The night was heavy, and the academy's stone walls seemed to press in tighter around Valen as he sat in his quarters, turning the Black Vow's words over in his mind. The shadowed heir belongs to the Black Vow… Their interest in him was relentless, and their intent to control him was now unmistakable. Every path they laid before him felt like a trap, and his choices were narrowing with each encounter.
But if the Black Vow expected him to submit, they would learn he was no willing heir to their shadows. He had spent years bending others' plans to his own, and this would be no different. He would strike back, but precisely, without sparking open conflict until he understood their hidden power structure.
Valen rose from his desk, his decision made. If he were to dismantle the Black Vow's hold over Astralis Academy, he needed information, leverage, and allies he could use without fully trusting.
