Mist clung to the forest floor like breath held too long, curling around the boots of the four figures standing at the edge of the trees. Ariya's fingers twitched with a low flicker of heat as she stared ahead, past the crumbling stones of the outer city wall. Cinderhall. Their first real mission.
Kael was silent beside her, one hand resting on the hilt of his blade, shoulders tense and unreadable as always. Lyra leaned against a tree like they were just out for a stroll, twirling a small knife between her fingers, eyes sharp behind her relaxed grin. Jax, meanwhile, was chewing on a stick.
"Jax," Ariya muttered without looking at him, "stop eating the forest."
Jax popped the stick out of his mouth and shrugged. "I'm nervous. Chewing helps me think."
Kael made a low noise of disapproval. "You thinking helps me worry."
"Aww, big brother's worried about me," Jax said sweetly, throwing an arm around Kael's shoulder. Kael shook him off like a wet cat. Ariya didn't smile, but the corners of her mouth twitched. It felt… nice. The way they fit together, even if the seams were stitched with sarcasm.
Their mission was simple — or so they were told. A rebel scout named Elen had gone missing near the inner quarter of Cinderhall, a city crawling with guards, informants, and those loyal to the crown. Their task: sneak in, find her, and get out unseen. Lyra would handle surveillance from the rooftops, Kael would take out outer patrols, Jax would cause a distraction — he insisted on it, actually — and Ariya, for now, was to hold position and keep the path open.
She hadn't meant to lead. But no one else stepped forward, and the fire inside her had said go. So she did.
Lyra vanished over the wall first, her feet barely touching the stones. Kael melted into the shadows a moment later. Jax, in true Jax fashion, strode right into the middle of the marketplace and started yelling, "HELP! I've lost my pants! I mean—my cat! I LOST MY INVISIBLE CAT!"
The square exploded into chaos. Guards yelled, people scattered, someone threw a loaf of bread. Ariya didn't know whether to laugh or run.
She held to the edge of the alley, watching, waiting—then paused.
A pull.
A burn.
A chill.
It curled inside her chest like a flame tasting frost. She turned her head slowly toward a rooftop, breath catching before she understood why.
There, standing like he had been waiting all along, was a figure cloaked in black. Tall. Still. A sword strapped to his back. Silver eyes locked onto hers, calm and unreadable as a winter lake.
He didn't move. He didn't threaten. He just… watched.
Ariya's heart thundered in her ears. He had power, she could feel it—not like hers, not warm and wild, but sharp and cold and heavy, like a blade pressed against bone.
They stared at each other for a heartbeat, and another. And then he was gone. No smoke. No sound. Just vanished into the mist.
When the others returned—battered but grinning—Ariya kept glancing toward the rooftops. Elen had been rescued, barely. Kael had a cut along his ribs. Lyra was covered in dust and stolen gold. Jax had managed to blow up a fruit cart, though he insisted it was an accident. Still, something in Ariya's chest wouldn't settle.
Later, back at their safehouse, Kael approached her while she cleaned a gash on her arm. "You've been quiet," he said. "What happened out there?"
Ariya stared into the flickering lantern light. "I think… I think I saw the prince."
Kael stiffened. Lyra dropped her gold pouch with a sharp clink. Jax leaned in with wide, curious eyes. "Wait, the prince? Tall, scary, sharp jawline? That guy?"
Ariya nodded once.
Jax whistled low. "Handsome, terrifying, and royal. That's a full-course disaster."
"He didn't attack," Ariya added softly. "He just… looked at me. Like he already knew everything."
Kael's jaw clenched, but he didn't speak. Lyra sat down slowly, fingers drumming against her knee. "Then we're not just being watched," she said. "We're being measured."
Ariya didn't answer. She just sat still as the heat in her chest pulsed once, quiet but insistent—like the flame inside her had seen something it recognized.