The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur.
Victoria attended classes.
She took notes.
She answered questions when professors called on her.
To anyone watching, she probably looked completely normal.
Inside, she felt anything but.
Her conversation with Luca replayed endlessly in her mind.
I never stopped looking for you.
The words refused to leave her alone.
Every time she tried focusing on something else, they returned.
The worst part wasn't that she believed him.
The worst part was that a part of her wanted to.
Because if Luca was telling the truth, then everything she thought she knew about their separation might be wrong.
And that possibility terrified her.
By the time evening arrived, Victoria was mentally exhausted.
The academy grounds glowed beneath enchanted lanterns
