Chapter 72

William was leaving his morning class when Lyanna caught up with him in the hallway.

"So," she said, falling into step beside him. "Have you thought about it?"

William looked at her, momentarily confused. Then he remembered that she had asked him to go into town this weekend. That felt like it had happened weeks ago even though it had only been a few days.

"I’ve been busy," William said, which was an understatement.

"That’s not an answer." Lyanna’s violet eyes studied him. "It’s a simple question William. Do you want to spend time with me outside the academy or not?"

William considered. Kai had been pushing him relentlessly with training every morning and afternoon. Maybe taking a few hours to do something normal would actually help.

"Yeah," William said. "Let’s go this weekend."

Lyanna’s expression brightened slightly, though she tried to hide it. "Then saturday afternoon?"

"Works for me."

"Good. Meet me at the main gates around two." She adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Don’t be late."

She left before he could respond, heading toward her next class.

William continued to the dining hall where Kai was waiting at their usual corner table. His roommate looked up from the book he was reading.

"You’re going into town with Lyanna," Kai said. It wasn’t a question.

"How did you—"

"I just saw her walking past with a pleased look on her face." Kai closed his book. "In loop six and loop nine you went into town with her. Both times were uneventful."

"Should I not go?"

"No, you should go. You need to maintain your normal routines." Kai’s expression was serious. "If you suddenly change everything about how you act, people will notice and that could create problems."

William sat down with his lunch. "Taking a break from training might help anyway."

"Probably. You’ve been absorbing techniques faster than I expected but you’re getting mentally exhausted." Kai opened his book again. "Go into town. Have a normal afternoon. We’ll resume training on Sunday."

---

Saturday afternoon arrived and William found himself standing at the main academy gates waiting for Lyanna. He had dressed in regular clothes instead of his academy uniform, he wore a simple dark pants and a casual shirt.

Lyanna appeared a few minutes later wearing a light purple dress that brought out her violet eyes. Her hair was loose instead of tied back like she usually wore it for classes.

"You’re on time," she observed.

"I try to be."

They started walking toward town together. The path from the academy led through some wooded areas before reaching the main road. It was pleasant outside — warm but not too hot, with a light breeze.

"Have you been to town much?" Lyanna asked after a few minutes of walking.

"Once or twice. Not extensively."

"Then I’ll show you around properly." She seemed genuinely pleased about that. "There are some good shops and the food is better than the dining hall."

They walked in comfortable silence for a bit. William found himself relaxing despite everything weighing on his mind. The afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees, the sound of birds, the simple act of walking without any particular urgency — it all felt normal in a way his life hadn’t been recently.

"So what’s your family like?" William asked. "You’ve mentioned they’re involved in politics but not much else."

"House Stormweaver is complicated." Lyanna considered her words. "My father is a senator, my mother manages our business interests. I have two older brothers who are both working in politics now. Everything revolves around positioning and influence."

"That sounds exhausting."

"It is. That’s why I focus on magical theory and cultivation instead. Those are things I can control through my own efforts." She glanced at him. "What about your family? I know House Cross is old nobility but you don’t talk about them much."

"We’re not close. My father is cold, my mother is..." William searched for the right word. "Intense. My siblings mostly ignore me. Being at the academy is better than being home."

"That’s sad."

"It’s just how it is." William shrugged. "I’m used to it."

They reached the town after about thirty minutes. It was a decent-sized settlement — shops lining the main street, a marketplace in the central square, residential areas spreading outward. Students from the academy were scattered throughout, browsing shops or eating at outdoor cafes.

"There’s a bookshop I like down this street," Lyanna said, leading him away from the crowded main area. "They get interesting imports that you can’t find in the academy library."

The bookshop was tucked into a quieter side street. Small but well-organized, with books lining every wall sorted by subject. The owner was an elderly man who nodded at them when they entered but didn’t hover.

Lyanna immediately went to a section on magical theory while William browsed nearby. He found himself in the history section, looking at books about regional politics and noble houses.

"Find anything interesting?" Lyanna asked, appearing beside him with two books already in her hands.

"Just browsing mostly."

"You should get that one." She pointed at a book about cultivation techniques from different regions. "It has some theories about multi-elemental development that I think you’d find useful."

William pulled it off the shelf and flipped through it. The content was actually relevant to his situation with multiple affinities.

"Good recommendation," he said.

"I know." Lyanna smiled. "I pay attention to what people might need."

They spent another twenty minutes in the shop before Lyanna purchased her books and William got the one she’d recommended. The owner wrapped them carefully and they continued through town.

"Are you hungry?" Lyanna asked as they passed several food stalls in the marketplace.

"I could eat."

"There’s a cafe I like near the park. Better than these street vendors."

She led him through the marketplace and down another side street. The cafe was small and cozy, with only a few tables. Most were empty in the mid-afternoon lull between lunch and dinner.

They ordered drinks and some pastries the owner recommended. Once they had their food, they settled at a table near the window.

"This is nice," William said, looking around. "It’s quieter than campus."

"That’s why I come here. The academy is always busy and loud." Lyanna took a sip of her tea. "Sometimes you need space away from all that."

"Makes sense."

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. The pastries were actually good — much better than the standard fare at the academy dining hall.

"Can I ask you something?" Lyanna said eventually.

"Sure."

"Why did you actually agree to come with me today?"

William looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You’ve been training obsessively lately. Spending all your time either in classes or with Kai doing whatever it is you two do. This doesn’t seem like something you would prioritize right now." Her violet eyes studied him. "So why say yes?"

William considered how to answer honestly without revealing too much. "Because I needed a break. Because training constantly without stopping isn’t going to help. And because..." he paused. "Because I wanted to."

"That last part is good enough." Lyanna smiled slightly. "I was worried you had only agreed out of politeness."

"I’m not that polite."

"No, you’re really not." She laughed. "It’s refreshing actually. Most people at the academy are constantly performing, saying what they think others want to hear. You just say what you mean."

"It gets me in trouble sometimes."

"Probably. But it’s honest."

They finished their food and Lyanna suggested walking to the park she’d mentioned. It was on the edge of town — a green space with trees, walking paths, and a small pond.

The afternoon sun was warm and there were a few other people scattered around. Some families with children, a couple students from the academy sitting on a bench, an elderly woman feeding ducks by the pond.

Lyanna led him along one of the paths that wound through the trees. They walked slowly, neither in any rush.

"Do you ever think about what you’ll do after the academy?" Lyanna asked.

"Not really. I’m focused on surviving it first."

"Surviving it? That’s dramatic."

"Maybe." William couldn’t exactly explain that he had died sixteen times and was trying to avoid a seventeenth. "I just mean getting through the competitions and graduation. Long-term planning can wait."

"I think about it sometimes," Lyanna said. "My family expects me to take a position in politics or business after graduation. Use my cultivation and education to advance House Stormweaver’s interests." She sounded less than enthusiastic. "But I’d rather do research. Advanced magical theory or essence cultivation studies. Something that actually interests me."

"Why don’t you?"

"Because my family expectations are hard to ignore when you’ve been raised with them your entire life." She glanced at him. "You understand that though. House Cross probably has expectations for you too."

"They did. But I’m a disappointment to them, so those expectations don’t apply anymore." William said it matter-of-factly. "It’s freeing in a way."

"That’s one way to look at it."

They continued walking, the conversation flowing naturally between topics. Lyanna talked about magical theory research she wanted to pursue. William shared some thoughts about cultivation techniques he’d been working on. They discussed professors they liked and ones they found frustrating.

It was normal and comfortable. William found himself genuinely enjoying the afternoon rather than just going through the motions.

They found a bench near the pond and sat down. Ducks were swimming lazily across the water, occasionally diving for food.

"This is nice," William said.

"Just sitting?"

"Yeah. No training, no competitions, no pressure. Just existing for a while."

"You’ve been stressed lately," Lyanna observed. "More than usual I mean. Is everything okay?"

"Mostly. Just a lot on my mind."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Not really. But I appreciate you asking."

Lyanna accepted that without pushing. They sat in silence for a while, watching the ducks and enjoying the warm afternoon.

"Thank you for agreeing to come today," Lyanna said eventually. "I wasn’t sure you would."

"I’m glad I did."

"Good." She smiled. "We should do this again sometime."

"Yeah, we should."

The sun was starting to get lower in the sky, the light taking on that golden quality of late afternoon. A few more people had arrived at the park — students from the academy mostly, taking advantage of the weekend.

"We should probably start heading back soon," Lyanna said, though she didn’t sound particularly eager. "It’ll take us thirty minutes to walk and I don’t want to navigate those woods in the dark."

"Fair point."

But neither of them moved immediately. They sat there a bit longer, neither ready to end the afternoon yet.

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