Octavia's Point of View
The circle breaks slowly, like none of us really want to be the first to leave. But one by one, they start peeling off. Trevor claps his beta on the shoulder and mutters something about early training drills. Alec is the first to head back, his stride sharp and precise even in exhaustion, Eli is already strategizing three steps ahead. Kai lingers a moment longer, his eyes brushing mine with something unreadable, before Luke nudges him gently towards the dorms.
The air grows thinner as each of them disappears into the night. Soon it is just me and Rafael, standing in the field where the shadows still feel heavier than they should.
For a second, neither of us speaks. The cool night presses against my skin, the silence only broken by the rustle of the trees at the e
