Lila spent the early evening hours in a state of tense anticipation. She had already executed Mission Elara by handing the sensitive note to the Beta cleaner hours earlier, and now she waited, every nerve screaming.
At 9:55 PM, the Beta guard at the main entrance of the floor politely knocked on her door.
"Miss Blackwood," the guard murmured. "A young Beta lady insisted this be delivered directly to your hand. She seemed... quite agitated." He handed Lila a tightly folded piece of parchment.
It was a rough sketch of the Library's floor plan, hastily drawn, with a large "X" marked over the Pack Biology section and the words: "10:15 PM. I have the book. Be careful."
Lila's heart hammered. Elara had risked coming back to the Alpha Headquarters just to confirm the meeting time. Her fear was overridden by the desperate need for answers.
She slipped into a dark grey Academy cloak, pulling the hood low over her face. At 10:10 PM, she used the cramped, dusty maintenance stairwell to descend, reaching the ground floor and gliding past the guarding Beta with the powerful 'Lila Mask'—a cold glare and a dismissive wave of the hand. The guard, terrified of incurring Adrian's displeasure by delaying his "pet project," immediately let her pass.
The North Wing Library was a silent, sprawling beast, smelling pleasantly of pine, old paper, and wood polish. Lila found Elara huddled in a small, shadowed section dedicated to Pack Biology, looking utterly miserable and clutching a thin, age-worn book.
"Elara!" Lila whispered, rushing over. "You came! You have it?"
"Lila! You shouldn't be here!" Elara whispered back, her voice shaking. "If Alpha Wolfhart finds out you left—"
"I know," Lila cut her off, her voice laced with impatience. "The book, Elara."
Elara nervously shoved the old text across the table. It was titled: Rare Omega Ailments and Afflictions.
"I couldn't find anything on 'Foreign Scent,' but this book... it mentioned the 'Blue Flash,'" Elara whispered, her eyes darting nervously toward the entrance.
Lila snatched the book, her fingers trembling. She flipped to the dog-eared page Elara had marked. The text was old and formal, but the contents hit her like a punch to the gut.
"The True Blood's Aura, a power that compels, can be intensely toxic to certain archaic Omega lineages. Those Omegas whose blood contains dormant elemental magic—often marked by a fleeting, uncontrollable cyanic shift in the iris during peak distress—are highly susceptible to the True Blood's essence. This reaction is known as the Elemental Seizure, and it effectively paralyzes the afflicted Omega. Prolonged exposure can lead to permanent damage or even a complete mental collapse."
Lila closed the book, her eyes wide with cold dread. Elemental Seizure. Dormant Elemental Magic.
"It's a physical toxicity," Lila whispered, the terror now mixed with a desperate, chilling clarity. "It's an ancient flaw! And Adrian smells the magic—the 'Elemental' part—mixed with the fear. That's the 'other' scent he keeps mentioning! I'm not crazy; I'm allergic to my executioner!"
"Does this mean you can fight him with elemental magic, Lila?" Elara asked eagerly.
Lila snorted, a laugh of pure, panicked self-derision. "Elara, I don't have elemental magic! All I have is a toxic sensitivity and a angry self that makes my killer laugh!"
She slammed the book shut. She needed to focus on immediate survival.
"Elara, I need two things," Lila instructed urgently, her voice back to a cold whisper. "First, any information on Pack Lore and the Ancient Artifacts Adrian might be researching. I need to know his true obsession. Second, find me a Beta-grade Pheromone Neutralizer—a simple medicinal scent blocker. I need to mask this toxicity before he starts using it as a weapon."
Just as Elara nodded, a shadow fell over their table.
"Well, well, well," a voice sneered. "Look who we found playing commoner games in the dark."
Lila froze. Standing over them was Marcus, the aggressive Alpha from the gambling ring, flanked by a massive, scowling Alpha named Brock and three sneering Omegas. Marcus's eyes, still burning with the humiliation Adrian had dealt him at dinner, fixed on Lila.
"The True Blood's pet mouse has escaped her cage," Marcus spat. "I heard you've been putting on airs, Blackwood. My sources say you think you're above the Trials. And what's this? Slumming it with a low-rank Beta?" He snatched Elara's wrist.
Elara gasped, whimpering in pain and terror.
"Leave her alone, Marcus," Lila commanded, jumping up. Her fear was overridden by the protective instinct of her reader-self. She knew that in the book, Marcus's gang was one of the invisible, unseen enemies that Rose eventually took down.
"Oh, the Omega speaks!" Brock sneered, taking a step toward her. "Think you're untouchable now, Blackwood? Adrian claims many things; he doesn't protect them all. He'll forget about you when he finds a less cowardly toy."
Lila knew she was in physical danger. She needed a way out, and a True Blood's claim was the only shield she had left.
"Marcus," Lila said, her voice shaking but her eyes fixed on his. "You were humiliated by Adrian tonight because you challenged his authority. Do you truly wish to challenge his ownership? Because if I get a single scratch, Adrian will not simply ban you from the Trials. He will strip your pack's rights to this Academy."
Marcus paused, the threat hitting home. Adrian's power was absolute. But his rage was blinding.
"He won't know," Marcus sneered, pulling Elara forward. "We'll call it an accident, Blackwood. No one saw you here."
"I did," a new voice boomed, calm and authoritative, cutting through the tense air.
Lila spun around. Standing at the end of the aisle was Harry Westwell, the Male Lead, looking noble and radiating pure, concerned Alpha energy. He was flanked by Rose Williams, who looked wary but determined.
"The library is closed," Harry said, stepping forward. "Any disputes should be handled by the Academy Proctor. I suggest you release the Beta, Marcus."
Marcus was trapped. He couldn't defy Adrian, and he certainly couldn't defy Harry, the popular Alpha Heir, in front of witnesses. He shoved Elara away in disgust.
"This isn't over, Blackwood," Marcus seethed. He threw a venomous look at Harry and Rose, then led his gang out.
Lila rushed to Elara, who was crying silently, rubbing her wrist. "Are you hurt, Elara?"
"I—I'm fine, Lila," Elara whispered.
Lila looked up at Harry, who was now standing over her, his honey-colored eyes filled with genuine concern.
"Lila, are you okay?" Harry asked, his voice soft. "That was a reckless thing for you to do, leaving the Alpha Headquarters."
Rose stepped forward, her expression a mix of caution and curiosity. "And why were you in the Library so late, Lila? Why did Marcus say you were asking about Pack Artifacts?"
Lila was cornered. She was standing next to her proof of ancient elemental magic, facing the heroine who was supposed to save the day and the hero who was supposed to be her victim.
"I—I was..." Lila stammered, pulling her cloak tighter, trying to quickly construct a lie that fit the "Villainess" persona but explained the artifacts. "I was getting research for Adrian," she blurted out, the partial truth tasting like ash. "He is having me research his lineage, and I needed an Omega-specific text for the project." She thrust the book into Elara's arms, making the Beta her accomplice. "The Pack Artifacts are part of his family history."
Rose's eyes narrowed. "I see. You've become his research assistant." She glanced at Harry, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. "Be careful, Lila. Adrian Wolfhart is not a man to trust."
"Trust is for fools, Rose," Lila sneered, quickly reverting to the Lila mask to drive them away. "I trust only my own survival. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a True Blood who does not like to be kept waiting."
She grabbed Elara's arm, pulling the trembling Beta out of the library, leaving the hero and heroine standing in silence, watching the villainess walk back toward her killer.