—Alexia—
I never realized how loud the halls were until we walked them together. Boots on cracked tile, Jasper's coin flicking, Zeus's paws against the floor. Every sound was too big, bouncing around in my head, mixing with the tightness in my chest.
"Breathe," Finn murmured beside me, voice low.
"I am," I said, though my breath caught, shallow.
Asher stalked ahead, head down, but I felt his eyes on me whenever I slowed. Jasper hummed some off-key tune, the coin dancing across his knuckles. Soren was a steady presence behind me, shadow-quiet. Zeus kept pace, shoulder brushing my leg. When we reached the hall outside Shade's office, I stopped. They stopped too. Zeus leaned into me, solid and warm.
"You don't have to come in," I said, looking at them—Finn's quiet steadiness, Asher's restless tension, Jasper's crooked grin, Soren's calm.
"Yeah, we do," Jasper said, flipping the coin once before catching it. "Hate to break it to you, chaos queen, but you're stuck with us."
Asher crossed his arms. "She's not pulling anything with us here."
"You're not here to fight," I muttered.
"Doesn't mean I won't," Asher shot back, but quieter.
Finn stepped closer, slipping his hand into mine. I didn't pull away.
"You're not alone, Lex," he said softly.
Zeus whuffed, pressing closer. I buried my free hand in his fur, grounding myself. One breath. Then another.
"Okay," I whispered.
Soren knocked once before opening the door.
The office smelled like old paper and lavender, with a sharp edge of ozone under it. Everything was painfully neat—books lined in precise rows, papers stacked perfectly. Shade sat behind her desk, robes draped like shadows, pale braid over one shoulder, eyes too blue to be natural. They pinned me the moment I stepped in.
"Miss Carter," she said, voice cool as glass. "Thank you for coming."
"Did I have a choice?" I managed.
One eyebrow lifted. "There is always a choice."
Finn tensed beside me but stayed silent. I let go of his hand, stepping forward even if my knees wobbled.
"Then I'm here."
Her gaze flicked over the boys, then back to me. "Your... entourage may wait outside."
"No." It came out sharp, but I didn't take it back. "They stay."
A flicker crossed her face—annoyance, maybe amusement, maybe something else—but it was gone in a blink. "Very well."
She gestured to the chairs, but none of us sat. Shade folded her hands, letting the silence stretch.
"You've caused quite a stir, Miss Carter," she said at last, calm but edged.
"I didn't mean to." The truth, even if it felt small.
"Intent does not erase consequence."
The air pressed against me, heavy, the chaos inside me coiling tighter, waiting for an excuse to spill out. Zeus leaned into me again, and I let my hand rest on his head.
"What do you want from me?" I asked.
Shade tilted her head, studying me. "I want to know who you are, Miss Carter. What you are."
The memory of fire and stone and screaming twisted in my gut.
"I don't know," I whispered.
Her eyes flashed, but softer now, like something shifted in them. "Then we will find out."
Finn stepped forward, heat radiating off him. "You will not harm her."
Shade's gaze slid to him, sharp, but she didn't flinch. "I have no intention of harming your friend."
Finn's jaw tightened, but he nodded once.
Her eyes returned to me. "Your magic is unstable. You are unstable. But you are something this school has not seen in a very long time. We protect and teach here—if you let us."
The if echoed in my head.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"It means you will attend extra training. You will learn to control this before it controls you. Under my supervision."
I thought of Kaia telling me to bite her if she tried to throw me in detention. Of the fire, of Finn's hand in mine, of the way the boys stood around me now.
I met Shade's eyes.
"Okay," I said, steady.
Her gaze softened for a breath—so brief I almost missed it. "Good."
We turned to leave, but her voice stopped me.
"Miss Carter."
I paused.
Shade's eyes met mine, bright and unblinking. "There is no going back now."
The words settled in my bones, heavy but clear. As we stepped into the hall, Finn's hand brushed mine, Asher's scowl eased when I met his eyes, Jasper's grin flickered, Soren nodded once. Zeus leaned into me, a quiet promise. And for the first time, I realized I didn't want to go back. Not anymore.