Page 45 of Shadows of Change

"You pushed yourself too hard," he says, his tone soothing now. "Rest. Everything’s fine."

The last thing I see before the darkness claims me is Mouse, his fur bristling as he struggles against unseen forces, and Bob rippled frantically, his form breaking apart like ink dissolving in water.

???

When I open my eyes, I’m sitting on a bench in the courtyard. The sunlight is too bright, making my head pound. Darian is beside me, his face creased with concern.

"You fainted during training," he says, brushing a strand of hair from my face. His touch is light, calculated, and it sets my nerves on edge.

"The shadow magic was too intense," he continues. "Professor Thorne thinks you need rest."

"I..." My voice is weak, and my thoughts feel distant, blurred around the edges. My shadows curl weakly around me, mirroring the heaviness in my limbs and the fog in my thoughts.

"What happened?"

"Nothing to worry about," Darian says, his smile warm and reassuring. Too reassuring. "You're just learning your limits. Let me help you back to your room."

He stands and offers his hand. Reluctantly, I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. My body feels heavy, uncooperative, like I’m moving through water.

As we walk, Mouse follows silently, his tail low, while Bob hovers close to my shoulder like a protective specter. Their behavior feels off, but my thoughts are too hazy to unravel why.

Maybe Finn and the others were wrong about Darian.

Or maybe I’m just too tired to face the truth.

29. Malrik

The library is silent except for Finn’s restless pacing. He hasn’t cracked a single joke since Kaia left—a sure sign of how serious things have become.

"We should have stopped her," Torric growls, his fingers tapping an agitated rhythm against the table.

"How?" Aspen asks, calm and deliberate as always. "She’s right—we can’t make decisions for her."

"We can when she’s walking into a trap," Torric snaps, the heat in his voice sharp enough to burn.

I stay silent, watching Finn wear a path into the carpet. There’s something he isn’t saying—something important. And now, he can’t keep it to himself any longer.

"Finn," I say quietly. "Tell them."

He freezes mid-step, running a hand through his already messy hair. "Tell them what?"

"About the shadows." I hold his gaze, steady and unyielding. "About what we’ve seen."

The twins exchange confused glances. Aspen is the first to break the silence. "What about the shadows?"

Finn laughs sharply, but it lacks his usual humor. “They’ve been warning us about Darian from the start. And yeah, I should’ve said something. But it’s not like you’d have listened.” He takes a ragged breath, “That Bob practically has an aneurysm every time he’s near? That they physically push Kaia away from him?"

"Bob?" Torric asks, his golden brows knitting together.

"The big one," Finn and I say in unison.

"You can see them?" Aspen’s eyes widen in surprise. "Both of you?"

"Yes," I admit. "For different reasons. But that’s not what matters. What matters is that her shadows know something’s wrong. They’ve known all along."

"And you didn’t think to tell us earlier?" Torric stands, heat rolling off him in waves.

"Would you have believed us?" I reply coolly.

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