Aether is it?

The cold wind of early spring swept over the academy's training fields. It rattled the wooden dummies, sent chalk dust flying from the lines marking sparring rings, and billowed the blue-and-silver academy banners.

Vale stood at the edge of his group's assigned space.

His fingers tightened on the hilt of the practice sword.

"Focus, Lumire," barked Instructor Dalen, an ex-mercenary with a broken nose and sharp eyes.

Vale snapped to attention.

"Yes, sir."

But he wasn't focused.

Not at all.

Across the field, Lyra's class was doing drills with paired swords. She lunged, parried, spun, corrected her form at the instructor's shouted command.

But she was off.

Vale could see it.

Her footwork was sloppy. Her ripostes were slow. She even flinched when her partner got too close.

She was distracted.

Just like him.

The instructor gave Vale a whack across the wrist with his own wooden blade.

Vale winced.

"Eyes here, Lumire."

"Yes, sir."

He tried. Truly. But he kept glancing back.

Lyra wouldn't look at him.

After practice they were supposed to do theory in the training hall. The classes shuffled inside, damp boots squelching on the floors.

Vale let himself lag behind so he wouldn't have to talk to her yet.

But the moment he stepped inside, two familiar faces cornered him.

"Ah, Vale! There you are."

Felix Darnen was all smiles, his sun-bleached hair tucked under a military-style cap. He was from a baron's family in the east—sharp with tactics and quick with jokes.

Beside him, Mirielle Valcors raised an eyebrow. She was taller, darker-skinned, with a braid wrapped around her head like a crown, and she had a calm, almost regal air that Vale had always liked.

"Hello to you too," Vale mumbled.

Felix leaned in conspiratorially.

"So," he stage-whispered. "You and Lyra. Everything… all right?"

Vale stiffened.

Mirielle gave him a look of pure amusement.

"You're both acting weird," she added. "Not even subtle about it. She won't look at you. You keep tripping over your own feet trying to glance at her."

"I don't trip."

"Uh-huh."

Felix grinned.

"We're your friends, you know. Spill it."

Vale hesitated.

He liked them. They'd become fast friends after the Winter Solstice Ball. Felix had even invited them for drinks (non-alcoholic, strictly academy rules) to celebrate the end of midterms.

They were easy to talk to.

But this?

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's… complicated."

Felix's eyes sparkled.

"Oh-ho! So something did happen!"

"Drop it, Felix," Mirielle said, though she was smiling too. "Let him breathe."

They were still staring at him.

Vale groaned and turned away.

Meanwhile, across the hall, Lyra was trying to hide in the corner near the bookshelves.

Her friend in her class, a spry, excitable girl named Clarie, sidled up with a knowing grin.

"Lyraaaa…"

Lyra scowled.

"What?"

"You okay? You've been stabbing at practice dummies like you're mad at the world."

"Just tired."

"Uh-huh. And avoiding Vale like he's a plague rat?"

Lyra's ears turned red.

Clarie cackled.

"Spill. Now."

Lyra bit her lip.

Her heart wouldn't calm down even now.

Think about it, he'd said.

She wanted to smack herself for kissing him.

Or… maybe not.

But it felt so exposed.

Vale tried to sit down at the bench in the hall. Felix and Mirielle flanked him immediately.

Felix propped his elbows on the table.

"Come on. You know we won't let this go."

Vale buried his face in his hands.

Mirielle gently pried one hand away.

"Vale. We're not making fun of you. We're just worried. Did you two fight? Break up? Wait—were you even together?"

"No!" Vale yelped.

Felix let out a low whistle.

"So you weren't—but now you're not talking. Which means something changed."

Vale glanced over at Lyra.

She was pretending to read a book but hadn't turned the page in ten minutes.

Clarie was talking to her in hushed, excited tones.

Lyra looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

Vale sighed.

"Felix. Mirielle."

They both leaned in.

He lowered his voice.

"She… told me she liked me."

Felix's eyes went wide.

Mirielle just smiled knowingly.

Vale's face was hot.

"She kissed me," he added, voice cracking.

Felix nearly fell off the bench.

"Vale!"

"Shut up."

Felix slapped him on the back, howling with laughter.

Mirielle smacked Felix lightly.

"Quiet. Let him talk."

Vale tried to speak but the words tumbled out clumsy.

"It's just—she told me to think about it. Before answering. And now it's… weird. I don't know how to act. She won't even look at me."

Mirielle nodded wisely.

"Classic. She's embarrassed."

Vale blinked.

"She's the one who kissed me!"

"That doesn't mean she's not mortified about it now."

Felix finally calmed down enough to speak.

"Gods, you two are hopeless. But cute. Really cute."

Vale groaned again.

Meanwhile, Clarie was pestering Lyra on the other side.

"You kissed him?!"

Lyra covered her face.

"I'm going to strangle you if you don't lower your voice."

Clarie squealed.

"You did! Oh my gods, Lyra. This is so good."

Lyra tried to glare but it was half-hearted.

"Don't make it worse."

Clarie actually sobered.

"Hey. Are you okay though?"

Lyra bit her lip.

"I'm… embarrassed. He hasn't even said anything yet. I told him to think about it, but now I want to die."

Clarie patted her arm.

"Bet he's the one freaking out. He looked like he'd seen a ghost after practice."

The instructors called for silence.

Combat theory resumed.

But everyone noticed the weird energy.

Vale kept glancing at Lyra.

Lyra pretended to read notes but her ears were scarlet.

Felix kept winking at Vale until Mirielle slapped him with a rolled-up parchment.

Clarie nudged Lyra every time Vale looked over.

After class, the friends rejoined in the corridor.

They all tried to act normal.

It didn't work.

Felix whistled innocently.

Mirielle sighed.

"Gods, you two. Please talk to each other. You're making the entire cohort uncomfortable."

Vale scowled.

Lyra refused to even turn her head.

Clarie clapped her hands.

"Group dinner. Tonight. Mandatory. So you two can fix this."

Lyra finally snapped:

"Don't make this a thing."

"It is a thing!"

Felix chimed in.

"The thingiest thing."

Vale let out a strangled sound.

Mirielle just patted Vale's shoulder.

"Be brave. Talk to her."

Lyra's eyes flicked to Vale for just an instant.

He held her gaze.

It felt like they were both on the verge of blurting everything in front of everyone.

Then they both turned away at the same time.

Red-faced.

Their friends groaned in unison.

But beneath the embarrassment was something else:

Hope.

Because at least now, everyone knew.

They weren't alone in it anymore.

And maybe that meant they'd figure it out.

Together.