The morning after the kiss, everything felt different.
The sky was gray. The Academy halls were cold. Even Sophia—Elyra's roommate and only friend—kept glancing at her strangely over breakfast.
Whispers followed her again, but this time they were sharper.
"She kissed him—"
"Kael never even looked at anyone before her."
"Something's wrong with her. The sky turned gold."
Elyra kept her head down, trying to ignore them. But deep inside, her chest still pulsed where Kael had kissed her. As if the magic hadn't faded.
---
That Evening
Kael didn't show up to class. Or the library. Or the cliffs.
She found him the next day, outside the Headmaster's tower, standing like stone. Cold. Distant.
"Kael?" she called softly.
He turned—but not the way she remembered. No warmth. No silver glow. Just a hard stare.
"You need to stay away from me, Elyra."
She froze. "What? Why?"
"You're dangerous. Whatever happened between us—it shouldn't have. It was a mistake."
Her breath caught in her throat. "You didn't say that when you—"
"I wasn't thinking," he snapped.
Silence.
"I was assigned to you," he said finally. "The Academy asked me to keep an eye on you. Nothing more."
The words hit her like ice. "So it was never real?"
He hesitated. That pause said more than any lie.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, and walked away.
She watched him go, heart burning. The stars felt further than ever.
---
That Night
Elyra stood alone by the cliff. The wind howled louder tonight, like it mourned something.
Then she heard the voice.
A whisper—deep, ancient, seductive.
> "He was always going to betray you, starborn."
She turned—but saw no one.
> "You are not meant to love. You are meant to rise."
And in the shadows, a dark figure stepped out, cloaked in black flame and moonlight.
"Who are you?" she whispered, backing away.
The figure bowed. "I am the truth that was hidden from you. And the key… to your power."
---