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CHAPTER 254
~Valerie's POV~
The morning was quiet, the kind of quiet that lingered because of but no tension.
I stood by the buses, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder as the first group began boarding.
Everyone looked bright-eyed and excited—like this wasn't just a school trip, but a break from all the crap we'd been drowning in for weeks.
I wasn't so sure I could share their enthusiasm.
My dreams hadn't stopped. If anything, they'd grown more intense, more… vivid. And waking up every morning tangled in sheets and drenched in sweat with my heartbeat thundering behind my ribs was becoming a painful ritual.
The bus was already half-filled by the time I stepped inside. I glanced around quickly, scanning for any seat that didn't reek of social landmines.
At the front, Astraea sat beside Eryx. They were laughing about something, and when Eryx spotted me, he gave me a casual wave.
I smiled back, but it barely touched my eyes.
