All Chapters of VIREMONT ACADEMY:THE SEALED HUMAN CLAIMED BY THE FOUR SCIONS: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

I sucked in a violent, ragged breath, and it felt like inhaling a handful of crushed glass.My eyes snapped open to blinding, sterile white light.I jerked upright on the stiff mattress, gasping desperately for air.The sudden movement sent a wave of liquid fire radiating straight through my cracked ribs, stealing the breath right back out of my lungs.I groaned loudly and clutched my chest, squeezing my eyes shut until the bright, fuzzy spots faded from my vision.The heart monitors attached to my skin started screaming in a high-pitched, frantic rhythm.The harsh noise pierced my eardrums, making my head pound with a vicious, throbbing ache.I tried to rip the sticky plastic pads off my collarbone so I could get out of the bed.My hands were shaking too badly to grasp the thin wires, and my fingers felt incredibly clumsy.I looked down and realized my blistered palms were wrapped in thick, tight bandages that smelled strongly of cooling mint and medical alcohol.My street-rat instin

He didn't wait for an invitation, and he pulled a metal chair away from the small desk and sat down right next to my bed.The soft, polite tone he used was infinitely more terrifying than if he had just started screaming at me."I... I was just hiding behind the rocks like the combat teachers told us to do," I stammered, gripping the edge of the thin hospital blanket with my bandaged hands."Is that right?" Malakar asked, tilting his head slightly to the side."The security logs show a massive anomaly in sector four, and the automated system claims a faulty holographic landmine detonated and leveled fifty yards of timber.""I guess the machine just broke," I muttered, staring intently at the white hospital sheets so I wouldn't have to look into his dark eyes."An interesting malfunction," he murmured, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning closer to my face."The heat signature left in the crater was hot enough to melt stone, yet you managed to walk away with a few bruises and a

The dull ache in my right collarbone throbbed with every single breath I took.I slipped into a hard wooden chair at the very back of the Magical Lore classroom and stared blankly at the scratched surface of my desk.The physical pain from where Darian had intentionally bumped me was sharp, but it was absolutely nothing compared to the hollow, crushing weight sitting heavy in my chest.I couldn't stop replaying the cold, dead look in his amber eyes when he told me to stay out of his way.Just a few hours ago, he was holding my burned hands in the freezing rain and promising he would never leave me alone again.He fought his own pack for me, and then he just threw me away like a piece of worthless garbage right in the middle of the courtyard.I rubbed my bruised shoulder and tried to swallow past the thick lump forming in my dry throat.The gritty street-rat armor I usually relied on felt incredibly brittle right now.I was exhausted, battered, and my fresh bandages still smelled stron

Professor Matthias stood frozen in the center aisle.A thick, uncomfortable silence smothered the classroom, heavy enough to make my ears ring.The tall warlock’s pale cheeks flushed a mottled, ugly shade of red.He gripped his wooden staff so tight his knuckles popped, but he didn't dare raise his voice to argue with the future king."Class is dismissed," Matthias muttered finally, turning his back to the room so he could wipe the glowing diagram off the chalkboard.The quiet broke into a sudden wave of frantic whispers as students scrambled to pack their expensive leather bags.I didn't wait to see if Zayden wanted a thank you.I didn't want to look at his arrogant smirk, and I definitely didn't want to be the center of attention for another second.I pushed my chair back, keeping my smoking, bandaged hands tucked deep into the pockets of my oversized shirt.My heart hammered against my cracked ribs.I just needed to get out of that room before anyone noticed the scorched, blackened

"You just went through a massive shock," I reassured her gently, reaching across the table to offer a comforting smile.Saskia flinched slightly when my bandaged hand moved toward her, pulling her tray closer to her chest.I pulled my hand back and let it drop into my lap, feeling the heavy distance settling permanently between us.She didn't remember the exact details of the blast, but her nervous system still remembered the pure terror of watching me level the forest."Well, look what we have here."A harsh, mocking voice cut through the quiet tension at our table.I looked up and saw three tall, broad-shouldered shifters standing right next to Saskia's chair.They wore the deep green and silver colors of the Hayes pack, and they all carried the same arrogant, cruel smiles.The leader of the group was a massive guy with short blonde hair and a fresh, angry scratch running down his jaw.He stepped closer to the table, blocking the bright light from the chandeliers overhead and castin