RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
That night, everything crept back in.
I sat alone on the balcony of my dorm, the cool night air brushing against my face. The academy lay quiet beneath the silver light of the moon, but my eyes drifted to the dorm across from mine. A shadow moved behind one of the windows-Justin's dorm.
He stood near the glass, sharp and still, like a predator listening for prey.
I knew the truth.
Justin isn't just an orphan. As gratitude to my parents who adopted him and for his desire to seek revenge to the ones who killed his parents, he serves as our spy inside the Deorcanen Clan. From an outsider's perspective, a deore mnarillaza like him is the best option for a spy.
It seems he goes to that dark clan mostly at night.
He risks his life and yet... he never slipped. Never faltered.
Admiration stirred within me, mingling with unease. I leaned against the railing, my chest tightening.
How does he do it when any wrong move could cost him everything?
AUDREY'S POINT OF VIEW
Now, I am Audrey Luoxegeime, the daughter of the late Princess Florida, the twin sister of the nhar.
Aunt Flora and Uncle Ferdinand told me that this palace is also my home now.
I lay quietly in the chamber the queen had given me. The walls shimmered faintly with moonlight seeping through the curtains, the air carrying the faint scent of lavender.
My aunt slept beside me, her protective presence making the room feel safer. She worried that I might be plagued with sadness and nightmares due to the fact that my mother just died.
And she was right to worry, for a different reason though.
In the stillness of midnight, the dream came.
I found myself standing in a desolate field, surrounded by shadows stretching endlessly into the horizon. A figure emerged from the darkness, cloaked in black, his presence suffocating. I knew him instantly-the leader of the Deorcanen Clan.
His voice was a venomous whisper, wrapping around me like chains.
"Child... join us. Become one of us. Spy for me. Do this, and I will return your mother to life."
The promise pierced straight through my chest. My fists trembled, heart aching at the thought of Mother alive again. Yet even through the temptation, something inside me resisted. My mother would never want anything from this man.
I shook my head, firm despite the tears stinging my eyes. "No."
The leader's face twisted into a shadowy sneer. He leaned closer, his aura pressing down on me like a storm.
"You will change your mind. Sooner or later, you will beg me for the chance."
Before I could answer, the dream shattered, and I awoke in the safety of the palace room.
My body was trembling, sweat clinging to my skin. I turned my head-Aunt Flora was still asleep beside me. I curled against her warmth and forced my eyes shut.
I wouldn't let him win.
Mother, please, guide me.
RHEIN'S POINT OF VIEW
These days, I've been pestering Justin to share with me the crucial information he gathers from the Deorcanen. But every time I ask, he shuts me out.
We were sitting in the corner of the academy's courtyard, the sunlight pouring through the trees while he pretended to focus on the book in his hand. I leaned closer, narrowing my eyes. "Tell me what you know. Just a little. Please?"
He didn't even glance at me. "No."
I puffed my cheeks, tapping the edge of his book. "You're impossible. Do you enjoy watching me suffer like this?"
Still, nothing. His composure never cracked.
So I poked his arm. Once. Twice. Then again. "Come on, Justin. Just say something-anything!"
At last, he sighed and finally turned his head toward me. His gaze was calm, steady, but his lips curved faintly. "Cute."
I blinked. "What?"
"Your persistence," he added, shutting the book with one hand. "It's... cute."
My face heated before I could stop it. Cute? What did he mean by that? Was he teasing me? Mocking me?
I quickly turned my head away. "You're making no sense." But in truth, my heart was racing far too quickly for someone who claimed not to care.
Duh, Rhein! Come on! We need information.
My sister is currently in a mission. Dylan, he's annoying and yes, busy. My parents, I don't want them to find out that I want to investigate the dark clan.
Justin, as the kingdom's spy, and a classmate of mine, and a not-so-busy and a not-so annoying person I know, he's the best option for me to seek information from.
He glared at me. "Princess, you're also making no sense." Then, he disappeared. He teleported to escape again!
"He's avoidant, Rhein." Forelody laughed.
I just sighed. Damn it!
DYLAN'S POINT OF VIEW
Whoa. What's happening?
I spotted Rhein across the courtyard, sunlight glinting off her hair as she trailed after Justin with that stubborn look she always wore. I had meant to call her over-to finally bring up the outline for the upcoming acquaintance party, something the student council desperately needed to finalize. But instead of walking toward me, she was... following him.
My jaw tightened before I even realized it.
Rhein kept poking at Justin's shoulder, demanding answers about something, her face glowing with exasperation and determination all at once. And the worst part? He wasn't even shaking her off. He let her linger there, allowed her to chase after him.
I clenched my fists at my sides. "Seriously?" I muttered under my breath.
"Aw. What's wrong, Dylan?"
Tyler's voice sang in my head before he perched himself on my shoulder, feathers shimmering in the sunlight like indigo flame. His beak nudged against my cheek in mock sympathy. "See? You're too slow."
I scowled, keeping my eyes on Rhein. "Shut it."
"Too slow to what?" Tyler's chuckle echoed in my mind. "Too slow to admit you want her attention? Too slow to realize Justin's already got it? Or just too slow in general?"
"None of the above," I shot back, though my voice lacked its usual bite.
Tyler tilted his head, one beady eye twinkling with amusement. "Oh, come on. Don't lie to me. You've been watching her even since."
"What are you pointing out?"
"Look at the students surrounding us. Here. Right now. They watch Rhein as if she's a star. Everyone else is focused on her being a princess, but you? The way you gaze at her? You're hung up on something else entirely."
I turned away, running a hand through my hair. "Someone has to keep an eye on her. I feel responsible since the time her sister asked me to watch over her."
"Right, right. That's all it is. Responsibility. Protection. But the mission has long been accomplished," Tyler mocked, his wings ruffling as if he were laughing at me. "You should hear yourself, Dylan. You sound like a man making excuses to his own shadow."
I didn't answer. Instead, my gaze drifted back to Rhein-her laughter spilling into the air as she argued with Justin, her stubborn spirit refusing to back down.
Slow? Maybe. But one thing is certain: if I don't move soon, someone else might take the place I keep telling myself that is mine.