Lucas's POV
I stood there, frozen, watching Abigail leave the room. The file hidden in my hand felt heavier with each passing second. I should’ve stopped her. I should’ve said something sooner. But the words just wouldn’t come. 
My mind was a mess. Everything I wanted to say, everything I’d been holding onto for so long, it was all too much. I wasn’t ready for this. Not tonight. Not with the event so close. But I couldn’t let her walk away like that. Not after what I’d seen in her eyes. She had to know the truth, at least part of it.
I sighed, shaking my head, and forced my feet to move. I stepped out of the room and hurried down the hallway, hoping she hadn’t gone far. My heart raced as I turned the corner, and there she was, leaning against the wall, her head resting on it like she was deep in thought.
I stopped for a moment, just watching her. Abigail wasn’t someone who gave up easily, and that’s what scared me. She wouldn’t stop until she uncovered every secret, even if it destroyed her in the process. And I couldn’t let that happen.
Taking a deep breath, I approached her. She didn’t notice me at first, too lost in her own thoughts. But when I finally stood in front of her, she glanced up, her eyes filled with frustration and something else I couldn’t quite place.
I sighed. “Abigail… I’m sorry.”
Her gaze narrowed, skeptical, as if waiting for the punchline of a bad joke. And I didn’t blame her. I’d acted like a complete jerk back there. But I had my reasons… even if they didn’t make sense right now.
“I didn’t mean for things to get so… messed up,” I said, trying to explain, but the words stuck in my throat. Damn it, why was this so hard?
Abigail didn’t say anything, just kept staring at me, waiting for me to say more. I could feel the weight of her silence pressing down on me.
“I’ve known since you got here,” I finally blurted out. “I’ve known what’s going on… well, parts of it.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling awkward as hell. “I received a message from my father before… well, before the one you saw me holding.”
Abigail’s eyes flickered, a mix of confusion and curiosity. She straightened up, her arms crossing as she waited for me to continue.
“But look, it’s not the right moment to make a move,” I said, my voice lowering. “I’m still piecing things together. There are files, clues… things you don’t know yet. The event tomorrow... it’s too risky. Emery… she’s dangerous, Abigail.”
Her eyes darkened at the mention of Emery, and I didn’t blame her. Emery wasn’t just any girl. She was ruthless. The kind of person who would do whatever it took to get what she wanted. And she hated traitors. That much, I knew for sure.
“Emery’s been planning this for a long time,” I continued. “Her and her father… they’ve got this whole Academy under their control. And they’ll do anything—anything—to keep it that way.”
Abigail didn’t flinch, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. She was listening, but she wasn’t convinced yet.
I hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “If you make any wrong moves now, Abigail… she’ll shut you down. She’ll make sure no one ever hears from you again.”
A heavy silence settled between us. Abigail’s expression didn’t change, but I could feel the gears turning in her head. She wasn’t scared, not in the way she should’ve been. She was thinking, planning. That’s what worried me.
“You need to prove yourself,” I said finally. “You need to show Emery that you can qualify as a rank Elite, at least for now. That’s the only way you’ll get close enough to the truth without getting caught.”
Abigail raised an eyebrow, her arms still crossed, clearly unimpressed. “And how exactly do I do that?”
I reached into my jacket, pulling out the folder I’d taken from the room. I held it out to her. “This. This is how you win the game tomorrow. The Midnight Scavenger.”
She took the folder from me, her fingers brushing against mine for a brief second before she stepped back, flipping it open. Her eyes scanned the contents quickly, her brow furrowing as she read.
“If you want to dig deeper into this Academy, Abigail, the first step is to make progress,” I explained. “You need to rise through the ranks. Red and Blue won’t cut it. You need to be higher, Black Elite. That’s where the real power is. That’s where you’ll find the answers.”
Abigail glanced up from the folder, her eyes locking onto mine. She wasn’t fully convinced yet, but I could see the wheels turning in her mind. She was weighing her options, thinking about what I’d said.
Before she could say anything, I glanced over my shoulder. We didn’t have much time. Being seen together would raise too many questions. But I couldn’t leave her without telling her the rest.
“Look,” I said, my voice dropping even lower. “There’s something else you need to know. Emery—she gave you a stupid promotion. The Black token.” I paused, watching her reaction. “You’re the only one who got it this year. That means something, Abigail. It means she’s watching you closely. She thinks you’re important. But that also means she’s waiting for you to slip up.”
Abigail’s eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across her face. She hadn’t expected that. Neither had I, to be honest. But it was true. Emery had chosen her, for whatever reason. And that made things even more dangerous.
“We don’t have much time,” I said, glancing around the hallway. “If you really want to figure this out, Abigail… you need to play the game. Become one of them. Get close. That’s the only way you’ll survive long enough to find out the truth.”
She didn’t say anything, just stared at me, her fingers tightening around the folder. I knew she was thinking, debating whether to trust me or not. And honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could blame her.
But before I could say anything else, I heard footsteps approaching. We were out of time.
“I have to go,” I said, backing away slowly. “But remember what I said. The Midnight Scavenger… it’s your first step. Win, and you’ll be one step closer to the truth. Lose… and we both lose.”
With that, I turned and slipped back into the shadows, leaving her standing there, alone in the hallway, holding the folder that could change everything.
As I walked away, the weight on my chest grew heavier with each step. My heart was pounding, not from the rush of sneaking around the Academy, but from something deeper... guilt. I could still feel Abigail's eyes burning into my back, like she knew I wasn’t telling her everything. Because I wasn’t.
I leaned against the cold wall of the hallway, trying to catch my breath. It wasn’t the physical strain that got to me. No, it was everything else. The lies, the secrets… the things I couldn’t say. The things I wasn’t ready to face. How did it all get this messed up?
I rubbed my forehead, trying to push the thoughts away. But they wouldn’t leave me alone. That look on Abigail’s face, the way she almost figured everything out. It shook me. She was so close. Too close. 
I sighed, closing my eyes for a second. I wanted to protect her. I had to. But how do you protect someone when you’re the one lying to them? How long could I keep pretending like I had it all together?
The footsteps echoing in the distance snapped me out of it. I couldn’t stand here any longer. I had to get back before anyone noticed I was gone. But even as I hurried down the hall, my mind kept drifting back to Abigail. What if she didn’t trust me anymore? What if she didn’t follow through with the plan?
I cursed under my breath. This whole thing was falling apart faster than I could control it.
I reached a dark, empty corridor and stopped, leaning against the wall again, this time feeling more trapped than before. I had no idea what to do. Should I tell her everything? No, I couldn’t. Not yet. Not until I had more information. Not until I could make sure she wouldn’t get hurt.
But part of me wanted to. Part of me wanted to just spill everything, to let her in on the full truth. That she was in way more danger than she realized. That Emery was worse than she thought. That the Academy itself was a labyrinth of lies, and I was right there in the middle of it.
I let out a long breath. Damn it, Lucas, get it together. I had to keep my head straight. I couldn’t afford to break down now. Not with everything riding on this.
But as I stood there, alone in the dark hallway, the guilt started creeping in again. I had lied to Abigail. I had kept things from her. And I hated myself for it. She deserved to know the truth. She deserved better than this.
My hand clenched into a fist as I thought about Emery. About what she was planning. If Abigail didn’t play this right, if she didn’t win the Midnight Scavenger tomorrow… Emery wouldn’t just watch from the sidelines. She’d make sure Abigail disappeared. That’s how this place worked. That’s how Emery operated.
I punched the wall lightly, frustration bubbling up inside me. I was supposed to protect her. That’s what I promised myself. But now, I was caught between protecting her and keeping her in the dark. And every second, it felt like I was running out of time.
I pushed myself off the wall, forcing my legs to move. I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t let this break me down. Not yet.
But as I walked through the dark halls of the Academy, the weight of my secrets, the lies I was telling Abigail, it was all crashing down on me. And no matter how fast I walked, I couldn’t outrun it.