The academy gathered like it always did—obedient, elegant, unaware.
Morning light spilled across the central courtyard, glinting off polished stone and pressed uniforms. Students clustered in careful groups, laughter measured, posture perfected. This was where appearances were curated and reputations quietly executed.
Seraphina stood at the edge of it all, the crest at her throat warm against her skin.
Eyes followed her.
They always did now.
Cassian Roth lounged near the fountain, flanked by Marcus and Elijah, their presence loud in its arrogance. Cassian's gaze slid to Seraphina with lazy amusement, as though she were a problem he hadn't yet bothered to finish solving.
"You look intact," he called. "I expected less resilience."
She ignored him.
That, apparently, was unforgivable.
Cassian stepped forward, his voice carrying. "Has our little vow learned her place yet?"
The courtyard quieted.
Seraphina felt the familiar tightening in her chest—but it wasn't fear this time. It was resolve. She had spent too long surviving quietly. Today, she stood where everyone could see her.
"I wasn't aware I had one," she said evenly.
A ripple of murmurs followed.
Cassian smiled. "Oh, you do. You're just slow to accept it."
"Enough."
The word cut through the space like steel.
Lucien Blackwood emerged from the arched entrance, his presence commanding silence without effort. He walked toward them with measured steps, his expression calm, his eyes sharp.
Cassian turned, brows lifting. "Intervening again?"
Lucien stopped beside Seraphina—not in front of her. Beside her.
A deliberate choice.
"Yes," he said simply.
Marcus straightened. "This isn't your affair."
Lucien's gaze flicked to him, dismissive. "Everything involving her is."
The courtyard held its breath.
Cassian laughed softly. "You're overreaching."
Lucien reached into his coat and withdrew a slim folder, placing it on the stone edge of the fountain.
"You sabotaged her property," he said calmly. "You violated Circle protocol by acting without approval."
Cassian's smile faltered. "You don't have—"
Lucien opened the folder.
Documents. Photographs. Records.
"Your offshore accounts," Lucien continued. "Your unsanctioned dealings. And your attempt to pressure a vow-bound asset."
The word asset landed like a calculated insult.
Elijah went still.
Marcus swore under his breath.
Cassian's color drained slowly. "You wouldn't."
Lucien tilted his head. "Watch me."
The silence shattered.
Cassian stepped back, fury flashing through his fear. "You're choosing her over blood."
Lucien didn't hesitate. "I'm choosing order."
"And what about me?" Cassian snapped. "What about us?"
Lucien's gaze was cold. "You forgot your place."
He turned slightly, his attention shifting—not to Cassian, but to Seraphina.
"For the record," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "she answers to me."
A shiver ran through the courtyard.
Cassian stared at Seraphina now—not with mockery, but with something closer to hatred.
"This isn't over," he warned her.
She met his gaze steadily. "I know."
Lucien stepped closer to her, lowering his voice. "You should have stayed quiet."
She smiled faintly. "And let them think I was weak?"
His mouth curved—just slightly. "You're learning."
As the crowd dispersed in hushed awe and whispered speculation, Seraphina felt something unfamiliar settle into her bones.
Security.
Not safety.
Something sharper.
Lucien walked with her toward the main hall, their steps aligned.
"You made an enemy today," she said.
He glanced at her. "You already had several."
"And you?" she asked.
Lucien stopped at the doors. "I reminded them who holds the knife."
She hesitated. "Why say it out loud? That I answer to you."
His gaze softened—not with tenderness, but with intention.
"Because now," he said quietly, "they'll think twice before touching you."
"And what should I think?"
Lucien leaned closer, his voice a murmur meant only for her. "That power is louder when it's claimed."
The doors opened.
As Seraphina stepped inside, one truth burned unmistakably clear:
She was no longer the girl the Circle had chosen to control.
She was the girl they had forced Lucien Blackwood to stand beside.
And the Ivory Circle would never forgive either of them for it.
— End of Chapter Five