The sun shone down through the concrete giants of New York City. The soft layer of melting snow much less of a concern compared to the sleek icy sheets that had caused a dozen accidents throughout the week.
On a corner in Manhattan, a man spoke into his microphone while staring down his cameraman, "I'm reporting live from Foster and Ninth, right outside the First Care Pharmacy, where a slick sheet of ice has just caused a traffic accident moments ago." The man's eyes lazy, and his tone devoid of anything but professionalism.
It was the end of 2023, a year marked by the de-escalation of Covid-19, a virus affecting millions of respiratory systems worldwide.
New York City continued through the Ice, the passing pandemic, and the growing crime rate. A new issue was on the rise, not just in New York, but most major cities and even towns across the world. Birds had gone silent. Not missing, but mute, as if incapable of chirping; their behavior unchanged, and their coordination unaffected. Nobody could explain it.
Large, walled, and towering. The Gothic Revival-style Academy with a grass perimeter stood in stark contrast to the surrounding square buildings, with its points and arches across its face and masterfully carved masonry. Corvane Academy evoked a sense of prestige and grandeur that few could replicate, from the intricately carved stone walls to the detailed artwork throughout its halls.
Corvane Academy only accepted the best applicants from around the world, and was considered an institution where money didn't matter. Anyone could apply, but only those who were talented were given the chance to test into the academy. The result was a school within which the brightest minds from around the globe gathered.
The founders, Elira and Dorian Corvane, were anomalies. They made headlines as people with no origins, and within a week had purchased an entire skyscraper from the 1950s in New York City, turning its floors into apartments for rent. After a month of what Dorian referred to as "long enough to lose suspicion" in multiple interviews, the two made a radical purchase. Four blocks of New York City were swept into new ownership—bought not only from the government, but from every resident and business in the area—in order to establish Corvane Academy.
A class of Corvane Academy freshmen were doing an impromptu science project. Collecting data in Central Park, Juniper and Amina silently took notes on differences between the published and current behavior.
Pouncing on a bird just as it was about to take off, John's speed and flexibility were unexpected for his muscular build. "HaHa! Gotcha! Now show me your secrets," he shouted, gently holding the bird and inspecting it with his calloused hands and brown eyes.
"Ugh, you don't need to be so aggressive with the poor thing John," Juniper said, looking over from her paper.
"Don't need to for you, sure. But the easiest way to get physical data is with a physical observation," John said while concluding his examination by massaging the bird's body and marking observations on his paper.
Walking over, Harry Smith, the class teacher, made sure everyone was gathering data related to their selected research topics. "Juniper Lin, please pay attention to your own work. John, please refrain from hurting any of the birds."
"I didn't hurt the bird, teach!" John cried out, in distress of losing points. "See? It flies perfectly fine."
"Mmhm, I'm just reminding you. You are very strong, John," Henry said while casually looking around for the rest of his students.
Twenty meters off, Malric and Filip were observing the birds, noting down flight speeds and color changes as they went.
The blue jays that typically nested in Central Park had taken on a turquoise hue. Their flight speed had shifted, too.
"It's only a modest increase, but they fly about two kilometers per hour faster than before. Isn't that interesting, Malric?" Filip said, finishing his notes on the clipboard.
"Malric… Man, hello? Earth to Malric."
Malric stood still, eyes locked on something in the distance. His gaze was fixed on a deer — one with neon green eyes and barbed antlers.
Snapping out of it, his pen slid across the recording sheet. "What's up, Filip? Need something?"
"No, man. I was just talking about how interesting my data is. Nothing too important. Let's head back to the teach," Filip said, already halfway out of the clearing.
The class of twenty students made their way down the snowy Manhattan streets and stepped through the gates of Corvane Academy.
The Academy's gothic stone walls loomed above them, made of dark masonry, lined with arrow slits and adorned — or perhaps decorated — with skulls. The snow only amplified its already imposing presence.
Though used as a school now, it would've made a formidable fortress in ancient times.
Trailing behind the group, Malric glanced over at Ilia. Her gaze snapped to his instantly. He looked away, but missed the cold stare that lingered behind — and the subtle movement of her hand as it grasped the pendant at her neck.
The necklace, ticking like a clock, began to click faster.
Inside, past the cork board of class postings, the students settled into their seats. All but one.
Illia Sokolov remained standing.
Clearing his throat, Mr. Cassidy spoke in his usual even tone. "Students of the Corvane Scholars Program, a new classmate will be joining you — not just for the rest of the year, but most likely the years to come."
He nodded toward her. "Please introduce yourself and share a bit of
Illia gave a slight nod in return. Her voice was flat, composed. "Hello. I'm Illia Sokolov. I like to tinker with math, physics, and cryptography."
A muscular hand shot up before anyone else could even react.
"What kind of guys do you like?" John asked, grinning like an idiot.
Illia's expression soured. "Not you."
Her voice doubled — subtly, but undeniably.
Most of the class brushed it off. Probably just a weird echo. Or maybe they were hearing things.
—//—//—
Please read AN just this once