LOGINElias’s POVI kept feeling the same thing. Like someone’s eyes were always on the back of my neck.Even inside Training Hall Three, with only Ronan and Vale, my nerves stayed tight. My hands were cold. My mind kept jumping to dark corners and empty hallways. It felt wrong. All of it.Vale was talking, explaining the list of people he suspected, but the words sounded far away.Ronan leaned close. “Elias. Focus.”“I am trying.”He studied me, eyes sharp. “You look like you are about to pass out.”I shook my head. “I am not.”“Liar.”I glared a little, but only because he was right.Vale stepped toward us. “You are overwhelmed. That is normal when someone realizes they are being hunted.”The word hit me hard. Hunted.I wrapped my arms around myself.“We need to figure out who planted the chip,” Vale said. “But your safety comes first.”He said it so easily. Just like that. My safety. I did not know what to do with that kind of concern.Ronan stood suddenly. “We are taking a break.”Vale
Elias’s POVI could not stop shaking, even after we left Vale’s office.Ronan walked beside me the whole way, close enough that our arms brushed from time to time. I did not complain. I needed the steady feeling of someone near me. My chest still felt tight from what Vale found inside that room.A listening chip.Someone placed it there. Recently. With purpose.I kept replaying the words in my head.Someone thinks you are worth hunting.My mouth felt dry.When we stepped into the hallway, I looked around without thinking. Every shadow looked darker. Every student walking past felt like a threat. I knew I was supposed to keep my face calm, but I could not force it this time.Ronan noticed.He leaned close. “Do not look around like that. You will panic yourself.”“I already am panicking,” I whispered.“Then stay next to me.”I nodded because there was nothing else I could do.We walked to the training wing, but Vale’s order echoed in my mind. Do not go anywhere alone. Not even with inst
Elias’s POVI did not know how I made it through the rest of the morning.My body felt heavy. My head felt full. Every sound made me jump a little. Even footsteps far away made my heart beat too fast. I hated feeling like that. I hated looking weak.But I could not stop it.Ronan stayed beside me the whole time. He did not even walk two steps away. Vale kept watching from the distance too. He acted like he was doing his usual work, but I could feel his eyes checking every shadow around us.It made me feel safer. But also scared.If Vale was this alert… how much did he notice already?We skipped the physical part of training. Vale said I “did not look stable enough,” even though he said it in a strict voice that hid something worried beneath it. He gave us paperwork instead. Something boring. Something quiet.But I could not focus.Every small noise made me lift my head. Every shadow made me tense.After a while, Ronan gave up pretending to read. He leaned close and whispered, “Elias,
Ronan’s POVElias did not sleep at all.I knew because I stayed awake with him. Every time he moved, I felt it. Every small breath, every shake in his hand when he thought I was not looking. He kept looking at the door like something would walk through it any second.I did not blame him. That note was still in my pocket, crushed from how hard I held it all night.When morning came, Elias sat up slowly. His eyes were red. He looked tired in a way that made my chest hurt.“We need to talk to Vale,” I said quietly.Elias let out a shaky breath. “I know.”He dressed in silence. I walked behind him the whole way to the training yard. Anyone who stared for too long, I stared back until they looked away. I did not care if it made me look dangerous. I would not let anyone near him.Vale was already there, sitting on a bench with a tablet in his hand. He looked like he had been up for hours. When he saw Elias, his eyes sharpened. He stood up slowly.“What happened,” Vale asked.He looked only
Elias’s POVI did not sleep.I tried. I closed my eyes and stayed pressed against Ronan, feeling his warmth, listening to his heartbeat, trying to let it calm me. But each time I drifted close to sleep, something would jolt me awake again. A sound in the hallway. A shift in shadows. My own thoughts.That note stayed in my mind like it was breathing beside me; I know what he is.I kept seeing those words even when I looked away. I kept hearing them inside my head.Ronan stayed awake too. I could feel it in the way his breathing stayed steady but sharp. The way his hand rested on my back like he was ready to move at any moment.After what felt like a long time, he spoke."Elias. Look at me."I lifted my head slowly. The lights were off, but the moon from the window lit his face just enough for me to see his eyes. They were focused. Strong. Not afraid at all."Nothing will happen tonight," he said. "I am here.""I know," I whispered. "I just... I feel trapped."He brushed my hair back wi
Ronan’s POVElias did not talk much for the rest of the day. He stayed close to me, quiet, careful, like someone trying not to fall through a thin floor. The fear in his eyes never fully faded. It stayed there like a shadow behind every breath.I hated it.I hated that someone out there had done this to him. I hated that Hale was pushing him harder. And I hated that no matter how close I stood, the danger still felt closer.We skipped the rest of training. Vale complained a little, but when he looked at Elias, he stopped talking. His face softened for a moment before he forced it away again. He knew something was wrong, even if he did not know what it was.By evening, I managed to get Elias back to our room. He walked inside slowly, like he was expecting someone to jump out. His eyes scanned the corners, the window, even the ceiling."Elias," I said gently. "No one is in here. I checked twice.""I know," he whispered. "I just feel like someone is watching me."I stepped in front of hi



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