CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: DOES NOT EXIST

Aiden woke the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed, his mind momentarily blank. For a brief moment, he basked in that peaceful state, letting himself enjoy the soft morning air and the quiet of the dorm room. Then the memory of what awaited him crashed into his mind like a wave. The panel. Today was the day he would be facing the disciplinary panel. His stomach dropped, and anxiety immediately curled its cold fingers around his chest.

He sat up quickly, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes as though he could rub away the sudden nerves. "No," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as if to shake away the dread. "Aiden, you’re going to be fine." He repeated the words to himself softly at first, then firmer, until they became a mantra. The repetition steadied him. With every word, his racing heart calmed little by little, and his mind began to clear.

Once he felt he could breathe properly, Aiden looked toward the pillow beside him. Rainbow, his spirit animal, was still curled up on its side of the pillow, fast asleep. The tiny bird’s feathers ruffled slightly with each slow breath, and Aiden couldn’t help but pause. For a moment, he considered waking Rainbow, thinking the bird’s cheerful chirps might bring him some comfort before facing the day. But then he stopped himself.

Rainbow wouldn’t be coming with him to the disciplinary hall. There was no point in disturbing its sleep. Powerful witches would be present, and if by any chance they caught even the faintest glimpse of Rainbow, they would immediately notice the bird’s unusual nature. Aiden didn’t want to take that risk. With a small sigh, he quietly slid out of bed, leaving Rainbow undisturbed.

He headed into the bathroom, where he washed up and took a quick shower, letting the water soothe some of the tension in his shoulders. Once clean, he changed into his school uniform, smoothing out the creases carefully before stepping in front of the mirror. His own beautiful reflection stared back at him, and he patted his face lightly before leaning in closer.

"You can do this," he whispered to himself, locking eyes with his reflection. "You didn’t do anything wrong. You’ll be fine."

The words helped, though his stomach was still tight with nervous energy. Aiden grabbed his phone from the table and checked the time. The glowing screen told him it was 8:40 a.m. — only twenty minutes until nine, the exact time the disciplinary meeting was scheduled to begin.

His heart lurched. Twenty minutes would be cutting it close, considering how large Skyline Academy was. He quickly snatched up his badge and bolted for the door.

Technically, he no longer needed the badge to guide him around the campus. By now, he knew the school buildings by heart. But he still brought it along, just in case. The layout inside some of the buildings remained confusing to him, and he still remembered that embarrassing day he had gotten lost trying to find Miss Flecine’s office. Ryker had laughed until his sides hurt, and Aiden had promised himself he would never repeat that humiliation again.

He sprinted across the campus, ignoring the curious glances of other students who saw him running. After several minutes, he reached a tall building with a large sign over the entrance that read in bold capital letters: DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE.

A nervous laugh escaped him before he could stop it. "Why didn’t I notice how ominous this building looks the first time I saw it?" he muttered under his breath. "Or am I only thinking that now because I’m in trouble?"

He shook his head, trying to banish the thought. "Stop thinking like that, Aiden. You’re not a coward. Be strong. You didn’t do anything wrong, you just bashed someone head in with an... No, stop thinking about it."

The pep talk gave him just enough courage to push forward. Then he glanced at his phone and froze. The glowing numbers told him it was already 8:57.

His eyes widened. He had spent fifteen minutes just running here. "Damn it," he hissed under his breath, cursing Skyline Academy for being so massive. Without wasting another second, he rushed into the building.

Once inside, he focused on the image of the disciplinary hall in his mind. As soon as the thought formed, his badge glowed softly, casting a thin light in the direction he needed to go. If he strayed, the glow would fade, so he followed it carefully, weaving through corridors until he finally arrived at a pair of large double doors.

He glanced at his phone again. 8:59 a.m. He had made it just in time. Relief washed over him, and he exhaled a shaky breath.

But then he noticed he wasn’t alone.

Carl was already there, standing casually by the wall with his arms folded. The sight made Aiden freeze for a second. Just yesterday, he had bashed Carl’s head in with a hammer. The memory still made Aiden uneasy, though he didn’t regret defending himself. His eyes flickered to Carl’s forehead, where a single plaster now covered the spot he had struck.

Aiden almost whistled in disbelief. Wolf healing really was something else. He had been sure he had done serious damage, so much so that even he had been a little frightened by the force he’d used and became scared of himself. But now Carl was standing right there, looking almost completely fine. Aiden was certain the rest of Carl’s injuries had already healed, and the plaster on his head was probably only there because Aiden had struck that spot repeatedly to knock him out.

Carl’s eyes flicked toward Aiden’s. The moment their gazes met, Carl stiffened. Panic flickered across his face before he quickly looked away, clearly wishing he could be anywhere else.

Ever since waking up in the school clinic yesterday, Carl had been replaying the fight in his head. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that Aiden was a madman — a completely unhinged human who didn’t care that he had no supernatural powers. Carl had decided then and there that Aiden was someone he should never provoke again.

Aiden narrowed his eyes at Carl, glaring in silent warning, when a sudden loud laugh broke through the tense air. He turned toward the sound, startled, and saw Zane striding toward him.

Only then did Aiden notice that Ryker was here too, standing beside Zane. Ryker, however, didn’t look at him. He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, his face completely blank, as though Aiden didn’t even exist.

The sight stung more than Aiden expected. He was the one who had told Ryker to stay away from him, but now that Ryker was actually doing it, Aiden realized he didn’t like it one bit.

Zane, now standing directly in front of Aiden, tilted his head curiously. Aiden’s attention was still on Ryker, and it was obvious he wasn’t paying Zane any mind. Zane’s lips twisted in irritation.

Without warning, Zane reached out and turned Aiden’s face toward him, forcing eye contact.

Aiden blinked at the sudden closeness, startled to find Zane’s ridiculously handsome face right in front of his. Frowning, Aiden quickly stepped back. "What are you trying to do?" he demanded.

Zane shrugged carelessly. "I was standing right here, and you didn’t even notice me. I had to make sure you did, Hey you did good, I didn’t even know you have it in you, only someone as wicked as you can be my partner, I don’t like those innocent fake people and now I’m happy you’re not one of them."

From the corner of his eye, Carl watched the exchange and nearly snorted. For Zane to intentionally get Aiden’s attention, knowing what had happened yesterday, he had to be either very brave or just as insane as Aiden.

Aiden’s glare sharpened. "I wasn’t looking at you because I don’t want to look at you, and besides who are you calling wicked, and why would you think I want to be your partner."

Zane tilted his head and gave him a strange look. "That’s weird. Why wouldn’t you want to look at me? I’m handsome. Everyone wants to look at my face. And if I let them, they’d probably want to look at the rest of me too."

Aiden’s brows furrowed, and he made a face of exaggerated disgust. "The amount of self-confidence you have is almost disgusting."

He looked back at Ryker again, but Ryker still refused to look at him. Aiden’s chest ached at the coldness. He had convinced himself that Ryker fought with Zane to warn him to stay away from Aiden, but now, with Zane right here provoking him, Ryker wasn’t even reacting.

Aiden’s heart sank a little. Maybe he had been imagining things after all.

Meanwhile, Zane was growing more annoyed by the second. He couldn’t understand what was so special about Ryker that Aiden couldn’t stop glancing at him. Zane was about to say something sharp when the grand double doors of the disciplinary hall creaked open.

A handsome, middle-aged Fae stepped out, his presence immediately commanding attention. His voice was calm but firm as he said, "You may all come in."