𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺.

Ten.

"I—-I was just out for a walk," Akira replied, forcing a casual tone despite the turbulence inside her. "It was hard to sleep after the party."

Nara raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "You were gone for a long time. We were worried you might have gotten lost or something."

Akira felt a flicker of guilt at their concern, but it quickly dissipated as memories of Lucian's warnings flooded her mind. She needed to keep her guard up. "I'm fine," she insisted, crossing her arms defensively. "I just wanted some fresh air. You know how overwhelming this place can be."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't wander off alone, especially not here," Amara replied, her tone shifting to one of reprimand. "This academy has its secrets, and not all of them are friendly."

Akira caught the glance they exchanged, a silent communication that felt unsettling. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "What do you know about the academy's secrets?"

Nara shrugged, feigning nonchalance, but Akira could see the tension in her shoulders. "Just that it can be dangerous. You have to be careful who you trust."

Akira's heart sank, the unspoken implications hanging in the air like a thick fog. "Right. Trust. That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out," she said, her voice laced with defiance.

Amara exchanged another look with Nara, and Akira felt the weight of their scrutiny. "You don't have to figure everything out on your own, Akira. We're here for you," Amara offered, but there was a hint of something more behind her words, a layer of insincerity that made Akira's skin crawl.

"Are you really?" Akira challenged, taking a step closer. "Because it feels like there's a lot you're not telling me. Like, why was my grandfather involved with this place? What do you two really know?"

Nara shifted uncomfortably. "It's complicated. Your grandfather was part of a different time, a different pact. We thought you were ready for the truth, but maybe you're not," she replied, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Akira's heart raced as she realized that they were holding back information, just like Lucian had warned. "Maybe I'm not ready because you've never given me a chance to know! You act like I'm some kind of outsider here, just because I'm human."

Amara took a step forward, concern replacing the earlier indifference in her eyes. "That's not true. We want to protect you. There are things about the academy—things about your family—that go beyond what you understand."

The anger inside Akira surged. "Then stop talking in circles! If you truly want to help me, just tell me what's going on!"

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken truths and unacknowledged fears. Akira's heart pounded, her mind racing as she waited for their response, desperate for clarity but fearful of what the answers might reveal. Would they confirm Lucian's warnings? Would they betray her trust just as she was starting to question it?

Finally, Nara spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "You really don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? This place, your grandfather—there's a reason he paid a price. And now, that price might fall to you."

Akira felt a chill crawl up her spine, the weight of her choices crashing down around her. In that moment, she knew she had to decide whom to trust, and time was running out.

"Well I guess my Grandfather was as sick as you people I'm getting out of here." She walked into her dorm collected the things she needed and stormed out.

"Well, I guess my grandfather was as sick as you people. I'm getting out of here," Akira declared, her voice shaking with a mix of anger and betrayal. The truth hit her like a physical blow, and she felt the walls of Silvermoon Academy closing in around her.

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and marched into her dorm room, heart pounding. Inside, she quickly gathered her things, shoving clothes and personal items into her backpack. Each movement was fueled by adrenaline, the need to escape this place that felt increasingly like a trap.

"Akira, wait!" Amara's voice broke through her frantic thoughts, but Akira ignored her, focusing instead on the urgency of her task.

"Please, just listen to us!" Nara pleaded, but Akira refused to turn back. She couldn't face their worried faces or the lies that seemed to linger in the air like a fog.

As she zipped up her bag, a part of her knew she was overreacting, but the other part felt empowered by her defiance. The truth was too heavy, too suffocating, and she needed space to breathe.

"Where do you think you're going?" Amara's voice was more insistent now, filled with a mix of frustration and desperation.

"Anywhere but here!" Akira shouted back, her emotions boiling over. "I thought I could trust you, but clearly, you're just as twisted as the rest of this place."

"Akira, don't!" Nara's voice rose, panic evident. "You don't know what you're getting into! If you leave, you could put yourself in real danger."

"Danger? You mean like the danger I'm already in by being around you?" Akira shot back, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. The door felt like a portal to freedom, and she needed to get to it.

"You're not thinking straight!" Amara insisted, stepping closer. "Please, let us explain—"

"Explain what?" Akira interrupted, her voice filled with bitterness. "That my grandfather was part of some dark secrets? That you two are hiding the truth about this academy? No thanks. I don't need your lies anymore."

She pushed past Amara, her resolve solidifying with each step. The hallways of Silvermoon Academy felt more ominous now, filled with whispers of secrets she wasn't meant to hear.

As she made her way to the exit, she glanced back at the shadows that danced along the walls, memories of her time at the academy flashing through her mind—moments of laughter, friendship, and fleeting trust. But they all felt tainted now, shadows of the truth lurking behind every corner.

Just as she reached the heavy doors, she hesitated, a part of her still clinging to the bond she had formed with Amara and Nara. But then Lucian's warning echoed in her mind, reminding her that trust was a fragile thing. She couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that she was still in danger, even from those who claimed to care for her.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the doors, the cool night air washing over her like a wave of relief. She stepped outside, her heart pounding in her chest, feeling both exhilarated and terrified.

As she walked away from the academy, the moonlight cast a silvery glow on her path, illuminating the uncertainty ahead. She had no idea where she would go next, but she knew she couldn't stay in a place where the truth felt so twisted and dark.

With every step, Akira felt the weight of her choices settling in. She would uncover the truth on her own terms, away from the shadows of Silvermoon Academy. But as she ventured into the unknown, the realization hit her: the truth could be a double-edged sword, and she was about to learn just how deep those cuts could go.

Little did she know, as she walked away, that the shadows of the academy were watching, their intentions as murky as the truths she sought to uncover.

But she had to leave, this place wasn't right. Akira didn't want to be here.