Elyra couldn't sleep.
Not after what Kael said.
A key. A threat. Or my ruin.
His words echoed like spells in her mind.
She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and stepped out of her dormitory. Moonfire Academy was quiet at night, its spires glowing faintly with starlight. The wind carried whispers—ancient, soft, like lullabies from the stars.
She wandered, without knowing where she was going, until her feet led her to the cliff behind the library—the highest point in the Academy.
He was already there.
Kael stood at the edge, staring out into the night sky. Silver eyes reflecting stars, black hair caught in the wind. He didn't turn, but spoke like he knew she was coming.
"You shouldn't be here."
"Neither should you," she whispered.
Silence fell, sharp but soft, like snowfall.
"I touched the fire orb today," she said. "It lit up. Only the fireborn can do that."
Kael turned to her slowly. "You're not fireborn."
"Then what am I?"
His jaw tensed. "Something the world isn't ready for."
He stepped closer. The wind stilled. The night hushed. She could hear her own heart.
"Why are you always near me?" she asked.
"I'm trying not to be," he admitted.
"Then stop."
"I can't."
And then he kissed her.
It was sudden, fierce, and soft all at once—a kiss full of heat and magic, like stars colliding. The moment their lips met, the sky above exploded in light. The moon turned deep gold. The trees bent with the force of magic that burst from between them.
Elyra gasped as power surged through her veins like fire and lightning. The cliff beneath them glowed with runes that hadn't been seen in a hundred years.
Kael pulled away, breathless. His voice shook.
"What did we just do?"
From the shadows, a pair of eyes watched them. And somewhere deep in the school… something ancient stirred.