***

- UMABEL - The Angel of Affinity and Friendship.

***

No... this can't be possible. He sincerely loved Leïla. He even resented Liam, convinced that he had hurt her.

— Have you told Hayden?

I snap out of my thoughts upon hearing his name. Why am I starting to have doubts about him?

— No, not yet.

— You came to see me first?

— Yes.

— So that means you prefer me over him? he says, amused.

— Don't get ahead of yourself, Hadrien.

And there he goes again.

***

Hadrien and I stand in front of Hayden's bedroom door. He knocks, and we wait for him to open up. I don't know why, but my wrist is tingling. What if he really is the dark creature I should fear as well?

We don't wait long before the door opens. To my surprise, it's not Hayden who greets us but an angeless. And of all the ones living in this establishment, it's the one who hates me the most... Ambre.

— What are you doing in his room? Hadrien snaps.

Seeing her, he instantly flares up in anger. I've never seen him like this before, which reminds me of the moment when Hayden warned me to stay away from Hadrien.

— And you? she retorts in the same tone, frowning upon noticing me next to him.

He turns to glance at me briefly before replying:

— First, answer the question: what the hell are you doing in my brother's room? he demands.

I've never seen him so furious, and honestly, it scares me. Definitely not someone to mess with in the morning...

Ambre stares at him before shooting me an intense glare of resentment. Finally, she widens the door's opening, revealing that she's not alone with Hayden... Elise is here too.

Elise, sweet Elise, with her golden hair and bouncing curls. Yet, I keep getting the feeling that she isn't as kind as she seems. My arm burns every time I get close to her. If my bite is supposed to warn me of danger, then she must be a huge threat, enough to make my arm bleed whenever she touches me.

I've felt this since the ceremony, but I can't let her know I suspect anything.

We step inside. Now we're five, each wondering what the others are doing here.

We sit on the floor in a circle, and I can't help but notice the intense gazes directed at me.

Ambre sits to my left, between Elise and Hadrien. She glares at me, probably jealous that I arrived with her boyfriend... Well, I think they're a couple. Elise, directly across from me, has a smile that I can tell is fake, but I return it anyway. Hayden, sitting beside me, wears the same grim expression as Ambre, probably angry that I ignored his warning.

A chill runs down my spine, and I decide to clear the air.

— I was informed that Hailey has disappeared, so I came to tell Hadrien, and we're here now to inform Hayden.

The threatening stares begin to soften.

— We're here for the same reason, Ambre declares, locking eyes with Hadrien. He relaxes slightly at this revelation.

Hayden remains silent, staring at the floor, deep in thought. He must be blaming himself.

— It's not...

I begin to speak, but Elise cuts me off:

— It's not your fault, Hayden, she says, placing a hand on his right shoulder to comfort him.

I freeze. How dare she interrupt me and, on top of that, say exactly what I was about to?

Have they grown closer behind my back?

My arm burns, but it's nothing compared to the fire igniting in my heart.

Am I... jealous?

This realization keeps me out of the conversation for a moment.

— I wouldn't even know where to start looking, Hayden says. Ambre, you've known her since childhood. You should know all her favorite places, right?

We all look at her with concern, waiting for her answer. She shakes her head before speaking aloud:

— I already checked our usual spots, but she wasn't there. — Now that she has her wings, she could be anywhere, Elise adds.

Hayden resumes staring at the floor, filled with sadness and guilt.

An idea suddenly strikes me.

— What if we go see Liam? I suggest.

Hayden finally lifts his head and looks at me, curious.

— Why would Liam know where she might be? he asks.

I remember Hailey telling me that she used to spend time with Liam.

— They used to hang out a lot. I figured he might have an idea of where she is.

— I'll go ask him. He'll tell me everything he knows, Hayden decides.

GRR.

My stomach, always making noise at the worst times...

They all chuckle, even Hayden. He's laughing at me. I want to disappear. I know I shouldn't be embarrassed, but I can't help it.

Why did you have to do that in front of him? I scold my stomach internally.

Hadrien claps his hands to regain our attention and announces:

— Let's all meet in the library after breakfast. We'll think things through together in peace.

— That's true. We'll be less cramped and more comfortable to talk, Elise agrees.

— I'll bring Liam with me, then, Hayden adds.

***

I'm alone now. Ambre is with Elise, Hayden went to find Liam, and Hadrien has vanished. I sit in front of my tray, ready to devour everything in sight.

I miss Hailey. She was always with me in the dining hall, watching me stuff my face and teasing me whenever I talked with my mouth full.

I hope we find her safe and sound. For now, I need to regain my strength.

This morning's meal consists of scrambled eggs, fresh white cheese, ham, and for something sweet, a nice slice of vanilla flan.

Once I finish eating, I place my tray in one bin and my utensils in another, then head to my room. Lucky for me, my room is in the same hallway as the dining hall.

I need to change because, with all these events, I didn't even realize I was still in my pajamas.

***

I am in the library with Ambre and Hadrien.

Ambre is sitting on a chair at a table. Hadrien, on the other hand, is leaning against the wall, right in front of her, to her right. He watches her without taking his eyes off her, though she doesn't notice.

As for me, I'm near the water fountain at the base of the stairs leading to the first floor, pouring myself a glass.

A fleeting memory crosses my mind as I look at the fountain, but I don't react, letting it pass through without resistance.

The door opens, and we all lift our heads, hoping it's Hayden accompanied by Liam.

Seeing that it's Elise, we all exhale unconsciously, as she's not who we were expecting.

— Nice welcome, she remarks, noticing our lack of enthusiasm.

— It's not that, it's just that the weight of stress is starting to get to us, Ambre replies.

She stands up to join her and takes her arm, leading her to the table where she was sitting.

I try to keep my distance to avoid feeling the pain and make sure my wrist stays hidden from view.

The door reopens, and the missing members of our group finally appear.

Right away, I notice a broad smile on Elise's lips when she meets Hayden's gaze, and he returns her smile.

That gesture stings my heart to the highest degree. I can't stand this girl more and more... and even less the fact that he smiles back at her.

The muscles in my face tense, distorting it in silence, but no one notices.

They step into the middle of the hall.

— Care to explain why you brought me here? Liam asks, scanning us one by one.

Liam doesn't seem to know why we are all gathered.

— Liam, I brought you here for a specific reason, Hayden says, his expression serious.

He looks at him, and panic flashes across his face, as if he's expecting us all to turn on him.

— It's about Hailey, I continue, tossing my glass into the small trash can near the fountain before stepping toward them to stand beside Hayden.

The moment he hears the name of the one with whom he shares certain memories, immense concern spreads across his face, as if he already knows something is wrong with her.

— Is she okay? he asks.

Noticing our worried expressions, he starts getting anxious.

— Answer me.

No one wants to break the bad news to him, so I take the lead:

— She's missing.

He tries to process the information, but it seems difficult.

— We need you to help find her, I add.

Hayden locks eyes with me, as if thanking me for speaking up. He seems to struggle to find his words, just like the others, who remain silent.

— She told me that you used to spend a lot of time together.

Thinking he has done something wrong, Liam glances at Hadrien, then Hayden, as if fearing his older brothers might pick a fight with him for getting close to their beloved sister.

He holds his gaze on his lifelong comrade.

— I'm not mad at you, believe me, Hayden finally says. We're not accusing you of anything, we just want to know if there were any places my little sister liked to hide that we don't know about.

Liam relaxes and immediately starts thinking.

— Is this because of yesterday's revelations?

I nod as Hayden confirms with a yes.

— Have you checked near the armory?

Ambre speaks up :

— Yes, I went to the armory and to the cabin at the forest's edge, but she wasn't there.

— We also checked every room in the Academy, just in case, but we couldn't find her, Elise adds.

Liam keeps thinking, absentmindedly playing with a ring on his left index finger.

The piece of jewelry is silver, with a sapphire-colored stone at its center.

It's at that moment, when a sudden revelation strikes him, that we can almost see a lightbulb go off above his head.

— I think I know where she might have gone! he exclaims, confident.