Chapter 29: Chapter 0029

•AVELINE•

I went to the library after leaving my room to study as much as I could before 7 p.m.

I didn't want to stay in my dorm with nothing to do and end up going back to the same thoughts I had been trying to avoid since yesterday.

It was Saturday, and the library was almost empty, which made it the perfect place to hide.

The only other people inside were two boys sitting near the computers at the back of the room who looked like they had been there since morning.

I chose a table near the tall windows and dropped my books on the surface before pulling out my chair and sitting down.

I hoped that if I focused hard enough on studying, I would forget the conversation I had with my father.

But it didn't work.

Every time I started reading a page and finally found my rhythm, the memory of his voice would return and break my focus.

He had promised that he would finally tell me the truth about my mother, but she was already dead, and being told about her wouldn't make much difference.

My real mother had always been Evelyn.

She was the one who raised me, the one who stayed when I was sick, the one who taught me how to read, and the one who hugged me when I cried after my first fight at school.

Even though her words yesterday had hurt me more than anything anyone had ever said to me, I still wanted to believe she had spoken out of anger and not because she meant them.

I rubbed my forehead and forced myself to look down at the book again.

“Focus,” I whispered to myself.

Minutes passed while I tried to study, writing notes and underlining sentences, even though I wasn't really thinking about the words in front of me.

Then my phone suddenly started ringing.

The sound was loud in the quiet library, and both of the boys at the computers turned to look at me, which made me quickly grab the phone from my bag and answer it before it rang again.

“Hello?” I whispered.

“Aveline, where are you?” Ember asked.

“In the library,” I replied.

“Come to the main hall corridor.”

I frowned. “Why?”

“Just come,” she answered. “You need a break.”

Before I could ask anything else, the call ended.

I stared at the screen for a moment while wondering what she was planning now, because whenever Ember sounded excited like that, it usually meant trouble.

Part of me wanted to ignore her message and stay in the library where everything was quiet and safe, but another part of me knew she was right about one thing.

I needed a break.

I packed my books into my bag, pushed my chair back, and walked out of the library while telling myself that I would only stay with Ember for a few minutes before returning to study.

The academy halls were mostly empty since many students had gone out into the city for the weekend.

When I turned the corner into the corridor, I immediately spotted Ember leaning against the wall with another girl I didn't recognize.

Ember waved when she saw me. “Aveline!”

I smiled at her and the girl beside her.

“This is Suzie,” Ember added. “She’s in my combat class.”

Suzie gave me a small nod. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” I replied before looking back at Ember. “What’s going on?”

Ember’s eyes lit up. "There's a party."

I raised an eyebrow. “So?”

“It's not just any party, Aveline,” Suzie replied. “It's a secret one. I received a special invitation, and I was told I could invite anyone I wanted.”

I crossed my arms. “Where?”

Suzie leaned closer as if she were about to share something dangerous. “In the underground halls.”

I blinked at her.

The underground halls were old tunnels beneath the academy that had been sealed off years ago after some structural damage, and everyone knew students were not supposed to go there without permission.

“You’re serious?” I asked.

Ember grinned. “Completely.”

“There’s music, drinks, and all the popular people would be there,” Suzie added. “You should come.”

I hesitated.

The responsible part of my mind told me to go back to the library and forget this conversation ever happened, because getting caught at a secret party in a forbidden part of the academy would bring serious punishment.

But another part of me remembered the weight in my chest and the thoughts I had been trying to escape all day.

Maybe one day of distraction was exactly what I needed. “Fine,” I said. “But only for a little while.”

Ember clapped her hands. “Yes!”

Twenty minutes later, the three of us were walking through a narrow staircase that led to the lower levels of the building.

When we reached the underground halls, I immediately understood why Ember had sounded so excited.

The place was packed with students.

Music blasted through the long stone corridor while colored lights flashed across the walls, and several tables had been pushed together to hold bottles and plastic cups that people kept filling with different drinks.

Someone handed me a cup the moment I stepped inside.

“At least try it,” Ember murmured when she noticed my hesitation.

I sighed and took a sip.

The drink burned as it went down, but after a moment, a warm feeling spread through my chest that helped quiet the thoughts that had been bothering me all day.

Maybe this hadn't been such a bad idea.

I ended up staying longer than I planned, talking with Ember and Suzie while music played around us and people laughed and danced in the crowded hallway.

After my second drink, the tension in my shoulders finally faded.

That was when I noticed Matteo.

He was standing near the opposite wall with a group of students from the combat department, and when his eyes landed on me, he smiled.

Matteo said something to the people around him before stepping away and walking toward me.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” he said when he reached me.

“I could say the same thing,” I replied.

He looked down at the cup in my hand and chuckled.

“So the quiet girl from class knows how to have fun.”

“Sometimes,” I chuckled.

Matteo leaned in slightly so I could hear him better. “Want to dance?”

“I don’t dance,” I replied.

He shrugged. “Then we’ll just stand here.”

He stepped closer and brushed his hand against my arm, and before I had time to think about it, he leaned forward and kissed me.

The kiss was sudden, and the alcohol in my system made the moment a little more enjoyable.

But halfway through the kiss, something inside me shifted. I felt a cold shiver down my spine and pulled away from Matteo.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

I didn’t answer. My eyes had already moved past his shoulder and landed on Dominic.

He was standing near the corridor, and his eyes were glued on me.