Two days after the ball, the whispers became impossible to ignore.
Evelyn's presence beside Alexander was on everyone's lips—from guild halls to school corridors. Rumors sparked, fueled by jealousy and status. Why had a girl like her—unpolished, politically insignificant—been invited? And more importantly, why had the Valerius heir chosen to dance with her?
Her father's temper was barely restrained.
"You've embarrassed us," Reginald said over breakfast, voice like ice. "This family thrives on alliances, not scandals."
Evelyn remained silent, her hands clenched in her lap. Clarisse sipped her tea with faint amusement. Isabella played innocent, humming softly.
That same week, the city's high council released a public statement addressing the rising magical anomalies in the outer districts—surges of unstable magic, flickering portals, and arcane disruptions. A sense of unease was growing. The guilds were being summoned more frequently, and meetings increased in secrecy.
It was clear: something was shifting beneath the city's golden veneer.
Meanwhile, Alexander was being watched. Closely.
By political allies, enemies, and even some within the Valerius family. His open interaction with Evelyn had drawn scrutiny, especially as his family's power remained at the core of Aetheris's political balance.
To make matters worse, a new guild assessment was approaching—an annual event where trainees and guild members displayed their growth. Evelyn's stepbrother, Calen, a guild trainee, had failed the last two years and was desperate to prove himself. Arrogant, short-tempered, and dangerously insecure, Calen hated how Evelyn was being noticed while he struggled in her shadow.
"You might have the attention of nobles," he sneered in the hallway one day, "but in the guild, status isn't gifted—it's earned. Let's see if you can survive there."
Evelyn didn't respond, but the tension between them was now undeniable.
At school, Celeste's presence became more noticeable. She had quickly befriended Mira and Theo, and took a particular joy in teasing her brother whenever he visited the Academy unannounced.
One afternoon, as Celeste and Evelyn sat under the blooming whisperwillow trees in the courtyard, Celeste tilted her head.
"Are you afraid?" she asked.
"Of what?"
"Of what happens when the city decides it doesn't want you near him anymore."
Evelyn looked up at the silver branches overhead, wind stirring her hair.
"I'm more afraid of losing myself trying to please people who never saw me in the first place."
Celeste smiled. "Then maybe you and Alexander really are alike."