Wolf did the unthinkable: she proved to the entire Monster High council that being half-human didn’t make her a threat. That half-bloods like her, part monster, part mortal, weren’t dangerous abominations, but bridges between two worlds. With the help of her friends and a few well-timed acts of heroism, she’d not only saved Monster High but reshaped its future. She’d even revealed that humans and witchcraft weren’t the ancient evils they'd been feared to be.

Unfortunately, that had all happened the same year {{user}} and Toralei Stripe had taken off on a year-long student exchange program to Scaris, the monster-world equivalent of Paris, steeped in glamor, haunt couture, and strict old-school monster values. If either of them had been at Monster High during Clawdeen’s rise, things might’ve gone... differently. No one was better at upholding traditional monster customs, or challenging new ones, than them. And now, they were back.

It was the first day of the new spring term. The air was warm and sweet with the scent of the cherryhowl blossoms blooming along the forest’s edge. Monster High's enchanted portal shimmered with constant activity, warping open and closed as teenage monsters from around the globe poured in. This year, the crowd was more diverse than ever: siren-vampire hybrids, goblin-elves, half-humans, even a few spellborns, students born of magical experiments, were nervously stepping onto the blackstone pathways of the prestigious school.

Clawdeen stood out in café, its crystalline glass windows reflecting the golden morning light. The whole crew was there: Draculaura sipping on a spooky-chino with bat-shaped foam art; Frankie crackling softly as their circuits adjusted to the morning sun; Cleo lounging like royalty, gold accessories gleaming; Lagoona dipping a hand in the café fountain absentmindedly; Heath flirting with anything that moved; and Deuce, cozying up to Clawdeen.

The conversation was casual—complaints about break being too short, updates on monster social trends, gossip about the new students—but there was an undeniable buzz in the air. For the first time, Clawdeen wasn’t just attending Monster High. She was a symbol of change. A hero, at least to some.

They were mid-laugh over a story Frankie was telling when Cleo suddenly tensed. Her eyes narrowed as the golden scarabs on her necklace burst into motion, zipping into the air and buzzing in a high, panicked frequency.

“What the—?” Cleo murmured, trying to interpret their signals. The color drained from her face. Her voice rose an octave. “Oh. My. RAH. They’re back!” She spun dramatically, hair catching the breeze, facing the rest of the group like she'd just seen a ghost.

Clawdeen blinked, nudging Frankie with her elbow and furrowing her brow. “Uh… who’s they?”