After the Mirror Realm, everything changed.
And at the same time, nothing changed.
Aria and Irish still sat at opposite ends of the dining hall.
They still insulted each other in combat class.
They still looked at each other like the other was a mistake that needed correcting.
But now, whenever Irish laughed with Kael, Aria stopped breathing for a second.
And whenever Aria trained with Lien, Irish unconsciously extinguished her flames.
Neither admitted it.
But everyone saw it.
"This is awkward," Mira said during Elemental Alchemy, as they mixed moon essence and ash. "Even the potions taste like tension."
"Shut up," Irish muttered, not looking up.
"Why? Scared I'll say that today, when Aria walked in, your flames turned blue?"
Irish gripped the vial until the glass creaked.
"It wasn't because of her."
"Of course not. Just like it wasn't because of you that Aria shattered three flasks when she saw you talking to that Terra student."
Aria, across the lab, pretended not to listen.
But her fingers trembled over the lunar water vial.
I don't care. I don't care. I don't care.
That afternoon, Professor Orin announced a new trial:
"The Eclipse Challenge. Two teams. Combat in the Valley of Shadows."
"Teams?" someone asked.
"Yes. And this time… you'll choose your own partners."
A murmur spread through the room.
Aria felt the ground shift beneath her.
Please, let someone pick her. Please, don't let her pick me.
But when Orin called on Irish to form her team, the room fell silent.
Irish looked around.
Kael raised his hand.
Lien gave a subtle nod.
Even Ren seemed willing.
But Irish chose none of them.
"My team is… Mira and Ren," she said, without looking at Aria.
A collective sigh.
Aria lowered her eyes.
Of course. Why would she choose me?
"Then Aria's team will be Kael, Lien, and… that's it," Orin said, checking his list.
Aria nodded, relieved.
And devastated.
In the Valley of Shadows, under a sky stained purple by the partial eclipse, the teams clashed.
Simple rules:
Capture the other team's banner.No serious injuries.No full-power elemental use.
But from the first second, it was personal.
Aria and Irish sought each other like opposing magnets.
"So you prefer Kael now?" Aria said, lashing out with a whip of water that Irish dodged with a burst of flame.
"I prefer anyone who doesn't look at me like I'm a problem to fix," Irish shot back, hurling a fireball that Aria froze instantly.
Steam enveloped them.
For a moment, they were alone in the mist.
"You're lying," Aria said quietly. "If it were anyone, you wouldn't have said that thing about the shoulder."
"What shoulder?"
"Kael's. You said you'd pull away."
"And I did."
"Why?"
"Because I hate being touched… when you won't."
Aria froze.
Before she could respond, Mira appeared with the banner in hand.
"We've got theirs!" she called.
The match ended.
But as they walked back to the academy, Aria trailed behind Irish.
And when Kael approached to congratulate her, Irish stepped sideways—away from him.
Aria saw it.
And for the first time, she didn't feel relief.
She felt guilt.
Because she knew Irish was pulling away from everyone…
for her.
And she had no right to that—not while she kept treating Irish like an enemy.
That night, Aria went to the training courtyard.
She knew Irish would be there.
She always was.
"I didn't come to fight," Aria said, stopping a few feet away.
"Then leave," Irish replied, not looking at her, hurling flames at a training dummy.
"Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Pull away from Kael. Say that thing about the shoulder. Look at me like…"
"Like what, Aria?" Irish turned, eyes blazing. "Like I care?"
"Yes!" Aria stepped forward. "Like you care what I feel!"
"And you don't care what I feel!" Irish shouted. "You only care about winning! Only care that I don't look at anyone else!"
Silence.
Irish's fire died.
The water in the nearby fountains stilled.
"It's not that I don't want you to look at others," Aria said, voice breaking. "It's that… I can't stand the thought of someone else seeing you the way I see you."
"And how do you see me?"
"As my rival."
"You're lying."
"Yes, I'm lying!" Aria clenched her fists. "I see you as the only person who makes me feel like I've lost control… and that terrifies me."
Irish stared at her.
Not with fury.
With sorrow.
"Then keep hating me," she said softly. "Because if you stop…"
"What?"
"Neither of us will know who we are without the other."
She turned and walked away.
But before vanishing into the darkness, she added:
"And that would be worse than losing."
Aria stood alone, heart pounding like it wanted to escape.
Because for the first time,
she didn't want to win.
She wanted to understand.