LOGINElena sat at her desk, staring blankly at the board. The words being written by Professor Clauss seemed to blur together no matter how hard she tried to focus. Her mind felt sluggish and her eyelids heavy, as though she hadn't slept at all."Miss Hayes, would you mind telling us the difference between the Red Moon Festival and the Black Moon Festival?"The question barely registered.Around her, several students turned their heads."Miss Hayes?" Clauss repeated, raising a brow.Before Elena could react, another voice answered."The Red Moon is a period where wolves are weakened and the Moon Goddess reveals a prophecy. It is also the night a Saintess is chosen." Elaine rested her chin against her hand. "The Black Moon strengthens primal urges. It is known as the Night of a Thousand Bloods.""Thank you, Miss Hayes."A few students chuckled."I was actually calling on your sister."Elena blinked.Only then did she realize the entire class was looking at her.A faint flush crept onto
Elena looked up at the approaching figure and immediately froze.“Your Highness?”She quickly wiped at her face, hoping he hadn't noticed the tears.Unfortunately, he had.Kael stopped in front of her and studied her for a moment before speaking.“I've noticed something.”Elena frowned.“You cry a lot.”A look of disbelief crossed her face.“I do not.”Kael simply raised a brow.The gesture made Elena look away.Without another word, he held out a hand.For a few seconds she stared at it before reluctantly accepting. Kael pulled her to her feet and immediately let go, creating enough distance that she wouldn't feel trapped.“I'll walk you back to your dorm.”“You don't have to.”“I know.”The answer caught her off guard.Neither of them spoke again as they began walking through the hallway. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't particularly pleasant either.Eventually, Kael broke it.“Elaine is hurting too.”The temperature around Elena seemed to drop.She stopped walking.“
Elaine walked out of the academy with her fists clenched at her sides. Elena's words refused to leave her alone, repeating over and over inside her head no matter how hard she tried to ignore them.What she doesn't see is the rotten person beneath that fake smile.Was that really how Elena saw her?The thought hurt more than she wanted to admit. She had spent years looking out for her sister, helping her whenever she could and shielding her from things she didn't need to face. Yet when Elena looked at her, all she saw was someone cruel.Elaine kept running until the academy disappeared behind her. The forest swallowed the sounds of students and training grounds, replacing them with rustling leaves and birdsong. Only when her legs finally gave out did she stop, dropping onto the grass and staring up at the canopy above.The branches swayed gently in the afternoon breeze while streaks of sunlight filtered through the leaves. For a few moments she simply lay there, allowing the tea
Rowan turned at the sound of the voice behind him. He had been so focused on Maya that he hadn't noticed anyone approaching. The moment he saw who it was, surprise flashed across his face.“Senior Rowan, what do you mean by targeting Elena?” The girl's voice rose slightly. “Who is targeting Elena?”“Elaine?”Elaine folded her arms across her chest and stared directly at him. There was confusion in her expression, but beneath it Rowan could see something else. Concern. The moment Elena's name was involved, she always paid attention, whether she wanted to admit it or not.“How is that your business?” Rowan asked.“My sister.” Elaine didn't look away. “I have every right to know.”For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Students continued moving through the courtyard around them, completely unaware of the tension hanging between the two. Rowan considered brushing her off, but the look on her face stopped him. Whatever issues existed between the sisters, Elaine cared.Rowan let out a dr
Kael looked away and brushed a leaf off his shoe. “A prince cannot afford to be too trusting, you know.”For a moment, his expression turned thoughtful. “She's from Nightfall. I know she has a reason for being here and I also know that if I ever find out what that reason is, I'm probably not going to like it.”“Remember that,” Rowan said.Silence settled between them. The academy grounds bustled with activity around them, but neither paid much attention. Rowan was thinking about the pills, while Kael found himself wondering why Seraphine had suddenly become the topic of conversation.Then, as if the thought had only just occurred to him, Kael turned toward Rowan.“So when are you confessing to Elena?”Rowan stared at him.Kael grinned.“Oh, come on. I see the way you look at her and you're always helping her train. At this point, half the academy probably thinks you've already confessed.”“You talk too much.”“That's not a denial.”Rowan rolled his eyes and rose to his feet.Kael l
Elena looked at the wolf standing before her. Its white fur seemed to glow beneath the moonlight while its silver eyes remained fixed on her. There was an intelligence in those eyes that made her uneasy. She wanted to run. Every instinct told her to run. Yet her body refused to obey.It was as if the moment those eyes settled on her, the rest of the world ceased to matter.“You have something that was stolen from you.”The words echoed directly inside her mind and Elena froze. She had heard that sentence before. The saintess. The memory surfaced immediately, dragging her back to her first day at Lycoria. Back then she hadn't understood what Phoebe meant and now, hearing the same words from the wolf, she felt just as confused.“What do you mean?” she asked.The wolf remained silent.Its gaze never left her.Elena frowned. “Then tell me what was stolen.”For a moment, neither of them spoke. The forest remained unnaturally still around them. No wind. No insects. Nothing except th
Elena woke up feeling strangely refreshed. After yesterday's training, she had expected to spend the entire day complaining about sore muscles and bruises, but when she stretched, nothing hurt.If anything, she felt better than she had before the training session. She stared at her hands for a mo
Kael sat back in his chair, his thoughts far clearer than they had been earlier. The more he looked at the report, the more convinced he became that the hunting grounds were not the real issue.“There shouldn't be a dispute in the first place,” he said after a moment. “The territory has been shared
Kael read through the report and frowned. “So the Surez Clan is accusing the Hatenwort Clan of taking more than their share of the hunting grounds.”He looked up from the papers. “The Hatenwort Clan is stronger. They probably need more space to hunt.”Magnimus nodded. “And what does Your Highness s
“You?”Rowan's brows rose in surprise as Elena lifted her head. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were still damp from tears. In all the time he had known her, he had never seen her cry. Embarrassed? Annoyed? Frustrated? Plenty of times. But crying was new.“This is a first,” Rowan said as he pul







