Ethan was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when Adrian came down.
His coat was buttoned wrong, and his hair stuck up in the back like he had given up halfway through combing it.
He took one look at Adrian and frowned.
"You look worse than before."
"Well, I didn't sleep much last night."
Ethan studied him for a moment, then nodded. He did not ask why. Instead, he fell into step beside Adrian as they walked toward the dining hall. "Tessa's already there. She saved us seats."
The dining hall was crowded when they arrived. First-year students filled the long tables, their voices a low rumble of conversation.
Tessa was near the back with her hand raised, a piece of bread already halfway to her mouth. She lowered it when she saw them.
"You look awful," she said.
Adrian slid onto the bench across from her. "So I've been told."
Ethan sat beside Tessa and immediately reached for the plate of bread. "He had a nightmare."
Adrian shot him a look. Ethan shrugged. "What? She was going to ask anyway."
Tessa pushed the bread toward Adrian. "Do you want to talk about it?"
He did not. The images were still too fresh in his memory. He could still feel the blood on his hands, even though they were clean.
He shook his head, and Tessa did not push. She tore off a piece of bread and handed it to him.
"Eat," she said. "Ophelia will murder you if you pass out during drills."
Adrian took the bread. It was warm and fresh. He had not realized how hungry he was until he bit into it.
Ethan was watching him with an odd expression.
"What?" Adrian asked.
"You just smiled at bread."
"I did not."
"You did. It was weird."
Tessa laughed. "Let him enjoy his bread, Ethan."
Adrian ate in silence while Ethan and Tessa argued about whether a sandwich counted as a proper breakfast.
He was not listening. His mind was still caught in the dream, in the voice that had spoken to him at the end.
'Build wisely, this time' The words kept echoing in his head.
He did not know what he was supposed to build. But he knew he had to start from somewhere.
---
The training yard was already half-full when they arrived. Students stood in loose rows, their blades drawn, their postures ranging from rigid to sloppy.
Ophelia was at the center, her scarred face set in its usual scowl. She was watching the students filter in, her sharp eyes scanning them as they walked in.
Adrian and Ethan took their places in the back row. Tessa was near the front, already stretching. Lilith found her spot at the edge of the yard and settled in.
Ophelia's eyes landed on Adrian. She walked toward him, her boots crunching on the packed earth. She stopped in front of him and looked him up and down.
"You look like you haven't slept in a week."
"I didn't sleep last night."
She studied him for a moment. Then she nodded. "Good. Use it."
She moved on before he could respond. Ethan leaned closer. "What did she mean by that?"
Adrian shook his head "I'm as confused as you are"
They stopped talking when the drills began.
Adrian moved through them without thinking. His body knew the rhythm and he let it carry him. Around him, the other students stumbled and broke formation, some cursing under their breath.
Ethan's footwork was sloppy, his blade dragging. Tessa was better, her movements were smooth.
Ophelia walked through the rows, correcting stances and barking orders. She stopped beside Adrian and watched him go through the drill. He did not slow down.
"Faster," she said.
He sped up. His blade cut through the morning air, faster than before. His arms burned, but he did not stop.
"Faster."
He pushed harder. His feet moved faster. His blade became a blur. The students around him had stopped to watch. Ethan's mouth was open. Even Tessa had paused, her blade forgotten in her hand.
Ophelia watched him for a long moment. Then she nodded. "Good. Now do it again."
He cursed under his breath and repeated the drill.
---
After class, Adrian was walking back toward the dormitory when a voice stopped him.
"Dorian."
He turned. Cassius Vorne was standing at the edge of the path in his usual red coat, his dark hair perfectly in place.
His eyes flickered to Lilith for a moment—she stood just behind Adrian's shoulder, still as stone—then returned to Adrian.
Adrian waited.
Cassius walked toward him. "This morning. You didn't show."
Adrian met his gaze. "I couldn't."
He didn't say any further. It would be a chore to explain that he had a nightmare and couldn't sleep till morning.
Cassius studied him for a moment. His eyes lingered on the shadows under Adrian's eyes, the paleness of his face. He glanced at Lilith again, then back at Adrian. He did not ask why.
"I still want a rematch," Cassius said. "But not in public. It'll be a private spar this time. Noble dorm training room. Tomorrow after class."
Adrian looked at him. "Why not today?"
"Because you look like you haven't slept." Cassius's mouth twitched. "I want to fight you when you're at your best, not when you're half-dead."
He did not wait for an answer. He turned and walked away.
Adrian watched him go with a frown on his face. 'Why does everyone just leave without waiting for a response'
'He noticed that you didn't sleep last night'
The words came from nowhere. A voice in his head, one that was not his.
He turned. Lilith was watching him with an expressionless face.
He stared at her and she tilted her head slightly, as if waiting.
'Was that you?' he thought.
She did not answer. But the corner of her mouth curved.
Adrian stood at the edge of the path, his heart beating faster than it should. She had spoken in his head. Not through the bond—not the pull of emotions, but words.
'Do it again,' he thought.
There was no reply.
'Lilith. Say something'
She walked past him toward the dormitory.
He followed. "Was that you?"
She did not answer.
"Lilith."
She stopped and turned. Her face was still calm, but there was something in her eyes. Amusement, maybe. "Yes."
"How did you do that?"
"The connection between us is deeper than you think. Words travel as easily as feelings. Besides this is common between humans and spirits capable of speech."
Adrian stared at her. "Can I do it?"
She tilted her head. "Why don't you give it a try."
He focused, drawing his thoughts inward until they settled on her presence in his mind.
'Lilith'
Nothing.
'Can you hear me?'
She smiled. "Almost."
He frowned. "Almost?"
"You are thinking too loudly. Words do not need to be forced. They only need to be sent."
He tried again and this time, he let go of the effort. He thought of her deeply without the 'noise'.
'Lilith'
Her smile widened. "Better."
He felt something shift in his chest. Like a door opening. He pushed a thought through it.
'You're enjoying this'
She laughed. It was quiet, barely a sound, but he heard it in his head and in his ears at the same time. "Perhaps."
He grinned. It was the first time he had smiled in days.
---
The dormitory hallway was empty when they returned. Adrian stopped outside his door and looked down the hall. Ethan's door was closed. Tessa's door was closed. Everything was quiet.
He went inside.
Lilith sat on her bed, her hands folded in her lap. She watched him as he pulled off his boots and set them by the wall.
He lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. The cracks in the plaster were still there, spreading like veins.
'Lilith' he thought.
Yes?
'Nothing. I wanted to see if it still worked'
He felt her amusement through the connection. 'It works, My King'
He smiled. Then he closed his eyes. 'Don't make fun of me'
A soft knock came at the door.
Adrian sat up. Lilith's eyes flickered toward the door, her expression unreadable.
The knock came again, louder than the first.
He crossed the room and opened it.
The hallway was empty.
He stepped out, looking left, then right. But there was no one in sight. He was about to close the door when he looked down.
A piece of paper lay on the floor. Folded once. His name written on the outside in neat, precise handwriting.
He picked it up and unfolded it.
You think you belong here. You don't. The frontier is where you came from. It's where you'll return.
— A friend
Adrian read the words twice, his hands steady and his expression calm as he looked down the hallway again.
The doors lining both sides were closed and silent, offering no movement or sound. Anyone could have left it. Anyone could be watching him right now.
He stepped back inside and closed the door.
He leaned against the wood, the paper still in his hand.
"What does it say?" Lilith asked. She had spoken aloud, not in his head.
Adrian held it up. "You think you belong here. You don't. The frontier is where you came from. It's where you'll return." He folded it. "Signed, a friend."
She was quiet for a moment. "They want you to be scared."
"Do they think it will work?"
"No."
He tucked the paper into his pocket.
Adrian crossed to his bed and sat down. He did not lie back. He sat with his back against the wall, his eyes on the door.
"You need to sleep," Lilith said.
He looked at her. "Someone might be watching. I have to be awake in case they decide to try something."
"Someone left a note," she agreed. "And tomorrow, you will deal with it. But tonight, you need rest."
Adrian shook his head. "I can't. They might try to harm me while I sleep."
She rose from her bed and crossed the room. She stood in front of him, close enough that he could see the faint glow in her amber eyes.
"Nothing will happen to you while you sleep," she said. Her voice was low and firm.
"I have lived longer than this academy has stood. No shadow in these halls can harm you while I am here."
He stared at her.
She tilted her head. "Do you trust me?"
The question was simple and the answer was simpler.
"Yes."
She smiled. "Then sleep."
Adrian lay back on the bed. His body was heavy and his eyes were already closing.
He vaguely heard her sit on his bed beside him. He felt her caress his cheek softly as she planted a kiss on his forehead.
'Rest' came her voice in his head. 'I will watch'
Through the connection, he felt her presence settle around him like a blanket.
He was safe.
He soon fell deeply asleep with his queen beside him.