08

I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, staring down at something vast and unknown. For so long, I'd believed I knew exactly where the ground ended and the fall began. But now, the edges blurred, and I wasn’t sure if I was meant to take the leap or step back to safer ground.

Levi’s words from last night echoed in my mind, stubborn and insistent. "I’m saying I don’t want to keep fighting you all the time."

That single sentence had lodged itself in my thoughts, refusing to let me move on. I had spent years seeing Levi through one lens—he was the opponent, the challenge, the standard I had to outmatch. Our rivalry had been a constant, the thing that tied us together even as we tried to tear each other apart. I had grown used to it, maybe even relied on it, like a current that kept me moving forward.

But now? Now he was rewriting the rules, and I didn’t know what to do with that.

Part of me resented it—resented him for unsettling the balance I had so carefully maintained. But there was something else too, something far more dangerous than frustration. A flicker of curiosity. A pull toward the unknown.

I had seen a different side of Levi last night, and again today—one that wasn’t just sharp edges and cutting remarks. There had been something real in his eyes, something unguarded. And that scared me, because it made me question everything I thought I knew about him. About us.

I tried to push the thoughts aside, bury myself in the carefully constructed routine that made me feel in control, but Levi’s voice kept creeping back in. It was unsettling to think of him as more than a rival. My defenses had been built around that dynamic, walls carefully constructed to keep anything deeper—anything real—at bay.

But if he was changing the game, what did that mean for me?

My mind raced through possibilities, each one more disorienting than the last. If I allowed this shift, if I stopped fighting him at every turn, what would we become? Could we be friends? Could we be more? The thought was both intoxicating and terrifying.

The rivalry that once defined us had been a shield—one that kept me from looking too closely at my own insecurities. It was easier to see Levi as the obstacle, the challenge, rather than acknowledge what competing with him had truly meant to me.

Now, I had a choice.

I could cling to the safety of our old dynamic, keep things predictable, keep him at arm’s length. Or I could step into uncharted territory, let the change happen, and see where it led.

But that meant risking everything.

It meant vulnerability. It meant losing the armor I had so carefully crafted. It meant acknowledging that maybe, just maybe, I had been holding on to this rivalry not just because it defined us—but because it protected me.

The cliff edge loomed before me.

For the first time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to step back.

Hi, thank you for sticking with me through this (short!) chapter. I know it wasn’t as long, but I hope it gave you a peek into Cora’s conflicted thoughts as she starts seeing Levi in a new light. Sometimes, even small moments can change everything.

Let me know what you think—is Cora ready for what’s coming?

What are your thoughts?

Thank you so much for reading, voting and commenting.

— sky