The morning bell rang, a shrill sound that vibrated through the stone halls of the Academy, but for Dafne, it was distant. She was trapped in the three-foot radius of Raphael Vane.
He didn't lead her to History. Instead, he turned down a corridor lined with heavy oak doors—the music wing. He opened the door to Practice Room 4, a soundproofed box of mahogany and acoustic foam, and stepped inside.
"Come in. Close the door behind you."
Dafne moved like a ghost. The click of the latch felt like a bolt sliding home. Raphael sat on the piano bench, his black blazer stark against the ivory keys. He didn't look angry; he looked focused, like a man cleaning a delicate piece of machinery that had been handled by someone clumsy.
"Maya spent the night testing you, didn't she?" Raphael asked, his voice low and smooth.
Dafne's jaw tightened. "Yes."
"She treated you like a toy. A science experiment." Raphael stood up, walking toward her until he was close enough that she could see the dark gold flecks in his eyes. "Tell me everything she made you do."
The Echo stripped away her privacy. "She made me stand... she made me crawl on the floor. She made me hold my breath until I felt dizzy."
Raphael's expression darkened. A flicker of genuine, possessive rage crossed his face—not because Dafne had suffered, but because Maya had dared to use his frequency for something so trivial.
"She has no imagination," Raphael whispered. He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Dafne's ear. His touch was light, but his voice was iron. "Listen to me, Dafne. Maya is a child. She thinks she's helping you, but she's just another person pulling at you. From now on, my commands take priority. If she tells you to stay, and I tell you to come... you come to me. Always."
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her cheek.
"And most importantly... you will never tell her what happens when we are alone. To her, you are just a girl who is 'getting better.' Do you understand?"
"Yes," Dafne whispered.
"Good." Raphael sat back down, playing a single, haunting note on the piano. "Now, sit at my feet. Stay there until I tell you to move. I want to see if you can be still for me."
Dafne sank to the floor, her back against the cool wood of the piano. She sat in the silence, a captive audience to his music, while her mind screamed at the realization that Raphael wasn't just using the Echo—he was building a fortress around it.
The Warning at the GatesWhile Dafne was locked in the music room, Maya was standing on the sidewalk outside the Sterling house. She hadn't gone to class. She couldn't. The sight of Dafne recoiling from her in the courtyard had left a hole in her chest.
She saw Sarah Sterling walking toward her car, her designer handbag clutched tightly.
"Mrs. Sterling!" Maya called out, running toward the driveway.
Sarah stopped, her face tight with the usual "new beginning" mask. "Maya? Shouldn't you be at school?"
"I need to talk to you about Dafne," Maya said, her voice shaking. "I know about the... the compliance. I know she can't say no."
Sarah's face went white. She looked around the quiet street, her eyes darting to the neighbors' windows. "I don't know what you're talking about. Dafne is just shy—"
"Stop it!" Maya cried. "I tested her last night! I made her do things, Mrs. Sterling! And today, Raphael Vane took her. He's using her. He's obsessed with her because he knows she's a puppet!"
Sarah grabbed Maya's arm, her grip surprisingly strong. Her eyes were filled with a desperate, crushing fear. "Listen to me, Maya. You are a child. You have no idea what is at stake here. If people find out about her condition, she won't be 'helped.' She'll be taken. She'll be studied. She'll never have a life."
"She doesn't have a life now!" Maya yelled.
"She has us!" Sarah hissed. "We are keeping her safe. We moved here so the Vanes would protect us. If you truly care about her, you will keep your mouth shut. You will not 'test' her, and you will stay away from Raphael Vane."
Sarah let go of Maya's arm, her hands trembling. "Go back to school, Maya. Don't be the reason my daughter loses her freedom. We are her parents. We know what's best for her."
Sarah got into her car and drove away, leaving Maya standing alone in the driveway. Maya looked at her hands—the same hands that had made Dafne crawl on the floor the night before. She realized with a sickening jolt that Sarah was right about one thing: everyone who knew the secret, including herself, was starting to treat Dafne like an object.
But as she looked toward the Academy, Maya made a silent vow. If the parents wouldn't save her, and the school wouldn't save her, she would find a way to break the Echo itself.