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Thalia navigated the winding corridors of the dormitory wing, the stone passageways lit by blue-flame sconces that provided light but minimal warmth.At each junction, she paused to hover her hands near the heat vents, small, brass-grated openings where warm air from the forges below was channeled throughout the academy.The system was ingenious but inadequate against the current onslaught of cold.

She passed groups of students clustered near these heat sources like moths drawn to flame, their conversations a mix of complaints about the cold and speculation about how long the storm would last.None had seen Luna.

The common area at the center of the western wing’s dormitories was sparsely furnished: worn chairs arranged in a loose circle, a threadbare rug faded to indeterminate gray, and a single heat vent that barely produced enough warmth to justify the crowd gathered around it.Luna sat perched on an armrest, her small frame almost childlike compared to the older students surrounding her.

"— and then the handle just snapped right off!"Luna was saying, her voice pitched higher than normal, embodying the flighty persona she maintained in public."Can you believe my luck?As if forging wasn't hard enough already!"She waved her hands in exaggerated dismay, earning sympathetic nods from the group.

Thalia lingered in the shadows of the corridor entrance, watching.Luna's performance was flawless — the slightly unfocused gaze, the nervous energy in her gestures, the self-deprecating giggle after each comment.But now that Thalia knew the truth, she could see the calculation beneath each seemingly random question Luna posed to the group.

"What about you, Levi?Did you finish that shield design?"

A heavyset boy with dark circles under his eyes stared at his hands."I was nearly done.Left it to cool overnight and came back to find it cracked clean in two."His voice was flat, resignation rather than anger."Instructor Wolfe accused me of improper quenching."

"Sounds like everyone's having a streak of bad luck," Luna tittered, but Thalia noticed how her eyes sharpened, cataloging each response.

A lanky student with burn scars climbing his forearms — Tristan, Thalia recalled from metallurgy class — snorted bitterly."I found my leather bracers soaked in lamp oil.That's not bad luck.That's someone's idea of a joke."

A heavy silence followed his statement.Several students exchanged weighted glances.

"Maybe it's the storm," Luna suggested airily."Mama always said bad weather brings bad spirits!"

The tension broke, someone chuckled, and conversation resumed — lighter now, less specific.Luna had masterfully steered them away from dangerous territory, Thalia realized.Away from accusations that would only heighten the already palpable divide between Northern and Southern students.

Luna glanced up, and for a split second, their eyes met across the room.Recognition flashed in Luna's gaze — not surprise at being discovered, but something sharper.More deliberate.She stood, stretching dramatically.

"Well, I'd better check if they've delivered new forge tools yet!"she announced."I'm absolutely useless without proper tongs!"

The group barely acknowledged her departure, already sinking back into subdued conversations about the cold, the food shortages, the interminable waiting.Thalia retreated into the corridor before Luna could reach her, not wanting the others to notice their connection.

Luna emerged moments later, her steps light but purposeful as she approached Thalia.Without breaking stride, she looped her arm through Thalia's and continued walking, guiding them away from the common area.

"Curious little mouse," Luna murmured, her voice dropping to its natural register, all pretense gone."Following me around the academy?"

"I noticed you've been disappearing a lot lately," Thalia replied, matching Luna's pace."Even before the storm."

"Observant.Good."Luna's grip tightened slightly as she steered them toward their dormitory.

"I thought we were going back to our room," Thalia said when Luna bypassed their door without slowing.

"I wanted to talk in private," Luna replied, her voice barely above a whisper."Not with Ashe in the room."

Thalia frowned."I trust Ashe."

"How charming," Luna said, but there was no bite to her words, only weariness."Trust is a luxury, Thalia.One I've never been able to afford."

They climbed a narrow spiral staircase that Thalia had never explored before.The steps were worn in the center, suggesting centuries of use, but the dust on the upper landings indicated this route was seldom traveled now.Luna finally stopped at a small alcove near a sealed window.Outside, the storm raged unabated, snow and ice particles striking the glass like tiny daggers.

"We won't be overheard here," Luna said, releasing Thalia's arm and leaning against the wall, suddenly looking exhausted.The transformation was jarring — from bright, scattered Luna to this focused, weary young woman whose eyes seemed decades older than her face.

"What's going on?"Thalia asked."What was that performance downstairs about?"

Luna studied Thalia for a long moment before speaking."You've had things go missing, tools tampered with.The magnesium in your forge.The frost gloves."

They weren't questions.Thalia nodded anyway.

"And you assumed you were being specifically targeted," Luna continued."Because you're from the poorest district in Verdant Port.Because you've shown unexpected talent in metallurgy.Because you've associated with Kaine."

"Aren't I?"