“Alright, I won’t lose,” I said quickly. “I just don’t want you to feel too much pressure.”
I felt a twinge of helplessness as I looked at Kael. He seemed tense before every competition, always striving to be the very best.
I wondered if this was the pressure his father had placed on him.
Kael smiled faintly at my words. “Don’t worry. Briar isn’t my match. I’ll show him that he wasn’t before, and he isn’t now.”
Hearing his confidence eased my nerves a little.
He was right. Though I worried about him, his calm demeanor reassured me. There was no need to overthink-Kael would handle everything just fine.
But despite my efforts to push the thought away, unease lingered in my chest.
Suddenly, a vivid image flashed through my mind: Briar pinning Kael to the ground. Kael looked so weak, so unlike himself.
I blinked, startled, and the vision disappeared as quickly as it came. It felt like nothing more than a trick of my imagination.
“What’s wrong, Seraphina? You look pale.” Kael immediately noticed something was off and asked me with concern.
“I’m fine,” I said, shaking my head. The sudden image had startled me, but I dismissed it as absurd.
As we walked back, Marek trailed behind us at a distance.
I asked Kael, “Vivienne is well-known at school. If she disappears for a long time, people will definitely notice. Won’t they start asking questions?”
“Yes,” Kael replied calmly. “But don’t worry. I’ll announce that she’s dropped out and gone home. No one will dig further.”
I sighed. Vivienne had been such a prominent figure on campus-a force of nature, really-and a werewolf on top of that. Yet now, she had vanished without a trace.
Still, I didn’t feel sorry for her.
She had made her choices, and people always have to face the consequences of their actions.
The next day at school, the news of Vivienne’s withdrawal spread quickly.
Evelyn was visibly shocked. “How is that possible? She seemed perfectly fine. And now she’s dropped out because of depression? Do you believe that?”
“Maybe,” I replied. “You’ve heard of extroverted depression, haven’t you? People who seem cheerful on the outside but are actually deeply depressed?”
“That’s not the same,” Evelyn argued, shaking her head. “Vivienne was the type to bully others for fun. How could someone like that be severely depressed?”
“Maybe there’s a secret we don’t know about,” I said. “But it’s none of our concern now.”
Evelyn leaned in and whispered, “Do you think she’s like Lucian? That she turned into a werewolf too?”
No one believed in werewolves anymore, and Evelyn had grown tired of being ridiculed for bringing it up. Now, she only mentioned it cautiously in private.
I didn’t expect her to guess so accurately. She was half-right.
“It’s possible,” I admitted. “But at least she’s gone now and can’t hurt anyone.”
“True,” Evelyn said. “Anyway, these things are beyond us ordinary people. Let’s just hope they leave us alone.”
“By the way, Seraph, how about a weekend trip? Just to relax.”
“A trip? Where to?”
“The beach, of course! It’s beautiful this time of year. Let’s go, and bring Kael along.”
“I’m not sure…” I hesitated. I had never introduced Kael to Evelyn or her friends before.
“Are you really so unwilling to formally introduce Kael to us?” Evelyn frowned. “Maybe you’ve never actually considered me a friend.”
“That’s not true,” I said, feeling guilty. “Fine, I’ll ask him.”
“That’s more like it.” Evelyn smiled brightly.
I texted Kael: Kael, are you free this weekend? Evelyn invited us to a beach trip.
His reply came quickly: Of course. So you’re finally ready to introduce me to your friends?
For some reason, his response made my cheeks flush. I felt oddly flustered, even guilty.
He was right-it was my fault. I should have introduced him to Evelyn and the others long ago.
Evelyn used to like Kael too.
Well, this was as good a time as any for them to meet properly.
Since I had classes all day, I decided not to go to the Eagle Club afterward.
After classes, I planned to head straight back to my apartment for some rest.
Lately, I’d felt a strange surge of energy in my body, but all the information I’d been processing had left my mind exhausted. I needed to lie down and recharge.
Evelyn, as usual, went to find Judy. They were inseparable, always spending time together whenever they could.
With my books in hand, I walked toward my apartment.
“Seraphina.”
I heard someone call my name and turned around to see Magnus.
It had been days since we’d last seen each other. Now, standing before me, he looked tired, almost worn out.
“Hi, Magnus. Long time no see,” I greeted him with a smile.
He stepped closer. “What a coincidence. Want to grab a bite to eat?”
Magnus was unusually forward, and I didn’t refuse. “Sure.”
I figured it was time to clear the air.
I didn’t want to be the kind of girl who strung people along-caught between Kael and Magnus, unable to make a clean break. That wasn’t fair to anyone.
We chose a simple restaurant near campus.
After placing our orders, I looked at Magnus. “You seem tired lately. Is everything okay?”
“Just a lot of studying,” he said, rubbing his temples. “I’ve been working on some intense experiments.”
Though he smiled, I could see the exhaustion behind it.
“Take care of yourself,” I said.
“I will.”
“What about you, Seraphina? How have you been?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I replied. “But it feels strange not seeing you at the Eagle Club.”
He chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. We’ll still see plenty of each other on campus.”
There was a warmth in his gaze, a kindness that made the words I had to say even harder to voice.
But I knew dragging this out would only hurt him more in the long run.
Summoning my courage, I said, “Magnus, I’ve been thinking a lot about our relationship. I don’t think we’re right for each other.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, his smile faded. He frowned slightly. “Why?”