Note: Fair warning, we might be slowing down on the frequency of updates soon. Lives are about to get real busy again. We'll try our best to keep up. In the meanwhile, here's the last of what we consider our introductory chapters. After this, the fun starts, and that's when we really start to get into some changes. We hope you like what you find. Enjoy.


It took everything Ruby had to force Yang to stay in her seat in the amphitheater. She was unable to stop Yang from making somewhat of a scene as her eyes burned bright red, and every filthy word she ever knew flowed from her lips like molted lava, but at the very least she was convinced that she saved the life of the other detestable young woman who was sitting on the other side of the theater, blissfully unaware of the danger that she faced.

"Yang, leave it alone. Please," Ruby begged, tugging down on Yang's arm in a vain attempt to force her into her seat. Her skin was hot to the touch.

"And let her get away with it?" Yang snarled. "Nobody talks to my sister like that. I'll knock that Atlasian bitch's head off her shoulders."

"It's not a big deal. Seriously, I do not want to get expelled," pleaded Ruby. Yang growled in frustration, and threw herself into her seat, pumping her arms in a final burst of anger. The fire burned out within her, and her skin cooled as her eyes returned to their normal shade of lilac.

"Who does she think she is?" she muttered. "Just because she's a Schnee and has all the money in Remnant, she thinks she doesn't need to have basic decency. Who honestly says those kinds of things to another human being?"

"I don't know. Cut her some slack. I'm sure she's stressed out like the rest of us. It's probably the first time she's been away from home."

"You don't have to defend her. You know that, right?" Yang asked. "She's allowed to just be a terrible person without any sort of redemption. Those people do exist."

"Yeah. Maybe…" Ruby trailed off. She looked toward her distant right, where Weiss remained at the far end of the row as the other students finished taking their seats around them. The heiress sat with her legs crossed, and her hands clasped in her waist, her thumbs pressed together at the top. Her right thumb traced small, clockwise, circles around its twin. Her cold eyes remained fixated on the stage, though they occasionally they flickered to the clock strung up high on the wall. Impatience. Not for the speech to begin, but more likely, for it to end. She had placed her weapon briefcase on the only seat next to her. Her exchange with Ruby may not have been as personal as the young Huntress-in-training initially suspected. A new possibility emerged: Weiss simply hated everyone. Why? Yet to be determined.

Her scar. Upon further inspection, it was more complex than Ruby first thought. The wound was deeper than she first thought. It cut nearly a quarter of a centimeter into her skin, and a full one and a half centimeters wide. It passed directly through her eye; the eye itself, however, was undamaged. Strange. Stranger still, its color. Bright red. She had obtained it recently. Very recently. Within the past few months—no longer than a year. What could have caused it? Most likely, an accident. Car crash. Wait, she was rich. Aircraft crash. The engine gave out, and during the fall, she failed to wear her seatbelt—due to arrogance—and cracked her head on the windshield. No, that was impossible. No other physical marks on the body that should have been there in such an accident, and the scar itself didn't resemble anything like a typical headwound. Yang had been in two similar accidents herself, and Ruby studied those wounds enough to know that Weiss wasn't afflicted. The scar was caused by something else. Something more vicious. Something intentional. If Ruby didn't know any better, she would almost say the injury was caused by a sword.

A hush fell over the room, and Ruby's attention was suddenly drawn to the large stage at the front of the room. A large flag was draped in the background carrying the school's insignia: two axes crossed together. To its sides, two torches hung from the wall, each the size of a person, their flames tall and bright. In the center of the stage was a microphone stand, presided over by Professor Glynda Goodwitch, who patiently waited for the students to settle themselves before she started speaking in the same stern yet broad tone that she had when she met Ruby so many weeks prior.

"Good evening, students," she said authoritatively. "We are so glad that you could all join us today. We have students here from all over the world, and it is always a privilege to see such young and fresh faces join our ranks each year. My name is Professor Glynda Goodwitch, Professor of Aura and Semblance Studies, and it is my pleasure to welcome each of you to Beacon Academy."

The students burst into applause. There were a few scattered cheers. Yang gave a whoop, for which Ruby smacked her on the arm. She merely clapped politely to herself.

Glynda waited for the clapping to subside, then she continued. "We at Beacon Academy are tasked with the greatest honor known to Humankind: to take those such as yourselves, and through hard work and dedication, transform them into Huntsmen and Huntresses, defenders of the Kingdom against forces of darkness and malice. The fact that you are seated here today means that you are one of the forty lucky men and women who has demonstrated enough bravery, enough skill, and enough cunning to prove worthy of such a title. You should all feel incredibly blessed to be granted this opportunity, and we certainly hope that you prove yourselves to be the warriors that we know you can be."

The students clapped again. Yang gave another whoop. Ruby smacked her more lightly.

"Now, I understand that you all must be very excited, not only to begin your training, but also undoubtedly for the Annual New Students Get-Together directly after the conclusion of this speech. It is a fantastic chance to meet your fellow classmates and relax on campus, and spend a night eating, drinking, partying, and doing… other things that are inappropriate to discuss in this current environment."

Yang whooped. Ruby smacked herself on the forehead.

"However, before you get too carried away, there are some very important rules that we need to go over concerning the safety of not just yourself, but your fellow students, as well," Glynda said. "I know teenagers are impatient, so I'll try to keep this brief."

The next forty-five minutes of the speech consisted of nothing except Glynda talking. It was astonishing to Ruby how one woman could talk uninterrupted for so long and remember so much, and yet never change the tone of her voice a single time. It was also astonishing how quickly the enthusiasm drained from the room once the students realized that she would never stop coming up with new regulations for them. After the first twenty minutes, Yang started snoring, and Ruby had to shake her before anyone else noticed what was happening. She, on the other hand, managed to absorb most of what was thrown at her, even if most of it was relatively self-explanatory.

The only things that piqued Ruby's interest were the regulations and rules regarding the recent restrictions in their recreational roaming. Students were forced to follow a strict eleven o'clock curfew, and access to the campus grounds was severely limited. More importantly, the Emerald Forest was completely off limits due to the unfortunate disappearances of numerous faculty members and three members of a second-year team over the course of two months. Professor Goodwitch assured the students that they would be protected within the walls of Beacon Academy, and search parties were regularly sent out for the missing parties, but until the problem was solved, their Huntsmen training would be altered—including a change in location for some of the normal team-deciding tests that would occur over the course of the week. It was the only thing that stood out to Ruby because it was the only time the mood of the room shifted from boredom to general unease, and despite her professor's warnings, her mind could not help but wander towards the Emerald Forest, and the dark things that lurked in its shadows.

Eventually, miraculously, Professor Goodwitch cleared her throat, and stated, "I feel like I might have gotten carried away for a moment. All in all, I wish all of you a safe and pragmatic first year, and I'm very proud for all of you. And now, I would like to introduce to you our Headmaster, Professor Ozpin, who would like to share a few words with you."

Glynda left the stage as suddenly as she appeared, walking off briskly down the steps and out the door to the far left without another word. The students simply watched her go, stunned, before quickly turning their attention back to the stage just in time for the actual speaker for the evening to take his place in front of the microphone. A gentle, thankful applause took over the room as they watched the man responsible for everything final make his entrance.

When Ozpin strode out onto the stage, Ruby only noticed the small things about him. The hobble in his walk. The unfamiliar purple pin latched onto his black suit jacket. The way his eyes connected with the microphone and never once greeted the audience. He was old—far older than anyone Ruby had known—but he was still sharp. His mouth was shaped into a frown, and yet the ghost of a smile hovered over it, an echo of a mischievous past. Ozpin hobbled to the microphone and raised a white mug marked with the school's insignia to his lips, taking a long sip of the dark liquid inside. Tea? Coffee, perhaps? Ruby could not tell. Maybe it was even hot cocoa.

When Ozpin finally spoke, his voice was tired, and he never looked up from his drink. "Thank you. I've been feeling a bit… under the weather recently, so I'll get right to it. Tomorrow, your lives are going to start over. Everything you think you know, forget about it. It won't do you any good. Many people have tried to become Huntsmen, and most have failed. I'm not expecting much. Your training won't be easy, but you will evolve and survive it. Or, you won't. That's up to you."

He swirled around the drink in his cup and took another long, slow sip. Fifteen seconds later, he pulled the cup away from his lips. "But that's tomorrow. Today, however, you're still just teenagers. So, go and have your party. Enjoy yourself. While it lasts."

Ozpin took another sip from his drink, shorter than the last. He looked down at his beverage and sighed. He opened his mouth to add something else, but then he shrugged, took another drink, and walked away.

No one applauded.


The ballroom was gorgeous. Ruby wasn't entirely certain why a Huntsmen academy needed to have a ballroom at all, but she was certainly glad that it did. The second-year students spared no expense in their decorations. Streamers. Balloons. LED lights. Dance music. More food than she knew what do with. Hors-d'oeuvres. Meats. Cheeses. It was a celebration of the end of their normal lives and the youthful activities that they would forever miss out on. And Ruby admired that—from a very healthy distance. Early on in the proceedings, she snuck away to a back corner and decided to watch the festivities from afar, despite Yang's objections. It gave her a chance to study the behaviors of her fellow classmates, which she was certain would help her later during team selection. More importantly, it meant she didn't have to talk to anyone, which was nice.

Yang, on the other hand, blended in nicely, by which Ruby understood to mean that she stood out from the crowd. Yang—Ruby had learned over the course of many wonderful and uncomfortable years—had three settings: Relaxation, Party, and Blinding Rage. Her sister was currently enthralled in the middle setting, as Ruby could tell by the decent sized crowd forming around her as she chugged what appeared to be a pint of non-alcoholic fruit punch. At least, Ruby hoped it was non-alcoholic. The second-years wouldn't spike the drinks. Would they?

Yang slammed her empty glass down on the folding table, and the crowd of ten students around her threw their arms into the air and cheered. Another student in front of her groaned in frustration. He was big and brawny, with short brown hair and a face that screamed arrogance. Yang smirked at him, placing her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Cardin, pay up," she said smugly. "There's no shame in admitting you're wrong."

Cardin grumbled, rummaging through his pockets before pulling out a twenty Lien card and grudgingly handing it to her.

"You're lucky you have such a big mouth," he sneered.

"Hey, it's got its uses," Yang said with a shrug.

"Oh, I'm sure it does," Cardin said, scrunching his face as he thought of a clever comeback. "You should come over to my bunk tonight. Show me what else that big mouth can wrap around."

Yang didn't miss a beat. "Sorry. My mom warned me not to choke on small objects."

The crowd erupted.

"Damn, girl!"

"That was harsh."

"Got 'em."

"Hey, shut it," Cardin snapped at them. He stormed off, defeated, as Yang closed her eyes and nodded, pleased with her work. The crowd huddled closely around her, and soon, Ruby could not see her. Her only human connection in the whole room: gone. Well, the only human connection she liked. As she traced Cardin's path through the crowded ballroom, her gaze fell upon the other person she was somewhat familiar with, and from the looks of it, she didn't seem to be enjoying herself either. The Schnee girl finally found herself within company, but as she leaned with her back pressed against the wall and her face turned away from the conversation, Ruby could tell it wasn't pleasant. She could understand why. The boy that was awkwardly churning out awkward chunks of small talk wasn't exactly a looker, with a strangely shaped head, shaggy blond hair that nearly covered his dull eyes and a piece of armor that appeared to be one size too large. He didn't sound very pleasant either, with a shrill, wavering voice that sounded as if it was about to give way and fade into nothingness at any moment. Ruby strained her ears to listen in on their conversation, even though she knew that was morally wrong. But what else was she going do to?

"So, I think it's pretty cool that you're from Atlas," he stammered.

"Uh-huh."

"Like, I don't get to meet very many people from outside the Kingdom. Now that I think about it, I haven't really met anyone outside my hometown, but that's another story."

"Fascinating."

"But Atlas. Great Kingdom. Very cold up there. And dark. Cold and dark."

"I'm sorry, John," Weiss groaned, giving him a dismissive wave.

"It's Jaune, actually."

"I'm sorry, John, but as much as I would love to continue this conversation, I'm afraid I have to get going now."

"Oh," Jaune murmured. "Where do you have to go to?"

"You know, the snack table. The bathroom. My bed. Church. Literally anywhere else but here."

"Well… maybe we can talk some other time then?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure. I can think of plenty of times. Like a hundred years from now. Or never. Are those good times for you?"

"I mean, I was just trying to get to know you," Jaune said innocently. Weiss scowled and finally turned to give him a condescending glare.

"Look, John. I don't know things work in whatever backwater town you grew up in—don't even bother to remind me what its name is—but where I come from, you don't just walk up to a lady and say, 'Hey, girl, what's good with you?' You act like a gentleman, a concept that I'm certain has crossed the cultural border into Vale at some point, so you really do not have any excuses for getting this wrong. I do not care that you want to get to know me. I don't want to get to know you. I want nothing to do with you. Now, before you make me get impolite, please get away from me."

"But—"

"What are you waiting for?" Weiss demanded. "How dense are you? I said—" Suddenly, her eyes went wide, and she leaned forward to look over Jaune's shoulder. Her muscles relaxed, and for the first time all night, she seemed to come alive. "By the gods…"

Jaune turned to look behind him, and Ruby followed suit, homing in on the woman that had attracted a sudden amount of attention as she entered the ballroom. Ruby could immediately see why. It wasn't just her outfit—a brilliant set of armor crafted from bronze and gold, complete with a matching circlet and a bold, red sash flayed from her hip—but the way she carried herself that drew the eyes in the room. It was the way she strode confidently into the room. It was her muscular frame, her sparkling green eyes, her vibrant red hair that put Ruby's to shame. When she entered the room, the music faded into the background. A spotlight seemed to shine down upon her, like an angel. She walked into the center of the ballroom, into the midst of the crowd, and the moment she noticed that everyone was staring at her, her dark boots clicked to a halt, and she turned in a full circle, taking in every pair of eyes that were locked onto her magnificence.

She smiled. She waved. She spoke softly. "Hello, everyone. I'm sorry I'm late. Traffic."

Without hesitation, Weiss quickly shoved Jaune away by his face, and dashed over to the woman, taking fast, tiny steps as she made her way through the crowd. She stopped two feet in front of the new arrival, and grinning happily, she gave a quick curtsey.

"Miss Nikos, it's an honor to meet you," she said gracefully. "Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, at your service."

"Oh, hello, Weiss Schnee," the woman responded kindly. She gave a small bow of her own, letting her long, red hair roll past her shoulders. "It's very nice to meet you."

"I have to say, I didn't know that you were coming to Beacon this year," Weiss said with a near-absurd level of admiration. "I thought Haven Academy would have done everything they could have to keep the four-time champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament."

"They most certainly tried, but I felt like it would be good for me to go out and see more of the world," the woman stated, "and the people here just seemed so warm and friendly."

"Oh, the students here are wonderful," Weiss gushed, placing a hand over her heart. "You will absolutely love it here. If there is anything I can do to help you—show you around, help you unpack, anything—just let me know."

"That is so kind of you," the woman smiled.

"And I know you just got here, but I will add that it is never too early to start talking about team formations. If you are ever looking for someone to partner with—"

Before she could finish, Yang suddenly squeezed between them, accidentally knocking Weiss out of the way. She looked the girl who had stolen the attention in the room up and down, and after a moment of pondering, she spoke casually, "Hey, girl, what's good with you?"

"Oh, I'm feeling quite well. Thank you for asking," the woman said sweetly, transitioning to the new conversation without pause.

"Hey, what the hell are you—" Weiss scowled as she tried to shove her way back into the fold, but Yang threw a hand in front of her face, cutting her off.

"Name's Yang. I like your hair. Looks sweet." She stuck out her wrong hand to shake, but the woman accepted it regardless, never breaking eye contact or breaking her honest smile.

"That's very sweet of you, Yang. My name is Pyrrha Nikos. I'm fond of your hair as well."

"Thanks," Yang said casually, trying to keep up the conversation while simultaneous holding back Weiss as she flailed her limbs to get around her. "The secret is lots of conditioner. Lots of it. Like, three tubes of it."

"That is quite a lot of conditioner," Pyrrha said, taking an interest in the topic.

"I know, right? That shit's crazy expensive," Yang noted. Weiss nearly wrestled her way back to the forefront, but Yang scooped an arm around her waist and threw her behind without much effort. "I could always lend you some if you ever need. I have gallons of the stuff."

"That is a very kind gesture," Pyrrha said, thankful.

"We were in the middle of a conversation!" Weiss shouted from a distance. "You can't just interrupt someone in the middle of their—"

"You know," Yang suggested, "we could totally team up together. I'd think we'd pretty awesome."

"I think it would be very fun to team with you, Yang," Pyrrha stated.

"Yeah, maybe sometime this week, we could get together and—"

"Hi, Miss Nikos. Nice to meet you."

"Pyrrha, wow, good to see you."

"Hey, girl, you're my idol."

Before any of the girls knew what was happening, the students began to swarm. One-by-one they jumped into the conversation, introducing themselves and delving out compliments like there was no tomorrow. One-by-one, Pyrrha greeted them with a bright smile and an inhuman level of professionalism, stating that she was proud to meet them. Yang was quickly let in the dust again, lost within an ever-growing sea of eager teenagers, each looking to hog their own moment in the spotlight with the most desired girl in the school.

Ruby knew she had a moment, and she took it. While the rest of the students were distracted, she made her way to the entrance of the ballroom, and quietly slipped out. She was getting tired and knowing that she would probably have to get up early for the testing tomorrow, she wanted to get away from the part as soon as possible. It wasn't like she was missing out. She knew she had nothing to say to Pyrrha Nikos. She had no idea who Pyrrha Nikos was. She just wanted to leave the atmosphere, leave the other students, leave everything behind.

As she exited through the main doors, she hit a small snag: the boy Weiss was talking to earlier, sitting by himself on the floor, his head pressed against the wall in disgrace. Their eyes met briefly, and Ruby thought about fleeing before he could get a word off, until she noticed that he was nursing his wounded back.

"Um… are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm fine," he said halfheartedly. "Just a little banged up from that shove. That Schnee girl has a real arm on her."

"I saw you two talking. Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure she talks like that to everybody. At least, she talked to me like that."

"I'm not sure if that makes me feel better," Jaune stated, "but, thanks for that. Good to know somebody here knows what I'm going through."

"I know, right?" Ruby sighed. "I miss home already."

"You're telling me. Oh, my name's Jaune, by the way. Jaune Arc."

"Ruby Rose. I'll see you around, Jaune."

"Yeah… see you around, Ruby."

She left him to his own devices with a sad smile on her face. He was probably like her, lost in a role far out of his league. She would have stayed by his side, but she sensed that he might have wanted a few moments to himself. Public humiliation wasn't exactly something to be discussed openly. Ruby walked casually through the long hallways, allowing herself to wander around the magnificent castle without caring much for where she went. She was sure that if she accidentally wandered into a restricted area, someone would tell her, so she moved without fear, simply letting her instincts guide her through empty passageways.

Beacon was beautiful during the night. The ballroom was buried deep within the center of the school, and it took several minutes to walk anywhere else, giving her plenty of time to admire the architecture. The school had been around for centuries, if she was not mistaken. She could not tell how often it had been cleaned and scrubbed, but whoever was in charge of maintaining the structure did a phenomenal job. Every hall was decorated with burning torches and exquisite stonework, reflecting off a glimmering marble floor. She passed by tall, thick windows as the moonlight shone into the castle, and from the light, she could see the faint silhouettes of mountainous terrain stretching on for miles. No one ever came to check on her or stop her; she was simply alone, the only sound being the echoes of her footsteps ascending into the raised ceiling. The castle had stood the test of time well.

Somehow, unintentionally, she found herself by the front entrance, and she felt a cool rush of wind as the night air beckoned to her. Ruby took the call, stepping outside and taking in her surroundings. The dozens of towers that made up the castle stretched high into the clouds, and at the very top she could see the dragon, proud and fierce, watching out into the distance as a silent guardian. A straight and wide path lied before her, and she knew at its end was the waterfall, whose roar was audible even from hundreds of yards away. The only other landmark in sight—which Ruby found herself inexplicitly drawn to—was a fountain halfway down the main avenue, adorned on top with a statue of a Huntsman, sword drawn and ready for combat. Ruby walked over to it, gazing upon it emptily before placing a single hand at its base. Its inscription was plain: To those lost.

Ruby sighed. "This… this was all a mistake." She gazed up at the statue and felt a bulge in her throat. "You weren't ready. Everyone else has training, and friends, and they're all so capable, and you're… not. You should have just stayed at Southtown like dad told you, too."

She smacked her hand against the base of the fountain. The stone was cold and damp. "You'll never be a Huntress. You should just crawl back under a rock. You're absolutely pathetic."

The statue watched her apathetically. She snapped at it. "What? Do you want to make fun of me, too? You've been around hundreds of years. I'm sure you know what a Huntress looks like, and that means you know I'm not one of them. Say something, you big dumb statue!"

The statue had no comment. Ruby hit a breaking point. It was a great many things that set her off: she was tired from a long day of travel, sick of being away from home, jealous of Yang for blending in without her, and angry at Weiss for confirming every negative thought she ever had about herself. It was for those reasons why she took off one of her boots, and without thinking, tossed it at the statue's head. The stone didn't even blink; the shoe merely fell into the water below with a dull splash, and Ruby groaned, realizing that she just ruined her only nice pair of boots for the dumbest of all possible reasons. She angrily snatched her shoe from the water, and looked away from the carved rock just in time to notice a single, golden eye watching her from within the shadows.

Ruby froze. The woman was shapeless, blending perfectly into the darkness of the school entrance. She could only tell it was a woman at all by straining her vision through the moonlight enough to see a hazy outline of a sharp, feminine face amidst a sea of black.

"Uh… hi," Ruby said awkwardly, holding her moist boot in one hand. "Have you been… watching me this whole time?"

The Shadow Lady stared at her with a blank expression. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"So, you watched me get into an argument with a statue just now… didn't you?"

The Shadow Lady nodded again.

"Look, there was… there was some context to that… I swear I'm not crazy, really."

The Shadow Lady shrugged. Ruby sighed again.

"Forget it," she whispered. She didn't need a silent creature of darkness judging her. She turned her boot over, letting the water pore back into the fountain. She gave it one good shake, and then slipped her foot inside, hissing at the sudden cold. Trying to take her mind off of her embarrassing outburst, she decided she was going to go to bed. The architecture had distracted her long enough. She needed a nap.

"It's not hundreds of years old."

Ruby paused in the entranceway. She turned towards the Shadow Lady, stunned. "What?"

"The statue. It's not hundreds of years old. It's eighty." The Shadow Lady's face was young and calm, but her voice was toneless and broken, like a scratch on a worn-out record. "Beacon refurbishes the castle in secret every twenty years. They like to make it look as old as possible, to keep up the illusion of a legacy. But everything here—it's new. Relatively speaking."

"Um… thanks for telling me," Ruby said cautiously. The Shadow Lady did not blink as she stared calm daggers at her head. "I should probably go off to bed—"

"You're not supposed to be here," The Shadow Lady stated blankly. Ruby blushed, scratching the back of her head.

"Oh, yeah, you heard all that," she mumbled. "Look, you can just forget about everything I said. I'm really tired and I've had a long day and—"

"That's not what I mean," The Shadow Lady clarified, her eyes glowing through the darkness. "There's something off about you. You're different. From the others. What's your name?"

"R-Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"You're young," The Shadow Lady noted dryly. "Too young to become a Huntress, and yet here you are. Why?"

"Well, it's sort of a long story," Ruby tried to explain, "but basically, I stopped some famous criminal from robbing a Dust shop—"

"Don't tell me how you got here. Why are you here?"

Ruby shifted uncomfortably where she stood. The Shadow Lady was succinct, quiet, intent. Blended in the darkness, she felt more like a specter than an actual person. "Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a Huntress," claimed Ruby. "My mom was a Huntress, and she used to read me stories before bed about Huntresses fighting off evil monsters and rescuing princesses. I know they're just fairy tales, but I always wanted to be like them, like her, saving the day. She was my idol, before she—"

"Died," The Shadow Lady finished. "Just like thousands and thousands of others. So why follow after her? Why risk it?"

"Because…" Ruby struggled to answer. "I want to continue her work. I want to help people. Be a hero. Isn't that what Huntresses do?"

The Shadow Lady closed her eyes. Her face did not move, but Ruby could tell she was deep in contemplation. She remained quiet for a long time, not shocked or confused, but simply mulling over the words, as if she honestly could not believe that she had heard them and didn't know what to think. After what felt like hours, she opened her golden eyes and spoke in the same shattered voice.

"Look, Ruby," The Shadow Lady said quietly. "You look like you're a decent person. That's hard to come by in a place like this. So, I'm going to give you some advice: leave. Leave this school and everything with it. Don't make friends. Don't attend classes. Just leave. Before you lose yourself to them. Before they take it away from you."

Without warning, she left her spot in the shadows and walked peacefully back inside the castle. Ruby watched her as she went, her dark figure phasing in and out of the shadows in the hall.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Ruby called after her. "Take what away from me? What are you talking about?"

The Shadow Lady ignored her.

"Can you at least tell me your name?" she asked desperately.

"You don't want to know," The Shadow Lady responded, not bothering to turn around. "It's better that way."

And just like that, Ruby was alone, standing outside in the darkness. Just her, the uncaring stone fountain, the half-awake beast high above in the clouds, and the distant sound of a roaring waterfall. She didn't feel like returning to bed. She didn't really feel like doing anything. Ruby just stood outside and waited, her only relief coming from the fact that her terrible first day at Beacon as officially over. Tomorrow, the real challenge would begin.