Friendship.

The darkness vanished like it had never been there, giving way to a world painted in color and light once again. The settlement stirred as another day began, the faint glow of toches casting long shadows across the narrow streets.

Cele opened her eyes, already brimming with anticipation for the day's training. But today wasn't just another day of drills and combat practice, she had another reason to be excited. A boy.

The one Ethan had fought yesterday.

She didn't know much about him, only that he was strong. Strong enough to accept Ethan's challenge, who was always looking for a fight. If this new boy could hold his own against him, then maybe, just maybe, he could become the leader of their group.

Her only hope was that he wasn't dumb like Ethan.

With that thought, she pushed herself out of bed and hurried outside. The morning air was cold against her skin, but she ignored it as she splashed water on her face and rinsed her mouth. Grabbing a piece of bread her mother had baked the day before, she set off toward the barracks.

The streets were already busy with other cadets making their way to training. Some of them, still half-asleep, trudged alongside her, their uniforms wrinkled and their hair unkempt.

Not long ago, girls hadn't been allowed to train at all. But after the knight commander changed, he had granted them the opportunity. Not everyone was happy about it. Some of the older cadets who had trained under the old rules still looked at the girls like they didn't belong.

Cele didn't care.

She was different. Special.

Born with the ability to control fire, she carried a power unlike anyone else. If she mastered it, if she trained hard enough, she could become a knight. And if that happened, she could only imagine how proud her mother would be. After everything she had done—raising Cele alone after her father's death—Cele wanted nothing more than to make her proud.

***

The training grounds came into view, a wide open space surrounded by the barracks. Normally, Cele was the first to arrive. But today, someone else was already there.

A boy sat on the ground, leaning against the wooden wall of the barracks. His hair, white with streaks of red, fell just past his shoulders. His pale skin almost seemed to reflect the light, standing out against the dull browns and grays of the settlement.

Cele had never seen someone so young with white hair. Usually, only the elders had it. The only other person she knew with such pale skin was Carlos, a man in the settlement who was well known for his unusual appearance.

She hesitated.

How was she supposed to start a conversation?

She had never had a friend before. She had no experience talking to people her age, and now, standing just a few steps away from him, she suddenly felt awkward.

After a long, uncomfortable moment, she forced herself to speak.

"Hi, wha—what is your… name?"

It was terrible. She wanted to pull her own hair out. Why couldn't she have spoken normally?

But the boy didn't seem to notice her struggle.

"Hi," he said, his voice friendly. "My name is Cassian. What's yours?"

Cassian? That's a rare name, she thought.

"Oh, uh—yeah. I'm Celeste, but my mom calls me… uh—nice to meet you?"

It sounded more like a question than a greeting, but Cassian only smiled. "Nice to meet you too, Celeste. You're here early."

Cele was surprised by how easygoing he was.

"Yeah, well, I like to be the first one here. But I guess you beat me today, huh?"

Cassian shrugged. "The people that took me in live nearby, so I didn't have to walk much. And… I don't feel comfortable there, so I came early."

"I see." She hesitated for a moment. "Um… can I sit next to you?"

Cassian nodded. "I don't mind."

She sat down beside him, but after that, silence fell between them. Cele fidgeted, unsure of what to say. She was used to being alone, used to people avoiding her because of her fire ability.

When she glanced at Cassian, he wasn't paying attention to her. Instead, he was watching a tree nearby, observing the way the wind moved its branches.

He's younger than me, she thought. But he's already so strong. If he keeps training, he'll probably become a knight.

She sighed. Should I ask him?

For the past three months, she hadn't had a single training partner. Every other cadet refused to spar with her. They were afraid of her flames.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she turned to Cassian.

"Can you be my training partner?"

Cassian blinked, clearly surprised by the sudden question. But after a brief pause, he nodded.

"Okay. I was worried nobody would want to partner with me. Yeah, let's be partners."

Cele felt a surge of happiness but quickly swallowed it down. He didn't know yet.

She needed to tell him the truth before he changed his mind.

"I… I have a fire ability," she admitted. "So you might get burned. I understand if you don't want to, but… you're strong. I need someone strong."

Cassian turned to her fully, his golden eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, he just looked at her, his expression unreadable.

Then he smiled.

"Don't worry. I don't fear getting burned. I'll be your partner."

Cele's breath caught.

He didn't hesitate.

He didn't look at her like she was dangerous.

For the first time in her life, someone wasn't afraid.

"Thank you!" she blurted out. Then, a little more shyly, she added, "Oh, yeah. You can call me Cele. My mom says that once I make a friend, they're allowed to call me that."

Cassian tilted his head. "Cele? That's what your mom calls you?"

"Yeah! But you can too. Let's be friends, Cassian."

Cassian gave a small nod, and Cele beamed.

She had made her first friend.

A thought crossed her mind. "Do you have a nickname? If not, I could make one for you."

Cassian seemed to think about it for a moment, then said, "Sian. That's what Dalia calls me."

"Sian," she repeated, testing the sound of it. "I like it."

From there, the conversation flowed more easily. They talked about training, about what to expect for the day. Cassian asked what kinds of drills they would be doing, and Cele asked about his abilities, trying to gauge how much strength she should use.

Before long, the other cadets arrived.

They stopped in their tracks, staring in disbelief at the sight before them.

Celeste, the quiet girl who never spoke to anyone, was sitting next to the new boy—smiling. Talking.

Like they were already friends.

And just like that, Cassian's first day of training was about to begin.