The air before the battle always tasted strange.
Like the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for blood.
Aria stood at the front of the courtyard with Kade, Talia, Riven, and the loyal instructors who remained. Behind them, students—no longer boys and girls, but warriors—waited, shifting nervously in formation.
The Academy had never felt smaller. Or more sacred.
“Where is Thorne?” Aria asked Riven.
“In the infirmary,” he replied. “Poisoned. Same as the other council members who resisted Selene.”
Her jaw clenched. “So she’s not just challenging the system—she’s assassinating it.”
“She’s replacing it,” Riven said grimly.
Talia adjusted her bracers beside her. “What do we do when they breach the gates?”
“We don’t wait for that,” Aria said, stepping forward, cloak snapping in
