Hello, and welcome to CDN News. We are pleased to announce that this year, Crestwood Academy has selected seven intelligent teenagers from the seven continents and five teenagers from the Capital to join their student body. These students earned their positions by passing the most difficult test ever given to anyone outside the royal family.
And the teenagers chosen from the Capital were:
1. Elena Winter, daughter of Mr Raymond Winter, age 16
2. Mark Lin, son of Mr William Lin, age 17
And so on the list continued.
That was two years ago, and I still see that day as one of the best and worst moments of my life.
Dear diary, I would write more, but the bus to Crestwood Academy arrives in three minutes and I have to go.
I grabbed my bag, added a quick layer of lip gloss, and hurried downstairs. There is one thing you never skip in the morning at the Winter house: my mum's apple pie. I can proudly say it is the best in the world. I took a bite, packed a few slices into my suitcase—well, more than a few—and after a kiss from Mum, sprinted outside so I wouldn't miss the bus.
When I sat down, Mrs Williams walked over. She is a woman in her fifties who works at the Capital's National Library and always tells me I remind her of her daughter. Whenever we ride together, she brings me fresh fruit from her garden. Today it was raspberries. I thanked her, tucked them into my school bag, and promised myself I would devour them at lunch.
After thirty minutes, the bus pulled up to Crestwood Academy. Anyone else who wasn't an elite would have been shocked by what I saw, but not me. I, Elena Winter, had one goal: to conquer the towering world of Crestwood Academy.
As usual, the day began with something outrageous. A boy stood in the courtyard asking a girl to be his girlfriend, handing her a bouquet of red roses wrapped in diamonds. Sounds like fantasy, right? Not at Crestwood. Here, anything was possible if enough money was involved.
One thing I disliked most about Crestwood Academy was how it reminded you of your status every day. Every student wore a uniform based on family rank, from trillionaires down to millionaires, and then us—the scholarship students.
Our uniform was a white long-sleeved collared shirt, an ash-colored skirt or trousers, and an ash jacket.
Millionaires wore white shirts with pink skirts or trousers and pink jackets.
Billionaires wore white shirts with green skirts or trousers and green jackets.
And the trillionaires wore white shirts with purple jackets and purple skirts or trousers.
That top rank had only three families, and its leader was none other than Crown Prince Kaelith Altherion of the royal House of Altherion. Their net worth was estimated at 10.5 trillion US dollars, making them the richest family on Earth.
And speak of the devil—because just as I was sitting in history class writing this, he walked in. Everyone, including our teacher and me, had to bow. Strange, right? But ignoring royal protocol here could get you into serious trouble.
I did not say anything aloud, of course, but a tiny part of me wanted to roll my eyes and mutter something smart under my breath. Instead, I let my face stay calm while my thoughts did the talking.