The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 30

Chapter 30

With Damien Thorn present, the only person standing beside him could be none other than Aiden.

Aiden, infamous worldwide as the most ruthless man alive and Damien Thorn’s trusted enforcer, cut an imposing figure—tall, strikingly handsome, and built like a battle-hardened soldier.

His golden hair fell casually over his forehead, accentuating the sharp angles of his chiseled face.

Yet, unlike Damien, Aiden barely attracted any attention from the nearby girls.

That was simply because, standing next to Damien Thorn, everyone else seemed to fade into insignificance.

Even with half of his face concealed behind a sleek black mask, Damien exuded a quiet but deadly presence that commanded every eye in the vicinity.

From her spot among the students, Nova observed the two men intently, blending into the crowd so as not to reveal her presence.

She had carefully hidden herself, watching silently from the sidelines.

But before she could look away, Damien Thorn—whose icy expression alone intimidated the girls around him into silence—suddenly turned his gaze.

His piercing eyes cut through the throng and locked onto her instantly.

*Such sharp perception,* Nova thought, her heart pounding despite her efforts to remain calm. *No wonder they call him the world’s deadliest assassin.*

Though she had been careful to stay nearly invisible, Damien had still found her.

Quickly, Nova averted her eyes, breaking the connection.

She didn’t know what had brought Damien Thorn to Saint Laurel Royal Academy, but one thing was clear.

His presence here could only spell trouble.

He was her enemy.

And enemies, sooner or later, always crossed paths.

*When it comes down to it, who will be the one standing victorious?* she wondered quietly.

“Nova, what are you staring at?” Sophia’s curious voice interrupted her thoughts.

Sophia had noticed Nova’s fixed gaze and couldn’t help but ask.

Following Nova’s line of sight, Sophia saw nothing unusual.

“Huh? There’s nothing there. Were you daydreaming, or just really focused on the instructor?” she teased, tilting her head.

Nova raised an eyebrow and glanced back toward where Damien and Aiden had been standing.

But they were gone—vanished without a trace.

Of course, they had left. Where exactly, she couldn’t say.

“Nothing,” Nova replied softly.

“Ethan already went back to his class,” Sophia continued cheerfully. “He said you looked really focused while listening to Mr. Lawson, so he didn’t want to interrupt you. He told me to tell you he’ll find you again once we get to the survival site.”

Sophia repeated what Ethan had said before leaving, both of them assuming Nova was just as curious and excited as everyone else about their first wilderness training.

“Okay,” Nova said simply.

By now, Sayer Lawson had finished outlining the safety guidelines for the upcoming seven-day, seven-night survival challenge.

Students were allowed to bring snacks, instant meals, and camping essentials—tents, sleeping bags, lighters, and the like.

But they were cautioned never to leave fires unattended after dark and to avoid touching or consuming any unfamiliar plants in the forest.

Sayer’s voice remained steady and authoritative as he continued, “To keep everyone safe and prevent anyone from getting lost, we’ve decided that all participants will enter the forest in small groups.”

“Each group will consist of twenty students. You’re free to choose your own teammates.”

He added, “Each group must elect a leader—someone responsible for taking headcounts every morning, afternoon, and evening to ensure no one is missing.”

“The group leaders will each receive a walkie-talkie so they can maintain contact with us at all times.”

After a brief pause, he said, “Since everyone is gathered here on the field, I’ll give you one hour to form your groups and select your leaders.”

Passing the microphone to a nearby school official, he concluded, “Once your groups are set, the leader can collect a walkie-talkie from the teachers’ station. Then you’ll board the buses and head straight to the starting point.”

As he stepped away, the crowd burst into excited chatter once more.

The field buzzed with energy as students hurried to gather their teammates.

Sophia couldn’t stand it. She jumped to Nova’s defense, blurting out, “How can you say that? Nova’s actually amazing—”

But Hannah cut her off mid-sentence. “No matter how amazing she is, she doesn’t have survival experience, right? It’s easy to talk big. Anyone can do that.”

Sophia fell silent, knowing the truth.

She understood that Nova was strong—tougher than most—but it was also true that Nova had only recently returned to Blake Villa.

She probably hadn’t undergone any real wilderness survival training before.

Nova, however, treated their petty insults like children squabbling in a sandbox.

She simply didn’t care.

If anything, their jabs only made her more curious about what lay ahead.

“All right, that’s enough,” Maxwell said, stepping in before the argument could escalate. “Let’s get ready to move out.”

As one of the academy’s top three male idols—and with two campus beauties on the same team—Maxwell’s group quickly became the most sought-after.

The remaining spots were filled within minutes by eager students.

Naturally, Maxwell was chosen as team leader without any debate.

Once the group was complete, he collected a walkie-talkie from the teachers and led everyone toward the waiting buses.

Nova followed quietly, boarding with the others.

The bus filled up fast, and soon it rumbled to life, pulling away from the campus.

As the scenery blurred past the window, a faint, amused smile curved Nova’s lips.

*I wonder if I’ll cross paths with Damien Thorn and Aiden during this survival training. What will the next seven days bring?*

Whatever awaited her, one thing was certain: this was Nova’s first time setting aside the bloodshed of her past and stepping into something as ordinary—and peaceful—as student life.

The wilderness survival challenge had officially begun.