The Lioness and the Storm

The Vaelcrest training grounds were bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. The sky stretched wide above them, painted in hues of deep orange and soft crimson, as the last remnants of daylight cast long shadows across the stone-paved courtyard. The once-bustling field had fallen into a tense silence, its spectators still digesting the outcome of the battle they had just witnessed.

Leon remained standing at the center of the sparring ring, the weight of his practice sword now resting lightly in his grip. His breathing was steady, his posture calm, yet beneath the surface, his body still thrummed with the adrenaline of combat.

Across from him, Aurelia Solis held her practice sword loosely at her side.

She was barely winded, her pristine white-and-gold uniform remaining largely untouched, yet her golden-amber eyes held something new. A look that hadn't been there before the duel had begun.

Aurelia had won.

Yet, she did not look entirely victorious.

The gathered knights and retainers watched in hushed anticipation. Some exchanged uncertain glances, others murmured among themselves.

Aurelia was meant to dominate him.

And yet, Leon had held his own.

Even in defeat, he had made her notice him.

Leon exhaled, rolling his shoulders slightly, feeling the last traces of tension leave his muscles. The duel had played out exactly as he had wanted. It had never been about winning—it had been about proving that he wasn't just another noble heir playing at swordsmanship.

Aurelia's fingers tightened slightly around the hilt of her wooden sword.

"You fought well."

Leon arched an eyebrow. "Careful. If you compliment me too much, people might think you enjoyed that fight."

Aurelia let out a quiet chuckle, tilting her head slightly. "And what if I did?"

Leon smirked, but before he could respond, she took a step forward, closing the distance between them. The fading sunlight caught the strands of her golden-blonde hair, making her seem almost ethereal as she studied him closely.

"You're not like the other nobles I've faced."

Leon tilted his head. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Aurelia's lips twitched—not quite a smile, but something close.

"It's… intriguing."

The way she said it—the way her voice softened just slightly at the edges—it was almost as if she were speaking more to herself than to him.

She was trying to figure out why he felt different.

Leon had seen this before. That flicker of recognition, that unspoken feeling of familiarity.

She doesn't remember yet.

But some part of her knows.

At the edges of the training field, Duke Aldric watched in silence. His arms remained crossed over his chest, his face unreadable, but his sharp blue eyes had not left Leon since the duel had begun.

He had seen something.

Not just in the way Leon fought, but in the way Aurelia reacted.

The other knights, too, had started exchanging glances. Some murmured quietly, others remained stiff, as if unsure of how to interpret what they had just witnessed.

Leon caught a few stray whispers.

"…He shouldn't have lasted that long."

"I swear, for a second, Lady Aurelia actually—"

"That wasn't just skill. Something about him is… different."

Leon let their words wash over him, uninterested in their speculation. Let them wonder. Let them question.

The only opinion that mattered right now was the woman standing in front of him.

And she was still watching him.

Aurelia finally exhaled, stepping back slightly, but the tension in the air did not fade.

Leon tilted his head. "You seem… deep in thought."

Aurelia crossed her arms, her golden eyes studying him intently. "That's because I am."

Leon chuckled. "Should I be worried?"

Aurelia smiled faintly. "Only if you have something to hide."

Leon met her gaze, letting the moment stretch. Then, he shrugged. "Everyone has secrets, Aurelia."

She regarded him for a long moment before finally turning away, beginning to walk toward the edge of the field. The conversation was over.

Or at least, it should have been.

But just before she left, she hesitated.

Then, without turning back, she said, softly—almost too softly:

"I'll see you at dinner, Leon."

And just like that, she was gone.

Leon exhaled, glancing down at his wrist—the one where, just moments ago, her fingers had barely brushed against his skin.

It had been the smallest of touches.

But he could still feel it.

Leon remained standing in the fading light, the soft evening breeze carrying the distant murmurs of the knights as they dispersed. The duel had ended, yet the weight of it lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken thoughts and shifting perceptions.

He could still feel the faint warmth of Aurelia's touch against his wrist, brief as it had been. It wasn't an accident. She wasn't the type to make careless gestures. Even the smallest of movements had meaning with her.

His golden eyes followed her retreating figure as she disappeared into the manor. She had looked at him differently. Not just as a noble heir, nor as an opponent she had bested, but as something unfamiliar. Something she couldn't quite place.

Leon exhaled through his nose.

It wasn't much.

But it was a start.

A presence approached from his left, and he didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"You're making things interesting."

Selene's voice carried its usual sharp amusement, but there was a distinct edge to it now.

Leon smirked, finally glancing at her. She stood with her arms crossed, her fiery crimson hair catching the last streaks of sunlight, her golden eyes keen as they observed him.

"You sound surprised," Leon mused.

Selene scoffed. "Not really. You've always been different from the rest of them." She tilted her head slightly. "But I wonder… when did you become that different?"

Leon's smirk didn't waver. "You'll have to be more specific."

Selene narrowed her eyes slightly, but instead of answering, she reached forward—her fingers brushing deliberately against his chest, just over his heartbeat.

Leon tensed. Not from the touch itself, but from the fact that this was Selene.

She was never one for unnecessary contact.

Yet now, her palm lingered.

She could feel it.

Beneath the smooth fabric of his shirt, beneath the skin and the flesh—she could feel the strength that hadn't been there before.

Something had changed.

Something that shouldn't have.

Leon knew this was a test.

Selene didn't trust things she couldn't understand.

So instead of pulling away, he let her feel it.

The quiet hum of power beneath his skin, the tension in his muscles—the proof that the Leon she had once known was no longer the same.

Selene finally withdrew her hand, but her eyes never left his. "You're hiding something."

Leon chuckled. "Like I told Aurelia, everyone has secrets."

Selene exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "Tch. You're annoying."

Leon smirked. "And yet, you're still here."

Selene scoffed, turning away. "Don't let that go to your head."

She walked past him, her crimson hair swaying with each step, before pausing just before the exit.

Then, without looking back, she said, "You'd better not get boring, Leon."

And with that, she was gone.

Leon let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders before turning his gaze toward the darkening sky.

Aurelia. Selene.

This timeline was already different.

And he was just getting started.

The golden light of the setting sun had faded into a deep indigo, the first stars beginning to flicker in the vast sky above Vaelcrest Manor. The training grounds, once filled with the echoes of clashing swords and murmured speculation, had emptied as the knights and squires returned to their duties.

Leon remained where he stood, rolling his shoulders as the last traces of strain left his muscles. The duel had taken its toll—not in exhaustion, but in something else. The weight of being noticed.

Aurelia had looked at him as if she were trying to remember something she had forgotten.

And then there was Selene.

Her touch had been brief, deliberate. A test.

Leon smirked to himself. She knows something is different.

He turned toward the manor, ready to leave the field behind for the night, when he caught sight of a smaller figure waiting near the edge of the courtyard.

Elaine.

His younger sister stood with her arms crossed, her silver-white hair catching the glow of the nearby lanterns. Her expression was carefully neutral, but

Elaine's sapphire eyes studied him, sharp and unblinking. Unlike the knights and nobles who had watched his duel with Aurelia in stunned silence, she wasn't impressed—she was suspicious.

"You fought differently today," she said, tilting her head slightly. "More than usual."

Leon smirked, amused at how quickly she caught on. "Oh? And what exactly was different?"

Elaine narrowed her eyes. "You weren't just trying to defend yourself. You were testing her."

Leon chuckled softly. Smart as always. "And if I was?"

Elaine didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced toward the training grounds, her fingers brushing absently against the hem of her sleeve—a small habit she had whenever she was thinking deeply.

Finally, she sighed. "I don't get it."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Get what?"

Elaine crossed her arms again, her expression somewhere between frustration and curiosity. "You're different lately. Not just in training, not just in today's duel—but in everything."

Leon felt a brief pang of guilt. Of course she would notice.

She had always been perceptive, even as a child. And she was one of the few people in this world who had truly cared for him in his past life.

For a moment, Leon considered his options. He could dismiss her concerns, laugh them off like a typical older brother might.

Or—

He could give her something real.

Something small.

Just enough to ease her mind.

Leon knelt slightly so their gazes were level. His golden eyes softened just a fraction as he said, "I'm still your brother, Elaine. That hasn't changed."

Elaine blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

Leon reached out, ruffling her silver-white hair gently—a rare show of affection between them.

"You're overthinking things," he added with a smirk. "You'll get wrinkles at this rate."

Elaine swatted his hand away with a huff, but there was a faint pink hue dusting her cheeks.

"Hmph. Idiot."

She turned sharply on her heel, but as she walked away, Leon caught the way her fingers loosely clutched the fabric of her sleeve again.

She was still thinking.

Still wondering.

Leon exhaled, his smirk fading slightly as he straightened.

Elaine wasn't wrong.

He was different.

But she wasn't ready for the truth. Not yet.

As the night deepened around him, Leon cast one last glance toward the empty training grounds before turning toward the manor.

Tomorrow would bring more challenges.

And he intended to meet them head-on.