Evaline:
Returning to the academy felt… strange at first. Not because I didn''t belong there, but because a part of me had changed.
Something inside me had shifted after everything that happened with Damian. It wasn''t loud or obvious, it didn''t scream for attention, but it was there, steady and undeniable.
And yet…
The moment I stepped back through those familiar gates, something else happened too.
The weight lifted, though notpletely, not all at once, but enough for me to breathe easier.
Enough for me to feel like I could finally move forward.
And the academy, it didn''t give me much time to dwell on anything anyway.
Because just as the winter break ended, the professors decided to remind us all that peace was temporary.
Assignments, group projects, presentations, tests, and trials filled our schedules. It felt like they had stored everything up during the holidays just to unleash it all at once.
"If I survive this semester," Ria muttered one afternoon, slumping over the desk as she stared at the pile of notes in front of her, "it''ll be a miracle."
Mallory snorted from beside me. "You say that every semester."
"And every semester I mean it." Ria returned.
I just smiled, realizing just how normal everything felt. And I needed it more than I realized.
Our days were packed with sses that stretched longer than they should, training sessions that left my muscles burning in the best way possible, and field work that pushed us out into real situations, forcing us to think, act, and adapt.
There were moments when I barely had time to sit down and breathe, and I weed every single one of them.
Because being busy meant not thinking, not remembering, not going back to that dark ce in my mind.
And slowly… piece by piece… Damian stopped being the first thing I thought of when I went to bed or woke up.
- - -
My weekends were just as full as I finally returned to work at the council after two long weeks.
And surprisingly, working under Elion actually felt nice this time,forting even.
He didn''t treat me differently, didn''t walk on eggshells around me, but there was a quiet attentiveness in the way he observed me now.
A subtle check-in.
"You are managing?" he asked one evening as we reviewed reports in his office.
I nodded, not looking up from the papers. "I am."
There was a small pause before he spoke, "That''s good. I want my assistant in her best state of mind possible."
That was it.
There was no pity, no unnecessary concern, just acknowledgment. And I appreciated that more than anything.
And then there were my mates. No matter how busy things got, they were always there.
I enjoyed the stolen moments between sses, or in the council in River''s case. And I made sure to give them all my attention during Saturday and Sunday nights while still spending quality time with Lioren.
But beneath all of that, there was still work to be done.
Important work.
Work that mattered beyond just us - the victims of soul death, the ones still trapped in that endless sleep... including Draven.
I swallowed slightly every time I thought of him lying there in the basement, unmoving and waiting.
And though we still hadn''t fully figured out the cure yet, we were close. Closer than ever.
Elder Morwen had confirmed what we had all suspected - the Great Evil still held the wolves it had taken these past two years.
Which meant there was hope... real, tangible hope.
We just had to find a way to bring them back safely, without causing more damage.
While the witches focused on finding a way to separate the wolves from the Great Evil, I worked with Elder Ren to prepare the patients to receive their wolves after being separated from them for so long.
Because after being in aa for so long, all these people had weakened physically. They all were too fragile now, both physically and mentally.
And if we rushed the process, if we forced their wolves back into unprepared vessels, it could destroy them. Or worse... kill them.
Which is why we had to be careful and patient.
Fortunately… I already had a starting point.
The pill.
The one I had created before for the patients and Rowan had even tested it. And when Elder Ren examined it, he was more than impressed.
From there, we refined it. We adjusted the dosage, modified its effects, and since none of the patients could swallow pills, we turned it into elixirs.
By the time January was nearing its end, we were ready for the first round.
I stood beside Elder Ren, my heart pounding slightly as we prepared the elixirs.
Around us, the room was filled with quiet tension.
We were in the basement back at the estate as it had been decided Draven would be the first among the patients to consume the elixir.
And while it was confirmed by both myself and Elder Ren that the elixir was safe for consumption, I still couldn''t stop getting anxious as I watched Elder Ren inject the elixir in Draven''s arm.
I stood beside Oscar. River, Kieran, and Elion stood nearby, and we all watched Draven closely for any reaction, any sign, any change.
The room was silent.
So silent I could hear my own heartbeat.
Seconds passed, then minutes, and then... it happened.
A subtle shift, but it was there. Draven looked slightly less paler than he had be over past months, his breathing became more even, and he looked... somehow better than he had seconds before.
Elder Ren immediately checked his pulse and then whispered, almost in awe, "He''s responding. As expected."
Relief and hope flooded through me and everyone else present in the room. We were finally on the right track.
With the elixir sessfully tested on Draven, Elder Ren and Cao visited the rest of the patients with River and Elion to give them the elixir.
But just one dose wasn''t enough, they needed at least two or three more doses. However, we needed to wait for a few days before giving them the next dose.
And it actually worked fine with us because the witches hadn''t found a way to safely extract the wolves from the Great Evil yet.
And I... I also had my uing exams to focus on.