Unseen Forces, Unspoken Bonds

Arvanya's POV:

I was in a deep sleep when Esme's voice broke through, pulling me from the haze. "Aria, wake up! We have to get ready for classes, we're getting late!"

I groggily opened my eyes, but they felt unbearably heavy, as though they were glued shut. I hadn't slept well at all—my mind was consumed by everything I'd uncovered. I didn't even know when I'd finally drifted off.

I got up, making my way to the bathroom. After all, I had my student life to attend to, and saving those dragons wasn't going to stop me from keeping up with my classes. As I splashed cold water on my face, I tried to shake off the fogginess in my mind, preparing for another long day.

About half an hour later, Esme and I were ready. She gave me a concerned look and asked, "Didn't you sleep last night? Were you doing the assignment all night?"

Without thinking, I answered, "I was just finding answers last night to my questions."

Esme smiled sympathetically. "Math is a complicated subject, and solving equations is no easy task. That's probably why the assignment took so much time."

I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Did I just say that out loud? I hadn't even meant to. But, thankfully, the elements were on my side—she thought I was just talking about my math assignment. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, hoping she wouldn't dig any deeper.

We stepped out of the room and made our way toward the mess hall. The quiet of the early morning lingered around us as we walked, the occasional echo of our footsteps bouncing off the walls. When we reached the entrance of the hall, Calen was already standing there, his arms crossed, an amused but slightly frustrated expression on his face.

"Why are you two late?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Esme, always quick with a response, glanced at me before replying with a grin, "Aria got caught up in her math assignment, and you know how complicated those equations can be, so she didn't sleep well last night."

I shot Esme a grateful look, relieved she had backed up my excuse without question. Calen nodded, his lips curling into a smirk. "Well, next time, try not to get lost in your equations too much. We don't want to be late for breakfast again."

We all stepped inside, the smell of freshly cooked food filling the air, but my thoughts were still tangled with the events of last night. The dragons, the enigmatic gate, and the questions that kept swirling in my mind. I could only hope the day would offer some clarity.

After breakfast, we made our way to our classes. The halls of the academy buzzed with the usual morning energy, but my mind was elsewhere. I could barely focus during the classes, my thoughts constantly drifting back to the events of last night—the strange forest, the mysterious place, and the unsettling presence of those strange elementals. No matter how hard I tried to pay attention, my mind kept circling back to them.

Physics class felt like it dragged on forever. As soon as the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, I was out of my seat in an instant, eager to escape the weight of my thoughts. Esme and Calen, as always, were right behind me, the two of them instantly slipping into their usual banter as we made our way toward the canteen.

"Seriously, how do you even understand half of that physics stuff?" Esme teased, nudging Calen. "You were barely paying attention today."

Calen shot her a grin. "Hey, I was just mentally calculating how much of a genius I am. You know, the usual."

"Oh, please," Esme shot back, rolling her eyes. "You know that 'genius' of yours couldn't even solve half the equations on the board yesterday."

Calen feigned offense. "You're just jealous because my answers were almost right."

I couldn't help but smile at their exchange, even though a part of me was still lost in my own thoughts. Their back-and-forth was familiar, and for a moment, it was easy to pretend everything was normal, even though I knew I had bigger questions to face.

We reached the canteen, the lively chatter of students filling the air. Just as we stepped inside, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw a video call from Kai. A pang of guilt hit me—I'd been so caught up in everything that I'd forgotten to update them about what I'd discovered.

I turned to Esme and Calen with a quick smile. "You two go ahead and grab some snacks. I'll be in shortly."

Esme raised an eyebrow but shrugged, dragging Calen along as they disappeared into the bustling canteen. I scanned the area, looking for a quiet spot where I could talk without anyone overhearing. Spotting a secluded bench near the edge of the courtyard, I hurried over and answered the call, my heart racing with anticipation.

I answered the call, and immediately, the screen filled with the familiar faces of my friends—Kai, Sofia, Lila, Dante, and Nico. Their expressions ranged from concern to curiosity, but it was Dante who broke the silence first.

"Finally! We thought you'd disappeared off the face of the earth," he said, his usual teasing tone barely masking the worry in his eyes.

Kai leaned closer to the camera, his brows furrowed. "Arvi, you haven't checked in since you got there. What's going on? You look like you haven't slept at all."

Lila crossed her arms, her tone soft but serious. "You know you can't just vanish on us like that. What happened?"

Sofia's voice was gentle but edged with concern. "We've been worried. Just tell us what's going on, Arvi."

The barrage of questions overwhelmed me, and I raised my hand toward the screen, my voice rising slightly. "Okay, okay, give me a minute, guys! So many questions all at once—I can't even think straight!"

They all went quiet, their eyes fixed on me, waiting for an explanation. I sighed, glancing around the area to ensure no one was within earshot before speaking. "I'm sorry. Things have been... chaotic. I didn't mean to worry you."

I hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to share, but I couldn't keep them completely in the dark. Taking a deep breath, I told them about the place I'd found where the air elementals—the vision elementals—were being kept. I described the unsettling presence of the strange figures guarding them, their auras and scents unlike anything I'd encountered before.

However, I chose not to tell them about the mysterious gate or the sudden, strange behavior of my powers. That feeling of familiarity—so intense yet unexplainable—still gnawed at me, and I didn't know what to make of it. Until I could understand it myself, I couldn't bring myself to share it with anyone, not even them.

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"They're not like ordinary elementals," I explained. "Their energy—it's dark, overwhelming. I don't know what they are, but they're powerful."

As I spoke, their faces shifted from shock to worry, and then to frustration.

"You went there alone?" Kai asked, his voice sharp. "That's insane, Arvi. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

Lila's eyes widened. "And those air elementals—vision elementals—are trapped there? That's terrible. But, Arvi, you can't handle this on your own."

"They're not just trapped," I continued. "It's like they're being drained of something. I could feel it."

Dante frowned, the usual spark in his eyes replaced with concern. "And these other elementals... if they're as dangerous as you say, then you can't go back. Not alone."

Nico's voice was hard, his arms crossed. "You shouldn't have gone there in the first place. If they'd caught you—"

"I know," I interrupted, my voice rising slightly. "But what was I supposed to do? Just ignore it? They’re not just random elementals—they’re academy students who need help!"

Sofia's brows furrowed, her tone careful but firm. "We understand, Arvi. But you can't save them if you get yourself hurt—or worse. You don't even know what you're up against yet."

Kai nodded, his voice steady. "You need to be smart about this. Figure out what's really going on before you try anything. Don't try to do this alone."

Their words weighed heavily on me, each one adding to the storm of thoughts swirling in my mind. I knew they were right, but how could I explain the urgency I felt, the pull to do something? And worse, how could I tell them about the strange, familiar feeling I'd experienced—the one even I didn't fully understand?

"I'll think about it," I said finally, my voice quieter.

They didn't look satisfied, but they nodded, their concern clear. Even as the call ended, their words lingered in my mind. I had to tread carefully, but the questions—the academy students, those strange figures, and the mysterious pull I'd felt—demanded answers. And I knew I couldn't ignore them for long.

After I finished the call, I stood up from my seat, my thoughts still tangled in the conversation with my friends. As I turned around, I froze. Lucian was standing just a few feet away, his eyes fixed on me with an expression that bordered on frustration. His gaze was intense, sharp as ever, but I couldn't bring myself to engage with him.

I didn't have time to deal with him right now—not when there were so many more pressing things on my mind. I didn't owe him any explanations, and frankly, I wasn't in the mood for his silent judgment. I gave him a brief glance, then turned and made my way toward the canteen, ignoring him as I walked past.

Esme and Calen were already inside, and I needed to focus on them, on the things I could control. I couldn't afford distractions.

When I reached the canteen, I spotted Esme and Calen sitting at a table, deep in conversation. As soon as they saw me, Esme raised an eyebrow, her voice playful yet with a hint of concern.

"I thought you were lost in your phone," she said, glancing at me with a smirk. "We were about to come looking for you outside."

Calen chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, you've been glued to that thing for a while. Everything okay?"

I gave them a small smile, trying to shake off the lingering tension from my call. "Yeah, just... needed to catch up on some things." I slid into the seat between them, trying to push all the heavier thoughts to the back of my mind, at least for now.

After we had our snacks, we made our way to our next classes, which passed by smoothly. By the time the day came to an end, I was relieved to finally be back in the dormitory. The weight of everything that had happened earlier still hung in the air, but I pushed it aside for the moment.

As we entered our room, Esme turned to me with a curious look. "Hey, do you have a dress for tomorrow's gala?" she asked casually, as if the event was no big deal.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to sound casual, though my mind wandered to my mother. My mom, a world-renowned designer, is always more than willing to design dresses for me, I thought to myself. And when I was coming here, she packed a few dresses for me to wear, despite my objections.

I didn't mind the dresses—most were beautiful—but the events themselves, with all the attention, never sat well with me. Still, I didn't have much of a choice. At least I don't have to worry about what to wear, I guess.

Esme grinned and said, "I have one too, for tomorrow's gala."

Calen, who had been quietly listening, looked visibly uncomfortable, his eyes darting between Esme and me. He finally cleared his throat and muttered, "You girls are always so conscious about your appearances at events like these."

Esme raised an eyebrow and teased, "What, Calen? You don't care about looking good at the gala? Maybe you're just afraid we'll outshine you!"

Calen rolled his eyes but smiled. "I just think it's a bit much. It's just a gala, not a fashion show." He leaned back, clearly trying to get out of the topic. "But I guess I'll just enjoy the chaos of you two getting ready," he added with a playful smirk.

I couldn't help but chuckle at their banter, feeling a brief moment of normalcy before the weight of the day settled back on my shoulders.

Esme sighed and shook her head. "No matter how much we get ready or how good we look, we won't be getting any special treatment tomorrow. The higher-ups will be there, and they always favor the fire elementals. It's just how it works."

I shrugged, trying to mask the frustration creeping in. "So let them do whatever they want. We're not going there for their approval or attention. We're going for ourselves, to enjoy the night. Despite the workload, tomorrow is one of the few times we can actually relax."

But in the back of my mind, my thoughts wandered. I had bigger plans. I needed to find a way—or an excuse—to slip away from the gala. I couldn't ignore the pull I felt toward that place again. The mystery, the air elementals, and the strange aura of those figures were eating away at me. I had to go back, no matter the cost.

I glanced at Esme and Calen, but they were too busy discussing their outfits to notice the shift in my mood. A plan was starting to form, but I needed to make sure I wasn't caught.

After getting into our room, I sat down at my desk and focused on completing the stack of pending assignments. The hours passed in a blur as I worked steadily, determined to finish everything before the deadline. When I finally put my pen down and glanced at the clock, a wave of relief washed over me. I had done it. All my assignments were completed, and I was finally free—at least for the weekend.

A knock on the door broke my thoughts. Esme got up to answer it, and in walked Calen with his usual confident stride.

"Ready for dinner?" he asked, leaning casually against the doorframe.

I nodded, standing up and stretching my stiff limbs. "Let’s go. I’m starving."

The mess hall was buzzing with energy, the air electric with chatter and laughter. Everyone seemed to be excited about tomorrow’s gala. The excitement was contagious, even if my mind was elsewhere. After dinner, we returned to our room, the lively atmosphere of the mess hall still lingering in the back of my mind.

I finally lay down on my bed, letting out a long sigh. Esme glanced over at me, her lips curving into a teasing smile. "Now you’re finally free from that stack of assignments. You can actually sleep tonight."

I chuckled, pulling the blanket up to my chin. "Last night, I swore I wouldn’t sleep until I was done. So yeah, I can finally rest now."

"Good night, then," she said, grabbing her phone and beginning to scroll through it, her attention absorbed in whatever caught her interest.

"Good night," I replied softly.

As I lay there, my thoughts churned relentlessly, the weight of tomorrow’s gala pressing down on me. It wasn’t just another event—it was a stage, a test, and a minefield I had to navigate without faltering. The questions gnawed at me: Could I manage it all without drawing attention? Could I keep everything under control?

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push the thoughts away, but they lingered, their sharp edges cutting into my mind. My body grew heavy, the exhaustion of the day finally overtaking me as I drifted into sleep.

When I opened my eyes, my heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t in my room anymore. The air was cold, and the scent of damp earth filled my lungs. My gaze darted around, and I froze.

I was back in the forest—the same clearing. The same haunting familiarity. The same pull.

And yet, this time, something was different. The shadows loomed closer, their silence more oppressive, their presence more demanding. The clearing seemed alive, pulsating with an energy that made my skin prickle.

A chill ran down my spine as I stood there, unable to move. This place wasn’t just calling me anymore. It was waiting.