Free Web NovelChapter 1: The Concordia Ceremony
"Tonight, the results of the Concordia Selection will be released. This is a priceless opportunity; if you’re chosen, I’d expect you to behave accordingly. No breakdowns, no screaming on camera. You will only show your best selves on TV. Do you understand me?" Mrs Helen, Aria’s history teacher, looked over each female student carefully.
"Yes Mrs Helen," Her classmates chorused, but Aria scoffed, clenching her fists. She knew that being selected wasn’t the prestigious honor the government packaged it to be.
It was a death sentence.
The Concordia Selection was nothing more than the government’s desperate attempt to send human females to mingle with feral beastmen, in the hopes of carving out some peace and dignity for the human race.
Twenty years ago, a surge of energy tore through every barrier that once shielded humans from beast shifters. Now, every creature one could imagine from a fantasy world now lived alongside humans, and most of them could rip apart a grown human on a whim.
She would never be foolish enough to put her own name into the pool. Unfortunately, her classmates didn’t share her opinion.
"I certainly hope I’m chosen," Lisa enthused. She was one of the cheerleaders, a typical airhead.
"I mean, have you seen those beast shifters?" Lisa continued excitedly. "My sister said one of the licensed ones came into her bank. He was so tall, like, over six feet, and hot as hell."
The girl beside her squealed, her imagination clearly running wild. "Imagine being their mate! I’ll be treated like a queen!"
More like a piece of meat. Aria scowled.
What the hell was wrong with them? What made them believe those apex predators wanted anything to do with girls like them? Didn’t they read the reports of human girls being suspiciously injured or killed?
"Girls, I’m glad you’re excited, but you’ll have to be chosen first," Mrs Helen said.
There were only twenty girls chosen each time. Lisa obediently quietened down, but then she caught Aria’s disdainful expression.
"What are you staring at, freak?" Lisa snapped, catching her gaze.
"Wondering how fast it’ll take for you to end up dead if you did get chosen," Aria said banally. "I’m betting at most five minutes."
"Ooooooh..." Her classmates jeered at her words. Lisa’s face turned red with anger, and she moved, ready to beat Aria up. Aria tilted her chin up, daring her to make a move.
"Enough!" Mrs Helen roared, "Aria, you’ll stay for detention -"
The bell rang, interrupting her words. Aria didn’t waste any time, she grabbed her things and left the classroom before Mrs Helen could stop her.
The one silver lining to the Concordia Selection was that all schools had been mandated to close early so students could prepare themselves and watch the live broadcast of the ceremony.
Not just that, stores across the country had either shut down or were operating limited hours to honor the occasion.
Unfortunately, that also meant her mother and her asshole of a boyfriend were home. Talk about a living nightmare.
"Hey freak!" Benjamin Neem called out, waving at her as he stood in front of his brother’s waiting truck. Ever since she had refused to sleep with him, he had made it his job to torment her.
"Why the rush? Are you going to the animal shelter to see your relatives? Telling the birds to come after me? Or maybe you’ll summon a seaslug this time!"
"Go away, " Aria scowled at him, flipping him off. One of these days, she would wipe that confident smile off his face.
There was a reason Benjamin called her a freak.
Animals had always been drawn to her.
Dogs. Cats. Birds. They followed her about whenever they could. One time, during an altercation with a classmate, a flock of birds flooded into the classroom and the girl ended up being injured.
That incident earned her mother a trip to the principal’s office, and Aria a new mocking last name.
Aria Freak.
Since then, most people have avoided her. Her own mother Quinn would have sworn Aria wasn’t hers—if only she hadn’t been the one who gave birth to her.
That was why she spent time volunteering at the animal shelter - she felt more at home there than she felt in her own home.
Aria walked faster, quickly climbing onto the school bus. Everyone gave her a wide berth, even the student that was seated beside her shifted slightly, putting space between them as if whatever was wrong with Aria might be contagious.
That was nothing new.
When Aria arrived home, the sound of her mother arguing with her latest boyfriend assaulted her ears.
That was nothing new either.
"Home sweet home," Aria muttered dryly, not expecting any acknowledgement. She headed straight for the couch to check on her younger sister.
Davina was asleep. She was fine and judging from the half-eaten plate on the floor, had at least been fed. Most times, Quinn forgot she had a young child to feed, too wrapped up in whatever mess she had going on with her current boyfriend.
Aria and Davina had different fathers, similar only in their toxicity. Their mother had always loved red flags in men, and her latest, Jack, was no exception.
Aria had learned long ago not to interfere in their lovers’ fights. Once she graduated, she’d get a job, save enough money, and take Davina far away from this place before their mother ruined her too.
Quinn would always choose a man over her own child.
Aria was used to it. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Night fell, and at exactly nine, the ceremony began. Aria didn’t need to see it to know. The volume of the television was turned up loud enough that the broadcast echoed through the house—even into her room.
Aria had an earphone in, mostly to block out her mother, who kept insisting that she come out so they could watch the event together. She ignored her in favour of studying.
However, after some time, her stomach began to gurgle. So she made her way downstairs, hoping to fix herself a small snack.
Aria passed by the living room, where Quinn and Jack sat glued to the television, Davina between them, watching the broadcast with a level of attention that immediately put Aria on edge.
"Sister!" Davina called out, waving to her. "Come watch it with us! We’re halfway through!"
Reluctantly, she made her way to the living room. Ten girls have already been called.
The eleventh was next. Aria watched, bored, wondering if she could sneak away once Davina wasn’t paying attention.
"—And the eleventh lucky candidate is... Aria Aspen!"
Aria froze. No. That wasn’t possible. She must have heard wrong.
But the shout of celebration from her mother and boyfriend shattered that fragile hope.
Her stomach dropped. No way.
Slowly, Aria turned, her gaze landing on Quinn, their gazes connecting. Her mother’s smile fell and then she was staring at her with guilt written all over her expression.
"T-tell me you didn’t—"
"I’m so sorry," Quinn shook her head. "I had no choice. Jack and I needed the money—"
Aria didn’t hear the rest, she just kept shaking her head. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be real.
Aria knew the government paid families to sign up—an obscene amount just for applying, and even more if their daughters were selected. It was the only reason most of them did. After all, Bestial City, the capital of the beasts, was not a place for humans.
She just hadn’t expected her own mother to be the one to sell her off to die.
A knock sounded at the door.
With anger rushing through her veins, Aria moved before she could think, striding over and yanking it open, anxious to know whoever that was. Except whatever retort she had died on her lips.
A woman stood there with a microphone and beside her, a man held a large camera, already aimed straight at Aria’s face.
National television.
Aria’s stomach dropped. How were they here so quickly!
"Congratulations, Aria Aspen! You are one of the selected candidates for the Concordia Program. How do you feel right now? Excited? Overwhelmed?" The reporter shoved the mic closer, her smile bright and expectant.
Aria couldn’t breathe. Her world tilted.
"No, no, no," she shook her head, panic rising. "I didn’t sign up for this."
The reporter’s smile faltered. She turned quickly to her partner with the camera, scrambling to regain control of the situation.
"This isn’t an opportunity!" Aria’s voice cut through her. "It’s a death sentence."
For one second, there was silence.
"Out of my way!"
She shoved the microphone aside and rushed down the front porch. Her foot missed a step, and her body pitched forward.
Aria hit the ground hard, her shoulder taking the impact before her head snapped against the pavement. Pain exploded through her body. Her ears rang, the world spinning violently around her.
Darkness crept in at the edges of her vision. This time, she didn’t fight it.
