Chapter 157

• Jace
• The Academy’s courtyard felt hollow without the noise of its students. Benches stood empty, the fountains silent except for the faint drip of water. Parents had swarmed in the day after the fire, their voices raised, demanding answers from Principal Kieran. By morning, nearly half the dormitories were vacant—students whisked away under the excuse of “safety.”
• I knew the truth. It wasn’t just fear. It was shame. Anger. Distrust. Zara’s fire, Atlas’s madness—it had scarred the Academy’s reputation beyond repair.