Chapter One: The School Where Nothing Is Normal
Starlight Academy looked like a regular elite school if you ignored the floating towers, the glowing hallways, and the fact that the chandeliers sometimes whispered secrets when they thought no one was listening.
Students arrived every morning pretending this was all completely normal.
It wasn't.
At the center of it all was Luna Vale—cool without trying, stylish without effort, and dangerously unbothered. Her uniform was always perfectly tailored, her walk confident, her expression unreadable. People said Luna had everything: talent, charm, power.
What they didn't know was that Luna had a secret.
Actually… she had several.
Luna pushed open the academy gates as eyes followed her, like they always did.
"She's staring again," whispered a girl near the lockers.
"Everyone stares," another replied. "It's Luna."
Luna pretended not to hear, because pretending was a skill she'd mastered. What no one realized was that while everyone thought they were hiding their feelings perfectly—every crush, every longing glance, every stolen moment—Starlight Academy had magic woven into its walls.
And magic had a way of exposing secrets.
Above the entrance, the crystal clock chimed once.
That meant one thing.
A new secret had just been born.
Chapter Two: Secret Crushes and Dangerous Smiles
Luna's friend group sat at their usual table in the Grand Hall, surrounded by enchanted windows showing different skies—sunrise, midnight, storm clouds—depending on the moods of the students nearby.
Iris, sweet and sharp-tongued, twirled her pen nervously.
Kael, charming and smug, leaned back like he owned the place.
Nova, quiet but observant, watched everyone a little too closely.
"You're late," Kael said, smirking at Luna.
"I arrived exactly when I meant to," Luna replied, sitting gracefully. "Which is better."
Kael laughed—but his eyes lingered on her just a second too long.
Nova noticed.
Iris noticed.
Everyone noticed.
No one said anything.
Because at Starlight Academy, liking someone wasn't just embarrassing.
It was dangerous.
Rumor said that if the school discovered who you loved most, it could use that against you—turning feelings into weaknesses, crushes into curses.
And yet…
Across the hall, another student glanced over at Luna, quickly looking away when their eyes met.
Another secret.
Another quiet crush.
The chandeliers flickered softly above them, pleased.
The school was listening.
And it was only getting started.
Chapter Three: When Magic Starts Watching
The moment Luna stepped into Spellcraft Class, the air shifted.
Not dramatically—no thunder, no lightning—but in the subtle way magic did when it noticed something interesting. The runes carved into the classroom walls glowed faintly, reacting to the emotions of the students filing in.
Professor Nyx stood at the front, tall and unreadable, eyes like starlight trapped behind glass.
"Take your seats," she said. "And try not to let your feelings interfere with your spells today."
That last sentence made several students freeze.
Including Luna.
She slid into her seat beside Nova, who leaned over and whispered, "That felt… targeted."
"It always does," Luna murmured.
Across the room sat Aurelia Blackthorne.
Perfect posture. Perfect smile. Perfect reputation.
And a rivalry with Luna that ran so deep it had practically become school legend.
Aurelia's gaze flicked toward Luna—cool, calculating—but her fingers tightened around her wand. What no one knew was that Aurelia's rivalry wasn't fueled by hate.
It was fueled by something far worse.
A crush she refused to admit.
On Luna.
And she would rather set the school on fire than let anyone find out.
Love Triangles Form in Silence
Kael sat two rows back, pretending to focus on his spellwork while secretly watching Iris laugh at something Nova said.
Kael didn't like that.
He also didn't like that Iris's smile made his chest feel tight in a way magic couldn't fix.
Iris, meanwhile, had her own secret—one that made her cheeks warm whenever Kael teased her. But she told herself it was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Three hearts.
One table.
Not a single honest word.
The magic in the room pulsed.
Unstable.
The Spell That Shouldn't Have Worked
"Today," Professor Nyx announced, "you'll be practicing Mirror Manifestation."
A murmur spread through the class.
"That spell reflects hidden truths," Nova whispered. "It's risky."
"Exactly," Nyx said calmly, as if she could hear everything. "Which is why control is essential."
Pairs were assigned.
Luna looked up just in time to hear—
"Luna Vale and Aurelia Blackthorne."
The room went silent.
Aurelia stood slowly, her expression unreadable, but her heartbeat was loud enough that Luna could almost hear it.
They faced each other, mirror crystal hovering between them.
"Focus," Nyx warned. "Any emotional instability will affect the outcome."
Luna raised her wand.
So did Aurelia.
The spell activated.
For one terrifying second, the mirror showed nothing.
Then—
Cracks of light exploded across its surface, revealing not reflections, but visions.
Aurelia saw Luna smiling at her—not smug, not distant—but soft.
Luna saw Aurelia reaching for her, hesitation and longing clear in her eyes.
The mirror shattered.
Magic surged through the room like a scream.
Students were thrown back. Runes burned brighter. The chandeliers shrieked.
Professor Nyx slammed her staff down.
"Enough!"
The visions vanished—but the damage was done.
Everyone had felt it.
That wasn't just magic reacting.
That was truth trying to escape.
Consequences
Professor Nyx's gaze hardened as she looked at the broken mirror.
"This academy was built to contain secrets," she said slowly. "But too many are waking at once."
Her eyes met Luna's.
"From this moment on," Nyx announced, "any student whose emotions spiral out of control will face… magical consequences."
A chill ran through the room.
Aurelia didn't look at Luna as she returned to her seat.
Kael clenched his jaw.
Iris swallowed hard.
Nova's eyes gleamed with worry.
Because every single one of them was hiding something.
And Starlight Academy had just decided it was done being patient.
Chapter Four: The Curse of Unspoken Things
By the next morning, Starlight Academy had changed.
Students whispered less.
Watched more.
The crystal clock above the entrance cracked down the middle—an impossible thing—and every student felt it: the school had begun binding emotions into magic.
Iris was the first to feel it burn.
When Kael laughed with someone else, the flowers lining the hallway withered at her feet. She gasped, clutching her chest as a glowing sigil briefly appeared on her wrist.
A Crush Mark.
Hidden feelings now had consequences.
Nova saw it happen.
And said nothing.
Because Nova had a secret crush too—one that would destroy everything if revealed
Chapter Five: Rivals Don't Look at Each Other Like That
Luna found Aurelia on the North Tower balcony, staring out at the floating constellations.
"You broke the mirror," Aurelia said coolly.
"It reacted," Luna replied. "To you."
Aurelia laughed sharply. "Don't flatter yourself."
But when Luna stepped closer, the magic between them sparked—raw, dangerous, undeniable. The Crush Mark burned briefly beneath Aurelia's glove.
They both froze.
"If the academy finds out," Aurelia whispered, "it will weaponize it."
Luna met her eyes. "Then we don't let it."
Enemies by reputation.
Allies by necessity.
Something far more complicated by fate.
Chapter Six: Love Triangles Bleed First
Kael finally noticed Iris pulling away.
What he didn't notice was Nova watching them both.
During combat magic training, Kael lost focus—just for a second—and his spell misfired, striking Iris's shield harder than it should have.
She went flying.
The arena erupted.
Kael ran to her side, guilt written all over his face—and the Crush Mark flared bright on his arm for everyone to see.
Gasps. Whispers.
Iris stared at it.
At him.
And for the first time, she realized the academy already knew.
Chapter Seven: The Headmistress Reveals the Rule
That night, all students were summoned to the Grand Hall.
Headmistress Solenne finally spoke the truth.
"This school was built on emotional magic," she said. "Love is the strongest source of power we have."
A pause.
"From now on, secret crushes will be harvested."
Silence fell like a blade.
"Those who resist," Solenne continued, "will lose control of their magic."
Nova's breath caught.
Because Nova wasn't just hiding a crush.
Nova was hiding who it was for.
Chapter Eight: Betrayal Tastes Like Silence
Aurelia was offered protection—if she turned Luna in.
Kael was offered control—if he let Iris go.
Nova was offered safety—if they revealed their crush.
Nova chose none of it.
Instead, Nova warned Luna.
Which is how the academy learned Nova's secret.
The Crush Mark burned gold.
For Luna.
The room shook.
Walls cracked.
The academy roared in anger.
Chapter Nine: When the School Fights Back
Magic turned violent.
Hallways twisted. Staircases vanished. Students lost control of their powers as their emotions surged.
Iris finally screamed at Kael.
Kael finally admitted everything.
Aurelia chose Luna over reputation.
Nova nearly lost their magic entirely.
The school responded by sealing the towers.
One rule echoed through every wall:
"Confession or collapse."
Luna stood in the center of the chaos, realization hitting her hard.
This wasn't about crushes.
This was about control.
Chapter Ten: The Choice That Breaks Everything
Luna faced the crystal heart of the academy—alone.
She understood now.
If everyone confessed, the academy would own them forever.
If no one did, the school would fall.
Luna made her choice.
She shattered the crystal.
Every Crush Mark disappeared.
Magic screamed.
The academy went dark.
And as the towers began to fall from the sky, one truth became clear:
Starlight Academy was never meant to survive honest love.
And none of them would ever be the same again.