Evie had thought nothing could shock her anymore.

She had fought through trials, faced betrayals, and survived Alaric's attacks, yet nothing could have prepared her for the revelation the headmistress had dropped on her and the princes just moments ago.

She had a twin.

Not just a sibling—a sister who had been hidden away.

A sister who had been kept in darkness while she had been allowed to grow in the light.

Light of it all settled in Evie's chest like an anchor as they walked in tense silence through the academy halls, heading straight for the dorms.

Rowan's face was hard, unreadable, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Seth walked with stiff shoulders, an uncharacteristic silence surrounding him.

Duke's usual smirk was gone, replaced by something far colder.

Sol was the only one who kept glancing at Evie, as if checking for any signs that she might break down under the weight of this new truth.

But Evie wasn't breaking.

She was burning. ______________________________

The moment they stepped inside, Rowan locked the door, turning toward the others. "We need to strengthen the wards around this place immediately."

"Wards won't stop her if she's anything like Evie," Seth muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, his violet eyes flashing dangerously.

Sol sighed, crossing his arms. "We don't even know how strong she is."

Duke scoffed. "She's had years of darkness to fester inside her, while Evie has barely had time to come into her own power. We can assume she's just as strong, if not stronger."

Evie exhaled, her hands tightening into fists. "She's not just strong. She's... aware of me."

Rowan's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"She can feel me," Evie admitted. "Just like I can feel her."

Seth cursed under his breath. "So she's not just some unknown threat. She's literally connected to you."

Sol's expression was troubled. "That means she can track you down whenever she wants."

Duke's golden eyes darkened. "Which means we don't have time to sit around waiting for her to make the first move."

Rowan met Evie's gaze. "Can you follow that connection? If we could find her first—"

She hesitated. "I think so. But I need somewhere quiet to focus on it."

Sol glanced at the others. "Then we should go to the forest."

Rowan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Are we sure that's a good idea?"

Evie raised a brow. "Are you planning to let me go alone?"

Rowan exhaled heavily. "Of course not."

Duke grinned, but there was no humor in it. "Then let's go find a monster." _____________________________ By the time they reached the clearing deep within the academy's magical forest, the sky had begun to darken, the golden hues of sunset bleeding into the approaching night. The trees around them loomed tall, their leaves rustling softly in the wind.

Evie stood in the center of the clearing, closing her eyes, letting the connection between her and her sister pulse at the back of her mind.

And then—

A voice.

Soft. Sweet. Laced with venom.

"Finally looking for me, dear sister?"

Evie's breath hitched.

She froze.

The voice wasn't coming from around her.

It was in her head.

A wave of darkness crashed into her mind.

Her vision blurred, twisting and distorting.

And suddenly, she wasn't in the clearing anymore.

She was somewhere else.

Somewhere cold.

A cavern of shadows.

And in the center—

A girl.

Her mirror image.

Same long silver hair.

Same violet eyes.

But where Evie's gaze was full of warmth, hers was void of it.

Her twin smirked, stepping closer. "Do you know how long I've waited for this, Evangeline?"

Evie's throat felt tight. "Who are you?"

The girl's lips curled. "I am you. The you that was cast away. The one who was never wanted."

Evie took a shaky step back. "That's not true."

"Oh, but it is." Her sister's violet eyes gleamed. "While you lived your life in the light, I rotted in the dark. Alaric showed me everything. He showed me how you were always meant to be the favored one. How you had everything I didn't."

A sharp pain stabbed through Evie's skull. She gasped, clutching her head.

Her twin laughed.

"I felt you, Evie. Every time you grew stronger, I felt it. Every time you were happy, I knew. And it made me sick."

Evie's chest tightened.

She had spent so much of her life searching for a place where she belonged—only to find out that her own sister had been hating her from the shadows.

Her twin tilted her head. "But don't worry, dear sister... I'm going to take it all back."

A surge of dark magic shot toward Evie—

She snapped back to reality with a gasp, stumbling backward.

Rowan caught her immediately.

"Evie," he breathed. "What happened?"

Seth's violet eyes burned with barely concealed panic. "Your eyes went completely blank for a second."

Duke's golden gaze sharpened. "Talk to us, Angel."

Evie's chest heaved.

Her twin wasn't trapped.

She was already free.

And worse—she was waiting.

"She..." Evie swallowed hard. "She spoke to me."

Sol's brows furrowed. "And?"

Evie's throat felt dry. "She's not trapped." Her fingers curled into fists. "She's already chosen her Side. Evie's hands shook. "She hates me."

Rowan's expression darkened. "Then we have no choice."

Duke exhaled sharply. "We find her before she finds us."

Evie's heart pounded.

Because now...

This wasn't about searching for a lost twin.

This was about stopping her. ____________________________