"Locked down… A thousand years ago?"
The words echoed in Yvonne mind long after they left Miss Olivia's lips.
For a moment, no one spoke.
The air inside the building felt heavier, thicker—like something unseen had settled among us. Even the walls, tall and immaculate now that the spell was gone, seemed to lean in closer, listening.
Lord Thomas stood at the front, hands clasped behind his back, his posture rigid and unyielding. His sharp gaze swept across our faces, pausing just long enough on each of us to make my spine stiffen.
Kael shifted his stance, lowering his voice to Lucen.
"Tell me you feel that too."
Lucen's jaw tightened. "Mm."
"Yes," Lord Thomas said at last. "A thousand years ago, this building was sealed."
Miss Olivia stepped forward, her expression unusually grave. The warmth she usually carried was gone, replaced by something colder—something cautious.
"Back then," she said, "The Silver Dawn Sentinel, some of the former Order Of The White Flame students who graduated from here committed an unforgivable crime."
Yvonne heart skipped.
Unforgivable?
Everyone straightened instinctively.
"They betrayed the kingdom," Lord Thomas continued, his voice calm but deadly. "They leaked classified military routes, border defenses, supply lines, and strategic formations…"
He paused.
"…to the Dark Prince."
A sharp gasp tore through the group.
Dark Prince?
"They were charged with treason," Miss Olivia added quietly. "Every single one of them."
Silence slammed down on the students like a blade.
Cassandra was the first to break the stillness. She stepped forward, her brows drawn tightly together, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
"That doesn't make sense," she said sharply. "How could the Silver Dawn Sentinel force members betray their own kingdom? Especially, A force member of their rank?.
"She's right," Kaylyn said, folding her arms tightly. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp—too sharp. "They don't just switch sides."
"Exactly," Lilith chimed in, her voice trembling. "They're elite. They survive trials and missions most people die in. Why would they side with demons?"
Murmurs spread through the group.
Confusion twisted in Yvonne chest.
Betrayal. Classified information. Dark Prince. Treason.
It didn't fit.
"What if…" Yvonne hesitated, then spoke before she could stop herself. "What if they were controlled?"
Every head turned toward her.
"By demons," Yvonne added quietly. "Or manipulated. Or threatened."
The teachers looked startled.
Cassandra frowned, but after a moment, even she seemed to consider it. Others nodded slowly, whispers spreading again.
Kael tilted his head slightly. Lucen's brows knit together.
Lord Thomas's eyes darkened.
But he said nothing.
The silence stretched, thick enough to crawl under everyone skin.
Finally, he spoke.
"That," he said flatly, "is all you need to know for now."
Miss Olivia cleared her throat. "The building was reopened this year only after persistent pleas from the district elders. And Lord Thomas was personally assigned to oversee your training."
Lord Thomas inclined his head slightly. "This time," he said, "there will be no mistakes."
A strange pressure settled in the students chest.
"Now," he continued briskly, "you will explore the building. Every corner."
He gestured around them.
"Training halls. Lecture rooms. Strategy chambers. Boys' quarters. Girls' quarters. You will familiarize yourselves with where you will train, study, rest, and live."
Live.
The word felt heavy.
The students moved hesitantly at first, as though afraid the building might bite.
But as they walked, the structure revealed itself in full.
The place wasn't abandoned at all.
It was massive. Pristine. Intimidating in its perfection.
Wide corridors stretched endlessly, their floors polished to a mirror shine. Sealed doors lined the walls, etched with unfamiliar insignias that seemed to hum faintly under my fingertips. Training halls occupied entire wings—vast spaces reinforced with thick walls and marked floors.
Classrooms rose like amphitheaters, tiered seating carved from dark stone. Strategy rooms were filled with enormous tables etched with maps of the kingdom and beyond.
This wasn't a school.
It was a fortress.
As they passed the training wing, Yvonne noticed Eric slow slightly. Kael leaned toward Lucen again.
"He's acting strange," Kael muttered.
Lucen nodded. "Since the river."
When they reached the girls' quarters, Yvonne steps slowed… then stopped entirely.
She didn't want to go any further.
This place wasn't meant for her.
She clenched her fists.
She need to leave.
She didn't belong here.
She shouldn't have been chosen.
She didn't want to train or fight.
Nor did she want to die on some forgotten battlefield—branded either a traitor or a hero depending on who survived to tell the story.
Time was running out.
She had to find a way out.
That evening, Miss Olivia personally checked on Yvonne wound. Her movements were gentle, precise, as she applied fresh medicine and rewrapped the bandage.
"You were brave today," she said softly.
Brave?
If panic and stubborn survival counted as bravery, then maybe.
Later, Naomi helped Yvonne lie down. Her movements were careful, her eyes still glassy with guilt.
"Miss…" she whispered.
"It's fine," Yvonne murmured. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"
Naomi didn't look convinced.
When she finally left, exhaustion settled deep into Yvonne bones—but sleep refused to come.
She stared at the ceiling, thoughts spiraling.
Her sisters.
How were they? Were they searching for her? Crying? Who would take care of them now that she was gone? How are they going to survive?
Why her?
Why was she the one appearance-swap with Alessandra?
Every step she took in her body felt like walking closer to a blade.
First, the instant death penalty if discovered.
Second, Phoenix Crest Academy—now Order Of The White Flame student.
Why did it feel like death was chasing her everywhere?
The next morning answered that question violently.
"Wake up! All Order Of The White Flame students—outside in five minutes!"
Yvonne groaned, burying her face into the pillow.
Five minutes?!
"This is cruelty," Yvonne muttered hoarsely.
Naomi was already scrambling, panic written all over her face. "Miss! Please hurry!"
Outside, the cold morning air slapped Yvonne awake.
Then—
They ran.
For two hours.
Yvonne lungs burned. Her legs screamed. Sweat soaked through her clothes. Every step felt like punishment.
She did not sign up for this.
By the time they were dismissed, Yvonne was half-dead and fully furious.
Bathing was rushed.
Breakfast was worse.
"Five minutes," Miss Elizabeth announced sharply, tapping her watch.
Five minutes again?!
Why was everything five minutes?!
Yvonne swallowed her food without tasting it, barely chewing before time was up.
During breakfast, Kael dropped onto the bench opposite Eric. "You slow down for her."
Eric froze.
Lucen studied him. "You never did."
Eric said nothing.
Then came the training class.
They filed into a massive lecture hall—silent, imposing, and filled with an unseen pressure that made my skin prickle.
Yvonne sat down slowly, heart pounding.
Something felt wrong.
As if something was waiting.
Watching.
And for the first time since arriving at the academy, the truth settled fully into her chest—
She wasn't just trapped anymore.
She was standing on the edge of something dangerous.
Something irreversible.