Walking through the dark halls of the academy, Eliana couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every time she turned, however, the corridor behind her was empty. She pushed the thought aside, telling herself she was just being paranoid. This place was getting to her. But at the moment, her mind was consumed by anger. She didn't even know where she was heading—her feet moved on their own until she finally stopped, leaning against the cold stone wall. A single lamp above her flickered, casting erratic shadows.
The academy was an odd mix of old and new—a castle that had been modernized, but only for the sake of training. The classrooms looked pristine, but the rest of the building was run-down, its true age seeping through the cracks. Letting out a long sigh, Eliana slid down the wall.
Maybe she had been too quick to judge this place. Maybe it wasn't as simple as she had initially thought—that everyone here was a monster who enjoyed killing. Okay, Damon was a hundred percent a monster, but the others? Maybe not.
Dane's words kept echoing in her mind. They didn't have a choice either…
If he had only meant the recruits, she could understand that. Maybe their parents had sent them here against their will, or maybe they had been forced under different circumstances. But what could have forced the mentors to stay? She couldn't imagine anyone making those five men do anything against their will. They were ruthless, dangerous—Dane's words suggested they had been trapped here just as much as she was.
Were they once students of this academy too? It would make sense. How else would they have gotten their positions? But then again, why become mentors if they were so talented? Were there even stronger assassins out there? Who was really in charge of this place? And who were they training to kill?
Eliana's head was spinning. She needed answers. Answers meant survival. If she could understand how this place worked, she could find a way to endure it. But first, she needed to figure out where to even start looking. Was there a library? Some kind of record of the academy's past?
She exhaled sharply and pushed herself up. Priorities. First, she needed to know what day it was and what class she had missed. Dane had said she had been unconscious for three days. That meant today was Saturday. She didn't have her schedule on her, but she vaguely remembered having strategy classes in the afternoon on Saturday. If that was the case, she had already missed them.
The cafeteria had a clock—she knew that much. With no other way to tell the time, she made her way there. Upon entering, she found only a handful of recruits scattered around, finishing their meals. The clock read 8 PM. An hour until curfew.
She had missed all of today's classes. Great.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, she grabbed a tray and started gathering the leftovers from the buffet when suddenly—
A breath ghosted over her neck.
She froze.
Then, without thinking, she spun around, swinging her tray with full force. The solid crack of impact filled the air before she even registered the face of her victim. Keith.
Good. He deserved that for the shit he pulled in combat class.
"Have you lost your mind? Why are you sneaking up on me?" she snapped.
Keith groaned, rubbing his head, his expression somewhere between pained and apologetic. "I thought it'd be funny. My fault. I didn't think you'd be that jumpy." He raised his hands in a placating manner. "I came to make peace."
Eliana narrowed her eyes. "Were you the one watching me in the hallway?"
Keith frowned. "No? I don't know what you're talking about."
So she had imagined it.
He continued, "Look, I promise I won't try to scare you again. And—I have a peace offering."
Before she could react, he dropped a stack of notebooks onto her tray.
Eliana glanced down at them. Class notes. From the past week.
Her grip tightened around the tray. "You think giving me your notes will make me forgive you?" she grumbled, even though she already knew she would. Without them, she'd be completely lost. She barely knew anyone here—except maybe Tristan—and she doubted he'd hand over his notes this easily. This would save her from failing the test next week. And failing meant punishment.
Keith shrugged. "I was hoping so." He hesitated before adding, "And just so you know—I didn't pick you as my combat partner because I thought you were an easy target. The others would have actually tried to kill you. I was the safest option."
She chewed on her lip, considering his words. He had beaten the shit out of her, but maybe it had been better than the alternative.
She slid the notes into one hand while piling food onto her tray with the other, then walked over to a table. Keith followed, hovering anxiously. She let him sweat a little before finally answering.
"It's hard to believe you beat me up for my benefit," she muttered, sitting down. "But fine. I'll forgive you because of the notes. But—if I stay your partner, I'm not getting beaten to a pulp every time."
Keith sat across from her and stole food off her plate, looking far too smug now that he'd been forgiven. "Thanks," he said casually. "But I will still fight properly in class. That's what's expected of us. If we fail, we get punished. Just learn how to fight."
Eliana shot him a glare but said nothing. She had no choice but to learn.
After a moment, she spoke again. "Fine. Continue kicking my ass in combat class—but on one condition."
Keith raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"
"You help me study for the tests and teach me how to fight."
He observed her for a long second before finally nodding. "Deal."
He stretched out his hand. She shook it, sealing the agreement with a small smirk.
She still had a long way to go, and surviving this place wouldn't be easy. But at least now, she had an ally.