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Adele’s gaze darkened further, her lips pressing into a tight line. She looked away for a moment, as though weighing her words carefully, before finally speaking.

"I can’t say for certain if Lucille experienced the exact same thing.

Her head was so messed up it was difficult to separate the truth from the lies," she said, her voice slowly.

"However, there are... similarities." She paused, confessing. "Asher’s power doesn’t always function in ways even he fully understands.

It has a will of its own, and sometimes it lingers longer than it should. It can leave traces, imprints—"

"Imprints?" Violet interjected, her voice rising with panic. "Are you saying he’s left something in my head? That this is permanent?"

"Calm down," Adele said sharply, silencing Violet’s outburst. "I didn’t say it’s permanent.

But it’s possible that whatever he did to you has left residual effects.

That’s why it’s critical that you stay away from him.

The more contact you have with Asher, the stronger these. .. imprints might become."

Violet’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, frustration bubbling to the surface. "So what am I supposed to do? Just avoid him forever? That doesn’t fix the fact that these visions are happening now! Moreover, how do I avoid someone who’s not intent on leaving me alone."

Violet told her. "There’s a party on Friday night and everyone is mandated to attend and I’m sure as hell he doesn’t plan on avoiding me at all!"

By the time Violet was done, her chest was heaving from both anger and exhaustion. She did not ask for this at all! She had come to Lunaris to study, not get entangled in Asher fucking Nightshade’s games.

"Fine, I’ll talk to the others and they’ll exempt you—" she began, but her voice trailed off, her eyes widening as if a sudden realization had struck her. "Oh fuck, I can’t help you. It’s happening on Friday."

Violet’s shock was palpable as her mouth fell open. "Are you kidding me right now?" she exclaimed, incredulous.

Adele shook her head, her demeanor apologetic yet serious. "I wish I could intervene, but I don’t have the authority to disrupt tradition," she explained, her tone regretful.

"What tradition?" Violet demanded, her frustration mounting. "What’s happening on Friday, Adele?"

"I can’t divulge that. The Alphas would have my head on a spike if I spilled their secrets," Adele replied, her tone indicating the gravity of the secrecy.

Violet clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she struggled to contain her rising anger. Why was the damn school so full of secrets and twisted traditions? It was becoming unbearable.

Adele sighed, sensing Violet’s overwhelming frustration. "However, one thing I can tell you," she added, leaning closer as if sharing a confidential tip, "if you get the chance to make the choice, leave the West House without hesitation."

Realizing she had no luck with that one, Violet shifted the conversation. "Fine, then tell me about Lucille’s story."

Adele let out a long sigh, her hand coming up to rub her temples as though Violet’s persistence was physically draining her. She stared at Violet with a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration.

"You really don’t let things go, do you?" Adele muttered.

"No," Violet said firmly, her eyes blazing. "Especially not when my sanity, my safety, and my future in this godforsaken school seem to be hanging by a thread. So, spill it. Who is Lucille, and what happened to her?"

Adele’s voice turned distant as she began to recount the story. She leaned against the edge of her desk, crossing her arms as if bracing herself for the retelling.

"It all started in their first year at Lunaris Academy," Adele said with a heavy heart. "Asher has always been a thrill-seeker, someone who thrives on pushing boundaries and breaking rules. For him, rebellion isn’t just an act—it’s a part of his identity."

Violet leaned forward, hanging onto every word, her stomach twisting with unease.

"When the Alpha King announced that whoever became his heir would have to marry Elsie Lyka," Adele continued, "it was like a bomb went off in Asher’s world. The idea of being bound to someone he didn’t choose, someone who represented everything he despised about the system, drove him mad.

He hated the rule. He hated the expectation. "

Violet frowned. "So he decided to rebel against it?"

"Rebel isn’t even the right word for what he did," Adele said darkly. "He wanted to tear the entire system down. And he thought he could start with his brothers, the cardinal alphas. He believed he could sway them to his side, make them his allies in his rebellion against the Alpha King."

"And Lucille?" Violet asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Adele’s expression darkened further. "Lucille was his test object.

She was sweet, naive, and utterly unsuspecting.

She trusted Asher. She thought he cared for her.

And he used that trust to mold her into his puppet.

He manipulated her mind, broke her will, and bent her to his cause.

Slowly, piece by piece, until there was nothing left of the vibrant girl she used to be. "

Violet felt a chill run down her spine. "And the other alphas? What did they do?"

"They weren’t on board with his plans," Adele said. "Alaric, Griffin, and Roman, none of them supported his rebellion. But they didn’t stop him either. Maybe they thought it was just another one of Asher’s games, or maybe they didn’t realize how far he would go.

By the time they saw the extent of the damage, it was too late. "

Violet’s fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms. "What happened to Lucille afterwards?"

Adele hesitated. "You’d have to get the answer from the alphas yourself. It’s not my place to tell. I’ve told you enough."

"So now he’s trying to do the same thing to me," Violet said with fury.

Adele looked at her. "I don’t know to be honest. He could like you for real, after all, he let go of his grip on your mind. However, Asher has never been the best at matters of the heart. He has an unconventional way of loving and that is why I’m telling you this. So you know what he’s capable of."

Violet nodded, her jaw set. " I’m not Lucille."

"Good," Adele said, her voice firm. "Because we don’t need another Lucille."