The day after the summons, tension threaded through the academy like a storm cloud waiting to break.
Rayne felt it in every glance.
Every whispered conversation that ended the moment she entered a room.
The Trial of Shadows had changed things—and not just between her and Lucian. The academy had noticed a difference. Eyes were sharper now. Words heavier.
And trust?
That was long gone.
She was walking back from the training yard alone, bruised and aching from another round of drills. The sun dipped behind the blackstone towers, casting the halls in gold-shadowed light.
She rounded the corner near the central archway when she heard the low laugh.
Xavier.
He leaned against the wall like he owned the academy, arms crossed, hair tousled like he'd just come from a photoshoot instead of c
