Chapter 18: When Friendship Ends

Our room in the Lunar Tower had always been my sanctuary. Though it was adorned with extravagant decorations that suited Seraphina's taste, the thick stone walls, stained-glass windows, and the ever-glowing pale blue magical fire in the hearth once made it feel warm and safe. Yet tonight, the atmosphere was tense and chillingly oppressive, as if an invisible snowstorm had formed within these four walls.

I sat on my bed, pretending to be engrossed in an open herbal magic tome, but my focus was scattered. My mind drifted to the latest news I had received from Elara via messenger owl the night before—reports of escalating forest destruction and disturbing disruptions in natural energy. Everything was worsening, and the secret I carried felt heavier with each passing moment.

Seraphina sat before the large mirror, meticulously brushing her long golden hair with a silver comb. But I noticed through the mirror's reflection that her bright blue eyes weren't focused on her hair—they were fixed on me, unreadable. The silence between us had stretched on for minutes, not the comfortable kind we used to share, but a silence brimming with unspoken questions and simmering discontent.

At last, she set the comb down and turned to face me directly.

"Lyra," she spoke, her voice calm but laced with coldness. "We need to talk."

My heart sank. I had known this moment would come, but that didn't make me any more prepared for it.

"About what, Seraphina?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"About you!" Her tone sharpened with frustration. "You've been acting strangely—distracted, secretive. And now… you're meddling in things that aren't our concern!"

"What things?" I asked, feeling my defenses rise.

"The damned forest! That lunatic scholar! And that troublemaker from Stonehand!" Seraphina snapped, her face flushing with anger. "I saw you, Lyra! I saw you sending that owl last night! You were contacting Elara, weren't you?!"

I stiffened, caught red-handed. "I… I was just—"

"Don't even try to deny it!" she cut me off, standing abruptly with hands on her hips. "You think I'm blind? I saw how worried you were when news broke about Stonehand's attack. I saw you sneaking off to read books about the Forbidden Woods! Since when did you align yourself with the rebels?!"

"It's not like that, Seraphina!" I shot back, standing as well. "Elara is just trying to protect the forest! Kaelen is fighting for his people's rights! They're not doing anything wrong!"

"Not wrong?!" Seraphina let out a bitter laugh. "Defying Lord Thorn—the one leading this kingdom to prosperity—isn't wrong? Stirring chaos? Riling up ignorant villagers? Threatening the stability of our realm?!"

"What kind of stability, Seraphina?!" I nearly shouted, my patience snapping. "The kind built on injustice? The kind that thrives by destroying nature and oppressing people? Can't you see what's happening around us?!"

"Oh, I see!" she retorted, just as heatedly. "I see a kingdom at peace under Lord Thorn's rule! I see progress and advancement! But what you see is a delusion crafted by those radicals to manipulate you! They're jealous, Lyra! They want to ruin everything we have!"

"We?" I repeated, a painful realization sinking in. "You mean we as in the nobility, don't you, Seraphina? We who never have to suffer? We who turn a blind eye to the struggles of others?"

"Yes! And why shouldn't we?!" she shot back defiantly, her chin lifting. "Our ancestors built this kingdom! We have every right to protect it! It's you who's the traitor, Lyra! Betraying your own class, your family, everything that gives you this comfortable life—all for some filthy peasants and a street-rat witch!"

The words traitor and street-rat witch cut deeper than I expected. My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I refused to let them fall. The pain of losing my closest friend was sharp, but the disappointment in her was even sharper.

"If standing up for what's right makes me a traitor… then so be it." My voice was steady, firm. I met her gaze, which once sparkled with warmth but was now clouded with anger and incomprehension. "I've made my choice, Seraphina. I won't stand idly by while others suffer. I won't live in the illusion you've built. I will help Elara. I will protect the Whispering Forest—no matter the cost."

Seraphina stared at me in disbelief before her expression hardened into something cold and dismissive. "Is that so? Then go, Lyra Meadowbrook! Go crawl in the dirt with your lowborn friends! Go play your foolish hero game! But don't expect me to ever call you my friend again!"

She turned her back on me and sat before the mirror once more, as if I had already ceased to exist. The air around me felt even colder than before.

The tears I had held back finally spilled over, but I wiped them away quickly. Our friendship had truly ended—bitterly, irreparably. But amidst the grief, something else solidified within me.

I might have lost my closest friend tonight. I might face more danger and isolation than ever before. But I had chosen my path, a road rough and treacherous, yet one that my heart knew was right.

Taking a deep breath, I packed my herbal tome into my bag and stepped out of the room, leaving behind the beautiful yet hollow world of Seraphina. My next steps were uncertain, but my purpose was clear—

I would stand beside Elara. I would do whatever it took to protect the whispers of the forgotten forest.