The academy halls were quieter than the cafeteria, filled with the low hum of conversation and the faint rhythm of footsteps. Aylinor walked with steady, unhurried steps, blending into the noise without ever becoming part of it.

  She paused near a tall window panel, its polished surface reflecting the hallway behind her. In it, she caught sight of Prince Ardion and his friends a short distance away. Kael was complaining about something, Sylus teasing him, Deric trying to keep the peace. Ardion said something that made them all laugh.

  Aylinor didn’t turn.

  Didn’t react.

  She only watched them briefly through the reflection, a quiet, measured glance.

  Then she opened her locker.

  When she closed it and checked the reflection again, they were gone. No sign of footsteps or voices lingering. Just an empty hallway.

  She closed the locker gently and turned, only to come face to face with Selene, who stood much too close, studying her.

  Aylinor didn’t flinch, not even a blink. It was as if she’d known Selene was behind her the entire time.

  “Hello… Aylinor,” Selene said, voice smooth but edged. “You’re not very social, are you?”

  Aylinor stepped past her with calm composure. “Social implies interest. I don’t have any, at least not here.”

  Selene blinked once, irritation tightening her smile. “Confident. Or just distant.”

  “Observant,” Aylinor replied, her tone neutral but not unkind.

  Selene opened her mouth to answer, but something shifted in the hallway behind them, a faint scrape too quiet for most to notice.

  Aylinor’s ear twitched the slightest bit. Her posture sharpened. For the briefest instant, her pupils flashed silver before returning to normal, too fast to catch fully.

  Selene stiffened.

  ……Did I imagine that?

  Across the hall, Daelira, mid-sentence with another student, noticed. Her eyes snapped toward Aylinor as if the rest of the world had muted. She caught the subtle change in Aylinor’s stance, the tension most people wouldn’t notice.

  Daelira excused herself and moved immediately toward her.

  Aylinor was already walking away from Selene’s presence, unbothered, composed, her steps steady.

  Daelira joined her without question.

  "Find Calden," Aylinor ordered without looking back.

  “On it,” Daelira answered, adjusting her pace.

  They reached the main junction where the hallway split. Aylinor took the left path, catching a glimpse of Ardion again near the far end. Daelira turned right, hurrying off to complete her task.

  Their footsteps faded in opposite directions, leaving behind the empty corridor and a very confused Selene, watching both disappear.

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  “………”

  Later that day, Daelira found Calden near the warded stairwell, the faint glow of runes reflecting off his composed features. He straightened the moment he saw Aylinor approaching, his expression sharpening in that quiet, reliable way only he possessed.

  Calden was the eldest of the siblings, steadier than Lorcan and sharper than Daelira. His dark brown hair fell neatly across his forehead, and his matching amber-brown eyes, similar to his younger siblings, scanned Aylinor with silent understanding. Where Lorcan and Daelira carried youthful energy, Calden carried certainty.

  “Report?” he asked simply.

  Aylinor nodded once, and the two stepped aside. Their conversation was neither loud nor long, but its tone was unmistakably serious. Daelira stayed nearby, keeping watch, while Lorcan, who had just joined them, leaned casually against a column, pretending not to listen even though he noticed everything.

  Whatever Aylinor told Calden made his jaw tighten. Whatever he answered, she accepted without hesitation. They did not need many words.

  By the time they parted, the sun had already dipped behind the western towers, turning the academy golden. Aylinor disappeared down the corridor, her steps purposeful.

  The rest of the week passed quietly on the surface; classes, training, study halls. Students rushing between wings. Laughter echoing from the dining hall. Ardion and his friends moving through their routines, surrounded by admirers as usual.

  But Aylinor was always there.

  Neither close nor obvious.

  Just present.

  Near enough to observe.

  Distant enough to remain unnoticed by most.

  Except Selene.

  “………”

  -A week later-

  Weekend nights in Astrael meant one thing; a break from routine. Students poured into the popular off-campus hangout, The Emberlight, a lively place glowing with enchanted lanterns and buzzing with chatter, music, clinking glasses, and bursts of laughter.

  Ardion and his friends occupied their usual table near the center. Kael was complaining about the food, Sylas was flirting with the server, and Deric was laughing at both of them.

  Selene and her friends arrived a little later, taking the table right beside theirs.

  Then the door swung open again.

  Aylinor walked in.

  Not alone. Calden was beside her, with Daelira and Lorcan trailing in comfortable formation. They were not loud or seeking attention, but the four of them together always carried a certain presence. They headed to an empty corner table, ordered drinks, and settled with quiet ease.

  Selene’s eyes narrowed immediately.

  She leaned toward Ardion. "Did you see that?"

  Her voice was soft, but the irritation was sharp.

  Sylas, still distracted by the server, did not look up. "See what?"

  "That girl. Aylinor." Selene tilted her head subtly. "She has been acting suspicious lately."

  Kael snorted. "Selene, not this again."

  "No, listen." Selene straightened, raising her voice just enough for the nearby tables to hear. "I have been watching her for a week. She is always near Ardion. In the library. In the eastern corridor. Every single day. Always right where he is."

  Sylas rolled his eyes. "She studies here. It is not a crime to walk down a corridor."

  Selene shot him a glare. "This is not normal coincidence. She is always there. And now she is here too. Right after we arrived."

  Sylas smirked. "Aren’t you also here right after Ardion arrived? Should we be suspicious of you then?"

  Her friends giggled, but Selene was not amused.

  Kael, however, stopped laughing.

  His expression shifted, thoughtful.

  He had noticed it too. Not as intensely as Selene, but enough.

  Selene leaned forward, lowering her voice but still loud enough for Aylinor’s table to hear if someone listened sharply.

  "I think she is interested in you, Ardion. Pathetically so. Girls like that are not normal. They linger, observe, stalk. It is unhealthy."

  Ardion finally looked toward Aylinor.

  She was not staring at him.

  She was not even pretending to notice him.

  Aylinor sat calmly beside Calden, quietly listening to something Daelira was saying. Lorcan was laughing under his breath, tapping his glass. Their table looked normal. Peaceful. Unbothered.

  She did not look dangerous.

  She did not look obsessed.

  She did not look like she cared he existed.

  But Ardion could not ignore a full week of coincidences either.

  Is she watching me?

  Or watching something else entirely?

  Selene sat back triumphantly. "See? Even you are thinking about it now."

  Ardion did not answer.

  Because he was not thinking what Selene assumed.

  He was thinking:

  If she is watching, what exactly is she looking for?

  And across the room, Aylinor raised her head briefly, her expression unreadable.

  As if she already knew someone was talking about her.

  As if she heard.