Ariana finally stepped out of the meeting room after spending over two hours discussing security plans with the officials.
They had gone over every detail of their preparations for the upcoming meeting with the Vermillion family.
To her surprise, they even revealed secret information—hidden soldier placements and traps set around the palace.
It might've seemed like they trusted her, but deep down, Ariana knew the truth. If anything went wrong, they wouldn't hesitate for a second before turning on her—calling her a traitor or worse.
I need to get out of this mess, she thought. She no longer wanted to be involved with the Capital or whoever they were trying to impress.
Her only concern now was the academy—and the students.
Unless something truly catastrophic happened, she had no intention of returning here again.
"Ah, Aria. Wait!" a voice called out behind her.
Ariana instinctively picked up her pace, hoping to avoid yet another conversation.
