CHAPTER 50: EVE OF THE EXILE.

Elara’s mouth fell open.

"What?" she exclaimed as she met eyes with Corrine.

Bella nodded quickly, "I saw them with my own eyes. I was as shocked as you are now when I saw them. That evening in the field, I had fainted, but when I came to and opened my eyes, all I could see were four wolves. Their bodies just... changed. Fur, fangs, claws, everything.

"Wait. You said you fainted?" Corriene asked.

"Yes I did. They fought first as humans and I got into the fight to separate them. One heavy blow landed right here," she pointed to the side of her head.

"Then Rafe... healed me."

Corrine laughed disbelievingly. "Rafe? Rafe I know? A healer? That can’t be true. Do you know how rare healers are? There’s no way he’s one."

"I warned you from the onset that my story wasn’t believable.

And that’s not even the worst part."

"Wow, more to come." Corrine said.

"What’s more Bella?" Elara asked.

"A demon came to attack me."

Her voice faltered. The memory crashed over her, the grotesque whip, the black smoke, the monstrous form towering above them.

She pressed her palms to her temples. "A demon I once saw in my vision came alive to fight me. Then they shifted again to fight that demon that shouldn’t even be existent."

Elara stared, speechless.

Corinne, this time didn’t mask her reaction. Her face tightened, jaw slack with shock. "You can’t be serious."

"I wish I wasn’t," Bella whispered. "But I saw it. The demon—at first they were many, then it became one big giant demon. They were sent to kill me."

Elara’s hand flew to her mouth, muffling her gasp, while Corrine leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, staring intensely at Bella.

Bella looked between them, feeling the weight of her own words hanging heavy in the room. "I know it sounds insane. Believe me, when it happened, I thought I was losing my mind."

"Bella," Elara whispered, voice trembling. "You’re saying... you actually saw them fight a demon?"

Bella nodded. "Not just fight. They told me to run—to get as far away as I could. But..." she trailed off, her throat tightening again.

"But what?" Corrine pressed.

Her eyes flicked to the window as though the trees outside might somehow give her the courage to continue. "I ran. Like Luca asked me to. But I didn’t make it far. Principal Maren... appeared out of nowhere."

Both girls froze.

"Principal Maren?" Elara repeated, disbelief lacing her tone. "At the forest?"

"Yes." Bella’s voice was low. "She stopped me. She told me to turn back—to go to where the boys were. I didn’t understand why, but... I obeyed."

"Wait—" Corrine held up a hand, brows furrowing. "You’re saying Principal Maren appeared there of all places, in the middle of the night, at the exact moment you were running from a demon fight?"

"Yes." Bella’s lips pressed tight. "And when I got back, the boys... they weren’t wolves anymore. They’d changed back to normal humans and stood there like nothing had happened."

Elara shook her head in disbelief. "And Maren didn’t see the demon?"

"No. Or... she acted like she didn’t, I don’t know." Bella replied. She looked at me, then looked at them, and asked why they were outside. They didn’t give any tangible reason. You know I already told her some students were under attack when she blocked me. But they made it look like I was making my story up."

"So did she believe them?" Corrine asked.

Bella gave a humorless laugh. "She didn’t believe anything. She just ordered us back to our rooms. But she said we were to appear before the disciplinary board the next morning."

Elara’s hands tightened in her lap. "That explains why everyone’s been whispering. People said you were seen heading to the committee room with them."

Bella nodded grimly. "Yes. That morning... we stood before Maren and the other board members. Luca, Killian, Cassian, Rafe—we just told the board we couldn’t sleep, so we decided to walk."

Corrine rolled her eyes. "Walking. In the middle of the night. Brilliant."

"I know. We just couldn’t tell them what really happened. And our story that morning had to tally with the one we already told Principal Maren the previous night."

Bella pressed her palms into her knees. "After some deliberations, she dismissed our case with a warning and confined the boys to their rooms for a week. I was to walk free. Or so I thought." Her voice faltered again.

Elara leaned closer. "What happened?"

Bella’s throat worked. "Just as we were about to leave, she called me back. Just me."

Corrine’s expression sharpened. "What for?"

Bella swallowed hard. "She told the panel about the call I made to my mum. About a week ago."

Elara’s mouth fell open. "Bella... you called your mum?! After everything we told you? After the rules book—"

"I know!" Bella snapped, louder than she intended. Her hands balled into fists. "You think I don’t know? You think I don’t regret it every second since? My phone died right after that call—dead, it wouldn’t turn on again. I thought it was just a coincidence, but... now I see it wasn’t. Maren knew about it."

Silence pressed down on the room.

Corrine exhaled slowly. "I told you from the beginning, Bella. I warned you the rules weren’t a joke. That call—it was reckless. You put yourself in danger."

Bella’s chest heaved, shame and anger warring inside her. "I just... I missed her. My mum. I couldn’t breathe here, with all the strange things happening. And I thought, what harm could one call do?"

Elara’s face softened. "Oh, Bella..." She reached out, hesitating before touching Bella’s arm. "I understand why you did it. I do. And I don’t blame you for missing your mum. But... the rules are cruel. And they don’t forgive.

"And you just chose one of the worst ones to break." Corrine said.

Bella closed her eyes. "Maren made sure of that. She told the panel my punishment was exile. Three days in the forest. Alone."

Elara gasped, horrified. "No. That’s—Bella, how are you going to survive that?"

Corrine’s expression flickered, "They really want to make an example out of you."

"She said after what happened with the boys the night before, forgiving me was impossible. That’s what she told them. No one argued. Not even Mallory." Bella’s lips twisted. "She tried... a little. But her protest wasn’t enough to save me."

Elara shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "No, this can’t be happening. They can’t just throw you into the forest like that—alone. What if you—"

"I don’t know." Bella’s voice cracked. "But I have no choice. At dawn, they’ll take me to the treeline. If I survive it then I can return."

Corrine sat back slowly, her face unreadable. Finally, she said, "Then you need to prepare. Stop crying, stop panicking. You’ve seen more in two days than some of us will in years. You know what’s out there now. Use it."

Elara shot her a look. "Corrine—"

"No, she’s right." Bella’s voice was steadier than she felt. "Crying won’t change anything. I have to survive."

Elara clutched her hand. "Then we’ll help you. Tonight, whatever we can give you, food, water, blankets—"

Bella’s throat tightened at the sight of Elara’s tears. Her betrayal still stung, but in that moment, she saw her sincerity.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Corrine crossed her arms, but her voice was quieter now. "Don’t thank us yet. Just make sure you come back alive. Otherwise, this room will feel emptier than it already does."

Yes Bella, we really missed you."

The three girls sat in silence after that, the weight of what was coming pressing down on all of them.

For Bella? At dawn... the forest would claim her.