Chapter 33: The Trap

Freya’s POV

By the time class ended, I felt like I’d been walking through fog all day.

I barely remembered what was said. The words on the board blurred. My notes were a mess—half-finished sentences, numbers that didn’t add up. My pen had stopped moving halfway through the lecture, but no one noticed. No one ever noticed.

After a quick word with Grace, I headed back to the dorm. Changed into something casual. Neutral. Nothing that could be read the wrong way. I tied my hair back with shaking hands and stared at my reflection for a second too long before finally grabbing my coat and heading out.

The sky outside had darkened by the time I reached the other side of the river. The last glow of daylight gilded the buildings, their reflections stretched out in the water like something too perfect to touch. The city felt colder here, cleaner, quieter—like the air itself cost more.

And there it was.

The Halstead.