Chapter 15: 🌸Chapter 14

📖 Scene: Between the Library Rows

“Women,” Dunira muttered under her breath.

Kaelric looked away—not entirely angry, but something close.

Josh raised both hands a little, backing off.

“Alright, see you soon, Dunira. Bye!” he said quickly, disappearing down the aisle.

Silence.

They stood alone between the library shelves.

Awkwardness lingered in the quiet air.

Kaelric didn’t meet her eyes. Then, breaking the stillness, he said softly,

“I’m sorry.”

Dunira’s eyes widened.

Why is he apologizing? She thought.

He glanced sideways, still avoiding her gaze.

“I shouldn’t have acted so controlling,” he said.

“But… Vespara seemed off. Finally, his eyes flickered toward her face. I thought she might’ve done something to... U

Dunira’s cheeks flushed.

“I should be the one saying sorry,” she mumbled, looking down.

Kaelric smiled at her shyness

Ugh.. she's cute, he thought.

Dunira glanced up again, more serious this time.

“But you don’t know everything yet… and we might’ve misunderstood her. Vespara has… connections with—”

She stopped herself.

A pause. Her voice lowered.

“Wait. We shouldn’t talk about this here. Vespara told me not to discuss it in public. We can’t trust anyone.”

Her eyes met his.

“After school. Meet me at Echo Hold. I’ll bring Sansa with me.”

Kaelric raised an eyebrow.

“Echo Hold? That dusty old place? Even spiders don’t bother making webs there.”

Dunira smirked.

“Exactly why I chose it.”

---

📖 Scene: After School

The bell rang.

Kaelric moved quickly through the back corridors of Valathir.

Drake was just exiting the main building and noticed him heading in an unusual direction.

He narrowed his eyes.

He’s been acting strange lately. Is it really just about that her or..?

Curious, Drake changed course.

“Let’s see where you’re sneaking off to, Kael.”

At 🪶 Echohold

Tucked behind Valethir’s greenhouse, half-sunken into the earth, stands a small, forgotten stone shed. Once used to store elemental tools, it's now abandoned — ignored by most.

The wooden door is warped and tight, opening only with a clever push or a faint elemental nudge.

Inside: rusted hooks, shattered glass orbs, and a stone basin that still glows faintly when touched.

The air inside feels thick, and oddly still — as if it swallows sound. That’s why Dunira, chose it for private talks,

Students call it Echohold — the place where only secrets echo back.

As the door creaked open, Kaelric stepped in—and saw Dunira and Sansa already there, their backs to him.

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“Eew,” Sansa grimaced, glancing around. “What even is this place? Why are we meeting in a storage dump? Just breathing here feels like inhaling dust.”

Kaelric walked in, smirking. “It’s not that bad. Now, tell me what’s going on.”

Sansa eyed them both with a teasing smile, her big eyes sparkling.

“Wait a second… did you two make up already? Lovebirds?”

“We never even fought that seriously. And we’re not lovebirds,” Dunira said flatly.

Kaelric tilted his head with mock seriousness. “Come on, Dunira. Maybe it’s time we stop hiding it.”

Huh...“Hiding what? There’s nothing to hide,” Dunira shot back.

Sansa and kaelric burst out laughing...

Hey..“That’s not even why we’re here,” she added quickly, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I need to tell you both something important. Vespara… has connections with Crestbore.”

“What?” Kaelric blinked.

“Huh?” Sansa frowned. “How do you know?”

“She wasn’t just here to teach. There’s more to her,” Dunira said. “I felt it from the start.”

“I had a sense too... but Crestbore?” Kaelric said, shocked.

(Dunira explained everything that happened inside the hidden chamber.)

“Oh my skies…” Sansa gasped.

“Wait—and I was threatening Vespara to give her pendant to Crestbore, and I didn’t know this?” Kaelric muttered, rubbing his forehead.

“And listen,” Dunira added, “Crestbore already knows we were near Greenlake. They found the shadow man killed there.”

“There’s definitely a mystery behind your dual-clan powers,” Sansa said, looking serious now.

“ Well all they know is an ancestor called Luna from lunareth possessed two clans power who defeated noctherians once and now they think am the chosen one —and You two are the only ones I trust. Don’t let this spread.”

Both Sansa and Kaelric nodded.

“But,” Kaelric said, "Didn't in your family anyone talked about it ever before…” He paused. “That ancestor Luna was from Lunareth. Maybe your mother knows something.”

Dunira fell silent, her mind spinning.

Just then, a voice came from behind the half-open door of Echohold.

“Chosen one hahaha"?

The door pushed wider—and in walked Drake, wearing his signature disgusted scowl.

“You really believe all this crap?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Sansa snapped. Kaelric stepped forward and yanked Drake inside by the collar.

“Don’t you dare leak anything you just heard.”

“I don’t care enough to,” Drake brushed him off. “And for the record—I don’t believe ur crap, Dunira..Told you before: stay in your limits.”

Dunira crossed her arms. “Guess we chose the wrong place after all.”

Sansa stepped in. “You didn’t see what we saw. We fought them. That’s why we believe Dunira. She’s not lying.”

Drake smirked suddenly stepped in closer—too close.

Sansa froze. She barely reached his nose, and when he leaned down, their breaths mingled. The air between them buzzed with tension. Her breath caught in her throat.

From the side, Kaelric and Dunira exchanged a look.

What is he doing now...?

Drake’s lips curled slightly. He leaned in, his voice husky and low.

“Guess you like a little play, don’t you?” he murmured. “I like it too. Just... not this one. Enjoy, kiddos.”

Then he turned and walked off without looking back.

Kaelric caught Dunira’s gaze.

She gave a quiet nod.

I’ll take care of him.

And he followed.

Once the door clicked shut, Sansa finally exhaled. “Did you see that?”

“I did,” Dunira said.

Sansa tossed her hair back with a dramatic shrug, rolling her eyes.

“Wow. Real dramatic. Did he think whispering all close like that would… what, make me swoon? Or melt something, .....Please.”

She looked away a little too quickly. Dunira raised an eyebrow.

“...Okay maybe a little.” said Sansa

The two locked eyes—then both burst out laughing.

“Sansa,” Dunira said through her giggles, “are you even real?”

📍 Meanwhile — Inside Principal Alowen’s Office

Principal Alowen sat behind her curved desk, her fingers sorting through a stack of admission papers. The room was quiet, except for the soft rustling of parchment and the occasional flicker from the floating orb that hovered near her shoulder — a magical communicator pulsing faintly with light.

She scanned a new list of admitted students for the semester, flipping pages with careful attention.

Her eyes stopped at one name.

Zarek.

Clan: Solyndor.

Pale skin. Black hair. A blank, unreadable expression in his student portrait.

She stared at the page for a moment longer, her expression tightening — not fear, but something close to suspicion.

It was as if... she felt something unnatural. Like a faint hum of energy that didn’t belong.

Before she could think more, the magical orb near her suddenly glowed bright and rang with a soft chime.

Alowen sighed.

“Ugh… another call. I'm so tired of answering these today.” She set the file down and touched the orb with her palm.

“Yes?”

The orb shimmered, and a soft voice echoed from within.

“Oh! Hello, Principal Alowen. This is Miss Meryn from ..,”

“Yes, Miss Meryn,” Alowen replied politely, though her tone was distant. Her gaze drifted back to Zarek’s name, still lingering in her thoughts.

But for now, she forced it aside and continued the call.

📍 The Next Day — Valethir Academy, Military Training Grounds

The training yard buzzed with heat. Spell wards shimmered faintly in the air, glowing around the large dueling circle.

Vespara moved through the students like a storm — sharp eyes, sharper voice.

“If you don’t learn to hit precisely, you’ll never win. Control your stance. Learn to strike where it hurts — where it disarms.”

Students stood in pairs, dressed in light protective suits — designed to absorb elemental impact while keeping movement flexible.

At the center of the ring, Dunira and Kaelric faced off. his fire aura simmered quietly, the air around him pulsing with heat.

He rolled his shoulders, his maroon hair catching the sun. Heat shimmered faintly off his arms — not from the weather, but from him. His power always simmered just beneath the surface.

He looked at her, that usual confident smirk curving his lips.

“You sure you want to do this?”

“I might not go easy on you.”

Dunira crossed her arms, steady.

“I’m not here for easy. Just focus.”

Kaelric raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

“Alright, dream girl.”

The moment the signal bell rang, Dunira launched forward.

No hesitation. No teasing.

A sharp wave burst from her hands — aimed straight at Kaelric’s chest.

He sidestepped with ease, laughing as steam rose where the water hit his aura.

“Feisty today, aren’t we?”

Another hit — this time aimed at his feet. He leapt back.

A third — fast and wide — forcing him to duck low as the wave sliced past his ear.

“You're really not going easy on me,” he said, grinning as he slid to the side, his boots skimming over the slick ground.

Dunira didn’t answer. She raised her hands, twin whips of water forming at her sides. Her movements were smooth, focused — like she’d been waiting for this.

She struck again.

And again.

Kaelric kept dodging — but barely now. The smile on his face had shifted. Still playful, but... impressed.

For a moment, they were a blur. Water versus fire, but only one was attacking.

Kaelric lit small sparks to deflect, not to harm — a flicker here, a spark there — mostly keeping his balance as Dunira pushed harder.

Then—

She twirled mid-step, sending a strong surge toward his shoulder. He bent, avoiding the brunt of it, but the water struck the ground, making the floor slick.

Dunira stepped forward—

Her foot slid.

Kaelric reacted in an instant.

He stepped in, caught her at the waist, pulling her close before she could hit the ground.

Their bodies collided — chest to chest.

Her breath hitched. His grip stayed firm.

Heat rose between them — from him, and maybe from somewhere else too.

Kaelric looked down, slightly breathless.

Almost a whisper in his husky voice “Well… you nearly had me.”

Dunira blinked up at him — and then smirked.

“Nearly?”

She called water again — and with a swift motion, blasted him off balance.

Kaelric stumbled out of the ring, water dripping from his suit.

He sat up, wiping his face.

“It's called cheating”

Dunira stepped to the edge of the ring, hands on her hips, playful victory in her eyes.

“Told you. I don’t need your mercy.”

From a distance, Vespara watched the entire match in silence.

Her gaze followed Dunira — not with disapproval, but something more curious. Something... calculated.

She walked over slowly.

“Enough water for today,” she said, low voice cutting through the moment.

Then she leaned in.

“You’ve shown control. Now it’s time to awaken something deeper.”

Dunira tilted her head.

“The hidden cha—”

“Yes,” Vespara replied softly.

“Before sunset. You know where.”

Dunira nodded, water still dripping at her feet.

“I’ll be there.

sorry for the delay next chapter drops Wednesday ✅