Evelyn’s POV
The words in the text were crafted to raise rumors, bad rumors. "Evelyn is known to be having an illicit affair with a professor of Thunderclap," it said. "That would explain how she got into the institute despite being unable to shift. Please keep an eye out for Evelyn and this 'mysterious professor.'" It was clearly referring to Sebastian. After all, he’d done for me, this is the thanks he gets? I appreciated Sebastian, but now his reputation was on the line because of me.
"Evelyn," he began, his voice firm but gentle, "these rumors are nonsense. They have no basis in truth."
"But what if people believe them?" I said, my voice cracking. "Your reputation... everything you’ve worked for..."
Sebastian stood and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "No one with an ounce of sense would believe these lies, but I'll need to make sure there aren't other rumors being spread."
The guilt was gnawing at me viciously. "I’m so sorry, Sebastian. If it weren’t for me—"