I sat down at the window seat in Safyrr's restaurant, the meal I had just prepared sitting in front of me.
Safyrr sat across from me, her own plate steaming with the same dish.
Moment of truth.
I cut into the meat, spearing a bite onto my fork and raising it to my mouth.
Safyrr did the same.
I chewed carefully, the flavors unfolding on my tongue, savory, rich, slightly smoky with just a hint of spice.
Wow. I have to admit, this actually tastes good.
I looked up, waiting for her reaction.
She remained silent. For way too long.
I frowned. "Do you really need to drag this out?"
Nothing. Her expression gave nothing away.
I dropped my fork with a clatter. "C'mon, Safyrr. You're killing me here."
Safyrr took another slow, deliberate bite, chewing as if she had all the time in the world.
Then, finally, she swallowed.
She exhaled through her nose, tilting her head slightly. "Not bad."
Not bad?!
I gaped at her. "That's it? That's all I get?"
A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "For a first attempt, you didn't ruin it."
I groaned, slumping back in my seat. "You are impossible."
Safyrr chuckled, reaching for her drink. "Perfection takes time, Athena."
I rolled my eyes, but a small smile tugged at my lips despite myself.
At least I didn't burn the place down.
After finishing our meal, Safyrr stood, gathering the dishes with effortless precision before stacking them onto a tray.
I leaned back in my chair, content but exhausted. Cooking wasn't as easy as she made it look.
Before I could push myself up to help, she returned to the table, this time, holding a wrapped bundle and a small, sealed container.
She set them in front of me.
"Take these with you."
I blinked. "Wait, you're giving me takeaways?"
Safyrr smirked, crossing her arms. "Unless you want to survive on that bland, flavorless Elite cooking they serve in Lysoria, yes"
Fair point.
I grabbed the bag, peeking inside. The same stew we had made together, along with freshly baked rolls.
Warmth settled in my chest, unexpected but welcome.
"Thanks, Safyrr."
She held my gaze for a moment, then exhaled, her expression shifting.
Something more serious.
"Come and stay with me this weekend."
I frowned. "Why?"
Safyrr leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "It'll be safer to catch up with everything at my place. We'll need to go over any new developments in Cole's movements and figure out what he's planning."
Safyrr tilted her head slightly, her silver eyes gleaming with something almost amused.
"And honestly, I get the feeling you're going to crave a little getaway by the end of this week."
I huffed a short laugh. "That bad, huh?"
Her smirk was all-knowing. "Well, my dear, you can't exactly say your life is lacking in action, can you?"
She wasn't wrong.
At the rate things were unraveling, I'd probably be begging for an escape by the time the weekend rolled around.
I nodded once. "Alright. I'll stay."
She seemed satisfied with that.
Then she pointed a finger at me, sharp and unwavering.
"Until then, don't go looking for trouble, Athena."
I scoffed, standing and slinging the bag of food over my shoulder. "Me? Trouble?"
Safyrr just stared at me.
I sighed. "Fine. I'll try."
Her lips twitched. "That's the best I'm going to get, isn't it?"
I grinned. "Absolutely."
I stepped outside, the cool air of North Lowmere wrapping around me as I pulled my jacket tighter.
Time to head home.
The sky had shifted into that familiar evening glow, streaks of soft gold and deep violet stretching across the horizon.
School was over.
As I made my way through the streets, I could see Brightforge students milling around, some heading toward the city center, others splitting off toward their homes. Their voices blended into the background, a murmur of conversations, laughter, and the occasional burst of excitement from someone recounting their day.
I kept my head down. The last thing I needed was to bump into someone I knew.
As I reached the bridge that overlooked Elarion's deep blue sea, I paused, resting my elbows against the barrier. The wind tugged at my hair, the air carrying that familiar salt-and-ember scent unique to this part of the city.
I let out a slow breath, my eyes drifting over the expanse of water, endless and vast, stretching toward the unknown.
My mind was still reeling from Safyrr's revelations, but one of them stood out above all the rest, the one that changed everything.
Lara was not Myrren' daughter.
The words repeated in my mind, over and over, like a song stuck on an endless loop.
I clenched my jaw, my fingers tightening around the barrier.
Had she known? Had Lara spent all these years seeking answers about her real parents, just like me?
Was that why she was so eager to believe Cole? Because she thought he had the truth?
The thought settled uncomfortably in my chest.
A gust of wind sent a chill through me, pulling me from my thoughts.
Enough.
I was too exhausted for this right now.
With a sigh, I pulled out my earbuds, plugging them in as I leaned against the railing one last time.
Haunted by DIAMANTE filled my ears, the melody slow and creeping, wrapping around my already-heavy thoughts.
I closed my eyes, just for a second, letting the music drown everything else out.
At least for now.
By the time I got home, the house was steeped in thick, suffocating silence.
Lara was in the living room, lounging on the couch, casually browsing through her Spectris.
I ignored her. She ignored me.
I moved to the kitchen, depositing the bag of food on the counter before passing her on my way to the stairs.
No words were exchanged. But the tension was deafening.
I barely set one foot into my room before my comm crystal began pinging like crazy from my bedside table.
A groan slipped past my lips. Of course.
I had been so absorbed in yesterday's chaos and this morning's disaster that I hadn't even bothered checking my messages all day.
A quick glance at the screen told me exactly what I feared; if I didn't give any sign of life soon, my friends were going to track me down.
Jade had sent at least six texts, Ezzy another four.
Jax, being Jax, had simply sent:
"Are you dead? If yes, do I inherit your jacket collection?"
I sighed, rubbing my temple. For a second, I debated jumping on a video call.
…No.
Not tonight.
I wasn't in the mood to talk things out, let alone rehash events I wasn't even sure I wanted to share.
Instead, I typed a quick response in the group chat:
"Not feeling great today. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
The replies came almost instantly.
Jade: You better.
Ezzy: Rest up, babe. We'll catch you tomorrow.
Jax: Fine. But if you die, I am taking your jackets.
I exhaled through my nose, shaking my head. Typical Jax.
I set the comm crystal down, rubbing my temples before sinking onto my bed.
For once, I just needed quiet. Tomorrow, I'd figure things out.
Tomorrow, I'd deal with everything.
But for now…
I just needed a moment to breathe.
The next morning arrived too fast.
As I finished the twin cornrows on the side of my head, a sharp double honk outside my window yanked me from my thoughts, followed by the unmistakable buzz of my comm crystal.
Ezzy.
I groaned, wiping my hands on my jeans before glancing at the screen.
Ezzy: Outside. Move your ass.
I sighed, grabbing my bag and jacket before heading out the door.
The second I slid into the passenger seat, Ezzy barely gave me a chance to breathe before looking me over, her brows knitting together.
"You good?"
The concern in her voice was subtle, but it was there.
I fastened my seatbelt, forcing a light shrug. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Ezzy didn't look convinced.
Her fingers tapped absently against the wheel, her gaze flicking toward me once more before she finally pulled out onto the road.
"When you didn't show up at school yesterday," she started after a beat, "for a second, I thought you were mad at me for not picking you up two days in a row."
I frowned, turning to her. "Ezzy, what? No. Never."
She let out a breath, shaking her head. "I know, I know. It was a dumb thought. But with the festival now just three weeks away, I've had to work harder, mastering both my solo performance and the duo with my mom."
She exhaled, rubbing a hand over her face. "I've barely had any rest, been sleeping in almost every day, except today, of course."
I studied her, taking in the subtle exhaustion beneath her usually bright demeanor.
"Ezzy, I understand," I said softly. "And I could never be mad at you for that. I'm grateful you even insisted on picking me up today."
Her shoulders relaxed slightly, but I wasn't done.
"And about your solo performance," I added. "I'm sorry. I've been a shitty friend, wrapped up in my own mess."
Ezzy turned to me, surprised.
"I promise I'll help you. How about after-school sessions?"
A slow smile crept onto her face. "You serious?"
"Dead serious."
She grinned, shaking her head. "Damn right you are. You owe me."
Ezzy pulled into Brightforge's parking lot, the familiar hum of morning activity already buzzing around us.
Students filtered through the gates, voices blending together in scattered conversations, some lingering near the entrance, others making their way inside.
For a moment, I just sat there, watching.
It was all so routine. So normal.
And yet, nothing felt normal anymore.
Ezzy unbuckled her seatbelt and glanced at me, brow slightly raised. "Coming?"
I inhaled slowly, forcing a nod. "Yeah."
The first half of the day passed in a blur. I moved from class to class, my body present, but my mind lost somewhere far beyond these walls.The past two days replayed in my mind like a relentless loop, shattered truths, shadowy threats, and the unsettling realization that my entire existence was built on secrets.
By the time lunch rolled around, I felt like I had been going through the motions, nodding at the right moments, scribbling notes without actually absorbing a thing.
I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this up.
And judging by the way Ezzy and Jade were watching me from across the table, they weren't buying my act either.
I ignored their pointed looks, focusing instead on poking at my food, pushing pieces of fruit around my plate like that was suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world.
Before either of them could say anything, Riven dropped into the seat beside me.
I glanced at him, half-expecting some cutting remark or dry insult. Instead, he set down a bottle of my usual drink, the one I always grabbed from the rune-powered beverage station but hadn't gotten today.
I blinked at it, then at him. "What's this?"
Riven shrugged, looking unbothered. "Figured you forgot to grab one."
My fingers twitched slightly, caught between accepting the gesture and the lingering frustration from our last conversation.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," I said, plastering on a sarcastic smile. "Calder's already got it covered."
Silence.
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
Ezzy and Jade exchanged glances, and I felt Riven's energy shift beside me.
His jaw tightened, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his expression before he exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Right."
He didn't argue. Didn't rise to the bait.
He just grabbed his tray, stood up, and walked away.
I clenched my fists under the table, staring at the bottle in front of me, now feeling like an ass.
Great.
Silence hung over the table, thick and suffocating.
Ezzy and Jade were definitely about to say something, but before they could, I was already moving.
"I'm not really hungry. I'll see you guys later."
I snatched my bag and the drink, turning on my heel before either of them could stop me.
I felt their eyes on my back. I knew they wanted to call me out, to demand an explanation.
But I wasn't in the mood for explanations. I wasn't in the mood for anything.
I didn't go after Riven. I didn't stop to justify myself to my friends.
I just walked.
Not to class. Not to anywhere specific. Just… away.
As if driven by something unseen, my feet carried me through the hallways, past classrooms, past voices that blurred into meaningless background noise. By the time I actually registered where I was, I was standing at the entrance of the library.
The doors loomed before me, their intricate runes glowing faintly under the soft magical lighting. A quiet hum pulsed in the air, old knowledge, stored within enchanted shelves, whispering to those who sought answers.
Answers.
That's what I was looking for, wasn't it?
I exhaled, gripping the strap of my bag before stepping inside.