The academy courtyard buzzed with morning chatter, sunlight spilling across the marble tiles. Students clustered in groups, their laughter ringing out in bursts. But beneath the cheerful noise, Elena felt the shift in the air. Whispers. Eyes flicking toward her, then quickly away.
Her grip tightened on her books. They were talking. About her.
"…did you hear? Lila said—"
"No way, she looks too calm…"
"But what if it's true? That would explain—"
The murmurs slid like knives beneath her skin.
And then, as if the rumors had conjured her, Lila appeared at the top of the steps, the sun gilding her hair like a halo. She descended slowly, her every movement deliberate, graceful. Students turned to greet her, smiles blooming wherever she passed, as if she were the morning itself.
Elena's stomach twisted. She had worn that mask once—kindness, beauty, innocence. But only she knew the venom hidden underneath.
"Good morning," Lila sang, her eyes sweeping the crowd before locking onto Elena. That smile returned—too sweet, too sharp. "Oh, Elena. You're here. I was just telling everyone how strong you are. After all…" She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping just enough that those nearest could still hear, "…it's not easy carrying the weight of the past, is it?"
The courtyard went still. A hush rippled across the students. Curious eyes turned.
Elena's chest tightened. That snake. She hadn't said enough to expose her outright—but enough to set fire to the whispers already smoldering.
Elena forced her lips into a calm curve, though her nails bit crescents into her palm. "It's funny you speak of strength," she replied smoothly. "You've always been… very skilled at pretending."
Gasps sparked from the crowd. The game had begun.
Lila tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Pretending? My dear Elena, why would I need to pretend when everyone already trusts me?" Her gaze gleamed. "Unlike some, I don't have secrets to hide."
The words landed like a blade, and Elena felt the weight of every pair of eyes digging into her.
Before she could reply, a voice cut through the tension.
"Enough."
Adrian. He stood off to the side, arms crossed, his gaze unreadable. Students fell silent instantly, stepping back as if space itself bent around him.
But his eyes weren't on Lila. They were on Elena. Watching. Measuring.
The pressure in Elena's chest built like a storm. She refused to be cornered—not by Lila's venom, and not under Adrian's scrutiny.
She stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and Lila until only a breath separated them. "Be careful," Elena whispered, her voice so low only Lila could hear. "Snakes who bare their fangs too early end up with their heads cut off."
Lila's smile didn't falter. But Elena saw it—the faint flicker in her eyes. The smallest crack in her mask.
And then Lila leaned in, lips brushing Elena's ear as she whispered back, "But what if I already know how you'll die this time?"
Elena's blood froze.
The bell rang, shattering the moment. Students scrambled toward the lecture halls, the tension dissolving into the morning air. But Elena stood rooted, her heart hammering.
Across the courtyard, Adrian hadn't moved. His eyes lingered on her a moment longer before he finally turned away.
Elena swallowed hard, the echo of Lila's words gnawing at her.
This time?
No.
No one could know.
And yet—Lila's voice still rang in her ears, venomous and certain.
As Elena forced herself toward class, one vow hardened in her chest like steel.
If Lila wanted war, she would get it.
But only one of them would survive the battlefield.