Chapter 203

Harper

I kept my gaze forward as the bus lurched away from the academy, tires crunching softly over frozen gravel. The warmth inside slowly seeped into my fingers, but the tightness in my chest refused to ease.

Outside, the campus slid past in pale shades of white and stone, familiar shapes dissolving into distance far too quickly.

The bus wasn’t quiet—not really. Low voices filled the space, laug