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Chapter 7: Cold Rules

Author: Ms Anonymous
last update publish date: 2026-06-16 15:37:40

My eyes felt gritty from all the crying the night before. I lay there for a long minute, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to convince myself that yesterday had been some kind of nightmare. The bed, the quiet room, the echo of Lucian’s rough voice telling me to go back inside… it was all real.

I dragged myself up and went to the bathroom. The girl in the mirror looked pale and hollow-eyed. I splashed water on my face, brushed my teeth with the new toothbrush Mrs. Hale had left out, and
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