I couldn't stop the stupid grin on my face as I waited by the old oak behind the eastern training fields.
The rumors had already mutated into something ridiculous—something about me secretly courting the moon goddess under that tree—but I didn't care. For once, the staring felt worth it.
Belle arrived exactly on time, which was rare enough to be suspicious.
She wore a simple white dress instead of her usual black hoodie and trousers, the black blindfold still in place over her eyes.
The fabric fluttered slightly in the breeze, and even without seeing, she walked straight toward me like the world itself bent around her path.
"Sebastian," she said, voice warm with that faint, indulgent smile I'd grown addicted to. "You're early. Did the rumors finally scare you into punctuality?"
I pushed off the tree and offered my arm like some storybook knight.
