Chapter 20: Echoes Between Two Hearts
The morning light was soft, like a secret whisper from the sky. Mist danced over the grounds of Nytherra Academy, hiding and revealing the statues and stone paths as if they were part of a dream. Birds chirped low, as if even they knew something was about to change.
Sera stood near the Whispering Tree again. The bark was warm beneath her fingers. Her heart, though, felt anything but calm.
Kael had been acting different lately—quiet, thoughtful, and sometimes just... gone.
Gone, like a shadow slipping through the gaps of her fingers.
She didn't want to believe it, but something between them had shifted. Since the fight with Lucifer, everything felt a bit more real.
And a bit more dangerous.
"Kael, where do you go when you disappear like that?" she had asked him the night before, her voice softer than the wind.
He had looked away. "I just need to think sometimes. That's all."
But Sera had seen something else. Pain. And fear.
Now, she waited again by the tree. She hoped he would come. But instead, another voice broke the silence.
"You look like you're waiting for a ghost."
Valen.
He always had a way of showing up when she needed someone. With him, she didn't need to explain. He didn't ask questions she didn't want to answer.
Sera gave a tired smile. "Maybe I am."
Valen leaned beside her. "Then I'll wait with you. Ghosts don't scare me."
They stood in silence. Not the awkward kind—but the kind that felt like a warm blanket on a cold morning.
Suddenly, a pulse.
The glowing stone in Sera's pocket throbbed gently. Not in danger. Not in fear.
In longing.
As if it could feel her heart pulling in two directions.
Later that day, during training with Selene, Sera kept losing focus.
"You're not here today, Sera," Selene said gently.
"I'm sorry," she replied. "It's just... everything is so confusing. I don't know what to feel anymore."
Selene placed a hand on her shoulder. "Magic listens to the heart. If your heart is unsure, your spells will be, too."
Sera nodded. But that didn't make things easier.
That evening, as stars began to prick the sky, Kael finally came.
He looked tired. His cloak was dusty, and his eyes—those firelit eyes—held something close to regret.
"I need to tell you something," he said, not waiting for a hello.
Sera nodded, her heart skipping.
"When we fought Lucifer, I... I saw something. A vision. He showed me a version of myself, full of power, full of rage. And part of me—wanted it."
She stayed quiet, letting him speak.
"That scared me. I thought if I stayed away, I wouldn't hurt anyone. Especially you."
She stepped closer. "But you did hurt me. By not letting me in."
His hand reached for hers. Fingers brushed fingers.
But just then—
BOOM.
A loud sound echoed from the western edge of the forest.
Sera and Kael jumped apart as Selene and Valen ran toward them.
"There's been a breach!" Selene said, her silver hair wild in the wind. "Something—or someone—has crossed the boundary."
They all ran.
Through trees, past glowing stones, over crumbling roots.
When they reached the edge, they found Lira.
Her wings were torn.
And behind her stood a boy—barely older than Sera, with glowing purple eyes and silver tattoos running down his arms.
"Who are you?" Kael demanded.
The boy smiled. "My name is Orion. I come from the other side. I was born from the shadows, but I'm not like Lucifer. I came... to warn you."
Lira groaned, and Sera rushed to her.
"He didn't hurt me," Lira said weakly. "He saved me. From something else."
Orion nodded. "Lucifer is not alone. He's gathering others. Beings who crave destruction. I escaped before I became one of them."
Valen narrowed his eyes. "Why should we trust you?"
Orion looked at Sera, his voice soft. "Because your stone led me to you. And because you are the only one who can stop what's coming."
Another prophecy.
Another mystery.
And another stranger who seemed to know more than he should.
As they walked back to the academy, Sera felt Kael's hand touch hers again.
This time, she didn't pull away.
But she also didn't forget the way Valen had waited with her.
Or the way Orion had looked at her, like he knew something even she didn't.
Hearts were beginning to glow.
But not all glows were the same.
Some were soft like candlelight.
Others, like wildfires.
And some, like the stone she carried...
Felt like stars trying to remember how to burn.