Nathalie's POV 
As I followed behind Emery, the heavy footsteps of her heels echoed in the long, cold hallway. My head was buzzing with thoughts, each one more anxious than the last. What had I done? Why was she so angry? Was this about Abigail? My stomach twisted at the thought of whatever consequences might be coming. I knew Emery wasn’t the type to let things slide easily.
Her expression back in the event room… it was something serious. I’ve seen her mad before, but not like this. I had to force myself to take deep breaths, but each step made it harder to calm down. The silence between us was suffocating, and I could almost hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
We finally reached her office, and I nearly bumped into her when she stopped abruptly in front of the door. I looked up, startled. Emery turned around to face me, and for a moment, we locked eyes. The disappointment in her stare was unmistakable, and it hit me like a punch to the gut. She didn’t say anything, just opened the door and stepped inside.
I gulped hard, forcing myself to follow.
The moment I walked into her office, I froze. Finn and Lucas were already there, sitting stiffly in their chairs, looking as shocked to see me as I was to see them. My heart sank further. 
What are they doing here? I thought. 
The air in the room was thick with tension, and no one dared to say a word. Emery was already behind her desk, eyes sweeping across the three of us. Her stare landed on me again, but before I could even begin to wonder what was going on, she spoke.
"Sit down." she said, her voice carrying the kind of authority that left no room for argument.
I quickly moved to the chair opposite her desk, my hands clammy as I tried not to fidget. Finn and Lucas weren’t doing much better, shifting nervously in their seats. We all exchanged glances, but none of us spoke. The silence was unbearable, and I could feel the knot in my stomach tightening.
Then, out of nowhere, Emery's voice broke through the tension like a sharp blade. "Do any of you know why you're here?"
Her gaze was as cold as ice, and when she looked at me, I felt like I was shrinking in my seat. Finn opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, Emery raised her hand, stopping him instantly.
“Save your excuses,” she snapped, her tone hard. “I don’t want to hear them.”
She took a deep breath, clearly trying to maintain control of her rising anger. “The three of you,” she began, her voice tight with frustration, “have broken more rules in one night than anyone else has. Do you have any idea how reckless and stupid that is? Unbelievable!”
None of us dared to speak. Emery had this ability to make you feel like your life was flashing before your eyes, and right now, I wasn’t about to test her patience.
I could feel the pressure building, and it wasn’t long before I pieced it together. This wasn’t just about us messing around, it was about Abigail. We were told not to interact with the students we were monitoring, especially Abigail. We crossed the line.
Emery sighed heavily, rubbing her temples in frustration. “You’re not allowed to get involved with her. You know the rules. And yet, you—" she glared at Lucas, "you’ve been hovering over her like a shadow. And you two,” she turned her gaze on Finn and me, “what do you think you’re doing? Do you have any idea what the consequences could be?”
I didn’t need to hear any more. I already knew I was in deep trouble, and I wasn’t about to argue. I kept my head down, biting my lip to stop myself from saying anything that could make things worse.
Emery leaned back in her chair, looking exhausted. "This is a mess," she muttered, almost to herself. “I’m going to let this slide—this time. But don’t think for a second that this is over. You are higher Elites. You’re supposed to set an example, not… waste time on some stupid distractions.”
Her eyes bore into Lucas as she said that last part, and I could feel him stiffen beside me.
Lucas spoke up, his voice quiet. “It won’t happen again. I’m sorry.”
Emery closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded. “It better not.”
The room was heavy with tension, and I could see the exhaustion on her face. Despite her hard exterior, I knew that somewhere inside, she cared. She had to, right? But her duty, her role as a leader, always came first. It was just how she operated.
Emery stood up, signaling that the conversation was over. “Get some rest,” she said, her tone softer now. “I know you’re all tired, and so am I.”
We didn’t say anything. We just nodded, grateful that the storm had passed, for now.
As soon as Emery left the room, the three of us let out the breaths we’d been holding, the tension finally lifting. Finn leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face. “That was intense.”
Lucas shook his head, still looking down. “I thought we were dead.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Well, we’re still breathing.”
For a few moments, we sat there in silence, trying to shake off the lingering tension. Then, as if on cue, Lucas and Finn started bickering, their sarcastic comments filling the air again. I rolled my eyes, but deep down, I was relieved. 
We sat there for a while, the weight of what just happened still hanging over us, but the relief was creeping in too. Emery’s wrath wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. I could feel it in the air, none of us wanted to be the first to speak, in case it broke the fragile calm that had settled in. I caught Lucas glancing at me from the corner of his eye, and I wondered if he was as relieved as I was.
Then Finn broke the silence.
“I didn’t know Emery would use her emotion card on us,” he muttered, leaning back in his chair. He stretched his arms out like he’d been holding tension for hours, his tone somewhere between sarcasm and disbelief. 
At first, we all stayed quiet. But then, Lucas snorted, trying to hold back a laugh, and I couldn’t help it either. A small giggle escaped me. Finn was right, Emery had let her emotions slip, just for a second, and it was… surprising. The three of us had seen her like that, and it felt kind of unreal. Almost like we’d seen something we weren’t supposed to.
“She’s not made of stone after all, huh?” I chuckled, shaking my head. 
Lucas nodded, a grin pulling at his lips. “She’s all tough on the outside, but deep down, she’s still human.”
“Not that any of the other students would believe that,” Finn added, his voice dropping to a mock-serious tone. “Emery caring? It’s like trying to imagine a storm with sunshine.”
The thought made us all laugh quietly. The tension in the room had shifted now, and the fear that was gripping us before was starting to melt away. It was strange, thinking about Emery like that, like she wasn’t the unbreakable wall everyone thought she was. For a brief moment, it felt like we were in on some secret the rest of the academy would never understand.
I leaned back in my chair, letting the relief settle in deeper. “Still, we got lucky,” I said, my voice quieter now. “Could’ve been a lot worse. I mean, did you see the way she looked at Lucas?”
Lucas groaned. “Don’t remind me. I thought I was about to be thrown out the window.”
Finn laughed, but it was a soft sound, one that made it clear he was just as relieved as the rest of us. “Honestly, though, I’m glad she didn’t. I mean, it’s nice to know she actually gives a damn, even if she’s never going to admit it out loud.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, thinking back to that moment when Emery sighed, her fingers rubbing her temples like she was trying to hold it all together. “She’s tough because she has to be, but there’s more to her than just rules and punishments.”
Lucas shook his head slowly, a look of disbelief still lingering in his eyes. “Man, who would’ve thought we’d see the day?”
We fell into silence again, but this time it wasn’t heavy like before. It was the kind of silence that made you feel like you’d just gotten through something big, something that could’ve gone in a completely different direction. The room didn’t feel as stifling anymore, and the tension that had wrapped itself around my chest was finally starting to loosen.
But as much as we were relieved, I knew we couldn’t forget what Emery had said. We’d crossed a line, and even though she let us off the hook this time, we wouldn’t be so lucky if it happened again. The rules were there for a reason, and Abigail… well, she was a target. A student we weren’t supposed to get close to. 
I shifted in my seat, my mind going back to Abigail and all the chaos she seemed to bring with her. 
“You think we’ll ever figure her out?” Finn asked, as if reading my mind. He didn’t say her name, but I knew exactly who he meant.
I shrugged, unsure. “I don’t know. But we probably shouldn’t try.”
Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, that’s probably smart. But something tells me she’s not going to make it easy.”
Finn chuckled. “When has she ever?”
We all laughed softly again, but there was something different in the air now. A quiet understanding that things were going to get a lot more complicated from here. Whatever Abigail’s deal was, we weren’t supposed to get involved. But staying away from her… that was easier said than done.
For now, though, we were safe. We had gotten through the night without too much damage, and that was enough. We didn’t need to think about what might come next.
“Let’s get out of here,” Lucas said after a while, standing up and stretching. “I think I’ve had enough of this place for one night.”
“Agreed,” Finn said, getting to his feet as well. “I need sleep, and lots of it.”
I followed them, feeling the exhaustion hit me all at once now that the adrenaline was wearing off. But as I headed for the door, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
And as much as I wanted to pretend otherwise, I knew we weren’t done with Abigail yet. Not by a long shot.
But least, for now, we survived Emery’s wrath.