17~ He Chose Alisa

Zane's Point Of View

The Human Academy’s central church looked more like a palace than a place of worship.

Tall white spires scraped the sky, windows of stained glass bathed the courtyard in fractured light, and the great carved doors stood open, humming with holy magic. Even the air here smelled like polished stone, ancient scrolls, and something faintly sweet, like lilies just past bloom.

Charles had told me Miles would be here, attending a meeting with other council members.

I had hesitated for hours before coming.

And now that I stood beneath the shadows of those arched pillars, watching the steady flow of finely dressed students and professors stream out of the meeting, I questioned everything.

What was I even doing?

I didn’t belong here. Not in this building. Not among these bloodlines.

I shifted nervously by the column, fingers clenching and unclenching the hem of my tunic. I kept my head slightly lowered, avoiding attention, hoping and praying he would walk out soon.

Then I s