Annabeth/Annika’s POV Two days had passed since the Royals’ fight. And in those two days, the entire academy had started to rot in real time. The weather inside the school had become unstable—strong winds that burned against the skin during the day, then at night, heavy snowfall that never seemed natural. Plants around the campus were withering, breaking apart as if something was slowly draining life out of them. I could only laugh whenever I saw the students outside. Panic everywhere. Eyes full of fear. They didn’t even want to attend classes anymore—but they still had to. Tch. Not that I cared. If anything, I was enjoying it. Everything was falling exactly into place. Almost time. I could feel it. Soon, nobles from other kingdoms would arrive to investigate what’s happening

