All Chapters of Book One of the Rosewood Trilogy: The Broken Sanctum: Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

The air was colder up by the flight arena.It always was.Wind cut sharper across the open space, tugging at my clothes as we finished drills and the headmaster dismissed us for the day.My wings ached.Not painfully.Just… used.Worked.Stronger.I rolled my shoulders as I walked toward the locker rooms, half-focused on the rhythm of my steps and the quiet satisfaction that came with getting through another class.I barely noticed the shift at first.The way the air changed.The way the other students slowed.Moved.Created space.Then—“Esmeralda.”I stopped.Of course.I turned slowly.Lilianna stood a few feet away.Perfect as always.Cold.Composed.Her friends spread out behind and beside her like a wall.Blocking the path to the locker room.Of course they were.A few other students lingered nearby now, pretending not to watch—failing miserably. Their attention pressed in, curious and expectant, like they were waiting to see if I’d fold again.I sighed softly and rolled my eyes

The change didn’t happen all at once.It wasn’t like I woke up the next morning suddenly fearless or untouchable.It was smaller than that.Quieter.But steady.Like something inside me had finally shifted into place.At first, it was just a thought.Atlas’s words replaying in my mind.You take up space.I didn’t even realize I was doing it differently until I caught myself one morning walking into class.Head up.Shoulders back.Not scanning the room for threats.Not bracing.Just… walking.Existing.And no one stopped me.No one tripped me.No one said anything.They just—Moved.It was subtle.But I noticed.In metallurgy, it showed up first.The metal responded faster now.Cleaner.More precise.I didn’t hesitate as much.Didn’t second guess the pull I felt when I shaped it.I trusted it.Trusted myself.“Again,” he professor would say.And I would.Stronger each time.In defense class, Bastian pushed harder.That hadn’t changed.But I had.I didn’t apologize when I missed.Didn’t

I thought it was just another class.Potions had settled into something almost… comfortable. Predictable. Measured. A quiet place in the middle of everything else that had begun to feel like it was constantly shifting.I was halfway through grinding down a cluster of dried petals when the door opened.Soft.Controlled.But enough to draw attention.The professor looked up first.Then nodded.“Esmeralda. The Headmaster would like to see you.”My hands stilled.A few heads turned.Of course they did.Whispers followed as I wiped my fingers clean and stood, gathering myself before walking out of the classroom.The door closed behind me with a quiet click.The hallway felt colder than it had a few minutes ago.Or maybe that was just me.The Headmaster’s office door was already open when I arrived.He stood near the window, wings tucked neatly behind him, hands clasped loosely at his back.“Come in, Esmeralda.”I stepped inside.Closed the door.Waited.He turned toward me, his expression

The room smelled like ink, parchment, and too many hours without sleep.Which, to be fair—Was accurate.Calyx’s floor was covered.Scrolls.Books.Notes layered over notes, some pinned down with daggers, others marked with symbols only he seemed to fully understand.In the center of it all—A single spread of parchment.Locked.Spell-bound.No one touched it unless all four of us were in the room.And even then—Carefully.“This one again,” Calyx muttered, flipping a page and dragging a hand through his hair.“In the same region. Exact same timing.”Zeke stood by the window, like always.Listening.Tracking.Pieces moving in his head faster than any of us could follow.Malachi leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded but sharp.Watching.Always watching.I stood over the main spread.Looking at the names and the lines drawn between them.Connections.Patterns.“What do we have confirmed?” I asked.Zeke didn’t turn.“The disappearances are targeted.”We knew that.

The portal flared to life with a low, steady hum.Blue light rippled across the stone archway on our floor as Zeke adjusted the coordinates with practiced precision. The air tightened, then snapped into place.“Thornridge,” he said.“Everyone through.”We moved together this time.No splitting off.No staggered exits.Esme stood beside me, bundled against the cold, her fingers brushing mine before I fully closed my hand around hers.Small.Warm.Real.“Stay close,” I murmured.She glanced up at me, a little smile tugging at her lips.“I always do.”Zeke stepped through first, then Calyx, then Mal.I pulled Esme with me.The shift hit fast.Pressure.Pull.Release.Then Thornridge.Cold air rushed in, biting against my skin as we stepped out onto the quiet street just beyond the portal.The town looked the same.But it didn’t feel the same.More shadows.More tension.Even here.We didn’t linger.The gym lights burned ahead in the distance, already alive with noise that carried through