Aria's pov
I wasn’t a fan of quiet hallways. Not at an Academy like this. Silence always meant trouble. Either someone was sneaking where they shouldn’t be, or something was about to explode. Sometimes both. My boots echoed against the stone floors as I made my way toward the training grounds. My muscles still ached from the morning fight with Lander, but apparently exhaustion wasn’t a valid excuse for staying in my dorm.
I rounded a corner and froze. Movement. Shadows sliding along the walls. Too coordinated to be a stray cat or a rat, thank the Moon Goddess.
“Show yourself,” I muttered, keeping my voice low.
The shadows didn’t reply. They froze, then darted again. One figure tossed a small, glowing vial in the air, and it shattered against the floor with a hiss. I barely dodged the
