I squinted through the haze and saw a shadow—blurry at first, then clearer. It was Shawn.
"Did we sleep through the alarm? Did I miss class?" I asked.
He raised a finger to his lips. "Quiet," he whispered. "Someone's screaming."
I listened, but all I could hear was the ringing in my ears. "Maybe you're hearing things. You're still drunk."
But then I heard it too—a gasp, sharp and panicked, like someone running, barely holding on. The scream that followed was raw. Full of agony.
We crept out, following the fading echoes of footsteps that led us to the backyard. Hiding behind a wall, we saw her—Maddie. She was running. Then she stopped, facing the fountain.
She pulled out her sword and began to turn, slow and deliberate, until she finally looked up.
We couldn't see who she was facing. A pillar blocked our view.
We ran toward her—but froze at the sound. A scream. Something hit the ground.
"Maddie!"
When we reached the spot, she was gone. Just her sword remained, blood gleaming on the blade.
"Don't touch it," Shawn whispered.
"We have to show it to Ma'am," I said. But he was right—we couldn't leave prints.
Shawn filmed the scene instead, and we turned to go. The air around us felt wrong. As if we weren't the only ones watching.
On our way, we noticed Robin's door was wide open. Her room was empty. That alone was enough to set off alarm bells. We looked at each other—no words, just the same thought: *Robin had something to do with Maddie.*
Before we could say it out loud, someone cleared their throat behind us. The sound sliced through the silence, and we spun around.
Mei was standing there, arms folded, eyes locked on us.
"Didn't mean to scare you," she said. "But you two seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
It sounded like a warning.
We told her everything about Maddie. It felt risky, but Mei's reaction wasn't fake—she looked genuinely shaken.
"I saw Robin threatening her earlier today," Mei confessed. "Didn't say anything because Maddie usually tells me stuff herself. But this time she didn't. Robin had a sword to her throat. I pretended I didn't see it. I thought it would blow over... but now? I'm sure Robin's behind it."
That sealed it. We weren't just guessing anymore.
---
Later in the office.
"Are you sure about that?" Mrs. Leonardo asked from behind her desk. Her voice was calm, but her eyes cut through us.
We nodded. We looked like hell, and she knew it. Maybe she thought we were imagining things. Maybe she thought we were just drunk.
"Don't believe us?" Shawn said, holding up his phone. "See this."
He showed her the photo.
She didn't say a word. She called the guards, handed the phone to Ryan, then turned back to us with a stare that could crush bone.
"Go back to your rooms. Now."
No arguing. No time.
We left. And thank God for the alcohol—sleep took us the second we hit the bed, before fear could settle in.
When I woke up, my head was pounding. A sharp whistling cut through my skull like a blade. I didn't even know how I ended up in the medical room.
The doctor held a small flask under my nose. The moment I inhaled, the noise, the pain, the spinning—gone. As if none of it had ever happened.
He stepped out at my aunt's request, leaving us alone. She took my hands, sat beside me, and hesitated. I could see it in her eyes—whatever she was about to say, I wasn't going to like it. She gathered herself and finally spoke.
"Your doubts about Dorian... they're wrong." Her voice trembled as she looked straight at me.
I pulled my hands back. "How can you be so sure?" I didn't want to believe her. I wasn't ready to.
She leaned closer. "Do you know Odon's full name?"
"No. But why—what does that have to do with—"
"Odon's full name is Odon William Rodriguez." Her voice rose, cutting me off.
It hit me like ice water. I knew that name. "Dorian, he... He's the son of Odon and Monroe," she said.
I couldn't speak. Couldn't move.
"There are pages missing from the Phoenix Origin Sigil," she went on. "And they link to the prophecy about you."
But I wasn't listening anymore. My heartbeat roared in my ears. I stood up and walked out, her voice calling after me, growing faint behind the pounding in my chest.
Then—hands grabbed my shoulders. I jolted.
"Zinnia!"
It was Cris. Her grip tightened as she shook me back to reality.
I hugged her as tightly as I could, whispering to myself, *I won't break.* I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, holding onto the moment.
"Are you okay?" she asked gently.
I pulled back, blinking fast, forcing a smile. "I just missed you."
"You have no idea how much I missed you!" Cris hugged me again, and we started walking toward class.
"How's Liam?" I asked.
"He was fine last night... haven't seen him since," she said, cheeks flushing.
I cleared my throat, smirking.
But to turn this around she cooed, "Speaking of... I heard two of my best friends got drunk and ended up sleeping in the same room. Should I be worried?"
She spun it around faster than I expected. "You mean *me* and Shawn?" I froze mid-step. "Are you nuts?"
Her grin faded as I told her everything that happened last night.
"Poor Maddie," she said softly. "We'll talk after class. But I think it's time you actually used those skills of yours." She took my arm, and we stepped into the skill class.
We spent the next hour together. Shawn showed up too—he didn't say much, just gave me that quiet look that said, *I'm here when you need me.*
Then Miss Jasmine appeared, pacing in front of me with her hands behind her back. "So... what about the fairy tale? The girl who froze an entire army?"
I looked at the bowl, hovering my hands over it, hoping to feel that cold surge again—but nothing happened.
"That's not a fairy tale," Cris snapped. Her voice was already sharp with frustration.
"I won't believe what I haven't seen," she said, folding her arms as she dropped into her chair. "She can't even freeze a bowl of water." Her voice dripped with doubt, and something in me snapped.
"It's no use," I muttered, hurling the bowl to the floor. Water scattered across the tiles as I stormed out of the class.
"Hey!" Cris and Shawn rushed after me.
"I'm sorry," Cris said, catching up, her voice laced with regret. "I thought it might distract you."
I kept walking, silent.
"Okay, wait—I have another idea," she blurted.
"Please," I stopped and turned to her, "don't."
"This one's not bad, I swear—"
"You don't need to do this," I said, arms folded, lips trembling. "What's done is done. We can't pretend otherwise." I turned away again.
"What are you even talking about?" Cris asked, confused.
"You don't know." The words slipped out before I could stop them. I hesitated. "Just... leave it."
"Zinnia, what are you hiding from us?" Shawn stepped closer. Now they were both in front of me, waiting.
I couldn't keep it in any longer. I looked them both in the eyes and finally said it. "He's the son of Monroe and Odon."
The weight of it hit them instantly. I saw it in their faces—the confusion, the disbelief, the heartbreak.
"I'm trying so hard," I whispered. "Telling myself not to fall apart, but the more I try, the harder it gets." My voice cracked. "Cris? Shawn?" My knees buckled. "Tell me what to do."
I collapsed. The words kept pouring out. "I'm sorry, Cris. I kept things from you. I wanted to tell you, but you already had so much going on and I—"
Before I could finish, she dropped to her knees beside me and pulled me into a hug.
"Shh, Zinnia…" Cris gently rubbed my back. "I was angry at first, but then I realized... what we're going through—it's been hard for all of us. But especially for you."
"I feel like a fool," I choked out. "I let the enemy in." The weight of regret crushed me, and I broke down, sobbing like a child. By the time I realized how long I'd been crying, I wiped my face and whispered a shaky thank you.
But Cris said something I didn't expect.
"Zinnia… remember the day I wanted to give up? You were the one who pulled me through it. You helped me stay sane. Now it's my turn to do that for you. My shoulder will always be here when you need it. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
She wiped the last of my tears. Her words didn't just comfort me—they reached someplace deeper. For the first time in days, I smiled.
"I love you," I whispered and hugged her tighter.
"I love you too," she replied softly.
Shawn, who had been standing nearby, grinned and stepped forward. "Aww, I love you guys too." He wrapped us both in a warm cuddle, and just like that, the tension cracked. We burst into laughter.
Then Cris pulled back, her eyes bright. "So… are you ready to hear my idea now?"
I couldn't believe she was still holding onto that. I rolled my eyes and smiled. She lit up as she told me about the party students were planning for the evening, to welcome me.
"Okay," I said, "but there's something I have to do first."
I needed to call Mom. Ever since I found out about my biological parents, I'd drifted away from her—and it was time.
I dialed.
*Click*
"Mom?" The moment she heard my voice, she broke into tears.
"Oh Zinnia, where have you been?" Her voice cracked between sobs—she could barely get the words out.
"I owe you an apology..." I began, but she cut in quickly.
"For shutting me out?" she said, her voice wounded but soft.
I wanted to explain where I'd been, to tell her everything—but then I looked at how much she was hurting just hearing my voice. If she ever found out what I'd truly been through, it would shatter her. So I smiled through my tears and gave a little laugh. "That too… but more than that. For judging you."
She hesitated, confused. "Judging me? For what?"
"For keeping things from me. For not telling me about my past… about my real parents." My voice trembled. "I used to be so angry at you, but now I see it—you did what you had to. You protected me. You loved me when you didn't have to. You sacrificed so much to keep me safe."
No matter how often I wiped them away, the tears kept coming.
"So yes, I am sorry, Mom. For judging you. For shutting you out. For not being the daughter you deserved."
But the hardest part wasn't saying sorry—it was realizing she never asked for it. She never needed me to explain. I had been so blind to the way she loved me.
In that moment, I missed Brian more than ever. I wanted to hear his voice, to tell him everything that happened since last year.
"How's Brian?" I asked quietly.