Evaline:
Fifteen minutes later, I finally stepped out of Kieran’s office.
The mont the door clicked shut behind , my phone buzzed again in my pocket, almost angrily, like it was scolding for ignoring it for so long. A dozen unread ssages lit the screen - Mallory, Kyros, even from Ria. All of them were asking where I had disappeared to.
I replied with a quick ’On my way’ and slipped it back into my coat.
But as I made my way toward the dining hall, my thoughts were still tangled up in what I had just learned from Kieran.
All this ti, I had thought my mate... love life... was ssy. ssy enough to keep lying awake at night, questioning my own sanity. But after tonight, I realized I had been looking at chaos through a keyhole. Kieran had opened the door, and the storm on the other side made mine look ta.
I couldn’t decide whether to feel sorry for him... or worry about how he’s going to co out of this situation without hurting anyone.
The warm, savory sll of roasted herbs and bread hit the mont I stepped into the dining hall. The place was buzzing with chatter, clinking utensils, and bursts of laughter that almost made it feel like a safe, normal evening.
My friends had already claid a table near the center, and they waved when they spotted .
"Finally!" Mallory called as I slid into the seat beside her. "Where were you? We thought you had been kidnapped."
I forced a small smile. "Went to discuss sothing with Professor Kieran," I said vaguely.
Dinner was... hearty. Warm bread rolls, thick stew, roasted vegetables, and sweet cider that left my cheeks tingling. The only one missing was Rowan. He had disappeared earlier in the evening, sa as always. No explanation. No hint of where he went.
It reminded of the first couple of weeks at the start of the term, when he would vanish almost daily and only return around midnight... sotis later. Months had passed, and I was still in the dark. And maybe I had stopped asking because I was busy dealing with my own life.
Still, I couldn’t shake the small pinch of worry in my chest.
Across the room, my gaze caught on Draven. He was surrounded by his friends, laughing at sothing one of them said, but every so often, his eyes would flick to mine. Our smiles were small, brief, but they lingered in a way that made my heart feel a little too warm.
Oscar was easier to spot. He was seated at the staffs’ table, looking perfectly at ease among them. And yet, even from across the hall, I felt the weight of his gaze on more than once.
Kieran, however, was nowhere in sight.
When we finally stepped out of the dining hall almost an hour later, my legs felt heavy with exhaustion. The day had been long, and my head was still clouded from Kieran’s revelations.
Before heading to the dorms, Mallory accompanied as we headed to the study hall to grab my bag from my locker. The halls were quiet, save for the faint scratching of pens from a handful of students still working late.
By the ti we reached the dorm, I was really tired. I mumbled goodnight to Mallory and Ria, closed my door, changed into my pajamas, and let myself collapse onto the bed.
I don’t even rember pulling the blanket over before sleep took .
Hours later... a sound woke .
At first, it was faint - just a small, almost muffled noise that blended with the wind outside. My eyes fluttered open to darkness, the shapes of the room barely forming as they adjusted.
"Rowan?" I called softly, my voice still heavy with sleep.
Silence.
I frowned, reaching for my phone on the bedside table. The screen’s glow lit up the dark - 12:40 a.m. I darted a glance at Rowan’s bed and found it empty with the sheets still untouched.
A knot ford in my stomach.
He still hadn’t co back.
I sat up, hesitating for only a second before slipping out of bed. The sound ca again - closer this ti. And I imdiately realized where it was coming from.
I crossed to the balcony door, pulled the curtains aside... and froze.
Snow was falling in thick sheets, swirling in the wind, and there, sitting hunched against the railing, was Rowan.
My heart stuttered.
I shoved the door open without thinking, the icy air hitting like a wall. "Rowan!"
He didn’t answer. Just... groaned. A low, pained sound that sent my pulse into overdrive.
I rushed to him, crouching in the snow. My breath caught as my eyes adjusted to his face.
He was injured. Badly.
A gash split across his cheekbone, his lip was cut, and his skin was pale under streaks of blood. The heavy, tallic scent of the blood hit like a second wave of cold.
"Stars, Rowan-" My voice cracked. "What happened to you?"
He didn’t answer, only shook his head slightly, wincing at the movent.
Panic clawed at my chest, but I forced myself to pull it together. "Co on. We need to get you inside."
It took all my strength to help him up, his weight heavy against . We staggered through the balcony door, the warmth of the room a stark contrast to the freezing bite outside. I shut the door quickly, locking out the wind, then guided him to his bed.
When I flicked on the bedside lamp, the sight made my stomach twist harder.
Though he had co back with bruises before, it was never like this. His shirt was torn, the fabric at his side was stained dark red. His hands were scraped raw. There was even dried blood at his temple.
"Rowan," I whispered, my hands hovering uncertainly before I forced them to work, checking his face for deeper cuts. "You are bleeding everywhere..."
His eyes, shadowed and unfocused, t mine for just a mont before drifting away again.
I swallowed hard, realizing this was far worse than anything I had seen him return with before.
And I didn’t know if I was more terrified of the injuries... or the reason behind them.
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