Abigail's POV
———Flashback———
I was about seven years old, maybe younger. The sky was bright, the sun was warm, and everything felt simple. Carefree. I remember wearing this white dress, too fancy for just playing, but my mom insisted. It had these small frills that made me feel like a princess, though I didn't care much about that back then. I only cared about being with my new friend. The boy.
He wasn’t dressed for a playground either. He had on this formal suit, dark and polished, like he had just come from some important event. But he didn’t seem to mind as much as I thought he would. He smiled as if we’d known each other for ages, like we were meant to meet that day.
We met so quickly, like we were just drawn together. He didn’t talk much at first, but he watched me closely as I ran around, laughing and pointing at everything. I was showing him my world, the swings, the slide, the sandbox. He followed, a quiet shadow, but he smiled every time I laughed. It felt like we’d become friends in an instant.
In the distance, I saw my father standing off to the side. He was talking to another man, someone taller, who had a stiff way of standing. I didn’t understand any of it then, just that my dad seemed serious. The man with him looked familiar, though—maybe because he resembled the little boy beside me. Same sharp eyes, same careful way of looking at things. But I wasn’t paying much attention to that. I was too wrapped up in the moment.
There were bodyguards, too, scattered around, blending in with the trees, trying not to be noticed. But I knew they were watching. Watching us play.
The boy was quiet, even when we got to the sandbox. I dug my fingers into the sand, pulling out the bracelet I’d made the night before. It was simple, just some blue string with beads I found in my mom’s sewing kit. But I was proud of it. I held it up, the beads catching the sunlight.
“I made this for you,” I said, holding it out to him. “Do you like it?”
His eyes widened, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if he would take it. He stared at it like it was something he’d never seen before, something precious. Then he smiled—a small, hesitant smile, and took it from my hand.
“Thank you,” he said softly. His voice was so gentle, almost like he wasn’t used to speaking. He slipped the bracelet on his wrist, and I grinned. 
We sat there for a while, just the two of us, playing in the sand. I kept glancing at the bracelet on his wrist, feeling proud every time I saw it. It was like my little gift tied us together in some way.
I didn’t know then how much that moment would mean to me later. How much it would all change.
———End of Flashback———
I could still see it clearly, the playground, the bright sky, the laughter between me and that boy. His shy smile, the way he quietly followed me around, how his wrist looked with that blue bracelet I’d made for him. It felt so real, like I was still there. Like we were still kids, lost in a world that was ours alone.
But then, the memory began to slip away. Everything around me started to blur, fading into shadows. My heart ached as I tried to hold onto the image of him, but it was too late. The playground, the boy, the bracelet... it all vanished, leaving nothing but a heavy emptiness.
"Abigail?"
A voice broke through the fog, pulling me back to the present.
"Abigail, wake up!" 
My eyes fluttered open, and I gasped, the remnants of the dream clinging to me like a cold mist. Nathalie was standing over me, her face tight with worry. Her hand was gently shaking my shoulder, trying to snap me out of whatever I’d been trapped in.
I blinked a few times, trying to focus on her face. The soft light of the room came into view, and the distant memory slowly faded back into the recesses of my mind. I could feel my heart racing, but I didn’t know why. 
It was just a memory, right? Just a childhood moment with a boy whose name I couldn’t even remember. But why did it feel like more?
“Are you okay?” Nathalie’s voice was shaky, concern all over her expression. She crouched beside the bed, watching me closely, as if waiting for something bad to happen.
I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “What... what happened?”
“You were crying in your sleep. Like, really crying. I could hear you whining, like you were in pain. I... I was about to wake you up earlier, but you kept going,” she said, her voice trailing off. “Are you good now?”
I tried to brush off the feeling, ignoring the chill that ran through me. “It was nothing,” I lied. “Just... another nightmare.”
Nathalie narrowed her eyes, not convinced. “It didn’t sound like just a nightmare.”
I forced a weak smile, hoping it would ease her concern. “I’m fine, really. Just one of those nights.”
Her worried expression softened, but I could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced. She sighed and stood up, shaking her head lightly. “Okay... if you say so. But you looked like you were going through something serious in there.”
I let out a sigh of my own, relieved that she wasn’t pushing me further. I couldn’t explain the dream, not even to myself. The past had a way of sneaking up on me when I least expected it, leaving me with more questions than answers. 
"Emery’s waiting for you," Nathalie said after a moment, her tone shifting back to business. She glanced toward the door. "She asked me to get you. There’s an important meeting in her office. She said it couldn’t wait."
I frowned, still feeling a bit disoriented from the dream. "Right now?"
Nathalie nodded. "Yeah, now. She didn’t give much detail, but you know how she is. When she says it’s important, it’s important."
I sat up fully, trying to shake off the lingering emotions from the dream. My body felt heavy, like I hadn’t slept at all. But I knew better than to keep Emery waiting. Whatever she wanted to discuss, it was serious.
“Alright, I’ll get ready,” I muttered, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. My feet hit the cold floor, snapping me further awake.
Nathalie gave me a small, relieved smile. “Good. I’ll wait for you outside.”
As she turned to leave, I caught the worried look she shot me over her shoulder. She tried to hide it, but I saw it clear as day. She had been scared, maybe more than she let on. I guess I’d never been one to cry in my sleep before.
When she closed the door softly behind her, I finally let out a long breath. My heart was still racing, and my mind kept replaying the dream, like it was trying to tell me something. The boy, the bracelet... Why now? Why had that memory come back after all these years?
I shook my head, pushing the thought away. It was just a dream. That’s all it was. Nothing more.
But even as I stood up and began to get dressed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Something about that dream didn’t feel right. And the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if there was something I was forgetting. Something important.
I pulled on my jacket, running a hand through my hair as I tried to focus. Whatever Emery wanted to talk about, I had to be ready. There was no time to dwell on dreams and memories that didn’t make sense.
Still, as I stepped out of the room to join Nathalie, I couldn’t help but glance back, feeling like I was leaving something behind. Something that had been waiting for me all along.
The hallway felt endless. Every step I took echoed in the quiet, my thoughts bouncing around like a storm I couldn’t control. The night was late—too late for whatever this meeting was about, and the exhaustion clung to me like a weight. But even as I tried to force myself to stay awake, my mind couldn’t stop racing.
What could Emery want now? Why was it always me?
Nathalie walked beside me, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. I glanced at her, but she stayed silent, eyes forward, her expression unreadable. The Black Elite building loomed ahead of us, its dark walls and cold atmosphere reflecting exactly how I felt inside. My stomach twisted with nervous energy. 
Why did it feel like something was about to change? 
We entered the other hallway, passing through the heavy doors that separated us from the rest of the academy. The Black Elite's private area. It was always intimidating, even more so now that I knew whatever this was, it was bigger than I imagined.
Finally, Nathalie stopped, her hand reaching out to grab my wrist gently. I turned to face her, seeing the seriousness in her eyes.
"Abigail," she began, her voice low and steady. "Whatever happens tonight, just stay calm. Make your choices for yourself, for your own good, and for your safety."
I swallowed hard, nodding slightly, though I wasn’t sure I fully understood. But Nathalie didn’t explain further. She just gave me a reassuring look and nodded toward the door in front of us.
We stepped into the office, and the moment we did, all eyes turned to us. The room was filled with the Black Elite, each of them seated in their designated chairs. Black leather seats lined the room in a perfect semi-circle, and in the center was one blue chair, empty, meant for the leader of the Blue Elite. My eyes immediately flickered to the two seats facing the others. Finn was sitting there, his arms crossed, with Lucas beside him, their expressions unreadable.
It was so quiet, the tension so thick it felt suffocating again.
Nathalie squeezed my hand again, pulling me toward our chairs without a second thought. She didn’t seem bothered by the stares or the weight of the room pressing in on us. But me? I felt like I was walking into a cage.
I took a seat beside her, trying not to show how on edge I was. Emery stood near the large glass window, her back to us, her hands holding papers that I assumed were the results of the Midnight Scavenger event. But she hadn’t looked at me yet, not directly. She was waiting. 
The room stayed still, the air thick with anticipation. No one moved, no one spoke. All of us were waiting for Emery to start, to explain why we were here at such a late hour. I glanced around, noticing how all the elites, including Lucas, seemed more serious than usual. Nathalie’s face was calm, but I could sense she knew more than she was letting on.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Emery turned around. Her sharp eyes swept across the room, briefly acknowledging everyone, before they landed on me. A chill ran down my spine when her gaze locked with mine.
“I want to congratulate you all,” Emery said, her voice as cold as the room. “Each of you has worked hard to secure your ranks and aim higher than the lower elite categories. But we’re not here to celebrate just yet. There’s still work to do.”
She continued, her eyes never leaving me as she spoke. “Tomorrow night, we will hold the final ceremony for the Midnight Scavenger event. All participants who managed to rise, and the elites who failed, will be announced. It’s the culmination of everything we’ve worked for.”
Her words were icy, but they cut straight through the room, leaving no doubt that failure wasn’t an option. 
I kept my gaze steady, waiting. Because I knew—this wasn’t the real reason we were here. There was something else. And sure enough, as soon as she finished talking about the event, Emery stepped forward, her eyes still fixed on me.
“Abigail,” she said, her voice a little softer but still full of authority. “Tonight is about more than just the event.”
I felt Nathalie shift beside me, and my heart pounded harder in my chest.
Emery slid a folder across the table, her movements precise. “This is everything. Your progress, your decisions, your achievements so far. You’ve shown impressive growth. But now, you need to make a choice.”
She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as if testing me. “You still hold the Black Token. The token that allows you to bypass everything and take your place among the elite.”
My blood ran cold at her words. That damn token. The one I’d been given as a shortcut to rise among them. I hated it—hated what it represented. A way to cheat, to play dirty, to climb without earning it. And it made my blood boil just thinking about it.
I let out a bitter laugh, unable to hold back my sarcasm. “Play dirty? Really? That’s what you think of me?”
Emery’s face didn’t change, but I could feel the shift in the room. She was testing me.
“I don’t need a stupid token,” I said, my voice sharp. “Don’t you dare compare me to anyone who’d use that shortcut. My progress? It’s already beyond your expectations, and I didn’t need any handouts.”
I pointed at the folder, my eyes never leaving hers. “Everything in there, I earned it. Every step I took was my own. That token? It’s nothing compared to what I’ve already achieved.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then, Emery’s lips curled into the smallest of smirks. “You are special, Abigail. I’ll give you that. You’ve proven yourself.”
She glanced at Finn, who nodded and stood, walking over to one of the drawers. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me now. Nathalie, Lucas, Finn, everyone knew what was coming.
Finn returned, holding something in his hands. But I didn’t take my eyes off Emery. We were still locked in some unspoken battle, and neither of us was willing to back down.
“Tonight marks the moment,” Finn said, breaking the silence. “Abigail is officially one of the highest-ranked Elites categories.”
I blinked, not fully registering what he said until Lucas stepped forward, handing me a badge. A black badge, the symbol of the Black Elite.
I stared at it, feeling the weight of the moment hit me. This was it. Everything I’d worked for, every struggle, every sleepless night, every challenge, it had all led to this.
Nathalie was the first to clap, a formal, almost reserved applause that slowly spread through the room. One by one, the others joined in, their faces showing admiration, respect.
But not Emery. She stayed quiet, watching, waiting. She wasn’t one to celebrate so easily.
When the applause died down, Emery finally spoke again. “Lucas, show Abigail to her new room.”
Nathalie perked up, a mischievous grin on her face. “Can I join? I want to see her new room too!”
Finn raised an eyebrow, looking just as eager.
But Emery cut them both off with a sharp look. “No. You all need rest for tomorrow’s ceremony. This isn’t a tour.”
Nathalie and Finn both pouted like kids, and I couldn’t help but giggle at how ridiculous they looked. Even in a serious moment like this, they couldn’t help but be themselves.
Before leaving, the others clapped again, congratulating me on my achievements. But all I could think about was how much further I still had to go. This was only the beginning.