15:58 — The Vault
While Carmen was still tangled in her whirl of confusion—how the hell did Alia even get into the Vault? She barely noticed the slight shift in the shadows around them.
Betty hadn't disappeared either. The faintest sound behind her made her stop mid-step, head twitching like a predator on the scent. If she'd turned a fraction faster, she might've caught the two pressed into that corner, breathing close enough to hear each other's heartbeats.
But Carmen's instincts snapped. Without a word, she reached out, her hands strong but gentle, closing the space between them in an instant. Her body leaned in, pinning Alia softly, but with unmistakable firmness against the cold, unyielding wall.
Alia's breath hitched—sharp, unsteady—as the warmth of Carmen's body radiated through the thin fabric of her shirt.
Her gaze flickered upward, drinking in the sharp lines of Carmen's jaw, the faint dusting of freckles she'd never really noticed before, so delicate and utterly hers.
Her fingers twitched, finding the edge of Carmen's jacket, tracing the softness of her hair as it fell in loose waves around her face. The scent caught her—a heady mix of fresh night air and something darker, something wild but somehow grounding.
Carmen's head tilted slightly, ears straining for any sign Betty was still lurking, the tension in her muscles taut like a coiled spring.
Then—a faint click. The sound of a door sliding shut down the hall.
Carmen's eyes snapped back to Alia, lips parting, searching hers like trying to read the unsaid.
And before a word could fall, before the tension could shatter into conversation or excuses—
Alia leaned in.
Not a hesitant brush or tentative question, but a bold, fierce claim.
Her lips pressed firmly against Carmen's.
The heat was immediate—sharp and deep like electricity coursing through veins, burning all the way to bone and skin.
Her fingers curled into Carmen's jacket, anchoring herself to the moment, to the closeness, to the risk.
Time seemed to stop.
Then, just as fast as it ignited, Alia pulled back, breath trembling, eyes wild with a mix of daring and vulnerability.
Carmen was frozen-heart hammering a frantic rhythm, mind spinning in a dizzy rush of shock, awe, and something dangerously like wanting more.
The hallway fell silent again, but everything between them had exploded into a blaze no one could ignore.
For a heartbeat, Carmen didn't move.
Then her fingers found Alia's waist, strong and sure, pushing her flush against the wall, erasing every inch of space that dared exist between them.
Her lips followed-a slow, deliberate sweep across Alia's, soft but demanding.
Hands roamed lower, gripping firmly, grounding them both in the rawness of this stolen moment.
Carmen's breath mingled with Alia's, eyes half-lidded, searching, as if trying to make sense of every feeling crashing through her all at once.
When she finally broke away, just enough to look into Alia's flushed face, she saw a faint smirk played on her lips.
"What was that?" she murmured.
Alia's smile was faint, but her eyes sparkled with triumph.
"You kissed me... back."
"I did, didn't I?"
The mask of icy composure cracked for a moment, revealing something softer, something real.
She held Alia's gaze—no words needed—just the promise of everything still left unsaid.
---
16:27 — Post-Vault Fallout
The moment the vault doors sealed behind them, Carmen didn't say a word.
Not immediately.
But Alia could feel the tension rolling off her in waves—cool and sharp, like a blade pressed against her neck.
They walked through the silent corridor, shadows slipping past their feet, and only when they were out of range did Carmen finally exhale and turn to her, eyes narrowed to slits.
"How the hell did you get into the Vault, Alia?"
Alia, very casually, like she hadn't just broken into one of the most restricted parts of St. Bernard's, slipped her hand into the pocket of her cargo pants.
And pulled out a Sovereign pass.
Dangling from a loop of string, it twirled lazily under the hallway lights.
Carmen's eyes dropped to the card.
Then back to Alia.
Then back to the card.
The name on it?
Ajax Savier.
Carmen's entire body went rigid. "You—"
Alia grinned, not even bothering to look innocent. "I borrowed it."
"You stole it," Carmen snapped, voice low and deadly. "There's no way Ajax handed that to you with a smile and a pat on the head."
Alia's grin faltered slightly.
Carmen stepped closer, arms folding in that Sovereign stance that made her look ten feet tall. "Do you have any idea what would've happened if you got caught with that? To you? To me? To Ajax?"
Alia's smirk crumbled entirely.
Her head dipped just a little, the weight of Carmen's words finally pressing down on her chest like a guilt-shaped stone.
Carmen sighed through her nose, pinching the bridge. "Don't ever do that again, Alia."
"...Okay," she mumbled, looking like she just got told off for sneaking cookies before dinner.
Carmen didn't say another word. She just turned on her heel, motioning for her to follow.
The walk back to Northwest Girls' Housing was silent. The only sound was the wind biting through the courtyard and the rhythmic stomp of Carmen's boots-every step full of authority and mild parental disappointment.
Once they reached the front door, Carmen stopped. She gave Alia a look.
That look.
The one teachers give you when they know you're the troublemaker but they're too tired to argue.
Then she opened the door, stepped aside, and tilted her head toward the hallway.
"Go."
Alia shuffled forward.
And just as she stepped into her dorm room-
"Aliaaaa," Zuri's voice stretched out like a warning siren.
She and Tessa were curled up on the beds, half-asleep, but now staring wide-eyed at the open door.
Their gazes flicked from Alia's guilty face...
To Carmen's imposing silhouette at the door...
Then back to Alia.
Zuri squinted. "Did you get grounded?"
Tessa sat up, whispering, "She got walked home like a toddler."
Carmen didn't say anything. Just sent Alia one last look—the kind that said "we'll talk later"-and then pulled the door shut behind her with a soft click.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Zuri blinked. "Girl. What did you do?"
Alia flopped face-first onto her bed. "Nothing."
Tessa raised a brow. "You say 'nothing' like that's not literally always a lie."
Alia groaned into her pillow.
---
16:30 — The Sovereign Chamber
The Sovereign Chamber was unusually quiet.
Golden light filtered through the high stained windows, casting long shadows across the obsidian table that stretched the length of the room. The subtle hum of encrypted consoles filled the silence as Ajax stood at one end, arms crossed, posture regal yet restless.
Callum Callahan, as always, was half-seated on the edge of the couch like it belonged to him. His fingers danced across the console screen, scanning entry logs, surveillance flags, and encrypted comm chatter.
"Hm," Callum smirked, scrolling. "That's funny."
Ajax's lifted a brow. "What?"
Callum turned the screen slightly toward him. "Says here... you accessed the Vault this afternoon. At precisely 15:43."
Ajax narrowed his eyes. "I've been here all day."
"Exactly why it's interesting." Callum tilted his head. "If it wasn't you, then who's walking around with your Sovereign pass?"
Ajax reached into his inner coat pocket immediately. The familiar card was there—cool, smooth, untouched.
But his heart still dropped a notch.
"...What about your spare?" Callum asked, too casually.
Silence.
Ajax blinked once, then twice—until the realization hit him like a slap.
He cursed, loud and visceral. "Alia."
"Bingo," Callum muttered under his breath, but Ajax was already storming out of the chamber with a face carved out of thunder and purpose.
The moment the doors hissed shut behind him, Callum leaned back, hands laced behind his head. The smile he wore wasn't smug. It was... impressed.
"She did found it after all," he said softly, with a glint in his eyes that danced between danger and delight.