The dining hall of the Veyra estate was built like a cathedral of water and light. Streams trickled down glass walls into shallow pools, and the chandeliers above reflected in a thousand ripples. Feyla sat at the long table, her meal barely touched.
Her mother noticed. Lady Veyra's gaze was calm, but her tone carried quiet weight.
"You've been restless since returning," she said, pouring a clear stream of water into her glass without lifting a hand. The liquid shaped itself perfectly, obeying her command.
Feyla shifted uncomfortably. "Just tired. The last mission was harder than expected."
Her mother studied her carefully. "Yes… the reports suggested as much. A group of students under attack. A teacher forced to intervene." She sipped her drink slowly, eyes never leaving Feyla's. "And yet the details are scarce. No one outside the academy has spoken plainly. Tell me, daughter, what really happened?"
The question landed heavy. Feyla's heart skipped. She thought back to the cave, to the chaos, to the moment she thought Kael had been killed. She bit her lip, trying not to give anything away.
"It was… dangerous," she said carefully. "More dangerous than we were prepared for. But Instructor Jorin handled it. Everyone survived."
Lady Veyra tilted her head, unconvinced. "I have lived long enough to know when truth is only half spoken." She leaned forward slightly, her voice lowering. "Rumors reach even here. Some say lightning split the skies. Some say a beast far above its rank was slain. And some whisper that a student was at the center of it."
Feyla's throat tightened. Do they know?
Her mother's eyes softened, but her words carried sharpness. "I am not accusing you. But you must understand — the families watch. Always. Not just me, not just your father. The Kaines with their spies, the Dros with their soldiers… even now, they will be digging into what happened on that planet. If one of your classmates showed… unusual strength, it will not remain a secret for long."
Feyla lowered her gaze, her hand tightening around her fork. Kael's face flashed in her mind again — his body limp in Jorin's arms, the stubborn light in his eyes when he stood back up, the way he always hid more than he revealed.
Her mother's tone softened again. "Tell me, Feyla. Did anything… unusual happen?"
Feyla hesitated. For a heartbeat she wanted to speak, to tell her mother everything — about Kael, about her suspicions, about the way he kept surviving against all odds. But something inside her held back. If the families were truly watching, then revealing Kael's secret — even to her own mother — could destroy him.
She forced herself to shake her head. "No, Mother. Nothing unusual. Just a dangerous mission, like the reports said."
Lady Veyra studied her for a long moment, then finally leaned back. "Very well. If you say so."
The tension eased slightly, but Feyla could still feel her mother's eyes on her, weighing her honesty.
Later that night, Feyla returned to her chambers. She sat by the window, staring out at the moonlit waters of the estate. Her reflection looked back at her, troubled.
Are they already watching him? she wondered. If they find out… what will they do to him?
Her hand clenched against her chest. She thought of Kael again, the boy who had been nothing, who should have stayed nothing, yet somehow kept climbing higher.
She whispered into the night, barely audible even to herself:
"Stay hidden, Kael. Don't let them see you yet."
Unseen, the waters outside rippled gently, as though echoing her worry.