The estate's air still thrummed with the residue of magic—embers scorched into the stone, patches of frost still clinging to the garden walls.
Lioren stood alone under the arched terrace, the cool evening breeze brushing against his face. His tunic was torn at the sleeve, and faint bruises bloomed along his wrist where Seraphina's flames had grazed him. His eyes stayed on the horizon, but his thoughts were far behind.
"Reckless," his uncle's voice echoed through the diplomatic channel—cold and biting. "You're not here to entertain yourself with theatrics. I placed you in that estate to observe."
Lioren's jaw clenched. "It was a spar."
"It was spectacle," Thaleis snapped. "You made yourself visible. Vulnerable."
Silence.
Then, quieter. "Don't forget why you're alive, Lioren. You are not free."
The connection cut with a sting.
Lioren exhaled slowly, fists curling against the cold railing. He hated when Thaleis spoke like that—like he was some tool salvaged from wreckage. Like his survival came at a cost he should constantly repay.
He wasn't a diplomat.
He wasn't a spy.
He was a shadow in someone else's plan. And he was tired.
---
Later That Night
The firelight flickered in the guest quarters. Lioren sat cross-legged on the rug, hair damp from a rinse, absently tracing the embroidery in the fabric beneath him.
She had challenged him with eyes like a storm.
She had smiled like she didn't care that the world had been cruel.
He'd matched her blow for blow. And for a moment—just one—he forgot who he was supposed to be.
"You're not very diplomatic, are you?"
"Didn't apply for that ward."
He let out a breathless huff. She was dangerous in a different way. Not because of her fire—but because of the way she looked at him like he was just Lioren. Not a ward. Not a weapon. Not an obligation.
He remembered a girl with burns on her sleeves and soot in her hair, years ago, the dreadful night. A small hand grabbing his. A whispered voice:
"You're not alone."
It couldn't be. That was just a dream. Wasn't it?
His hand twitched, "Why the fuck do I feel like I know her, we've never met"
And for the first time in years… he wanted to remember.