POV: KIERAN
Timeline: Two weeks later
Location: Nocterra
Recovery is boring.
"I'm fine!" I protest for the hundredth time.
"Your stitches aren't even out yet," Ravion says, not looking up from his paperwork.
"They will be tomorrow!"
"Then tomorrow you can resume normal activities."
"That's so arbitrary!"
"That's following medical advice."
"I'm going insane from boredom!"
"Read a book."
"I've read five books!"
"Read a sixth."
I throw a pillow at him. He catches it without looking up.
Show-off.
"I hate you," I mutter.
"You love me."
"Unfortunately."
He finally looks up, smiling. "What do you want to do that's so important?"
"Train with Kaelis. He's been sending me letters about his magic progress and I want to see it."
"You saw him three days ago."
"That was three days ago! Things change!"
"In three days?"
"YES!"
Ravion sets down his quill. "Fine.
Tomorrow, after the physician clears you, we'll visit the Tidelands."
"Really?"
"Really." He stands, crosses to me. "But tonight, you rest."
"I've been resting for two weeks!"
"Good. One more night won't kill you."
He kisses me before I can argue. Which is cheating but also effective.
"You're impossible," I mumble against his lips.
"You're impatient."
"Same thing."
That night, I have a dream.
Not a nightmare. Just... strange.
I'm standing in a hallway I don't recognize. Dark. Cold. Wrong.
"Kieran."
Kaelis appears at the end of the hall. But something's off. His eyes are too bright. His smile too wide.
"Kaelis?" I take a step toward him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm perfect." His voice echoes wrong. "Better than perfect. I'm powerful."
"What?"
"My magic. It's growing. Stronger every day." He raises his hands. Water swirls around them—dark water, thick like oil. "So strong. Too strong."
"Kaelis, what's—"
"I'm going to hurt someone," he says. Voice flat. "My magic is too much. Too unstable. I'm dangerous."
"No you're not—"
"I am." He looks at me. "I'm going to hurt you. Hurt Nyx. Hurt everyone I love." His smile turns sad. "So I have to leave."
"Leave?! Where?"
"Somewhere far away. Somewhere I can't hurt anyone." He starts backing away. "Goodbye, Kieran."
"Wait! Kaelis, wait!"
I try to run toward him but my feet won't move. I'm stuck. Watching him disappear.
"KAELIS!"
I wake up gasping.
Ravion is beside me immediately. "Kieran? What's wrong?"
"Dream. About Kaelis. He said—" I try to catch my breath. "He said he was going to hurt someone. That he had to leave."
"It was just a dream."
"But what if it wasn't? What if he's actually thinking that?"
"Then we'd know. Nyx would tell us."
I touch the twin bond in my chest. It feels... normal? Maybe slightly anxious but that could be me projecting.
"You're right," I say slowly. "Just a dream."
"Just a dream," Ravion agrees. "Go back to sleep."
I try.
But the image of Kaelis' sad smile stays with me.