Abigail's POV
I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Noah was here. Noah. Not just him, but with his father too. Damn it. I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything we’d been working on was now crumbling faster than we could keep up with. Noah’s return to the academy wasn’t something we’d expected, at least not this soon. And with ‘him’, of all people. I had a bad feeling about this.
The ceremony was over, and everyone was slowly filing out of the arena. I was about to leave when I heard Lucas approaching. He looked tense, and when he reached me, he whispered, “We need to talk. In your office. It’s about… Mr. Aurorium.”
I gave him a quick nod, my mind already racing through the mess we were dealing with. Each day was getting worse for us, solving and piecing together everything that was going on in this academy had been hard enough. But now that Noah was back, our progress was bound to slow down, and everything would get riskier. How could we keep working under this pressure?
As we turned to leave, Finn’s voice rang out, calling both me and Lucas. I sighed, exchanging a glance with Lucas before looking over at Finn. He had a serious expression on his face, something that immediately set me on edge.
“Don’t leave yet,” Finn said, walking toward us. “Mr. Aurorium has something important to announce from the stage.”
Lucas and I hesitated for a moment before nodding at Finn. Whatever this announcement was, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to make anything easier for us.
We turned back toward the stage, just in time to see Mr. Aurorium step forward again, his presence demanding the attention of every black elite on the stage. The tension in the air grew thicker, like everyone was holding their breath, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“My dear Elites,” Mr. Aurorium began, his voice smooth and authoritative, “as we all know, the upcoming festival event is something we all look forward to each year. I’m pleased to inform you that it will be held sooner than anticipated.”
A murmur spread through the stage, but Mr. Aurorium raised a hand, silencing everyone. “The date will be announced once it’s approved, but rest assured, we will celebrate this festival in true Aurorium fashion.”
I glanced over at Lucas, feeling uneasy. The festival was always a big deal, but the timing felt too convenient. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more going on behind the scenes.
Then, Mr. Aurorium shifted his gaze to Emery, his daughter. The look he gave her was intense, like he was waiting for her reaction. Before she could say anything, Noah stepped forward, clearing his throat.
Noah gave a small smile and addressed the room. “I’d like to take a moment to commend each and every one of you for your hard work, especially those of you who have risen to the highest ranks in this academy.” His eyes scanned the stage, lingering on the Black Elites. “For those of you who may not know, I’m Noah Aurorium, Emery’s older brother. I’m honored to be here with you all.”
I couldn’t stop the irritation that bubbled up inside me. ‘We already know who you are’, I wanted to snap. The whole academy knew who Noah Aurorium was. This little introduction felt pointless, like it was just another way for him to remind everyone of his family’s power.
And then, for the first time, Mr. Aurorium smiled. It wasn’t a warm, genuine smile. It was the kind of smile that didn’t reach his eyes, the kind that made my skin crawl. It was fake. Everything about him was fake, and yet everyone else seemed to fall for it.
He continued, “In recognition of your hard work, especially those of you in the Black Elite category, I’m pleased to announce that you will all be given two days off to rest and recuperate.”
The students on the stage began to clap and cheer, excited about the unexpected break. But I wasn’t buying it. None of this felt right. It was too sudden, too convenient. Mr. Aurorium giving us a break? It felt more like a setup.
I glanced toward Emery, who was standing on stage with her father. She looked like she wanted to protest, to say something, but before she could, her father cut her off, his voice cold and commanding. The tension between them was almost palpable, and it made everyone on the stage uncomfortable. Even the other Elites who had been cheering moments ago fell silent, sensing the growing friction between father and daughter.
But for me, the break was a blessing in disguise. Two whole days off meant more time to figure out what the hell was going on. More time to gather information. Lucas and I could use this to our advantage, to get closer to what we were looking for.
“And finally,” Mr. Aurorium said, his voice booming through the arena once more, “I’d like to invite all of you to a dinner tomorrow night. A small celebration, in honor of your achievements.”
More clapping, more excitement. The Black Elites looked thrilled at the prospect of a formal dinner. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all part of a bigger plan, one that I didn’t like being a part of. 
As the Elites cheered, I caught Lucas’s eye again. We didn’t need to say anything. We both felt it. This wasn’t a celebration. It was a trap.
I glanced back at Mr. Aurorium and then to Noah, who was smiling alongside his father, feeding into the crowd’s energy. Damnit. Something about this was all wrong, and we were about to be thrown right into the middle of it.
It didn’t matter, though. If this was a game, then Lucas and I would play it. And we would win. 
Even if it meant taking down Noah and his father along the way.
---
I sat in my office, the room quiet except for the ticking clock on the wall. My mind was still spinning from the ceremony, from Noah being back, from everything Mr. Aurorium had announced. The tension in the air had felt thick enough to suffocate me, and now I was here, waiting for Lucas. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in my chest. 
When the door creaked open, Lucas stepped in, his face looking grim. He didn’t say a word as he walked toward me, a black file in his hand. The label on it made my stomach drop—“Goal of Future.”
“What’s that?” I asked, my voice softer than I meant it to be. Something about the way he held it, so tight, like it weighed a ton, made my chest tighten.
Lucas sat down in front of me, but he didn’t answer. He just slid the file across the table and pointed at it, signaling for me to open it. 
“Lucas… what’s going on?” I asked again, feeling the tension rise between us. His expression was dead serious, his eyes darker than I’d ever seen them. Something wasn’t right.
I reached for the folder, my hands trembling slightly as I flipped it open. Inside, there were letters. Old, crinkled letters that looked like they’d been kept hidden for years. Some of them had faded handwriting, but the names were clear as day. Aurorium. Golleger. Redozo.
“They were friends, Abigail.” Lucas finally spoke, his voice quiet but filled with a weight that hit me like a punch in the gut. “My parents, your dad… and Mr. Aurorium. They were friends.”
I looked up at him, my mouth dry, my mind trying to make sense of what he just said. “Friends?” I repeated, my voice cracking. “What do you mean, friends?”
He sighed, leaning back in his chair, his eyes still locked on the file in front of me. “They were like families. Since they were kids. Soulmates, partners… whatever you wanna call it. They made promises together. Big promises.”
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest as I pulled out one of the letters. It was addressed to my father, Lucas both parents, signed by Mr. Aurorium. There were more letters, all showing proof of their connection—poems, plans, promises to help each other no matter what.
And then there was a picture. A picture of a large tree, the roots spreading wide, with three kids playing underneath it. “My father, Mr. Aurorium, and his parents.” All smiling, laughing like they had no idea how dark the future would become.
“This… this can’t be real,” I muttered, running my fingers over the worn-out photo. But I knew it was real. The proof was staring right at me. I couldn’t deny it.
Lucas hadn’t said a word, but I could feel his tension too. The silence in the room felt unbearable, suffocating. Neither of us knew what to say. The truth was too much, too heavy.
Lucas stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth across the room. He looked like he was on the verge of losing it, his hands clenched into fists as he tried to keep calm.
“Why the hell did they send us here?” he shouted suddenly, his voice cracking with frustration. “To find what?! This is all bullshit!”
His anger echoed in the small room, his words bouncing off the walls. I could feel it too, the confusion, the anger, the helplessness. We were in over our heads, and now everything was crumbling around us.
I couldn’t help but just sit there, running my fingers through my hair, over and over, trying to piece everything together, trying to understand what we were supposed to do now. My head was pounding, and my heart was racing. It was all too much.
“What do we do now?... ” I whispered, more to myself than to Lucas. 
Lucas stopped pacing, standing in front of the desk, his eyes looking desperate, tired. I could see how much this was wearing him down. He looked like he was ready to give up, to walk away from all of it.
“We can’t keep going like this,” he muttered, running his hand through his hair, his frustration boiling over. “This is… this is insane.”
Then he paused, looking at the picture of the tree again. His eyes darkened, and for a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to say anything. But then, in a low, quiet voice, he said, “That tree, Abigail… it still exists.”
I froze, my hands stilling on the table as I looked up at him. “What?”
He nodded, his jaw tight, his eyes full of something I couldn’t quite place—fear, maybe. “It’s here. At the academy. The tree from the picture… it’s still here.”
My stomach twisted, my hands shaking as I tried to process what he was saying. “No… no. Stop saying nonsense already!” I can't keep up more longer... My father would never keep something like this from me.
“It is!” Lucas said, his voice sharp. “The past… their past… it’s all still here, right under our noses. And we’re stuck in the middle of it!”
I couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t just about some old friendships or promises. This was deeper, darker. And now, we were a part of it.
“Shit!” Lucas whispered, leaning over the desk, his hands gripping the edges as he tried to stay calm. “What the hell are we supposed to do now? We’re running out of time. The past is catching up to us.”
For a moment, neither of us said anything. The weight of everything hung in the air, suffocating. There were no answers, no clear path forward. Only more questions.
I didn’t know what scared me more... the past or what was coming next to us.
Lucas sat down again, leaning back in his chair. His face looked pale, drained from everything we’d just uncovered. Then he glanced at me, his eyebrows drawn together like he was thinking something. “Abigail… maybe you need a break. Take some leave, get some rest.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh, shaking my head. “Rest? Seriously, Lucas? How can I rest when everything’s falling apart around us? There’s no time for rest, not with all this… this mess.” I waved my hand at the file between us, the weight of everything too heavy to ignore.
He smirked, almost like he was expecting my reaction. “Good. I knew you would say that.” Then his expression changed, more serious, more determined. “Let’s go to the Garden of Life, then.”
I blinked at him. “The what?”
“You’ll see,” he said, standing up quickly. “Come on. Let’s not waste time.”
We moved fast, both of us eager to get out of the office, away from the suffocating tension of everything we’d just learned. Lucas didn’t explain much, but I followed him down the hallways, my mind racing, trying to piece together what he was thinking.
Finally, we reached the entrance to the room. Lucas pushed the door open, and I stepped inside. 
The moment I entered, I stopped in my tracks. The room was… beautiful. The centerpiece was a massive tree, its leaves glowing faintly under the full moonlight pouring in through the glass ceiling above us. The moonlight bathed the whole room in this soft, peaceful glow. The tree seemed to shimmer, its branches stretching out, as if reaching for the sky. Surrounding the tree were benches and flowers, creating this serene, almost magical space. 
I couldn’t help but let out a small gasp. “It’s… it’s incredible.” 
The sight calmed me somehow. All the tension that had built up inside me seemed to ease, just for a moment. The air felt lighter, the atmosphere calm. I closed my eyes for a second, just taking in the peaceful feeling of the room.
But then, I couldn’t help but think about the past. About my father. About Mr. Aurorium and Lucas’ parents. I could almost picture them here, under this tree, back when they were just kids, playing and laughing, innocent to the world. How different things must’ve been for them back then, before everything went wrong. 
Lucas must’ve noticed my silence. He walked up beside me, taking my hand without saying a word. His grip was gentle but firm, and I didn’t pull away. He led me around the tree, pointing out small details, his voice soft and filled with nostalgia. 
“This tree… it’s more than just a symbol,” he explained. “It holds memories. Every student who graduates from this Academy leaves a piece of themselves here. They come to this tree when they’re struggling, when they’re hurting. They sit here, and somehow… the tree absorbs it all. That’s why it’s so big, why it’s grown so tall over the years. It carries all the pain, all the struggles of everyone who’s come through here.”
I looked up at the towering branches, feeling the weight of his words. The idea of a tree holding all that pain… it was oddly comforting. Like it was there to take the burden, to share in the struggles that everyone faced.
“It’s… impressive,” I said, my voice quieter than usual. I found myself taking deep breaths, letting the fresh air fill my lungs, letting go of the tension I didn’t even realize I was holding onto. 
Lucas hadn’t let go of my hand, and I was starting to feel… something. It was strange, this warmth spreading through me. I didn’t know how to explain it, but there was something about his touch, the way he held onto me, that made me feel… safe. 
We didn’t speak for a while after that. We just sat down on one of the benches, watching the tree sway gently in the breeze. The leaves rustled softly, the moonlight dancing across them. It was quiet, peaceful, like we were the only two people in the world.
But the silence wasn’t enough to erase what we had learned tonight. The truth about our parents, about the past that we had stumbled upon. It felt heavy, like a shadow that wouldn’t leave us.
“How are we supposed to keep going?” I whispered, more to myself than to Lucas. “Everything’s changed. The past, our parents… we’re caught in the middle of something we barely understand.”
Lucas sighed, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But we’ll figure it out. We always do.” 
I nodded, though the weight of it all still pressed down on me. It felt like we were just scratching the surface of something much bigger, something we weren’t ready for. But I knew Lucas was right. We’d find a way, somehow.
We sat there for what felt like hours, lost in our own thoughts, watching the tree wave gently under the moonlight. There were no easy answers, no clear path forward. But sitting here, in the quiet, it felt like maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to make sense of it all.
Eventually, Lucas squeezed my hand gently. “We’ll figure it out,” he repeated, his voice softer this time. 
I looked at him, seeing the exhaustion in his eyes, the weight of everything we’d been through. But there was also determination. And I knew that as long as we were in this together, we had a chance. 
The future was unpredictable, but for now, sitting under that tree with Lucas, I felt a little bit of hope.
I kept staring at the tree, feeling its calm wash over me. It was strange, but being here under the soft glow of the moonlight, it almost felt like the tree was sharing its peace with me, like it understood everything that was happening. I leaned into Lucas' shoulder without even thinking about it, letting out a soft yawn. The exhaustion of tonight was hitting me hard. 
Lucas shifted slightly and glanced down at me. "You should get some rest," he murmured. "It’s been a long night, Abigail."
I was about to agree when suddenly, the door to the room creaked open. Both of us froze. There was no time to hide or make a run for it.
We turned around to see Nathalie and Finn standing by the entrance. Nathalie had a worried look plastered on her face, while Finn stood behind her, his arms casually stretched behind his head like he was in no rush.
Nathalie didn’t waste a second. She rushed toward me, her hands on her hips, eyes wide. “Abigail! Are you okay?!” She sounded like a mother who had just found her child sneaking out past curfew. 
Lucas and I exchanged shocked glances, struggling to come up with any excuse. We didn’t expect them to find us here. Before I could say a word, Nathalie smacked me on the shoulder, her lips in a tight line. “You didn’t come back to your room after the ceremony! I thought Emery killed you or something!”
I couldn’t help it. I let out a small giggle, Lucas chuckling beside me, though his face screamed disbelief at Nathalie’s over-the-top imagination.
“You think Emery would actually…” I started, still laughing a little.
“YES!” Nathalie cried, looking absolutely serious. “I wouldn’t put it past her! You don’t know what she’s capable of!” She threw her hands up in frustration, clearly not amused by my laughter. “I was worried sick!”
Finn finally walked over, his arms still behind his head, looking completely unbothered. He plopped down onto the bench across from us and sighed, like all the problems of the world were too heavy for him to carry anymore. His eyes drifted to the tree, and I noticed the way his face softened, like he was letting go of something too. The tree seemed to have that effect on all of us.
Meanwhile, Nathalie continued her mini-tirade. She didn’t stop, pinching my ear like I was some kid who had run off. “Do you even understand how irresponsible you’re being? You can’t just disappear like that! What if something happened?!” She scolded, her voice a mix of frustration and relief.
“Nathalie, come on…” I groaned, trying to pull away, but she wasn’t having it.
Before things could escalate further, both Lucas and Finn spoke up. Lucas was the first to try and calm her down. “Nathalie, relax. She’s fine. We’re all fine. It’s been a long night. We’re just trying to get a little air, unwind.”
“Yeah,” Finn added, his voice lazier than usual as he leaned back, arms still draped casually over the bench. “Give her a break. We all deserve it after that ceremony. You can join us, you know. The tree’s not going anywhere.”
Nathalie paused for a moment, blinking at both of them before sighing deeply. “I swear, you all are going to give me a heart attack one of these days,” she muttered. But eventually, she let go of my ear and sat down next to me on the bench. “Fine, fine. I’ll join. But you owe me for this scare, Abigail.”
I smiled, rubbing my ear as the four of us sat there, side by side, all of us staring at the tree. The room was filled with silence for a while, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was like, for the first time in a long time, we were all just… here. Just us, no titles, no missions, no secrets weighing us down. It was nice. It felt like we weren’t in the Academy anymore—like we were just four people, trying to breathe again after everything that’s happened.
Nathalie sighed and looked at the tree, her face softening. “This tree really is something, huh?”
Finn nodded, his eyes still locked on the branches. “Yeah, it’s like it’s seen everything. Like it knows more than we do.”
Lucas leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “It probably does. The memories it holds… it’s like the past is rooted right here. Maybe we’ll figure out what we need by being here, somehow.”
I listened to them talk, my head still spinning from everything we’d discovered earlier, but there was something peaceful about this moment. Just sitting here, with them. I didn’t feel alone, not with Lucas, Nathalie, and Finn beside me. We didn’t have all the answers yet, but at least we had this. This quiet moment.
I leaned back on the bench, closing my eyes for a second, feeling the cool night air filter in through the glass. “Maybe we should just stay here forever,” I whispered, only half-joking. “Forget the Academy, forget everything else. Just stay.”
Lucas let out a soft laugh. “Tempting.”
“We’d be unstoppable if we did,” Finn chimed in, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. “But I don’t think the world would let us.”
Nathalie smiled softly, nudging my shoulder. “Yeah, because you’d get bored in five minutes, Abigail. You can’t sit still.”
I laughed, because she was right. But the thought of staying here, just like this, without the weight of everything pressing down on us, it was a nice thought.
For tonight, though, it felt like the world had paused. And maybe that’s all we needed. A moment of peace, under the moonlit tree, with people who understood.