𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒚𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎 | Riven

𝟎𝟔

═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗 ━═

Fallin, Musa, Terra, and Stella stood outside the door, giving each other worried looks as they waited for Bloom to come out of the hidden room. Terra shifted nervously, breaking the silence. "Bloom's been in there a long time. What could they be talking about?"

Stella crossed her arms, arching a brow. "I once heard you talk about dirt for two hours. Dirt. Two hours."

Terra shot her an offended look. "It was soil," she corrected quietly, then sighed, glancing toward Dowling's office. "We just left Beatrix lying there in Miss Dowling's office. I just wanna make sure she's not awake, fashioning three shivs or something." Musa snorted. "Don't be ridiculous." She mimed stabbing the air. "It'll be one shiv, three times. Stab, stab, stab." Her dramatic re-enactment made Fallin chuckle. "Actually," Fallin added, crossing her arms thoughtfully, "Terra has a point. We should check on her, make sure she's alright. We don't want to hurt her." Stella rolled her eyes. "Well, not badly." Fallin raised a brow at her. "Glad you drew that line."

Stella huffed in resignation. "Fine, but you're all overreacting," she muttered, following as they turned back toward the office.

A moment later, they were standing in front of the spot where Beatrix had been left, only to find it completely empty. Terra let out a resigned sigh. "Ah, look at that. She's gone." Her tone was dry as she added, "I'd like my apology via scented, handwritten note after we find her." Fallin, scanning the room, muttered, "Forget that, where did she go? She was supposed to be paralyzed!" Musa's face grew serious as the faint sound of approaching footsteps reached them. "It gets worse," she said, and before any of them could react, the door swung open. Miss Dowling entered, her face grim, with Professor Harvey and Aisha trailing behind her.

The girls all turned, their faces falling as they looked at Aisha in disappointment, realizing that she'd gone to the Headmistress. Dowling's gaze swept over them, her voice severe. "You have no idea of the trouble you've caused."

Terra tried to explain, "We were just trying to find the—" Professor Harvey cut her off sharply. "Not another word! Come with me." They all began walking after him in tense silence. Stella, barely concealing her frustration, shot a look at Aisha. "Hope the brownie points you get from this will keep you company when you have no friends." As she passed, Fallin gave Aisha a disappointed look. "You could've just trusted us," she said quietly, her tone a mix of hurt and frustration.

◇

Professor Harvey paced back and forth through the suite, looking at each of the girls seated on the couches with a stern expression. "Insubordination, breaking and entering, endangering the lives of your classmates, and releasing Rosalind? Do you have any idea what you've done?" His voice was sharp, each word laced with disappointment. "I'd say I was disappointed in you, but this goes way beyond that."

The professor's gaze swept over all of them, lingering for a moment on Terra before he turned, ready to leave. But before he could make it to the door, Terra abruptly stood up, her voice filled with accusation. "You lied again."

Her father stopped, turning around with a confused look. "Excuse me?" Fallin and the others exchanged glances, but Terra didn't hesitate. "About Rosalind. About Aster Dell. About everything. And you're angry with me? You can't punish me for not knowing something that you didn't tell me. It doesn't make any logical sense." Professor Harvey's face tightened, clearly taken aback, but he only hesitated briefly before responding, "Well, I suggest you all cool down." He turned to leave once more, pausing as he looked directly at Fallin. "Your father wants to speak to you as soon as everything is alright at the barrier."