By the time Yohan emerged from the hidden chamber, the night sky was pale blue—the color before dawn. His steps were heavy, the faint smell of smoke still clinging to him. The training had taken more from him than he expected, but Kael's words echoed in his mind like an ember refusing to fade.
He made his way through the quiet corridors, past sleeping dorms and the faint hum of runic lanterns. Just as he reached the courtyard, a familiar voice called softly from the shadows.
"Yohan?"
He stopped. Lily was sitting beneath the old wind-tree, her notebook open on her lap, pages fluttering in the early breeze.
"You're up early," he said, trying to keep his tone even.
She smiled faintly. "And you're back late."
He looked away. "Training."
Lily's smile faded. "With Kael again?"
Yohan didn't answer. The silence between them stretched—not heavy, but uncertain. She closed her notebook and stood, walking closer until they stood face to face under the faint light.
"You've changed," she said quietly.
Yohan frowned. "Everyone says that."
"I mean it differently." Her voice softened. "You used to be quiet because you were distant. Now it's like you're… holding something back. Like there's a fire behind your eyes, but you're scared of letting it out."
He flinched slightly—her words cutting closer than she knew.
"Lily," he began, "if I told you the truth, you'd see me the way everyone else does."
Her eyes didn't waver. "Then let me decide how I see you."
For a moment, they just stood there—the wind whispering through the branches, scattering petals between them.
Yohan's hands tightened at his sides. "There's something inside me. Something old. Kael calls it the First Flame. It's… alive. And if I lose control—"
"—you'll destroy everything?" she finished softly. "You really think I'd leave because of that?"
He looked at her—truly looked—and for the first time in weeks, the edge in his eyes eased. She stepped closer, close enough for the warmth radiating from him to touch her skin.
"You're not a monster, Yohan," she whispered. "You're just… scared of being one."
He didn't know what to say. The fire in his chest pulsed once—not in anger, but in something gentler, like light remembering warmth.
Before either of them could speak again, the Academy bells tolled in the distance—low and deep, echoing through the valley.
Lily turned toward the sound. "That's not the morning bell."
Yohan's expression hardened. "No," he said quietly. "That's the Council."
And just like that, the peace between them broke.
Somewhere beyond the towers, the Seers had seen something—a flash of forbidden flame beneath the Academy.
And they were coming for him.