Ashes of Eternity

THE FESTIVAL BEGINS

It was a rare sight—Evernight University wasn’t gloomy today.

For once, the towering halls and quiet courtyards were full of light, music, and the smell of magical food cooking in mid-air. Banners floated on their own, changing colors to match the mood of the festival. Laughter echoed off stone walls that usually only knew silence and whispers.

Students were busy prepping for the Festival of the Twelve Gods, an annual event meant to honor the twelve elemental deities of their world. Well—technically eleven. The last one, the Goddess of Ruin, was more of a myth. No one really talked about her. Her statue was always missing from the Grand Hall, and most professors just brushed her off like a bad memory.

But right now, no one cared much about that. Everyone was too focused on winning “Best Booth.”

“Seraphina, this booth needs more sparkle,” Liora declared, holding a jar full of floating, glowing orbs. “I want people to cry when they see it—like emotional trauma, but pretty.”

Seraphina laughed, tying ribbons to the side of their canopy. “This is a booth, not a music video.”

“Same thing!” Liora grinned. “We’re repping the Goddess of Stars, right? Might as well blind people with beauty.”

Their section, Umbra-7, was in charge of decorating a stall inspired by Aurelia, the celestial goddess. Their theme was constellations and memory, which meant illusion spells, glowing lights, and ribbon charms that reacted to people’s emotions.

Nearby, students were handing out glowing pastries and enchanted tea. One booth had literal dancing brooms. Another played music on its own.

“It smells like sugar and chaos,” Seraphina muttered as a cupcake floated past her head.

She looked around the courtyard—and that’s when her gaze landed on Ezekiel.

He wasn’t doing anything flashy. Just standing at his section’s booth, talking quietly with one of his friends. But even like that—he stood out. Something about the way he carried himself… like he didn’t care if anyone was watching. Or maybe he always expected it.

Of course, Liora noticed her staring.

“Ooooh no,” she said, biting into a cookie. “Here we go again.”

“What?” Seraphina blinked.

“Girl, don’t even. You’re looking at him like he’s a limited-edition spell book.”

Seraphina rolled her eyes but smiled. “It’s not like that.”

Liora leaned in with a mischievous smirk. “So it’s exactly like that.”

She turned back to their work, cheeks warm. As she reached up to adjust the constellation projector, Ezekiel glanced her way. Just briefly.

Their eyes met.

And then he looked away, pretending it didn’t happen.

Cool. Totally normal.

Meanwhile, across the courtyard…

“Dude, stop pretending you’re not watching her,” Ezekiel’s friend muttered while handing him a can of cold moonfruit soda.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“She just stands out, okay?”

His friend grinned. “Because she’s hot?”

Ezekiel said nothing. But yeah, maybe.

There was something… different about her. He’d noticed it since the trial. Her eyes shifted color sometimes, like they had a mind of their own—silver, lilac, sometimes icy blue. No one else seemed to see it. He wasn’t sure if she even noticed. Her hair glowed faintly under certain lights. And there was that feeling again—the one that tugged at his chest every time she was near.

It didn’t make sense.

He didn’t like things that didn’t make sense.

Back at the Umbra-7 booth, Seraphina was tying down the last ribbon when Liora leaned in and whispered, “I’m just saying… you two? Peak enemies-to-lovers energy.”

“Liora—”

“No one’s saying you have to marry him. Just… you know. Spar again. Flirt a little. Accidentally save the world together.”

Seraphina snorted, tossing a ribbon at her. “You’re insane.”

“I’m a visionary.”

The night ended with enchanted fireworks painting the sky in gold and crimson. The constellations above shifted, slowly forming the symbols of each god—except one. The space for the Goddess of Ruin remained blank.

Seraphina stared at the empty patch of sky, a strange chill settling over her skin.

She didn’t know why… but something about it felt like a warning.