Annika's hands trembled as she clutched the duplicate key in her hands, pushing the door to her father's office open carefully. Her nails were caked with mud where she had searched frantically to find the key after Ackmard had thrown it, her helpless tears unable to be stopped no matter how hard she tried. Ackmard had been right to call her foolish and weak. She was, and it was only now that she realised it. She had thought about turning back to dark magic, but without anybody to turn back with, how could she? Besides, she did not feel worthy of that power anymore. She did not feel worthy of anything.

She slipped into the office quickly, searching for the box that had held the key in the drawers of his desk.

"I presume you are looking for this." The voice, one she would recognise anywhere as her father's, startled her and she jumped, holding a hand to her chest as she paled. Her stomach twisted as she turned to look at him and what it was he was holding; the box where the key was kept. He knew.

"Father—"

He interrupted her before she could even begin to conjure up a lie of why she was here. "What are you holding in your hand, Annika?"

"Please, let me explain—"

"Answer me!" he shouted, so loudly that his voice bounced off the wood-paneled walls.

"I am holding the key," she whispered meekly, holding it out for him to take. He did, inspecting it once before placing it back in its box and sighing. He hadn't noticed it was a fake, or if he had, he didn't show it. His anger was bound to overpower his reason now.

His eyes were icy as he turned his attention back to her, causing Annika to shiver. "Why did you have it?"

"I was always going to bring it back." Her voice shook as she spoke. "I promise."

"That is not what I asked."

Behind him, a candle flickered. In the dim lighting, she realised that half of his office was in complete disarray, with books and papers strewn across the floor. She wondered when it was he had realised the key was gone, and whether he had suspected her of taking it before he had seen her.

She stared at the flame again, her aching eyes burning. If she was going to tell him the truth, she couldn't bear to look at him. "I took it because I wanted dark power again. I am weak and helpless without it. I am sorry, father. I am so sorry."

"Your apologies mean nothing to me now," he responded bitterly, his upper lip curling in contempt. "You are right: you are weak. No amount of dark magic will change that."

"I realise that now," she muttered, her skin stinging with the blisters Ackmard had left on her, reminding her of all she had lost tonight.

"Are you still working with the Dark Ones? Did they ask this of you?"

She shook her head. "No. I haven't seen them since the battle."

"I certainly hope for your sake that is not another lie."

She lowered her head in shame, wishing more than anything she could escape the confines of the office, the confines of her father's glower, the confines of everything she had done to get her here. The world was crumbling beneath her feet, and she had nobody to blame but herself. "What will you do to me?"

He placed the box down and crossed his arms behind his back. "What can I do? I have spent centuries raising you to be a good person, someone that might one day inherit my position as principle. When you disgraced me, I kept it a secret, allowed you to rehabilitate yourself, redeem yourself. As a father, there is nothing left of me to give."

The words caused nausea to weigh heavily in Annika's stomach, not just because of what they meant but also the way in which they were said: as though he had lost all hope, all motivation, all faith in her. She had lost her father. She had nothing left. "And as principal?"

He sighed. "As principle, I am already on thin ice. The Council do not think I am doing enough to stop the Dark Ones. I am being blamed for deaths I did not commit because it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of the people in this city, and I could not do that. If I put you in the cells, I am sure to lose my position as principal altogether."

"Then what, father? What is my punishment?"

For the first time, her father showed a crack in his composure. He put his head in his hands and turned away from her as though he could no longer bear the sight of her, his back hunched as though he no longer had the strength to carry himself.

"Whatever it is," she continued, tears beginning to well again, "I will accept it. I deserve it. Just tell me."

Silence passed between them, the only thing breaking it being the creaking of the old building.

"I wish for you to attend the House of Hecate in Prehta. I think it is your only hope at mending what you have broken in yourself," he said finally, his voice no longer filled with any emotion at all.

Annika's heart dropped, though it was not at all the kind of punishment she was expecting. The House of Hecate was an institution for those who devoted their lives to worshipping Hecate and the light magic she had brought to Refilyn. Annika had heard horror stories about it as a child from other children, and parents sometimes used it as a threat to keep their own children well-behaved. Annika could not imagine residing in such a place, but still, she held her chin high and nodded, remembering what she had promised her father not seconds ago. "If that is what you think best, father."

"Do not call me that. I am not your father; I did not raise you to become this." He turned back again, giving her one last scowl of disapproval, though now it seemed his eyes were glistening with unfallen tears. "Go home and pack your things. I will contact the House. If you do anything other than that when you leave this office, do not waste your time in coming back at all. Am I understood?"

"Yes."

He pursed his lips and nodded to the door. "Good. Get out of my sight. I do not wish to look at you a moment more."

Annika obeyed, leaving the office and closing the door quietly behind her—perhaps for the last time.

[AN: yes hello I am in fact alive

i basically lost all inspiration and motivation to continue with the book and decided to focus my energy into something else when I had time time (which I often don't now uni has started up again) so i apologise. I know a few people were disappointed that I decided to put the book on hold. I still have January exams which means I can't promise regular updates, but I will try my best now I have a bit more time.

 again I'm sorry for the lack of updates. if you're interested, please do read The Hunt, my other project. and also thanks for 30k on spellbound, that's amazing!]