Evening had already settled in.
The sun was slowly disappearing beyond the edge of the sky, and the entire camp seemed bathed in a muted golden glow. The cadets had dispersed to the camps assigned to them, each settling into their own spaces. Only a few remained now.
"You two… will you be staying here?"
Elyra asked, looking at the two girls standing in front of her.
One of them was loosening the laces of her boots. Without looking up, she replied,
"Yes. For now, it's just the two of us."
A faint smile crossed Elyra's face.
"Okay , well I'm Elyra,"
she said, extending her hand.
The girl shook it.
"I'm Mireya."
She then gestured toward the girl standing beside her.
"Thessa."
The second girl said nothing more. Her face was calm, but her eyes were observant, taking everything in.
Mireya studied Elyra closely.
"Which kingdom are you from?"
Elyra paused for a brief moment. Something tightened in her chest, but she kept her voice steady.
"From the Maahri Kingdom."
"Oh?" Mireya said. "I've heard quite a few stories about that place."
Thessa's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"What kind of stories?"
Without thinking, Mireya replied,
"That a woman rules there… one who keeps the king under her control."
Elyra took a slow breath.
"There are stories everywhere,"
she said softly, but with quiet firmness.
"People are more interested in rumors than in the truth."
A trace of tension flickered across her face. Thessa noticed it—but said nothing.
Mireya shrugged.
"Anyway, this bed is mine. You two can figure out the rest among yourselves."
On the other side of the camp, Cael had already been assigned his shelter.
One boy shared the space with him. The fire between them was low, steady—just enough to keep the cold away. Cael sat down easily, stretching his legs as if the place already belonged to him.
The boy sitting across from him studied him for a moment before speaking.
"Did you notice the instructors here?"
He hesitated,
then added,
"They speak… strangely. Especially Ms. Frostvale. It felt less like she was explaining things—and more like she was warning us."
Cael glanced at him and let out a quiet laugh.
"And you got scared just listening to her?"
The boy scoffed at once.
"No. It's not fear,"
he said quickly.
"Her words were just… unsettling. But honestly, anyone who's afraid here is already dead. Today, or tomorrow."
The fire crackled softly.
Cael's smile faded.
Something hard settled behind his eyes.
Death would come either way.
Today, or tomorrow.
If it came with honor, then perhaps that was why everyone was here—to stand between their people and the blade, to carry the burden of their kingdom's survival.
But was war the only way to prove strength?
The only way to rise?
No.
No.
Cael forced the thought away.
Such doubts were dangerous—dangerous for him, and worse for the kingdom he would one day serve. The future demanded clarity. Loyalty. Resolve. One day, he would take his father's place, and when that day came, he would do so with discipline and conviction.
He had no room for weakness.
Lost in thought, he barely noticed the boy across from him watching.
"Which world did you disappear into?" the boy asked.
Cael looked up.
"Nowhere," he said lightly. "I was just
He didn't finish.
Footsteps entered the camp.
Cael's body tensed instinctively.
A figure stepped into the firelight.
Golden hair. Calm posture. That same steady presence.
The boy from the orchard.
The stranger's gaze moved over them, measuring, unreadable.
"Is there space for one more?" he asked.
The boy beside Cael answered first.
"Yes. There's room. It's just the two of us."
The newcomer nodded.
"I'm Rowan," the boy added, extending a hand. "And you?"
The stranger took it.
"Varric."
His voice was deep-low and controlled.
Rowan blinked, clearly impressed.
"Damn," he said. "That voice doesn't match your face."
Varric said nothing.
Cael stood then, stepping forward.
"I'm Cael," he said. "Glad to meet you."
Varric met his gaze directly. There was no hesitation. No curiosity. Only recognition sharp and unsettling.
"Me too" Varric replied.
The fire crackled between them.
And for reasons Cael couldn't name, he knew this boy would not be just another trainee at Falconreach.
Night had fallen deep and dark.
Across the camp, everyone was busy some chopping vegetables, others cooking over the fire. Here, no one served anyone else. There were no attendants, no ranks. Everyone worked for themselves.
Slowly, the tasks ended. One by one, the cadets gathered around a long wooden table.
Elyra sat with her new companions, but her attention wasn't on the food. Her eyes kept drifting around the camp, searching. When she found nothing, she finally let out a quiet breath.
Mireya noticed at once.
"What's wrong, Elyra?" she asked. "You haven't even touched your food."
Elyra hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
"No ... nothing like that," she said quickly.
Before she could say more, someone dropped onto the seat beside her.
"Miss me already?"
Elyra turned.
"Not really."
Mireya stared at her, then groaned dramatically.
"Not really?" she said. "You haven't eaten since you sat down!"
Then she looked at the boy beside Elyra.
"And you are?"
The boy leaned back slightly, relaxed.
"I'm Cael," he said. "Elyra's childhood friend."
Mireya's expression softened instantly.
"Ohhh," she smiled. "That explains it."
She gestured to herself and the girl beside her.
"I'm Mireya, and this is Thessa. We're Elyra's new campmates."
Thessa gave a small nod, her calm eyes briefly studying Cael observant, unreadable.
For the first time that night, Elyra's shoulders relaxed.
Cael, Elyra, Mireya, and Thessa finished their meal and stood up from the table.
"Mireya, Thessa you both go ahead," Elyra said softly. "I'll come later. I just want some fresh air."
The two girls nodded, said their goodbyes, and walked off. leaving Cael and Elyra alone.
Cael studied her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently. "You seem worried. Did something happen?"
Elyra looked down at her feet before answering.
"It's nothing like that," she said. "This place is just… new. I've never been around so many people before. It makes me nervous."
Cael placed a hand on her shoulder, steady and warm.
"Elyra, I trust you," he said. "And you should trust yourself too. Whatever happens if you need to talk, or if something troubles you I'm here. Always."
Then, to ease the moment, he tilted his head upward.
"Look," he said. "The sky is so clear tonight."
Elyra followed his gaze. Stars stretched endlessly above them, bright and untouched.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Yes," she murmured. "It's beautiful. A sky full of stars…"
She paused, eyes still fixed above.
"Do you think," she asked softly, "that beyond all this… there's something even more beautiful?"
"Yes," Cael said softly,
"maybe… on the day humanity finally learns how to be worthy of it."
As he spoke, he turned toward Elyra.
She was still looking at the sky, her eyes lost among the stars. A faint smile rested on her lips unaware, unguarded. Cael followed her gaze upward, sharing the silence instead of breaking it.
I know Elyra is different.
Not just from others but from everyone.
Her thoughts. Her questions. The way she speaks. None of it fits into ordinary boundaries. She is not shaped by fear or tradition. She looks at the world from angles most people never dare to consider angles that are rare, unsettling… and honest.
She understands people. Sees through them. Finds the places that hurt most.
And yet she never uses that knowledge to judge.
She never opens herself fully. Never lets anyone see how much she carries inside. Not weakness. Choice.
That is what makes her dangerous in ways no sword ever could.
Author;KRIS