Mag-log inTHALIA'S POVFor a second, I genuinely stopped breathing. This was honestly not what I expected when I agreed to follow Devon. I didn't know what I had in mind but this was definitely not it. The paper trembled slightly in my hands while my thoughts crashed violently together.No. No, that wasn’t possible. I stared at the date again. Then again thinking it would change but it didn't. It was still the same.Someone enrolled me into the academy before Lucien died. Which meant—A horrible realization slammed into me so hard it nearly made me dizzy.Someone planned this.Someone knew Lucien would die before it even happened. It might have been the same someone who killed him. Someone wanted me here. Cold fear spread slowly through my chest. And Caleb knew. That was why he hid the pages. Not to protect me from my identity. To stop me from discovering whatever this was. “What the hell…” I whispered shakily.Suddenly, the library doors slammed loudly somewhere behind me.I jerked violently
THALIA’S POVMy eyes stayed trained on Devon. “I still don’t trust you.” Devon sighed dramatically like he was already tired of hearing that sentence from me. Honestly, he should have been used to it by now.We were still standing near the lower gardens where the evening wind moved softly through the trees around us. The academy grounds had started growing darker as the sun disappeared fully behind the mountains, leaving only the lanterns along the stone walkways glowing faintly in the distance.Devon shoved his hands into his pockets again. “You really know how to hurt someone’s feelings.”“You’ll survive.” I replied sarcastically. His mouth twitched slightly before his expression became serious again. “Look, Lucien,” he said quieter this time, “I know our families hate each other. I know you don’t trust me. But I’m telling you Caleb hid something in that library.”My stomach tightened slightly at Caleb’s name.Even now, I still couldn’t stop thinking about Devon’s earlier words.
THALIA’S POVCaleb left immediately after that.He didn’t say a word. Didn’t confront me. Didn’t even look away from Eileen before turning and walking off across the training field with that same terrifying calmness written all over his face.Honestly, I thought that was worse.Ragnar’s anger was loud. Explosive. Easy to notice. Caleb’s anger felt cold enough to bury someone alive. Even long after he disappeared from sight, I still couldn’t stop thinking about the look in his eyes.It lingered heavily in my chest while the whispers around the field grew louder and louder..“Since when are Lucien and Eileen together?”“I thought Lucien flirted with everyone.”“No, seriously, did you see him kiss her?”The embarrassment alone almost made me regret the entire fake relationship idea. Almost. Because at least people were distracted now.Nobody was paying attention to my weakness anymore. Instead, the academy had found fresh gossip to obsess over. Unfortunately, I still had all the real prob
THALIA’S POVAgreeing to a fake relationship with Eileen should not have felt like the safest decision available to me.Yet somehow, it did.The academy had become exhausting lately. Every conversation felt layered with hidden meanings. Every glance felt suspicious. Caleb kept hiding things. Ragnar kept breaking through my defenses when I least expected it. And Jamie—he appeared everywhere. The more I thought about him, the more uneasy I became.“Come on, I want to show you something,” I said to her and she nodded. I led her quietly through the darker side paths of the academy until we reached the infirmary building.The halls were empty at this hour. Moonlight spilled faintly through the tall windows while the scent of herbs and medicine lingered heavily in the cold air.Eileen looked around in confusion. “Why are we here?”I pushed the infirmary door open carefully before answering. “Because I remembered something.”Her expression sharpened slightly as she followed me inside.The
THALIA’S POVThe second Jamie spoke, I shoved Ragnar away from me hard enough that he nearly lost balance.Then I hit him. Again.My palm slammed against his shoulder with enough force to sting but Ragnar barely reacted to it. He only stared at me while I scrambled backward across the grass, my entire face burning with humiliation.“What is wrong with you?” I snapped breathlessly.The cool night air felt too sharp against my skin. My lips still tingled from the kiss and that only made me angrier.Jamie stood a few feet away watching us with open amusement.Moonlight reflected against the lenses of his glasses while he adjusted them carefully like he hadn’t just appeared at the worst possible moment in human history.“Personally,” Jamie said casually, “I think this is adorable.”“Shut up,” Ragnar and I said at the exact same time.Jamie blinked once before grinning slowly. “Wow. Same timing too. You two are really committed to this relationship.”“There is no relationship,” I snapped i
THALIA’S POVI didn’t return to the dorm after the fight with Ragnar.Honestly, I couldn’t.The moment his claws tore through my shirt in front of everyone, panic completely took over me. Even now, hours later, my chest still tightened every time I remembered the sound of fabric ripping and the way everybody turned to look at us afterward.If Eileen had not stepped in quickly, I didn’t even want to imagine what could have happened.So instead of returning to the dorm, I stayed hidden near the quieter side of the academy until the training grounds emptied and the whispers finally died down.The academy looked calmer at night.Lanterns glowed softly along the stone paths and the gardens below swayed gently with the evening wind, but none of it helped settle my thoughts.Too many things were happening all at once. The Moonclaw was still inside the academy. The shapeshifters might still be here too. Caleb had hidden the truth from me. Ragnar kept acting like I should trust him no matter







