I didn't sleep after finding that note.
How could I? Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those symbols. The crescent moon wrapped in thorns—Katheris's mark, maybe, or something older. And that split wolf's head. Half shadow, half light. Like me. Like what I'd become.
"Duality demands sacrifice."
The words kept circling my mind like vultures.
By the time dawn crept through my window, I'd made a decision. I couldn't face whatever was coming alone. Not with threats this cryptic, this personal. I needed people I could trust. Not just Darius and Caleb—though they were my foundation—but students. People who understood what it meant to fight for your place here. People who'd proven themselves.
I tucked the note into my jacket pocket and headed out.
The campus was just waking up. Early morning mist clung to the paths between buildings. A few dedicated students were already heading to training grounds, their breath forming small clouds in the cold air.
