Elara
For the rest of the day, I couldn’t stop thinking about Kael’s smile.
It was strange.
A few weeks ago, I had been invisible to everyone around me.
Now, every time our eyes met, I felt seen.
Not because I was the Last Moon Weaver.
Not because of the magic inside me.
But because he looked at me as though I mattered.
It was a feeling I still didn’t know how to accept.
The afternoon passed quietly.
I dusted the library shelves, polished the council table, and replaced the flowers in the entrance hall.
As I carried an empty vase toward the kitchens, I noticed something unusual.
The servants had gathered in small groups, whispering to one another.
Their conversations stopped the moment I walked past.
A knot formed in my stomach.
The rumors hadn’t ended.
They were growing.
