Chapter 65 A Strategic Alliance

• The note still burned in my pocket as I walked through the academy halls. The parchment felt heavier than it should, as if the words themselves carried weight. Whoever had left it wanted me to question everything, to watch my back more closely than ever. And for once, I listened.
• Trust wasn't something I gave freely, but if I wanted to survive, I couldn't fight this war alone.
• The stone walls of the academy seemed to press closer as evening shadows lengthened. Torches guttered in their sconces, throwing dancing shapes across the worn flagstones. Students hurried past, their voices echoing off vaulted ceilings, but none of them looked at me directly. The duel had changed that. Now I was someone to be watched from the corner of their eyes.