The corridor was too quiet.

You felt it first—the wrongness in the air—right before the echo of footsteps came from behind you. You turned, already tense, and saw the girl walking beside you plaster on a dramatic gasp, clutching your arm like she was terrified.

“Lexi,” she whispered, eyes wide with fake innocence, “I think someone’s following us.”

You didn’t get a chance to respond. Five older boys stepped out from the shadows, blocking both ends of the hallway.

Your pulse spiked. Their smiles were the kind that promised pain.

Before you could even reach for your wand, the girl beside you inhaled sharply and yelled loud enough for half the castle to hear.

“Tom! Mattheo! Help!”

She grabbed your wrist, squeezing hard, trembling like she was the helpless one. But something in her eyes was wrong—too calm, too calculating.

The boys advanced.

You stepped slightly in front of her on instinct.

And then the air shifted.

It happened fast—dark magic crackled through the corridor like the temperature itself dropped. Tom and Mattheo appeared at the far end, their footsteps silent, their faces carved from ice.

Mattheo’s jaw tightened the moment he saw you surrounded. Tom’s eyes went black with fury.

Neither of them even looked at the girl.

“Move,” Tom said, voice low and lethal.

The boys hesitated for half a second—before they made the mistake of reaching for you.

Mattheo didn’t even give them time to breathe. He slammed the first boy into the wall so hard the stone cracked. Tom flicked his wand once—silent, controlled, terrifying—and the others flew backwards in a burst of invisible force.

Within seconds the attackers were on the floor, groaning, unable to stand.

Mattheo reached you first, gripping your shoulders, scanning you for injuries with wild eyes.

“Lexi, are you alright?” His voice shook.

You nodded, breathing hard.

Tom stepped up behind you, placing a hand between your shoulder blades like a silent shield. “Who sent them,” he asked quietly.

The girl stumbled forward dramatically.

“Me,” she cried, “they were coming for me. Lexi just—Lexi just got caught in the middle. I’m so lucky you got here. I knew you’d pick me.”

Tom’s head turned slowly. The temperature dropped.

“Pick you,” he repeated in a dead voice.

Mattheo didn’t even hide the disgust in his laugh. He stepped in front of you again, blocking you from her entirely.

“You knew?” Mattheo asked. “Funny. If you were so terrified… how did you know which corridor we were in?”

Her mouth opened—but nothing came out.

Tom took one step forward. “One more lie and I’ll rip the truth from your mind myself.”

The girl paled.

Mattheo shook his head, eyes filled with cold fury. “You set her up,” he said. “You sent them for Lexi and pretended it was about you.”

She tried to speak, but Tom cut her off softly, dangerously.

“We will always choose Lexi,” he said, voice low enough to make her shake. “Every time.”

Mattheo placed a hand on the back of your head and pulled you into his chest, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper.

“And if you ever put her in danger again,” he said, “you won’t need attackers. You’ll need a coffin.”

The girl broke into terrified tears—

And the boys led you away from her without looking back.