No way was I jumping from a window this high up...

...right?

I looked down with fear evidently showing in my eyes, and shakily climbed out on to the slippery window ledge, which was about as wide as my foot. Trying to reassure myself and be calm, I closed my eyes.

Then I did the craziest thing I've ever done in my life.

I jumped.

Author's note: I hope that wasn't too bad! It was probably a bit long and boring, but it's my first attempt at a fanfiction and some point down the line I'll probably end up rewriting it anyways. o w o

Please R&R, then I'll know if you want me to continue this poopy thing I've started! u w u