The gym was still buzzing, voices echoing off the walls, fragments of laughter and chatter colliding in the air. I leaned against the stage, forcing a grin every time someone caught my eye, but inside I was still rattling from the fight. We’d done it—finally—CHS was free, and the Dazzlings? Gone. Their spell shattered, their hold on everyone broken, their pendants nothing but glittering shards on the floor.

I should’ve been floating, riding high on the win, but instead I felt… raw. Exposed. Like everyone cheering was really just waiting for me to screw up again. Even when people slapped me on the back and called me a hero, I couldn’t shake the thought: I know what it feels like to lose power, and I know what it feels like to fall. People are seriously just switching up, and it feels FAKE. I sat perched on the edge of the stage, legs dangling, boot heels tapping a restless rhythm against the wood. Every time someone glanced my way, I forced a half-smile, even tossed a little wave once or twice.

"Awkward..." I muttered, as I grimaced and looked off to the side.