Chapter 142: They’re Back

Astrid Vale

The presentation had left me exhausted in a way that felt strangely good, the kind of tired that came from finally accomplishing something rather than simply surviving something. Ivy walked beside me through the academy halls, both of us quiet, letting the moment settle.

It felt strange, walking these familiar corridors again, sunlight streaming through windows I remembered from before any of this had happened. Students glanced our way, some smiling, others whispering behind their hands, a few pausing entirely to stare before catching themselves and looking away. I found myself genuinely absorbing it all, letting the ordinary chaos of academy life wash over me. I was actually back.

"Astrid!"

I turned toward the voice and found Eliza frozen down the hallway, staring at me like she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. Then she was moving, closing the distance between us in seconds and wrapping her arms around me tight enough that I laughed despite the slight ache still lingering in my ribs.

"You’re squeezing too hard," I managed.

"I don’t care," she said, pulling back only far enough to actually look at me properly, her eyes scanning my face with obvious concern. "Are you eating? Sleeping? Actually recovering, or just pretending to for everyone’s sake?"

"I’m actually recovering," I said, something warm settling in my chest at how much I’d missed this exact kind of fussing.

Before Eliza could interrogate me further, Camilla and Martha descended from opposite directions, both of them hugging me simultaneously and talking over each other so fast I could barely follow either conversation.

"You disappeared for weeks," Camilla said. "Weeks, Astrid. We were worried sick about you and Ivy."

"You look too thin," Martha added, studying me critically. "We need to feed you properly."

"I’ve been eating plenty," I said, laughing for real now.

"Clearly not enough," Martha said, already listing off things she intended to bring me and ivy later, and I let their bickering wash over me, grateful beyond words for something as simple as being fussed over by friends who genuinely cared.

Josh hung back near the edge of the small crowd forming around me, and when I finally made my way over to him, he simply pulled me into a brief, sincere hug.

"Good to have you two back," he said.

"Thank you for helping search for me," I said. "I heard what you all did."

"We’re grateful." Ivy added.

He shrugged, though something genuine sat behind the casual gesture. "The academy felt wrong without you two around," he said. "It wasn’t really a question of whether we’d search. Of course we would."

Criston approached more quietly after that, his presence calm and unhurried in a way that felt different from everyone else’s enthusiasm. "How are you doing?" he asked simply.

I noticed, appreciating it more than I could properly express, that he wasn’t trying to read anything from me, wasn’t reaching into my thoughts the way his ability might have allowed.

"I’m managing," I said.

"You don’t have to let me in to tell me you’re okay," he said, and something about the deliberate respect in that statement eased a tension in me I hadn’t fully realized I was carrying.

Roshan approached last, and the moment I saw him, I understood exactly what was coming. His shoulders were tight, his expression carrying a guilt he clearly hadn’t managed to shake.

"I’m sorry," he said, before I could say anything. "About Liora. Everything was chaos, and I thought she was attacking you, but that’s not an excuse. I should have looked more carefully before I fired."

I didn’t rush to erase his guilt with easy reassurance. "Liora died," I said quietly. "That hurts, and it’s going to keep hurting for a long time." I watched him absorb that, his jaw tightening further. "But I know you didn’t mean to kill her. I know you thought you were protecting me."

He nodded, something in his expression easing slightly, though not completely. "I’m still sorry," he said.

"I know," I said. "That matters."

Damien approached after Roshan stepped back, keeping a respectful distance that told me he understood exactly where he stood among everyone gathered around me. "You took your time coming back," he said, a faint smile tugging at his mouth.

I gave him a look, and he smiled wider. "I was worried," he admitted, simpler and more sincere than his usual easy charm.

I caught sight of Reed and Xander watching from a short distance away, Xander’s expression carrying a hint of something possessive that made me bite back a smile. Damien noticed too, and respectfully stepped back without pushing the moment further, clearly understanding the boundary without needing it spelled out.

Then Estelle appeared, carrying a small woven basket, her expression carrying genuine warmth that I found myself hesitating over despite everything. The memory of that illusion, my mother’s face, the perfect fabricated warmth of it all, rose unbidden in my mind, and something in me instinctively pulled back.

Estelle noticed immediately. "You don’t have to trust me right away," she said gently, before I could say anything at all. "I only wanted to welcome you home."

She held the basket out, and after a moment, I accepted it, nothing suspicious in the gesture at all, just genuine kindness that I decided, carefully, to accept for exactly what it appeared to be.

I looked around at everyone gathered there, Eliza still watching me with concern, Camilla and Martha still bickering about food, Josh standing quiet and steady, Criston respecting my privacy, Roshan carrying his guilt honestly, Damien keeping his distance, Estelle offering kindness without demanding trust in return, Ivy beside me the entire time, Reed and Xander watching over everything with quiet devotion.

Every single one of them had come looking for me. Had refused to simply let me disappear.

"You all came," I said, my voice catching slightly.

"Of course we did," Eliza said, like the question itself was ridiculous.

I let myself feel that fully for a moment, something warm and overwhelming settling into my chest, before I noticed Xander exchanging a look with Reed that immediately put me on guard.

"Why are you two looking at each other like that?" I asked.

Xander said nothing, an infuriatingly innocent expression settling onto his face.

"Reed," I said, turning toward him instead. "What’s going on?"

"You’ll see," he said, entirely unhelpful.

I narrowed my eyes at both of them, but they simply started walking, gesturing for the rest of the group to follow, and something about the barely contained excitement radiating off Xander told me whatever they’d planned, it wasn’t small.

We made our way toward the apartment, and as we approached the door, I could hear something on the other side, music playing softly, voices murmuring, movement that clearly indicated more people than just the three of us waiting inside.

Xander grinned at me, pushing the door open with a flourish.

"Welcome home, Astrid."