"What are you doing here? Our school doesn't lack empty tables," Zephyr drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, glaring at the newcomer with clear displeasure.
The golden-haired young man didn't even flinch. His expression remained perfectly calm and composed, his polite smile not quite reaching his eyes.
"I was speaking to the lady, not you, Aelion," he said smoothly.
The smile lingered on his lips, but Aysel noticed the sharpness in his gaze—a warning wrapped in honeyed words.
She glanced nervously between the two boys, caught in the thickening tension.
"S-Sure… have a seat," she said at last, forcing a polite smile. "There's… only two of us, after all."
Zephyr's face darkened immediately, while the other boy's smile widened in quiet triumph, as if he had just won an unspoken battle.
He slid into the empty chair beside her with smooth confidence, placing his tray neatly on the table before beginning his meal, as calm as if the air wasn't charged with silent rivalry.
The atmosphere turned unbearably awkward. Aysel picked at the edge of her tray, wishing she could pretend she was full and leave.
Zephyr, for once, had gone completely quiet, his usual grin replaced with a brooding scowl.
Meanwhile, the golden-haired boy—Riven—ate with unhurried grace, as if nothing at all was wrong.
Around them, students began to whisper and stare, their table quickly becoming the center of attention.
Aysel resisted the urge to sink into her chair.
Great… first the feast, now this. Could this lunch get any worse?
Aysel slowly picked up her cutlery, trying to eat as naturally as possible despite the heavy air at the table. Just as she thought the awkwardness couldn't get any worse, Riven finally spoke.
"By the way, I'm Riven, a second-year student," he said warmly. "You're Aysel, right? Mind if I call you Aysel?"
His gentle tone and the warmth in his eyes made the tension in her shoulders ease slightly.
"Sure," she said with a small smile. "Call me whatever you're comfortable with."
"I see… And you're in the same class as Zeph here?" she added, gesturing toward the silent Zephyr.
"Zeph?" Riven's brows lifted, his gaze flicking between her and Zephyr, clearly catching the familiarity in the nickname.
At the mention of his name, Zephyr immediately perked up, leaning forward with his trademark smirk.
"That's right," he said smoothly. "We're classmates… and tablemates."
He emphasized the last word as if it was some kind of territorial claim, but Riven simply ignored him, turning his attention fully back to Aysel.
"So," he continued, his tone polite but curious, "how have your classes been so far? I heard from Kael that you two had a… rather eventful training session this morning."
"Hey! I'm still here, you know!" Zephyr protested immediately, bristling at being treated like a third wheel.
Aysel, however, choked on her salad at Riven's words. Her face flushed bright red as memories of the disastrous meteor incident flooded back.
"W-Well… I'm sure Kael already told you everything about my training," she muttered, ducking her head and avoiding his gaze.
Seeing Aysel's flustered expression, Riven chuckled softly.
"I've heard your power was… quite mind-blowing," he said, his tone warm with admiration. "I've never seen Kael look so perplexed before."
Aysel's cheeks flushed crimson, her fingers fidgeting with her fork. She wasn't used to praise, especially from someone as composed as Riven.
"I-I'm sure that's not the case… I just caused him a lot of trouble," she murmured, guilt pricking at her as the memory of the wrecked training ground resurfaced.
Before her thoughts could spiral, Zephyr's voice cut in like he had read her mind.
"If you're worrying about the training ground, you're wasting your energy," he said lazily, propping his chin on his hand.
Aysel blinked, startled. "How—?"
"It's a secret, darling," he interrupted smoothly, flashing her a playful wink.
Aysel choked on her juice, flustered by his teasing.
Riven sighed, shaking his head in disapproval.
"Don't listen to him, Aysel. He's just messing with you again," he said, his voice patient and reassuring. "If you're worried about the damage, Kael already called in the maintenance staff. With magic, repairs like that take only a blink of an eye."
Aysel stared at him, wide-eyed in surprise. "Magic can be used like that?"
Riven nodded with a calm smile. "That's right."
Across the table, Zephyr rolled his eyes dramatically.
"I was about to explain that to her, you know," he muttered, sounding more like a jealous cat than a second-year mage.
Then his sharp blue eyes flicked to her, and Aysel sensed the tension creeping back between the boys.
Change the topic—quickly.
"Anyway, Senior—"
"Just Riven," he interrupted gently.
Aysel blinked but chose not to argue. "…Right. Riven, earlier, you mentioned Kael. Is he in the same class as you?"
Riven shook his head. "He didn't tell you? Well… actually, no. We're not in the same class, but he's a second-year student like me. Dax and Lucien are third years. And…" His eyes flicked toward the boy across from him. "…Zephyr here is the youngest of the group."
The explanation was casual, but it helped her piece together the small circle of upper-year elites she had been thrown into.
Zephyr leaned in with a grin.
"He's right, Aysel. Honestly, I get bored hanging around guys all day. But now I've got you. And since we're classmates, that means…" He gestured dramatically to himself. "…we're friends."
Aysel smiled faintly. Despite his mischief, there was a genuine warmth in his words.
"I'm not sure if I can be a worthy friend to either of you," she said softly, "but… I'm happy. I don't really have any friends, either."
At that, Zephyr's face lit up like the sun.
"Then it's settled. You're stuck with me now." He flashed a triumphant smirk.
Riven's voice followed, steady and warm.
"We may not be the same age, but I'd like to be friends as well, Aysel. If you need any help with your studies—or… anything at all—just come to me. You'll usually find me in House Aqua."
Aysel nodded, her heart warming at their kindness. "Thank you. Both of you. I mean it."
After that, a comfortable silence settled over the table as they focused on their lunch, the earlier tension fading into a fragile but genuine new bond.
———————————————————
"What class do you have after this, Ay?" Zephyr asked as soon as they stepped out of the cafeteria.
"Arcane Theory," she replied.
Zephyr paused, a regretful look crossing his face. "What a shame. We'll be in different classes for Arcane Theory. I have to leave you now—my class starts in a few minutes."
With that, he hurried off, leaving Aysel and Riven watching his retreating figure.
"My class is about to start too, so—" Aysel began, but suddenly—
"Wait!" Riven stopped her, his tone urgent.
"Before you leave, Aysel… take this."
He pulled out a necklace with a brilliant stone at its center, shimmering in strange, rainbow hues.
"This is a Dreamstone. I made it into a necklace for you."
Aysel's eyes widened, mesmerized. "It's beautiful… but are you sure this is for me?" she asked as he gently placed it in her palm.
"Yes. Definitely," he said with quiet reassurance. "It chases away bad dreams."
She froze. "…It chases bad dreams? What do you—"
"Oh, right. I have class too. I'll see you later, Aysel."
Before she could ask anything else, Riven turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, speechless.
"Why does everyone here love leaving me hanging like this?" she muttered with a sigh, staring down at the necklace glimmering in her hand.
"How did he even know I've been having nightmares…?"