CHAPTER 180: CHAPTER 180: THE WEIGHT OF THE MISSION

Kieran’s POV

I slipped away from Lorraine’s room the moment her door closed, moving fast, silent like a shadow slipping through the halls of Lunar Crest. Every instinct in me screamed to stay, to keep my eyes on her, to never leave her side, not after the risks she had taken, not after what we had just survived. But Lorraine, she was just too stubborn and I found it so annoyingly attractive.

The night air cut across my face as I vaulted the stone wall and landed silently near the old shed close to the academy gates. The place reeked of damp hay and rusting metal, but it was quiet, out of sight, and that was what mattered. Alistair was already there, pacing like a wolf in a cage, running his hand through his blonde hair. His head snapped up when I stepped out of the shadows.

"You...." his eyes widened. "Where’s Lorraine? Don’t tell me you left her behind."

I leaned against the shed doorframe, arms crossed. "She’s safe. For now. But we’re not leaving. Not yet."

His face twisted, confusion flaring into anger. "Not leaving? Do you even hear yourself? The captain of the Crimson Hunt Soldiers is dead. You killed him, Kieran. The moment his body is discovered, we’re not fugitives, we’re corpses. Do you understand that?" His voice cracked with urgency, the horror plain on his face.

I met his gaze steadily. "I understand better than you think. Which is why you’re leaving. Without us."

Alistair froze. "What?"

I reached into my coat and pulled out the book, tthe one we’d stolen from the captain’s office and I held it out to him. "Take this. Get it out of the academy. Now."

He didn’t move to take it. His eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering. "You can’t be serious. You’re handing me that? And you’re staying behind with Lorraine?"

"Yes." My voice was flat, unshakable. "I’m trusting you with this, Alistair. It doesn’t matter what happens to me, or to her, if this book doesn’t reach Astrid and Magnus at the hideout. They need to see what’s inside, and you’re the only one who can get it to them in time."

His throat bobbed, and still he didn’t take it. "The hideout," he muttered, almost testing me. "Where exactly is that?"

I stepped closer, lowering my voice as I gave him the details, every word sharp and deliberate. "There’s an underground hideout deep in the woods, five miles northeast of the Blackthorn Creek. Look for the fallen pine with the scar across its bark, that’s your marker. Past it, there’s a ridge. You’ll find the entrance built into the stone. Astrid and Magnus are there. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Superspeed like you’ve never done before, and don’t let anyone, anyone, see you."

Finally, Alistair took it, his fingers brushing mine, his jaw clenched tight "If I fail...."

"You won’t." I cut him off. "Because failure isn’t an option. You get this book to them, or everything we’ve done tonight was for nothing."

Silence hung between us for a long moment. Then he gave a short, tense nod. "Fine. But you’d better survive this, Kieran. Both of you. Don’t make me regret trusting you."

Without another word, he blurred into motion, vanishing into the trees with only a rush of displaced air left behind.

And just like that, I was alone.

I stood in the silence of the night, staring toward the gates he had disappeared through. Every part of me wanted to follow, to put as much distance as possible between myself and this cursed academy. But Lorraine was still here. Lorraine had chosen to stay, and that meant I stayed too.

I’d given her one hour. One hour to close the Chapter she refused to leave unfinished. One hour before I went back for her and dragged her out of this place myself if I had to.

Lorraine’s POV

I was pacing. Back and forth, back and forth, like a caged animal losing her mind. My bare feet scuffed against the cold stone floor, and every sound seemed to echo too loudly in this suffocating room. Where the hell was Adrian? Why was he taking so long?

He needed to come back, he had to. Because if he didn’t, Kieran would. And once Kieran came, I wouldn’t have the chance to corner Adrian and get the truth out of him. I needed answers before that happened.

My chest tightened with each passing second. What if Adrian wasn’t coming back? What if something had happened to him? Or worse, what if he had simply left me here to rot? The thought made my skin crawl.

I raked my fingers through my tangled hair, frustration bubbling inside me. I couldn’t sit still anymore. My pulse hammered as I marched to the door, ready to pound my fist against the wood until someone answered....

But just then, the lock clicked.

I froze, breath caught in my throat. The door creaked open and there he was. Adrian. He stepped inside with a plate of food balanced in his hands, closing the door quickly behind him as though he was trying not to be seen.

Relief hit me so hard my knees nearly buckled, though I masked it with a sharp breath.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his brows knitting as he took in the way I was standing, tense, restless, like I was about to bolt.

I straightened instantly, forcing my face into calm. I couldn’t let him see how unsteady I felt. "I was just..." I let out a strained laugh, "suffocating in this closed up space. And I’m.... quite famished."

His lips quirked in a small, almost knowing smile. "Well, lucky you, I brought food."

I forced a smile back, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes. My stomach twisted with both hunger and dread. I didn’t care about food right now. I cared about the question clawing at my throat.

"I have something to ask you," I blurted.

He paused, setting the plate down slowly, his eyes narrowing on me with quiet caution. "What is it?"

I swallowed hard, heart racing. "While I was still with the Lycans.... I heard rumors. That the Lycan King might still be alive." My voice dropped to a whisper. "But that’s impossible, isn’t it? He’s dead. He has to be dead, you made him kill himself..... right?"

For a moment, Adrian didn’t answer.

But before he could speak, the academy siren wailed.

The sound ripped through the air, sharp and violent. Adrian’s expression shifted instantly. He pushed to his feet, tension rolling off him like heat. "Something’s wrong."

Heavy boots thundered outside the door. My stomach plummeted.

Then, crash!

The massive doors were kicked open, splinters flying. A flood of armored zoldiers stormed inside, their presence filling the room with suffocating menace. They parted, creating a path.

And then he entered.

The Leader.

His aura hit me once again like a physical blow. Fury twisted his features, his eyes locked on me as if I were prey. Adrian immediately dropped his head in a bow, stiff and silent.

The Leader’s steps were deliberate, predatory. He closed the distance in seconds and his hand shot out, grabbing my chin with bruising force. His fingers dug into my skin, yanking my face up until my eyes met his.

"You," he snarled, his breath hot against my face. "You killed my captain."

My blood iced. They found his body.

"But you didn’t kill him yourself did you? It was him, I could smell him all over my captain’s dead body. Tell me where your prince is. Where the hell is Kieran Valerius Hunter?"

I stared back at him, my jaw tight, my heart battering my ribs. I said nothing. I refused to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

For a moment, the fury in his gaze deepened. Then, with a scoff, he released me and stepped back.

"It doesn’t even matter if you say a word or not," he hissed, his voice low and venomous. "Because regardless.... you are dying tonight."

His eyes slid to the soldiers circling us. His voice cracked like a whip.

"Start the preparations for Ritus Tenebris."