Chapter 22: A Moment Before Dawn

—Narrated by Eli Whitmore

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‎After the vision faded and the second seal was secured, the Academy's halls never felt more peaceful.

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‎But inside me, the silence wasn't as calm.

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‎The sky above the Arcane Institute turned into a velvet dome of stars. The air was cool, and the moonlight spilled gently over the quiet courtyard. I wandered there alone for a few minutes, needing space to breathe.

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‎That's when I heard his footsteps.

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‎Thorne.

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‎He didn't say anything at first. He just stood next to me beneath the silver moon, watching the water ripple in the courtyard fountain.

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‎"You're quiet tonight," I said.

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‎"So are you," he replied, his voice lower than usual. "You've been carrying too much."

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‎I turned to face him. "It's not just me. We all are."

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‎Thorne met my eyes then, and something about the way he looked at me made my chest tighten. Not with fear—but with something warm. Scary. Real.

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‎"I've been holding this back," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "But no more."

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‎I didn't have time to ask what he meant.

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‎He stepped forward.

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‎And kissed me.

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‎It was slow. Brave. Honest. The kind of kiss that spoke without words—saying all the things he couldn't before. That he saw me. That he stood with me. That maybe… he needed me just as much as I needed him.

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‎When we pulled away, his forehead rested gently against mine.

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‎"I don't know what's waiting for us," he whispered. "But no matter what comes, I choose to stand beside you, Eli."

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‎I smiled softly. "You already have."

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Later that night, we all gathered in the common room—me, Thorne, Felix, Ryker, Luna, and Draven. The fire crackled warmly, and pillows were scattered everywhere. For once, it wasn't about missions or battles. Just... breathing.

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‎"Do you think we'll ever have a normal week again?" Ryker joked, tossing popcorn into his mouth.

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‎Felix raised an eyebrow. "Define normal. Magical class schedules or deadly prophecies?"

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‎"Both," Luna replied with a smirk, leaning on Draven's shoulder.

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‎Thorne sat beside me, quieter than usual but close. Our fingers brushed, and he didn't pull away. He simply let them stay.

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‎That night, no monsters. No darkness. Just sleep.

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‎And maybe for the first time in a while, I dreamed of nothing at all.

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‎The Next Morning

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‎The bells of the Arcane Institute chimed gently in the morning air. Classes resumed. Lessons called us back to routine.

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‎We may have been warriors chosen by prophecy… but we were still students.

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‎First class was Advanced Elemental Defense with Professor Saren.

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‎"Ah, my brave adventurers return," he said, waving his wand. "Let's see if the battlefield taught you more than books ever could."

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‎"Challenge accepted," Luna said confidently.

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‎ Training and Leveling Up

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‎For the next few days, we focused on training—both as individuals and as a team.

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‎Felix practiced his rune combinations with sharper control, using twin casting circles at once. Ryker helped him dodge and apply real-combat reactions.

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‎Luna worked on her elemental fusion—especially ice and lightning, weaving them like threads.

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‎Draven mastered his shadow manipulation to the point where he could slip in and out of walls. Even Professor Morgra nodded in approval.

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‎Thorne and I trained together—he guided me with blades and I taught him about magical resonance. When I tried combining light energy with his dark aura, it caused a brilliant flare.

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‎"It's unstable," I said, panting.

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‎Thorne smirked. "Then let's learn how to make it stable."

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‎Sometimes, he'd glance at me during sparring. And sometimes, I'd let my magic react to that look.

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‎We were growing—not just stronger, but closer.

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‎Nightfall

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‎That evening, I sat on the balcony outside my dorm. Looking at the stars.

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‎A soft knock. Thorne appeared.

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‎"You okay?" he asked.

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‎"Yeah. Just thinking," I said. "About what's coming. The next seal. The prophecy."

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‎He came and sat beside me.

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‎"Whatever comes next," he said, "we'll face it together."

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‎I looked at him and smiled.

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‎"I know."

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‎And as the stars watched silently above us, I felt something shift—not in the world, but in me.

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‎I wasn't just walking toward my destiny anymore.

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‎I was walking with the people I chose.

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‎Together.

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To be continued...