Note to self:
If you ever get the chance to walk Elara home, say no.

It will not go as planned.

One minute we were leaving the Academy library, the next—boom. A mana burst exploded in a side alley.

“Get down!” I shouted, grabbing her hand.

We dove behind a stone pillar as magical flames licked the wall behind us.

“An ambush?” Elara gasped.

“Someone clearly wants a low grade in Ethics 101.”

A masked attacker stepped into view, raising a glowing dagger.

Without thinking, I raised my hand—

And unleashed a wall of black flame.

The attacker stumbled, fled. Silence returned.

Elara stared at me. “That was… advanced magic.”

I shrugged. “Lucky guess?”

Her eyes softened. “You saved me.”

“I’d say any prince worth his title would do the same,” I said smoothly.

She gave a tiny smile.

Internally, I screamed: Did I just unlock a romance flag??

“Was that... flirting? 👀 Leave a comment if you think Kael’s doomed (or lucky)!”
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