<b>Chapter </b><b>51 </b>


    <b>The </b>small office was left with just Briar, Mia, and Joseph, the silence heavy with awkward tension<i>. </i>Mia’s eyes flickered nervously<b>, </b><b>dodging </b>Briar’s gaze like it might set her on fire. Whenever their looks crossed, Mia’d jerk her head away.


    Her pulse hammered. She was afraid that Briar might snap and turn on her next.


    In all her years at school, Mia had seen her share of student spats, but nothing like Briar’s terrifying showdown in the dorm.


    Besides Lydia, who’d taken the full force of Briar’s ire, Mia was probably the only one who’d caught that chilling glint in her eyes.


    It wasn’t anger–it was colder, more unsettling. Briar’s stare was calm, almost serene, as if she saw right through them, brushing off their taunts with icy contempt.


    It felt like staring into the eyes of a movie assassin, detached and untouchable.


    If they dared push her again, Lydia’s bruised back would be the least of their problems.


    Joseph, stuck in the ufortable middle, looked helpless.


    He said, “Uh, Mia, why don’t we head to the library? Didn’t Professor Swift assign that brutal practice test? We still need to track down the


    sources and answers.”


    Desperate to escape the stifling vibe, Joseph cleared his throat, offering a foolproof excuse.


    Mia seized it like a lifeline. “Yeah, totally! I’m on it!”


    She grabbed her books and bolted, her exit screaming of someone fleeing a crime scene.


    Briar’s gaze followed Mia’s frantic retreat, then shifted to Joseph. “You should go too, Joseph. I’ve got a ss soon, so I’ll lock up.”


    Joseph nodded quickly. “Got it, Briar. Just make sure you lock the door when you leave, alright? I’m out.”


    In his head, he was groaning. If word of this mess got to Joshua, their whole group would catch heat.


    A freshman getting targeted right at the semester’s start? That was a stain on the Traditional Medicine Department’s pride.


    Once Joseph left, Briar was alone in the office. As a freshman on her first day, she didn’t actually have sses that afternoon.


    New school, new chapter, and yet here she was, tangled in petty drama from the get–go. She sighed inwardly, ‘How boring.’


    Briar pulled out her phone and, with a few deft moves, dismantled it, reassembling it into a sleek miniputer. She summoned a virtual keyboard and logged into a well–known hacker website.


    The second she went online, a message popped up.


    Alex sent: [Hey, Briar! How’s life in Dasmieca treating you?]


    Briar tapped out: [It’s fine. A bit boring, though.]


    Alexia fired back: [Babe, if you’re bored, check the job board! People are dying to get you on their gigs!)


    Briar replied: [I’m on a break.]


    Alexia shot over: [A break? Come on, Hacker Alliance jobs are easy money–a few clicks and you’re done. Weren’t <b>you </b><b>just </b>saying <b>you’re </b><b>short </b>


    <b>10:49 </b>Mon, 11 AugD


    on cash? Take a peek!)


    Briar typed: [Hard pass<b>.</b><b>] </b>


    Alexia messaged: [Alright, alright, you’re the boss. Oh, by the way, that underground auction city you asked us to keep an eye on just dropped a new event. It’s in five days. Check the address yourself.]


    Briar switched tabs, her fingers flying as she entered a series of hidden URLS. After a few ck–screen flickers, a stark, minimalist webpage


    loaded.


    Alexia pinged again: [That thing you were looking for–Frostbug, was it?-it’s on the auction list.]


    Briar responded: [It’s Frostworm. The starting bid is 3 million dors. My guess? It’ll be close around 15 million. Alexía, find me a high–paying job. I’ll handle it in the next few days.]


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