Chapter 8: Sera

The halls of Virelade were quieter than usual.

It was one of the few free days the students got no classes, no drills. Just a whole afternoon to blow off steam and be normal teenage guys… or as normal as you could get in an elite all boys academy run like a royal military cult.

By 4 PM, most of the dorms were half empty. Some kids had gone to the city,others were chilling by the lake or hitting up the school café.

But not me.

I was alone in the art room.

A large sheet of paper sat in front of me with smudges of charcoal on my fingers, lines streaked across my sleeve. I was deep into the drawing so deep that I didn’t even hear the door open.

The pencil moved slowly, deliberately, as I shaded the long wavy hair past the shoulders. A version of me that felt like someone else now.

Sera.

I missed her,not the name,not the body but just... the freedom of being her.

The drawing was almost done. My real face stared back at me with haunting softness, something gentle and vulnerable in the eyes that I hadn’t seen in the mirror for weeks. Something that felt like home.

“You’re really something, huh?”

I jumped, nearly knocking the stool over.

Luca was standing by the door, wide eyed. River leaned against the wall with a half-eaten apple in one hand, and Alexander stood behind them, with his arms crossed like usual.

I scrambled to cover the drawing with my arms, my heart thundering.

“Relax, Picasso,” Luca grinned. “You’re not in trouble.”

Kael stepped in last, silently scanning the room. His eyes dropped to the paper under my hand.

“Dude,” River said, brushing past me and yanking the drawing into the light before I could stop him. “This is insane. Who is this?”

I went stiff. “It’s… just a character I made up.”

Luca tilted his head. “A made up girl?”

“She looks real though,” Alexander said, his voice low. “Too real.”

Kael didn’t say anything, but his eyes were already locked on the sketch. He looked at it longer than the rest of them like he was trying to memorize it.

Or… figure it out.

“Is this your girlfriend or something?” Luca teased.

“No.”

“Crush?”

“Nope.”

“You?” River asked, only half-joking.

My throat went dry. “What? No. That’s stupid.”

But my lie was shaky, and Kael’s gaze narrowed just a little.

Then, like nothing happened, River slapped the table and grinned. “Anyway! We were looking for you.”

I blinked. “Why?”

“It’s a day off, genius. The Sovereign Circle’s heading out,” Luca said. “You in?”

“Where are we going?”

Alexander rolled his eyes. “Out. Food,fresh air and maybe a movie.”

Luca nudged me with a wink. “Then later, a bit of… nightlife.”

River caught the look and grinned. “We found a club in town. IDs not required.”

I stiffened. “A club? Like… drinking, dancing, blackout regret club?”

“Obviously,” Luca said like it was a dumb question. “You game?”

“No,” I said instantly. “I don’t… really do that stuff.”

Luca pouted. “Come on. It'll be fun.”

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

River shrugged. “His loss. More girls for us.”

“You’re all idiots,” Alexander muttered, already heading toward the door.

Kael turned to follow the others, then paused and looked back at me.

“You staying?”

I nodded.

For a second, he didn’t move.

Then he said, “I’m staying too.”

Luca’s head popped back in. “What? Bro, come on...”

“Go without me,” Kael said sharply.

The tone was final.

Luca groaned. “Fine. Don’t be boring.”

They left in a wave of laughter and ridiculous banter, the door swinging shut behind them.

And just like that, it was just me and Kael.

Again.

We sat by the big windows of the art room, Kael leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets, watching me clean up the pencils and erase smudges.

“You draw like you’ve done it your whole life.”

I didn’t look at him. “I have.”

“That girl…” he said slowly, “you drew her more than once.”

My hand froze. “What makes you say that?”

“You had her memorized,every shadow, every detail. That doesn’t happen by accident.”

I swallowed. “I told you. She’s made up.”

He didn’t push.

He just moved to the edge of the table and sat down, staring out the window.

The silence wasn’t awkward. It was just... quiet,like he didn’t need to fill the space.

“You don’t like crowds,” he said eventually.

I shrugged. “Not really.”

“Noise?”

“Noisy people.”

A tiny smirk pulled at his lips. “So… Luca.”

I snorted. “Especially Luca.”

More silence then he said, “You’re different from the rest.”

“Gee. Thanks.”

“I mean it.”

Something in his voice made me glance at him. He wasn’t looking at me, but I could see his jaw tight, like there was more behind the words he didn’t want to say.

“Different how?” I asked.

He looked at me then straight into my eyes. “Just… different.”

That word hung heavy in the air. I'm not good, not bad... Just different.

Kael didn’t say things he didn’t mean. So whatever that meant, it wasn’t random.

I hugged my arms around my chest, suddenly aware of how big the shirt felt on me again. Like a costume that barely fit.

“Why didn’t you go with them?” I asked softly.

“I don’t like clubs either.”

“I thought you were the mysterious brooding type. You know, fits right in with dark corners and flashing lights.”

His mouth twitched. “And you’re the awkward transfer kid with asthma who draws girls he swears don’t exist.”

My head snapped up. there was no malice in his tone,just amusement.

And maybe… a little something else. Curiosity?

“Fine,” I said. “Touché.”

Kael tilted his head toward the door. “Want to get out of here?”

I blinked. “What?”

“Just for a bit.”

“You’re asking me to hang out?”

“No,” he said flatly. “I’m telling you to.”

Despite myself, I smiled.

We ended up by the lake,we didn’t talk much.

Kael eventually stood and looked up at the stars beginning to flicker out overhead.

“You ever feel like you’re just pretending all the time?” I asked suddenly.

He didn’t turn but he said, “Every day.”