So it begins

Aria

I was already having a crappy day, and Iris was making it worse. I love her, I do, but sometimes her protectiveness digs under my skin like a splinter. Tonight, she wasn’t just overbearing. She was wrong.

Her room was spotless, as always. Every book perfectly aligned on its shelf, bed made so tight that it could bounce a rune crystal off of, scrolls sorted by empire and subject. Her familiar, Wren, an amber-colored fox with sharp, knowing eyes, watched from a cozy spot on the rug, tail curled neatly around her feet. Elora lay sprawled next to her, twitching her ears at every word.

“You have to be careful, Ari,” Iris said quietly, arms crossed. “I mean it. This isn’t about your heart, it’s about our world. You already have Ethan. And I fought harder than anyone for that bond to be respected.”

“Funny,” I muttered, “you didn’t seem too concerned until this morning.”

She’s not the enemy, Elora said in my mind.
Then why does she feel like one right now? I shot back.
Because she doesn’t feel the bond like we do. And she’s scared. That’s all.

“I know you all wanted us to be cautious,” I said aloud, “Stephen, Adonis, Nicholas... they kept quiet, let us feel things out. But if you were all watching from the sidelines, judging him before even knowing him... that doesn’t feel like caution. That feels like betrayal.”

Iris flinched. “We didn’t want to influence you. Or make you feel trapped. We needed to see how he acted.”

“Oh, so spying on me is better than trusting me?” I stepped back. “You think Omir is a spy? Because what, he was born in Zamani?”

Iris's jaw tensed. “No one’s judging him without reason. He’s... tied to Zamani. His mother was a knight there. He left during one of the most politically fragile times. And now he shows up here, it's hard not to question his intention?”

“I feel the bond,” I said, voice cracking. “I feel it like it’s woven into my breath. And yeah, maybe he’s scared. Maybe he’s broken. But so am I.”

I took a breath.

“When I found out about Ethan, you were the only one who didn’t make me feel like I’d failed. Because our parents didn’t see our bond as convenient. They saw it as a waste. A political dead end. No alliances, no elevation to higher status or more power. Just disappointment.”

Iris looked away.

“You were the one who made me believe love was worth it anyway. When they stripped my claim to Ambers House, when they handed us that damn ‘ambassador’ arrangement with Wolfe House. Half a year in Callisto, half in Allerick, like we're trading pieces, you stood by me. You made me think it could still be beautiful.”

“I need that version of you right now. Because I love Ethan. And I’m starting to…” I stopped myself. “Omir’s scared. But not of us. He’s scared of being seen. And if we keep treating him like a threat, we’ll lose him before we even have a chance to try.”

Iris’s shoulders fell just slightly. Wren lifted her head, eyes meeting Elora’s, who grumbled and flicked her tail against the floor in response.

My voice wavered.

“I need you on my side more than anything right now. Because you know very well I probably don’t deserve Ethan or Omir—”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Iris snapped. “Is that what Ethan said? Or that Omir kid, how dare they—”

“NO!” I blurted. “You know Ethan would never say that, are you crazy? It’s just... we both know I have a god-awful temper. I know what you’re going to say. But I’ve never been perfect. There’s a reason even Mom and Dad—”

“They saw what they wanted to see,” Iris cut in, voice sharp. “They never saw you. Not the real you.”

“You think I don’t want to support you?” Iris said, softer now. “You’re my sister. I raised you when our parents couldn’t be bothered. But this isn’t a childhood crush. It’s something none of us have seen before. Three soulbonds? Do you know how many people would use that as proof you’re cursed or dangerous?”

“I know.” My throat tightened. “But I’d rather be cursed and honest than keep hiding who I am.”

“You didn’t deserve parents like ours,” she whispered. “But you deserve everything else. Including this. Honestly... if anything, they don’t deserve you. Not Ethan. Not that little coward with the white hair. You’re the fiercest and strongest person I know, Aria. If they’re lucky, they’ll earn you.”

I didn’t say anything. I just held her tighter.

I left Iris’s room sometime after lunch. She didn’t say anything when I left, just gave me that small, rare smile she saves only for me. The one that tells me I’ve been seen, even when I’m a mess.

I found Ethan waiting for me outside the courtyard. He didn’t ask questions. Just looked at me like he already knew how heavy my heart felt.

We ended up in the Combat Rings, tucked away in one of the quieter corners of the Academy. Classes hadn’t even started yet, so the place was empty. Just the two of us, no audience, no expectations. We didn’t spar to win or show off. Just to move. To let the tension burn off through footwork and fire. And for a little while… it helped.

Eventually, we wandered through the halls until the quiet of the library pulled us in.

We hadn’t meant to end up in the library. The sparring session had just left us drained, not physically, but emotionally. After everything with Iris, I needed silence, and Ethan always knew how to give me that.

So now, we sat together in one of the tucked-away reading alcoves in the back wing. No one really came here during orientation. It was too quiet, too far from the noise of noble kids flexing and posturing. The stained-glass dome above us filtered moonlight down in soft pools, painting Ethan’s curls with dusky lavender.

He was flipping aimlessly through a book on affinity compression, the text upside down in his lap.

“You’re not reading that,” I said.

“Not really,” he replied. “Just pretending to be calm.”

I shifted closer, resting my head against his shoulder. He leaned into it naturally, like he always did.

“Adonis and Nicholas pulled me aside earlier,” he said suddenly.

I blinked. “What?”

“Right before lunch. Said they’ve been watching Omir. That… we need to be careful.”

I pulled away slightly to look at him.

“They think he’s a threat?”

“They think he could be a spy,” he said. “From Zamani.”

I scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“I know. But they’re not being cruel, they’re being cautious.”

I could hear their voices in my head. Calm, reasonable, infuriatingly protective.

“They didn’t say anything yesterday,” I muttered.

“They didn’t want to set you off.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Fair,” Ethan added with a grin.

I jabbed him lightly in the ribs. “You’re not helping.”

He quieted. “I think they just wanted us to go into this with our eyes open. They’re scared…  We found something they didn’t think was possible. And they’re afraid it’ll be taken from us.”

“Iris said the same thing.”

Ethan’s head turned sharply toward me. “She did?”

I nodded. “She pulled me aside earlier. Said I needed to be careful. Told me not to think with my heart.”

He looked at me, quiet and steady. “And what did you say?”

“I said she taught me to fight for what I believe in. So I’m going to.”

I met his eyes. “Even if Omir runs again. Even if people talk. I won’t pretend it’s not real just because they’re scared of it.”

Ethan exhaled, then reached over and laced our fingers together. We sat there, warm and silent, just breathing together.

Then we saw it.

A faint light pulsing near the open window, a fluttering speck of magic shaped like a small silver bird. It flew down, wings barely disturbing the air, and hovered between us. Ethan reached out instinctively.

The bird settled in his palm and shimmered.

Then Omir’s voice, soft and restrained, filled the air around us.

“I’m sorry for running.”

My heart clenched.

“I wasn’t ready this morning. But… if you’re still willing, I’ll talk. Tomorrow evening. After classes end. At the greenhouse behind the astronomy tower.”

“Just… please. Don’t mention the bond. Not tomorrow. Not in class. Don’t associate with me. If you can do that… I’ll be waiting.”

The bird dissolved into faint sparkles that vanished into the dark.

I stared at Ethan. His jaw was tense. But his eyes were soft.

Ethan exhaled slowly. “He reached out.”

I nodded. “He’s trying.”

“Tomorrow then,” he said.

“Yes. But until then…”

“We keep our distance.”

I hated the idea of it. Hated pretending we were strangers. But for him?

For a boy who couldn’t even say our names out loud?

I’d wait.