Chapter 3

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the Crown Prince's face in the moonlight—those cold, calculating eyes that seemed to see right through her. She replayed their conversation over and over, searching for hidden meanings, for threats she might have missed.

At dawn, she gave up on rest and sat by the window, watching the sun rise over the academy's spires. The campus looked peaceful, almost magical, bathed in golden light. But she knew better now. Beneath that beauty lay secrets, lies, and danger.

Yuna stirred in her bed, blinking sleepily. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep."

"Nightmares?"

"Something like that."

Yuna sat up, her expression shifting from groggy to alert. "Did something happen?"

Aria hesitated. She wanted to trust Yuna—she was the only person at this academy who had shown her genuine kindness. But the stakes were too high. If the Crown Prince was watching her, anyone could be compromised.

"Just nerves," she said. "First week and all."

Yuna didn't look convinced, but she let it go.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Aria kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone. She could feel the stares, the whispers that followed her like a shadow. News of her rejection of the Crown Prince's invitation had spread overnight. Some students looked at her with grudging respect; others with open hostility.

She was halfway through her rice when a tray slammed onto the table across from her.

Crown Prince Kang Min-hyuk sat down, his expression unreadable. The dining hall went silent.

"Your Highness," Aria said, her voice carefully neutral. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I wanted to continue our conversation from last night." He picked up a piece of toast, examining it as if it held the secrets of the universe. "You seemed... agitated when I interrupted your walk."

"I was surprised, that's all."

"Surprised to see me? Or surprised to be caught?"

She met his gaze. "I have nothing to hide, Your Highness."

"Everyone has something to hide, Miss Chen." He bit into the toast, chewed slowly, then leaned forward. "The question is what you're willing to risk to protect it."

Before she could respond, a commotion at the entrance drew their attention. Kim Jae-won walked in, flanked by two other students. He spotted Aria and the Crown Prince at the same table, and his eyes narrowed.

Min-hyuk followed her gaze. "Ah, your midnight companion. Tell me, what did he promise you? Answers? Justice? A shoulder to cry on?"

"He offered information about my brother."

"And you believed him?"

"I believed he might know something."

The Crown Prince set down his toast. "Kim Jae-won is the second son of House Lyra. His family has been angling for influence at court for generations. He sees you as a pawn in a larger game."

"And you don't?"

A flicker of something—respect? irritation?—crossed his face. "I see you as a liability. One that I'm trying to decide what to do with."

He stood, buttoning his jacket. "My offer still stands, Miss Chen. Join my study group. Let me keep an eye on you. It's the safest place you'll find at this academy."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you're on your own." He gave her a cold smile. "And from what I've seen, you'll need all the help you can get."

He walked away, leaving his tray behind. The dining hall slowly returned to its normal hum, but Aria felt the weight of every gaze on her.

Classes passed in a blur. Aria's mind was elsewhere, turning over possibilities. The Crown Prince's warning about Jae-won. Jae-won's warning about the Crown Prince. Two princes, two agendas, and she was caught in the middle.

At lunch, she found a note tucked into her textbook. Handwritten, in elegant script: East garden. Midnight. I have news. —KJW

She crumpled the note and slipped it into her pocket.

The day dragged on. Aria went through the motions, attending lectures, taking notes, pretending she was just another student. But every moment felt like a performance. She was waiting for midnight, waiting for answers.

This time, she took precautions. She told Yuna she was going to the library to study, then doubled back through a side corridor and out into the night. The moon was fuller tonight, casting long shadows across the grounds. She kept to the edges, moving quickly, her heart hammering.

Jae-won was already at the bench under the willow tree. He stood when he saw her, his face tight with urgency.

"You're early," she said.

"I didn't want to risk being late." He glanced around, then gestured for her to sit. "I found something."

"What?"

"A record. From last semester. Your brother—Leo—he accessed a restricted section of the library. The archives that are sealed by royal decree."

Aria's blood ran cold. "Sealed archives?"

"There's a room in the basement of the main building. It's locked, and only the Crown Prince and the headmaster have keys. But I found a way in."

"How?"

Jae-won reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brass key. "My family has connections. I had this made from an impression."

Aria stared at the key. It seemed too simple, too small to unlock whatever secrets lay hidden. "Why would Leo go there?"

"That's what I need to find out. But I can't go alone. If I'm caught, my family will disown me. But if we go together, we can share the risk."

"We?"

"You want answers, don't you?" He held out the key. "This is your chance."

She took it. The metal was cool against her palm. "Tonight?"

"Tonight. Meet me at the main building's east entrance in an hour. I'll get us past the night guards."

He turned to leave, then paused. "And Aria? If we find what I think we'll find, everything might change. Be ready."

He disappeared into the shadows, leaving her alone with the key and a thousand questions.

An hour later, Aria stood at the east entrance of the main building, her breath fogging in the cool night air. Jae-won appeared moments later, silent as a ghost.

"Follow me," he whispered.

They slipped through a service door he had unlocked, navigating dark corridors by memory. The basement stairs were narrow, winding, and smelled of old paper and dust. At the bottom, a heavy iron door loomed, its lock ancient and ornate.

Aria inserted the key. It turned with a satisfying click.

The door swung open, revealing a small room lined with shelves. Books, scrolls, and leather-bound journals filled every surface. In the center sat a desk, covered in papers.

Aria stepped inside, her breath catching. On the desk, half-buried under a stack of documents, was a familiar leather journal.

Leo's journal.

She grabbed it, her hands trembling. The pages were filled with his handwriting—observations, theories, and a name: Kang Min-hyuk.

"What did you find?" Jae-won asked, moving to stand beside her.

Aria flipped to the last entry. The date was the day before Leo disappeared.

I've confirmed it. The Crown Prince's family is hiding something about the northern border incident five years ago. There were survivors. Witnesses. But someone made sure they stayed silent. If I can get proof, I can expose the truth. But I need to be careful. Min-hyuk is watching me.

A survivor. A cover-up. Her brother had stumbled onto something that got him killed—or worse.

"We need to take this," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Take what?"

"All of it. Everything that mentions my brother or the Crown Prince."

Jae-won hesitated. "If we're caught with these documents—"

"We won't be."

They worked quickly, stuffing papers into a satchel Jae-won had brought. Every creak of the old building made Aria's heart skip. They were almost done when a sound echoed from the stairs—footsteps, slow and deliberate.

"Someone's coming," Jae-won hissed.

They froze. The footsteps grew louder, closer. Aria looked around wildly, but there was no other exit.

The door creaked open.

Aria held her breath.

A figure stepped into the room, tall and imposing, silhouetted against the dim light of the stairwell.

Crown Prince Kang Min-hyuk.

His eyes swept over them, then landed on the satchel in Jae-won's hands. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was ice.

"I thought I told you to be careful, Miss Chen."

Aria's heart pounded. She had walked right into his trap.

And now she had to find a way out."