The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain-soaked stone. Rynna hurried along the corridor, clutching her books, when she nearly collided with someone stepping out of the shadows.
"Whoa—sorry," she said, looking up to see a boy with ember-tinged eyes and an unreadable expression.
Kael's gaze flicked to her, and he said nothing at first. Then, after a pause, he spoke quietly. "Rynna?"
She blinked. "Kael. Morning."
He nodded faintly, slipping past her to walk alongside. For a moment, neither spoke, letting the quiet stretch between them like a thread.
"I want you to meet someone," Rynna said finally. "This is Eren — my best friend."
From around the corner, a familiar voice called out. "Rynna! You're late if you don't hurry!"
Eren jogged forward, bag slung over one shoulder, a grin on his face.
"Hey Eren," Rynna said, motioning him over.
Kael offered a small nod. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Eren said, studying Kael curiously. "You're… quiet."
Kael smirked faintly. "Something like that."
The three of them moved down the stone corridors, the halls slowly filling with the noise of students.
"Class first," Kael muttered under his breath.
As they neared the History hall, a familiar figure appeared, weaving through the crowd. "By the Ancients, there you all are!"
Rynna's lips curved into a small smile. "Liran!"
Eren's brow furrowed. "Wait… who's that?"
Rynna gestured. "This is Liran Corvane. Liran, meet Eren — my best friend."
Liran grinned, silver clasp catching the light. "Nice to meet you."
Eren's eyes narrowed, curious. "How… how do you know him?"
Rynna hesitated, then chuckled softly. "I… met him last night."
"Last night?" Eren echoed, incredulous. "In the middle of the night?"
Rynna shrugged, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Something like that. It was… complicated."
Kael's eyes flicked toward her, faint embers flaring for an instant before settling back into their usual shade.
The four of them fell into step together and slipped into the classroom, blending into the chatter of students. The scent of old parchment and polished wood mixed with the faint tang of chalk dust, grounding Rynna in the familiar rhythms of school life.
"Looks like we all survived the morning," Eren whispered, nudging her shoulder. "Barely."
Rynna smiled faintly, glancing at Kael. He had settled into his seat quietly, his eyes scanning the room, ever watchful. Liran, on the other hand, leaned back casually, surveying the class like a strategist preparing for battle.
Professor Darnell appeared at the front with a crisp clap of his hands. "Settle down, students. History waits for no one, and neither does the truth of the past."
Rynna shivered slightly, not from cold, but from the echo of those words. Truth. Past. The fire's memory lingered faintly in her mind, as if reminding her that some truths refused to stay buried.
"Today," Darnell continued, "we will discuss the First Covenant — the pact that shaped the early alliances of the Celestials. You may think this is myth, but myth is often memory dressed in shadow."
Rynna's fingers tightened around her pen. She thought of the Spire, of the fire, of Kael, and of the words Seraphine had whispered: Reforge the covenant.
Eren leaned toward her, whispering, "Do you understand any of this? All I hear is fancy words about fire gods and old promises."
Rynna smiled faintly. "More than you know."
Liran caught her glance and raised an eyebrow. "You actually seem… interested. Most people zone out by now."
Kael, still quiet, scribbled something in his notebook. Occasionally, his amber gaze flicked toward the window, as if half-watching the world outside while half-listening to the lecture.
"Remember," Darnell said, pointing at a diagram of an intricate circle of sigils, "the First Covenant was not just a promise. It was a binding — and breaking it had consequences that reached far beyond the mortals who bore witness."
Rynna's pulse quickened. The words felt too familiar, too close to what she and Kael had seen in the Spire. She stole a glance at him. His jaw was tight, his eyes thoughtful.
Eren, oblivious to the tension, whispered again. "Rynna, are you taking notes or daydreaming about… Kael's mysterious past?"
Rynna smirked. "Maybe a little of both."
Liran, catching their exchange, leaned closer. "I like her," he muttered to Kael, just loud enough for Rynna to hear. "She actually notices things."
Kael didn't respond, only his fingers tightening slightly around the pen.
The lecture went on, weaving through the history of covenants, sigils, and ancient bindings. For Rynna, every word was a thread connecting the past she had glimpsed in the Spire to the present unfolding in this mundane classroom.
The final bell rang with a sharp clang, scattering students into the hallways. Rynna packed her books slowly, her fingers brushing the worn leather of her notebook.
Eren bounced on the balls of his feet. "Finally! Freedom! Or at least a little freedom before detention, homework, and… well, everything else."
Rynna smiled, but her gaze flicked to Kael. He walked beside her, quiet, his hands deep in his pockets. Something in the set of his shoulders told her the fire's memory was tugging at him again.
Liran caught up, sliding effortlessly alongside them. "You two looked like statues during History. I half-expected to see your souls being drained by the lecture." He glanced at Kael. "And you… brooding as usual?"
Kael didn't answer, only exhaled softly.
Eren tilted his head, curiosity written across his face. "Rynna… seriously, how do you know Liran?"
Rynna hesitated, then chuckled softly. "I… met him last night."
"Last night?" Eren echoed, incredulous. "In the middle of the night? Where… what were you doing?"
"Something complicated," Rynna said, keeping her voice light. "You wouldn't believe it."
Kael's eyes flicked toward her, at the flicker in his amber eyes.
As they approached the courtyard, a faint hum tugged at Rynna's mind — the same pulse she had felt at the Spire. Her heart beat a little faster.
"You okay?" Eren asked, noticing the tension in her posture.
Rynna shook her head slightly. "Yeah… just… tired."
Liran glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "Tired or thinking about the kinds of trouble that apparently follow you everywhere?"
Rynna didn't answer. She couldn't. The hum in her mind was growing, as if the fire itself was nudging her to remember, to act, to prepare.
Kael exhaled, a low sound that seemed almost like a warning. "It's coming," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
Eren frowned. "Coming? What's coming?"
Rynna felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced at Kael, at the flicker in his eyes, at the tension in his shoulders. She didn't have to ask what he meant.
The ordinary felt fragile, stretched thin at the edges, and Rynna could feel it. The fire's memory lingered, patient, watching — and she knew it wouldn't wait forever.
Together, they walked toward their next class, unaware of how close the extraordinary already was.