CHAPTER 447: ONE ENEMY LESS

Evaline:

The morning air carried the faint scent of rain-soaked earth, the kind that made Silver Moon’s stone walls gleam faintly under the cloudy sky. The Academy felt different today - quieter somehow, the usual rush of students dulled to soft murmurs and the occasional footsteps.

It was the calm before the storm. The morning before the first day of exams.

No classes, no training, no early lectures... just time to rest or cram whatever we could before facing the week that would decide everything.

I had barely managed four hours of sleep. Between late-night revision and sneaking through secret passages to meet my son, my brain felt like it was being kept awake purely by stress. Still, I forced myself to smile as I joined my friends, all of us walking toward the dining hall together.

The chatter around me helped drown out the fatigue - Kyros was quizzing Ria on potion combinations, Noah was making bets on how many students would faint during tomorrow’s Runes practical test, and Selene looked like she would rather skip the exams altogether and join the warriors’ ranks immediately.

We were halfway across the central courtyard when I saw her.

Celeste.

And, of course, her ever-present group of admirers - three girls and two boys, all dressed impeccably even on a rest day. They were walking from the opposite side of the courtyard, the rhythmic click of Celeste’s high heels echoing faintly against the stone.

For a heartbeat, I considered pretending not to notice. But it seemed fate enjoyed watching me walk straight into awkward encounters.

Both groups came to a halt, facing each other almost perfectly at the courtyard’s midpoint.

The air thickened.

Celeste’s gaze swept over me, slow and deliberate, from head to toe. But the usual flicker of disdain I had grown used to seeing in her eyes wasn’t there. In fact, there was something else, something almost... thoughtful.

I braced myself for whatever snide comment she would throw next.

But instead, she smiled.

A real smile.

"Good luck on your exams, Evaline," she said. Her tone was calm, even polite.

Then, before I could even react, she turned and walked past me with her friends, her hair swaying behind her like a banner of truce.

For a moment, all I could do was blink.

Her friends followed, though not without a few of them stealing glances back at me - some openly admiring, others with that kind of look that made me want to hide behind Rowan.

When Celeste and her group finally turned the corner and disappeared, silence lingered for a beat too long.

Then Noah’s voice broke through, incredulous and loud enough to make a few nearby students look at us.

"Okay, what in the actual moon was that? Did Her Highness just wish you good luck? Are we in an alternate dimension right now?"

Kyros stifled a laugh, and Selena nearly choked on thin air.

"I’m as shocked as you are," I admitted, still staring at the spot where Celeste had stood seconds ago. "I was fully prepared for an insult. I had comebacks ready."

Mallory, however, didn’t seem half as surprised. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her usual analytical expression settling in. "Actually," she said thoughtfully, "I think I know what’s going on."

We all turned to her.

She crossed her arms, her voice taking on that tone she used when she was piecing together theories. "Think about it. Celeste’s little rivalry with you started when you were working as River’s intern, right? She was obsessed with him. But ever since you stopped working for River and... well, since those rumors started about you and Draven..."

Her eyes flicked meaningfully toward me.

"Her hostility toward you has been fading. Maybe she doesn’t see you as competition anymore."

Noah nodded slowly. "So you are saying she’s stopped hating Eva because she thinks she has nothing to do with River anymore?"

"Exactly," Mallory said. "And since Celeste’s set to graduate after these exams, she probably doesn’t care enough to start another feud now."

It made sense.

Actually, it made perfect sense.

I let out a quiet sigh, relief slipping through me. "That would explain why she’s been ignoring me lately instead of glaring holes through my back."

"Honestly," Selene added with a grin, "I’m kind of sad. Watching her fail at being subtle was fun."

Ria giggled. "Oh, just wait until she finds out you are more than just friends with you-know-who. And the others." She leaned closer, eyes gleaming mischievously. "Imagine that look of horror on her perfect face."

That made the whole group laugh, even I couldn’t hold back my smile.

The tension that had hovered earlier melted away as we finally resumed walking. I shook my head, smiling faintly. "Let’s not wish her emotional trauma before exams. As a final year student, she has enough to study for."

The dining hall was already half full when we entered - students scattered around, textbooks and scrolls sprawled across tables as they studied between bites of breakfast. The scent of warm bread, honey, and spiced tea drifted through the air, making my stomach grumble audibly.

We made our way toward our usual table near the window. I had just set my tray down when I felt it... his gaze.

Draven.

I didn’t need to look to know where he was sitting. His energy had always been impossible to ignore, like a storm humming just beneath the surface. Still, curiosity got the better of me, and I risked a glance toward the far end of the hall.

There he was, surrounded by his group of friends. Dressed in casual dark clothes, sleeves rolled to his elbows, hair a little tousled as if he hadn’t bothered to fix it that morning. His eyes, however, were sharp and fixed... on me.

I tried to focus on my breakfast, tried to listen to Noah and Kyros arguing about whether the theory section of Herbs and Potions would be harder than the practical, but my attention kept drifting back to Draven.

Then, suddenly, there were movements.

He and his friends were walking toward us.