When I turn back towards my bed, I find nothing.
Spinning around, confused, my eyes scan the room.
Maylo’s gone. Just… gone. No sound, no trace, nothing except that lingering chill and the weight of his words.
This certifiably insane bond of mine has clearly been stalking me, and I have no time to digest this information.
I rush to get changed and leave the dorm to greet Ryker.
I step out of my dorm, and there he is—leaning against the wall with a smug look that I should hate.
“You ready to go, princess?” he asks, smiling that perfect smile.
“Yes,” I reply, hiding a grin, “but I still hate the nickname.”
“Sorry,” he says, shrugging, “it’s here to stay.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop smiling. He tilts his head, eyes twinkling. “So… you ready to admit this is a date-date yet? Or are we still firmly in friend territory?”
Tapping my chin, I pretend to ponder. “Hmm… that depends. Where are you dragging me?”
He smirks, eyes sparkling with mischief. “It’s a surprise. And don’t worry—no tripping over tree roots this time.”
We wind past the courtyard toward the Greed Tower. My steps slow, and I can’t help the tiny shiver of nerves crawling up my spine. “Never been this far into campus,” I admit, voice casual but my stomach doing flips.
He catches the hesitation, tilting his head like he’s amused. “Relax, princess. I’m not taking you to my dorm… yet. Unless you beg.”
I roll my eyes and jab him in the chest, hiding a grin. “Greedy dog.”
We reach the top floor using a lift that I secretly wish we had in our dorms.
Lazy Arwen.
We continue up the spiral staircase inside the top of the tower, my fingers brushing the cold iron railing. My heart is doing that stupid fluttery thing, the one that makes me feel both nervous and… excited. When we reach the top, the door creaks open, and I step out into the open air.
The academy stretches below us, a glowing sea of lights. I take a deep breath, letting the wind whip through my hair. Ryker is right behind me, close enough that I can feel his warmth, but he doesn’t crowd me.
“You like it?” he asks, his voice soft, almost hesitant.
I let my gaze roam over the view, catching my breath despite myself. “Okay… wow,” I admit, trying to sound casual but failing. Then I look at him, eyebrow quirking. “Seriously… this is… impressive.”
He smirks, shrugging like it's nothing. “I wanted it to be a surprise. Somewhere new but still private, somewhere we can go at night without the threat of a fracture.” I laugh.
“I come up here a lot to think at night sometimes.” He says.
I glance around; the rooftop courtyard is half in shadow, half bathed in moonlight.
“I can see why you’d want to think… or, you know, escape from people staring at you like you’re some shiny artifact.”
He chuckles, low and easy, and his mischievous smile melts my nerves. “Shiny artifact, huh? I’ll take it.”
We settle against the railing together, legs dangling over the edge, the noise of students below softened by distance. It’s… disarming. I hug my arms around myself, aware of how exposed I feel, how much I want to just lean into him without thinking.
“I’ve spent so long feeling… invisible,” I admit, voice low, almost swallowed by the night. “Like I don’t even know how to react to this attention. Ryker… I know you probably want it to be a date-date. And maybe I do too… but I don’t know how.”
He turns his head, looking at me, and something soft flickers behind his usual confident smirk. “Then we don’t rush it,” he says. “No scripts. No expectations. We just… sit here. Talk. Or don’t talk. Whatever works.”
I let out a shaky laugh, the tension in my shoulders loosening. “You make that sound easy.”
