Maya Pov

The first thing I notice when I reach my locker is the smell.

Paint. Fresh and chemical-sharp, mixed with something else. Something rotten.

My stomach drops before I even see it.

The locker door is covered in words. Slut. Whore. Silver Trash. Each one dripping in red paint that looks too much like blood. Around the words, someone's taped photos—grainy but clear enough.

Me. Training this morning. Taking down Drake. The shot is angled weird, like someone was hiding in the trees with a phone camera. My face is visible. So is the moment my fist connected with Drake's ribs.

Another photo shows me flipping behind Jade during our early morning session. The timestamp reads 4:17 AM.

Someone was watching. Someone was there the whole time.

"Oh my god." Jade's voice beside me, sharp with anger.

Students are starting to fill the hallway, stopping to look, to whisper, to take their own photos. This is going to be all over social media in minutes.

"We need to clean this up," Jade says, already pulling paper towels from her bag. "Before more people see."

But it's too late. A crowd is forming. Phones are out. I can hear the clicks of cameras, the buzz of messages being sent.

"Look at that."

"Who does she think she is?"

"Trying to show off for Commander Drake."

"I heard she's sleeping with him."

The rumors from yesterday are mixing with this, creating something worse. Something that will follow me forever.

I reach for the photos, my hands shaking. The tape tears, leaving sticky residue. The paint smears under my fingers, staining my skin red.

"Maya." Jade's hand on my arm. "Ignore them. Just get it clean."

We work quickly, scraping off paint, pulling down photos, stuffing everything into the trash. But the damage is done. The locker door is stained. The words are still visible underneath, like ghosts.

The warning bell rings. The crowd disperses slowly, reluctantly. But the whispers don't stop.

"You okay?" Jade asks.

"I'm fine."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I have."

We head to first period. Mr. Harmon is already at his desk, oblivious to the drama in the hallways. I take my seat in the back. Jade sits beside me.

Something white catches my eye. A folded piece of paper on my desk.

I open it.

Stay in your place, freak. This is just the beginning.

I crumple it without showing Jade. But my hands won't stop shaking.

Throughout class, more notes appear. Slipped onto my desk when I'm not looking. Tucked into my textbook. Folded into my pencil case.

You think you're special?

Drake only praised you out of pity.

Everyone knows you're worthless.

Your mom died because even she didn't want you.

That last one makes Nina snarl in my mind. I crumple it so hard my knuckles turn white.

Mr. Harmon drones on about metaphors. I don't hear a word.

The bell finally rings. I grab my stuff and head for the door, but someone shoulder-checks me hard. My books go flying. Papers scatter.

"Oops. Sorry." A senior I don't know grins at me. "Didn't see you there."

Laughter follows me as I kneel to gather my things. Jade helps, her jaw tight with anger.

"Who was that?" she mutters.

"Don't know. Doesn't matter."

"It matters."

We make it to History. I'm hyperaware of every look, every whisper. Brittany sits three rows ahead, perfectly poised, looking innocent.

Mrs. Chen starts her lecture. I try to focus. Try to take notes. But my skin feels wrong, like everyone's eyes are crawling over me.

Halfway through class, my stomach cramps. Sharp and sudden.

I shift in my seat, trying to ease it. The cramp comes again, harder this time. And then I feel it—wetness spreading across my shirt.

I look down.

The water bottle in my bag is leaking. Except it's not water. The liquid soaking through my shirt is clear but smells chemical. And where it touches my skin, it burns.

Nina surges forward, alarmed. Silver! There's silver in it!

I bite my lip to keep from crying out. The burning intensifies, eating through my shirt, reaching my skin. Small burns are forming, red and angry.

I raise my hand. "Mrs. Chen? Can I use the restroom?"

She waves me away without looking up.

I grab my bag and rush out, Jade right behind me.

"Maya, what—"

"Don't touch it." I'm already pulling off my jacket, trying to peel the wet shirt away from my skin. The burns are spreading. Small but numerous. Nina's trying to heal them, but the silver is slowing her down.

Jade takes one look and goes pale. "Silver."

"Yeah."

"We need to wash it off. Now."

We run to the nearest bathroom. It's empty. I strip off my shirt in the sink, letting cold water run over the burns. The silver washes away, leaving angry red welts across my stomach and side.

"Someone put that in your bag," Jade says. Her voice is shaking with fury. "Someone poisoned your water bottle with silver solution."

"Probably during first period. When everyone was looking at my locker."

"This is insane. We need to report this."

"To who? You think anyone will believe me?" I watch the burns slowly healing. Nina's working overtime. "They'll say I did it to myself for attention. Or that I'm too weak to handle normal training injuries."

"This isn't a training injury!"

"Doesn't matter." I pull my jacket back on, zipping it high to hide the burns. "The nurse will just report it to the school. The school will tell my father. And then I'll be punished for causing trouble."

Jade looks like she wants to argue but doesn't. She understands. Finally.

We return to class separately, a few minutes apart. Mrs. Chen doesn't even notice.

The rest of the morning passes in a blur of pain. The burns are healing but slowly. Nina's energy is depleted from working so hard. I'm exhausted, limping slightly from the way my ribs ache where the burns are deepest.

Lunch comes. Jade steers us to our usual courtyard spot.

"You need to eat," she says. "You need energy to heal."

"I'm not hungry."

"Eat anyway."

I force down half a sandwich. It tastes like cardboard, but Jade's right. I need fuel.

"This is escalating fast," Jade says quietly. "The locker, the notes, the silver. Brittany's not playing around anymore."

"She never was."

"What are we going to do?"

"We?" I look at her. "You don't have to be part of this."

"Too late. I'm already in." Jade takes a drink of her water. "Besides, I'm not going to stand by and watch her try to poison you."

"She won't stop."

"Then neither will I."

The determination in her voice makes something tight in my chest loosen. Just a little.

We finish lunch in silence. The afternoon drags. Every class feels like a battlefield. Someone trips me in the hallway. Another person "accidentally" slams their locker into my shoulder. In Chemistry, someone spills acid near my station—not on me, but close enough to make me jump.

By the time Physical Training comes, I'm exhausted. My body aches from the burns. Nina is still healing. I should skip. Go home. Rest.

But I don't.

Coach Bryant has us running laps. I force my legs to move, to keep pace. Every step sends pain shooting through my side where the burns are deepest.

Jade stays beside me. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do."

"Why?"

"Because if I don't, they win."

We finish the laps. Coach pairs us for sparring. I'm matched with some sophomore boy who doesn't know what he's doing. Easy match.

Except my body isn't cooperating. My reactions are slow. My movements sloppy. The boy lands a hit that normally I'd block without thinking.

"You good, Rivers?" Coach Bryant calls.

"Yes, sir."

But I'm not. And everyone can see it.

The final bell rings. Finally.

I change in the locker room, moving carefully to avoid jostling my injuries. The burns are almost healed now, but new bruises are forming from today's "accidents."

Jade waits for me by the exit. "I'm walking you home."

"You don't have to—"

"Yes, I do. After today, I'm not letting you walk alone."

We head out. The school empties around us. Most kids rush for the buses. Others head toward cars in the parking lot.

I'm watching for Brittany. Waiting for her next move.

It doesn't take long.

"Hey! Maya!"

I turn. Brittany's walking toward us with Ashlyn and Morgan. But this time, they're not alone. Three senior boys follow them—big, muscular, clearly wolves. I recognize them from advanced training. Warriors in training who want to impress the council.

"We need to talk," Brittany says.

"We have nothing to talk about."

"I think we do." She steps closer, and the boys spread out, surrounding us. "See, you embarrassed me yesterday. Made me look bad in front of everyone. That's not okay."

"You made yourself look bad."

Brittany's smile is cold. "You've been getting brave lately. First the new girl shows up, and suddenly you think you're somebody. Then you show off at training. Make Commander Drake praise you. Get all that attention."

"I didn't ask for attention."

"But you got it anyway." She tilts her head. "And now you need to learn what happens when nobodies forget their place."

One of the boys moves. Fast. He grabs my arm before I can react, yanking me toward the tree line off the main path.

"Hey!" Jade lunges forward, but another boy blocks her.

"This doesn't concern you, Martinez," Brittany says. "Unless you want to join her."