Sasha’s Pov
The path back to the Academy blurred beneath my feet, swallowed by fog and fractured thoughts.
Alex walked beside me, silent and unreadable, his expression carved from stone. The mark still seared faintly, starting at the base of my spine and reaching my nape. Phantom fire threads through my nerves like molten wire. Every step felt heavier than the last, as if I were dragging a storm behind me, tethered by the weight of what had just happened.
The forest held its breath. Not a single leaf stirred. Even the wind seemed to know something had changed. And Alex, well, he kept glancing at me. Jaw tight. Fists clenched. He was trying to piece something together, as if he didn’t want to believe what he saw.
He hadn’t said a word since the mark appeared. And I didn’t dare to ask.
