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“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, the actual wording’s something like—he slipped into a mock-official voice. “By enrolling at Crowsfell University, students consent to full participation in all historic ritesand seasonal traditions, including physical, social, and psychological simulations enacted by student-led bodies, for the duration of their academic career.”

“That sounds insane.”

“It is insane, but it’s real too. They’ve been updating that clause for decades, and no one ever reads it. It’s the extra-fine print the size of aunt shit.”

“So everyone signed it?”

“Basically.” He nodded. “If you go here, you’re already screwed. Legally, it’s airtight.”

“Okay, butisit actually legal?”

He shrugged. “It’s Crowsfell. That means it’s ‘tradition’.” He used air quotes. “Around here, that might as well be gospel. You really think anyone’s dragging the university into a lawsuit over a centuries-old event?”

I didn’t have to think about the answer. There were too many powerful, well-connected families with ties to this place. My family had money, but even they wouldn’t want to bleed it dry picking the wrong fight with Crowsfell. Well, if I really wanted them to, they would’ve, but I’d never ask that.

My dad was a bulldog of an attorney, sharp, relentless, and terrifying when he needed to be. His field was estate law and high-stakes business deals, not secret-society student politics. I’d never shared his love for that kind of work. That was more Cloe’s arena anyway. She wanted to practice law too, but with teeth, the kind that tore into systems and loopholes and didn’t let go.

Crowsfell had plenty of those, which made me wonder how both of them—Cloe and my father—had overlooked this supposed clause. Ari too. She read everything thoroughly. If there really had been something in the fine print... someone would’ve noticed. Unless it was buried so thoroughly that we weren’t meant to.

We started walking again, crossing onto the garden path that curved beneath the shadows of climbing ivy and arched windows.

“So, that means you’ve got a Huntsman too,” I mused out loud.

“Or Huntsmen,” he corrected with a grimace.

My phone buzzed again in my hand, three texts back-to-back. At the top of my inbox was a newly created group chat.Roxxi,Ari,Cloe,Me.

No Layla.

I frowned. The omission wasn’t subtle. I scanned the group names again just to confirm. None of the guys had texted at all in our main chat. It had been silent almost all morning. The boys always knew more than they let on. I wondered if we were being left out of something, or if they were waiting for one of us to drop the news first. Kellan shifted his backpack and slowed a bit to check his own phone.

I opened the new thread and read the messages as we passed through the older campus wing, our steps echoing against the stone.

Roxxi

Everyone saw the Hunt update, right?

Ari

Memorized it already. Mostly. I’m going to do a deeper dive after school.

Cici

I already double-checked the legalities.

I popped in so they knew I was active.

Did you guys see my text from earlier in our original chat?

Roxxi

? There’s nothing. It showed up blank.

Ari

I checked too and didn’t see anything, but your location updated to being on campus, so we knew Ryder had you.

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