Zane's Point Of View The second we returned to the academy gates, the warm golden glow of the evening lamps hit my face and the weight of everything we’d just gone through crashed over me like a second wave.Charlie was still unconscious, his face pale and arms limp as Ronan carried him with surprising ease toward the infirmary. His breathing was stable now, but guilt gnawed at my chest with every step I took beside them.All of this… for pearls.For a dance I wasn’t even sure I could survive, let alone win.The corridors blurred as we passed through them. Students in formal uniforms glanced up from their twilight studies to stare. A few even whispered as we passed, clearly recognizing Ronan or me.Or both.The infirmary doors opened with a soft creak, and Ronan laid Charlie down gently on one of the velvet-lined cots. The healer, a stern woman with snow-white hair and glowing green tattoos that spiraled up her arms gave Ronan a curious look but didn’t ask questions. She immediately
Ronan's Point Of View The magic train hummed beneath us, but my pulse was louder.I sat in the seat directly across from them, arms folded, legs spread, jaw tight, watching. Caroline had her usual playful smirk, legs draped over the seat like she owned the world. Zane sat beside her, cheeks still tinged from the way she had flirted with him minutes ago. Typical Caroline, she always played too much. But this wasn’t a game. Not to me. Not when he was involved.My wolf was already restless. Pacing. Huffing in my chest like an angry storm. He didn’t like seeing Zane this close to someone else, especially not her.“She’s just being Caroline,” I told myself.But it didn’t help.She tilted her head at him, all casual and teasing, and kicked her feet lazily.“Well?” she said, voice laced with challenge. “Will you dance with me, Zane?”Zane hesitated. That familiar flicker of uncertainty passed through his eyes, like he didn’t know what the right answer was. He turned toward her, still flust
Zane's Point Of View The crash of waves faded behind me, but the silence that settled after was somehow louder.Charlie’s body leaned against the jagged boulder, unmoving, his hair matted with seaweed and his lips pale. His chest rose and fell gently now, thanks to that girl, a stranger had done more than I could.I should’ve been relieved. Grateful. But all I felt was the sting. That was when I felt it, the weight of a gaze. Not just a glance, but the kind that burned a hole straight through you.I looked up.Ronan was staring.Not with disdain… but with something unreadable. Intense. Cold fire flickered behind those gold-ringed eyes, and I hated that my heart still stuttered under it.“What?” I asked quietly, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. His jaw clenched. “What were you doing here in the first place?”I blinked. “What?”“This place isn’t for people like you,” he said, voice flat but harsh. “You have no magic. You could’ve died. He almost did die.” His eyes flicked to C
Ronan's Point Of View I should’ve walked away.That was the first thought that screamed in my head the moment I hauled Zane’s soaking, unconscious body onto the rocks.He should’ve drowned.He had no business being out here in the Cloud Sea… no training, no permission, no damn sense. I didn’t even know what possessed me to track him when the storm hit. Maybe it was that ridiculous ache in my chest the moment I sensed his scent dissolve into the water like it was being erased from the world.And that ache hadn’t stopped. Now he lay beneath me, pale and unmoving. So still. “Zane,” I growled, shaking him once. His head lolled to the side.No response.The cold wind whipped around us, and yet somehow, I was burning. My wolf was clawing inside me, pacing, restless. ‘Fix him. Fix him. Fix him.’“I don’t do healing,” I muttered under my breath, pressing my fingers to Zane’s throat. “That’s not my fucking skill.” But his pulse… it was there. Faint. Weak.His lips were turning blue.My heartb
Zane's Point Of View “You sure about this?” Charlie asked, his voice quiet, nearly swallowed by the rolling mist that clung to us like second skin. “The oysters aren't far from the shore, but this place… changes at night.”I turned to him, the cool sea breeze tugging gently at my sleeves. “I’ll be careful.”Charlie looked me over, worry tightening the corners of his eyes. “Just… don’t get too cocky. The Cloud Sea might look calm, but it’s older than the Academy. Older than most of the legends we’ve heard. It listens. It waits.”That made my stomach turn a little. “Noted,” I muttered, tightening the pearl pouch at my belt.Charlie pointed to the shimmering fog. “There are two clusters of oysters. One group’s to the left, the other to the right. If we split up, we’ll cover more ground. But keep your eyes open, and if anything moves that isn’t glowing or cute, run.”I raised a brow. “Define cute.”Charlie chuckled and raised his hand, fingers glowing faintly blue. “Before we split, let
Zane's Point Of View By the time I made it back to the dorm, the sun had dipped low beyond the forest, casting long shadows through the hallway windows. The floor tiles glowed gold, but none of that warmth reached me.I opened the door slowly, hoping Charlie wouldn’t be there.He was.Sitting cross-legged on the bed, munching on a bag of honey crisps and flipping through a glowing hologram scroll. The moment he saw my face, he dropped everything.“Oh no,” he blurted out, standing up fast. “Don’t tell me…”I offered him a tired, weak smile as I closed the door behind me.Charlie winced like I’d just confirmed everything. “Damn. I really thought he’d say yes. You two seemed so close as you said…”I wanted to say something. Tell him the truth. That Miles had said no. That it wasn’t just the rejection, but who he said yes to that cracked me in half.But the words wouldn’t come. My throat locked up, tight and dry. Instead, I forced out a quiet, “It’s fine.” Charlie frowned. “You’re a terr