Seraphina stared at the folder in her hands, the edges trembling between her fingers. Inside were photos medical charts, signed forms, and surveillance stills. Lila strapped to a hospital bed. Mara half-conscious. A file labeled: "Subject V: Seraphina Vale."
Her knees buckled.
"I'm a… subject?" Her voice cracked. "What the hell is this?"
Levi caught her before she hit the ground, gripping her shoulders. "They've been watching you since day one. You were never just the princess of Crestwood. You were the control variable in something way bigger."
Mara knelt beside her. "You always had the clean record. Perfect GPA. Head girl. Everyone adored you. They pampered you so you'd never question anything."
Seraphina blinked, cold realization creeping in.
The parties. The favors. The faculty's strange affection. None of it was real.
"You knew," she whispered, eyes flashing to Levi. "You knew and didn't tell me."
"I tried," he said, voice taut with guilt. "But the closer I got to the truth, the more they came for me too. I couldn't protect you and expose them at the same time."
"You were supposed to be on my side."
"I am," he said, stepping forward. "But you need to decide what comes next. Do you want vengeance, or do you want out?"
A crack of thunder split the sky. Rain began to fall, sharp and sudden.
Seraphina stood, eyes burning with something colder than rage.
"I want the truth. And I want every single one of them to pay."
The garden lights blew out in a pop of sparks.
From the shadows, a new voice rose. Male. Confident.
"You're not ready for the truth, Vale. But I am."
They turned and there he was.
Jaxon Vale.Her brother.Dead for three years.