The ribbon never left Evelyn's hand.
She didn't sleep that night—not out of fear, but calculation. She placed the ribbon in a small box beneath the loose floorboard under her bed. Just in case.
By morning, the Academy was bright and bustling again, but everything felt off. The laughter was louder, as if people were trying to drown out something ugly beneath the surface. Even Isabella was quieter, her smile tighter.
Evelyn's gaze followed her through the courtyard, then veered toward someone else.
Alexander stood near the faculty wing, discussing something with another professor. Impeccably dressed. Controlled. Cold.
She moved before she could second-guess herself.
"Professor Valerius," she called, voice low but direct.
He didn't look surprised to see her, but something in his jaw tensed.
He dismissed the other professor with a glance and turned to her. "You shouldn't call me that outside the classroom."
"Then tell me what I should call you when someone leaves a bloodied ribbon meant to scare me."
His expression didn't change. Not a flicker. But the air between them grew heavier.
"Where?" he asked quietly.
"In the courtyard. Last night. It was the same color as the one you gave me."
She reached into her cloak and handed it to him—wrapped in another handkerchief to avoid smearing the evidence.
Alexander took it without comment. Looked at it. Then back at her.
"Why didn't you come to me sooner?"
"You're not exactly the come talk to me if you're scared type," Evelyn replied dryly.
For a moment, it looked like he might argue. Instead, he tucked the ribbon into his coat.
"I'll handle it."
"No." She stepped in front of him. "You don't get to tell me to fight back, then leave me out of the battle."
A silence passed between them. One of those sharp, fragile moments where something unseen shifted.
His gaze searched hers. Finally, he said, "Fine. But this won't end in the classroom."
She nodded once.
"Then we start now."
But before either could say more, a student rushed up to them, panting.
"Miss Hawthorne—your dorm. Someone broke into your room. The guards want you."
Evelyn's blood ran cold.
She turned without another word and ran.
Alexander followed.
And as she sprinted through the halls, one thought pounded in her skull:
They weren't just trying to scare her anymore.
They were coming for her.