Elora walked until she reached the small clearing she and Arria had claimed as their own over the years. Through the canopy, the moonlight cast a soft, ethereal glow on the grass and wildflowers they’d planted. The wind carried a phantom scent of lavender and rosemary, caressing her skin and cheeks. The oils Arria used to wear.
She sank into the turf, pulling her knees close to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself tightly. The ground was damp beneath her, the cold seeping through her clothes, but she didn’t care.
She had been so scared and unsure about what awaited her at the Institute when she first arrived. They were assigned as roommates, and while Elora was reserved and wary, Arria’s warmth was impossible to resist. It wasn’t long before they were sharing everything, laughing about the ridiculous demands of their instructors, or dreaming about the lives they might have after leaving.
They’d spent countless hours right here in this clearing, playing games, concocting harmless potions, or simply lying back and watching the stars. This had beentheirplace, a refuge from the intensity of their training. A place for them to be themselves.
The callous indifference of the masters twisted something deep inside her.How could they be so cruel? How could those who weremeant to guide and protect care so little for the life of someone as bright and full of promise as Arria?
Elora rubbed her eyes, but they were dry, the tears blocked by a wall of shock. Grief and anger constricted her heart and mind like thorny vines. Impossible to touch without getting pricked. So, the numbness remained. Her mind drifted in and out of a haze, barely noticing the soft crunch of footsteps approaching behind her.
“Elora?” A quiet, fragile voice shattered the silence that hung in the clearing. Elora turned her head slightly, just enough to see Rian standing at the edge of the tree line. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her hands fidgeted anxiously. She looked lost.
Elora managed a nod, acknowledging her presence, but didn’t speak. The words felt stuck in her throat. She wasn’t even sure what she would say. She couldn’t even hear her thoughts. In the recesses of her mind, she could make out vague questions, likehow did Rian know I was here?But allowing them to the forefront felt meaningless. It didn’t matter. The numbness inside her had taken root, and she let herself sink deeper into it.
Rian took a small step closer and inspected the dark shadows of the trees before slowly sitting down in the grass near Elora. She could feel the weight of Rian’s need for comfort, for connection, but Elora couldn’t bring herself to offer it.
Minutes passed, or possibly longer; it was hard to tell. She was vaguely aware of more footsteps crunching over fallen leaves and faint voices whispering in the woods. Rowan appeared next, his face just as pale as Rian’s. He hesitated at the brink of the clearing for a second before lowering himself onto the grass beside Rian.
Alfie followed, his eyes darting around nervously. He sat down on the other side, away from everyone else. Lily came soonafter, her expression distant, her fingers absently tugging at the hem of her sleeve. She chose a spot further back and leaned against a tree.
The clearing gradually filled with students, some grouping together in twos and threes, others sitting alone. Every new person made the air thicker with unspoken grief. There was a collective sorrow pressing down on all of them like a suffocating fog. Elora sensed their presence around her, but her eyes and mind remained unfocused. Distant.
Then Symond arrived. His footsteps were heavier, crushing twigs and leaves almost purposefully. He stopped at the tree line’s edge, his eyes sweeping over the gathered students. His face was missing its usual mask of cold detachment. Inside, his anger was clear; his jaw clenched, fists balled tight at his sides.
He stood there for a moment, as if deciding whether to join them or turn back. Finally, with a sharp exhale so everyone could hear his frustration, he stepped forward and sat down onto the grass, away from the rest.
Elora felt the simmering heat at the edge of her awareness, yet she refrained from looking at him directly. The others glanced between themselves, waiting, expecting something. It wasn’t common for Symond to hold his tongue, especially when he radiated animosity like he was now. But he stayed silent. Just like Elora. Just like everyone else. No one could seem to bridge the distance that stretched endlessly between them. Not yet anyway.
Chapter 5
Elora
Rowan broke the silence, his eyes darting around the group. “It… it doesn’t seem right. The way the masters acted… like Arria’s death was nothing.”
His tone was low, barely more than a whisper. It was as if he were afraid Thorn might hear him, even out here in the middle of the woods.
Alfie shifted uncomfortably. “Maybe… maybe they just wanted us to learn something,” he said, though he didn’t sound convinced. “Maybe they think we need to be stronger, to not show weakness… I don’t know.”
Ridiculous. Grieving what happened doesn’t make us weak.She wanted to believe the Empire wouldn’t hold their sorrow over their heads like it was something shameful, but then again,they expect us to act like them.Cold. Heartless. Detached.
“Strong? Or just obedient?” Lily asked with a sharper tongue than usual. “Because I’m starting to think they only care about control, not us.”
A hum of agreement passed over the group, but Rian’s voice cut through. “But some of them have been kind.” She was almost pleading,willing everyone to see her point of view. “Professor Acton helped me so much last year… It’s possible they were conditioned to act a certain way.”
Elora felt their words seeping into her consciousness, tugging at her from the depths of her mind. She wanted to stay lost in her thoughts, to shut everything out, but their company was persistent. Each word was like small pebbles dropped into the still, cloudy water of her shock.
Across the clearing, she could see Symond’s eyes flash in the darkness. His mouth was a thin, hard line. The heat radiating from him was like a flame, threatening to ignite everything around it. But for now, he held his tongue. Elora found herself staring, wanting to ask him what he was thinking. But she couldn’t; the words were locked in her throat.
“Kindness means nothing if they let one of us die,” another voice argued. It was Marcus. “Arria deserved better than that.”
Symond finally spoke, his typical bitterness bleeding into every word. “You’re all just now realizing we’re nothing to them? That we’re just tools?” He let out a harsh laugh. “They never cared about us. We’re here to serve their purpose, and if we can’t… we’re worthless.” He looked around, almost tempting anyone to react. “This is what it took for you to see that?”
Rian shifted closer to Elora. “What do you think?” she asked softly, trying to pull Elora into the conversation. But she didn’t respond.
Lily shook her head, eyes narrowing. “No, Symond. We know our purpose is to serve the Empire,” she muttered. “We just… I… just thought we mattered a bit more to them as people rather than as sometool.”
Symond snorted. “Then you’re dumber than I thought.” His fists dug into the grass, ripping chunks from the ground. “Believing the lie is easier, I get it. Helps you sleep at night.”
