From the shadows of a twisted tree near the academy's stone walls, a pair of eyes gleamed.
She had been watching everything—from the moment the ship landed, to the first kiss, to the storm that followed. Every second was cataloged, every emotion studied. A smirk curved her lips.
"So... he's the one," the woman murmured. Her voice echoed with a strange resonance, like it came from more than one mouth.
She wore a cloak of shimmering dark blue, blending almost perfectly into the light-drenched campus shadows. Her name was Lysara—one of the Anomaly's specialists. And her gift? The ability to slip into the cracks of someone's mind when they were emotionally vulnerable.
And right now, Valerie's heart was practically splintering.
Lysara's fingers danced in the air, weaving silent threads of thought. "Let's see if you'll break easily, little half-sister..."
She reached into Valerie's pain like dipping a hand into still water.
Valerie was alone in one of the west towers, standing before a cracked mirror. Her hands trembled. Her breathing was shallow.
Why did I think I had a chance?
Her nails dug into the stone windowsill.
Soft... like a whisper only she could hear.
"You were right to be angry. He humiliated you. In front of everyone."
Valerie's eyes widened. "Who...?"
"Someone who understands betrayal... and offers revenge."
Valerie turned sharply, but no one was there. Yet the voice echoed right into her thoughts.
"You've seen his power. Felt how the world bends around him. But imagine if you could do the same... Imagine having strength not even your sister could touch."
"I don't care about her," Valerie whispered bitterly. "She always had everything..."
"And now she has him, too."
Valerie swallowed hard, trying to push away the voice, but her fingers were already trembling with the idea of it—power.
"You don't need to kill him. Just... bring him to us. Or weaken him. After the Interchange. That's all we ask."
Valerie's eyes flickered violet as the faint shimmer of space magic crackled unconsciously across her skin.
"...And in return?" she whispered.
The voice smiled inside her head.
"Power. Enough to never be left behind again."
Valerie's breath hitched. Her heart pounded. And slowly... she nodded.
From the shadows, Lysara smiled beneath her hood. "Hooked."