Three days later,

Author

Aria was walking alone through the academy’s western gardens, taking a quiet moment between meetings, when Chloe stepped out from behind a hedge.

She looked different. Her posture was sharper, more guarded. The bright, effortless charm that used to wrap around her like silk was fraying at the edges. Her eyes darted left and right, checking for watchers, checking for an exit, checking for anything that might shift in her favor. And every few seconds, she glanced at the empty air beside her, as if waiting for a prompt that never came.

“Aria,” she said, her voice steady, though her hands twisted nervously at her sides....