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Raine was given a room in the east dormitory. Technically, it was temporary. Everybody knew it wasn't. Noah carried the guitar. Maya carried the duffel bag. Raine carried nothing. He had argued about that for approximately thirty seconds. Then stopped. That scared Noah more than the arguing. The dormitory halls had gone unusually quiet. People were pretending not to hover. Soteria students were terrible at pretending. Raine noticed.

"They're staring."

Maya looked at a group who immediately scattered.

"No."

Raine stared at her.

"You're a terrible liar."

"Family trait."

Raine's mouth twitched. Tiny. Still there. Noah looked away before either noticed. They reached room 317. Noah unlocked it. Raine frowned.

"You have keys?"

"Master access."

"Why?"

"Field operative."

Raine's expression changed. Right. Bad phrase. Noah opened the door. The room was simple. Bed. Desk. Wardrobe. Bookshelf. Window overlooking the eastern forest. Private bathroom. Most new students shared. Not Raine. Security. Privacy. Probably both.

Raine stepped inside. Maya placed the bag on the bed. Noah set the guitar beside the desk. Raine immediately moved toward it. His fingers touched the case. The blood smear remained on the handle. Nobody had cleaned it. Good. Noah had almost done it. Then stopped. It wasn't his to erase. Raine stared at it. Maya asked:

"Want me to stay?"

No hesitation.

"Yes."

Noah's stomach twisted. Not jealousy. Absolutely not. Something worse. Understanding. Maya belonged here right now. Noah didn't. He stepped toward the door. Raine noticed.

"Where are you going?"

Noah stopped. That surprised all three of them.

"I..."

Excellent. Words. He tried again.

"I figured you wanted space."

Raine looked at him. His expression was unreadable.

"I do."

There it was. Noah nodded.

"Okay."

He stepped into the hallway.

"Sunshine."

Noah froze. Maya froze. Raine looked vaguely horrified that he'd said it. For half a second, none of them moved. Then Noah turned. Raine's gaze had dropped to the floor.

"I..."

He swallowed.

"Thanks for driving."

Noah stared. That was it. Nothing else. It felt enormous.

"Of course."

Raine flinched slightly. Noah remembered. Why 'of course'? Because you called. You needed me. He corrected himself.

"Anytime."

Raine looked up. Their eyes met. Still angry. Still hurt. But something remained underneath. Something neither of them was ready to touch. Noah nodded once. Then left. The door closed. He stood outside. Did not move.

Inside, Maya said something too quiet to hear. Raine answered. Noah forced himself to walk. One step. Another. Down the hall. Away. Space. He could do that. He had to. Because Noah Santiago had spent years believing that protecting people meant standing between them and whatever wanted to hurt them. Sword drawn. Bow raised. Body first.

He was beginning to understand that sometimes protection looked different. Sometimes it meant leaving. Sometimes it meant waiting. Sometimes it meant letting somebody be angry with you. And sometimes— Noah looked down at his injured knuckles. Sometimes there was absolutely nothing you could fix.

He hated that lesson. He suspected Soteria was going to make him learn it anyway. Behind him, in room 317, the shadows gathered quietly beneath Raine's new bed. Not threatening. Not restless. Home. Or something trying to become one. And several floors below, deep inside Soteria Hall— an ancient door opened by itself.