For the first time in her life Alina truly felt the cold grip of real fear. She stood there in the dormitory courtyard surrounded by the older girls of the Golden Group. Their sneering faces their cold eyes promised a future she had never imagined.
She now understood what her life in this famous United Academy was going to be. It was not going to be a dream of learning and growing stronger. It was going to be a nightmare of servitude.
From that day on for many long days and even longer nights to come Alina's life became incredibly difficult. It became a living nightmare of endless chores and constant humiliation.
Every single member of the powerful Golden Group seemed to have a task for her. The youngest first-year noble girl from the Empire whose family was very influential wanted her laundry done by hand. The older second-year nobles from other powerful kingdoms wanted their boots polished until they shone like mirrors.
