Sun light streamed in through the window, flooding the space with a hazy brightness. Charlotte sat bolt upright, her skin tingling and her heart pounding. The light confused her. For a moment she couldn't figure out where she was, but the memories of her meeting with Elmhirst started creeping back.

Frustrated, she threw herself against the pillows, pressing her palms to her eyes. She kicked back the covers on her new bed and rolled over, burying her face and hiding from the unfamiliar light. She longed for the darkness of the old, windowless room in the New School she had shared with Iseult. It was strange how one conversation could have such an impact on a person life. The phrase 'head of house' had changed her life in a matter of moments and Charlotte doubted it would be for the better.

Biting her lip, she sat up again, too aggravated to stay still for long.

"I am head girl," she whispered into the eerie solitude of her new room. Her words echoed of the walls, the high ceiling, and the monstrous furniture. The words tasted bitter in her mouth, the phrase unnatural and uncomfortable. She didn't even believe the words as she said them. She felt a fraud. She felt betrayed. Nothing had prepared her for this.

Charlotte frowned. She couldn't understand why they had picked her. Elmhirst seemed to hold to some idea that she was an impressive talent. She doubted that. She knew that she was one of the most dangerous, and she also knew that she was the least in control of her alterations.

Charlotte knew what she was; she was a monster, or at least part of her was. Elmhirst saw that as a strength. It made her valuable in his eyes and it had to be the only reason she hadn't yet been abandoned to become a Forgotten.

James Alexander was different. He was an obvious choice. He was infallible and nothing it seemed would weaken his blind obedience.

Charlotte tried to suppress her worries about working with James. She need to focus on one problematic aspect, being head girl created at a time. She needed to come to terms with the promotion, before she started to worry about anything else.

The head students were like royalty to many of the students and even a few of the staff. They had special privileges when it came to school access and curfew times.

As head girl she would live in the Old School. Her rooms were opulent. Hand-painted blue and cream silk wallpaper covered the walls. The furniture was mahogany and monstrous. In the centre of the room sat a large four-poster bed, dressed in blue and cream. She even had her own study and bathroom.

Charlotte didn't know what she was going to do with all the space. It seemed far too much for one person. It was far more than she was used to.

Dragging herself from the bed, she grabbed her clothes from the floor and threw them on. She would have to get her training gear from her old room before the day was out.

She washed her face with cold water and brushed her teeth before braiding her dark hair. She needed to find Iseult and Ian, before they found out about her promotion from anybody else. She didn't think she could stand the humiliation.

Marching into the Food Hall, Charlotte couldn't conceal her frustration. The bell sounded just as she passed through the arched doors, calling them to eat. Most of the students were already sitting down at the rows of tables and benches, helping themselves to the platters of food laid before them.

The walls were white-washed and comprised of a lot of exposed beams, stained with age. The staff table was at one end of the room on a raised dais, while the prefect table was at the other end on another dais. Though it was conveniently not as elevated as that of the staff's.

Charlotte followed her path as always, her sight set on her usual table. She could see Iseult and Ian sitting side by side talking and laughing. She dropped her bag beside the table and looked at them in exasperation.

They met her gaze with their usual cheerfulness, and in that instant she forgot her frustration. She wanted nothing more than to sit beside them and eat her breakfast.

"Well, we guessed it Owens," Ian laughed, waving his fork back and forth. Iseult laughed and stretched, winking at her.

Ian was tall and slim with short cropped red hair and freckled skin. His eyes were blue and he rarely lacked his mischievous grin. He was the only student in the school more frequented with the detention halls than Charlotte. The difference was that Ian sought trouble, tormenting or ridiculing any of the staff as best he could to infuriate them. Charlotte admired his tenacity and his iron resolve not to bow beneath their pressure.

On the other hand Iseult was more reserved. She had never seen the inside of the detention halls. She always knew exactly what to say to avoid trouble. The odds were against her when she was friends with Ian and Charlotte and yet she had managed to stay out of trouble.

"Guessed what?" Charlotte asked, sliding on to the bench opposite them.

"Alexander for Head Boy," Iseult sighed. Charlotte tensed, remembering where she was supposed to be. She turned looking up at James, sitting on the empty prefect dais. She met his cold stare with a weary groan.

"I wonder what perfect specimen they picked for Head Girl," Ian laughed.

She felt her cheeks flush, realising it embarrassed her to be that perfect specimen. Ian and Iseult would find it hilarious, she knew, and might even overlook the suspiciousness of her election.

"Are you okay, Charlotte?" Iseult asked after a moment, her brown eyes searching her face.

Charlotte frowned. She hated when Iseult did that, reading more than she was welcome to.

"Stop it," Charlotte hissed, shaking her head. "Keep out of my head, Deluca". She exhaled and flashed a smile, as if that would placate her best friend.

Iseult pursed her lips and then shrugged. "You didn't come back to the room last night".

"Detention again Owens?" Ian snorted. "They'll have to name that place after you soon".

"In that case you will have to share it with her - The Owens and O'Connell Detention Halls," Iseult smirked.

"Oh and you are Miss Perfect, are you Deluca? I don't see you up there with good old James Alexander," Ian sighed, leaning back on the bench. His mouth was half full of food as he spoke.

Charlotte wished she could stay with them. She wanted to be on their side in this, but she wasn't. She had been taken by Elmhirst and placed on the opposite team, even if it went against everything believed in. Charlotte took a steadying breath, reaching for her bag, when her slow progress was interrupted.

"Miss Owens," Bennett hissed, his hot breath whistling through his sharp nose. His black eyes narrowed with suspicion. His thin lips curved into a tight smirk, revealing his yellow, smoke-stained teeth. "Where are you supposed to be?"

"I'm sorry, Mr Bennett," Charlotte said, standing up. "I forgot".

Ian and Iseult watched her, but they didn't dare speak. Iseult narrowed her eyes at Charlotte, but she refused to meet her gaze. She would know everything soon enough.

"Well, let's see it doesn't happen again. We couldn't have you eating with such... commoners," he mocked, throwing a distasteful glance at Ian and Iseult.

Charlotte sighed, turning away from them without an explanation. She gripped her backpack with an unnecessary tightness and began towards her knew, elevated seat. Averting her eyes from James Alexander's glare, she made her way to the prefect table, climbing upon the dais and taking her seat.

It took a few moments, but soon the entire room fell silent. Everybody was staring at her. She could feel her face flushing. She knew they were scrutinising her. Whispering started, moving across the hall in waves as they gossiped about her appointment. Some people sniggered and laughed. Charlotte slid down in her chair, pushing around the food on her plate.

"Why didn't he just kill me yesterday and get this over with?" she groaned aloud. James glanced at her and sighed as if her presence was a terrible curse he had to bear.

She rolled her eyes. This is going to be a long year, she thought.

The other students returned their attention to their breakfast, forgetting about James and Charlotte. Ian and Iseult however, were far more interested in her than the food. Ian seemed to be crying he was laughing so hard, banging his fist on the table. Iseult was gazing at her, trying to assess the entire situation. Charlotte was glad for Ian's reaction. At least he saw how absurd it all was.

"Why is O'Connell crying?" James asked in an irritated tone.

As he spoke Elmhirst strode into the hall and as one the students stood to their feet.

"Because he knows that this will be the death of me," she hissed, standing with the rest.

Elmhirst moved to the centre of the staff dais. He was wearing a tweed grey jacket and black slacks, with gleaming black shoes. His glasses balanced at the end of his long nose.

"Sit," he ordered and as one the student body sat. He regarded them for a moment before speaking in a stony voice.

"Today marks the start of our new term," he said. "Today we begin anew, striving to be better and stronger than we have ever been before. Our new students have arrived and have been taken to the hospital. They are embarking on the same unique and arduous transformation that you too have completed".

"They will soon become disciplined soldiers, just like the ones I see before me. Their genetic alterations will make them greater, more resilient humans. Able to contribute to this world - and to alter it". Elmhirst paused, observing the crowd.

"They will follow in the footsteps of so many before them. They will walk in your shadows, knowing that they too can be as controlled and powerful as each soldier gathered before me. Their alterations will be unique. They will be rare. They will be the pride of this institution. You must guide them, teach them".

He scanned his audience for a moment as if challenging anybody to declare they would not help them. Charlotte knew what was needed of them. They would have to teach them to be obedient, to be docile to their masters, to listen and behave as Elmhirst wanted. They would have to learn to hide their emotions and their fears, to become hard and cruel.

"Our new recruits will look to you, but especially to our new Heads of House - Mr Alexander and Miss Owens, our strongest students," he said. His grey eyes met Charlotte's, and despite the distance that separated them, she could feel the cold hatred that met her gaze.

She was the strongest student? She had to be the strongest. She did not break eye contact; she would not appear weak. She was stronger than him, he just didn't know it yet.

"This year is a pivotal year as we seek further support from our patrons, but also we welcome knew faces among us. We are to welcome Monsieur Desmarais and his son Matthew Desmarais to our school. As you are all well aware Monsieur Desmarais is a frequent visitor to the Academy, but his time here is always brief. His son however, never having been to the island before, will be staying with us for this school year, to grow in understanding of the ground-breaking work we do here".

His tone was sharp, his words full of warning. It was an unspoken rule that Desmarais had to be impressed. He was the real boss, managing the school and its business from the real world. He was the only person Elmhirst was answerable to. He not only frightened Charlotte and the rest of the students, but he made the staff and Elmhirst uneasy too. If his son was to be here all year, Desmarais' eyes and ears within the school, things were to become a lot harder for Charlotte.

"Not only that but they arrived, unexpectedly, on the ship last night". His anger was unmistakable "They have requested to see the school stock today. Therefore all students must be assembled in the stadium at midday. Any student who is late will be taken Below".

Charlotte suppressed a shudder as she thought of the pitch black detention rooms in the New School where they went when they were taken Below.

"There will also be a viewing of training later in the evening so I would advise all students to be particularly... conscientious in their performance".

Charlotte sat motionless, her face void of all betraying emotions. She knew that brutal was what he meant to say. I would advise that all students are particularly brutal in their performance.

"Furthermore the opening exhibition has been moved forward by a week to accommodate Monsieur Desmarais' visit with us here," the resentment obvious in his voice. Desmarais was the only person who could interfere with their schedule.

Charlotte's stomach twisted at this announcement. It would mean entering the stadium to fight and as she refused to use her alteration she could never stand a chance. She would seem weak in front of Desmarais, which would no doubt result in a spell in detention. Charlotte wanted to look at Iseult or Ian, even at James, to check if she was the only person panicking, but she couldn't allow herself to waver in concentration.

"I will remind everybody that in three weeks we will also be staging our Captain's Exhibition for our patrons. As the prefects are announced they will be placed in their pairings for this competition. And as always our first pairing will be our head students". Charlotte had to force herself not to look away as Elmhirst fixed her with an almost triumphant smile.

He knew, she thought. He knew that they didn't get on - they couldn't get on. He knew they would fail and then he could have them both. He was looking for an excuse to rid himself of her for good. Maybe failure would guarantee that.

"You have a legacy to uphold. Any dissent from or disregard for appropriate conduct will be dealt with swiftly and harshly". Elmhirst turned and marched from the room, with as much abruptness as he had entered.

Charlotte felt weak at his words, her skin tingling with a strange electric anxiety.

"How on earth am I supposed to survive this?" she groaned as Elmhirst disappeared through the door. She felt James glance at her and she couldn't help but turn to meet his burning green eyes.

"You're not," he breathed.

And for a moment it sounded as if he almost pitied her.

Thanks again for reading! Please don't forget to vote and if you have a chance, leave a comment! I would love to hear what you think so far! Thanks, Sorcha x