The fog still clung to the academy's rear gardens when I stepped into the woods. Dew glistened on the leaves like tiny glass beads, each droplet holding the reflection of the pale moon. My breath came out in thin clouds as I walked, every crunch of frost beneath my boots echoing louder than it should. I was ready to curse whoever had dragged me from my bed at this hour.
Then I saw her.
The princess.
My first instinct was shock—like my heart had been jolted into skipping a beat. What was she doing here, alone in these quiet woods? I froze mid-step, my hand tightening into a fist before I forced myself to breathe. Slowly, the shock settled, replaced by a strange calm I didn't understand. My chest loosened just enough for me to walk toward her.
She stood beneath the wide boughs of an ancient elm, her plain robe the color of soft moonlight, hair unbound and spilling over her shoulders. Calm. Serene. Yet her eyes… her eyes carried the quiet heaviness of someone who had wrestled with storms in silence. She looked at me as if seeing me through layers I didn't know I had.
"I wanted to see you," she said, her voice steady but low. Her gaze wandered, scanning the trees as though searching for something just beyond sight.
We sat beneath the tree, the cold bark pressing against my back. For a long time, the wind through the branches was the only voice between us. Then she spoke again.
"Do you know what it's like to wait?" Her words were deliberate, each one carrying weight. "To measure your life not in years, but in how many times your heart can hold before it breaks? Every morning, you wake and tell yourself, 'Just one more day.' And you keep saying it until you forget what you're waiting for."
Something about her tone made it impossible to look away.
"I have endured until even my shadow feels tired. There was someone… someone I loved more than myself." Her lips curved into a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. "And to protect them, I learned to swallow my words until silence became my second skin."
I didn't know the details, but each syllable landed like a stone in the pit of my stomach. I could feel the dull ache in her voice, as though she was handing me a weight too heavy for her alone. I wanted to tell her I'd help carry it—but the words stuck in my throat.
Her gaze lingered on me, raw and unguarded for a moment before she smoothed it over with the faintest playful smile, hiding the cracks I'd just glimpsed. She leaned in. Close. So close that I could feel her breath against my cheek. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
But just as the space between us seemed ready to collapse, she stopped. No kiss—only that same faint smile, as though she'd decided something I'd never be told. Then she stood, her robe whispering in the breeze, and walked away into the mist.
I sat there far longer than I should have, staring at the space she'd left behind, my chest heavy with questions I couldn't name.
At last, I stood up with a sigh and left for my room. It was not a sleep I initially thought I would get. All night I kept thinking about a certain princess, her eyes, her pain and her secrets.
And so when I woke up,I was not remotely ready for the circus on the breakfast table.
The next morning, the world was decidedly less poetic.
Breakfast in the academy dining hall was a battlefield—no, a circus—with plates for weapons and food for ammunition. Lie Jun had taken it upon himself to guard a pile of steamed buns as though they were a royal treasure, growling at anyone who came near. I swear I saw him smack Amir Voss's massive hand away with his chopsticks. Someone at the far end sent a fried dumpling sailing through the air—it landed in my tea. I stared at it for a long second before muttering, "Perfect. Just how I like it—dumpling-flavored disappointment."
Lie Jun leaned over. "Hey, if you're not gonna drink that, I'll—"
"No," I cut him off, shoving the cup further away. "At this point, it's not tea. It's broth."
The chaos continued until we were summoned to the training grounds, where the same official from our first day stood waiting. This time, he wasn't alone.
The man beside him was impossible to miss—dressed in royal blue silk embroidered with golden phoenixes that screamed wealth, a heavy fur-lined cloak draped over his shoulders despite the mild weather. Every finger glittered with rings, and his hair was slicked back so perfectly I suspected sorcery. His smile was practiced, the kind that said he believed the sun rose in the morning just to see his face.
The official cleared his throat. "Presenting His Grace, Prince Cael Varion, cousin to His Majesty the King, nephew to His Majesty, and patron of the Royal Academy—"
"Yes, yes, they know I'm important," the prince interrupted, waving a jeweled hand dismissively. His voice was smooth but carried the kind of self-satisfaction that made me want to roll my eyes.
"Now then," he continued, strolling before us as if we were a parade for his personal amusement. "Usually, one hundred pass the screening test. This year? Seven. I can't decide if that makes you exceptional… or just very, very lucky." He chuckled at his own joke before going on.
"Traditionally, we choose one Golden Knight—the most powerful warrior in the kingdom, personal guard to the King, their authority second only to His Majesty himself. All others become Silver Knights—still highly respected, highly paid, and with privileges far above common soldiers. The rest? Low-level guards, if they're lucky." He gave us a look like we should be kissing the ground in thanks.
"But this year is different. This year, we will appoint not one, but two Golden Knights." His smile widened, clearly pleased with the drama of his own announcement. Yet, there was still a hint of frustation and animosity among those eyes. With his annoying voice,he continued, "Which means you seven will compete—not just for survival, but for the highest honor in the realm. Two will become Golden Knights, the remaining five will serve as Silver Knights. A team. Always together. The kingdom's strongest."
His gaze swept over us like a merchant inspecting goods. "Golden Knights hold power only the King and Crown Princess can overrule. Your word will shape the future of the realm."
He spread his arms. "You have three days to rest. After that… training begins."
That night, lying in my room, my mind wandered back to the princess beneath the elm—the way her eyes had looked, the almost-kiss that never happened. I told myself I'd find her again. And next time, I wouldn't just sit there.