The days that followed were anything but ordinary.
Niko and I fell into a rhythm that operated beneath the Academy’s glossy surface—a pulse of whispered meetings, stolen glances, and memorized patrol rotations. It was dangerous, exhilarating, and surreal. On the surface, I still played the role of the quiet student trying to keep their head down. But beneath it all, I was now a co-conspirator in something that could get us both erased.
The hideout became our base. Each time I slipped away to meet Niko there, I could feel the walls closing in tighter around the secret we were trying to expose. The more we dug, the clearer the stakes became.
One afternoon, Niko handed me a slim folder with a black elastic band.
"It’s your file," he said quietly.
I froze. "How did you get this?"
"Someon
