The academy buzzed with restless energy. Students gathered in the courtyard, voices carrying in nervous whispers. A rare assembly had been called, though no one knew why.
Elena stood near the back, her heart uneasy. She had barely slept since opening the letter. Every time she thought of Adrian's words—you've already bound me—her pulse raced with both fear and something she didn't want to name.
Then she spotted Damian.
He stood at the front, shoulders squared, the once-golden senior now pale, gaunt, but burning with a fire that drew every eye.
When he stepped onto the podium, the murmurs grew louder.
"Thank you for coming," Damian began, his voice steady but strained. "I called you all here because there are truths that can no longer remain hidden."
Elena's stomach twisted. She knew exactly what was coming.
Damian held up a folded parchment, the same one she had read in the dim glow of dawn. The letter.
"This," he declared, his eyes sweeping across the crowd, "is proof that Adrian is not who he pretends to be. He is tied to powers none of you can imagine. Powers that want to use us—use her—as pawns in their game."
Gasps rippled through the students. Heads turned toward Adrian, who stood a few paces away, arms crossed casually, his face unreadable.
Damian's voice grew louder. "You've all admired him, feared him, even worshipped him. But he isn't your savior. He is the devil's son—sent here with orders to bind Elena's soul to darkness."
The courtyard erupted in shocked whispers.
Elena's breath caught, the words slicing through her. To hear them spoken aloud, so raw and undeniable—it felt like standing naked in the storm.
"Damian—stop," she pleaded, stepping forward.
But Adrian moved before she could.
He walked up the podium steps with the grace of a predator, his eyes never leaving Damian's. The crowd silenced instantly, tension thickening like smoke.
Adrian reached out and plucked the letter from Damian's hand with casual ease.
"Is this the great revelation?" Adrian asked, his tone mocking. He unfolded the parchment, holding it up for everyone to see. "A letter with no signature, no seal recognized by this academy, no proof beyond ink and paranoia?"
Damian's face twisted. "You know exactly who it's from!"
"Do I?" Adrian's smile was cold. "Or is this another one of your delusions? You've been unraveling for weeks, Damian. Everyone sees it. The perfect senior, slipping into obsession, chasing shadows."
The murmurs in the crowd shifted. Elena's chest ached as she saw doubt flicker in their eyes—not toward Adrian, but toward Damian.
"Lies!" Damian shouted, his voice breaking. "He's twisting everything! He's already sunk his claws into Elena—you're all blind if you can't see it!"
His desperation was too raw, too loud. The more he spoke, the more unhinged he seemed.
Adrian, in contrast, remained composed, calm, every word calculated.
"You speak of claws, Damian," Adrian said softly, his voice carrying through the courtyard, "but look at yourself. What are you, if not a boy clawing at something slipping beyond your grasp? Elena chose to walk beside me. You cannot forgive her for that. So now you dress your jealousy as justice."
The crowd stirred, uneasy but swayed.
Elena wanted to scream—to silence them both—but her voice caught in her throat. She could only watch as the two forces clashed, one with fire, the other with ice.
Damian's eyes darted toward her, wild and pleading. "Elena—tell them! Tell them what you saw!"
Every gaze turned to her. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
Because what could she say? That the letter was real, but Adrian's touch felt truer than any warning? That she was terrified of him, yet drawn closer every day?
Her silence was answer enough.
Damian's shoulders slumped, disbelief crashing over him.
Adrian stepped closer, lowering his voice so only Damian could hear, though Elena caught the edge of it.
"You've already lost, Damian. And the more you struggle, the more pathetic you look."
Something in Damian broke. He shoved Adrian hard, rage twisting his face.
Adrian barely moved, catching his wrist with effortless strength. His eyes glowed faintly—too faint for the crowd to notice, but Elena saw.
A reminder of what he was.
Damian staggered back, breathing heavily, the crowd buzzing with nervous energy. What had begun as his attempt to unmask Adrian had only unmasked himself.
Adrian turned to the students, tossing the letter into the air. The parchment caught the wind, scattering like ash.
"Don't waste your time on the ramblings of a desperate man," Adrian said smoothly. "Class is dismissed."
And just like that, the assembly dissolved, students whispering as they dispersed.
Damian stood frozen, shaking, abandoned by the very people he thought he'd awaken. His eyes found Elena's one last time—betrayed, heartbroken, vengeful—before he stormed away.
Elena clutched her chest, the weight of her silence pressing like a stone.
And Adrian?
He slipped an arm around her shoulders as if claiming his prize, his smirk dangerous and victorious.
"See?" he murmured, low enough only she could hear. "Even truth is useless when no one dares to believe it."
Elena shivered. Not because he was wrong.
But because he was right.