Her glassy eyes—myeyes, the same shade, the same shape—fill with pride that makes my own vision blur with moisture I don't try to blink away.
"And meet Headmaster Graveshadow."
Graveshadow.
That's—
That's my name.
The name I've been carrying since I could remember.
The name that apparently belongs to?—
The man's smile couldn't be bigger.
His eyes twinkle with gold and pink that dance together the way mine do when magic flows through my hybrid existence. He's doing his best not to get emotional—I can see the effort in the tension around his eyes, in the particular way he's holding his jaw—but his pride is as overwhelming as his presence.
"It's good to finally meet you," he says, voice carrying weight that makes my chest ache with emotion I don't know how to name.
He pauses.
Lets the moment build.
"Gwenievere Isolde Graveshadow."
My full name.
Spoken by the man who gave it to me.
Spoken by my father.
Who is apparently alive.
Standing at my door.
With my mother beside him.
Both of them looking at me like I'm the answer to prayers they've been offering for longer than I've been alive.
"GREE!" Grim cheers, his small form bouncing with enthusiasm that suggests he knew about this, the little traitor.
Cassius squeezes my hand.
The pressure is gentle but insistent—encouragement that I desperately need, reminder that I'm not alone in this overwhelming moment, support that I can lean on while I process revelations that rewrite everything I thought I knew about my history.
I take a deep breath.
The air that fills my lungs carries steadiness that I force into existence through sheer will—composure claimed despite circumstances that should shatter any attempt at control.
I let it out slowly.
And give the biggest smile.
"It's an honor to be accepted as one of the Paranormal Elites of Wicked Academy," I declare, voice carrying pride that I don't try to moderate.
The formal words feel inadequate for the moment—ritual acknowledgment that can't capture the magnitude of what's actually happening.
So I add more.
