The rest of the day felt like walking on broken glass. Every time Alex saw Lyra, he expected her to point at him and shout the truth to the entire academy. But she didn't. She just watched him, her expression unreadable.
That evening, he skipped the library. He needed to think, alone. He went to a quiet corner of the main gardens, where a large, ancient tree stood, its branches twisting towards the sky. He could feel the faint hum of a Law of Growth surrounding it, keeping it perfectly healthy and controlled. Even nature wasn't free here.
"You're avoiding us."
He turned. Lyra was standing there, her arms crossed. She looked more serious than angry.
"I'm not," Alex said, but it sounded weak.
"You are." She walked closer and sat on a stone bench near the tree. "You're scared. After what happened in class today, you're scared of me."
Alex stayed silent. He didn't know what to say. Denying it would sound like a lie. Admitting it was too dangerous.
"I'm not going to turn you in, Kaelen," she said, her voice dropping. "Or whatever your real name is."
His head snapped up. "What?"
"Please," she said, almost rolling her eyes. "You think I'm blind? The white hair from a 'minor northern family' no one has heard of? The way you understand Laws on a level that makes Proctors nervous? The way you flinch every time someone almost discovers something about you?" She leaned forward. "You're not just a noble from the mountains. You're hiding something big."
Panic surged through him. This was it. His mission was over before it truly began. He looked around, checking for eavesdroppers.
"Relax," Lyra said. "No one's here. The Law of Silence in this garden is one of the strongest on campus. The Proctors love their private conversations." She gave a small, bitter smile. "I come here to think. To get away from all the... watching."
"Why aren't you turning me in?" Alex asked, his voice tight.
"Because I hate this," she said, gesturing to the perfectly manicured garden, the imposing buildings beyond. "I hate how they control everything. How they decide what we learn, what we think, even what questions we're allowed to ask." She looked him straight in the eye. "You're a question they can't answer, Kaelen. And I find that... interesting."
Alex studied her face. She seemed sincere. Her cleverness, which had been a threat, now felt like a potential lifeline.
"You have to be more careful," she warned. "Proctor Valerius isn't just testing you. He's hunting you. That 'flicker' today? He saw it too. He knows there's something different about you. He just needs proof."
"I know," Alex admitted, the weight of his secret feeling heavier than ever. "I don't know how much longer I can keep pretending."
"You have to," Lyra said firmly. "You have to be perfect. Better than perfect. You have to be so good at being Kaelen that they forget to look for anything else." She stood up. "I'll cover for you. I'll run interference with Finn and Maya. They're smart, but they believe in the system. They wouldn't understand."
"Why are you doing this?" Alex asked, stunned.
"Let's just say I have my own reasons for wanting to see the great and powerful Proctor Valerius fail," she said, a hard edge in her voice. "And you... you're the biggest problem he's ever had."
She turned to leave, then paused. "And for what it's worth... your secret is safe with me."
She walked away, disappearing into the twilight. Alex stood alone under the ancient tree, his mind reeling. He had an ally inside the lion's den. A clever, unpredictable ally who knew he was lying.
It should have made him feel better. But as he looked up at the Spire of Eternal Edict, glowing in the distance, he felt more afraid than ever. Now, he wasn't just responsible for his own safety. He was responsible for Lyra's too. And he had no idea if he could protect either of them.