Page 186 of Ruthless Knot

"But you're not alone anymore. Whatever these Alphas are—whatever their reasons for claiming you—they've given you an opportunity. Use it. Take everything they're offering and use it to escape. To find the life you were always meant to have."

The life I was always meant to have.

I close my eyes.

Behind my lids, I see it—fragments of a future I've never let myself imagine. Stages bathed in spotlight. Audiences gasping at extensions and pirouettes. The feel of satin ribbons wrapped around calves that move with purpose instead of survival. Morning coffee in a kitchen that's mine, in a home that won'tburn, in a world where my designation doesn't determine my worth.

Is it possible?

Can I really have that?

Or is this just another golden ticket that will turn to ash in my hands?

I open my eyes.

Ms. Chen is watching me with an expression I can't quite name.

Pride, maybe.

Hope.

The particular look of someone who's invested in your success and genuinely believes you can achieve it.

"I'll survive," I tell her, and my voice comes out steadier than I expect. "I've been doing it this long. A few more days won't kill me."

Probably.

Maybe.

Unless Kai's father sends more assassins.

Unless the poison has lingering effects I don't know about.

Unless the universe decides it hasn't kicked me enough yet.

But I don't say any of that.

Just fold the papers carefully—two folds, not three, never three—and tuck them into the bag at my feet. My bag. Still here, still intact, still containing the few possessions I managed to grab before everything burned.

Ro.

Some clothes.

The fragments of a life I'm apparently supposed to rebuild.

"Thank you," I say again, standing. "For everything. For telling me. For arranging the studio time. For?—"

For caring.

For being one of the only people at this academy who's ever looked at me and seen something other than crazy.

Ms. Chen smiles.

It's a warm smile.

Arealone.

"If there's anything else you need," she says, moving to open the door for me, "anything at all—advice, support, someone to talk to—my door is always open. You've made it this far through sheer determination. Don't lose that now, when you're so close to the finish line."