sneaking out to see the stars together

Since we had stayed at the academy later than expected, the group collectively decided that switching up dorm arrangements for the night would be "fun."

I protested. Loudly.

"Why are we doing this again?" I grumbled, arms crossed as I watched Claire happily shuffle the drawing sticks in her hands.

"Because," Claire said, grinning, "it's more fun this way! Who knows who we'll end up with?"

"I already have a roommate." I gestured to Tessa. "I see her every day."

Tessa gave me a lazy smirk. "Touched by your enthusiasm, really."

"Come on, Sera!" Claire nudged my arm. "Live a little. It's just one night! What's the worst that could happen?"

Knowing I wasn't getting out of this, I sighed and reached for a stick. One by one, the others followed.

When we all flipped them over, I immediately regretted everything.

I had picked Claire.

And across the room, I swore I saw Camille's expression falter for a split second before she quickly masked it with a neutral smile. Was she disappointed?

Before I could dwell on it, Claire pumped her fist in the air. "Yes! Sera, you're mine for the night!"

"Why did you have to say it like that?" I deadpanned.

Diana, who had drawn Lillian as her partner, chuckled under her breath. "This should be entertaining."

"Have fun, lovebirds," Camille said, her voice smooth as ever, though something about her usual teasing felt… a little forced.

I glanced at her, but she had already turned away.

"Alright!" Claire clapped her hands together. "Let's all get settled in!"

As we all split off to our respective rooms, I couldn't shake the feeling that this night was about to be a lot more chaotic than I had originally anticipated.

When Claire and I stepped inside, I took a moment to glance around. The room was split into two very distinct halves. One side was full of personality—decorations lined the walls, a few fancy cushions were arranged on the bed, and a neatly stacked collection of books and trinkets filled a nearby shelf. It had a refined yet strategic sense of style.

The other side? Completely bare. Plain, simple, and almost eerily untouched.

I turned to Claire with a knowing look. "Let me guess, you share a dorm with Diana?"

Claire let out a laugh, flopping onto her bed with a dramatic sigh. "Yeah, how'd you figure it out?"

I gestured vaguely to the two halves of the room. "Just a wild guess," I said dryly. "Her side… is exactly what I expected."

Claire propped herself up on her elbows, grinning. "It screams 'Diana,' doesn't it? You should've seen the first time I walked in. She had all her stuff arranged perfectly within the first hour of moving in. Not a single thing out of place. Meanwhile, I spent half the night trying to figure out where to put my pillows."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me at all," I muttered, shaking my head.

Claire stretched her arms over her head, then shot me a mischievous look. "But enough about that. Since we're roommates for the night, let's talk about something way more interesting—you and Lillian."

I nearly tripped over my own feet. "What? Why are we talking about that?"

Claire sat up fully, her violet eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Oh, come on. You two went on a whole date! You can't expect me not to ask."

I groaned, already regretting everything. 

"Nothing special, we just went on a date," I said, waving a hand dismissively.

Claire gasped dramatically, clutching her chest like I'd just personally offended her. "Nothing special? Sera, you went on a date with the princess. Isn't that, I don't know, huge?"

I shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "Well… yeah, I guess, but it's different because she's our friend. We see her in a different light. It's not like some fairy tale romance."

Claire sighed, flopping onto the bed beside me. "I guess that makes sense. But still, can you imagine what it's actually like to be a princess? When she goes home, do you think there's a whole line of maids waiting to greet her? And what about gifts? Do her parents just shower her in jewelry every time she accomplishes something?"

I snorted. "No, obviously not," I said, giving her a playful shove. "Lillian isn't drowning in gold coins every time she blinks. But I will admit that coming from a high-ranking noble family is… different."

Claire hummed, kicking her legs lightly against the edge of the bed. "It's gotta be, right? She's always so composed, but I bet she works way too hard for her own good."

"She does," I agreed, nodding. "Sometimes I think she takes on more than she needs to."

Claire smiled softly, staring up at the ceiling. "That sounds like her. She's always making sure things go smoothly for everyone else." Then, suddenly, she turned to me, her violet eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Hey, why don't you come home with me the next time we have a break?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

"And then I can visit your home, too! Like, for dinner or something. That way, we can compare. I'm kind of curious about how you live, Sera."

I exhaled through my nose, a mix of amusement and something more nostalgic settling in my chest. Claire didn't know it, but I'd already experienced both worlds—one where I had to work myself to the bone just to get by, and one where wealth was handed to me like it was nothing.

Still, I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Sure," I said. "One day."

"Great!" She grinned, sitting up suddenly. "By the way, why don't we sneak out?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Claire's grin widened. "I heard the stars are gonna be really bright tonight. There's supposed to be some constellation forming—super rare or whatever. We should go see it!"

I hesitated, glancing toward the door. "I don't know if that's a good idea…"

"Oh, come on!" Claire nudged me. "It'll be fun! Besides, who's gonna catch us? Everyone's already asleep!"

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "I swear, if we get caught, I'm blaming you."

"Deal," she said, grabbing my wrist with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Now, let's go before someone actually wakes up."

And just like that, I found myself being dragged along for another one of Claire's brilliant (and likely disastrous) ideas.

We crept through the dimly lit hallways, careful not to make too much noise as we made our way to the back of the school. The moment we stepped outside, I was greeted by an open sky—vast, dark, and littered with thousands of twinkling stars. The air was crisp and cool, the kind of night that felt almost untouched, like it had been waiting for us to witness its beauty.

I let out a slow breath, my eyes scanning the horizon. "Wow…"

Claire beamed, nudging me. "I told you it would be worth it! Look how clear they are tonight! I don't think I've ever seen the stars shine this brightly before."

She stretched her arms above her head, then shivered slightly. "Though… it's kinda chilly."

I sighed, shaking my head. "That's what happens when you don't wear the proper clothing." Without thinking much of it, I reached for her hand, intertwining our fingers as I channeled a small amount of fire magic, letting the warmth spread between us.

"Eh?"

I turned to Claire, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stared at our joined hands, a slight pink dusting her cheeks before she quickly turned away. "N-nothing. Just… surprised."

I wasn't entirely convinced, but before I could question it, she suddenly gasped and pointed toward the sky. "Wait! Look! It's Gemini!"

I followed the direction of her outstretched finger, squinting at the stars above. "Uh… sure?"

Claire whipped around to face me, eyes wide. "Sure?! Wait, wait, wait—do you not know about constellations?"

I shrugged. "I mean, I know of them, but I can't exactly pick them out in the sky."

Claire gasped dramatically, clutching my arm like I had personally insulted her. "This is unacceptable. As your amazing and brilliant friend, it is my duty to educate you."

I chuckled. "Oh no, not education."

She ignored my teasing, dragging me over to a nearby bench. "Alright, listen up! Gemini is also known as 'The Twins.' It represents Castor and Pollux, two brothers who were super close. But here's the cool part—one of them was mortal, and the other was immortal."

I raised an eyebrow. "That… sounds unfair."

"I know, right?" Claire said, grinning. "Anyway, when the mortal one died, the immortal brother was so devastated that Zeus—yes, the Zeus—decided to let them share immortality by turning them into a constellation. That way, they could stay together forever."

I glanced up at the stars again, this time with a little more appreciation. "That's actually kind of sweet."

"Right?" Claire said, rocking back and forth excitedly. "It's all about loyalty! Even in different worlds, in different lives, they still find a way to stay together."

Something about the way she said it made my chest feel oddly warm. I turned to look at her, only to find her already watching me, her violet eyes shimmering under the soft glow of the stars.

"Hey, Sera," she murmured. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could be like that, too?"

I blinked. "Like what?"

She smiled, squeezing my hand just a little tighter. "No matter what happens, no matter what changes—let's stay together. Okay?"

For a moment, the world seemed to pause. The night air was crisp against my skin, but Claire's warmth in my hand was steady. Unwavering.

I swallowed, my heart giving a tiny, unexpected flutter.

"…Yeah," I said, my voice softer than I expected. "Let's stay together."

Claire grinned, and just like that, everything felt a little lighter.

"Good! Now, since you're still a constellation novice, I must show you at least three more before we go back."

I groaned, laughing despite myself. "What did I just agree to?"

And with that, I sat back, letting Claire's excited rambling fill the quiet night as we traced constellations across the sky.