Lucas POV 
The arena was finally clearing out. The third night of the Midnight Scavenger event was over, and all I could see were students limping out, some dragging themselves along the walls, others helping their friends who were too beaten up to walk on their own. It was a brutal night, just like every night in this academy. But that’s how it was here, push yourself to the edge or get left behind.
I walked beside Nathalie and Finn, the three of us heading upstairs to where Emery and Abigail were. No one said a word. We didn’t need to. We all knew our roles and we knew the rules. No talking until the night was officially done. That’s how Emery liked it. She was always strict about that, keeping the silence until she decided it was over.
When we finally entered the room, Emery was standing by the glass screen, her back to us as she watched the last of the students file out of the arena. Her posture was straight, her hands clasped behind her back, like she was still in full control of the room even though the games were over.
I let my eyes drift to Abigail, slumped in Finn’s chair, fast asleep under a black cotton blanket. The sight made me breathe out in relief. She looked peaceful, like all the pressure of the academy and the mysteries she was trying to solve had melted away for just a moment. It was the only time I ever saw her without that tension in her face.
Emery didn’t turn around, but I knew she had noticed us enter. She always knew. After a moment, she finally spoke, her voice quiet but sharp as ever.
“You have the reports?” she asked, still watching the glass.
Finn stepped forward and bowed slightly, “Yes, we’ve written down all the participants’ progress, especially Xioron. He’s… making waves again.”
Emery just nodded, her attention never leaving the arena. I glanced over at her, wondering what she was thinking. Maybe about Xioron, maybe about the next round. Or maybe something entirely different. With Emery, it was hard to tell.
“Good work,” she finally said, her tone softer now. “You’ve all done well tonight. Get some rest.”
We all bowed slightly again, but then her eyes flickered toward Abigail. She didn’t say anything, but I knew what that look meant. Without needing to be told, I stepped forward and gently lifted Abigail from the chair, cradling her in my arms. She was light, her body limp from exhaustion, and I could feel the steady rise and fall of her breathing.
I let out a small sigh. Abigail had been through so much, pushing herself to get closer to Emery, to figure out the secrets of the academy on her own terms. She didn’t realize how much pressure she was putting on herself, or maybe she did, but didn’t care. It made me feel… I don’t know, softer toward her. Like I wanted to protect her from all of this, even though I knew she was too stubborn to let anyone help her.
As I turned to leave the room with Abigail in my arms, Nathalie stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking what the hell she was doing. She just stood there, arms crossed, looking like she had all the time in the world.
Then, with a smirk, she raised her hand, revealing a small key—the key to Abigail’s room. Of course. I should have guessed she’d want to come along.
I rolled my eyes and gave a small nod, knowing there was no point in arguing with her. Nathalie always had her own way of doing things. 
Before we could leave, Nathalie turned her head slightly, glancing back at Finn and Emery who were still watching us. With a mischievous smile, she threw a playful jab at Finn.
“Don’t miss Lucas too much, Finn. And don’t get jealous,” she teased, her eyes flicking toward Abigail in my arms.
I sighed, feeling a headache coming on. “Really, Nathalie? Even now?”
Finn just gave her a deadpan stare, raising an eyebrow like he couldn’t believe she had the energy to joke around after a night like this. “What are you even talking about?” he asked, his tone flat, though I could see a hint of annoyance in his eyes.
Emery, who had been quiet this whole time, finally shook her head in mild amusement and exited the room through another door, leaving us to our pointless bickering.
I was about to fire back at Nathalie when she pushed the door open and stepped out, ready to lead the way. I couldn’t help but smirk a little. As much as she could be a pain, Nathalie was still someone I trusted to have my back. Even if she had a twisted sense of humor.
With one last glance at Finn, who was watching us with that same tired expression, I followed Nathalie out into the hallway. Abigail stirred a little in my arms, mumbling something under her breath, but she didn’t wake up. I shifted her weight slightly, making sure she was comfortable.
We walked in silence, the only sound being the soft padding of our footsteps on the floor. The academy halls were eerily quiet at night, especially after an event like the Midnight Scavenger. Most of the students were either in the infirmary, getting patched up, or in their rooms, too tired to do anything but sleep.
Nathalie walked a few steps ahead of me, twirling the key between her fingers as she hummed a tune under her breath. I couldn’t believe how nonchalant she was about everything. But that was Nathalie, always calm, always in control, even when everything around her was chaos.
As we reached Abigail’s room, Nathalie finally stopped humming and turned to me with a smirk. “You know, for someone who pretends not to care, you sure do look after her a lot.”
I shot her a glare but didn’t respond. There was no point. She’d just twist my words anyway.
Nathalie unlocked the door and held it open for me. I carefully carried Abigail inside, laying her down gently on the bed. She stirred again, turning onto her side, but didn’t wake. I pulled the blanket up over her and stood there for a moment, just watching her sleep.
Nathalie stood behind me, watching with crossed arms, not saying anything but keeping that smirk on her face like she always does.
As I pulled the blanket over Abigail, I couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh. It was hard seeing her so worn out, knowing how much pressure she put on herself. I turned toward Nathalie, figuring she’d make some teasing comment like she always did, but she didn’t. She just stared at Abigail, her smirk fading for a second.
“I’ll stay here,” Nathalie said, her voice softer than usual. “She shouldn’t be alone tonight.”
I nodded. It made sense. With everything going on in the academy, Abigail needed someone to watch over her. And Nathalie, despite all her sarcasm, cared about Abigail in her own way.
“We still have that report meeting tonight,” I reminded her. “Finn and Emery are expecting us.”
Nathalie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be back for that. There’s still a few hours to rest before it starts. Don’t worry about me.”
I gave a small nod, knowing she’d keep her word. Nathalie might act like she didn’t care, but when it came to serious things like this, she was always on top of it.
With one last glance at Abigail, I turned to leave the room. I closed the door as softly as I could, careful not to make any noise that would wake her. The soft click of the lock was the only sound in the hallway. 
As I walked down the corridor, my mind was already drifting back to the Midnight Scavenger event, thinking over everything that happened. I had a stack of files waiting for me, notes about the participants, the Elites, and Xioron’s progress. I still had my mission to work on, and the next few hours would be the only chance to make some real progress before the meeting.
The academy felt quieter than usual as I made my way back to my building. The cold air nipped at my skin, but I barely noticed it. My thoughts were all over the place, between Abigail, the games, and the mission I couldn’t afford to fail.
By the time I reached my building, the exhaustion was starting to hit me, but I pushed it aside. There was no time to rest, not really. I had to keep moving, keep working. I let out a sigh, knowing that this was just the beginning of another long night.