Chapter 17

The corridors of Arkwell Academy were quieter than usual. An uneasy silence crept through the air like mist, curling around the old brick walls and whispering through the trees that lined the courtyard. Eliana walked with purpose, her hood up and her steps careful. Ever since the discovery at the observatory, she hadn't been able to sleep. The folder Vanessa had stolen still burned a hole in her backpack metaphorically and almost literally, considering the strange symbols etched on its cover.

She slipped into the library unnoticed, her eyes scanning for the only person she could trust at least partially.

"Clara," she whispered.

The girl looked up from the dusty tome she was pretending to read, her expression instantly shifting from curious to alert. "You shouldn't be here."

"I had to see you. I need answers," Eliana said, sliding into the seat across from her.

Clara lowered her voice. "Do you have it?"

Eliana nodded, pulling the folder out just enough for Clara to see. Her friend's eyes widened.

"You actually went to the observatory?"

"With Vanessa."

Clara's lips pressed into a thin line. "That place is off-limits for a reason, Eliana."

"Because it holds the truth?" Eliana shot back. "You knew something all along, didn't you? About me… and about Zayne."

Clara's hesitation was answer enough.

Eliana leaned in. "Who am I really, Clara?"

Clara glanced around, then pulled out a small stone from her bag and pressed it to the table. A glowing shield shimmered around them. "Soundproof enchantment," she explained. "You're not just a student, Eliana. You're the missing key to a bloodline that was erased. Your mother was part of the Order."

"The same Order Aria is tied to?"

"Yes. But your mother broke away. She tried to stop the experiments. She disappeared before she could reveal everything. You were taken… hidden. Someone placed a spell on you to forget."

Eliana's head spun. "And Zayne?"

Clara hesitated. "He's supposed to protect you. That's what he was assigned to do. But somewhere along the line, feelings got in the way. And now, he's torn."

Torn. The word sliced through Eliana like glass.

She stood, the shield dissolving as Clara reached for her. "Wait! Don't confront him yet. Let me help you"

But Eliana was already gone.

The greenhouse was warm, fragrant with blooming night jasmines and moon lilies. Zayne was there, seated on the edge of the stone fountain, his hands deep in thought, eyes distant.

When Eliana entered, he looked up, guilt flickering in his gaze.

"You lied to me," she said quietly.

Zayne stood. "Eliana"

"You knew who I was. You knew about my mother. About the Order. And you kept it from me."

"I was trying to protect you."

"You keep saying that," she snapped. "But all I see is betrayal. Every time you touched me. Every time you whispered comfort. It was all a lie."

"No," he said, stepping closer. "None of that was a lie. Yes, I was sent to watch over you. But what I feel what we had that was real."

She shook her head, tears pricking her eyes. "Then why did you let me feel alone? Why did you let me think I was crazy?"

"I couldn't risk awakening your memories too soon. The power buried inside you it's dangerous, Eliana."

"Dangerous to who? To the people experimenting on others like me?"

Zayne flinched.

She stepped back. "I trusted you."

"I never stopped caring about you," he said, his voice low, anguished. "But you're right. I should've told you everything."

Eliana turned to leave, then paused. "You have one last chance, Zayne. No more lies. If you really care, prove it."

As she disappeared into the trees, Zayne exhaled sharply, a hand running through his hair. Behind him, in the shadows of the greenhouse, a figure stepped forward.

Aria.

"You're losing control," she murmured.

Zayne didn't look at her. "She deserves the truth."

"And the truth will destroy everything we've worked for," Aria replied coldly.

Zayne stared at the path where Eliana had vanished, her final words lingering like smoke in the air: "You have one last chance."

The wind picked up, rustling the vines that crawled across the greenhouse walls. Moonlight filtered through the glass ceiling, casting shadows that twisted and danced like phantoms. And then, from behind the fountain, footsteps emerged.

Aria.

Her presence was colder than the night, her arms folded, and her dark eyes unreadable.

"You're losing control," she said.

Zayne didn't turn to face her. His eyes remained on the trees, his body taut with regret. "You followed me."

"You made it easy. You're reckless, Zayne. You always were when your emotions got in the way."

"I told you from the start this isn't just a mission to me anymore."

"And that's exactly why you're failing," she replied icily. "She was never meant to know this soon."

Zayne turned now, his jaw clenched. "She had a right to know. We've manipulated her long enough."

Aria stepped closer, her heels tapping against the stone floor. "Do you think revealing the truth will suddenly fix everything? That she'll forgive you, forgive us?"

"She needs to understand what's happening to her."

"She'll hate you," Aria warned, voice cold. "When she remembers everything what happened to her mother, what the Council did she'll see you were a part of it."

Zayne's voice dropped. "Then I'll accept that. But I won't lie to her anymore."

Aria looked at him, truly looked, and for the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossed her face. "You love her."

It wasn't a question.

Zayne didn't deny it. "I don't know when it happened. But yes."

Silence stretched between them.

"Then you're weaker than I thought," Aria muttered.

"No," he replied. "I'm finally strong enough to make my own choices."

Aria's gaze darkened. "The Council won't tolerate this. If you go against them"

"They can do what they want," he interrupted. "I'm done following orders that destroy lives."

For a moment, Aria looked at him like he was a stranger. Then she turned, the folds of her cloak trailing behind her like shadows. "They'll come for her. And when they do, don't expect mercy."

Zayne watched her disappear into the night, the greenhouse door closing behind her with a soft click. Alone once more, he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Everything was unraveling Eliana's memories, the truth about her lineage, the lies he'd built around them both. And yet, despite the storm brewing around him, he felt something else rise in his chest.

Resolve.

He would protect her. Not because it was his duty, but because he wanted to. Because he loved her. Even if she never forgave him.

Elsewhere, Eliana sat in her dorm room, staring at the folder once more. Clara's words echoed in her mind.

"You were taken… hidden. Someone placed a spell on you to forget."

Her hands trembled slightly as she turned another page. A photograph slipped out old and faded. A woman with fierce eyes and a gentle smile stood with a child. The child looked eerily familiar.

Her.

Bile rose in her throat.

Her entire life had been a lie. And the boy she'd trusted, kissed, confided in he'd known all along.

Tears blurred the page, but she didn't let them fall. Not this time.

"Zayne…" she whispered.

She didn't know what was worse the betrayal, or the feeling that part of her still longed for him anyway.