“Something important...?” Kian’s face darkened as realization dawned. “Caltech. Is it Caltech? No,hellno, Riya. You can’t justgive it up.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“Of course you have a choice!” Kian’s voice rose. “All you’re doing is punishing yourself. And then what? You give up everything, and I wake up with no memory of you? That’s not saving either of us. You’re not thinking about whatIwant.”
Riya’s breath clouded in the freezing air. “I’m setting things right.”
“What, by throwing away yourfuture?” Kian pressed. “We’re friends, damn it! Remember? Friends don’t abandon each other. Friends alsotalkto each other! And this is my life we’re talking about. You don’t get to shut me out!”
Riya’s shoulders tensed. “We’re running out of time,” she said. “Your Berklee audition is in six days. The curse becomes permanent in five. This is just how it has to be. I’mnotletting this curse ruin your life.”
Kian’s breath came in sharp, ragged bursts as he struggled for words, his desperation palpable.
Finally, he took another step closer. “And I’m not letting you ruin yours.”
Riya adjusted her glasses, her tone clipped. “What are you going to do, fight me?”
“I don’t want to.” Kian’s voice softened, though his gaze stayed firm. “I really don’t want to. But if I have to—”
“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Sirah khala interrupted, stepping between them. “There will be no fighting on my watch. I don’t need to see my niece wiping the floor with you, kid.”
“Wait, why are you so sure she’d beat me?” Kian asked, momentarily distracted by the casual insult. “That’s up for debate. Look, the point is—Riya, I refuse to let you sacrifice your dream for me. We’ll find some other way.”
“How?”Riya’s hands clenched. “If I don’t break it now, you’ll be stuck under this curse for the rest of your life.”
“I don’t know! What I do know is, if you go through withthis,you’llbe the one stuck. Resenting me forever. And I couldn’t live with that. Maybe I won’t remember you, but IswearI’ll know. I’ll feel it, deep in my bones.”
Riya’s shoulders tensed. She looked back at the pentacle, at the shaky lines she’d drawn herself. “It doesn’t change the facts.”
“If there was another path, I’d know it,” said Sirah khala. “We don’t ask for sacrifices like this unless we must. And Riya’s right. We’re running out of time.”
But Kian shook his head. “No. I—I refuse. There’salwaysanother way. We’ll find it.” His eyes, wide and desperate, bored into Riya’s. “It’s like what Julia said, right? Magic listens. We just—have to trust it. And not let go.”
Nyra had said something similar, too:Sometimes, magic just... finds a different path. One we didn’t plan for.
She hadn’t believed it then. She’d still been clinging to logic, to order, to the lie that if she controlled everything tightly enough, nothing would break again.
But magic was never about control. It was about trust.
About leaps of faith.
Her gaze flicked to Sirah khala, who stood close by.
“As your khala, I can’t in good conscience advise it,” she said softly. “But...you have to make your own choices.”
Dry leaves rustled faintly in the trees, the wind tugging at the edges of Riya’s sleeves. The chill brushed against her skin, but she barely noticed it.
She met Kian’s eyes again—those dark, intense eyes. She let out a breath.
“...Fine,” she said. “We’ll wait. But just a little longer.”
Kian let out a small relieved laugh. “Good.Good.”
“Let’s go inside and have some hot chocolate.” Sirah khala sighed. “I suddenly feelexhausted.”
Kian shook his head. “I gotta get back home. Still have some things I need to take care of.”
Riya nodded. “Okay.” She thought of Mr. Kho, probably pacing by now, checking the window for headlights.
