#Chapter 48: True Colors

Rowena The line stretched on endlessly ahead of me, a snaking queue of uneasy students and staff alike. My grip tightened reflexively around the strap of my satchel as I watched another cluster of students get ushered away by the grim-faced guards stationed at the checkpoint, their hazmat suits gleaming dully beneath the morning sun. An icy trickle of dread wormed its way down my spine. The girl in front of me had briefly mentioned something called ‘Wolf’s Fury’, but I hadn’t heard of it before. Just what was this strange virus that had the whole camp on such high alert? “Hey.” The sound of a familiar voice made me startle, and I turned around to find Emma lingering a few paces behind me, her expression uncharacteristically meek. A pang of remorse worked its way through me as I remembered how our last interaction had ended—with her storming out of the cafe, trying to hide tears. “Emma. Hey,” I replied, managing a small smile despite the anxious knot in my stomach. “I did