Hearts in Hiding

The modest dining room glowed with the soft flicker of candlelight, casting dancing shadows across the wooden walls. The scent of roasted herbs and fresh bread filled the air. Aeri stood at the table's edge, her bandaged body aching but her resolve firm.

"Sorry for imposing on you," she said, bowing her head, her voice steady but laced with gratitude. She gently pressed Borun's head down in a matching bow, and Vol, catching the cue, dipped his small head in unison.

The nanny, a wiry woman with silver-streaked hair and kind eyes, offered an awkward smile. "Not at all, dear. Please, feel at home." Her voice was warm, but Aeri caught the faintest tremor, as if the woman sensed the storm that clung to their guests.

Aeri straightened, her sky-blue eyes meeting the nanny's. "We'll leave first thing in the morning. We can't keep you in danger."

The nanny waved a hand, her smile softening. "Don't worry, child. They can't trace you here, not after two days."

Aeri's breath caught. "Two days?" Her voice sharpened, disbelief cutting through her exhaustion.

Borun piped up, his young face earnest. "Sister, you've been unconscious for two days. This nice lady took care of you."

Aeri's cheeks flushed red, and she bowed even deeper, her voice thick with gratitude. "I'm so thankful to you." Her words trembled, her pride warring with the debt she owed.

The nanny chuckled, brushing off the formality. "It's nothing. I was shocked when Cae brought in a girl all bruised and unconscious. Nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Aeri's flush deepened, her embarrassment painting her face as she bowed again, unable to find words. Just then, the door creaked open, and Caelumis strode in, his white hair damp from washing, his golden eyes catching the candlelight. Freshly scrubbed, he looked more like a boy her age, almost ordinary.

Aeri met his gaze, forcing a light laugh to mask her unease. "Thank you for carrying me all the way here. I hope I wasn't too heavy, haha."

Caelumis froze at the sudden gratitude, his mouth opening before his brain caught up. "Oh, you were heav—" He stopped mid-sentence, his instincts screaming as Aeri's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flickering within them. He backpedaled, his voice rushed. "I mean, you weren't heavy at all, Miss Aeri! We didn't struggle one bit!"

Borun, oblivious to the tension, chimed in with a child's brutal honesty. "But Brother Caelumis, you said she was super heav—"

Caelumis clamped a hand over Borun's mouth, his eyes wide with panic, but the damage was done. A dark aura rolled off Aeri, chilling the room like a storm cloud. "Sorry for being heavy and a big eater," she said, her voice low, thunderous, as if the words could summon lightning.

Borun, realizing his mistake, joined Caelumis's desperate scramble. "Heavy? Who's heavy? Anyone but you, Sister!" he blurted, his voice high with last-resort panic.

Aeri sighed, her glare softening into a reluctant smirk. She turned to Caelumis, her tone sincere but weighted. "I can't thank you enough for what you did. We'll leave tomorrow to avoid causing you more trouble."

Caelumis tilted his head, his golden eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Didn't they find the bunker? Where will you hide?"

Aeri's jaw tightened, the uncertainty gnawing at her. "I don't know. We'll survive somehow… for five more days, until we can head to the capital for the Academy."

Caelumis leaned back, his fingers drumming on the table. "Let's go to the Academy together. It's in four days. It's been two days since the incident...mana traces fade after that long. If anything, you staying here helps us. If they come knocking, more firepower's better."

Aeri's mind raced. He was right, more allies meant more safety. But the thought of imposing further, of dragging these strangers deeper into her storm, twisted her gut.

Before she could respond, the nanny's voice cut through, gentle but firm. "Think about the kids, dear. They hide it to spare you worry, but five days on the streets without proper shelter? For a five-year-old, that's hell."

Aeri's gaze flicked to Borun and Vol, who sat quietly at the table, their eyes calm but expectant, trusting her to decide. Her heart clenched. She couldn't let them suffer more than they already had. With a slow nod, she said, "We'll impose a bit longer. I'm sorry for the trouble."

Caelumis grinned, settling at the table as the nanny began serving a steaming platter of herbed stew and bread. "No trouble at all," he said, his voice light, almost carefree.

The nanny moved with practiced grace, her smile warm as she filled their plates.

But Aeri's guard senses tingled, a whisper of unease threading through her relief. How were they so calm, so welcoming, when danger loomed like a specter? And how did a boy living in a modest wooden house on the town's outskirts afford a nanny?

Her eyes darted to Caelumis, his golden gaze fixed on his meal, savoring each bite with boyish delight. The nanny's smile seemed genuine, her pleasure in serving them unforced. Nothing about their warmth felt fake, yet Aeri's instincts, honed by betrayal and bloodshed, urged caution.

She pushed the suspicion aside, forcing a smile as she joined them at the table. The candlelight flickered, casting fleeting shadows that danced like the ghosts of her past. For now, the warmth of the meal and her brothers' quiet presence anchored her.

The morning sun filtered through the wooden shutters, casting golden slats across the modest living room where Borun and Vol slept, their soft snores a quiet counterpoint to the tension that clung to Aeri like a second skin.

She rose early, her bandaged body protesting with every movement, but her resolve unyielding. In the kitchen, she found the nanny kneading dough, her silver-streaked hair catching the dawn's light. "Let me help," Aeri said, her voice firm despite the ache in her leg.

The nanny waved her off, her smile kind but insistent. "No need, dear. You're a guest."

Aeri's eyes narrowed with determination, and she stepped forward, rolling up her sleeves. "I'm not one for sitting idle." Her tone left no room for argument, and the nanny, with a sigh and a fond shake of her head, relented.

By the time Caelumis stumbled into the kitchen, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, Aeri was scrubbing pots with a vigor that belied her injuries. She glanced at him, her lips curling into a teasing smirk. "If you're this lazy with the entrance test in three days, I might be the only one going to the Academy."

Caelumis blinked, his brain lagging as he processed the sight of Aeri in his kitchen, commanding it like a general. "Right!" he blurted, snapping to attention. "I'll get to studying!" He tiptoed past the living room, careful not to wake Borun and Vol, who sprawled across blankets on the floor, insisting on the space so Caelumis and the nanny could take the bedroom.

Aeri followed him to his room, where books and papers lay scattered across a small desk. She leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed. "You took your time," she said, her smile softening the jab.

Caelumis flushed, scratching his neck. "Are you preparing too?"

"Yes," Aeri replied, settling beside him. "I've got most of it down, but a refresher won't hurt before the test."

"Smart idea," Caelumis said, his golden eyes bright with admiration. They dove into their studies, basic mathematics, history, rune formations, passing hours in a quiet rhythm of questions and explanations.

Aeri noticed Caelumis's ease with numbers and historical dates, his quill flying across the page with confidence. But rune language stumped him, his brow furrowing as he stumbled over symbols.

"Wow," Aeri said, raising an eyebrow. "You're actually quite good at the other subjects."

Caelumis grinned, a touch of pride in his voice. "Hey, did you think I was dumb or something?"

"No, no!" Aeri laughed, holding up her hands. "I just thought you struggled with everything like you do with rune language."

He leaned back, his grin turning sheepish. "I got a recommendation to the Academy from my school. Topped my class, along with two others. Our school gets three quotas annually for the best graduates."

"Impressive," Aeri said, her tone genuine but teasing. "Are you boasting?"

"No, of course not!" Caelumis sputtered, his cheeks reddening. "Why would I, haha!" The air turned awkward for a moment, but Aeri's laugh broke the tension, light and disarming, and they returned to their books.

But the day before the Academy's entrance test, Aeri wasn't in Caelumis's room at their usual study hour. He waited, his quill idle, the silence stretching past an hour. Frowning, he tiptoed past the sleeping boys and stepped onto the lawn.

There, Aeri hurried toward the house, a tub of water sloshing in her arms. Her eyes widened when she saw him, her posture stiffening. "Oh.. good morning..," she said, her voice too quick, and rushed inside.

Caelumis's eyes glinted crimson for a fleeting moment before fading back to gold. He followed her inside, and they studied as usual, but an unspoken tension hung between them, a silent acknowledgment of secrets neither dared voice.

The D-day arrived, dawn breaking over the modest house like a blade slicing through shadow. Caelumis secured a carriage, negotiating a fair price to take them to the Academy, a day's journey away with a stop for lunch. Aeri stood at the door, her brothers at her side, and bowed deeply to the nanny. "Thank you for everything," she said, her voice heavy with gratitude.

The nanny smiled, brushing off the formality. "Take care, dear. All of you."

Caelumis slipped into his room, signaling the nanny to follow. He closed the door softly and handed her a heavy bag of gold coins. "Go join Commander Valthorne," he said, his voice low, steady. "You're relieved of your service here. Your plan to station here and find them worked. Great job."

The nanny dropped to her knees, bowing low, her hands clasping the bag. "Duly noted, my lord," she said, her voice formal but trembling with emotion. "We'll be on standby, awaiting your orders."

Caelumis's expression softened, and he pulled her into a sudden, tight hug. "Goodbye, Nanny. We'll meet again."

A tear escaped her eye as she hugged him back, her voice cracking. "Take care, Cae. Don't push yourself too hard. Come back to me anytime."

They stepped apart, their faces composed as if the moment hadn't happened, and Caelumis joined Aeri and the boys in the carriage.

The journey began, the clatter of hooves and Borun and Vol's lively chatter filling the air. Aeri sat in silence, her gaze fixed out the window, her thoughts a tangled knot of suspicion and hope. Caelumis stole glances at her, his golden eyes unreadable, but he said nothing.

At midday, they stopped at an inn for lunch, the scent of roasted meat and ale wafting through the air. As Borun and Vol clambered out, Aeri turned to Caelumis, her voice breaking the day's silence. "Caelumis, can you follow me? I need to talk."

He nodded, turning to the driver. "Sir, take the boys inside and wait. We'll join you shortly." He followed Aeri to the inn's side, where barrels of refuse rotted in the sun. She spun to face him, her sky-blue eyes blazing with a mix of fierceness and betrayal.

"Speak," she demanded, her voice a low growl, sharp enough to cut through the midday heat. "Who are you? And why did you contact us?"

"...Is everything just an act?" Her voice cracking as her eyes struggled to hold onto their fierceness, refusing to betray any other emotion.

Caelumis met her gaze, his golden eyes steady. The air crackled with tension, secrets teetering on the edge of revelation, as the Academy and whatever dangers awaited there loomed ever closer.