Return of the Legendary Runesmith

Ariana stood in her room, changing clothes after a long, refreshing bath. The heat of the arena still lingered faintly in her muscles, but the warm water had soothed most of it away.

Now, dressed in a black shirt tucked neatly into slim black trousers, she looked effortlessly elegant yet comfortable. She was combing her hair in front of the mirror, preparing to join the others for dinner.

More importantly—she'd be meeting Adrian there.

Tomorrow, aside from training the students, he had no scheduled duties. That meant they could finally spend some real time together.

"Can't wait to explore the place with him…" she thought, the corners of her lips curving into a soft smile.

The venue was tucked between majestic mountains, and not far from the venue lay a quiet, untouched beach. If time allowed, she hoped they could visit the nearby town as well—sample local delicacies, walk the lantern-lit streets, maybe even shop a little.

Ever since their engagement, they hadn't had the luxury of uninterrupted time together. This trip felt like a rare chance.

As she finished brushing through the last few strands of her hair, two gentle knocks echoed from the door.

"Who is it?" she asked, stepping closer.

"It's me."

A familiar voice. Deep. Calm.

Her heart skipped.

Ariana quickly opened the door—and there he was.

Adrian.

His hair was still slightly damp, strands clinging to his forehead, and he wore a clean, relaxed outfit—different from earlier.

He had clearly just come from his own bath.

Adrian arched a brow as he noticed her expression.

"Going to gawk at me, or will you let me in?" he teased with that signature crooked smile.

Heat bloomed on her cheeks, but she stepped aside, wordlessly giving him space to enter.

He walked in with ease, his gaze drifting briefly around her room.

It was smaller than the one he'd been assigned. Modest but tidy. A queen-sized bed with fresh sheets, a compact wooden table, a mirror beside two built-in cupboards, and a single closed door leading to the bathroom.

He turned back to her.

"We were supposed to meet at dinner," she said softly. "Did something happen?"

She knew Adrian better than anyone. He wasn't the type to take risks lightly—especially not the kind that might invite whispers.

If he came here directly… there had to be a reason.

"Ah… I wanted to talk to you about someone," Adrian said as he settled onto the edge of the bed.

Ariana pulled a chair across from him and sat down, silently urging him to continue.

He let out a breath, as if organizing his thoughts. "Do you know Sarah Clark?"

Her brows creased at the name. "Yes… I met her earlier."

Adrian looked a little surprised. "What did she say?"

Ariana found the sudden shift in topic odd. But noticing the flicker of concern behind his question, she replied calmly, "She just congratulated me on the win. And mentioned that her father's been quite interested in your work lately. Why? Does it matter?"

Adrian paused, then leaned back with a sigh, realizing how out of character he must've sounded.

"Actually," he began, "I came to talk to you because of her. About Sarah."

Ariana's gaze sharpened slightly. "Did something happen between you two?"

Adrian looked down, his fingers lacing together. A heavy silence hung in the air before he spoke again.

"…Do you remember the first summer break? After I joined the academy?"

She nodded, eyes softening at the memory. "Of course I do. You came back covered in bruises, and your whole attitude changed overnight. You barely spoke to anyone."

Her voice dipped slightly. "You became so distant... like you were trying to push us all away."

How could she forget?

The Adrian she once knew—the one who'd write her long letters about his daily life, who'd pull her aside just to share the dumbest jokes, who always knew how to make her laugh even when she didn't want to—he'd vanished that summer.

Gone was the boy with endless stories and playful smiles. In his place stood someone quieter, withdrawn, and scarred—not just on the outside.

And for the longest time… Ariana blamed herself.

She believed she had said something, done something… that she'd pushed him away.

She never voiced it. But that ache never truly left her.

Adrian nodded, his gaze distant.

"Sarah… she's the reason I became like that."

Ariana blinked, a frown forming on her face. "...What?"

He didn't try to soften the truth.

"Sarah used to bully me," he said plainly. "She was a year older—respected, popular, and had a grip over both the underclassmen and the seniors. When I joined the academy, I was a cocky brat, trying to play the 'mister popular' role."

He let out a breath, almost like he was mocking his younger self.

"So when I found out that Sarah was the so-called queen of the academy, I made fun of her. Publicly. Thought it was cool. Thought I was being bold. And well…"

He chuckled bitterly.

"She beat the hell out of me."

Ariana's expression shifted instantly. Her eyes narrowed, darkening with anger. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" she asked, her voice low.

Adrian gave a short, dry laugh. "What would I have said? 'Hey, cousin, can you go beat up my bully for me?' You know I was never going to drag you into something like that."

Her face softened just a bit, but the hurt lingered in her voice.

"You could have told me, Adrian," she said quietly. "Not so I could fight for you—but just so I could be there for you. So I'd know that you were hurting. That someone was hurting you."

He smiled, but there was no joy in it—only self-directed scorn.

"My pride wouldn't let me," he admitted. "I thought if I just stayed quiet, kept my head down… everyone would forget I existed. And somehow, the three years would pass."

Ariana stood up without a word and came to sit beside him on the bed.

The silence between them was heavy—gentle but raw.

Then, softly, she asked, "So… the reason you became so quiet… so obedient… was because of her?"

Adrian gave a small nod. "Yes. And not just her."

He exhaled slowly, as if pulling out something buried deep within.

"After Dad got sick… Melissa's tone changed. Her eyes were always sharp—always judging. I started feeling like... if I didn't behave, if I didn't become the good boy, I'd get treated the same way at home too."

His voice lowered into a murmur.

"That fear never really left. It settled inside me. Like… like trauma building a home in my chest."

The air around Ariana shifted.

Her jaw clenched, and in the next moment, she stood up abruptly.

Adrian instinctively reached for her hand. "Where are you going?"

She looked at him with blazing eyes. "To hell with societal roles and all the damn rules. I'm going to bash that hoe's face in."

Adrian let out a short laugh, part amused, part exasperated. "And what exactly would you say? That because she bullied your fiancé, she deserves a beating?"

Ariana whipped around, clearly frustrated. "Then what do you want me to do, Adrian? Just sit here and act like it's fine?! Like what she did doesn't matter?"

Adrian met her eyes, his voice calm—but heavy.

"I need you to stay with me, Ariana."

Just a few quiet words.

But they struck deep.

All her rage, all her fury melted away in an instant.

Her posture softened, her fists unclenched. She looked at him—really looked—and saw the boy beneath the man. The one who still carried scars beneath his silence.

Adrian gently pulled her into his arms.

His voice was low, close to her ear. "When I saw her today… everything came flooding back. The fear. The helplessness. That hollow feeling in my chest."

He tightened his hold on her just a little, grounding himself.

"That's why I came here. Not to talk about her. But because I needed you. So please… just stay. Stay with me."

Ariana said nothing at first. She simply rested her head against his shoulder.

She understood now.

He didn't need a warrior right now.

He needed her.

His person. His home.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. I really hope none of you were ever bullied and this doesn't feel relatable to you at all. Drop a comment.