The once-grand academy lay in ruins.

The aftermath of Alaric's attack was evident in every scorched wall, every shattered window, every lingering wisp of dark magic that still crackled in the air. The sky was still dark with heavy clouds, as if mourning what had been lost.

Students and professors worked tirelessly to heal the wounded and restore what they could, but the damage was too much.

Evie stood in the middle of it all, her body frozen, her heart heavy.

This was because of her.

She clenched her fists, trying to shove down the guilt, but it wrapped around her like chains.

The moment she saw the injured students—some barely conscious, others with burns or bruises from the dark elementals—her stomach twisted.

She had power. But had she been able to stop this? Had she done enough?

Or had Alaric been right all along?

Duke's voice snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts.

"Angel."

She turned slightly to see him standing beside her, golden eyes shining with concern.

"You're blaming yourself," he murmured, his voice edged with frustration.

She let out a bitter laugh. "Of course I am, Duke. This attack—it was because of me. Alaric came here for me. If I wasn't here, maybe—"

A strong, calloused hand cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

His expression was unreadable, but his touch was warm. "You think leaving would've changed anything?"

She swallowed hard. "I—"

"Alaric would have still found a way to hurt people," he said firmly. "He's a monster, Evie. Not you."

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

Then, suddenly, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.

Rowan.

He buried his face into the crook of her neck, his grip almost desperate. "You're not doing this, Starlight." His voice was hoarse, filled with something raw. "You're not carrying this weight alone."

Her eyes burned.

She felt another presence—Seth. He knelt in front of her, taking both her hands in his and rubbing slow circles on her skin with his thumb. "We don't blame you. So why the hell are you blaming yourself?"

Sol was the last to move, standing beside Duke and placing a hand over her shoulder. His usual warmth surrounded her, grounding her in a way nothing else could.

"You keep thinking of what went wrong," Sol said softly. "But, Evie, if you weren't here, so many more people would have died."

Evie's chest ached.

She wanted to believe them. She really did.

But the nightmares, the visions—the sight of herself as that dark, terrifying force—they wouldn't go away.

She let out a shaky breath. "There's something I haven't told you all."

That got their attention.

Duke pulled back slightly, but his hold on her waist stayed firm. "What is it, Angel?"

She hesitated.

Would they hate her? Would they finally see what she was afraid of?

That maybe Alaric was right?

Rowan tightened his grip on her, as if sensing her fear. "Whatever it is, we can handle it."

Evie took a deep breath. Then, finally—

"I've been having nightmares," she whispered. "And visions."

A charged silence fell over them.

Seth's brows furrowed. "Visions?"

She nodded, her throat tightening. "Of the future. And in them, I—I see myself as something awful. A monster. Destroying everything. Hurting you."

Rowan's grip on her tensed.

Duke's jaw clenched, but his eyes didn't hold anger—only something fierce and protective.

Sol exhaled sharply, as if everything suddenly made sense.

"You think this is some kind of sign," he murmured, reading her thoughts effortlessly.

She nodded, her chest aching.

They were all silent for a moment.

Then—

Rowan lifted her into his lap, cradling her close. "That's enough of that, Starlight."

Her breath hitched.

His hand slid into her hair, holding her to him like she was the most precious thing in the world. "You're not a monster. You never were."

Duke sat beside her, rubbing her knee reassuringly. "You think a vision of the future means it's inevitable?" His eyes burned into hers. "That's not how this works, Angel."

Sol sat on her other side, cupping her cheek gently. "You shape your own future, Evie. Not Alaric. Not some vision."

Seth smirked, though his eyes were soft with affection. "And let's be real—if you ever did go dark and try to destroy the world, we'd just be annoying enough to stop you."

A choked laugh escaped her.

They didn't hesitate.

They didn't look at her like she was dangerous.

They still chose her.

A lump formed in her throat as she looked at each of them—these four men who had become her everything.

She exhaled deeply, feeling something inside her ease.

Maybe... maybe she wasn't doomed.

Maybe she wasn't alone. ______________________________ That night, as exhaustion finally took over, Evie's dreams returned.

But this time, they weren't filled with flames.

Instead, she found herself in a place of shadows and whispers.

The air was thick with something ancient—something that called to her blood.

And then she saw her.

A girl—no, a reflection—standing in the distance.

Same hair. Same violet eyes.

But her aura...

It was different.

Dark. Twisted.

The girl's lips curled into a smirk, and when she spoke, her voice was eerily similar to Evie's own.

"Finally," she purred. "We meet at last."

Evie jolted awake, gasping for air. ______________________________