La_mora_que_ame

//chapters every Thursday//
Evan Solene’s arrival at the Veiled Academy is supposed to mark the beginning of his prestigious education in the magical arts. But instead, it quickly becomes a descent into a world of secrets, power struggles, and forbidden magic. Beneath the academy's prestigious reputation lies a hidden truth: its true purpose is far more sinister than anyone knows.

In the midst of this shadowy realm, Evan finds himself drawn to Selene Arkwright, a mysterious and compelling student with a lineage that connects her to the academy’s darkest history. As their bond grows, Evan discovers Selene’s crucial role in a centuries-old conflict that threatens to tear the academy—and the magical world—apart.

The more Evan uncovers about the academy’s true purpose, the more he realizes that his arrival is no accident. The academy isn't just a place of learning; it's a breeding ground for the next generation of dark mages, and the students are nothing more than pawns in a deadly game. With powerful forces aligned against them, Evan and Selene must navigate a web of lies, betrayal, and temptation that threatens not only their love but their very lives.

At the heart of this treacherous institution stands Mira Solene, a teacher with a brutal reputation, who harbors her own dark ambitions. As Evan and Selene uncover Mira's role in the academy’s corrupt leadership, they must decide how far they’re willing to go to expose the truth and free themselves from the academy’s deadly grip.

Crown of Ruins/Garden of the Exiles

Chapter 27: Blades and Betrayal

The venom burned through Evan's veins like liquid fire.

By dawn, his entire right arm had turned the color of spoiled meat, the skin stretched tight and glistening with fever-sweat. Isolde worked over him in the hidden alcove beneath the library, her glasses slipping down her nose as she muttered incantations from a crumbling herbal. The air smelled of crushed yarrow and rotting flesh.

"Hold still," she hissed, pressing a poultice to the wound. The mixture of ground pearlsnake bone and moonpetal extract sizzled against his skin. Evan bit down on the leather strap between his teeth hard enough to leave grooves.

Across the room, Selene paced like a caged wolf. The silver in her eyes had grown brighter since the oathbinding, giving her an almost luminous quality in the dim light. She stopped abruptly when Aria slipped through the hidden entrance, her knives dark with something that wasn't blood.

"They're everywhere," Aria reported, wiping her blades clean on her trousers. "The gardens, the courtyards—even the damn rooftops." She nodded to Evan's arm. "He's not the only one they got. Three first-years are in the infirmary with the same wounds. They won't last the week."

Evan spat out the leather strap. "Mira?"

"Nowhere to be found." Aria's grin was all teeth. "But I left a present in her quarters. If she comes back, she'll get a nasty surprise."

Rowan entered next, his bulk nearly filling the doorway. His left eye was swollen shut, fresh bruises mottling his dark skin. "Caine's called an emergency assembly at noon. Word is he's blaming the attacks on 'rogue elements' among the students."

Selene's fingers tightened around her dagger. "He's purging the dissenters."

A heavy silence fell. Evan tried to sit up, gritting his teeth as the movement sent fresh agony through his arm. "We need to get to his office first. Those records we found—"

"No." Selene's voice cut like steel. "You can barely stand."

Evan met her gaze. The oathbond between them thrummed with unspoken arguments.

Isolde cleared her throat. "There might be another way." She reached into her satchel and withdrew a small vial filled with swirling black liquid. "Dreamwalking tonic. If we can't go physically..."

Aria whistled low. "That's dark magic, bookworm."

"And we're well past pretending otherwise," Isolde snapped. Her fingers brushed Evan's uninjured hand as she passed him the vial. "One drop will put you under. Two will let you walk in someone else's dreams. Three..."

"Three will get you stuck between worlds," Selene finished. She took the vial from Evan, examining it. "Where did you get this?"

Isolde adjusted her glasses. "The restricted archives have more than just books."

The implications hung unspoken between them. Evan reached for the vial again. "How long do I have?"

"Sunrise," Isolde said. "Any longer and your body won't remember how to call you back."

Evan nodded. He'd expected resistance from Selene, but she merely pressed her dagger into his left hand. "Take this. The oathbond will let me find you if something goes wrong."

The metal was warm against his palm, as though alive. Evan hesitated, then downed two drops of the tonic.

Chapter 27: Blades and Betrayal﻿

Chapter 27: Blades and Betrayal