POV: Roxana
I stood in the empty corridor long after Magnus disappeared around the corner, my chest aching with something heavier than fear. Disappointment. I had seen it flicker across his face before he masked it, and somehow that hurt worse than any threat he could have made.
I made my way back to my room, my legs heavy with exhaustion neither sleep nor time could fix. The moment I shut the door behind me, I sank onto the edge of my bed, pressing my palms against my eyes until stars bloomed behind them.
A soft knock interrupted the silence. I opened the door to find Celeste standing there, her expression unusually serious, none of her practiced sweetness on display.
"We need to talk," she said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "About the debt you owe me."
My stoma
