Liora and I barely made it ten steps past the east courtyard when a familiar voice slithered out from behind a stone column.
"Well, well… Look who's still pretending to belong."
Alexios. My favorite brother — if favorite meant "ranked most likely to shove you off a cliff for inheritance points."
Cassian, his quieter echo, stood beside him.
I didn't stop walking. "Still trying to remember your own bloodline, Alexios?"
He stepped into our path. "You know, I thought Father might've finally done something smart and let you rot."
Liora shifted forward before I could reply. "Do either of you ever get tired of talking?"
Alexios smirked. "Oh, it speaks."
Liora's tone turned cold. "Say one more thing, and I'll snap your sword arm in front of the dueling instructors."
Cassian wisely tapped his brother's shoulder. "Let's go."
Alexios glared at me. "Enjoy polishing goblets in etiquette class."
Then they were gone.
"I'm going to start charging for every insult," I muttered.
Liora cracked her knuckles. "Let me know when the rates go up. I'd like to invest."
We arrived at Noble Etiquette a few minutes later.
The room was absurd — like someone tried to combine a museum with a royal dining hall. Polished tables, enchanted cutlery, floating silver trays. A servant golem poured steaming tea in silence at the front.
We slid into two of the four chairs at a circular side table. Before I could ask if I was supposed to curtsy to my spoon, the classroom doors opened.
The murmuring began immediately.
She stepped in with perfect poise — tall, composed, a stream of light blue and silver-white hair trailing behind her. Even her shoes were quiet, like they respected her too much to make sound.
"I apologize for the delay," she said gently. "I'm Selene Lykaios, transfer student from the southern coast."
A few students blinked.
"The Lykaios family?" one asked.
Selene offered a polite nod. "Yes. I am the second princess of Virelia."
Gasps. Whispers. One student's fork clattered loudly to the floor.
And then — her eyes met mine.
A flicker of recognition passed through her gaze.
"Oh," she said, smiling. "We've met."
She walked toward my table. My brain stalled.
"I asked you for directions on my first day, didn't I?"
"You did," I said slowly. "I assumed you were just another lost freshman. Not a royal in disguise."
"You gave me the wrong hallway."
"Classic noble hospitality."
She laughed — and then took the seat beside me.
We didn't say much during the lesson.
We didn't need to.
Every time the instructor said something pompous like "a true noble never lifts the soup spoon more than three inches," she'd glance at me like, Who made this up?
I'd answer with a smirk.
And suddenly, tea class wasn't completely terrible.
Across the room, I saw Liora watching.
And not in her usual bored "I'll hex you if you snore" way.
Her jaw was set.
Beside her, Bennett leaned over and whispered something, clearly picking up on it too.
As class ended, I stood, ready to escape the royal buzz, but Liora appeared beside me in an instant, grabbed my sleeve, and pulled me toward the next hall.
"Noah. Lunch. Now."
"Hi to you too, Cousin."
Today's meal took place in the Noble Dining Room — all marble floors, golden cutlery, and enchanted ceiling paintings that showed mythical hunts.
We took our usual table. Bennett joined us shortly after, loading his tray with things covered in caramel.
"Hey, is it just me," he said, glancing toward the entrance, "or is she heading this way?"
I turned.
Selene walked straight toward us.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked sweetly.
"There's four seats," Bennett replied before I could, smiling. "We've got space."
She sat beside me. Again.
Liora said nothing.
But her glare could've shattered the entire glassware set.
I picked up my fork slowly and thought:
Thirty days left. One death prophecy. Two girls who might kill each other before the reaper even shows up.
Why does fate hate me?
After lunch, the three of us headed to our final class of the day: Homeroom — which was mostly just a glorified study period where the instructors made sure we weren't secretly stabbing each other with forks.
We slid into our usual seats near the back.
Liora took her spot beside me.
Selene sat right behind me.
Great. Just the arrangement I needed to survive another hour of emotional landmines.
Liora said nothing as she sat. Her eyes were straight ahead, her face was stone, and she didn't look at me once.
"Hey," I said, keeping my voice low. "You good?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she leaned in and pinched the side of my arm.
"Ow—! What was that for?!"
Her reply: a tiny, wicked smile. Then back to silence.
I didn't dare try again.
A minute later, Bennett, seated a few desks down, crumpled up a scrap of paper and lobbed it at me.
It bounced off my shoulder and landed on the desk.
I opened it.
Blank.
"Oh good," I muttered, "a note written by ghosts."
Then I remembered: some nobles used mana-based ink for messages — it revealed only if you fed it a little power.
Lucky for me, my mana had gone up a notch after surviving multiple near-death experiences.
I trickled just enough mana into the paper to activate the ink.
Words shimmered into view.
"I think Liora is upset with you."
I stared at the note, then at Liora.
Still silent.
Still staring forward.
Is it possible, I thought, my cousin is in love with me?
I shook the thought away. No. Couldn't be. Shouldn't be.
…Right?
When the class finally ended, I needed air more than mana.
Liora and Bennett vanished off toward the desert area— apparently on a mission to buy cake again. Those two were always eating. Bennett was built like a cheerful barrel, but Liora?
Still slim. Still terrifying.
Unfair genetics should be a crime, I thought as I made my way alone toward the dorms.
Halfway there, I heard someone call out.
"Noah!"
I turned to see Selene, waving.
"Hey," I said. "Didn't think you'd still be around."
"I wanted to walk."
"Same."
We fell into step together.
The path was lined with glowing stones and purple-blossomed trees — the academy's gardens enchanted to stay beautiful year-round. The wind was cool and soft.
I glanced at her.
Then remembered my mission.
"Befriend Selene Lykaios."
She might be the key to surviving my death day.
But Liora might murder me before then.
What a lovely triangle I've wandered into, I thought.
Suddenly, the world tilted.
The ground blurred.
"Wait—" I mumbled.
Then everything went dark.
I woke up to cold cloth against my forehead.
Clean linen.
Faint mint in the air.
I was in the infirmary.
My ribs throbbed. My vision spun once. I blinked it clear.
Selene was sitting in the chair beside my bed.
Still here.
"You passed out," she said softly. "Do you remember?"
"Yeah," I croaked. "I was thinking about death and triangles."
"…What?"
"Nothing."
She smiled, but it faded fast when the doors slammed open.
"Where is he?!" a voice snapped.
Liora.
She stormed in, skirt flying behind her like a cape, her hair wind-blown and her eyes deadly.
She saw Selene.
Her expression tightened.
"What happened?" she demanded.
Selene stood. "He fainted. My bodyguard brought him here. He's fine."
"He would've been fine walking alone."
"Would he?" Selene asked, calm but firm. "Because he wasn't."
Before Liora could reply, the door opened again.
"Seems we've become very popular," said Nurse Vivianne, walking in with her usual neutral expression and a glowing vial in one hand.
"Are we throwing a party? Should I get snacks?"
Everyone went quiet.
She looked at me. "Try not to die without permission next time."
"…I'll do my best."
Vivianne walked across the room like she'd seen it all before — and was mostly unimpressed. She handed me the glowing vial with the same care someone might give a mop to clean their own mess.
"Drink it."
I stared into the swirling green mess. "Are you sure this isn't melted pond algae?"
"I've tasted worse," she said with a shrug.
That didn't help.
Still, I took a deep breath and downed it in one go.
It hit my tongue like regret. My whole body shuddered.
"Oh gods, why does it taste like wet socks and ash?!"
Vivianne raised a brow. "That's the sweet version."
"I want a refund."
"I want you to stop fainting."
Selene gave a small, amused breath but stood soon after. "I'll leave you to rest. You need it."
I sat up slightly. "Thanks… again."
She nodded, graceful as ever, and slipped quietly from the room.
The door had barely clicked shut before Liora took the now-empty chair beside me and stared like I owed her rent.
Her voice was quieter than usual. "You scared me."
"You say that every week."
She elbowed me. "This time I mean it."
I leaned my head back against the pillow. "I think I'm setting a new record for how many times a noble can nearly die in one semester."
She didn't laugh.
Instead, she leaned in and, to my complete surprise, hugged me.
Soft. Quick. But real.
Then she pulled back and scowled. "If you collapse one more time, I swear I'll break both your legs so you can't walk alone again."
"That's not how legs work, but thank you for the sentiment."
She stood.
I raised an eyebrow. "You know… if we weren't cousins, I'd totally try to date you."
Her eyes widened. "What—"
I grinned. "Too bad we're family. Guess I'll just have to die single."
She flushed pink, turned on her heel, and walked out faster than a teleportation spell.
Totally worth it.
Vivianne stayed behind, tapping my chart with one finger, expression unreadable.
"You're improving," she finally said.
"I can feel it," I murmured. "My head doesn't hurt as much. Breathing is easier."
"Your mana has increased," she confirmed. "And the instability in your core is… slowing. Not healing. But slowing."
"So… not dying today?"
"Not today," she said. Then her eyes met mine. "But make no mistake. You're still dying, Noah. The cracks in your soul haven't gone away."
"…Right."
She stepped back. "Rest. And try not to make a habit of fainting next to royalty. It gets noticed."
She left with the grace of someone who had ten other patients and no patience left for melodrama.
The lights dimmed.
And just as I was beginning to nod off, the air shimmered blue.
[Status Window Active]
✅ Minor Death Event Survived
🎁 Mana increased
🎁 Condition: Stabilized
I stared at the numbers.
Still alive.
Still doomed.