Kael was already familiar with the dormitory’s layout. He made his way to the nearest door and knocked softly.

  After a few silent seconds, the door opened.

  Cassandra stood there with her usual composed smile. Without a word, she stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.

  Once he was inside, she quietly closed the door behind him and sighed. "Finally. You’re late,” she said, folding her arms. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come."

  "Yeah, sorry," Kael replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I overslept. Our training today was... rougher than usual.”

  “Really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought the training sessions were relaxing.”

  Great, Kael thought, rolling his eyes internally. At least she and Astra have one thing in common: arrogance.

  Cassandra tilted her head, her gaze sharp and amused. "You know," she said, stepping closer. "I'm quite good at reading expressions. I’m fairly certain you just insulted me in your head.”

  Kael feigned offense, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. "I would never, Your Highness."

  Cassandra chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. Her eyes glimmered with amusement. "What happened?" she asked suddenly, her tone surprisingly calm and genuine without her usual poised arrogance.

  Kael blinked. "What do you mean?"

  "At the café, you were completely different," she said, tilting her head. "You looked as if something heavy was weighing you down." Her expression softened. "But now, you're like the usual Kael I enjoy watching in class."

  A faint blush crept across her cheeks, betraying her composure.

  Caught off guard, Kael hesitated before answering truthfully. "Let's just say a good friend helped me sort out my emotions."

  "Hmmm, is that so?" she asked playfully, resting her hands on her cheeks as though deep in thought. "It can't be that muscle-bound friend of yours...or that redheaded girl, can it? So who was it, then?”

  Kael’s mood shifted in an instant. He stood up, his expression darkening. "Why are you spying on me and my friends?"

  But Cassandra didn’t flinch. She simply looked up at him, as calm as ever, with that familiar, enigmatic smile curving her lips.

  "I'm not spying on you," she said smoothly. "I just happen to know things."

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  Her eyes gleamed with confidence. "My information network covers nearly every student in this academy. You could say that only the Vice Headmaster rivals mine.”

  Kael’s brow furrowed, but she continued unfazed.

  “So if I want information about you or your friends, I can get it quickly.” She rose from her chair and walked leisurely to her bed. She sat down and crossed one leg over the other.

  Her smile deepened, almost serpentine. "I don't need to stalk you, Kael," she said softly. "A single command is enough."

  "And why do you even want information about me or my friends?" Kael asked warily, his tone sharper now.

  Cassandra looked at him, her expression softening, though disappointment lingered in her eyes. “I already told you,” she said calmly. "You intrigue me. You’re…different. You're a welcome change in an otherwise dull routine."

  Her lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "I want to understand why that is."

  Her gaze shifted, smooth and calculating yet almost hungry. Kael felt the same chill as in their last encounter. Her eyes weren’t merely curious; they were predatory.

  "So that's why you agreed to meet me here," Kael said quietly. "And maybe help me."

  "Exactly." Cassandra smiled brightly, almost as if she were pleased. She was like a teacher whose student finally caught on. “Keep entertaining me, and I’ll help you.”

  Kael's voice turned dry. "That's what I meant earlier when I said someone like you."

  She tilted her head. "Oh? And what exactly am I like?"

  “Unscrupulous,” he replied without hesitation. "You'd do anything to get what you want."

  Cassandra chuckled softly; the sound was like silk brushing against a blade. "It sounds like an insult coming from you," she replied, her eyes glinting. "But to me? It’s a compliment.”

  Kael exhaled, already wary of the verbal chess match. "Fine. I didn’t come here to argue semantics.”

  He met her gaze, serious now. "I need your help. I need to get to the outer district, but the academy is on lockdown. Only nobles are allowed to leave. Can you get me out?"

  Cassandra fell silent for a moment, clearly considering his request. Then, with a faint tilt of her head, she asked, "Why don't you ask your redheaded friend instead? She’s a noble, too—an influential one. Her family inherited all of House Greystone's possessions, after all."

  "I just can't," Kael replied flatly.

  Her eyes glimmered with amusement. "So, both of your friends are off-limits?" she teased. "That means whatever you're planning must be very interesting."

  “Can you help me or not?” Kael pressed, his tone growing sharper. "I can't wait for the academy to declare everything safe and lift the prohibition."

  Cassandra stared at him for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

  Kael frowned. "What's so funny?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice.

  She tried to speak, but laughter kept breaking through until she finally wiped a tear from her eye. “Nothing,” she said, still chuckling. "You just...truly fascinate me. No one has ever made me laugh like that before.”

  Her expression shifted, her playfulness melting into a calm, calculating seriousness. "Tell me, Kael," she said softly. "Do you really think this curfew was enforced because the academy isn't safe?"

  Kael blinked. “What do you mean?”

  "This isn't about safety," Cassandra said, leaning forward. "It's about control."

  Her voice lowered, every word deliberate. "They're not keeping you inside because they fear rebels; they're keeping you inside because they fear you."

  She paused, letting the meaning sink in. “The Order and the Vice Headmaster don’t want free minds wandering around without oversight. Students like you are unbound and unpredictable. You’re not fixed links in the Empire’s chain like me or your noble friend. And that makes you dangerous.”

  Her tone grew almost reverent, her eyes glinting in the dim light. "We're the next generation of the Empire's elite, Kael. They’ll do anything to keep their seeds from growing in the wrong direction.”