Chapter 31- You’re Crazy

Sonia woke before dawn, the cold light of the academy seeping through the cracked window panes.

The room felt too empty, like even the shadows had abandoned her.

She pulled Silas’s blazer tighter around her shoulders, breathing in the faint scent of him, salt, smoke, and something intangible, like freedom.

Last night, his presence had felt like a lifeline. Now, his absence pressed on her chest like a weight she couldn’t lift.

She splashed water on her face, her reflection staring back with tired, red-rimmed eyes.

The girl in the mirror was a patchwork of lies and grief. A girl who loved too deeply and fought too hard. A girl who’d given up her name to wear someone else’s.

And now she had to keep wearing it for him.

She left her room quietly, pulling the door shut like a secret behind her. The hallways were hushed at this hour, the hush of sleeping monsters. She moved like a ghost, heart pounding in rhythm with the echoes of her steps. Every time she passed a closed door, she wondered what lay behind it: conspiracies? Enemies? More hidden cameras?

She couldn’t trust anyone here. Not even herself.

She made her way to the library, a place where the old, crumbling stone met generations of whispered secrets. Books were scattered across tables, some open, some marked with red pens but the place was empty. She chose a corner seat near the window, the pale dawn spilling over the pages.

A stack of files sat in front of her, the ones she’d stolen from Professor Rivers’s office days ago. She flipped them open, scanning names, dates, symbols. Each line felt like a puzzle piece she couldn’t quite fit. Some pages had lines blacked out with thick ink, secrets hidden in plain sight.

Her mind drifted to Eric to the way he’d looked at her last night, confusion and yearning tangled in his eyes. He didn’t know about Silas. He didn’t know that every smile, every glance, every accidental touch was wrapped in lies.

She pressed her fingers against her lips, remembering the way his mouth had felt against hers, hesitant and trembling like he was afraid of wanting her. And he was right to be afraid. Because wanting her meant being tangled in something dangerous.

A creak of the library door pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up sharply, heart stuttering.

Eric stood there, tall and shadowed in the doorway, his hair a mess from sleep. His uniform hung open at the collar, tie half undone. He looked like he’d been running.

“Sonia,” he said, voice rough. He always called her that now, even when she was dressed like Silas. It was like he saw through the lie every time he looked at her.

“Eric,” she whispered, her throat tight.

He crossed the room in a few long strides, his gaze burning. “Where did you go last night?” he demanded. “I saw you leaving the garden with him. The one who looks like you, the one I saw before.”

She closed the file slowly, buying herself a second to think. “Eric, please...”

“Don’t lie to me,” he snapped. His voice cracked with something like desperation. “I’m done with the lies, Sonia. I’m done watching you slip through my fingers every time I think I understand you.”

Her heart broke for him. For her. For all the ways they’d been forced to hide the truth. She stood, the file forgotten on the table. “Eric,” she said again, softer this time. “You don’t understand...”

“Then help me,” he said, stepping closer, his breath warm against her cheek. “Tell me what’s happening. Tell me who he is. Tell me why you look at me like you’re afraid to let me in.”

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his. There was so much she wanted to say: about Silas, about the Cartel, about the surveillance tapes and the blood on the floors she walked. But the truth was a weapon, and she wasn’t sure she could aim it at him without killing them both.

“Eric,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “I want to tell you everything. I swear I do. But it’s not just about me. It’s about all of us. And if I tell you now — it could get you killed.”

His jaw clenched. “Then let it.” His hand cupped her cheek, thumb brushing away a tear she hadn’t felt fall. “If you’re in danger, I want to be in danger with you.”

His touch burned through her resolve. She leaned into it, closing her eyes, savoring the warmth of him. He smelled like old books and night air, like safety and chaos all at once.

“You’re crazy,” she murmured, a small, broken smile on her lips.

“For you,” he breathed.

She kissed him then, the way she’d wanted to for so long — like a confession, like an apology, like she was drowning and he was the only breath left in the world. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her in so tight she could barely breathe. But she didn’t care. She wanted to forget everything — the Cartel, Silas, the lies — and just exist in this one stolen moment.

When they broke apart, his forehead rested against hers. “Sonia,” he whispered. “No more secrets. Please.”

She closed her eyes, the tears slipping free. “I wish I could promise that,” she said, voice cracking. “But I can promise you this: I’ll fight. For you. For us. For the truth. Even if it means I have to keep lying to everyone else.”

His eyes searched hers, and he nodded slowly. “Then let me fight with you.”

She opened her mouth to protest — to protect him — but he pressed a finger to her lips. “I know you want to shield me. But I’m not leaving your side. Not now.”

She kissed his finger, her heart aching. “Okay,” she whispered. “Okay.”

Outside, the sun was rising, painting the world in gold and fire. But inside, they were still in the shadows — together.

Sonia knew the battle wasn’t over. The Cartel was still out there. Silas was still in hiding. And Daxton’s halls were still a maze of secrets.

But for the first time in weeks, she didn’t feel alone. She had Eric. She had herself. And she had a promise to keep.

She’d fight. And she’d win.

No matter the cost.