The garden was quiet except for the soft rustling of leaves in the breeze.


    Maya Brenthall sat at a small wrought-iron table.


    Her hands gracefully holding a teacup as she read from a book resting in herp.


    The golden light of thete afternoon cast a serene glow over the academy grounds.


    And for a moment, Maya allowed herself to rx.


    But peace was fleeting.


    "Well, isn''t this just perfect."


    A sharp voice cut through the tranquility.


    Maya''s fingers froze on the page.


    Maya slowly raised her head, her sharp purple eyes meeting Iris''s crimson ones.


    The dark-haired girl stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her gaze fiery and unrelenting.


    It was no coincidence that Iris Star, childhood friend of Noah Ashbourne, had found her here.


    "Iris..."


    Maya greeted coolly, setting her teacup down with precision.


    "To what do I owe the pleasure?"


    Iris took a step forward, her expression both usatory and incredulous.


    "Pleasure? You sit here sipping tea, enjoying your book as if the world isn''t falling apart, while your fiancé—your betrothed, Noah—is missing."


    Maya didn''t flinch.


    Instead, she closed her book, cing it delicately on the table.


    "And what exactly would you like me to do, Iris?


    Scour the ends of the world for him?


    Shall I send out a search party at my expense?"


    Her voice was calm, but there was an edge of arrogance that Maya couldn''t entirely suppress.


    "The engagement was political.


    There''s no love between us."


    Iris''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "That''s all you have to say?


    Political? No feelings?


    Do you even realize what you''re saying?"


    Maya raised an eyebrow, unfazed.


    "I''m stating the truth. It doesn''t concern me much.


    He and I—well, we''re hardly the romantic pair people seem to imagine."


    That did it.


    Iris''s hands mmed onto the table, rattling the teacup and startling a nearby bird.


    "Are you serious, Maya?


    You don''t even care that he''s missing?


    You''re engaged to him!"


    "By arrangement, not by choice."


    Maya replied, her tone clipped but still respectful.


    She folded her hands in herp, herposed demeanor unwavering.


    "If Noah is as capable as he ims, I''m sure he can handle himself.


    There''s no need for me to y the role of a worried fiancée.


    It''s unbing."


    Iris straightened, her fiery re intensifying.


    "Unbing?


    You don''t understand anything about him, do you?


    You''re so caught up in your little world of appearances and politics that you can''t see what''s right in front of you."


    "And what is it that I''m missing, Iris?"


    Maya asked, her voice tinged with exasperation.


    "Please, enlighten me."


    Iris crossed her arms, her lips curling into a scowl.


    "Noah may be arrogant, prideful, and impossible to deal with most of the time, but underneath all of that?


    He''s brilliant, loyal, and capable of things most people can only dream of.


    He''s the kind of person who''ll stand up for you even when no one else will...


    ...the kind of person who hides his pain because he refuses to burden others with it."


    Maya blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Iris''s fervor.


    "And you?"


    Iris continued, her voice rising.


    "You don''t even try to see it.


    You sit here, acting the victim, while every girl in this academy would kill to have what you have.


    You don''t deserve him, Maya....


    Not if this is how you treat him."


    The words stung more than Maya cared to admit.


    She opened her mouth to respond, but Iris wasn''t done.


    "You''re lucky, Maya.


    Lucky that someone like Noah was even assigned to you.


    You should be grateful—grateful for his ws and his strengths, for everything he is and everything he''s not.


    Because one day, you''re going to realize just how rare he is....


    And by then...it might be toote."


    Without another word, Iris spun on her heel and stormed off, her ck hair swaying behind her like a shadow.


    Maya remained seated, stunned into silence.


    Her eyes drifted to her hands, trembling slightly as they rested on herp.


    She clutched the fabric of her skirt, staring down at the grass beneath her feet.


    Iris''s words echoed in her mind, louder with each passing moment.


    "...You''re lucky..."


    "...You don''t deserve him..."


    "...You don''t even try to see it..."


    She looked at the book she had been reading.


    The tea that had gone cold.


    The flowers swaying gently in the breeze.


    None of it felt asforting as it had moments ago.


    The thought unsettled her more than she cared to admit.


    ***


    The midday sun filtered through the windows of Ravenwood Academy''s bustling dining hall.


    Casting patches of golden light on the long tables scattered throughout the space.


    Students chatted andughed over their meals, their voices blending into a harmonious din.


    In a quieter corner of the hall, three girls sat together, their tes half-touched.


    ra leaned back in her chair, her auburn hair catching the sunlight as she tapped her fork idly against her te.


    Beside her, Eliza adjusted her sses.


    Her sharp eyes glinting with curiosity as she gestured animatedly.


    Meanwhile, Ariana sat across from them, uncharacteristically silent.


    Her hands folded neatly in herp as her gaze seemed fixed on the table.


    "Honestly..."


    ra said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.


    "...this whole situation with Noah is hrious.


    I mean, they''ve got entire search partiesbing the academy grounds for him.


    They even hired professionals to search outside the academy.


    Professionals, Eliza! And the best part?


    He''s literally right here in the academy."


    Eliza chuckled, adjusting her sses again.


    "It''s ridiculous.


    They''re bending over backward to keep this from his family and the other nobles.


    You''d think they were trying to hide a state secret."


    ra snorted.


    "Can you imagine the uproar if his family found out?


    The House of Ashbourne wouldn''t just demand answers—they''d probably tear the academy apart stone by stone."


    Elizaughed at the exaggeration, shaking her head.


    "True. But you know how students are. Secrets don''t stay hidden for long, not in a ce like this.


    It''s only a matter of time before someone bs, and the entire world knows."


    ra leaned forward, her elbows on the table.


    "Honestly, I''m tempted to spill the beans myself.


    It''s the right thing to do, isn''t it?


    Let the academy know that he''s safe and sound."


    Eliza nodded thoughtfully.


    "It would be the responsible thing to do, I suppose.


    But then again…"


    She trailed off, ncing at Ariana.


    "What do you think, Ari?


    Should we tell someone?"


    Ariana''s fingers tightened slightly around the fabric of her skirt.


    She looked up at her friends, her expression soft yet conflicted.


    Her voice, when it came, was quiet but steady.


    "I… I think Noah probably has his reasons for faking his death or pretending to be missing."


    ra and Eliza blinked, startled by the unexpected weight in her tone.


    Ariana continued, her wordsing hesitantly but sincerely.


    "Everyone, even us, has problems they''re dealing with.


    But unlike us… Noah doesn''t have anyone to talk to.


    He''s distant, cold...


    And even when things must be eating away at him, he doesn''t share it with anyone.


    He''s all alone."


    Her hands clutched her skirt more tightly as she looked at them, her voice dropping to a near whisper.


    "Maybe it''s not much, but… we can at least do this one thing for him.


    Keep his secret.


    Even though he acts prideful and tough… I think, deep down, Noah appreciates these small acts.


    He just… doesn''t know how to show it."