Elias’s POV

The hallway was louder than usual. Students were moving fast, talking in low worried voices. Some looked half asleep, some looked confused. The alarms from last night had spread fear around the academy.

Ronan walked beside me. Not behind. Not ahead. Beside. Close enough that our arms brushed sometimes.

I kept my head down. I felt eyes on me. Maybe I was imagining it, but something about the air felt wrong. Sharp. Heavy.

“Do not look around too much,” Ronan said quietly. ...