I shook off the lingering unease, pushing myself up as Lara did the same, arms stretching over her head with an exaggerated groan.
"Alright, champ," she said, shaking out her legs. "Let's finish this run in Lowmere. I need my post-workout sweets."
I smirked, brushing off my leggings. "That's the real reason you run, isn't it?"
Lara grinned, completely unashamed. "Obviously."
Without another word, we took off down the path, our strides falling into an easy rhythm. The morning air still carried the crispness of dawn, but the sun had fully risen now, bathing the town in warm golden light.
As we ran, the dense forest gradually thinned, giving way to the familiar cobblestone streets of Lowmere. The hum of the marketplace grew louder, mixing with the distant murmur of conversations, the clinking of enchanted wares, and the rhythmic beat of street performers setting up for the day.
By the time we reached the heart of the town, Lowmere was already alive with energy. The air was thick with the rich scent of spiced pastries, roasted meats, and enchanted fruits that shimmered faintly under the sunlight. Merchants called out to passersby, some weaving enchantments into their words to make their stalls more enticing, others using amplification spells to draw in more customers.
With bags of sweets and snacks in hand, Lara and I navigated through the lively market, the vibrant energy buzzing around us.
A live performance was already in full swing, the deep pulse of drums and the bright strum of chords reverberating through the square. A raised stage had been set up, performers moving in fluid synchronisation, their steps leaving faint traces of glowing magic behind them.
We followed the music, weaving through the crowd, stepping closer to the stage where the performance was reaching its peak.
And that's when we spotted Ezzy at the sidelines, completely engrossed in the show.
She turned just as we reached her, her brows lifting in surprise.
"No way! What are you guys doing here?"
Lara popped a sugar-coated pastry into her mouth before flashing Ezzy a grin.
"What do you think? Our morning run led us straight to the snacks, and now we're here."
Ezzy snorted, crossing her arms. "Typical. And here I thought you came purely for the music."
I held up my bag of sweets. "Who says we can't enjoy both?"
Ezzy rolled her eyes but smirked anyway. "Well, you showed up at the right time. My mom's about to kill this performance."
As if on cue, the stage lights flared, sending bursts of golden light cascading over the crowd as the music shifted into an electrifying rhythm.
Camila stepped forward, her presence commanding, effortless. The shimmering fabric of her outfit reflected the stage lights, moving like liquid gold as she took her place at the center, her voice rising with the beat. Behind her, dancers twirled, their movements sharp and precise.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
And we weren't immune to it either.
Ezzy, Lara, and I whooped and shouted, caught in the energy of the performance.
Lara grabbed my hand, pulling me into the beat, both of us moving in sync, spinning and laughing.
We were singing along with Camila, the music pulsing around us, when I felt Lara's fingers loosen in mine, her attention drifting beyond the stage, locking onto something, or someone in the crowd..
I nudged her. "What?"
She blinked, her expression smoothing over in an instant, her fingers slipping from mine completely.
"I just saw one of my mates from school. Gonna go say hi. I'll meet you at the bridge, okay?"
I hesitated, following her line of sight, but whoever she had been looking at was already lost in the moving bodies.
Her voice was light, casual. Too casual.
Still, I shrugged it off. It wasn't the first time she ran into someone from Arcanis here.
"Fine. Don't take too long."
She flashed a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes before slipping into the sea of moving bodies, disappearing without another word.
I let out a slow breath, shaking off the odd feeling curling at the edges of my mind.
Not my business.
Ezzy and I stayed for the rest of the show, sipping on sweet iced tea, the chill refreshing against the warmth of the morning.
We clapped along, laughing as the crowd erupted into cheers, the energy infectious.
For the first time in a while, I felt carefree.
Before I could even think about leaving, Ezzy grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the backstage area.
"Come on! My mom's been dying to see you ever since I told her about your first recording."
I didn't resist. Excitement bubbled in my chest. Camila had always been one of the few people who truly understood my love for music, the reason she had gifted me the iPod in the first place.
The moment we spotted each other, I didn't hold back.
I practically ran into her open arms, the familiar warmth of her embrace wrapping around me like a shield, a place of comfort I didn't realize I needed.
We stayed like that for a long moment, me sinking into her motherly presence, absorbing the reassurance she so effortlessly gave.
When I finally pulled away, I grinned up at her.
"You were spectacular, Cami."
She beamed, cupping my face for a second before holding my hands in hers.
"Oh, thank you, my love. Now let me get a good look at you." Her warm gaze swept over me before settling on my eyes, full of unspoken pride. "It's been too long since I've seen you."
Her fingers squeezed mine gently, and for a moment, it felt like she saw right through me, all the chaos, all the uncertainty.
"I am so proud of you, Athena."
I swallowed, emotion tightening in my throat.
"Ezzy told me you recorded your first song," she continued, her voice full of certainty. "I knew you'd do it one day. It was never a question of 'if', only 'when.'"
I let out a breathless laugh, shaking my head. "It still doesn't feel real."
Camila smiled knowingly. "Don't be afraid to show the world what you've got, sweetheart. Let them hear what you have to say. I believe in you."
Her words settled something inside me, something I didn't know I needed.
I held her hands a little tighter, my voice softer now. "This means a lot, Cami. Thank you. I can't wait for you to hear it."
"Oh, I already know it'll be amazing," she said confidently, pulling me into another hug, rubbing my back and pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head.
We lingered, neither of us quite ready to say goodbye, but eventually, Camila pulled back, her hands resting on my shoulders.
"Don't be a stranger, sweetheart. You know where to find me."
I smiled. "I'll visit soon. I promise."
Ezzy, standing beside her mom, rolled her eyes but grinned. "You better. You're practically family at this point."
I raised my eyebrows in mock offense. "Practically?"
"Fine, officially." She smirked. "Now go before you get all sentimental on me."
Camila laughed, shaking her head fondly. "Take care of yourself, Athena."
I nodded, glancing between them. "You too. Both of you."
With one final wave, I turned and made my way toward the bridge, the echoes of music and laughter fading behind me.
By the time I reached the bridge, Lara was nowhere in sight.
I leaned over the stone railing, my gaze drifting to the sea below, where the waves rolled in slow, rhythmic pulses, the tide pulling and retreating like a steady breath. The salty breeze curled around me, cool against my skin, but the unease from earlier still lingered at the edges of my thoughts.
I sighed, letting my arms rest against the railing. Lara said she'd meet me here. How long was I supposed to wait?
A few minutes passed, before I heard footsteps approaching.
Light, carefree.
I turned just as Lara came skipping toward me, her face lit up in a grin so wide it was almost suspicious.
I arched a brow. "Wow. Aren't you a bundle of joy?"
She twirled once for dramatic effect before stopping beside me. "What can I say? It's a beautiful day."
I gave her a look. "Where's your friend?"
Lara waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, he had to head back to Lysoria already."
My eyes narrowed slightly. "Soo, it's a he, huh?" I smirked. "Is that why you're grinning like a complete loon?"
Lara had the decency to blush, but she recovered quickly, looping her arm through mine before I could press her further.
"Nice try, but I'm not giving you more. Come on, let's go."
Before I could protest, she was already tugging me forward, changing the subject with ease.
I let her pull me along, but something about her easy dismissal left me wondering.
Who was the guy she just met?
Lara chattered the entire way home, her words tumbling over each other as she launched into one story after another, her hands flying dramatically with every exaggerated detail.
I half-listened, offering the occasional "Really?" or "Wow" at the right moments, mostly just letting her talk.
It wasn't until she nearly smacked me in the face with one of her wild gestures that I snapped back into focus, dodging just in time.
"Lara, please," I sighed. "I'd like to make it home with my face intact."
She just grinned apologetically and kept going.
That's when I caught it.
A scent. Familiar. Unplaceable.
It drifted toward me as she moved, light but distinct, something woven between the usual notes of Lara's perfume and the fresh air of Lowmere.
I frowned slightly, my mind grasping for the connection. Where had I smelled this before?
But before I could latch onto the thought, Lara threw in another scandalous bit of gossip, her voice rising in excitement.
"…and just as she reached for the restricted section, Professor Rhyles appeared out of nowhere, like he was waiting for her!"
I blinked, realizing I had completely lost the thread of the conversation.
I let out a breath, shaking off the distraction. Whatever the scent was, I'd figure it out later.
For now, I let her keep talking, pretending I was still listening, even as something in the back of my mind nagged at me.
By the time we made it home, we were a mess of sweat and sugary snacks, the morning air clinging to our skin.
I headed straight for the kitchen, grabbing a cold bottle of water from the fridge, twisting off the cap in one motion before taking a long sip.
Across from me, Lara didn't bother with such effort. She simply flicked her wrist, and a bottle lifted effortlessly from the fridge's door compartment, floating straight into her waiting hand.
I raised an eyebrow. "I could've just tossed you one, you know?"
Lara smirked, cracking open the bottle. "And where's the fun in that?"
I rolled my eyes, pushing off the counter. "Your magic is going to make you so lazy."
"And yet, I'll still be faster than you."
I huffed but let it slide, already heading upstairs to my room. I grabbed a set of comfortable clothes and made my way straight to the shower, eager to wash off the morning's exhaustion.
As the warm water cascaded over me, my thoughts wandered back to the faint scent that had lingered on Lara earlier.
I tried to place it, to match it with a face, a memory,but nothing surfaced immediately. All I knew was that it wasn't just some random trace of perfume or the lingering scent of the market.
It was familiar. Too familiar.
Whoever Lara had met today wasn't just a friend. The way she actually blushed when I teased her earlier at the bridge, was a dead giveaway. It couldn't have been Zayn. If it were him, he would have come to greet us, and besides, I knew his scent all too well.
Then, suddenly, Jaz's words from Friday night surfaced in my mind.
"Something happened between Zayn and Lara. And this time, they're not getting back together."
According to Jaz, they broke up right after Lara's birthday party, and if today was any indication, my sister was moving on far quicker than I would've expected.
And yet, I'd never even had the chance to ask her about it.
The thought nagged at me as I wrapped my hair in a towel. I got dressed quickly, and without a second thought, made my way to Lara's room.
I leaned against the doorway, watching as warm currents of air swirled through Lara's fingers, lifting strands of her damp hair effortlessly. The glow of her magic reflected in the vanity mirror, flickering softly against her skin.
She caught my reflection and arched her brow. "What's with the serious face? You look like you're about to interrogate me."
I crossed my arms, not bothering to ease into it. "Jaz told me you and Zayn broke up."
Lara's hands paused mid-motion, her magic faltering for just a second before she smoothly recovered, continuing to dry her hair like I hadn't said anything.
"And?" she said, tone carefully neutral.
I narrowed my eyes. "And you never told me."
She sighed, setting her magic aside and picking up a comb instead. "It wasn't a big deal."
I scoffed. "Not a big deal? You two have been on-and-off for years. And now, suddenly, you're done? Just like that?"
Lara dragged the comb through her hair, her movements just a little too sharp. "Athens, people break up. It happens."
I took a step closer. "Not you two. Not like this."
She let out a short, breathless laugh, one with no humor in it. "Right, because obviously, you know my relationship better than I do."
I ignored the sarcasm. "Something happened, didn't it?"
Lara finally turned in her seat, meeting my gaze, eyes guarded. "We both decided we wanted different things. We weren't the right fit."
I frowned. "And you came to that realization out of nowhere?"
She sighed, rolling her shoulders like she was shaking something off. "No, Athens. The on-and-off thing was getting tiring. We were stuck in a cycle, and honestly? It was better this way. We called it quits before things got worse."
I studied her, taking in the casual way she said it, the way she seemed perfectly at ease with her explanation.
But something about it didn't sit right. Lara had never been one to let go so easily.
"That's it?" I pressed. "You just agreed to end it?"
Lara gave me a look. "Would it make you feel better if I said we had some dramatic falling out?"
I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples. "I just...Lara, I need to know you're okay."
Her expression softened for just a moment before she rolled her eyes, standing up. "I'm fine, Athens. I promise." She threw an arm around my shoulders, steering me toward the door. "Now, enough with the heavy talks. Let's go find something to do before you start psychoanalysing me again."
I let her guide me out, but my thoughts were still spinning.
Maybe, just maybe, I needed to back off.
I was pulling too hard, picking at every thread, trying to unravel something she clearly wasn't ready to share. And I was afraid that if I pushed any harder, she'd shut me out completely.
And right now, that wasn't a risk I was willing to take.
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to let it go. At least for now.
Lara was my sister. If something was really wrong, she'd tell me.
Wouldn't she?