The Veyl Academy dining hall was mostly empty at this hour, lights dimmed and night-shift healers passing by with quiet footsteps. A separate long table was prepared for the newly-recognized Veinwalkers, dishes still steaming.

Khael walked slowly, hand lightly gripping Ceyla's arm for support. Azael's warm presence flickered in his chest, like a small ember refusing to sleep.

Ceyla guided him to a seat.

"Careful. Sit. Don't explode."

"I'm not going to explode."

"Not with that attitude."

Juno was already seated, pouring tea into cups like the dependable older brother of the group. Matthew and his twin Echo Spirits sat across from him Harmonae's ribbons occasionally tapping a spoon or rearranging plates whenever Matthew wasn't looking.

Andromeda barged in last, dragging his spirit dog, JunJun.

"MOVE make way for the chosen one!"

He held JunJun up like a trophy.

JunJun dangled in the air, face blank.

Matthew snorted.

"He looks like he regrets being born."

Ceyla clapped once.

"Okay, before we eat anyone want to say a prayer? Or… chant? Or whatever Veinwalkers do?"

Andromeda raised a hand.

"I can! I have a battle-chant we used in my old squad."

Everyone simultaneously shouted:

"NO."

Andromeda looked betrayed.

"You guys haven't even heard it."

Ceyla shoved a bowl of stew at him.

"And we don't want to."

Khael sat quietly at first, watching the others bicker. The warm atmosphere settled something inside him. Azael hummed faintly in the background almost… content.

Juno pretended not to watch Khael too closely.

"Eat slowly. Your body's still adjusting. If you faint I'm not carrying you."

Ceyla countered:

"But I will!"

Andromeda leaned over.

"Same! …Actually no, he's heavy. Matthew, you carry him."

Matthew blinked, confused.

"Why me?"

Harmonae (both spirits) tugged his sleeve and nodded in eerie synchronization.

Matthew betrayed himself.

"…Fine."

Khael rubbed his temples.

"I'm not fainting! I'm eating normally."

He lifted a spoon.

Azael murmured softly inside him:

"Careful, little flame. The spoon is not an enemy."

Khael jolted so hard stew almost spilled.

Ceyla narrowed her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Khael lied terribly:

"Yeah. Just… hot soup."

Juno sighed.

"He's definitely hearing voices."

Andromeda gasped.

"Oh my gods, he unlocked the Soup Whisperer ability."

Ceyla lost it laughing.

Matthew mumbled between bites,

"Please… no more stupid abilities."

Then Andromeda made a mistake.

He placed a whole roasted chicken on the table.

JunJun froze.

Eyes widened.

Soul ascended.

"JunJun, no…" Andromeda whispered.

Too late.

JunJun launched across the table like a furry missile, grabbing the entire chicken in his mouth.

Everyone screamed.

"HEY—!"

"That was mine!"

"KILL STEAL!"

"JUNJUN NO!!!"

Matthew's spirits tried restraining him with ribbons.

Juno tried pulling the plate back.

Ceyla tried bribing him with dumplings.

Khael just watched, confused and amused.

Azael's voice echoed inside him

"…The small beast is formidable."

"That is Andromeda's dog."

"…My condolences."

After five minutes of chaos, JunJun lay proudly on Andromeda's lap, chicken half-eaten, eyes blissfully closed.

Andromeda sighed in defeat.

"He's grounded."

Ceyla threw a piece of bread at him.

"Grounded for what? Being a dog?"

Juno leaned back, watching all of them with a rare gentle expression.

"It's good to see everyone laughing again."

Khael glanced at him.

"Master Vince would want this." Juno added softly.

Khael nodded.

The mood softened not sad, just… warmer.

Matthew raised his cup.

"To surviving."

Ceyla raised hers.

"To being official Veinwalkers."

Andromeda lifted JunJun's paw like a toast.

"To chicken supremacy!"

Juno raised his tea last.

"To all of you."

Khael, a small smile forming:

"Yeah… to all of us."

They clinked their cups unevenly, loudly, messily.

And for a moment,

war, relics, awakenings, ancient powers…

all felt far away.

Just as the group finally calmed down bowls half-empty, laughter fading into occasional snorts a sharp, high-pitched "Arf!" echoed from the hallway.

Everyone turned.

Matthew suddenly froze.

His eyes widened.

"...Sae?"

A small white dog, fur freshly brushed, tail wagging in excited zigzags, sprinted into the dining hall like a meteor. Her paws skidded across the floor before leaping straight at Matthew.

"Sae!!"

Matthew caught her awkwardly, almost dropping his spoon.

She barked again loud, proud, and very alive.

"ARF! ARF!"

Ceyla gasped.

"She's awake! The healers said her spirit fracture was BAD"

Matthew hugged her tightly, voice cracking just a little.

"She, she's fine… Sae, you're actually fine…"

Harmonae's twin spirits wrapped their ribbons around the dog affectionately, humming a soft resonance of approval.

Sae kicked her paws happily then spotted JunJun.

The moment their eyes met…

Silence.

JunJun froze mid-chew, a piece of chicken dangling from his mouth.

Sae growled softly.

JunJun slowly lowered the chicken, ears flattening like he'd been caught stealing from a goddess.

Andromeda whispered,

"Oh no."

Ceyla bit her lip to hold back laughter.

"She definitely remembers him stealing her biscuits."

Matthew placed Sae down.

"She won't fight. She's gentle."

Sae immediately charged JunJun.

"ARRF!!"

JunJun yelped and hid behind Andromeda.

Andromeda dove behind a chair.

"PROTECT ME INSTEAD, SHE'S MAD, SHE'S MAD!"

Ceyla burst out laughing.

Juno covered his face with his hand.

"I… honestly expected this."

Khael blinked, confused but amused.

"Azael… is this normal?"

Azael's voice rumbled in his chest

"Among lesser beasts, dominance must be re-established."

"So yes. Very normal."

Khael nodded solemnly.

"…Right."

Matthew lifted Sae like a football and sighed in relief when she stopped growling.

Ceyla sighed.

"At least she's healthy…"

Andromeda peeked over the chair in terror.

"Matt… control your demon."

Sae barked again:

"ARF!"

Juno shook his head.

"She says hi."

"How do you know?!" Andromeda snapped.

"I just guessed," Juno replied.

Everyone burst out laughing again.

The academy ward was quiet that night, the kind of silence that made even the moon feel like it was listening.

Everyone had fallen asleep after the chaotic dinner.

Juno slumped over a chair.

Andromeda curled beside JunJun and Sae, both dogs asleep on his legs.

Matthew lay flat on his back snoring faintly, Harmonae humming low notes in their sleep.

But Ceyla… Ceyla couldn't sleep.

She sat on the balcony railing just outside the ward, legs dangling over the edge, eyes tracing the stars she could barely see through the Veil's barrier.

Her thoughts wouldn't stop.

Khael dying in her arms.

Khael glowing gold.

Khael breathing again.

Khael being… Khael.

"Idiot," she whispered softly to herself.

"Scaring me like that…"

The door slid open behind her.

Footsteps.

Soft. Hesitant.

She didn't even need to turn.

"Khael." she said.

He stood there, hair messy, wearing the thin ward shirt they'd given him, golden flicker still faint beneath his skin whenever the moonlight hit him.

He blinked at her.

"…How'd you know it was me?"

"You walk like someone lost." she replied.

He froze. "…Do I?"

"You do."

Khael stepped onto the balcony, looking oddly unsure where to stand.

Ceyla scooted slightly to the side.

"…You can sit." she said.

He nodded, walked over, and instead of sitting a comfortable distance away like a normal

person…

he sat right next to her.

Their arms nearly touched.

Ceyla's heart skipped.

She tried not to let it show on her face.

But Khael?

Clueless.

Completely.

He stared at the distant academy buildings, unaware of the chaos he constantly put in her chest.

After a moment, he spoke quietly.

"Ceyla… earlier… when everything happened… when I when Lucere.."

His voice trembled.

She turned to him, brows softening.

"Khael. Breathe."

He did, slow and shaky.

Ceyla waited.

He continued.

"…When I thought I was dying… I didn't think of the shard. Or fighting. Or… surviving."

He gulped.

"I thought of all of you. Of losing you."

Ceyla felt something inside her tighten.

"…Khael."

He didn't look at her.

His eyes were somewhere far, far away.

Like he was back in that moment.

"I wasn't afraid of dying," he whispered.

"I was afraid of leaving you all behind."

The words hit Ceyla's chest like a physical force.

Her breath hitched.

She swallowed.

"You idiot," she murmured.

Her voice shook despite trying to keep it steady.

"You absolute… stupid idiot… why would you say something like that.."

Khael blinked, confused.

"…Did I say something wrong?"

"Yes!"

"No?"

"Yes, Khael!"

"I, I don't understand.."

"You never do!" she snapped.

He flinched slightly.

Ceyla immediately exhaled, rubbing her forehead.

"…Sorry," she muttered.

"I just… I thought I lost you."

He finally looked at her.

Really looked.

The glow in his eyes softened.

"Ceyla… I'm here. I'm okay."

"Are you?" she asked quietly.

He hesitated.

Because he didn't know.

She saw it in the way his hands tightened on his knees.

He whispered:

"That thing inside me… Azael… It feels like I'm carrying a whole storm in my chest. And I don't know when it's going to break loose."

Ceyla turned her body toward him.

"Khael."

He met her eyes.

"You're not alone." she said.

He blinked.

She leaned closer, voice gentle but firm.

"You don't have to carry any of this alone. Not the shard. Not Azael. Not Lucere. Not your fear. Not your power. We're here. I'm here."

Khael's breath trembled.

"…Why?"

Ceyla's heart twisted painfully.

He asked it with genuine confusion.

Like he couldn't imagine anyone choosing to stay.

She wanted to punch him.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to shake him until he understood.

Instead…

She exhaled softly.

"Because I care about you, Khael."

Khael went very, very still.

Then

"…Ah."

"'Ah'?!" she hissed.

"Uh I mean, thank you?"

"'Thank you'?!" she repeated, glaring at him.

Khael panicked.

"No, I mean, I care about you too!"

Ceyla blinked.

"…You do?"

"Yes! Of course! Obviously!"

He straightened, flustered.

"I care about all of you, Juno, Vince, Matthew, Andromeda—"

Ceyla's expression slowly died.

Khael nodded firmly, completely unaware he had just stabbed himself.

"I care about everyone!"

"…Khael."

"Yes?"

"That's… not what I meant."

He froze.

His brain tried to process.

Then failed.

"…Then… what did you mean?" he asked carefully.

Ceyla stared at him.

Right into his confused, sincere, absolutely dense face.

She opened her mouth.

Paused.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

"…Nevermind." she muttered.

Khael tilted his head like a confused puppy.

"Wait, but, Ceyla"

"It's fine."

"But"

"Drop it."

He didn't.

He leaned a little closer.

Something like guilt flickered in his eyes.

"Ceyla… I don't want to misunderstand something important. I don't want to ignore something you're trying to say."

She blinked.

Her heart surged.

Her breath caught.

"Khael…"

He waited.

She opened her mouth.

Her throat tightened.

The truth hovered right there.

Right on the edge.

But she saw him.

Saw the exhaustion still stitched into his posture.

The golden glow under his skin flickering like a candle fighting the dark.

The weight of Azael.

Lucere.

Loss.

Fear.

Not now, she thought.

Not yet.

So she smiled.

Soft.

Sad.

Warm.

"You should rest," she said quietly.

His shoulders fell, disappointment flickering for a moment before he hid it.

"…Okay."

But he didn't move.

Neither did she.

They sat in silence, the cold night air brushing past them, fluttering Ceyla's hair.

Khael watched the sky.

Ceyla watched him.

Eventually, she spoke again, barely above a whisper.

"Khael?"

"Hm?"

"I'm glad you're alive."

He looked at her.

Really looked.

His voice softened.

"I'm glad… you're here."

Ceyla swallowed hard.

"You should sleep," she repeated.

Khael nodded slowly.

But when he stood, he hesitated.

"Ceyla?"

"Yeah?"

He whispered, almost shy:

"…Stay until I fall asleep?"

Her chest tightened.

"…Okay."

She followed him inside.

Khael lay down on the ward bed.

Ceyla sat on the chair beside him.

He watched her with tired, half-golden eyes.

"…You won't leave, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

He smiled.

It was small.

Fragile.

Real.

And as his eyes slowly closed, he whispered:

"…Ceyla… thank you… for staying."

"Always."

It took him only seconds to fall asleep.

Ceyla watched him.

The rise and fall of his chest.

The faint glow beneath his skin.

The boy who had died, lived, awakened and still somehow had no idea what he meant to the people around him.

She reached out.

Gently brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.

"…Idiot," she whispered, smiling sadly.

"Dense as a brick."

But she didn't move her hand away.

She stayed there the whole night.

Watching over him.

Like she always had.

Like she always would.

To be continue