Veyla’s voice softened as she spoke, her gaze turning distant, as though she was reliving the mory.
"I was scared at first," she said.
"My brother’s fever wouldn’t break, and I didn’t know if the healing spells we practiced here were enough. My mother was worried sick, and my father... he kept pacing outside the room all night."
Her hands moved unconsciously, clasping together as if she was still holding a damp cloth to her brother’s forehead.
"But it worked. I tried everything I could. I stayed with him, used my spells again and again, and after two days his fever finally broke. He opened his eyes, smiled weakly, and asked for food."
Her lips curved into a faint smile, though her expression carried the unmistakable weight of responsibility.
"At that mont, I realized sothing important. My family depends on . Not just as their daughter, but as soone who can protect them, soone who can ease their suffering. Out there, it wasn’t about grades, exams, or ranks. None of that mattered. It was about keeping them safe, making sure they could get through the week without falling apart."
Kael listened silently and his eyes were fixed on her.
He hadn’t expected her break to be so demanding. In his mind, he had pictured her resting peacefully at ho, maybe spending her days studying and practicing healing in calm surroundings.
But the reality she described was different, gritty, exhausting, and full of responsibility that would overwhelm most students their age.
"Sounds like you had your hands full," Kael said with a trace of admiration.
"I did," Veyla admitted, letting out a small laugh.
"Every single day felt endless. But you know what?" She paused.
"It felt fulfilling in its own way. Hard, yes. Very hard. But fulfilling. Because I knew every little thing I did mattered. Every fence I nded, every bucket of water I carried, every prayer I whispered over my brother—it all mattered."
Kael nodded, though words didn’t co easily.
For soone who had spent his break alone, training in shadows and chasing survival, her story struck him in a way he didn’t expect.
But before he could respond, she hesitated.
Her gaze shifted slightly away from him, down toward the grass beneath their feet.
Her fingers twisted together, and for the first ti, her voice carried a faint trace of disappointnt.
"Though... you didn’t show up."
Kael blinked, caught off guard. He tilted his head.
"What do you an?"
Veyla lifted her eyes back to him.
"I invited you, rember? Before the break, I told you that if you wanted, you could visit my ho. My parents even asked about you. They thought it would be nice to et you. But..."
Her voice trailed off, and she folded her hands together in front of her.
Kael’s chest tightened with guilt.
He rembered vaguely (she had ntioned it, hadn’t she?)
Just before everyone left for the midterm break, her words had been light and hopeful. At the ti, he had brushed it aside, too preoccupied with his own thoughts and burdens.
Now, standing in front of her, the weight of his neglect pressed heavily on him.
"I... I’m sorry, Veyla," he said.
"I honestly forgot. Things were... complicated for . I wasn’t exactly in the right state to go visiting."
Her expression softened, but there was still disappointnt in her eyes.
She studied him quietly, her gaze steady and searching, as though trying to see beyond the words he spoke.
Finally, with a quiet sigh, she gave a faint smile.
"I understand. You always carry sothing heavy. I don’t know what it is, but I can see it. Still... it would’ve ant a lot if you ca."
Her words lingered in the air. The murmur of students around them faded in Kael’s mind, leaving only the quiet sting of her voice.
He shifted uncomfortably, guilt gnawing at him.
For soone like Veyla, who gave everything she had to her family, the small act of him visiting would have ant so much. And yet he hadn’t even considered it.
"I’ll make it up to you," he said finally, his voice firr this ti.
Her smile brightened a little, though Kael noticed it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
"I’ll hold you to that," she said.
For a mont there was a silence between them.
The hum of other students’ chatter filled the background, their laughter and conversation creating a distant buzz that made the two of them feel montarily isolated in their own world.
Kael’s eyes flicked around again, his mind restless. He searched the crowd, scanning every cluster of students. His brow furrowed when he didn’t see her.
"Looking for soone?" Veyla asked gently.
"I was looking for Cecelia".
Veyla tilted her head slightly. "She’s not here right now?"
"No." His frown deepened. "She’s usually early. I don’t understand."
"She’ll turn up," Veyla reassured him with a small smile, though her voice carried a faint thread of uncertainty.
Before Kael could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps approached from the edge of the training field.
The shift was imdiate. Students straightened their backs, their conversations dying down into silence.
The professor was arriving.
Every student stood a little straighter, their earlier casualness wiped away as the weight of authority settled over them.
Kael felt his heartbeat slow, his earlier worries folding into the background for now.
But even as he stood in line with the others, his thoughts remained tangled—caught between the guilt he felt toward Veyla, the growing worry for Cecelia, and the ever-present burden of the sword he had left behind in his room the night before.
For now, though, all he could do was stand with the others, his face expressionless, waiting for what was to co.
Professor Sylvia finally arrived at Ground Zero, holding a stack of neatly arranged papers in her hands.
Her steps drew the attention of the gathered students, who quickly fell silent. Walking just beside her was Professor Orwen.
Students straightened their backs, so nervously fidgeting, while others tried to look composed.
But before Sylvia could even open her mouth to speak, a sudden sound broke the quiet—the rhythmic clatter of hooves striking the ground.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
The noise grew louder, approaching from behind the crowd. Curious murmurs spread among the students, and many turned their heads at once.
From the path leading into Ground Zero, two majestic horses appeared, their manes flowing in the morning breeze.
Behind them was Cecilia.
(Cecelia!)Kael smiled looking at her.
Beside her, on the other horse, was her brother, Erainlia.
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