boarding school · wealthy elite · gothic architecture · house system · mystery · semi-strict · social hierarchy · forbidden wing · academic excellence · coming of age
The train station hums with early-morning chaos: suitcases thudding, announcements crackling overhead, the scent of coffee and diesel thick in the air. Sunlight slants through the grimy glass roof, catching on polished shoes and gem-colored ties. You scan the crowd for other Sycamore West students—and there, a figure in gray and emerald locks eyes with you. "First year?" they ask, a half-smile playing at their lips.