CHAPTER 64: THE ATTACK.

The girls’ dorm common room was dim, lit only by the three bulbs in the ceiling. But Elara and Corrine stepped outside, seeking some privacy for their conversation.

They sat on the pavement just outside the common room. Elara fidgeted, twisting her fingers in her lap, her knee bouncing so hard on her heels, she couldn’t sit still. Corrine on the other hand sat crossing her arms and staring out at the courtyard.

"Do you think she’ll survive it?" Elara whispered.

Corrine didn’t answer immediately. She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Bella?" She finally glanced over. "She does seem weak but I think she will. She has to."

Elara’s throat tightened. She hugged herself. "I just... I can’t stop thinking about what she said. About those boys. Them being werewolves. The demons they fought... What if she wasn’t lying?"

Corrine gave a sharp, humorless laugh. "Of course she wasn’t lying. You saw the way she looked when she said it. Bella may be weak and naive, but she’s not delusional. Whatever those boys are—" her voice hardened—"it isn’t human. And I believe her."

Before Elara could respond, they heard the scurrying of feet coming towards their direction.

The sound was small, but in the silence, it felt deafening. Both girls became alert.

And then they stepped into view.

Luca first, Killian behind him, Cassian, and then, Rafe.

Elara shot to her feet, her breath catching. Corrine straightened, but her arms stayed crossed, her jaw tight.

"What—" Elara’s voice cracked. "What are you doing here?"

Luca’s gaze swept over them once before landing steadily on Corrine. "We need to talk."

Corrine barked a bitter laugh, cold and brittle. "Talk? Now you want to talk? You disappear with her for two days, she comes back whispering madness about wolves and demons, she’s been exiled because of the four of you and now you want to talk?"

Killian stepped forward, bristling. "Be careful with your words, Corrine."

"Oh, I’ll say it again." Corrine’s chin lifted. "What have you done to Bella?"

Elara words poured out of her too, angry and raw. "She’s in the forest now! You knew, didn’t you? You knew this would happen the moment you dragged her into your—your world." Her voice cracked. "Why her? Why did you choose Bella?"

The silence that followed was heavy. No one spoke for a moment, until Luca replied.

His expression didn’t waver. "Because she’s one of us."

Corrine’s eyes narrowed.

"One of you?" She repeated. "Don’t make me laugh. She’s human. She’s fragile and naive. And now because of you, she’s about to die in that forest."

Cassian walked closer to them, slowly. "Funny. She’s still alive, isn’t she? After demons, betrayal, exile. Don’t you see how much we’ve helped her? I’m sure she told you about that, but you choose to throw accusations instead."

Luca spoke up again. "Bella is stronger than either of you give her credit for. She’ll survive. So stop describing her as weak and naive."

Elara’s eyes flashed. "She trusted me—us—and I failed her. I’m not going to fail her again. If you care about her at all, you’ll leave her out of whatever this is."

Killian snarled, his voice becoming louder with each word. "You! Elara. Don’t you dare act like you get to decide what’s good for her. Can you just drop the act already? She told me what you did! You already betrayed her once. You don’t get another chance."

Luca looked between them, "’what she did?’ What did she do Killian?

"Ohhh," Killian chuckled. "We never really got to talk about what caused that fight yea? Well, let me enlighten you Luca. Elara, the Saint here, led her dormitory girls in a fight against Bella—I’m not talking about just words, they got physical. About four girls against one Bella." He demonstrated with his fingers.

Luca’s gaze cut sharply to Elara, "What?"

She flinched, bowing her head in shame.

"She came to tell me about it in the garden that day," Killian continued. "I was trying to comfort her when you showed up and misinterpreted the whole scene."

"Elara, you did that?" Rafe speaking for the first time, asked incredulously.

"Guess what the fight was about?" Killian continued.

"What," Cassian asked.

"Because, Luca drew that portrait of Bella. Just out of pure spite and jealousy. And now she stands here to claim like the best thing that has ever happened to her."

Elara stumbled back, her face pale. Corrine stepped in front of her like a shield, glaring up at him despite the fear flickering in her eyes. "And what? You’re better? Creeping into the girls’ dorm at midnight, you sneaking her into something she never asked for? You call that protecting her?"

Luca moved forward then, his voice low but final, cutting through the room like steel. "Listen carefully. Bella is not cursed. She’s not broken. She’s not yours to protect—or betray—anymore. She’s ours. And if you think we’ll let her face that forest powerless, you’re wrong."

Elara’s chest heaved, her lips trembling as tears filled her eyes.

Corrine stood rigid, still facing them. "So why did you come here? She’s already in the forest, what more do you intend to do?"

Rafe replied calmly. "We just wanted to let you guys know... we’ve got Bella. There’s something we did that’ll help her survive the forest. So you can keep calm and be rest assured that she’ll be fine."

Upon delivering their message, the boys didn’t wait for a reply. One by one, they turned toward the path to the boys’ dormitory. Cassian lingered last, throwing a mocking grin over his shoulder. "Try not to stab her in the back again, will you?"

And then they were gone, leaving the courtyard silent again.

Elara sank back onto the pavement, trembling. Corrine didn’t move her standing spot, her fists still clenched so tight her knuckles had gone white.

The boys’ words lingered, heavy, unshakable:

She’s ours now.

"Like hell they got Bella." She muttered angrily.

—

The dorm had gone quiet long ago, but Elara lay wide-eyed in her bed, the sheets twisted around her legs. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard Killian’s voice again, spitting her betrayal into the open. ’She trusted you. You failed her. Quit acting like a saint!’

By the time the clock ticked past midnight, she couldn’t take it anymore. The guilt was eating her alive, so she slid out of bed, moving as quietly as she could, slipping her shoes on and pulling a sweater over her nightdress.

She stumbled upon her stack of books by the bed. The sound alerted Corrine.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

When she didn’t reply, Corrine caught on immediately. "Don’t even think about it," her voice cut through the dark.

Elara exhaled and sat back on the bed.

Corrine sat up in her bed, her hair spilling over her shoulders, eyes glinting in the faint light from the corridor.

"I just... I need to see if she’s alright," Elara whispered, guilt thick in her throat.

Corrine exhaled harshly, throwing back her blanket. "This night? You must be insane. How do you intend to do that?"

"I just want to go towards the edge of the forest. And this is the best chance, when everyone is asleep. It’ll be too risky in daylight."

"Yes, I’m convinced," Corrine shook her head. "You’re crazy. But if you’re going to do something this stupid, I’m not letting you go alone."

Minutes later, the two of them were padding across the courtyard, the night air biting against their skin. The school loomed behind them, dark and watchful, while the forest stood ahead, tall, endless, alive with the rustle of unseen things.

Elara slowed as they reached the treeline, her chest tight. She gripped the edge of her sweater with clammy fingers. "Do you... do you feel that?"

Corrine frowned. "Feel what?"

But then it came, the sudden shift in the air. The hairs on their arms rose. Goosebumps covered their skin. A low whoosh sound threaded through the silence...

And then, movement.

A figure darted between the trees, fast enough they couldn’t make out what it was.

Then it came out again, a shadow too tall to be human. Another followed, on the opposite side. For a second, it felt like the forest itself was breathing, alive and watching.

Elara’s hand flew to Corrine’s arm. "That’s not Bella."

Corrine’s jaw tightened, her eyes wide despite the brave set of her mouth. "No. It’s not."

The shadows moved again, circling, weaving in and out of the trees with unnatural speed. They weren’t alone out here. And whatever it was... they weren’t supposed to see it.

Corrine pulled Elara back a step. "We need to leave. Now."

But Elara’s eyes stayed locked on the trees, on the faint glimmer of movement. "Bella’s in there." Her voice broke. "If those things are—"

A sound cut her off. It echoed from the darkness of the forest.

Low, piercing and unearthly.

Both girls froze.

The cry echoed off the trees.

Then, flapping wings broke the silence. An owl burst from the treeline, its pale feathers ghostlike in the moonlight as it cut across the sky.

Elara’s knees almost buckled with relief. "An owl," she whispered, almost laughing.

But Corrine didn’t laugh. Her gaze stayed on the darkline of trees, her jaw tight. "That wasn’t just an owl."

"What are you—"

"RUN!"