Kael and Vega's eyes widened instantly. They didn't know how to react. Kael leaned closer to Vega and whispered, "Did they just… accidentally kiss?" Vega bit his lip to keep from laughing. "I think so…" he said, his voice trembling.
Aryel and Lucien quickly pulled away from each other, both of their faces burning red.
Panicking, Aryel turned toward Kael and Vega. "It was an accident! You saw nothing. Don't you dare… don't you dare tell anyone!"
Her voice shook, almost pleading. Lucien quickly nodded in agreement, though neither could bring themselves to meet each other's eyes.
Kael and Vega exchanged a glance. Then Kael spoke, trying to sound serious.
"What happened? The carriage shook, everyone got thrown around. We didn't see anything.
Right, Vega?"
Vega's voice came out louder than intended. "We didn't see anything!"
Kael raised an eyebrow, surprised, while Vega covered his mouth to stop a laugh.
Aryel wanted to disappear into the ground, and Lucien still avoided everyone's eyes.
Unable to bear it any longer, Aryel called out to the driver.
"Can we stop for a short break?"
She needed air. Her face was still burning; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't erase that moment from her mind.
She had her eyes closed for nearly an hour, pretending to sleep, but her heart was still racing — almost ready to burst.
What's wrong with me? she thought. It wasn't even a real kiss.
Their lips had just… brushed by accident. Yet every time she replayed it in her mind, her cheeks grew hotter.
Why would I even want to kiss Lucien? she scolded herself. The more she thought about it, the more flustered she became.
Resting her head against the window, she watched the trees sway in the wind. She took a deep breath, but the pounding in her chest wouldn't slow down.
Then the sound of the wheels began to fade — the carriage was slowing down.
Aryel's eyes shot open. "Are we stopping?"
Kael turned around, looking puzzled. "I think so… but weren't you asleep?"
Aryel answered shortly, "I was."
Vega yawned, clearly bored. "We've been on the road for hours. Let's get out, some fresh air will do us good." He opened the door and stepped out.
Lucien silently watched them go. He didn't say a word — he didn't even know what to say. The same storm Aryel felt was raging inside him too.
Kael got out next. Aryel hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and followed.
Lucien stepped out last, his eyes unintentionally lingering on Aryel before he quickly looked away and walked off.
At that moment, the second carriage arrived, pulling up beside theirs.
Maia burst out of it the instant the door opened.
"Aryel! How's your trip going?"
After catching her breath, she continued with excitement,
"Traveling with Nathan is so much fun! I've been sitting next to him for hours — I'm seriously so happy. This trip could last forever and I wouldn't mind!"
Aryel paused, a weary yet amused smile spreading across her face.
"Hasn't it already lasted forever?"
Maia blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, Aryel? It's only been four hours!"
Aryel shook her head, speaking absentmindedly. "It just feels much longer… Did you cast a time spell or something?"
Maia looked her up and down. "Are you okay? You've been acting strange lately."
Aryel gave a faint smile. "I'm fine. Just a little tense about the mission. We still don't know what we're walking into."
By then, Vega and Kael had joined them.
Kael swung the bag he was carrying. "How about we grab something to eat? This little guy's stomach has been growling for hours."
Maia pouted and giggled. "Sure, let's eat. Vega, would you join me? There's a food bag in the carriage."
Vega nodded. "Of course."
As the two of them walked off, Kael and Aryel were left alone.
For a while, neither spoke. Then Kael broke the silence."Aryel, you shouldn't let that bother you. Nothing really happened—it was an accident."
Aryel's cheeks turned red again."Yes, I know… I'm not bothered, it's just…"Her voice trailed off; she couldn't finish the sentence.
Kael tilted his head.
"Just what? You can tell me, you know that, right? I won't tell anyone unless you want me to."
Aryel took a deep breath.
"I don't even know, Kael… but that moment keeps replaying in my head. Every time I look at Lucien… I feel embarrassed. My heart starts racing. But this—this feeling started even before the kiss happened. What's wrong with me?"
Kael froze for a moment. In Aryel's words, he recognized his own confusion. He'd been feeling the same lately—especially since that dream where he saw Vega.
"You'll have to figure those feelings out on your own, Aryel," he said quietly. "I don't really know either. Maybe we're both a little weak when it comes to this. But whenever you need to talk… I'll be there."
Aryel looked at him. There was no exaggeration in his tone—just genuine sincerity. They shared a brief, quiet smile before walking back toward the others.
Everyone was sitting on the grass, chatting and snacking, laughter occasionally breaking through the calm.
Griffine waved a piece of bread at them. "Come on, grab something to eat!"
Kael immediately joined the conversation, plopping down next to Maia. Aryel quietly took a piece of bread and began eating in silence. The atmosphere had softened; tension had given way to a warm ease.
As usual, Maia's energy bounced from one topic to another. Her eyes soon landed on Erin.
"Wow, you're so pretty! Do you have a boyfriend?"
Erin blinked, surprised, but smiled warmly. "Thank you, Maia. I did… but we broke up recently. So no, not right now."
Maia nodded empathetically. "Well, he's the one who lost out then. I'm sure you'll find someone even better, sis."
Erin replied with a gentle smile. Then Maia quickly turned her gaze to Lucien.
"What about you, Lucien? Do you have a girlfriend?"
At that exact moment, Aryel choked on her bread. She coughed violently, her face turning bright red.
The idea that Lucien might have a girlfriend had never even crossed her mind.
Lucien… with a girlfriend?
A flood of thoughts rushed through her head. What if he does? What if there's someone? Her heart started pounding uncontrollably.
Lucien hesitated at Maia's question. Everyone was watching him, but he kept his eyes on the ground.
"I don't think so…" he said quietly.
Maia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, you don't think so?"
Lucien took a slow breath, his voice lower now.
"I had a childhood friend. We were close, but she wasn't my girlfriend. Maybe she thought we were… I don't know. After graduation, we went our separate ways. I haven't seen her since."
Silence followed. There was a hint of sadness in his tone, though his face stayed composed.Vega and Kael didn't say a word; Maia looked like she wanted to, but changed her mind.
Aryel kept holding her piece of bread, though she could no longer taste it.Something heavy sat in her chest. So there was someone… Does he still like her? She was startled by how much that thought bothered her.
Kael noticed Aryel's expression and quickly decided to steer the topic away.
"So… Erin, how many-star Guardian are you? How long have you been on missions?"
Erin smiled. "I'm a three-star Guardian. It's been about seven years, I think. I'll be taking the four-star exam by the end of this year, hopefully I'll pass."
Griffine looked surprised. "What? You're still a three-star? I thought you were at least five!"
Erin raised an eyebrow. "Healers aren't as lucky as you fighters. We progress more slowly. But I'm happy with my growth. There are healers with over ten years of experience still stuck at three stars."
Griffine chuckled. "You compare yourself to the weak ones? Try looking at the strong ones for once."
Erin narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you always this annoying?"
Griffine shrugged. "Did I hurt your feelings? I'll buy you a drink when we reach the village—call it an apology."
The others watched the exchange with amusement. Vega couldn't resist and jumped in.
"So, big bro, you're five stars then. What about you, Nathan and Lucien—how many stars?"
Nathan answered first. "I'm a two-star. Taking the exam for three at the end of the year."
Lucien added calmly, "I'm four."
Vega's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? How long have you been a Guardian?"
Lucien replied shortly, "It's not about time. Normally, you can take the exam every two years, but with a captain's recommendation, you can advance early."
Vega nodded in awe. "Wow… so it depends on performance, huh?"
"You could say that," Lucien replied quietly.
Vega clenched his fist in excitement. "Then I'll become a two-star in no time!"
Kael jumped in immediately.
"Then it's a race," Kael said, grinning. "Let's bet on who reaches the next rank faster!"
Maia raised her hands.
"I don't think I'll rank up anytime soon. If we hadn't been given that single star at graduation, I wouldn't even be here."
Nathan immediately objected.
"Why would you say that? Your power's incredibly valuable. If you can learn to control it properly, you'll rise quickly."
Maia's eyes brightened, her voice softened. "You really think so?"
She gazed at Nathan for a few seconds, admiration flickering in her eyes.
Erin giggled. "You two… are you dating or something?"
Nathan froze at the unexpected question.
He had no idea what to say. The look on Maia's face shifted — a hint of disappointment appeared in her eyes. They hadn't defined what they were yet, so what could he say?
Kael quickly jumped in. "They're just flirting. Leave them be."
Maia's face turned crimson. Just flirting? she thought.
Kael's words echoed in her head. I need to make this clear soon… she decided silently.
Griffine clapped his hands together. "So, drinks tonight?"
Erin turned toward him, an amused smile tugging at her lips.
"Still on that? Did you really think one drink could fix a broken heart?"
Griffine laughed, and the others joined in.
Vega teased Kael while munching on food, Maia kept stealing glances at Nathan.
The air was warm, lively, and comfortable.
Except for Aryel.
While everyone laughed, she was lost in thought, her gaze distant — her mind wandering somewhere far darker.
Lucien's past, that fleeting moment, the strange feeling in her chest… it all swirled together, heavy and confusing.
Lucien finally broke the silence.
"We should get moving. We've wasted enough time."
Aryel snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice. Reality settled back in.
Everyone began gathering their things and heading toward the carriages.
Kael turned to Griffine with a grin.
"Hey, bro, ride with us this time. We've got tons of questions, and I'd love to hear your insights."
Griffine nodded. "Sure. Lucien, if it's fine by you, we can switch places."
Lucien shrugged. "Makes no difference to me."
As everyone got ready to leave, Griffine caught Kael's arm and pulled him aside.
In a low voice, he asked,
"What's going on? Why did Aryel seem so distant? Her eyes were… elsewhere."
Kael took a small breath. He explained everything as simply as he could — carefully leaving out the kissing part. After all, he'd promised Aryel.
When he finished, Griffine chuckled.
"Ah… my little sister's growing up, huh? I'm touched."
Kael couldn't help but smile, though he kept a serious tone.
"Honestly, I've never seen her like this before. I got worried, so I didn't want to keep it to myself."
Griffine placed a hand on Kael's shoulder.
"Thanks, Kael. I'm glad that's all it was — I thought it might be something worse."
They shared a short laugh, then headed to the carriage. The wind blew gently as the reins were pulled and the horses started moving.
The sun was high now. Aryel watched the scenery outside, trying to organize the whirlwind inside her mind.
The carriage was quiet; the others had already fallen asleep. By the time they reached the village, the sky had darkened.
Without wasting time, they made their way to the inn. They'd rest there for the night and meet the merchant team in the morning to continue the journey together.
As Maia stepped out of the carriage, she leaned toward Nathan and whispered,
"Meet me under that tree in a bit?"
Nathan smiled faintly. "I'll drop off my stuff and be right there."
He had a rough idea of what she wanted to talk about. He wanted clarity too — but was this the right time? He'd never been in a relationship; he didn't even know how one was supposed to start.
Lost in thought, he dropped off his belongings and walked to the tree.
A few minutes later, Maia appeared. She had changed her clothes and tied her hair back. "Did I keep you waiting?" she asked nervously.
Nathan looked her over, his voice quiet. "No… come, sit with me."
Maia sat down beside him, as if she'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.
For a while, they just looked at each other in silence. Then Maia spoke softly:
"Nathan… what are we?"
Nathan had known this question was coming. But hearing it from Maia still made his heart race.
"I don't know, Maia," he said honestly.
Maia didn't look away. "So this thing between us… is it just going to stay like this?"
Nathan shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean. I don't want it to stay like this. I just… don't know how it's supposed to continue."
Maia furrowed her brows slightly. "So you don't want to date me?"
Nathan replied quickly.
"Don't be ridiculous, that's not what I said. I just… don't know the pace we should go at.
I've never been in a relationship before."
A small smile curved Maia's lips.
"I'll teach you," Maia whispered softly. "But first… let's make things clear between us.
Do you like me?"
"Y-yes… yes, I do," Nathan stammered.
The moment he said it out loud, his heart began pounding so fast he thought it might stop. His face flushed a deep red, and he couldn't meet her eyes.
A slow smile spread across Maia's lips.
"I like you too," she said calmly, though the warmth in her voice couldn't be hidden.
Nathan lifted his head in surprise, eyes wide. Maia kept smiling.
"So… there's no reason we shouldn't be together, right? We won't be that different from how we are now… just a little closer, that's all."
Nathan's entire face turned crimson; he didn't know where to put his hands. His heart was pounding like crazy, and words tangled on his tongue.
"I-I… um… yeah… I guess so," was all he managed to say.
Maia couldn't help but laugh at his flustered reaction.
Her laughter blended into the night air, and though Nathan was embarrassed, deep down he was happy just to hear it.
Then Maia leaned a little closer toward him.
Their faces drew nearer and nearer; the space between their breaths nearly vanished.
Nathan's heart beat so loudly he could hear it in his ears. What's happening to me? Is she… is she really going to kiss me?
His throat went dry, his breath caught. For a moment, he genuinely thought his heart might stop.