The Dean's voice rang through the grand hall, calm and authoritative, carrying effortlessly over the assembled students. "As stated before, you have five days to select your dance partners. After that, you will travel with them to your respective hometowns for joint training before returning for the grand ball. Due to external circumstances, the inter-kingdom tournament will be postponed until further notice."
The hall erupted instantly.
"Five days?!" "Postponed? Again?" "Wait—we're going home?!"
Relief, frustration, excitement—every emotion clashed at once. Aiden just stood there, blank-faced, processing only one word.
Dance.
Leon leaned closer, grin sharp. "This is going to be hilarious."
Xaleth let out a rare chuckle. "I don't think I've ever seen you move gracefully, Aiden."
Aiden frowned. "It's just coordinated movement. How bad can it be?"
A familiar voice drifted past them. "Oh, it can be very bad."
Elara shot him a teasing wink as she walked by with her team. Leon and Xaleth turned in perfect sync.
"Oho?" Leon drawled. "Someone already has a partner."
Aiden looked away instantly. "Shut up."
By lunchtime, the canteen had descended into absolute anarchy. Tables were abandoned, groups formed and dissolved every minute, and confessions were being launched like battlefield charges. Aiden, Leon, and Xaleth watched it all from their usual spot.
Leon deadpanned, "This is worse than combat."
Across the room, Elara's group had claimed a corner table. Lyra rested her chin on her palm, eyes unfocused, thoughts very much not on the ball. Her mind replayed an image she very much did not ask for—Leon standing amidst fallen opponents, blood streaking his knuckles, silver hair wild, eyes cold.
…hot.
She stiffened. "—Nope. No. Absolutely not."
Elysia smirked. "You're thinking something dangerous."
"I am not."
"Liar."
Meanwhile, Leon had become a magnet for unwanted attention. A group of girls approached, clearly rehearsed.
"Leon, would you—"
"I don't dance."
They blinked.
"We could still—"
He walked away mid-sentence.
Lyra intercepted him at the next table, pulling out a chair and sitting down like it was destiny. "Yo."
Leon looked at her. "What."
"You're my dance partner."
"No."
"Yes."
"I don't dance."
Lyra grinned. "Neither do I. So we'll suffer together."
Leon stared at her. "…Are you forcing this?"
"Absolutely."
Xaleth and Aiden lost it. Leon sighed like a man realizing fate had found him again.
Aiden's situation imploded moments later when Vael Darius passed by and casually said, "Better hurry before someone else asks Elara."
That was all it took.
Aiden shot up. "Excuse me."
"Look at him go," Xaleth muttered.
"Pathetic," Leon added fondly.
Aiden found Elara near the gardens, sunlight catching in her dark hair as she stared up at the sky.
"Aiden?" she said, surprised.
He scratched the back of his head. "I'll be honest. I'm terrible at this."
She waited.
"Wanna be my dance partner?"
She blinked—then smiled, warm and real. "I thought you'd never ask."
Aiden exhaled in relief.
"Oh," she added brightly, "I'm a terrible dancer."
"…What?"
"We're doomed."
Aiden buried his face in his hands.
That night, Xaleth returned to his dorm after being dragged—against his will—into a "necessary grooming session." Elysia stood behind him with scissors, utterly unimpressed.
"You looked like a battlefield survivor."
"I survived," he replied flatly.
"Barely." Snip.
When she finished, Xaleth stared at the mirror in silence.
"…Huh."
That was all he said.
Later that night, Aiden and Leon looked up as Xaleth entered the room.
Silence.
Leon squinted. "Who are you."
Aiden stared. "Why do you look… illegal."
Xaleth frowned. "What does that mean."
The next morning, the canteen froze when Xaleth walked in. Whispers spread instantly.
"Was he always like that?" "I swear I've never seen him before." "That's Xaleth?!"
Girls approached him in waves.
"Would you like to—" "No." "Just one dance—" "No." "I heard you don't—" "I already have a partner."
"…Who?"
Xaleth glanced across the room. Elysia met his gaze, eyebrow raised.
"She is."
The room exploded.
The ballroom practice that followed was pure chaos. Aiden winced as Elara stepped on his foot again.
"Sorry!"
"Third time!"
Across the hall, Leon refused to even touch Lyra's hand.
"I'd rather fight ten mages."
"You fought fifty last week!"
Xaleth, meanwhile, moved smoothly across the floor, guiding Elysia with effortless precision.
"You're good at this?" she asked.
"Battle coordination," he replied calmly.
She smiled. "Didn't expect that."
And somewhere on the sidelines, Vael Darius laughed into his drink.
"Aiden," he said, grinning, "you're supposed to lead, not survive."
Aiden glared. "Shut up."
Vael's smile only widened.
The ball preparations had begun.
And none of them were ready.