Chapter Three: Whispers and Wars
731 Words
First-Person POV (Liora Althain)
You know what I hate?
Attention.
Okay, fine-that's a lie. I don't hate attention. I just hate the wrong kind of attention.
And right now?
Every single student in Astrae Academy was staring at me.
"Well," sabi ko kay Theron habang naglalakad kami sa corridor, "this is fun. I feel famous."
"Famous ka na," sagot niya, halatang uneasy.
"Pero ibang level na 'to, Liora. You and Prince Veyran? That... thing earlier?"
I rolled my eyes. "It was just a spell alignment."
"Just?"
"Okay, fine. A weirdly perfect spell alignment."
Theron stopped walking. "You don't understand.
Hindi 'yon normal."
"I figured," sagot ko, mas tahimik na.
Kasi kahit ako... naramdaman ko.
That moment.
When our magic merged-
It wasn't forced.
It wasn't chaotic.
It was... natural.
And that was the problem.
Pagpasok ko sa hall, mas lalo kong naramdaman yung tingin ng mga tao. Whispers everywhere.
"That's her..."
"She matched Veyran..."
"Impossible..."
I smirked slightly. "At least interesting ako."
"Dangerous ka," sabi ni Theron.
"Same thing."
"Princess Althain."
Oh.
That voice.
I turned-and there he was.
Kael Veyran.
Of course.
Standing like he owned the entire hallway. Again.
"Prince Veyran," sagot ko. "Miss me already?"
His eyes flickered with something-amusement?
Annoyance? Hard to tell.
"Hardly," sabi niya. "But it seems everyone else is talking about us."
"Us?" tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. "Don't flatter yourself."
"That was not a compliment."
"Shame."
He stepped closer. Not too close-but enough.
"Do you understand what happened earlier?" tanong niya, mas seryoso na.
I crossed my arms. "Yes. We didn't kill each other. Very shocking."
"Liora."
Ah.
First name.
That was new.
I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Careful, Prince. You're getting familiar."
"You should take this seriously," sabi niya, ignoring that. "Our magic-"
"-aligned. Yes. I noticed. Hard to miss."
"It shouldn't be possible."
I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice. "And yet... here we are."
For a moment, tahimik lang kami.
And I realized something.
He wasn't just curious.
He was... concerned.
"Your Highness."
A new voice.
I turned-and saw a group of nobles approaching. Students din, but clearly high-ranking.
One of them, a girl with perfectly styled hair and a smile that looked more like a weapon, stepped forward.
"Princess Seraphine Valcrest," she introduced herself. "It's an honor."
I smiled back. Equally sharp. "Is it?"
Her smile didn't falter. "I've heard... interesting things."
"About me?"
"And about your... partnership with Prince Veyran."
Ah.
There it is.
Third-Person POV (Kael Veyran)
Kael observed the interaction carefully.
Seraphine Valcrest-ambitious, calculating, and far too interested in power dynamics. She wasn't just making conversation. She was probing.
And Liora?
She was enjoying it.
Of course she was.
"Temporary alignment," Kael said coldly, stepping in. "Nothing more."
Seraphine's gaze shifted to him. "Of course, Your Highness."
But there was doubt in her eyes.
Good. She should doubt.
First-Person POV (Liora Althain)
"Temporary?" ulit ko, glancing at Kael. "That's a bit dismissive."
He didn't look at me. "Accurate."
"Hmm."
I turned back to Seraphine. "Well, whether it's temporary or not... it worked."
"And that's what concerns everyone," she said softly.
"Why?"
"Because power like that... changes things."
I smiled. "Good."
Silence.
Tension.
I could feel it-this wasn't just about magic anymore.
This was about kingdoms.
About war.
About what happens when two enemies... don't act like enemies.
Seraphine stepped back. "We'll be watching."
"Try not to blink," sabi ko.
She left.
I exhaled slowly. "Well, that was pleasant."
"Not everything is a game, Liora," sabi ni Kael.
I looked at him. "And not everything has to be so serious."
"It does when kingdoms are involved."
"Ah, there it is," sabi ko. "The prince talking."
"And you're not?"
I smiled faintly. "Depends."
For a moment, tahimik lang kami.
Then-
"You're not worried?" tanong niya.
"About?"
"This. The attention. The implications."
I shrugged. "Let them talk."
"And if it reaches your kingdom?"
"It will."
"And?"
I met his gaze.
"Then they'll realize something they should've known already," sabi ko.
"And that is?"
I smirked.
"That I don't lose."
For the first time-
He didn't respond immediately.
Just... stared.
And then-
A slow, almost dangerous smile formed on his lips.
"Good," sabi niya.
"Why?"
"Because neither do I."
And just like that...
This wasn't just rivalry anymore.
It wasn't just training.
It was something bigger.
Something dangerous.
Something that could either destroy both our kingdoms-
-or change them forever.
- Writer
