Rain clattered softly against the high windows of the east corridor as Liara made her way toward the library. Despite the dozens of students roaming the halls, she felt alone—watched. Not just by stares, but by something older, buried in the stone itself.
She turned a corner—and nearly collided with Cassian.
"Whoa," he said, catching her by the arms. "You always move like you're being chased?"
Liara stepped back. "I was heading to the archives."
Cassian raised a brow. "Alone?"
"Do you follow everyone this much, or am I special?"
A grin. "Both."
Before she could retort, footsteps echoed behind them—heavier, colder. Aeron appeared, cloak dark and damp from the rain. His expression unreadable, his eyes locked instantly on Cassian's hands.
"She's not a prize," Aeron said quietly.
Cassian turned slowly, tension building in his shoulders. "And you're not her guardian."
"Then stop acting like you're her fate."
"I'm not," Cassian replied. "But I might be her choice."
Liara stepped between them. "Enough."
Both paused. Her voice was calm—but steely.
"I don't need protecting. I need answers. You both seem to have pieces of them, so start talking—or leave me out of whatever rivalry this is."
Silence stretched.
Finally, Aeron spoke. "Last night proved the sigil's awakening is accelerating. That symbol isn't just a mark—it's a key."
"A key to what?" Liara asked.
"To the Vault," Aeron said. "Where Seralyn hid her magic."
Cassian nodded grimly. "And it's sealed by three sigils. Yours… is the first."
Liara stared between them. "Then who has the other two?"
They looked at each other.
And for once, both hesitated.
Cassian answered first. "One of them may be me."
Aeron's gaze darkened. "And the last... it's missing. If the wrong person finds it first, they'll do more than open the Vault. They'll unleash what's inside."
Liara exhaled. "So what now?"
Cassian offered a hand. "We train. We study. We do this together."
Aeron said nothing. But he moved to her side. "Or we stay in the shadows, and move faster than whoever's watching."
Cassian looked to Liara. "You have to choose how this starts."
Liara looked at each of them—light and shadow. Trust and secrecy.
But before she could answer, the lanterns in the corridor flickered out.
And from the darkness, a whisper:
"The third has awakened."