The Sterling Academy of Excellence was a structure of shimmering crystal and reinforced titanium that stood as a testament to High Rise arrogance. For Leo, it was a world away from the soot stained alleys of the Grey Zone. He sat on a bench in the central atrium, the hem of his pristine white uniform feeling like a shroud. The air here was filtered and sterile, lacking the familiar tang of industrial ozone he had breathed for ten years.
Since Astra had saved him with her Lunar pulse, Leo felt different. It wasn't just the absence of the silver rot in his lungs. It was a humming resonance beneath his skin, a steady vibration that felt like a guardian’s heartbeat. He wasn't a wolf yet, but he was no longer the fragile boy who coughed up flecks of metal.
A group of older students prowled to
