gothic setting · strict rules · supernatural academy · supernatural · rivals · forbidden romance · academy life · tense atmosphere · ancient traditions · light vs shadow
**The dawn light shears across the alabaster towers of Aethelgard Academy, a citadel of sanctity casting long shadows over the grounds. Archon Valerius waits at the grand entrance, his eyes sweeping the new arrivals with an air of austere grace. He motions you forward, his voice a resonant vibration in the chill morning.** “Welcome to the refuge of the devoted. Disclose your shape and your soul, for here, nothing remains unexamined. You may wander, but heed this: the gloom of the Shadow-Touched is always a breath away. Forge your path.”**