<h4>Chapter 36: Concerned Roomies</h4>


    <strong>***************</strong>


    <strong>Chapter 36</strong>


    <strong>~Valerie’s POV~</strong>


    Dinner felt longer than usual. My head was still reying everything that happened today—the principal’s office, Avery’s pathetic threat, and Dristan’s smug involvement.


    I barely tasted my food. By the time I got to my dorm, I was ready to throw myself face-first into my bed and not move for a century.


    Instead, I opened the door to find Emerald, I, and Astraea already lounging around themon space like they were waiting for me.


    Astraea raised an eyebrow. "So? Spill."


    I blinked. "Spill what?"


    "Don’t y dumb," Emerald said, arms crossed. "We saw Avery stomping through the halls like she’d been pped with a lightning bolt."


    "And then that weird tension between Guild One and Four ring like a wildfire all over school?" Astraea added. "That was you."


    I sighed and dropped my bag to the floor with a thud. "Fine. You want the short version?"


    "No," I said, scooting to the edge of the couch. "We want everything."


    So, I told them.


    The meeting with Principal Whitmore. Avery lurking like a roach in the shadows. Her threat. My response and Dristan’s silent game of chess, moving pieces behind the curtain. By the time I finished, the room had gone quiet.


    Astraea whistled. "Damn. Remind me never to cross you."


    Emerald was grinning. "You really threatened to end her existence?"


    I shrugged. "She deserved it."


    "I love that for you," Emerald nodded approvingly.


    I, though, wasn’t smiling. She looked... thoughtful. Her eyes were distant like she was seeing something far away.


    "What?" I asked her.


    She blinked, snapping back. "Just... thinking. You said Dristan pulled you into his guild, right?"


    I nodded. "Without asking."


    I exhaled and leaned back against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest. "You know... I used to watch him train."


    We all turned toward her.


    "My cousin," she said, voice a little lower now. "When I was younger, maybe twelve or thirteen. He used to train behind the manor, out in the woods where the trees were thick and quiet. I’d sneak out just to watch."


    Astraea’s brow lifted. "Sneak?"


    I nodded. "My uncle—his dad—didn’t want me anywhere near it. Said it wasn’t a ce for girls, let alone his most precious niece. Well, guess he was scared of me getting hurt and letting his sister worry. But I was stubborn. I’d sit behind trees or climb up branches just to get a glimpse of what he was doing."


    "What was he doing?" Emerald asked, already caught up in the story.


    "Things that didn’t look normal," I whispered. "He wasn’t just training with swords or magic. It was deeper. Like... something ancient. Dark, sometimes. Other times, it looked like pure light. The way he moved, it was terrifying and beautiful. Like watching a storm, especially with his powers."


    I swallowed, suddenly remembering the chill that always followed Dristan when he walked into a room.


    "I tried to join once," I continued with a softugh. "Came out of hiding and asked if I could train too. He didn’t say anything. Just looked at me with those cold eyes and walked away."


    "Ouch," Astraea muttered.


    "But then," I smiled a little, "when his dad wasn’t around, Dristan started letting me watch more openly. He even trained with me a couple times. Nothing serious—just forms, some meditation, sparring moves. But even then, I could feel it... how much he was holding back."


    I leaned in. "You think he’s dangerous?"


    I looked at me, her eyes sharp. "I know he is."


    None of us said anything for a moment.


    Then Emerald spoke. "But why you, Val? Why is he pulling you into this?"


    I didn’t have a clear answer. All I knew was that Dristan yed games most people couldn’t see—let alone understand. And he never did anything without a reason.


    Astraea nudged my foot with hers. "So, what now? You gonna y his game?"


    I looked around at them—my girls, my pack.


    "I don’t know yet," I admitted honestly. "But if he wants a fight, he’s going to get one. And if Avery thinks I’m backing down, she’s more delusional than I thought."


    Emerald smirked. "That’s our girl."


    I still looked pensive. "Just... be careful, okay? Whatever training he did, whatever power he has—it’s not like anything we’ve seen. If he’s watching you now, there’s more at stake than just Guild politics."


    I nodded slowly, feeling the weight of her words settle deep.


    "I’ll be ready," I said.


    And I meant it.


    Whatever Dristan was nning, whatever Avery thought she could pull—I wasn’t the scared girl hiding in the background anymore.


    I was Valerie Snow. And I’d survive this storm or burn the whole damn sky trying.


    *************


    The room was quiet. Moonlight spilled through the half-closed blinds, stretching across my bed like silver fingers. Everyone had gone to their rooms, and I finally had a moment alone.


    I perched on the edge of my bed,ptop in front of me, fingers moving rapidly over the keys. My heart beat faster with every second I dug deeper into the virtual shadows.


    Encryptedworks. ck market auction sites. Hidden forums that buzzed with the energy of illegal trades and whispered secrets. I wasn’t stupid—I’d taken precautions, cloaked my IP, bounced through multiple proxies.


    Finally, after what felt like hours, I saw it—an image. Faded. Tarnished. But unmistakable.


    The Nightshade emblem.


    My breath caught. There it was.


    Not just the symbol, but a seller’s tag. "Rare item. Tied to forbidden bloodlines. Contact for details."


    This wasn’t just a coincidence. This was a lead.


    <i>Finally.</i>


    Just as my cursor hovered over the link—


    Knock, knock.


    I jumped. "Shit!"


    Without thinking, I mmed theptop shut and turned toward the door.


    Emerald peeked in. "Hey... sorry. You weren’t sleeping, were you?"


    I forced a smile. "No, it’s fine. Come in."


    She stepped in slowly, dressed in her oversized hoodie and fuzzy socks, the kind offort clothes people wear when they are thinking about something.


    "I just wanted to check on you," she said, moving toward the chair beside my bed. "You’ve been... kind of quiet tonight. Even when we were all talking earlier. Are you okay?"