Evaline:


    "Are you serious right now?!"


    Mallory''s voice cracked through the room like a whip, sharp and loud enough to make both Rowan and me flinch at the same time.


    I blinked while Rowan coughed awkwardly beside me. And just like that, thefortable atmosphere of the lounge shatteredpletely.


    Mallory stood in front of us with her hands nted on her hips, and her eyes zing with a mix of disbelief and anger. Her gaze flicked between me and Rowan like she couldn''t decide who she wanted to strangle first.


    "You are telling us," she continued, her voice rising another notch, "that all of this was happening… and you thought, ''yeah, let''s just not tell our friends anything until it''s all over''?!"


    The silence that followed was thick and heavy, even dangerous.


    I slowly nced around the room, taking in my other friends who hadn''t even bothered to speak.


    Kyros had his arms crossed and his jaw was clenched tight. Noah looked stunned, but there was a clear edge of irritation in his eyes.


    Selene and Ria exchanged a look - one that said ''we are definitely not letting this go easily''.


    And then there was Naira. She was sitting quietly beside Rowan, looking a little overwhelmed but also faintly amused.


    Right.


    This was bad. Really bad. And honestly? We deserved it.


    It had been a week since the night everything ended. And today, for the first time since the holidays started, all of us were finally together again.


    The others had arrived early than Rowan as he got slightlyte, which had the othersining about how he had been way too busy the past week that he barely responds to their messages and calls.


    And before I could even begin exining anything, he had walked in... with Naira.


    That alone had been enough to throw everyone into stunned silence.


    Then Riwan and I told them everything - beginning with who Naira was, what happened to her, the truth about Great Evil, about Draven, and everything else that followed up until the night a week ago -


    And now here we were, facing the consequences.


    Mallory pointed a finger straight at me. "You," she used. "You always do this!"


    I winced slightly but didn''t interrupt.


    "You disappear, you act weird, you hide things - and then suddenly boom!" she threw her hands up, "life-threatening secret revealed after everything is already done!"


    I lowered my gaze. Because… she wasn''t wrong. Not even a little.


    "And you!" she snapped, turning to Rowan. "Since when did you start doing the same thing?!"


    Rowan raised both hands immediately in surrender. "Okay-okay, I deserve that-"


    "You absolutely do!"


    He nodded quickly. "I do. I really do."


    A deep breath filled my lungs as I finally looked back at them. "I''m sorry," I said quietly.


    That shut Mallory up for a second. Not because she forgave me, but because she knew I meant it.


    "I know I should have told you," I continued, my voice steady despite the guilt sitting heavy in my chest. "I know I have done this before. And I also know that it''s not fair to you."


    Kyros''s expression softened… just a little, and Noah exhaled quietly. But Mallory still looked unconvinced.


    "And yet you didn''t," she said.


    I nodded before adding softly, "Because I couldn''t."


    That made her pause and the room went quiet again. I nced at Rowan briefly before looking back at the others.


    "This wasn''t just my secret," I exined. "It was ssified by the council. If I had told anyone without permission… it wouldn''t just have been a warning or punishment. It could have turned into something much worse."


    Selene let out a soft sigh before speaking, "You were actually protecting us."


    "In a way… yes," I admitted. "And also protecting everyone involved in this."


    Mallory held my gaze for a long moment, and then, she sighed. It was a long, dramatic sigh as she dragged a hand down her face.


    "Fine," she muttered. "I hate that this actually makes sense."


    A small, relieved breath escaped me.


    "But," she added quickly, pointing at me again, "this doesn''t mean you arepletely off the hook."


    "Wouldn''t expect to be," I said softly.


    She narrowed her eyes… then huffed. "We''ll let it go this time," she finally dered. "Because yeah, okay, council secrets, life-threatening situation, h h… valid reasons."


    Rowan and I exchanged a quick nce as relief passed silently between us.


    "And you-" Ria suddenly spoke, her gaze snapping toward Rowan which had him turning stiff immediately.


    "Oh no-"


    "You are NOT forgiven," she stated tly.


    Rowan blinked. "Wait-what-why-?!"


    Ria crossed her arms as she exined, "Because you had no council restrictions stopping you from telling us about Naira."


    Rowan opened his mouth, but then closed it only to open it again the next second.


    "…That''s fair."


    Naira let out a softugh beside him, clearly entertained.nAnd stars... it felt so good to hear herugh.


    She looked so much better. Though still a little pale and weak, but alive. She''s bright, present - nothing like the fragile, almost lifeless version we had seen just a week ago.


    Rowan suddenly stood up straight and bowed dramatically. "I sincerely apologize for my crimes," he said.


    Noah snorted. Selene rolled her eyes. And Kyros muttered, "Idiot."


    Ria just stared at him. "…I''ll think about forgiving you," she said after a moment.


    "I''ll take it," Rowan replied quickly.


    The tension in the room finally eased. It didn''t disappearpletely, but became lighter, manageable.


    Then Noah turned toward me and asked, "How''s Draven now?"


    My heart softened instantly. "He''s-"


    "I''m doing absolutely fine, thank you."


    The voice came from behind me. I turned instinctively just in time to see Draven step into the lounge.


    For a second, everything else faded because he was here - walking toward me with that bright smile of his.


    Noah let out a breath. "Good to hear, man."


    Draven nodded slightly in acknowledgment before his gaze shifted to me, and just like that, everything else blurred again.


    He walked over and stopped right behind the couch where I sat. His hand brushed lightly against my shoulder before he bent down, and I turned my head just in time to meet his lips.


    A small smile formed against his mouth before he pulled back slightly. "I missed you," he murmured under his breath.


    I smiled faintly as I teased, "You have been gone for… what, two hours?"


    "Still counts."


    A quietugh escaped me.


    Then he straightened, looking at the others. "River and Kieran are back from the council meeting," he announced. "Lunch is ready."


    My attention snapped back instantly.


    The council.


    Right.


    Today was important as the fate of the witches had to decided in today''s meeting.


    "How did it go?" I asked, unable to keep the anticipation out of my voice.


    For a moment, Draven just looked at me. But then, he smiled. It was that calm, confident smile that always carried certainty.


    "River never breaks his word," he said simply.


    And just like that, I knew we had won - not just the battle, but everything that came after it.


    And as I sat there, surrounded by my friends, my family - by the people I loved and who loved me back - I realized something.


    For the first time in my life… there was no shadow looming over me, no fear waiting in the dark, no past ready to drag me back.


    There was only this moment.


    This life.


    This future.


    And I was finally free to live it.


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