Chapter 127
Lucia walked briskly through the bustling corridors of the academy, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. It had been two weeks since Helios had drooped her off, and the silence had grown from
m a subtle tried to push it aside, to focus on her studies and responsibilities, bo the nagging sense of abandonment was always there, just
worry to a constant ache in her chest. She had beneath the surface.
Her days were filled with lectures, assignments, and lab work. The academy demanded her full attention, its rigorous schedule leaving little room for personal distractions. Yet, despite the pressing workload, Lucia found herself drifting during classes, her mind wandering back to Helios and the questions that haunted her.
In the testing lab, she fumbled with her experiments, her usually steady hands now uncertain and clumsy. A beaker slipped from her grasp, shattering on the floor. Her classmates turned to look, concern etched on their faces. Lucia forced a smile, assuring them it was nothing, but inside, she felt like she was crumbling just like the glass.
During a particularly challenging lecture on molecular biology and how magic could affect it, Lucia’s professor called on her to answer a question. Normally, she would have been quick to respond, her knowledge and confidence a hallmark of her academic prowess. But today, the words eluded her. She stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she struggled to form a coherent answer. The professor, noticing her distress, moved on, but the damage was done. Lucia felt the weight of her failure pressing down on her.
Her friends at the academy noticed the change in her. Sofia, her roommate and closest confidant, tried to draw her out, “Lucia, what’s going on? You’ve been so distracted lately. Is everything okay?” Sofia’s eyes were filled with genuine concern, her hand resting gently on Lucia’s arm.
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Sofia was a Sirene, a,sea creature. A lot of people looked at me weird when I went to make her a friend because I was not meant to hang out with people of “unequal class”
Lucia forced another smile, the same one she’d been giving everyone lately. “I’m fine, Sofia. Just a bit stressed with all the
coursework.”
Sofia didn’t look convinced, but she nodded, respecting Lucia’s need for privacy. “If you ever want to talk, I’m here, okay?”
“Thanks, Sofia,” Lucia replied softly, her heart aching with the unspoken truth. She wanted to confide in Sofia, to share the burden of her worries about Helios, but something held her back. Maybe it was pride, or perhaps a lingering hope that he would reach out and everything would return to normal.
In the evenings, Lucia buried herself in her studies, using the heavy textbooks and complex equations as a shield against her
room. But no matter how thoughts. She stayed up late, the glow of her desk lamp casting long shadows on the walls of her
hard she worked, how much she tried to distract herself, the silence from Helios was a constant, gnawing presence.
One night, as she sat hunched over her desk, her eyes scanning the same paragraph for the third time without absorbing a word, she reached a breaking point. Pushing the book aside, she grabbed the necklace from the table, rubbing it against her hand and feeling
it in her palm
Call him? What if he didn’t respond again? She tried to summon him as she was thought to do, or at least go and meet him but it was as though he was not responding. The thought of his continued silence was almost too much to bear. But the uncertainty was even worse. She needed to know why he had withdrawn, why he had stopped caring.
The following day, Lucia threw herself into her work with renewed vigor. She attended her classes, participated in discussions, and even managed to regain some of her former confidence in the lab. But beneath the surface, the anxiety gnawed at her, a constant undercurrent of unease.
Days passed with no response from Helios. Each day that passed, Lucia would check in with the headmaster to see if Helios had sent in any words, despite the fact that he had promised over and over that he would send word the moment a word came from him.
Despite this, Lucia began to find solace in her routine. The structure of the academy, the demands of her studies, and the support of
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her friends provided a semblance of normalcy. She began to focus more on her goals, her determination to succeed burning brighter than ever. She couldn’t control Helios’s netions, but she could contro her own. She would not let his silence define her.
One evening, after a particularly successful experiment in the lab, Lis sat with Sofla in the common room, the two of them sharing a pot of tea. Sofia glanced at her, a smile playing on her lips You seem more like yourself today. It’s good to see,”
Lucia smiled back, a genuine one this time. I guess I’m learning to focus on what’s in front of me, not what’s missing.”
Sofia nodded, her eyes reflecting understanding and support. “That‘ The spirit. You’ve got a bright future ahead, Lucia. Don’t let anything or anyone dim that light.”
As the night wore on, Lucia felt a sense of calm settle over her. The feeling shook her to her core, it was not her feelings. The night she And Helios almost did the deed and the emotions she felt started to hit her, only this time, it was the feeling of her man.
Only this time, it was not a stranger, and she was sure of it.
“Lucia, are you okay?” sofia asked, looking at her with fear in her eyes. lucia looked around, trying to focus her gaze on sophia who was talking, but it was an issue for her as she could not breathe properly. it felt as though she no longer knew how to breath.
“Lucia!!!” she shook her trying to snap her out of what ever might have happened.
“Helios!” Lucia said, finally snapping out if whatever had a hold on her
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Chapter Comments
Jessica Savare
she was in Helios room so no roommate
Tammie Gooding
why does she now have a roommate she’s Queen of a realm why would she bring a stranger into the KINGS suite?
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