She Chose the Wrong Hero

Elira didn't sleep much that night.

The wind outside had carried the scent of roses and dust, and even with the windows closed, it found its way into her lungs. She had left her cloak on the chair, the hem still damp with dew from the garden.

And she kept replaying the way Aeren looked at her.

Not cold. Not warm. Just… careful. Like she was a puzzle he couldn't solve yet.

And Kael—she hadn't seen him since the Hall. But something told her she'd feel his presence before she saw him.

She was right.

The next morning, as she walked into the main corridor of the academy wing, a hush followed her. Two court ladies stopped whispering when they saw her. A young mage gave her a nervous glance and walked faster.

She paused.

The hall hadn't felt this quiet in years.

Something had changed.

"Elira."

His voice cut through the silence like a knife through silk.

She turned.

Kael stood there, dressed in deep red, a color that looked too bold for morning. His golden hair was tied back. There was a faint bruise on his cheek. His lower lip was cut.

He didn't look like the boy she remembered.

He looked like someone trying to hold himself together.

"You're hurt," she said.

He smiled—just a little. "It was a good morning."

She didn't ask what that meant.

Kael stepped closer. "I heard you were in the gardens last night."

Elira kept her face still. "I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I," he said. "Strange, isn't it?"

She said nothing.

His eyes were on her face. Watching every flicker. Every breath.

"I saw you," he added, voice quieter now. "With him."

A pause.

So he had seen.

She met his eyes. "I didn't hide it."

"No," he said. "But you didn't tell me either."

Another silence stretched between them.

"I didn't think I needed your permission," she said calmly.

Something sharp flickered in his eyes.

"No," he agreed. "You don't. But I can't help wondering why you'd meet him—of all people. At night. In secret."

"He's not your enemy, Kael."

"Isn't he?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it felt louder than it should have been in the still corridor.

She took a step back. "He wanted to talk. That's all."

"And did you?" Kael asked. "Talk?"

Elira didn't answer.

That was her answer.

Kael looked away first. Just for a moment. Then he gave a short laugh that didn't reach his eyes.

"You've changed," he said. "There's something different in you."

Elira stood still.

"I don't know what it is yet," Kael added. "But I will."

And then he walked away, not waiting for her to respond.

---

Later, as she stood near the courtyard balcony, Elira pressed her hands against the stone rail. The wind brushed her hair back.

Kael was beginning to notice.

And that meant time was running faster than she thought.

She closed her eyes.

If she wanted to survive this timeline—if she wanted to change the future—she had to make harder choices.

Even if it meant walking away from the boy she once loved.

Even if it meant trusting the one she had once ignored.