Chapter Title: "Beautifully Strong"
Scene Continuation: After the Friendly Match
The roar of the crowd was still echoing in Kael's ears.
"She did it! She beat Kael!"
"And after facing three opponents before him… insane!"
"Beautiful… and beautifully strong…"
He could still hear their words—cheers, admiration, awe—all directed toward her. Liora. The girl who'd just bested him in a clean match despite the odds.
Kael lay on the ground, his breathing heavy, wind affinity dispersing like a silent breeze around his limbs. Dirt smudged his elbows and cheek, and his chest rose and fell beneath the pressure of a fight well fought—but lost.
Then she stepped closer.
Liora's hand extended, fingers open, her expression soft but focused.
"You put up a good fight," she said. Her voice wasn't mocking. It wasn't triumphant either. Just… honest. Kind.
Kael stared up at her. For a heartbeat, the cheering faded. Her silhouette was caught in the light, strands of golden-brown hair sticking to her cheek with sweat. Her brown eyes were steady, but they held something he hadn't expected: respect.
Kael reached out and clasped her hand, and she pulled him up with surprising strength.
"Thanks," he said, brushing his fringe back with a sheepish chuckle. "I didn't think I'd lose today."
"You were good. Fast, sharp," Liora replied. "But I guess I'm just… tougher."
He grinned. "And more humble, clearly."
She let out a small laugh before walking away, joining her classmates as they lifted her up in celebration. Kael stood there, wiping the back of his neck. A flicker of something stirred in his chest.
Scene Shift: Cafeteria, Later That Day
The cafeteria was buzzing. Students in uniform moved between long tables, plates clattering, laughter rising in pockets. The scent of hot parathas, masala rice, and sweet cinnamon rolls mingled in the air.
Kael sat with his usual group—Arjun, Malik, Zara, and a few others from his class. His plate was mostly untouched, the paneer curry slowly cooling.
"You okay, bro?" Malik asked, nudging him. "Still sore about Liora?"
Kael blinked, breaking out of his daze. "No, it's not that. I mean… yeah, maybe a little."
"She's something, isn't she?" Zara said with a smirk. "Even I got a little heart-thump when she blasted through Rakesh. Poor guy's still trying to process."
"She's amazing," Arjun added, biting into a samosa. "And that smile? Kya kehne."
Kael forced a chuckle and looked down at his food.
They weren't wrong.
Liora wasn't just strong—she was focused, composed, kind. The way she carried herself made people notice. It wasn't flashy—it was magnetic.
She hadn't gloated after the win. She hadn't dismissed his efforts. And somehow, that made it worse… because Kael realized he wanted her to see him. Not just as a classmate, or a sparring partner. But more.
He stabbed his rice with his spoon.
Zara leaned toward him. "Kael. You like her, don't you?"
He froze.
"What?" he said, a bit too fast.
Arjun and Malik looked up.
"Dude," Malik said. "It's okay. Everyone likes her."
Kael's lips pressed into a thin line. "It's not like that."
But it was.
He remembered the way she moved during the match—fluid, grounded, the way the earth responded to her touch like it was alive. Her battle aura had shimmered like the setting sun. And then that moment… when she offered her hand.
It wasn't love. He knew that much. But something inside him had shifted.
He found himself watching her from across the cafeteria now. She sat two tables away, laughing softly with her class. Her braid swung as she turned to talk to someone. Her wrist still had a small scrape from earlier. Kael remembered that moment—he'd grazed her arm with a gust blade.
"She's not just strong," he muttered.
"Huh?" Arjun asked.
Kael shook his head. "Nothing."
Late Night: Kael's Thoughts
Back in his dorm room, Kael lay on his bed, hands folded under his head, eyes on the ceiling.
He didn't want to fall in love with someone he barely knew. He didn't even know if she liked video games, or what her favorite festival was, or whether she loved pani puri as much as he did.
But there was something about her presence that lingered.
The next day, during training, he caught himself checking the schedule to see when her class would be using the main arena.
He told himself it was just curiosity.
A few days later, during meditation practice, he caught a glimpse of her walking past the courtyard, and his aura wavered.
He told himself it was just distraction.
One evening, as he walked past the library, he saw her reading alone at the corner table, her fingers tracing the lines of a book. She didn't notice him.
He told himself he was just passing by.
But in truth?
Kael was falling—quietly, slowly, and all on his own.