Lor watched Kiara storm ahead, her ponytail whipping like a battle flag behind her, her heels clicking sharply against the town roadâs uneven cobbles.
The academyâs spires loomed in the distance, fading into the dusk, but they were well beyond its gates nowâsafely tucked into the winding paths of the surrounding town, where merchant carts rumbled by and the first evening lanterns flickered to life along the roadside.
He didnât follow.
Instead, he turned the other way, weaving back through the shadowed alleys that skirted the townâs edge, his steps quiet against the dusk-soaked stones.
The sunlight had thinned, gold bleeding into deep amber, casting long shadows from the overhanging roofs of nearby shops.
The air carried the faint scent of baked bread and spiced ale from a tavern nearby, a hum of distant voices breaking the quiet.
He rounded the corner near an old stone fountain, water trickling softlyâand stopped.
Eva was standing there, arms folded, leaning against the weathered edge of the fountain like sheâd been waiting.
"I knew it," she said softly, her voice cutting through the evening hush.
Lor blinked. "Eva?"
She stepped forward, her dark blue hair swaying gently, the pink streak catching the fading light, her green eyes piercing with a mix of resolve and concern.
"Iâm sorry, Lor," she said, eyes earnest, her words laced with quiet urgency. "I wanted to say something earlier, but... I couldnât risk it. Kiara warned me. Thoroughly. Said if I so much as looked at you..."
"Sheâs a beast," Lor said, his voice calm, steady, masking the undercurrent of frustration still simmering from his clash with Kiara.
Eva nodded, relief flickering in her gaze, grateful he understood without her having to spell it out.
"Sheâs faking it, right?" Eva asked, her tone sharpening. "All this girlfriend stuff?"
Lor sighed, leaning against the fountainâs rim beside her, the cool stone grounding him.
He looked up at the sky for a second, the first stars pricking through the twilight, then back at her.
"Yeah. Youâre right. Itâs all fake. She came to me for guidance... didnât like what the Light asked for. Got angry. I guess. Decided if she couldnât use the Light... no one could."
Evaâs eyes narrowed, a spark of anger flashing in their green depths. "Thatâsâselfish. Sheâs a bitch."
Her voice rang sharply in the empty alley, echoing off the nearby walls before being swallowed by the townâs evening murmur.
"Sheâs not even doing this because she likes you," she spat, her fists clenching at her sides.
"She just wants to own you like a dog. No one in class will stand up to her. Maybe Ameth could, but... she doesnât care. About anything."
Lor looked down, hands slipping into his pockets, his posture relaxed but his mind turning like gears in the dim light.
"So I guess Iâll just play along, right? Iâve got no other choice. If I fight back, sheâll beat me to a pulp."
"No." Eva stepped closer, her presence a warm contrast to the cooling air.
Her voice softened, carrying a quiet determination that made the space between them feel charged.
"You helped me. Gave me strength when I needed it. Confidence. Direction." Her eyes glimmered, reflecting the lantern light, a subtle vulnerability breaking through her resolve.
"Let me help you now. I donât know how yet... but I will."
She looked down, ashamed, her fingers twisting the hem of her uniform skirt.
"Itâs my fault. I told Kiara about the Guiding Light. I didnât think how itâd affect you. I just thoughtâif she knew, maybe sheâd change. Maybe sheâd grow. But..."
She trailed off, the words hanging heavy in the twilight.
Lor didnât speak.
He just stood there beside her, close enough that their shoulders nearly brushed, listening as the fountainâs trickle filled the silence.
The townâs soundsâdistant laughter from the tavern, the creak of a cart wheelâfaded into the background, leaving only the weight of her confession and the unspoken alliance forming between them.
Lor exhaled, his shoulders slumping in a show of worn resignation as he shot Eva a glance that mixed defeat with quiet vulnerability.
"Okay, fine," he said, forcing a small, weary smile that didnât quite reach his hazel eyes.
"Iâll head home now. Iâve got extra homework waiting. Kiaraâs, too." He scratched the back of his head, his tousled black hair catching the dim lantern light, and added with a somber tone, "She said if I donât do it, sheâll break my fingers."
He watched her reaction carefully, his laid-back facade hiding the sharp calculation beneath.
Evaâs face dropped, her green eyes flaring with a mix of guilt and fury.
Her lips parted in protest, but she held back, really looking at him for perhaps the first timeâbeyond the mask of the class loser, beyond the awkward grins and low scores that kept him invisible.
"Lor... wait."
He stopped mid-step and turned, his voice soft, almost hesitant. "Yeah?"
She stepped forward, her dark blue hair swaying gently, the pink streak glowing faintly in the twilight like a rebellious spark.
Her uniform clung to her curvy figure, the knit top straining against her full chest, rising and falling with her quickened breath.
"Can the Guiding Light help with this situation? With Kiara?"
Lor paused, rubbing his neck as if weighing the risk, his expression humble. "Maybe. Depends on what you ask."
"Then ask," she said, a determined gleam hardening in her green eyes, her fists clenching at her sides.
He gave a half-smile, playing it shy. "Will you ask it, though?"
Eva blinked, her cheeks flushing slightly under the lanternâs glow. "Yes i will... for you."
He nodded, hazel eyes locking onto hers with quiet desperation. "Please, Eva. Ask it to find a way to get me out of this mess with Kiara."
But then came the doubt.
She hesitated, a shadow crossing her face.
Her weight shifted subtly, the soft brush of her thighs beneath her skirt grounding her in the moment.
"But... what if the price is too high?" Her voice trembled at the edge of reason. "You said the Light adjusts its price based on power, right? And Kiaraâs not just strongâsheâs terrifying. What if it asks for something... demanding?"