When Wade returned to his dorm, the door was unlocked.
Juno wasn't there.
But Kaela was.
She sat in Juno's chair, legs crossed, posture regal, one arm resting lightly on the desk. Her long silver braid coiled over one shoulder like a serpent asleep. The only sound was the steady ticking of the wall chronoglyph.
The room smelled faintly of winter air and lavender oil.
"You left it open," she said.
"I didn't," Wade replied, not quite entering.
"You did," she corrected softly, "when you stopped believing you were safe."
Her eyes met his—icy blue, calm and unreadable. But not cold. And not uncurious.
Wade stepped in. Quietly closed the door behind him.
"Is this a royal inspection?"
"No. This is a private conversation."
She watched him move across the room, gaze flicking, not just to track his steps, but to study him. His movements. His exhaustion. The slight bruising on his neck.
"You fought something," she said.
"You're observant."
"Only with people who matter."
That caught him slightly off guard, but he said nothing. Instead, he lowered himself to sit on his bed, facing her across the room.
Kaela didn't look away.
Not once.
The silence stretched long.
Then she finally said, "The vault you entered was sealed for a reason. Generations ago. Not by mages. By the Crown."
Wade kept his expression neutral. "Because of what's inside?"
"Yes and because of what it chooses."
Her tone was smooth, but her fingers tapped lightly on the wooden edge of the desk. Rhythmic. Thoughtful.
"Some of us knew the seal might break eventually," she continued. "But we thought it would be… older magic. A cursed object. A forgotten spell." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Not a person."
Wade didn't respond.
Kaela stood, her movements fluid, deliberate. She walked past him to the window, her robe trailing just enough to brush his knee.
She didn't react.
She stared out at the lights of the academy for a moment, then said, "You drew the attention of at least four major Houses."
"i think that's impressive, considering i haven't even left the academy."
"You don't need to," she replied. "They've already sent inquiries to the court. I intercepted one of them."
She held out a scroll, sealed in black wax.
Wade took it but didn't open it right away.
"Why bring this to me?"
Kaela turned back to him, slow and measured. She leaned slightly against the edge of the desk now, not quite casual, but less formal. Her eyes held his with unusual intensity.
"Because if you don't choose a side, one will be chosen for you."
Wade set the scroll on the nightstand.
"And you're offering… what? An alliance?"
"Protection. Influence. Access."
"And the price?"
Her lips curled—barely.
"Nothing you'd be unwilling to give."
She stepped closer now, close enough that he could smell the faint scent of magic lingering on her skin, like frost after lightning. Her gaze drifted briefly to the brand on his arm before returning to his eyes. She didn't speak, but the air between them grew heavier.
Something unspoken passed.
Wade held her stare a moment too long.
Then she turned.
Moved back to the door.
Paused with her hand on the knob.
"Don't confuse survival for freedom, Wade Theron," she said, her voice quieter than before. "You're not just watched. You're wanted."
She opened the door.
Before stepping through, she looked back—just once.
And this time, she didn't hide the curiosity in her eyes.
Or the subtle hesitation.
Then she vanished into the hall, the scent of winter air trailing behind her.
The door clicked shut.
[Princess Affinity +3 – Unacknowledged Interest]
[New Status: Designated Entity – Political Asset Tier I]
[Update: Entry Added – Noble Watchlist Registry: You are on the nobles watchlist. A lot of nobles are watching you.]
Wade stared at the message for a while in silence, then at the unopened scroll.
And for the first time in days… he didn't feel like the one holding the pieces.
He didn't move for a long time after she left.
Not because he was paralyzed with fear. But because everything in him told him to stay still—to feel the weight of what had just happened.
Not the scroll. Not the political threat. But her.
Kaela Virell, the princess who most students feared more than the professors, had walked into his room alone, spoken to him like an equal, offered him something that wasn't quite a deal—and had looked at him like he wasn't just some anomaly from a village in the woods.
He finally exhaled.
Then picked up the scroll.
The wax was already cracked.
He opened it slowly.
Inside were three lines.
Target: Wade Theron
Magical Evaluation: Dual Affinity (Wind/Fire) – Power is deemed unstable
Recommendation: Transfer to House supervision – pending approval from the Crown.
There was no seal identifying the sender.
But the ink smelled of myrrh and iron—House Verradan. Known for two things: secrecy and control. They handled "special cases."
Special, meaning dangerous.
He refolded the scroll and tucked it under his mattress.
He could destroy it later.
He wouldn't forget.
A quiet knock at the window startled him.
Rae stood outside on the ledge—windswept, grinning, and holding two cups of steaming something in her gloved hands.
Wade opened the latch and stepped aside.
"You know there's a front door," he muttered.
"Where's the fun in that?" she replied, slipping in like a thief. "Heard from Juno you got royal company."
"I wouldn't call it company."
"I would. You're officially on the nobles radar."
She handed him one of the mugs. It smelled like cinnamon and crushed mana root. Warm. Comforting.
She gave him a long look—one he didn't try to dodge.
"Whatever's happening," she said, "don't try to do it alone, alright?"
He hesitated.
Then nodded.
Only once.
Because even though he was sure there would be more scrolls, more eyes, more dangerous truths waiting just around the corner—
for now, someone was willing to stand beside him.
And that would have to be enough.