CHAPTER 97: _ A TEAM?

Junie is waiting outside, bouncing nervously on her heels. "Finally! I thought you drowned in there."

Heidi arches a brow. "You were timing my shower?"

"Of course. What if you slipped and cracked your head? I’d have to explain that to the instructors. ’Sorry, she didn’t even make it to the labyrinth—she died in the shower.’"

Her wolf barks a laugh. "Pathetic. Drowned in a sink. That would’ve been our legacy."

Heidi groans. "You’re both exhausting."

Together, they shuffle back to their dorm.

.

Inside, the lavender smell lingers, and the ramen stench has grown stronger. Their bespectacled roommate still sits on her bed by the window, legs crossed with the same book still in hand. She’s methodically flipping pages like she doesn’t care about the chaos outside.

Junie claps her hands suddenly, making Heidi flinch. "Ta-da! Look what the school left for us!"

On the third bed lies a neatly folded stack of clothes that are plain but practical. Black joggers, fitted shirts, lightweight jackets, all smelling faintly of starch.

"Pick whichever suits you best," Junie says, eyes bright with false enthusiasm.

Heidi crouches by the pile, fingers sifting through the fabric. The cotton is scratchy, and the stitching is rough. Still, they’re better than Amias’s oversized disaster jacket clinging to her shoulders in the sense that they fit and wouldn’t cause her stares.

However, in terms of warmth and the feeling of belonging? They wouldn’t come close.

As she sorts, she throws a glance at the quiet girl. "Hey. What’s your name?"

The girl finally looks up from her book, lenses catching the weak light from the window. "Why do you want to know?"

Heidi blinks. "Because... that’s usually how introductions work?"

Junie waves a hand, giggling nervously. "Come on, she’s trying to be friendly."

Heidi shakes her head. "No, this isn’t even about being friends. This is about survival." She meets the girl’s steady gaze. "Where we’re going... We’ll need to work together."

She means it too.

"We’re going into a labyrinth where almost everything wants to kill us. If we don’t at least know each other’s names, how are we supposed to work together?"

That makes the girl pause. Slowly, she sets her pen down. Interest flickers in her eyes behind the lenses. "You think working together will matter?"

"Yes," Heidi says, sorting through a tunic and tossing it aside for a top less stiff. "If we’re going to survive, it’ll be as a team."

Junie nods enthusiastically, her puffy eyes brightening with hope. "Exactly! Okay, rules. Heidi, tell us about the rules you just mentioned."

Heidi straightens, tugging on the combat pants and cinching the belt tight around her waist. "Rule one: not everything is what it seems in the labyrinth. Something that looks harmless might not be. And something terrifying might not be a threat at all."

Junie’s lips part in awe, like Heidi’s reciting some sacred scripture.

The girl folds her arms. "Go on."

Heidi pulls a basic top over her head, the fabric snug but is surprisingly comfortable. "Rule two: I heard there are good demons in there. Ones that can help us survive. Our first mission once we’re inside should be to find them."

The girl tilts her head, skeptical. "And how do you know this?"

Heidi’s gaze flickers away. "They are from a very reliable source."

Amias, her brain whispers, but she shoves it down.

Her wolf chuckles darkly. "Reliable, yes. A man who probably dreams of throwing us into the labyrinth just to watch us claw our way out because he needs us to be strong."

Before the girl can prod further, there’s a sharp knock on the door. A second later, the handle twists, and two kitchen staff members shuffle in carrying trays. The smell instantly swims in the air; warm bread, scrambled eggs with bacon, roasted meat, and steaming mugs of something that might actually be coffee.

"Breakfast for the candidates," one mutters, setting the trays down on the desk.

In the blink of an eye, they’re gone, leaving the scent dancing heavily in the air.

Junie lets out a choked squeal of relief. "Real food!" She dives for the trays, already shoving bread into her mouth.

Heidi takes a slower approach, grabbing a mug first. The bitter aroma burns her nostrils, but the warmth sliding down her throat is heaven. For a second, she almost forgets the labyrinth waiting outside.

The glasses girl nibbles quietly at a slice of bread, her eyes back on her notebook.

Heidi wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "Okay," she says firmly. "We should start practicing now. If we’re going to work together, let’s start by introducing ourselves. Names, strengths, weaknesses. We need to know who we’re fighting with—and who we’re fighting for."

The room goes still. Junie swallows hard, crumbs clinging to her chin. The glasses girl finally sets her notebook aside as her gaze is sharp with new interest.

And Heidi also feels the tremor of something bigger than nerves crawling up her spine. Two hours. Two hours until they find out if this shaky alliance will keep them alive.

Junie shoves half a waffle into her mouth like it’s an Olympic event, then points at the bespectacled girl with a dramatic expression. "You first, mystery novel queen."

The girl does not look impressed. She places her slice of bread delicately back onto the tray, dusts the crumbs from her fingers, and leans back with all the composure of someone who probably has a butler for that.

"My name," she says, slow enough to make them lean in, "is Valentina Duarte."

W-WHAT?!

Junie’s jaw unhinges and Heidi nearly spits her coffee.

"No way," Junie blurts. . "Like the Duartes? The shipping tycoon family? Luxury resorts? The people who own half the coastlines?"

Valentina inspects her nails. "The same."

Junie clutches her chest like she’s about to pass out. "Oh my God, Heidi. We’re roommates with royalty."

"I’m not royalty," Valentina says coolly, adjusting her glasses. "But I was raised like it. Until, of course, the little gift of the Moon tore me out of marble floors and gala nights and shoved me into this..." She waves vaguely at the ramen smell, and the peeling dorm paint. "...charming institution."

Heidi stares, brain stuttering. She remembers late nights watching documentaries about the Duarte empire: their endless estates, their heirs who never gave interviews, the whispered scandals. And now one of them is sitting on a cheap dorm bed, biting into a piece of waffle like the rest of them.

The Moon Goddess really messed up all their lives, didn’t she?