"The rain remembers what hearts try to forget."
Ancient Aetherion Proverb.
The rain had been falling since dawn, soft and relentless, turning the white towers of Aetherion into silver ghosts behind a curtain of mist.
Eryndor sat by the dining hall window, tracing invisible patterns on the fogged glass while the scent of rain mingled with warm bread and chatter.
The whispers had started early that morning.
"He broke the circle during resonance."
"Professor Amaris looked furious."
"Maybe he's one of those rare-bloods?"
He tried not to listen. He always tried. But rumors had a way of slipping past walls and right now, they were louder than the rain.
Across the hall, Luca was surrounded by students, as usual radiant and untouchable. His laughter rose above the noise, careless and warm, but Eryndor noticed how his eyes occasionally flicked toward him, just for a second each time, like checking if he was still there.
When their eyes finally met, Luca tilted his head slightly, a question hidden behind that crooked grin: You okay?
Eryndor nodded once. It was a lie.
The rain thickened. Gray light pooled through the high windows, and the world beyond blurred into soft watercolor hues.
A firm voice cut through the hall.
"Caelis. The Headmaster wishes to see you."
Eryndor looked up to find Professor Amaris standing at the entrance, her cloak damp and her expression unreadable.
He rose immediately. "Yes, Professor."
Luca's voice followed before he could take a step. "Should I come too? We were tested together."
Amaris hesitated for a moment. Then, in her usual calm tone, "Not this time, Mr. Veyren."
Luca leaned back on his chair, pretending to pout. "That doesn't sound fair."
"Life rarely is," she said, already turning away.
Eryndor tried to hide a smile. He didn't notice that Luca's eyes lingered a little longer than they should have.
The corridors were quiet. The sound of Eryndor's footsteps echoed against the marble floors, accompanied by the steady drumming of rain outside. Each drop felt heavier, as if the sky itself was watching him.
When he reached the library, the scent of wet parchment and candle wax filled the air. Dozens of hovering orbs of light flickered softly, reflecting off the wet stone floor.
Professor Amaris led him deeper into the restricted section an area sealed by sigils that hummed faintly when he passed.
At the center, a round desk glowed with faint runes.
"Sit," she said.
He obeyed, his hands cold against the wooden surface.
"Tell me, Caelis," Amaris began, her tone slow and deliberate. "Have you ever experienced a resonance before yesterday?"
Eryndor shook his head. "No, Professor."
Her eyes narrowed. "Not even in dreams?"
The question startled him. "Dreams?"
Amaris touched the crystal orb beside her. It glimmered, projecting a floating sigil the same one that had appeared beneath him yesterday.
"This mark," she said, "appeared only twice in recorded history. It represents a Celestial Link."
Eryndor frowned. "A link?"
"Between souls," she explained. "Dangerous, beautiful, and impossible to break once awakened."
He felt a strange pulse beneath his skin the faint silver light on his wrist responding.
Amaris's gaze softened. "Be careful, Caelis. Sometimes power comes disguised as affection."
The words lingered like thunder before rain.
When Eryndor finally stepped outside, the downpour had turned into a fine drizzle. The air was cold, the cobblestones glistening like wet glass.
He didn't realize Luca was waiting at the gate until a familiar voice broke through the quiet.
"You look like a ghost," Luca said, leaning against the wall, rain dripping from his hair. "Did she interrogate you or baptize you?"
Eryndor blinked, startled. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to regret not bringing an umbrella."
Despite himself, Eryndor laughed. The tension in his chest eased. "You don't seem the type to care about the rain."
"I don't," Luca said. "But I care about people walking in it like they're lost."
The remark was light, but the meaning wasn't.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The rain whispered between them, soft and steady.
Then Luca said, "Next time, if she calls you again I'm coming with you."
Eryndor opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he saw the look in Luca's eyes: quiet, stubborn, and sincere.
He simply nodded. "Okay."
By evening, the rain softened to a silver mist.
The courtyards shimmered with shallow puddles that reflected the pale lamps of Aetherion like broken stars.
Eryndor walked slowly through the quiet campus, his reflection following him blurred, fragile, almost someone else entirely.
He climbed the narrow staircase leading to the dormitory rooftop. The air was cold, clean, and smelled faintly of thunder. Above, the clouds were beginning to drift apart, revealing patches of deep violet sky.
He didn't notice the sound of footsteps behind him until a familiar voice said,
"You really have a habit of standing in dangerous places."
Eryndor turned. Luca was there again hair damp, shirt half-unbuttoned, smile crooked but tired.
"I didn't think anyone came up here," Eryndor said.
Luca shrugged, joining him near the ledge. "I didn't plan to. But when you didn't come back for dinner, I figured you'd be somewhere dramatic."
Eryndor chuckled softly. "So you followed me."
"Consider it professional concern," Luca said, sitting down beside him. "Resonance partners and all that."
Eryndor glanced sideways. "You don't strike me as the 'professional' type."
"That's because I'm not," Luca said, grinning. "But maybe you make me want to be."
The words slipped out too easily, and for a moment neither knew what to say next. The rain misted around them, soft and glowing in the moonlight.
Below them, the academy stretched like a sea of silver roofs. Lanterns flickered faintly through the fog.
Eryndor drew his knees up, resting his chin. "Do you ever wonder why we were paired together?"
Luca leaned back on his hands. "Because fate has a strange sense of humor."
"I'm serious."
"So am I," Luca said quietly. "Look at us one reckless idiot and one quiet genius pretending to be normal."
Eryndor's lips curved. "You're not giving yourself enough credit."
"I'm giving you too much," Luca replied, then laughed under his breath. "You really scared the hell out of me yesterday."
Eryndor blinked. "Scared you?"
"You don't remember, do you?" Luca said. "During the resonance… your eyes weren't blue. They were silver. And for a moment, I swear, I could hear two voices speaking at once yours and someone else's."
Eryndor froze, the echo of that dream flashing in his mind. Stars, voices, and a name that wasn't his.
He looked away, toward the horizon. "I think something's wrong with me."
"Or something's waking up," Luca murmured.
The wind swept between them, cool and electric. The world felt too quiet as if listening.
Luca shifted closer, his voice softer. "You don't have to handle it alone, you know."
Eryndor smiled faintly. "You barely know me."
"That's not true."
Luca's tone carried no playfulness this time. His gaze was steady, the kind that made Eryndor's chest tighten.
"I know the way you look at the stars," Luca continued, "like you're waiting for them to answer. I know you keep your sleeves long because you're hiding something not shame, just fear. And I know you say you're fine when you're not."
Eryndor said nothing. The only sound was rain sliding off the rooftop, dripping into the night.
Lightning flickered far away faint, like a memory.
"Luca," Eryndor said finally, "if the Celestial Link is real what if it's not a blessing?"
"Then we'll make it one."
He turned to look at Luca, startled by the certainty in his tone.
Luca smiled, a little sad. "I'm good at breaking things. Maybe this time, I can help fix one."
Eryndor laughed quietly. "You really think you can fix me?"
"I don't know," Luca said, standing and offering his hand. "But I'd like to try."
Eryndor hesitated then took it. Their hands were cold, but the moment their palms touched, a faint shimmer rippled through the air.
The mark on Eryndor's wrist glowed again bright, pulsing in rhythm with Luca's heartbeat.
For a breathless second, everything fell silent. No rain. No wind. Just the sound of two souls recognizing each other.
Then, just as suddenly, the light vanished.
Eryndor gasped. "Did you feel that?"
Luca nodded slowly, eyes wide. "Yeah."
They stood there in stunned quiet, hands still clasped, rain beginning to fall again soft, forgiving, like the sky itself exhaled.
Later that night, Eryndor dreamed again.
This time, he stood on a field of stars, the mark on his wrist glowing brighter than before.
A voice whispered the same one from before, calm and ancient.
"You are close now. Remember the name."
He tried to speak, but no sound came out.
"Two hearts. One frequency."
The words echoed, breaking apart like shards of glass.
Eryndor woke with a start, breath heavy, sweat cold on his skin. The mark still shimmered faintly, as if the dream hadn't ended at all.
Outside, the rain continued to fall quiet, patient, endless.
And somewhere in the next dorm over, Luca couldn't sleep either.