The moment Aria stepped out of the library, something shifted.
Not in the air.
Not in the academy halls.
Inside her.
A faint heat curled in her chest—then sank, like a spark falling through water. Her Fire Sense flickered alive without warning, sharp enough to make her stop mid-step.
Wrong.
The world felt a few shades darker.
Lena bumped into her from behind.
“Aria? Hey—what’s wrong?”
Aria didn’t answer. Couldn’t.
Her breath hitched as her gaze drifted down the dim corridor stretching toward the outer gates.
It was empty. Quiet.
But her magic was whispering in frantic pulses.
Danger. Here. Close.
“Aria?” Lena asked again, voice trembling now. “Talk to me— is it happening again?”
Aria signed shakily: Something’s coming.
Lena grasped her wrist.
“Do we need to get Kael?”
Bef
