THE HEROS OF GODOLKIN | GEN V AND THE BOYS FIC |

6.

After a sleepless night and a head swirling with thoughts, Claire returned to her dorm, her exhaustion settling deep into her bones. She lay down on her bed, ignoring the vibrant social hum that filled the campus as students buzzed about the upcoming gala. It seemed like everyone was either preparing for the event or gossiping about it-everyone except her. She didn't care about the gala, not after everything that had happened. The weight of the past few days pressed down on her, and she slept through the entire afternoon, her body refusing to let her deal with any more stress.

When she woke the next morning, the sun had barely risen, and a dull ache settled behind her eyes. Claire stared up at the ceiling for a long time, wishing for the peace she knew would never come. Her phone vibrated on the nightstand, breaking the silence in the room. Groggily, she reached for it, squinting at the bright screen.

As she scrolled through her notifications, she saw a new ranking update had been posted. The rankings at Godolkin University were everything to most students, a ruthless competition to determine who would make it into The Seven, and who would fade into obscurity. But Claire had stopped caring about that a long time ago. She was ranked near the top, anyway, and she doubted that had changed. Even if it did, what difference would it make? After what she'd been through, the rankings felt like a joke-an artificial measure of worth in a school full of artificial people.

Just as she was about to put her phone down, a text from Cate popped up. That caught her attention.

Her heart skipped a beat as she opened it. The message was brief but urgent. "Andre sent Emma to investigate the woods. Sam escaped."

Claire's stomach lurched as she read the message. "Fuck." She muttered under her breath, feeling the weight of the words hit her all at once. Sam. The one person who had haunted their lives since the Woods had become more than just a whispered rumor.

"I'm done with the Woods," she texted back to Cate, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed. "I'm telling Indira I want nothing to do with it anymore."

She threw on some clothes, the urgency of the situation pushing her exhaustion aside. Her hands shook slightly as she pulled on her jacket, thoughts racing. If Sam had really escaped, there was no telling what would happen. Claire wasn't willing to stick around and find out. She grabbed her keys and phone, slipping out of the dorm, and headed straight for Indira Shetty's office.

The halls of Godolkin were quiet this early in the morning, the silence almost eerie. Claire's footsteps echoed as she walked, her pace quick but measured. She had thought about confronting Indira about the Woods for a long time, but now that Sam was involved, it felt like everything was spiraling out of control. She had to put a stop to it, had to remove herself from the situation before it consumed her.

By the time she reached Indira's office, Claire felt the familiar tightness in her chest, her breath coming in shallow bursts. She paused outside the door, gathering herself before stepping inside. The room was empty, just as she'd expected. Indira was probably teaching a class, but that didn't matter. Claire would wait. She wasn't going anywhere until she had spoken to her.

Sinking into one of the leather chairs, Claire tried to calm her nerves. She stared out of the window, watching the clouds drift by as her thoughts swirled. The Woods. Sam. The secrets they all kept. It felt like an invisible thread had tied her to it all, no matter how much she tried to pull away.

After what felt like hours, the door creaked open, and Indira stepped inside, her calm and collected presence immediately filling the room. She was dressed immaculately as usual, her posture poised as she carried herself with the grace of someone who always had control of the situation.