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Luna's laugh was hollow."Yes and no.You're being targeted, but not just you.Most of the Southern students in this academy have experienced similar incidents.Missing possessions.Damaged equipment.Sabotaged projects."

Thalia felt her breath catch."Seriously?”

Luna nodded grimly."I've been gathering their stories for weeks, compiling evidence.At first, I thought it might be random — hazing, perhaps, or general malice.But it's too consistent, too methodical."

Thalia processed this information, memories clicking into place.The Southern students who mysteriously failed crucial tests despite adequate preparation.The injuries during training that always seemed to affect Southern recruits more than Northern ones.

"Did you ask any Northern students?"Thalia asked."Maybe everyone is experiencing this."

"Of course I did," Luna replied."I've cultivated my harmless, forgetful persona precisely because it allows me to ask questions without arousing suspicion.No Northern student reports anything similar."

The implications settled over Thalia like a physical weight."You're saying someone — or multiple someones — is systematically sabotaging every Southern student at Frostforge."

Luna nodded."The pattern is undeniable."She traced a pattern in the frost on the window beside them."The question is why.And whether it's sanctioned by the academy itself."

Thalia had volunteered for Frostforge, knowing its reputation for brutal training and high mortality rates.But she'd assumed those dangers would be faced equally by all students.The idea that the deck might be further stacked against her, against all Southern students, made her stomach twist.

"We need to tell them," Thalia said finally."The other Southern students.They have a right to know they're being targeted."

Luna cocked her head, studying Thalia with renewed interest."Do they?What good would it serve, beyond creating panic?If this escalates into open conflict..."

"So we do nothing?Let them continue to be sabotaged without even the courtesy of a warning?"

"I didn't say that," Luna replied."I'm saying we need to be strategic.Think, Thalia.What happens if we tell everyone?Best case scenario: Southern students become more vigilant, more careful.Worst case: accusations fly, tensions boil over, and the academy cracks down on 'troublemakers' spreading 'divisive rumors.'"

Thalia paced the small landing, trying to organize her thoughts.Part of her — the part raised in Verdant Port's poorest district, where community meant survival – recoiled at the idea of withholding such critical information from her fellow Southerners.But the part that had learned to navigate Frostforge's treacherous social and academic terrain recognized the danger in Luna's warning.

"This storm won't last forever," Thalia said slowly."And when it breaks, I'm willing to bet the sabotage will intensify.If resources are already strained, and if someone at the academy is looking to 'thin the herd' by targeting Southern students..."

Luna nodded, following Thalia's reasoning."The next few weeks could be even more dangerous.Especially for those who've shown exceptional talent.Like you.”

Thalia looked away, nerves churning in her stomach.She wanted to refute Luna’s assertion, but she knew that while cryomancy still evaded her, her unexpected skill in metallurgy had set her apart from the other students.

"So,” Luna prompted.“What do you propose?"

Thalia stared out at the raging snowstorm, its fury matching the conflict inside her.The academy had already tested her in ways she'd never anticipated.Now, it seemed the real test was just beginning.

"We warn them," she decided finally."Not all at once, not in a way that could be traced back to us.One by one, quietly.Just enough for them to protect themselves without causing panic."

Luna considered this, then nodded slowly."It could work.If we're careful."

"And we investigate," Thalia added, surprising herself with her own determination."If someone is targeting Southern students, I want to know who.And why."

"Now that," Luna said, a genuine smile spreading across her face, "is why I decided to trust you, Thalia Greenspire."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Thalia woke with her heart thumping against her ribs, fragments of unsettling dreams slipping away like water through her fingers.The dormitory air felt thick with unspoken tensions.She stared at the rough-hewn ceiling beams, her conversation with Luna from the night before replaying in her mind.Sabotage.The word itself seemed to carry weight, like a stone lodged in her chest.Someone at the academy was deliberately targeting Southern students, and now she couldn't help but wonder if Kaine, with his dark past and five years in prison, might somehow be involved.

She slipped from beneath her furs, careful not to disturb the silence.Across the room, Luna's small form was curled tight beneath her blankets, only the top of her head visible.The tiny metal beads in her dreadlocks caught what little light filtered through the narrow window.Beyond her, Ashe's long frame stretched across her cot, one arm dangling toward the floor, her breathing deep and measured.The red streaks in her black hair looked almost like dried blood in the dim light.

What if Ashe was responsible for the sabotage?The thought made Thalia’s gut twist.No, she pushed the suspicion away.Ashe had been nothing but loyal, guiding her through the brutal training and helping her adjust to the unforgiving cold of the Rimspire Mountains.And yet, after what Luna had suggested, after everything that had happened to the Southerners, how could she be sure of anyone?

Still, Kaine seemed a more likely suspect than Ashe.

Thalia's body moved with automatic precision, pulling on layers of clothing with practiced efficiency.For weeks, she'd risen before dawn to meet Kaine at the forge.Her muscles remembered this routine even as her mind resisted it.Three days had passed since their last conversation, three days since he'd confirmed Senna's accusation about his imprisonment.Three days of avoiding the forge, avoiding him, avoiding the complicated tangle of emotions his revelation had stirred.

She tugged on her boots and grabbed her cloak, slipping out the door with barely a whisper of sound.The corridor beyond was lit by magic-infused sconces that pulsed with a gentle blue glow, casting long shadows that seemed to reach for her ankles as she passed.Thalia wrapped her cloak tighter, ignoring the familiar pull toward the forge levels below.No.Not today.Not until she could make sense of what she knew, or thought she knew, about Kaine Ember.