After leaving Raphael’s room, Kael and Liam exchanged a quick goodbye before heading in opposite directions. The corridor stretched ahead, quiet and dim, its soft torchlight casting long shadows across the stone walls. Kael moved with purpose, the echo of his footsteps a rhythmic pulse against the silence—until he spotted someone standing still at the far end.

  Era.

  She leaned against the wall beside his door, arms crossed, eyes locked on him with unreadable intent. The glow from the sconces danced over her features, revealing just enough tension in her stance to spark Kael’s suspicion.

  He slowed his pace, one brow rising with a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

  – Lost your way, midy?

  – Oh, spare me the sarcasm, Kael. You know I wouldn’t be here unless it was important.

  – Right. I’d sooner expect Headmaster Alexander to crawl over and hand me my slippers with his teeth than see you at my door – he said, voice sharp, his irritation barely veiled.

  – You know we need to talk – she insisted, uncrossing her arms but not moving from the spot.

  – Haven’t we said enough already? What’s done is done. The past should stay in the past. And frankly, I’ve got more important things to worry about.

  – Things? Or people? – she asked with a tilt of her head, her tone heavy with implication.

  He stopped a few steps from her, his eyes narrowing.

  – I don’t think that’s any of your business—and you know it. I have the right to do whatever I want, with whomever I want. That shouldn’t concern you.

  – That’s where you’re wrong… it does concern me. Especially if that someone is… Raphael.

  The name hit him harder than expected. He blinked, tension coiling through his body like a spring suddenly wound too tight.

  – Raphael?

  – Maybe we should go inside? I assume your soundproof wards are still active?

  – Don’t insult me. Of course they are – he muttered, jaw clenched. – Fine. Maybe we should finish this inside.

  He didn’t wait for her to answer. With a flick of his fingers, the warded door clicked open, the shimmering outline of protective magic pulsing faintly as they stepped through. Inside, the room welcomed them with its usual quiet warmth—organized, precise, but lived-in.

  Era entered as if she belonged there, heading straight for the armchair without waiting to be invited. She sat down with an ease that only stirred Kael’s irritation further. Still, he said nothing, choosing instead to close the door behind him and lean against it for a moment before stepping forward.

  – So, what is this about Raphael? Don’t tell me you’re jealous.

  She ughed—light, effortless, and almost cruel in its dismissal.

  – Me? Jealous? Of him or of you? Please. That’s rich. As for us, I think we both know there’s no going back. What’s said is said, what’s done is done.

  She paused, inhaling deeply. Her confidence faltered for just a moment.

  – But Raphael… I don’t think you realize who—or what—we might be dealing with.

  Kael crossed his arms, his gaze sharpening.

  – What do you mean?

  – Exactly what I said. Raphael is… someone. We just don’t know who.

  – I don’t follow.

  – Do you know how he even got here?

  – Honestly? I didn’t ask. Figured he arrived like the rest of us—though yeah, I did wonder why it was mid-term. But weird stuff happens all the time – he shrugged, trying to sound nonchant, though a flicker of doubt crossed his face.

  – Well, he didn’t. He just appeared. Out of nowhere. No magical alerts, no dimensional breaches, no warning signs. Nothing.

  Kael’s brows drew together.

  – That’s… definitely unusual. You think it’s connected to those old prophecies? Most of them are forgotten—kids' bedtime stories at this point.

  – Oh really? Then why did you quote one to him the moment you met?

  He hesitated. His lips parted, but no words came immediately.

  – I don’t know… I just had to. I felt this overwhelming urge to say it. Like something inside me pushed it out.

  – Exactly! And remember how the Whispering Woods reacted on our first little sightseeing trip? Straight to Destiny’s Riddle.

  Her voice cracked slightly from the force of her emotions. She sat forward on the chair, restless, struggling to contain the energy in her limbs.

  – And I, like a fool—or maybe guided by some unseen hand—took him to Crystal Peaks. Thought he needed to breathe. Thought he needed peace.

  Kael’s expression softened as he watched her. Beneath the agitation, he saw real worry.

  – And yes – she continued, more quietly now – I believe you when you say something compelled you to speak the prophecy. Just like I felt an undeniable urge to make him touch the Heart Crystal.

  She looked up at him, eyes darker than usual.

  – Even you have to admit… it’s strange.

  – Okay. So what do you want from me?

  – Honestly? It’s not me who’s asking… – she said slowly. – I was summoned by the Council. All the High Members were shaken by his sudden appearance. They checked everything—wards, barriers, the early detection systems. Everything’s intact. Nothing failed.

  – So how the hell did this kid get here…? – Kael murmured, more to himself than to her.

  – And what does that have to do with me? – he asked, straightening.

  Era shifted in the chair, clearly uncomfortable.

  – I’m sorry… I had to tell them about the Whispering Woods. And the Riddle. And… you. The prophecy.

  His eyes grew colder, though the rest of his body remained deceptively still.

  – You know I had to – she added quickly, her voice near breaking. – It wasn’t meant to target you.

  – I know – he said at st, through gritted teeth. – What did they say?

  – They think we’re connected to him somehow. Or to his fate. Even if we don’t understand why yet.

  She looked down at her hands.

  – The moment he arrived, Professor Igneel ordered me to chart his stars. I’ve never seen a pattern like that on the night of someone’s birth. Then I was officially assigned to help him integrate—but really, to protect him.

  – You think he needs protection?

  – I don’t know. But the Council approved. I’m just… not enough on my own. And I have other responsibilities. I can’t be seen shadowing him all day. It has to look natural.

  Kael smirked faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

  – And now you’re asking me to help, because…?

  – Because he trusts you. Or at least, he likes you. That much was obvious in the forest.

  Kael raised an eyebrow.

  – Oh, now I get it – he said with mock seriousness. – And this has nothing to do with me being spotted leaving his room?

  His tone was light, but his gaze sharp.

  – If you expect me to stoop to cheap insinuations, don’t bother – she said coolly. – You were right. What you do and with whom is your business. But you are close to him. That means you can keep an eye on him.

  – Am I protecting him… or everyone from him?

  – That’s the thing – she said softly – we don’t know. The Council doesn’t know. They’re trying to figure it out without causing panic. But they’ve already informed Headmaster Alexander. He’s coming soon.

  Kael fell silent, then nodded slowly.

  – Fine. I’ll watch him. But it won’t be easy.

  – Why not?

  – First, he seems to py the field. Not that I mind – he added with a crooked smile – but second… he can teleport. Effortlessly. No prep, no trace.

  Era blinked.

  – What?! Tell me you’re kidding.

  – I wish.

  She leaned back, processing.

  – That… complicates things.

  Kael looked away for a moment. He didn’t mention the wings. That felt like crossing a line. Besides, if the Council knew, they might lock Raphael away in some magical vault just in case. And the thought of that—of Raphael caged—twisted something in his chest.

  He didn’t just like the boy. He trusted him. Despite everything. Despite reason.

  – So… the silence between us is on hold, then?

  – Yes. Priorities – she nodded. – Let me know about anything strange. Anything at all.

  For a moment, neither of them moved. The room felt heavier, as if the air had thickened around the truths they had just shared. Kael shifted his weight, the silence between them unfamiliar—not hostile anymore, but not quite comfortable either.

  Era rose from the armchair slowly, smoothing out invisible creases in her robe. Her movements were deliberate, as if grounding herself after everything that had just passed between them.

  – You still keep that warding pendant under the bookshelf? – she asked suddenly, eyes flicking toward the corner of the room.

  Kael gave her a quick gnce, surprised.

  – You remember that?

  – I remember everything. Even the things I wish I could forget.

  He didn’t respond. For once, he had no sharp comment ready.

  Era stepped toward the door, then hesitated, fingers brushing against the polished wood of the frame.

  – Kael… – she said, barely above a whisper. – I didn’t mean to betray you.

  He didn’t look at her immediately. Instead, he stared into the low-burning fme in the ntern by the wall. It flickered with golden orange light, casting shifting shadows.

  – I know – he finally said. – But just because you didn’t mean to, doesn’t mean it didn’t sting.

  A quiet passed between them, heavy but not cruel. Era swallowed hard, her throat tightening.

  – If I could go back…

  – You can’t – he interrupted, gently but firmly. – None of us can.

  Her lips parted slightly, as if to say something more, but the words didn’t come. Instead, she simply nodded.

  Kael moved to open the door for her. As she passed him, something in her expression shifted—softened—but he kept his gaze steady and unreadable.

  – You know… – she murmured, pausing at the threshold – when you said you’d keep an eye on Raphael… I believed you. More than I expected to.

  He smirked, just faintly.

  – I never break promises I haven’t made.

  That earned him a brief smile—small, but genuine.

  – Goodnight, Kael.

  – Goodnight, Era.

  She walked off without looking back, her figure soon swallowed by the shadows of the corridor.

  Once the door clicked shut, Kael let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He leaned back against the doorframe, rubbing a hand through his hair, then over the back of his neck. The room, moments ago tense with conversation, now felt almost too quiet.

  What the hell is going on with that boy… he thought. Why does every damn thing about him pull at something I can’t define?

  He crossed to the window, the cool night breeze brushing his face as he opened it. Somewhere in the distance, he could just barely make out the hum of magical wards singing softly in the air.

  And yet… none of them had sensed Raphael.

  He’s dangerous, Kael told himself.

  But another part of him—quieter, deeper—whispered: Or maybe he’s the one thing that could change everything.

  Kael drifted into thought, his gaze unfocused as the weight of the conversation settled around him. Suddenly, without warning, a series of vivid images fshed before his mind’s eye—fragmented, intense, and impossible to ignore.

  Their first encounter in Whispering Woods.The way Raphael had teleported without effort.The moment those wings had unfolded, radiant and unreal.The heat of their closeness—bodies pressed together, breathless whispers in the dark.Two of them... and then three.Desire, wonder, confusion, jealousy... awe. A kaleidoscope of emotions swirled inside him, crashing one over the other like waves refusing to calm.

  Who are you? he thought, the question echoing with a sharp intimacy he couldn't shake.

  xxx

  Era walked briskly through the corridor, arms wrapped around herself despite the warmth of the hallways. Her boots clicked softly against the stone floor, the sound oddly comforting. She should have felt relieved. The information was delivered, the agreement made.

  So why did her chest still feel tight?

  She stopped briefly near one of the arched windows, looking out into the moonlit courtyard. A faint mist clung to the grass. Her thoughts weren’t with the Council, nor with the risk of Raphael’s presence.

  They were with Kael.

  The look in his eyes when he said “just because you didn’t mean to, doesn’t mean it didn’t sting” stayed with her. That quiet admission held more weight than any of their past arguments.

  He’s still hurt, she realized. And maybe I still care more than I should.

  She shook her head quickly, as if to scatter the thought like dust. There wasn’t time for that—not with what was coming.

  With one st gnce at the stars above the towers of Amaltea Academy, Era walked away, her silhouette fading into the corridor’s shadowed stillness.But instead of returning to her room, she turned toward the western wing of the academy.

  Down one quiet hallway, she stopped before a tall, arched door and knocked twice. A pause—then the familiar voice answered.

  – Come in.

  Professor Igneel was seated at his desk, surrounded by hovering orbs of light that pulsed softly like sleeping stars. Charts, runes, and astrological maps were spread before him. He looked up, eyes sharp behind the glow.

  – I passed the message – she just simply said without any formalities

  – Did he agreed?

  – Yes – Era said.. - He didn’t say it outright, but... I believe he’ll do everything he can.

  Igneel studied her for a moment, then looked back at his notes.

  – That will have to suffice. For now.

  – He’s changed – she added after a beat. – But not in a way that concerns me.

  The professor nodded once.

  - We’ll see – he gave a small gesture that dismissed her but not unkindly.

  Era left the office in silence. Instead of heading back upstairs, she turned toward the side exit. The night was warm, filled with the quiet whisper of leaves and a moon hanging just above the tree line. She crossed the inner courtyard and stepped onto the path that led into the park surrounding the academy.

  The air was warm and still. The moon hung low above the treetops as Era crossed the courtyard and headed into the academy park. Shadows stretched along the gravel paths, and the trees lining them seemed to whisper just out of reach.

  The academy park at night was a realm of hushed stillness, where stone paths wound between silent trees and soft mplight flickered through drifting mist. The air was warm but held a faint, electric tension—as if the world itself was holding its breath. Shadows moved gently among the hedges, alive with the quiet pulse of unseen magic.

  At night, Amaltea was peaceful—but it carried a different kind of life than it did by day. Shadows moved differently. Magic felt more alert. Era knew these paths by heart. She passed underbrush and moss-covered stone arches until she reached the edge of the forest.

  She didn’t stop. Her steps were steady, guided by something older than thought. When she reached the edge of Whispering Woods, she paused only briefly—then entered.

  The change was immediate.

  The forest greeted her like an old friend. The scent of moss and damp earth curled around her, familiar and grounding. She could feel the gentle pulse of the trees, the subtle hum of nature that always resonated with earthbound beings. This pce had always favored those like her.

  Deeper and deeper she went, leaving behind the academy, the wards, the worry. Here, she didn’t have to pretend.

  Eventually, in the thickening dark, something moved.

  She stopped.

  A presence—silent, watching, ancient.

  The one she had come to find.

  Era didn’t approach. She stood still, her voice steady as she spoke into the shadows.

  – I have a request...

  There was no verbal reply, but she continued—calmly, precisely—expining what needed to be done.

  The figure gave a slow, silent nod. Then, without a sound, it vanished into the darkness.

  Era remained still for a moment, breathing in the forest air. Her shoulders, tense for hours, finally dropped.

  There’s nothing more I can do for now, she thought.

  And with that, she turned back, letting the forest guide her steps for just a little longer.