They found Elena in the deepest, quietest section of the West Library.
She sat alone at a corner table, her head bowed over a textbook. It was clear she wasn't reading. She was just staring blankly at the ink, her hands trembling so badly the pages rustled beneath her fingertips.
Seraphina stopped a few paces away, her posture rigid.
"Elena Marsh."
The girl flinched like she'd been struck. She looked up, and the moment her eyes registered the crimson-haired swordswoman standing over her, all the blood drained from her face.
"I didn't—" Her voice cracked, whisper-thin. "Please—"
"We're not here to hurt you," Lucian said quietly, stepping forward to keep his voice level. "We just want to talk."
"The blackmailer boy," Seraphina cut in, her voice hard. "The one who gave you the instructions. We saw him. Yesterday. In the courtyard."
Elena went perfectly still.
"You... you saw—"
