Arden's /Aria's POV
The world was different now. I could feel it. The air itself felt new. I walked through the academy grounds. People did not just look at me. They watched me. Their eyes were not unkind. They were curious. Respectful. Some were even afraid.
The name followed me everywhere. A whisper on the wind. Alpha Queen.
It felt too big. Like a coat that did not fit. I was just Aria. I was the girl who ran. The girl who hid. I was not a queen.
Kai was still healing. He slept most of the day. I sat with him. I held his hand. I watched his chest rise and fall. Each breath was a gift. My choice had saved him. My truth had freed us both. But it had also built a wall around us. A wall of expectations.
I left the infirmary to get some air. I needed to think. I walked to the training g
