He met her in the library.
Small. Quiet. Glasses. Eyes too big for her face. A stack of ancient Ether manuscripts in her lap.
She looked up as he passed and turned red instantly.
"I—I read about you," she stammered. "You're… the anomaly."
Kael paused. "Should I be flattered or worried?"
She bit her lip. "Both?"
Her name was Mina Velrose. Scholar-class. Ether-theory major. Half-mage, half-unknown. She wasn't like Reya or Liora. No sharp tongue. No combat pride. Just nervous energy and curious fingers.
They talked for hours.
And when he reached for a book beside her, their hands touched.
She gasped—soft and breathy.
"Oh…"
It had begun again.