🌌 Chapter 19 – Blades in the Shadows
Caelum sat at the far end of Avalon's library, an open book in his hands. His golden eyes, however, weren't on the pages. They drifted—again and again—toward the quiet figure across the hall.
Aurora.
She was hunched over a stack of spellbooks, her pale fingers tracing over the inscriptions like someone starved for knowledge. The faint glow of light runes shimmered around her, weaving patterns that flickered and faltered.
Caelum leaned back in his chair, exhaling softly. Why am I watching her again?
He told himself it was instinct. A warrior's intuition. There was something odd about her—a fragility that rang false, like a blade sheathed too deep.
But the truth unsettled him more: he wanted to know.
---
Across the hall, Aurora barely noticed the weight of eyes on her. Her mind was elsewhere—on the system's new gifts.
> [Weapon Obtained: Lumina's Edge.]
[Skill Obtained: Radiant Aegis.]
[Current Mission: Duel those who humiliated and bullied you. Ensure they taste defeat. Reward multiplier for public execution of justice.]
Aurora ran her fingers along the book's spine, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"So, they want to laugh at me?" she whispered. "Let's see how much they'll laugh after I cut their arrogance down."
The weapon materialized in her hand briefly under the table—a slender, radiant blade that hummed with light, only to vanish again when she dismissed it.
Her heart beat faster. I can test it soon.
---
Caelum narrowed his eyes from the distance. She was smiling. Not the kind of smile he had seen before—the forced, brittle one she wore in public. This was sharp, dangerous.
Who are you really, Aurora?
He set his book down. His hand hovered over his sword, though he didn't draw it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to protect her… or keep her under watch.
---
That evening, as Aurora returned to her dorm, the system's voice chimed once again:
> [Mission Update: Target duel scheduled in three days' time during the academy's Combat Class evaluations.]
[Reminder: Bonds are forbidden. Attachments are forbidden. This mission is an opportunity to remind the Hero of your strength without revealing your truth.]
Aurora tightened her grip on her satchel. "Three days… that's enough time to master Radiant Aegis."
Her lips curled faintly. "Let them come."
---
High above Avalon, the moon spilled silver light across the academy grounds.
Caelum stood at his window, gazing toward the dorms where Aurora's lantern had just gone out.
"She's hiding more than weakness," he muttered. "But why does it matter to me?"
The silence gave him no answer. Only the restless stirring in his chest reminded him—
This girl was going to change something in him, whether he wanted it or not.