Tick... tick... tick...The grand crystal hall hummed with time. Magic shimmered faintly in the air, catching the light like dust spun from stars.
Lyra sat near the window, pretending to read, though her gaze drifted — again — to him.Kael.
He was the kind of beautiful that hurt to look at too long — golden eyes, dark hair, a quiet that demanded attention. The sunlight framed him like a secret she was never meant to touch.
Around them, the academy buzzed softly — the laughter of girls, the echo of boots across marble, the faint crackle of mana orbs floating near the chandeliers. In a world where beauty was currency, Kael was rare gold. And Lyra, though stunning herself, always felt like silver beside him — precious, but second.
Thud.Her book slipped from her hands.
He looked up.
Their eyes collided — gold meeting silver — and the space between them seemed to inhale. Hummm... A vibration, subtle but electric, ran through the hall. Lyra froze, caught between terror and something she didn't yet know how to name.
Kael's gaze softened for a heartbeat, then flickered away, like he was afraid of being caught looking.He didn't know why his pulse jumped, or why her silence spoke louder than anyone else's voice.
Just then—
"Lyraaa!"The spell shattered.
Her friend Mira dropped beside her with a grin that could melt marble. "You're staring again. Want me to go talk to him for you?"
Lyra's face burned. "No! I—I wasn't—"
Too late. Mira was already on her feet, waving across the hall. "Hey, Kael! My friend thinks—"
"Mira!" Lyra's voice cracked like glass. The sound made Kael glance up again. Their eyes met once more — startled, embarrassed, uncertain.
For a second, he almost smiled. Almost. But before either could say a word, his friend Jaron slung an arm around his shoulder, smirking. "Don't mind the girls, man. They all stare. Comes with the face."
Kael laughed — a sound too light, too forced. "Right." He didn't look back. Didn't dare.
Lyra wanted to disappear. Her heart thudded painfully — ba-dum... ba-dum... — loud enough to drown out Mira's teasing.
When the class bell finally rang — DONG! — she gathered her things, eyes fixed on the floor. Kael did the same, pretending to be focused on his notes.
They passed each other at the doorway. Neither spoke. Neither breathed. The air smelled like rain and nerves.
"Lyra," Mira whispered beside her, "you could've said something."
Lyra shook her head, whispering, "So could he."
Outside, the sky was the color of secrets — gray and glowing with the promise of storm. Raindrops began to fall, drip... drip... drip... soft as a sigh. She paused beneath the archway, watching the ripples form in the puddles.
Then she felt it — that weight in the air, that knowing. She turned, slowly.
Across the courtyard, Kael stood under a tree, half-hidden by rain. Their eyes met again — brief, unguarded, trembling. He looked like he wanted to move toward her. So did she.
But neither did.
He lifted his hand slightly, as if to wave — then stopped. She bit her lip, smiled for half a second, then turned away before courage could betray her.
And as she walked off, Kael whispered to the rain,"What are we doing?"
The storm didn't answer.It only kept falling — soft, relentless, and full of all the things they didn't say.
to be continued