Chapter 24 – Fractured Resolve

(Morana's POV)

I needed to stay away from her.

That much was clear.

Every time I so much as looked at Astria, my emotions turned into a mess—an unbearable storm of frustration, confusion, and something else. Something I didn't want to name.

But the universe had other plans, because avoiding Astria was proving impossible.

And the worst part? It wasn't even her fault this time.

Word had spread— ugly word. About me. About us.

"Did you hear? Morana's obsessed with Astria."

"They said she confessed, and Astria turned her down."

"She's probably just bitter. Have you seen the way she glares at Astria?"

The rumors were vicious, clawing at me like sharp nails against my skin. And the more I avoided Astria, the worse they got.

Even Hael had started giving me pointed looks, like he was waiting for me to do something about it.

But what was I supposed to do?

It wasn't like I could tell them the truth—not when I barely understood it myself.

So I did the only thing I could. I disappeared.

Or at least, I tried to.

No more crossing paths with Astria. No more stolen glances. No more stupid moments where my heart betrayed me.

And yet…

I still felt her.

Always there. Always close. Like a shadow I couldn't shake, even in my dreams.

And that terrified me more than anything.

(Astria's POV)

The whispers had reached me, too.

At first, I ignored them. They were just rumors, meaningless noise that didn't matter. But then, I saw Morana's face—how she stiffened every time she walked through the halls, how she had started keeping her head down, shoulders tense like she was waiting for a blow to come.

And something inside me snapped.

I had done nothing to stop this.

I had let her carry the weight of something we had both been tangled in.

And now, Morana was slipping away entirely.

She wasn't just avoiding me anymore—she was vanishing.

Skipping meals. Cutting class. Taking routes I'd never seen her take before.

It was getting out of hand.

So, I did the one thing I had promised myself I wouldn't do.

I went after her.

The rain had just started when I found her behind the old campus building, hood up, cigarette between her fingers.

She didn't look surprised to see me—just tired.

"What do you want, Astria?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I reached out and plucked the cigarette from her fingers, tossing it onto the damp pavement.

She scoffed. "Seriously?"

"You're avoiding me," I said simply.

Morana laughed, but there was no humor in it. "No shit."

I took a step closer. "Why?"

She exhaled, turning away. "Do you even need to ask?"

"Yes," I said. "Because if I don't ask, you'll keep running. And I'm tired of chasing shadows."

For a moment, silence stretched between us.

Then she turned back, eyes burning with something raw. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Then make me understand."

She hesitated. And for the briefest second, I thought she might actually tell me.

But then she shook her head, stepping back. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does."

She clenched her jaw. "No, it really doesn't."

"Morana—"

"It doesn't!" she snapped, voice sharp as a blade. "Because at the end of the day, Astria, you'll still be you, and I'll still be the idiot who thought you could ever be anything more than a perfect, untouchable dream!"

My breath caught.

She realized what she had said a second too late, eyes widening before she spun on her heel.

And just like that, she was gone.

But this time…

I wasn't letting her go so easily.