The courtyard was supposed to be peaceful. Quiet. Safe.
Yeah… not today.
Nora and Iris tiptoed across the cobblestones like sneaky criminals—except their crime was existing differently than canon wanted.
"I'm telling you," Nora whispered, eyes darting to every corner. "The plot is literally glaring at us."
Iris squinted at the training field. Theo was sparring, perfect form, and ridiculously calm. Dangerous.
"Normal is what got us in trouble last time," Iris muttered. "If I act normal, I end up in the infirmary."
Nora groaned. "We can't just tiptoe forever. That's boring."
"I'd rather be boring than dead," Iris shot back.
They rounded a corner and almost collided with Julian, who was—of course—perfectly composed, holding a scroll like he owned the air around him.
"Careful," he said dryly. "Wouldn't want to break the timeline… again."
Nora blinked. "…Are you judging me?"
"I'm observing," Julian corrected, with the faintest raise of an eyebrow that screamed you're in trouble.
Before Nora could answer, Iris nudged her. "Don't get snarky. Remember last time?"
Nora groaned. "Fine. Observing is judging. Same difference."
A sudden crash erupted from the training area. Nora jumped so hard she almost toppled a statue.
Theo's head snapped toward them. Julian's too. Both approached at suspiciously slow, menacing pace.
"Uh… not us?" Iris asked meekly.
"Technically, no," Nora said, hand over her heart. "But the plot doesn't care about technicalities."
They froze as Theo's piercing eyes scanned them like they were puzzles missing half the pieces.
And then… Nora tripped over a hose. Full-on faceplant into the bushes.
"Are you okay?" Theo asked, voice tight, clearly not amused.
"I'm… fine," Nora muttered, cheeks red. She peeked out from the leaves. "Totally normal."
Iris tried to hide her laughter but failed spectacularly, snorting mid-whisper: "You literally fell into canon."
Julian pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't even want to know."
Later, the girls regrouped in Iris's room. Both slumped dramatically on the bed, hands in the air.
"The female lead showed up early," Iris said. "And Theo noticed her. And Julian is plotting murder."
Nora groaned. "We haven't even done anything big yet."
"Small things matter," Iris said grimly. "Like falling on hoses."
Nora rolled her eyes. "Fine. Lesson learned. Step carefully. Think fast. Don't panic."
Iris tilted her head. "You said that like someone who's about to make a huge mistake."
"Exactly," Nora said. "I'm a professional at huge mistakes."
The lights flickered. A shiver ran down both their spines.
"Okay," Iris whispered. "Maybe the plot is… angry."
Nora smirked. "Nah. It's just disappointed in our fashion choices."
And somewhere far away, Julian and Theo exchanged looks that screamed we know what you're up to, and we are not happy.