Jake's POV
The cafeteria building finally came into view—massive, all-glass windows glowing warm gold from inside. Through the glass, I spotted Sara standing by the entrance, her arms folded and her hair pulled up in a bun. She looked... radiant.
Normal.
Safe.
She waved when she saw me, and I waved back, the tightness in my chest easing slightly. Human connection. The best medicine for creeping madness.
"You took your sweet time," she grinned as I walked up, slightly breathless.
"I got lost," I admitted. "Map-challenged."
"I figured. I was about to come rescue you."
I laughed. For a moment, the weight of last night, Sylas’s strange warning, the pale-eyed senior, the weird vibes—all of it—faded.
Just for a moment.
Then, as we stepped inside, I noticed something.
Every staff memb
