The silence in the dormitory that night was deafening. Every creak of the floorboards, every rustle of sheets from Kai’s side of the room, felt like a thunderclap. I lay stiff on my cot, facing the wall, but I could feel his wakefulness like a physical pressure. He hadn’t said a word since the infirmary, but his silence was a louder accusation than any shout.
My ribs were a symphony of pain, a deep, purple-black bloom beneath the bindings. Every breath was a careful, calculated effort. They’re coming for you. Damon’s words were on a loop in my mind, a taunt and a warning. Who were they? Malrick’s agents? My father’s enforcers? Or something else entirely?
The urge to run, to flee back into the night, was a primal scream in my blood. But where would I go? The academy was my only sanctuary,
