The training grounds were silent, torches flickering along the stone walls. Aira stood stiffly, her pulse racing. For the first time since arriving, she and Aelric were finally face-to-face. She was thinking maybe now he'll actually talk to me instead of just glaring from the shadows.
But instead of words that felt human, his voice came sharp.
"You're standing wrong."
Aira blinked. "What?"
"Your posture. Your stance. Wrong," Aelric repeated coolly. "Not surprising, though. You don't seem to know much about anything."
Her jaw tightened. "What exactly is your problem with me?"
"My problem," he said evenly, "is that you nearly lost control today and put people in danger. And now you expect us to train you? You don't belong here."
Her breath caught—then heat flared in her chest. "Then why were you staring at me in class, huh? If I'm so reckless, why bother looking?"
That stopped him just long enough for something unreadable to flicker in his expression. Then his lips twisted into a smirk.
"Because you're like a storm rolling in. Fascinating to watch… but dangerous to stand near."
Aira's fists clenched. "You don't even know me."
"I don't need to," he said quietly, voice like a blade. "Your power speaks louder than you ever could."
Before she could snap back, Joshua's voice rang out, bright as ever.
"Whoa, whoa—do I smell enemies-to-lovers in the making?"
Aira's face burned. "What?!"
Joshua grinned and leaned lazily on his staff. "Come on, it's obvious. The glares, the tension, the storm metaphors. If this was a novel, I'd already be shipping you two."
"Shut. Up." Aira and Aelric snapped in unison.
Joshua clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch. And now you're even speaking in sync. The prophecy is real."
Zara entered just in time to roll her eyes. "Josh, stop breathing."
"Love you too, Zara," Joshua shot back with a wink, which only made her scowl deeper.
"Anyway," Aelric cut in sharply, tossing Aira a practice staff. "Pick it up. Let's see if you can manage not to burn down the building."
Her cheeks flamed hotter than the fire she summoned, but she caught it. She swung awkwardly, the wood sparking—then bursting into flame in her grip.
Josh yelped and leapt back. "Whoa! I said sparring session, not roast dinner!"
The fire licked dangerously toward him until Zara extinguished it with a sweep of magic. Smoke curled up from the blackened staff as it clattered to the floor.
"Unstable," Aelric said softly, eyes narrowing. "Just as I thought."
Aira's chest rose and fell sharply. "Maybe if you weren't so busy insulting me, I'd actually learn something!"
"Or maybe if you listened instead of losing control, you wouldn't be such a disaster."
Joshua clapped like he was watching theater. "Incredible. The chemistry, the drama, the flames—literally. If you two don't kiss by chapter twenty, I'm suing."
"Shut up, Josh!" Aira and Zara snapped together.
Joshua just smirked wider. "Fine, fine. But we better wrap this up fast. Don't forget the meeting later."
Aira frowned. "Meeting? What meeting?"
Zara froze for a second before clearing her throat. "It's nothing. Just… something we do sometimes—"
But Aelric cut her off, voice cold as steel.
"Don't." His gaze locked on Aira. "She doesn't need to know. Not yet."
"Not yet?" Aira echoed, bristling. "What are you hiding from me?"
Aelric's expression hardened into a wall. "I don't trust you. And until I do, you're not part of it."
The words landed like a blow, sharp and final. Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension.
Joshua, of course, ruined it with a grin. "Wow. Harsh. But hey—don't take it personally, Aira. He doesn't trust anyone. Not even his own reflection."
But Aira barely heard him. Her fists trembled at her sides, not sure if it was from anger… or hurt.
At night, The dorm room glowed softly under the moonlight slipping in through the tall window. For the first time all day, Aira felt a strange calm. She sat cross-legged on her bed, running her fingers over the neat, unfamiliar sheets. Zara was sprawled on her own bed across the room, hair loose, scrolling through a glowing notebook of shifting runes.
"This room's huge," Aira said quietly. "It's bigger than my whole bedroom back home."
Zara smiled without looking up. "Yeah, I thought the same on my first day. You'll get used to it."
Aira murmured, almost to herself. "but… this still feels like another world."
"That's because it is," Zara said, shutting the book and tossing it onto the nightstand. "You'll see. This place changes people."
For a moment, the silence between them was easy. Comfortable. But the question had been sitting in Aira's chest since morning, pressing against her ribs.
"What happens," she blurted out suddenly, "to people who can't control their abilities?"
Zara blinked, surprised. "What?"
"I mean—" Aira shifted, pulling her knees closer. "The Principal said if I lose control during the test, I'll have to leave. But… leave where? What does the government do with them?"
Zara's smile slipped a little. "Aira…"
Aira kept going, her voice a little sharper now. "Do they… lock them away? Experiment on them? Kill them?"
Zara sat up, swinging her legs off the bed. "Aira… it's not something you need to think about right now. You've had a crazy first day. Just… go to sleep."
"But—"
"Seriously." Zara's tone softened but carried an edge. "Stop. Sleep."
Aira swallowed the rest of her questions. Zara turned off the lamp, the room plunging into dim blue light. Within minutes, her breathing was steady and slow, like she'd fallen asleep instantly.
But Aira couldn't. Her eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling, the questions still burning in her mind. That was when the whisper started again—soft at first, curling like smoke inside her skull:
"Follow her."
Aira's fingers tightened around the blanket.
"She knows things. She's hiding them from you. Follow her and you'll see."
Her heart began to hammer. Across the room, Zara stirred, then carefully slipped out of bed. Barefoot, she padded to the door, moving so quietly it almost looked practiced.
The door clicked softly as she left.
Aira sat up slowly, pulse in her throat. The voice was louder now.
"Go. Don't let her out of your sight."
The room felt darker, heavier. Aira slid her feet to the floor, the wooden boards cool under her toes.
"Go."
She rose, silent as she could, and crept toward the door.