Aether is it?

The corridors of the academy were crowded with students drifting out after the theory session, their chatter echoing off marble walls.

Lyra kept her head down.

Keep walking. Don't look back.

But she could feel him behind her.

Noctis.

No. Vale.

She clenched her jaw, trying to drown out Clarie's endless giggling next to her.

"He was so staring at you the whole time," Clarie sing-songed.

Lyra didn't answer.

Her cheeks burned.

He'd watched her through the entire theory class, eyes dark and unreadable. Every time she risked a glance, their gazes would lock—just for a heartbeat—before they both snapped their heads away.

It was awful.

Or rather, it was wonderful. And that was worse.

Because she didn't know what it meant.

Think about it, she'd told him.

What a stupid thing to say.

She'd kissed him.

Gods above, she'd actually kissed him.

And then she'd run out of the hospital room, humiliated.

Now she was acting like a child.

Clarie nudged her again.

"You're hopeless, Lyra."

"Shut up," she muttered.

Clarie snickered but let it drop.

They reached the dorm courtyard. Spring sun slanted through the budding trees, gilding the stone benches and the grass turning green after the winter.

Ahead, she saw Vale breaking away from his friends Felix and Mirielle. He was heading toward his own dorm wing.

He paused, as if sensing her stare, and half-turned.

Their eyes met.

It was like being punched in the ribs.

Clarie leaned in and whispered.

"Talk. To. Him."

Lyra swallowed hard.

She took a step forward, heart racing.

"Vale," she called, too softly.

He blinked.

But she caught it.

That tiny flicker of something in his eyes.

He turned fully.

"Lyra."

Her name in his voice sounded foreign.

It made her ache.

She hesitated.

Then her mouth moved before her brain could catch up.

"Ava."

It slipped out like a plea.

His eyes widened.

His face softened.

"Noctis," he breathed.

Silence fell between them, so heavy it felt like the whole world had stopped.

Clarie stopped breathing next to her.

Felix and Mirielle, watching from afar, exchanged baffled looks.

But they didn't know.

No one knew.

What those names meant.

Who they'd been before.

Lyra's heart felt like it would crack.

She tried to speak.

Failed.

He took a step closer.

She nearly backed away but forced herself to stay.

When he was near enough to touch, she found her voice.

"We can't keep avoiding this," she whispered.

He nodded slowly.

"I know."

His voice was lower than usual. Rough. Like he'd been shouting, or like the words hurt.

She thought back to that moment in the hospital. The look on his face when she'd kissed him.

Surprise.

Confusion.

Something that might have been fear.

She felt sick.

"I'm sorry," she blurted.

His brow furrowed.

"For what?"

"For…for putting you in that position."

He shook his head.

"You didn't make me feel anything."

That shut her up.

Her eyes burned.

"Look," he muttered, glancing away, voice hoarse. "We need to talk. Really talk. Without everyone watching."

She followed his gaze.

Clarie was very unsubtly pretending to tie her boot.

Felix and Mirielle were whistling innocently.

Lyra let out a tiny laugh that sounded more like a sob.

"Tonight?" she asked.

Vale nodded.

"Tonight."

They parted without another word.

Later that night – the library annexShe found him in the quiet study hall, lamps throwing soft golden light across the desks.

He was waiting by the window, arms folded.

When she entered, he turned.

Their eyes locked.

"Hi," she whispered.

He huffed.

"Hi."

They didn't move for a moment.

Finally she walked over and sat across from him at the little table.

Silence.

She picked at the edge of a book.

"I didn't know what to do," she said quietly.

He let out a long breath.

"Ava."

Her head jerked up.

He was leaning forward, eyes boring into hers.

"Just tell me what you want."

Her lips trembled.

I want you, she thought.

But the words got stuck.

She swallowed hard.

"I want us to be honest," she managed.

He nodded.

"Fine. Honesty."

He leaned back, exhaling.

"I've been losing my mind since you kissed me."

Her heart jumped.

She blinked rapidly.

He wasn't done.

"I keep thinking about it. About you. About how you said to think about it. I can't stop."

Her throat closed.

She tried to look away.

His voice softened.

"Ava. Look at me."

Slowly, she did.

"I don't know what this is," he said, voice low. "But I want to find out."

Her breath hitched.

"I know it's complicated," he added. "I know we're stuck here. But when you called me Noctis today…"

His mouth twisted.

"I didn't hate it."

Tears pricked at her eyes.

She sniffed.

"Idiot."

He actually smiled.

She wiped her face angrily.

"Don't make me cry, Noctis."

He leaned in, resting his arms on the table.

"Ava."

Silence.

Heavy, electric.

She was shaking.

She sucked in a breath.

"Do you…want me to say it again?"

His eyes were molten.

"Please."

She bit her lip.

"…Noctis."

He shuddered.

She reached out.

He caught her hand.

Warm. Solid.

They sat there, fingers entwined.

Breathing.

Finally she whispered.

"I meant it. When I said I liked you."

He closed his eyes.

"I know."

She waited.

But he didn't say it back.

Not yet.

She pulled away, cheeks flaming.

"Think about it," she whispered.

Then she stood, heart in her throat.

He didn't stop her.

But as she turned to leave, she heard his voice, so soft she nearly missed it.

"Ava."

She paused.

"Thank you."

She walked out of the library, blinking back tears.

Outside, the night was cool. Stars glimmered over the academy towers.

She let out a long, shaking breath.

She didn't know what would happen next.

But for the first time all day, she felt a tiny spark of hope.

The corridors of the academy were crowded with students drifting out after the theory session, their chatter echoing off marble walls.

Lyra kept her head down.

Keep walking. Don't look back.

But she could feel him behind her.

Noctis.

No. Vale.

She clenched her jaw, trying to drown out Clarie's endless giggling next to her.

"He was so staring at you the whole time," Clarie sing-songed.

Lyra didn't answer.

Her cheeks burned.

He'd watched her through the entire theory class, eyes dark and unreadable. Every time she risked a glance, their gazes would lock—just for a heartbeat—before they both snapped their heads away.

It was awful.

Or rather, it was wonderful. And that was worse.

Because she didn't know what it meant.

Think about it, she'd told him.

What a stupid thing to say.

She'd kissed him.

Gods above, she'd actually kissed him.

And then she'd run out of the hospital room, humiliated.

Now she was acting like a child.

Clarie nudged her again.

"You're hopeless, Lyra."

"Shut up," she muttered.

Clarie snickered but let it drop.

They reached the dorm courtyard. Spring sun slanted through the budding trees, gilding the stone benches and the grass turning green after the winter.

Ahead, she saw Vale breaking away from his friends Felix and Mirielle. He was heading toward his own dorm wing.

He paused, as if sensing her stare, and half-turned.

Their eyes met.

It was like being punched in the ribs.

Clarie leaned in and whispered.

"Talk. To. Him."

Lyra swallowed hard.

She took a step forward, heart racing.

"Vale," she called, too softly.

He blinked.

But she caught it.

That tiny flicker of something in his eyes.

He turned fully.

"Lyra."

Her name in his voice sounded foreign.

It made her ache.

She hesitated.

Then her mouth moved before her brain could catch up.

"Ava."

It slipped out like a plea.

His eyes widened.

His face softened.

"Noctis," he breathed.

Silence fell between them, so heavy it felt like the whole world had stopped.

Clarie stopped breathing next to her.

Felix and Mirielle, watching from afar, exchanged baffled looks.

But they didn't know.

No one knew.

What those names meant.

Who they'd been before.

Lyra's heart felt like it would crack.

She tried to speak.

Failed.

He took a step closer.

She nearly backed away but forced herself to stay.

When he was near enough to touch, she found her voice.

"We can't keep avoiding this," she whispered.

He nodded slowly.

"I know."

His voice was lower than usual. Rough. Like he'd been shouting, or like the words hurt.

She thought back to that moment in the hospital. The look on his face when she'd kissed him.

Surprise.

Confusion.

Something that might have been fear.

She felt sick.

"I'm sorry," she blurted.

His brow furrowed.

"For what?"

"For…for putting you in that position."

He shook his head.

"You didn't make me feel anything."

That shut her up.

Her eyes burned.

"Look," he muttered, glancing away, voice hoarse. "We need to talk. Really talk. Without everyone watching."

She followed his gaze.

Clarie was very unsubtly pretending to tie her boot.

Felix and Mirielle were whistling innocently.

Lyra let out a tiny laugh that sounded more like a sob.

"Tonight?" she asked.

Vale nodded.

"Tonight."

They parted without another word.

Later that night – the library annexShe found him in the quiet study hall, lamps throwing soft golden light across the desks.

He was waiting by the window, arms folded.

When she entered, he turned.

Their eyes locked.

"Hi," she whispered.

He huffed.

"Hi."

They didn't move for a moment.

Finally she walked over and sat across from him at the little table.

Silence.

She picked at the edge of a book.

"I didn't know what to do," she said quietly.

He let out a long breath.

"Ava."

Her head jerked up.

He was leaning forward, eyes boring into hers.

"Just tell me what you want."

Her lips trembled.

I want you, she thought.

But the words got stuck.

She swallowed hard.

"I want us to be honest," she managed.

He nodded.

"Fine. Honesty."

He leaned back, exhaling.

"I've been losing my mind since you kissed me."

Her heart jumped.

She blinked rapidly.

He wasn't done.

"I keep thinking about it. About you. About how you said to think about it. I can't stop."

Her throat closed.

She tried to look away.

His voice softened.

"Ava. Look at me."

Slowly, she did.

"I don't know what this is," he said, voice low. "But I want to find out."

Her breath hitched.

"I know it's complicated," he added. "I know we're stuck here. But when you called me Noctis today…"

His mouth twisted.

"I didn't hate it."

Tears pricked at her eyes.

She sniffed.

"Idiot."

He actually smiled.

She wiped her face angrily.

"Don't make me cry, Noctis."

He leaned in, resting his arms on the table.

"Ava."

Silence.

Heavy, electric.

She was shaking.

She sucked in a breath.

"Do you…want me to say it again?"

His eyes were molten.

"Please."

She bit her lip.

"…Noctis."

He shuddered.

She reached out.

He caught her hand.

Warm. Solid.

They sat there, fingers entwined.

Breathing.

Finally she whispered.

"I meant it. When I said I liked you."

He closed his eyes.

"I know."

She waited.

But he didn't say it back.

Not yet.

She pulled away, cheeks flaming.

"Think about it," she whispered.

Then she stood, heart in her throat.

He didn't stop her.

But as she turned to leave, she heard his voice, so soft she nearly missed it.

"Ava."

She paused.

"Thank you."

She walked out of the library, blinking back tears.

Outside, the night was cool. Stars glimmered over the academy towers.

She let out a long, shaking breath.

She didn't know what would happen next.

But for the first time all day, she felt a tiny spark of hope.