The sting on my cheek was still fresh, burning like fire—but it was nothing compared to the words that came next.
"How dare you slap the future Luna?" Kael's voice thundered through the corridor, sharp and cold like a blade drawn in winter. His eyes, once calm and unreadable, were now filled with fury as he stepped forward. "You really haven't learned your lesson at all, have you?"
I stared at him, stunned, the weight of his word sunk deeper than the blow he had just dealt. My mouth opened slightly, but no sound came. I couldn't speak—not with the pain swelling in my chest, not with the ache crawling up my throat like a scream I wasn't allowed to let out.
Then I saw her.
Meriya.
Still holding her cheek where my hand had landed—but now, her lips curved in a smug little smirk. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction like she had won the game.
And I had stupidly walked straight into it.
