Someone was coming.
Kieran's body tensed immediately. His breath hitched, and his muscles coiled like a spring, ready to react. Had they seen him? Had they caught him stepping out of the portal? His heart pounded against his ribs. If someone had witnessed him appearing out of thin air, it would lead to questions—questions he wasn't ready to answer. He didn't know how the school would react if word got out. Would they expel him? Lock him up for questioning? He had no idea how the academy handled something like this.
His perception wasn't the best, sitting at only three points, but it was enough for him to sense the approaching figure before they fully emerged into view. The person rounded the corner, stepping into sight, their gaze locking onto him with the same look of shock and uncertainty he wore.
"You?!" they both exclaimed simultaneously, pointing at each other.
Shock turned into cautious relief when Kieran recognized Emma Brown. Of all people, it had to be her.
Emma had been there during his registration test, and she was the healer who had treated him after he woke up in the hospital. She had long silver hair that shimmered under the sunlight, cascading down her back like a waterfall of light. Her brown eyes were warm and intelligent, but now, they held something else—analyzing, questioning.
Kieran's mind raced. Did she see? No, if she had actually seen him exit the portal, she'd be acting more alarmed. Right? He had to act normal.
Emma spoke first. "Why aren't you in class?"
Kieran's mind blanked for a moment before he quickly turned the question back on her. "Why aren't you in class?"
He had to stay on the offensive. If he let her control the conversation, she might start piecing things together—if she hadn't already.
Emma raised an eyebrow, as if unimpressed by his deflection. "I'm a healer. I don't have too many classes."
Kieran noticed the subtle shift in her gaze. She was waiting for his excuse. His heart pounded. He had to think fast.
"Uhm, I… I came out here for fresh air," he said, forcing his expression to remain neutral.
Emma's lips parted slightly. "Fresh air? You came out here for fresh air?"
Kieran nodded. "Yeah."
Emma stared at him for a few more seconds before folding her arms. "Alright, then why did you look so shocked to see me?"
Kieran internally cursed. She was sharp. He needed to flip the focus back onto her.
"Why did you look so shocked to see me?" he asked, crossing his arms in return.
Emma hesitated for just a fraction of a second. Kieran caught it. She was hiding something too.
"Uhm… fresh air," she finally replied.
Kieran smirked. "Right. Fresh air."
Emma pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at him slightly. The tension in the air didn't dissipate. Instead, it became a silent battle of wits—neither wanting to reveal their true reasons for being there.
Kieran decided to push for a quick retreat. "Alright, isn't this nice? We both clearly have our own reasons for being out here, and we both don't want to say what they are. So, let's just pretend we didn't see each other and move on with our day. Deal?"
Emma didn't reply immediately. She studied him for a moment longer before finally nodding. "Deal."
Kieran raised his hands slightly in a show of surrender and took a step back, turning to leave. As he walked away, he felt her eyes on him, her presence lingering like an unanswered question.
Emma stood there, watching him go. She had caught it. Just before he spoke, his stance had been off. He had looked ready to bolt the second he saw her. That wasn't the reaction of someone simply out for fresh air.
And then there was the portal.
She had seen it. Not fully, but just enough to notice a distortion in the air, like a shimmer before Kieran had appeared. It had been faint, and if she weren't a healer with trained observational skills, she might have dismissed it as a trick of the light. But she knew what she had seen.
A portal.
Her brown eyes glistened with curiosity. "Just what are you hiding, Kieran?" she muttered under her breath, before finally turning to walk away.