Chapter 57 - Operation: Lilliane Gets a Friend (Hopefully) (2)

She stood sharply, the chair scraping against the floor. The sound was harsh—just like his words.

Her fists clenched.

Babysitting me, huh? That’s all I am to him? A burden he dragged around for the day?

Lilliane’s breath caught in her throat as she turned and walked away, each step faster than the last until she broke into a run. She didn’t care who saw her. She just needed to get away—from Luca, from his scolding voice, from the storm twisting in her chest.

Why does it always end like this? Why does everything I do feel so small?

She ran faster, past shop windows, past chatting students, past everything that reminded her of how far behind she felt. The streets blurred around her, her vision stinging—not just from the wind.

He doesn’t understand. He doesn’t know what it’s like to only ever have one person.

All her life, it had just been Aiden. She never thought she needed anyone else. Never wanted anyone else. But then came Arcadia. New faces. New bonds.

And she didn’t fit.

They laughed together. They fought together. And she—she just stood at the edges, watching. Trying to force herself into a rhythm everyone else already knew. She didn’t want to replace anyone. She just wanted to stay close to him.

But every time she opened her mouth, it came out wrong. Or didn’t come out at all.

She stumbled to a stop in a narrow alleyway, heart hammering, her back pressed against a cool stone wall. The city noise had faded. She was alone.

I’m trying... I’m really trying... for him.

To not be the awkward shadow that made his friends fall silent.

To not be the reason he had to choose between old and new.

She clutched at her skirt.

I practiced. I picked that café because I knew his friends liked it. I rehearsed things to say. I even told myself I’d smile more.

But nothing worked.

Luca’s words echoed again—about wasting time, about being a scared rabbit. They bit deeper because she was already drowning in those same thoughts.

I wanted today to go well. Just one step closer to them... to him.

But all I did was mess up again.

Her eyes burned with unshed tears. She stood on shaky legs.

No more crying. Not here.

She turned to head back to the academy.

But before she could take a full step, a shadow stepped into her path.

Her eyes widened—too late.

Something struck her side with jarring force.

she gasped, eyes wide with terror.

The masked attacker crouched beside her, holding a thin black rod laced with runes pulsing faint red.

"Target acquired," he muttered into a crystal embedded in his glove.

Lilliane’s hand trembled, reaching inside the pocket of her skirt—fingers brushing against the smooth, oval shard that Aiden once gave to her.

Emergency relay crystal... for calling help if something went wrong.

Her fingers wrapped around it as the darkness pressed in. Her vision was narrowing, her head too heavy.

I... I have to do something. Anything.

With the last of her strength, she crushed the crystal between her fingers. Light flared briefly.

And in her final, slurred breath, her lips formed a name:

"...Aiden..."

***

The rhythmic clash of steel rang through the training ground.

Aiden’s blade sliced cleanly through the air, meeting Kyle’s spear with a sharp clang. Sparks danced as metal met metal, the two of them locked in a furious dance—speed, precision, and instinct guiding every strike.

Selena watched from a short distance, arms crossed, her long white hair swaying with each breeze. Small trails of lightning flickered around her fingers as if her magic stirred in response to the intensity.

Kyle lunged again, fast and forceful.

Aiden sidestepped, twisted, and brought the flat of his blade to rest gently against Kyle’s neck before either of them could blink.

A pause.

Then Kyle let out a deep breath and fell back onto the grass, panting. "Are you a monster?"

Selena nodded without hesitation, brushing stray strands of hair from her face. "He’s not human. I’ve watched knights train all my life, and none move like that."

Aiden, still catching his breath, gave a quiet chuckle. "It shouldn’t be you saying that."

He sheathed his sword with a smooth motion. "You were keeping up until the very last second."

Kyle grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Still lost, though."

Before Aiden could reply, a faint tremble buzzed in his pocket.

He blinked, reaching in—and froze.

The oval shard similar to lilliane. The emergency one he’d given to Lilly himself. It was glowing—cracks racing across its surface like spiderwebs.

Then it shattered.

A pale white light burst forth, hovering in the air like a glowing thread pulling taut, pointing—no,

leading

—toward the city’s edge.

Aiden’s entire demeanor shifted in an instant.

"Lilly’s in danger," he said, voice low but sharp with urgency. "I need to go."

Kyle was already rising. "We’ll come with you."

Selena stepped forward too, her magic flaring ever so slightly. "No way we’re letting you go alone."

Aiden hesitated, glancing toward the glowing trail pulling away from them like a thread of fate.

"It might be dangerous. It’s... outside the academy."

Those words landed heavy.

Outside. Beyond the barriers. Beyond the guards.

But Kyle’s eyes narrowed as something clicked. "Wait a second..."

He pulled out a folded talisman from his inner coat. He whispered something under his breath, and the rune at its center flared with blue light.

He looked up. "We’re good. Let’s go."

Without another word, the three of them bolted after the fading trail of light, boots pounding against stone and dirt as they raced past the academy gates and into the unknown.

Toward the mountain outside the city.

****

Lilliane stirred as she regained her consciousness.

Her head throbbed. The world around her was dim, the scent of damp stone and stale air crawling into her senses. She tried to move—her fingers, her arms—but nothing responded. Her body felt like it had been wrapped in invisible chains.

Where... am I?

Her thoughts were still hazy. Blurred images flitted through her mind like broken glass—

the café, Luca shouting, her running, a hand grabbing her shoulder, a sharp pain, a voice—

Her eyes shot open.

That’s right... someone attacked me. And... said something like... "Target acquired..."

Panic surged in her chest as she tried again to move, but her limbs remained frozen. She couldn’t even feel the ground beneath her.

"

Who are you!?

" she screamed into the darkness. "

Why did you kidnap me!? Do you even know who I am!?

"

Her voice rose in defiance.

"

I’m Lilliane Fairmoore! Daughter of Count Fairmoore—direct subordinate of the Everheart Dukedom!

You’ll regret this!"

Her voice echoed, bouncing off what must have been walls.

And then—it came.

A disgusting, high-pitched voice, like nails on glass wrapped in mockery.

"

Jiejejejeje... oh, we

know

who you are.

"

She flinched.

"

And that’s exactly why today’s the day you die. You... and your friend.

"

Her heart stopped.

Friend?

Do they mean...?

The emergency shard—

she had triggered it in the last second, hadn’t she? Aiden... it would have gone to him.

Do they know I did that? Did they kidnap me because they wanted to get Aiden.

Her breath quickened.

Did I... implicate Aiden?

"

You don’t know him!

" she screamed, voice cracking with a mixture of fear and fury. "

He’ll find me—he’ll kill all of you and take me back!

"

The voice laughed again. "

Take you back, you say? Jiejejeje, he won’t even

reach

you. The entire mountain is surrounded—by more than enough guards to tear your little prince to shreds. The moment he steps past the perimeter, they’ll

descend

on him. And when he dies... hehehe... so do you.

"

Lilliane’s blood ran cold.

"

Even if—

somehow

—he gets past the guards, there’s no way he’ll

find

this place. This is our base. Secret. Buried. Hidden. No tracking magic or divine spell works here. Jiejejejeje... so just sit tight, little noble. And wait to die.

"

Her mouth trembled.

Tears welled in her eyes, spilling silently down her cheeks.

Aiden...

Because of me...

If something happens to you—no, no, please, please...

Her body shook, helpless, her thoughts spiraling into guilt and horror and the sense of irreversible doom.

Then—

BOOM!

A thunderous blast split through the chamber, light pouring in from the crumbling ceiling above.

Faint rays of the dying evening sun fell on her face as dust and rubble rained down, and the glowing barrier around her flickered, faltered.

"

W-What!?

" the voice screeched. "

How is this possible!? How did someone get past the guards!? And even if—not them—how did he

find

this place so fast!?

"

Lilliane’s eyes widened.

No... it can’t be...

More tears spilled, this time mixed with disbelief and fragile hope.

"

Aiden... you’re he—

" her voice cracked in a whisper.

But she stopped.

Because standing in the light, panting and covered in dust was a boy with dark purple hair, chest rising and falling with each labored breath.

His eyes locked on hers—determined. Wild. A fire burning within them.