Two and a half years later~

Evaline:

"Eva! Over here-just one more!"

I turned, already smiling before the words fully registered, and lifted my hand in a small wave as another group of classmates called me over. The camera flashed again, and I held the pose for a second longer before finally letting out a soft laugh.

"Alright, that’s the last one," I said, though I had already said that at least five times in the past fifteen minutes.

They laughed, thanked me, and I finally managed to slip away.

My cheeks hurt from smiling, my feet hurt from standing, and yet... I had never felt lighter. Happier. Freer.

The front courtyard of the academy was buzzing with energy - graduates in their robes, families gathered in small groups, laughter echoing through the air, and flashes of cameras going off every few seconds.

The scent of early morning rain mixed with the breeze made the atmosphere even more perfect.

The only unhappy people I could detect were Nadine and her group on the other side of courtyard, these people seemed to have grown only more sour these past years.

I gave them no attention and walked back toward my friends, feeling a quiet kind of peace settle deep inside me.

"Well, well," Mallory drawled the moment I reached them, crossing her arms as she raised a brow. "Look who finally decided to come back to us peasants."

I rolled my eyes, unable to stop the grin tugging at my lips.

"Oh please," I muttered. "You are the one who shoved me toward them in the first place."

"Of course I did," she said unapologetically. "You are basically a celebrity here. Might as well let people enjoy the moment."

Noah snorted. "No kidding," he added. "You didn’t just graduate - you dominated this place."

I groaned softly, dropping onto the bench beside them. "Can we not-"

"No, we cannot," Selene cut in sweetly, though the glint in her eyes said she was enjoying this way too much.

"You topped the entrance exam," she continued, counting on her fingers. "You topped every semester - every single one - for these four years."

"Eight semesters," Noah added helpfully.

"Thank you," Selene nodded before continuing, "You worked under the Rogue Alpha and Alpha Grey at the council, became a liaison diplomat in your third year-"

"And don’t forget the business," Ria chimed in.

Mallory grinned, nudging me lightly.

"Oh, we are definitely not forgetting that."

I buried my face in my hands. "Can you all just-stop?"

"Nope," Rowan said cheerfully.

I peeked at him through my fingers, narrowing my eyes as I accused him. "You are enjoying this way too much."

"Absolutely," he confirmed shamelessly.

Naira, who’s now a student here at Silver Moon and would be starting her sixth semester this coming term, chuckled softly before she gently said, "You deserve it."

I sighed and lowered my hands. "I really don’t."

Mallory leaned closer, her expression softening just a little. "You do," she said quietly. "You just hate hearing it."

I huffed, looking away.

Maybe.

Maybe I did. But hearing it out loud, it still felt strange. Because all I could think about was everything it had taken to get here.

"You forgot something," Noah suddenly said.

I blinked in confusion and asked, "What?"

"The drinks," he reminded.

"Oh stars," Kyros groaned dramatically. "Don’t get him started-he’s addicted."

"They are good!" Noah defended immediately.

"They are great," Mallory corrected proudly, flipping her hair. "Because of me."

I rolled my eyes again, though a smile slipped through anyway. It had started as an idea - a small one - something I thought might help.

Since I couldn’t openly use my healing power, and still wanted to help as many people as possible, I actually end up finding another way.

And that was how the energy drinks were born.

They were made from spiritual herbs I cultivated myself, infused carefully with just enough of my power to enhance natural healing, strengthen the body, and build resistance.

It was nothing extreme, nothing too obvious, just enough to help.

And somehow, it had exploded.

One of the reasons behind it becoming an overnight sensation was the idea of having different flavors and variants that I thought of, and the second... and probably the biggest... credit went to none other than Mallory.

She was actually the one who had turned the drinks into something massive which had its demand rising faster than we could supply.

"The branding was genius," Selene added.

"Obviously," Mallory smirked.

What did she do?

She had all four Rogue Alphas and Elion Grey play the unofficial ambassadors for our drinks... free of cost.

With them personally promoting our drinks, it was destined to become an instant hit.

But the drinks weren’t the end of my business plan. About six months ago, I opened a store in Mapleton Town and partnered up with Mallory since her marketing skills were no joke.

The store sold skincare, body and hair care, herbal teas, candles - everything crafted from the herbs and plants I cultivated with my power.

If one visited the Thorne estate, they would notice the huge peace of land behind it that had slowly turned into a beautiful farm land over the course of past two years.

Every single plant grown under my care, and with my power.

"Seriously though," Kyros said, leaning back slightly. "You have done more in four years than most people do in a lifetime."

I shook my head. "I didn’t do it alone."

"Stop being too humble girl." Noah teased. And before I could respond, I felt the subtle but unmistakable shift in the air.

The noise around us changed as whispers, gasps, and squeals started all around.

My brows furrowed slightly and I turned my head... only to see very familiar faces across the crowd of students.

They were walking across the courtyard, commanding attention without even trying - the four Rogue Alphas.

They were dressed in suits, looking as breathtaking as ever, and they each held a bouquet in their hands.

They looked powerful, unreachable, dangerous... and they were walking straight toward me.

And right behind them was Elion, looking calm and just as handsome with a soft smile on his face. But what had my heart stuttering was the sight of my son in his arms.