Emery's POV
Weeks had passed since the chaos had finally started to settle, and the academy was still standing, alive and thriving. I couldn’t believe it sometimes, that after all that madness, the place hadn’t crumbled to dust. It was growing stronger, too. More students kept coming, each more ‘special’ than the last. 
Today was a big day, though. The festival. Every student had gathered at the arena, filling with excitement, and the whole thing looked... almost normal. Well, as normal as things ever get around here.
But instead of joining them, we were all still stuck in the meeting room, going over the final schedule for the day. I glanced around the table, Lucas, Finn, Abigail with Nathalie—and of course, Nathalie had already started eating.
“Okay, settle down,” I said, glaring at her. “Nathalie, stop eating at the damn table.”
She didn’t even look up. She was too busy stuffing her face with whatever food she had in front of her. Honestly, sometimes I wondered if Nathalie heard anything I said.
“Geez, Nathalie, slow down,” Finn said, tossing her a bottle of water. “It’s not your last meal, seriously.”
Nathalie ignored him too, practically inhaling her food. I sighed and shrugged it off. There was no point in trying to stop her once she was like this.
Instead, I flipped through the files on the table and started passing out the schedules. “Here,” I said, giving one to Lucas, Finn, and Abigail. “Make sure everything runs smoothly. Especially keep an eye on the Red Elites. I’m not in the mood for any trouble from them today.”
Finn nodded, taking the paper from me. “Got it. Red Elites are always looking for a way to mess things up.”
Abigail glanced down at the schedule, her eyes scanning it quickly. “The event ends at 4 o’clock?” she asked, looking a little relieved.
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “That way, everyone gets some rest. And don’t worry, there will be more than enough food for everyone. Nathalie’s stomach won’t be a problem.”
Lucas chuckled softly. “Good thing. I don’t want to deal with her whining.”
We spent a few more minutes discussing the event, games, performances, food booths, all the usual festival stuff. It was going to be big, and we had to make sure everything ran like clockwork. 
Once we had gone over everything, I leaned back in my chair. “Alright. Meeting dismissed.”
Just as I said it, there was a knock at the door. It creaked open, and in walked Noah, looking way too relaxed in his cardigan and perfectly fitted pants.
“Am I late, ma’am?” he asked, a small grin playing on his lips as he glanced around the room.
I rolled my eyes. “Oh no, you’re just in time to have your schedule thrown out the window. Congrats.”
Everyone chuckled, and Finn handed Noah his copy of the schedule. “Here. Try to keep up with the rest of us.”
Noah gave him a lazy salute. “Sure thing.”
It was strange seeing Noah like this, so casual, like all the tension between us had just... faded away. The way he was joking around, smiling, and actually enjoying himself, it was a new side of him. And I couldn’t deny, it felt good. We had come a long way from the cold distance that used to sit between us.
“It’s the last event before exams start,” Lucas said, breaking the moment. “Good way to give the students a break before they’re buried in all that stress.”
I nodded, standing up. “Exactly. It will be a good distraction for them.”
Finn stretched, standing up as well. “Well, we better get moving. The students are already gathering outside the arena.”
I glanced at him, then at the others. They were all ready, waiting for me to give the signal. It felt weird, being the one in charge of something like this instead of Father. A festival, no less. But there was something... new about it. Something exciting.
“Alright,” I said, pushing my chair back and heading for the door. “Let’s go.”
We stepped out of the meeting room and into the hallway, the buzz of excitement already filling the air. As we made our way toward the arena, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of nostalgia. This place, this moment, it reminded me of something from a long time ago. A time when things were simpler. 
And for the first time in a while, I felt like I wasn’t hiding in the shadows anymore. I was out in the open, and everything felt... different. Good. Peaceful, even.
As we approached the arena, the noise grew louder. Laughter, voices, the sound of students getting ready for the day’s events. It was lively, almost too lively. But I couldn’t help but smile a little.
Once we entered inside, the scene before us was chaotic but in a good way. Booths were set up everywhere, each one decorated with bright colors and signs advertising food, games, and performances. Students were scattered around, talking, laughing, and already stuffing their faces with snacks.
“Alright, everyone,” I said, raising my voice over the noise. “You know what to do. Keep an eye on everything and make sure nothing gets out of hand.”
Lucas gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
I rolled my eyes at him but couldn’t help but smile. “Just don’t mess it up.”
Abigail was already making her way toward the performance area, checking the stage setup. Finn headed off toward the game booths, probably making sure none of the Red Elites were planning on causing any trouble. And Nathalie? Well, she was already at one of the food booths, stuffing her face again. Of course.
I found myself standing there for a moment, just taking it all in. It was weird, being in the middle of something like this. Something so... normal. But it felt good. Like maybe, just maybe, things were starting to settle down.
“Hey,” a voice said behind me. I turned to see Noah standing there, hands in his pockets, looking out over the arena with a small smile. “You alright?”
I shrugged. “Yeah. I think so.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s a new one. You sure?”
I laughed softly. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
We stood there in silence for a moment, just watching the students enjoy themselves. It was strange how peaceful everything felt. After everything we’d been through, this was... nice.
“You know,” Noah said after a while, “I think this might be the first time I’ve seen you actually... relaxed.”
I glanced at him, a smirk tugging at my lips. “Don’t get used to it.”
He chuckled. “I won’t.”
We stayed like that for a while, just watching, not needing to say anything. For once, there was no drama, no chaos, no danger lurking around the corner. Just us, and the sound of laughter and life all around us.
After some time talking with Noah and reminiscing about old memories, the peaceful moment was interrupted by the sight of Nathalie and Abigail rushing towards us. Both had these huge, ridiculous grins on their faces, bouncing like they were five years old and it was Christmas morning.
I glanced at Noah, raising an eyebrow. “Well, this must be good,” I mumbled under my breath.
Noah chuckled, shaking his head. “Looks like they’re up to something.”
“Aren’t you two supposed to be following your schedule?” I asked, crossing my arms and narrowing my eyes as they stopped in front of us.
Nathalie didn’t even look guilty. She just gave me this big, cheeky grin and pulled out a shiny pass from her pocket. “Forget the schedule for a little while! We need to try the photo booth!” She was practically bouncing, showing off a VIP pass as if it was the most important thing in the world.
Abigail was right behind her, also bouncing like she couldn’t wait. It was almost... contagious.
Noah and I exchanged a glance, one of those silent sibling conversations—and then, almost at the same time, we both said, “No.”
Nathalie narrowed her eyes at us. “Wow. You two really ‘are’ siblings,” she muttered, clearly annoyed by our synchronized rejection.
“Come on, Emy! This only happens once a year! Make the most of it!” Nathalie pouted, stomping her foot like a kid who didn’t get what she wanted. “Besides, the schedule and events are running smoothly! You’re always so serious.”
I rolled my eyes at her but stayed silent. Of course, she wasn’t going to let this go.
“Nathalie’s right, Emery,” Abigail chimed in, nodding enthusiastically. “It’s a festival. Forget about your role just for once. It’s supposed to be fun!”
I glanced over at Noah, hoping for some backup, but he was just smiling like this whole thing was amusing to him.
“I swear, you two will be the death of me,” I muttered, throwing my hands up in surrender. “Fine.”
Before I could say anything else, Nathalie grabbed my arm, practically dragging me along while Abigail did the same to Noah. The two of them giggled the whole way, bouncing around with way too much energy. Honestly, I couldn’t keep up with them even if I tried.
When we reached the photo booth area, I had to admit, it was impressive. The students had really outdone themselves. The booth was decked out in this cool, vintage style, with old-fashioned curtains and a bunch of accessories laid out on a tray for people to try on. There were hats, sunglasses, masks, and all sorts of weird props. 
Finn and Lucas were already there, standing at the VIP pass section, waving like idiots when they saw us coming.
“Here, Emy!” Nathalie said, bouncing up and down as she dug through the tray of accessories. She pulled out a red headband with devil horns and shoved it towards me. “This looks exactly like you!”
I stared at her, horrified. “Seriously? There’s no way I’m wearing that.”
Nathalie just grinned at me like a maniac. “Come on! It fits your whole scary vibe!”
I glared at her, but of course, she wasn’t fazed at all. In fact, the others started laughing uncontrollably. Finn was practically doubled over, slapping his knee, and even Noah was chuckling softly.
Lucas chimed in, smirking. “She’s got a point, you know. It’s... fitting.”
I groaned. “You are all impossible.”
“Just wear it, Emery,” Noah said, his voice teasing but soft. “It’s not like anyone’s going to think less of you.”
I glared at him now. “You’re supposed to be on my side, Noah.”
He shrugged, still smiling, as if he hadn’t just betrayed me. “I am. But it’s just a photo booth.”
Nathalie started digging through the tray again, pulling out more ridiculous props. “Look, Finn! This matches your glasses!” she exclaimed, holding up a pair of bunny ears.
Finn grabbed them and immediately put them on, grinning like an idiot. “Oh yeah, I can totally rock these.”
Lucas picked up a fake beard, sticking it to his face. “I’m going for the wise old man look,” he said, puffing out his chest like he was proud of himself.
Noah, without a word, picked up a lion mask and put it on. It was huge, covering his entire face, but it suited him in a weird way.
I was still standing there, arms crossed, trying to decide whether or not I could run away when Nathalie shoved the devil horns on my head.
“There!” she said, stepping back to admire her work. “Perfect.”
I reached up to take them off, but before I could, Nathalie shouted, “Say cheese!”
The camera flashed, and I blinked, realizing too late that I had just been caught in the most ridiculous group photo ever.
Nathalie was wearing bunny ears, Lucas had his fake beard, Finn and Abigail was matching Nathalie with their own ridiculous glasses, Noah had the lion mask, and of course, I was stuck with the stupid devil horns.
They all burst into laughter again, and this time, even I couldn’t help but smile a little. It was so stupid, so ridiculous, but... I kind of liked it. Being silly with them, being... normal for once. It wasn’t so bad.
“See?” Nathalie said, grinning at me. “You’re having fun.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
But the truth was, as I looked around at all of them, I realized that something had changed. Not just with the school, but with us. Everything was different now. And maybe, just maybe, that wasn’t such a bad thing.
We were all laughing, even Noah, who I hadn’t seen laugh like this in a long time. There was no danger, no drama—just us, being ridiculous together.
And for the first time in a while, I felt... happy.
Maybe the world wasn’t perfect, and maybe there were still things to figure out. But standing there, with this people, wearing devil horns and laughing like an idiot, I felt like I belonged.