85. (DANE POV)

(DANE POV)

The office, once Cami's, felt like a place stuck in time, filled with echoes of her decisions and the consequences that followed. Now, it was mine... a truth that felt too surreal to grasp fully. I sat behind the desk, holding the worn leather collar in my hands. I didn't always wear it... but when Magness was around, I had no choice. If I didn't, the punishments were severe.

A reminder of his control over me that I now had over him.

Talk about surreal.

The collar was a relic of everything I'd endured. I hated it, but letting go felt impossible. Throwing it away would mean losing a piece of myself.

Even now, with Cami gone and the school under new leadership...my leadership...I couldn't escape its hold.

Cavanagh entered the room, stopping when she noticed the collar on the table. She approached me, and I could sense her hesitation and the unspoken questions.

"You know," she began, "I never thought I'd see you without that thing."

"Neither did I," I admitted, staring at th