Chapter 36 – Manipulation

  Zephyr leaned against the stone railing of the academy’s inner courtyard, his thoughts still tangled from last night’s conversation with Kaelin. The sun had risen higher now, casting long shadows over the walkways below. Aric stood beside him, scanning the empty grounds with a distant expression, his hands clasped behind his back.

  “She gave up,” Zephyr said finally, his voice flat.

  Aric turned his head slightly, his face betraying no reaction. “Did she?”

  “She said it was all a joke.” Zephyr exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “The symbols, the new magic, all of it. Just her messing with me.”

  Aric hummed in thought, his fingers tapping idly against the stone. “Well that’s good. She might not have been exactly right, but she wasn’t far off.”

  Zephyr hesitated. He had expected to feel relief, but instead, there was an itch at the back of his mind that wouldn’t go away. Kaelin had been too insistent before, too convinced. Now, she was brushing it off like it was nothing. It didn’t add up.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “She was too smug about it. Like she wanted me to believe it, even if it wasn’t true.”

  Aric finally turned to face him, studying him with a calculating gaze. “From my research, I’ve learnt there used to be a group of mages who experimented on humans.”

  Zephyr frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “The things they did… they were awful… inhumane. These experiments came to naught, yet still they tracked their progress in the now ruinous environments. Engravings on the walls. New symbols here and there. All that stuff about ‘new magic’ was just a coincidence. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  Aric continued, Zephyr intrigued.

  “I’d wager she still thinks she’s onto something, either way I’m glad she’s given up trying to get you in on it. Now that she’s on her own, she will let her guard down. If there is more to this, she will reveal it eventually.” Aric’s voice was even, measured. “Patience, Zephyr. If something is there, it will come to light in time.”

  Zephyr exhaled sharply. He hated waiting. He hated not knowing. But Aric had a point. If Kaelin had really given up, then there was nothing to worry about. And if she hadn’t…

  He glanced toward the academy halls, where Kaelin had disappeared earlier.

  Then she’d eventually slip up. And he’d be watching when she did.

  ***

  Kaelin spent the morning distracted, her thoughts drifting constantly back to Aric. The anticipation gnawed at her – what would he teach her next? Would it be something groundbreaking? Something that would push her abilities further? She found herself glancing at the clock every few minutes, willing time to move faster. But the academy day stretched on at its usual, maddening pace.

  By the time lunch arrived, she was starving and restless. The cafeteria was bustling, filled with students eager for a break from their studies. The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted meat filled the air, but Kaelin barely noticed it. She spotted Lena at their usual table near the far window and made her way over, sliding onto the bench beside her.

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  Lena barely looked up from her plate, absently pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she chewed. “You look tense,” she noted after swallowing. “What’s up?”

  Kaelin hesitated, tapping her fingers against the wooden table. “Nothing,” she said, though her mind was anything but quiet. “Just… thinking.”

  Lena smirked. “Thinking? Is everything okay? That could be dangerous.”

  Before Kaelin could retort, Zephyr plopped down beside Lena, draping an arm over her shoulders in a casual, almost lazy manner. His other hand held an apple, which he bit into without a care. “What’s so dangerous?” he asked, mouth half-full.

  “Kaelin thinking,” Lena supplied, grinning.

  Zephyr hummed as if considering the concept, then shot Kaelin a sideways glance. “Yeah, that does sound risky.”

  Kaelin rolled her eyes but didn’t shrug him off. “You two are hilarious,” she deadpanned. “Truly, I’m honoured to be in the presence of such comedic geniuses.”

  Zephyr squeezed her shoulder lightly before pulling back, but he didn’t move far. If anything, he seemed content to stay close, listening as Kaelin and Lena fell into easy conversation.

  They talked about the end of year exams coming up, the latest rumours about which professors were the toughest graders, and the ongoing rivalry between two of the academy’s most competitive student duelling clubs.

  Kaelin found herself easing into the moment, momentarily forgetting her earlier restlessness. It helped that Lena was animated as always, her hands moving expressively as she spoke. Zephyr, for his part, followed along, a flicker of amusement in his gaze every time Lena got particularly passionate about a topic.

  “So,” Lena said, nudging Kaelin’s foot under the table, “you’re being weirdly quiet. Spill it. What’s actually on your mind?”

  Kaelin hesitated. She couldn’t exactly tell Lena everything, not yet. But she could skirt the truth. “Just… feeling stuck,” she admitted. “Like I’m waiting for something to happen, but it never does.”

  Zephyr, who had been lazily spinning his apple on the table, finally spoke. “Waiting won’t do anything. If you want something to happen, make it happen.”

  Kaelin gave him a flat look. “That’s a very Zephyr thing to say.”

  “Because I’m right.” He smirked, popping another bite of apple into his mouth. “And you know it.”

  Lena laughed. “He’s got a point. But if you need something to shake things up, we could sneak into Professor Aric’s office.”

  Kaelin snorted. “No thanks, I’d rather not spend a week cleaning the bathrooms as punishment.”

  Lena leaned in, grinning. “Fine, but at least let’s do something fun. Maybe sneak into the alchemy lab and see what happens when we mix volatile ingredients?”

  Zephyr snickered. “That’s how people lose their heads.”

  “Exactly,” Lena said, unbothered. “A worthy sacrifice for the pursuit of knowledge. Though in Kaelin’s case, we wouldn’t lose much.”

  Kaelin rolled her eyes again, but she couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. “You two are ridiculous.”

  Zephyr, instead of answering, simply stretched his arms behind his head, his gaze still lingering on Lena.

  Eventually, lunch ended, and Kaelin parted ways with them. She spent the afternoon at the archaeology society with Aria, though their meeting was mostly casual conversation.

  Despite being surrounded by books and maps detailing the history of magic and the kingdom, Kaelin found it difficult to focus. Her thoughts kept drifting to Aric, to the possibilities of what he might teach her next. She longed for something concrete – something that would prove she wasn’t just spinning her wheels.

  By the time evening arrived, she was itching to burn off some restless energy. At nine, she made her way to the gym, throwing herself into training. The repetitive movements helped clear her head, her body moving on autopilot as she worked through her drills.

  Sweat dripped down her back as she practiced strikes and dodges, her mind momentarily freed from its constant overanalysing. There was something soothing about the way her body fell into rhythm, muscle memory taking over where conscious thought left off.

  Time passed in a blur, and before she knew it, the clock read eleven. She wiped sweat from her brow, gathering her things. Just as she turned toward the exit, she caught sight of Zephyr walking through the courtyard.

  He hadn’t noticed her yet, but she knew if she stayed, an awkward conversation was inevitable. He had a way of seeing through her moods, of picking up on things she wasn’t ready to talk about. And right now, she didn’t have the energy to pretend she wasn’t waiting for something – something she wasn’t even sure she could put into words.

  Not in the mood to deal with that, Kaelin jumped the wall and fled. The breeze carried a hint of rain, the sky thick with clouds that swallowed the stars. She inhaled deeply, letting the fresh air fill her lungs.

  Maybe tomorrow would bring the answers she was looking for. For now, she just needed to breathe.