ASHER’S POV
It started as a shadow, nothing more. A flicker at the edge of my eye during morning runs, a cold feeling crawling down my spine in the academy halls.
At first, I thought maybe I was being paranoid—this place did that to everyone eventually.
But after days of double-takes and uneasy glances, the feeling only sharpened.
By the third day, I was sure: someone was following us. Not just me. Us. Lila, too.
It was a little thing at first. I noticed it after combat drills, when I’d catch sight of the same guy standing by the fence, pretending to tie his shoes. Or I’d see him in the mess hall, two tables away, always with his tray untouched, eyes flicking up every time Lila or I moved.
He was average—brown hair, big jaw, a face you’d forget if you weren’t looking. But I was loo
