The morning mist clung to the cobblestone streets of Elarion like a forgotten memory, swirling around Liora’s boots as she walked toward the academy gates. The air smelled faintly of rain and magic—two constants in this city built atop layers of ancient ruins. She tightened her scarf against the chill, her fingers brushing against the small pendant hanging from her neck. It was a gift from her mother, though lately, it felt more like a reminder of everything she didn’t understand.

As she approached the bustling courtyard, her eyes scanned the crowd for familiar faces. And then she saw him—Kael Draven, leaning casually against the stone wall near the entrance, his arms crossed over his chest. His dark hair fell messily across his forehead, and his usual smirk was nowhere to be found. Instead, his gaze was fixed on some distant point beyond the horizon, those piercing gray eyes devoid of warmth.

Liora hesitated mid-step. For a moment, all the noise around her faded into white noise—the chatter of students, the clinking of metal lunchboxes, even the faint hum of latent magic in the air. All she could focus on were Kael’s eyes . Dead eyes. Hollow. As if they’d seen too much, known too much, and now refused to let anyone else in.

“Hey,” she called out softly, forcing herself to take another step forward despite the weight pressing down on her chest.

His head turned slowly, almost lazily, but there was nothing lazy about the way he looked at her. No recognition. No greeting. Just… emptiness. A void that made her stomach churn.

“Morning,” she tried again, louder this time, plastering a smile onto her face even though it felt brittle, ready to crack under the slightest pressure. “You’re early.”

Kael blinked once, twice, before finally speaking. His voice was low, almost indifferent, as if every word cost him effort. “Yeah. Early.” He pushed off the wall and began walking past her without another glance. “Don’t want to waste my time waiting for you.”

Liora froze, her hand reaching out instinctively before dropping back to her side. Her heart sank—not because of his words, but because of the way he said them. There was no malice, no anger, just… detachment. Like he wasn’t really talking to her at all.

“Wait!” she blurted, spinning around to follow him. “What’s wrong? Did I do something?”

He stopped abruptly, turning halfway to look at her. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to sneer but couldn’t muster the energy. “Do something?” he repeated, his tone flat. “No. You didn’t do anything. That’s the problem.”

Her breath caught in her throat. This wasn’t the Kael she remembered—the boy who used to laugh until tears streamed down his face, the one who always stood up for her when others teased her. This Kael was colder, sharper, like a blade honed to perfection but wielded by someone else entirely.

“I don’t understand,” she admitted, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady. “If I haven’t done anything, why are you acting like this? Why won’t you talk to me?”

For a moment, he just stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sigh so heavy it seemed to carry years of unspoken pain, he spoke. “Because, Liora, you’ve been doing things for years. Things I can’t forgive. Not yet.”

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She frowned, confusion clouding her mind. “What are you talking about? What things?”

Kael closed his eyes briefly, as if gathering the strength to continue. When he opened them again, his gaze was softer, tinged with sadness rather than emptiness. “That day in the forest… when we were kids. Do you remember?”

Liora swallowed hard. Of course, she remembered. How could she forget?

It had been five years ago, during one of their many childhood adventures. They’d ventured deep into the forbidden woods outside Elarion, drawn by whispers of strange lights and magical creatures. In the heart of the forest, they stumbled upon an ancient circle of stones, pulsing faintly with blue light. Without warning, Kael tripped over a root and landed awkwardly, twisting his ankle. He winced in pain, clutching his leg as he tried to stand.

“Are you okay?” Liora asked, rushing to his side.

“I’ll be fine,” Kael gritted through clenched teeth. “But we need to get out of here before night falls. These woods aren’t safe.”

Liora hesitated. She glanced at the glowing stones, intrigued by their mysterious allure. Part of her wanted to stay and investigate, but another part knew they needed to prioritize Kael’s safety. Yet, instead of helping him, she made a rash decision.

“I’ll go ahead and check out the stones,” she said quickly, already moving toward the circle. “Just wait here—I’ll be right back!”

Kael’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? No, Liora, don’t leave me here alone! My ankle hurts, and—”

But she ignored him, her curiosity getting the better of her. As she approached the stones, the glow intensified, drawing her closer. Time seemed to blur as she lost herself in the mesmerizing patterns etched into the surface. When she finally snapped out of her trance, she turned back to find Kael struggling to hobble after her.

“You left me!” he shouted, his voice laced with frustration and fear. “I thought I meant something to you, but you abandoned me when I needed you most!”

Liora panicked. “I-I wasn’t gone long! I just wanted to see what the stones were!”

“And while you were ‘checking them out,’” Kael spat, limping painfully beside her, “a group of shadow wolves nearly attacked me. If I hadn’t managed to climb a tree, who knows what would’ve happened?”

To make matters worse, Liora compounded her mistake by lying about her intentions. When Kael pressed her for answers later, she claimed she’d only stayed near the stones because she thought they might help heal his ankle. But when he confronted her with evidence that the stones weren’t capable of healing—and that she’d spent far longer exploring them than necessary—her lie unraveled completely.

“You betrayed me,” Kael had said that night, his voice breaking. “Not just by leaving me behind, but by lying about it afterward. I trusted you, Liora. And you threw that trust away.

Now, standing in the academy courtyard, Liora felt the full weight of her actions pressing down on her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could she say? How could she possibly justify abandoning him when he needed her most?

Kael must have sensed her struggle because he cut her off before she could try. “You don’t have to explain yourself, Liora,” he said bitterly. “Your excuses are predictable. You’ll say you were curious, or scared, or whatever else gets you off the hook. But the truth is, you chose the stones over me. And that’s something I can’t forget.”

Her cheeks flushed with shame. He was right. She had prioritized her own interests over his well-being, and then she’d compounded the betrayal with lies. No amount of apologies could erase what she’d done.

Before either of them could say anything else, the bell rang, signaling the start of classes. Students poured into the courtyard, breaking the tense silence between them. Reluctantly, Kael stepped back, his expression guarded once more.

“We’ll talk later,” he muttered, already moving toward the building. “Just… try not to hurt anyone else while I’m gone.”

Liora watched him go, her heart heavy with guilt and longing. As she entered the academy, the pendant around her neck grew warm against her skin, pulsing faintly with an energy she couldn’t explain. And deep within her mind, fragments of memories surfaced—images of herself standing in front of Kael, her hands glowing faintly blue as she whispered words she couldn’t quite recall.