The village of Leorote was as quiet as it had ever been—tucked away in the forgotten corners of the world, on the outskirts of the gleaming city of Altair. The sun touched only the surface, and the shadows, long and quiet, swallowed the village's edges like a secret. And it was here that Aira had grown up, under the watchful eye of her grandmother, her only family.
Aira had never known her parents. They were a mystery wrapped in whispered half-truths that her grandmother refused to discuss. Every time Aira asked about them, her grandmother's lips tightened into a thin line, and her eyes clouded with a sadness Aira could never quite reach. But for as long as she could remember, her grandmother had made up for that silence, giving Aira all the love and attention she could need.
And then, there was Estelle—Aira's best friend, her other half. Estelle was the first person Aira had ever truly trusted, the only one who could bring a smile to her face even on the darkest days. From the moment they met on their first day of kindergarten, they were inseparable, and their bond had only grown stronger as they aged.
But that bond was broken on one otherwise ordinary morning when Estelle revealed a secret Aira hadn't expected—she was leaving.
It was sudden. It was painful. Estelle's family had decided to move to Euphoria, a distant city hidden in the heart of the Alps. Estelle's eyes had glittered with excitement at the thought of this mysterious new world, but Aira's heart had plummeted into darkness. It was the first time she had felt truly alone and abandoned.
The day Estelle left, Aira sat by the small window of her grandmother's cottage, watching the carriage roll away, taking her only friend with it. The horizon swallowed the carriage, and with it, a part of Aira's heart. In the days that followed, she tried to keep busy, but she could feel the sharp void Estelle's absence left. And though she never said it aloud, the pain of losing her friend was enough to make her feel like she had lost a part of herself.
Lire's POV
Lire leaned against the balcony railing, his gaze sweeping over the darkened courtyard of the Celestial Academy. The mission had been long, but the Academy felt as familiar as ever, its ancient stone walls looming like a fortress of shadows. It had been days since their return, but Lire's mind had been restless, haunted by thoughts he couldn't quite shake.
And, of course, those thoughts always circled back to Mike.
Lire hadn't expected to think about him this much. Mike had been a competent ally in their missions—a good fighter, quick to act, and even quicker to take down enemies. But lately, something had changed. Lire had started noticing things about Mike—small things. The way his eyes lingered too long on the horizon, lost in thought. The way his jaw clenched when the weight of the mission pressed too heavily on his shoulders. The way his voice softened when he thought no one was listening.
Lire couldn't help but feel drawn to him, and that irritated him to no end. He wasn't the type to let his emotions get in the way of his work. The Academy had trained him to be cold, and calculating. Emotions were weaknesses—tools that others could exploit. But something about Mike… something was different.
The door to his room creaked open, and Lire didn't have to turn to know who it was. The Headmaster had a way of entering rooms without a sound, his presence more like a shadow that slipped through the cracks.
"You don't need to report," the Headmaster's voice cut through the silence like a blade. Lire stiffened, his grip tightening on the railing. "I already know everything."
Lire turned, his green eyes narrowing as they met the Headmaster's unsettling gaze. The man's eyes were always dark, always knowing. Lire had long since grown used to the way the Headmaster seemed to see through him, but it never stopped sending a chill down his spine.
"I assume you have something else to say," the Headmaster continued, his voice low, almost amused.
Lire's lips pressed into a thin line. He hated how the Headmaster could read his mind, twisting his own thoughts against him. "Nothing worth mentioning," he replied, his voice clipped.
The Headmaster's lips curled into a small, predatory smile. "You haven't noticed anything strange about your missions lately? Or rather, your partner?"
Lire's heart thudded painfully in his chest, but he kept his face impassive. "Mike? What about him?"
The Headmaster's smile widened, as if Lire had just confirmed something. "No, nothing at all." His voice was silky smooth, like poison disguised as honey. "Go ahead and rest, Lire. You'll need your strength for the next mission."
Lire stood still, his mind racing even as the Headmaster turned and left the room without another word. Something about the way the Headmaster spoke left Lire feeling uneasy, as though there were pieces of the puzzle he was missing, pieces that were far more important than he realized.
He returned his gaze to the courtyard, but his thoughts were no longer on the Academy or the mission. Instead, they were on Mike—on the way he fought, the way he carried himself, and the way Lire's pulse quickened whenever Mike was near.
It didn't make sense. None of it made sense. But one thing was clear: the more Lire thought about Mike, the more he realized that he was in deeper than he had ever intended to be.
Aira's POV
Aira woke the next morning to the dim glow of sunlight filtering through her curtains. Her body was sore from the previous day's mission, her muscles stiff and aching. Still, the Academy waited for no one, and neither did her disguise as Mike.
She peeled herself out of bed, every movement a reminder of the strain she put on herself daily to maintain her cover. After a quick shower, she began the tedious process of transforming back into Mike. The bandages were tight, compressing her chest in a way that was becoming increasingly painful as the days passed. Her body was changing, and it was becoming harder to maintain the illusion.
With her disguise in place, Aira slipped on her uniform, the fabric slightly tight across her torso. She couldn't help but glance at herself in the mirror, at the boy who stared back at her. The reflection looked like Mike, but the girl hidden underneath was fighting to break free.
"Ready to start the day as a boy again," Aira muttered under her breath, trying to summon the motivation to get through the day. The façade was exhausting, but it was the only way to survive at the Academy.
She left her room, moving through the hallways with a practiced ease. Her hands clenched at her sides as she prepared herself for another day of pretending, another day of hiding who she really was.
When she arrived at her first class, Yoro and Ilyan were already there, surrounded by a gaggle of girls. Aira could never quite understand how the two of them managed to attract so much attention. They were the most popular boys in the class, and their charm seemed to work on everyone—everyone except Aira.
"Hey, Mike!" Yoro called, waving her over with a grin. Aira forced a smile and made her way toward them, ignoring the fluttering of excitement from the girls around her. The attention was nothing new, but it always made her uncomfortable. If only they knew the truth.
As Aira approached, she caught sight of Estelle sitting near the front of the classroom. Estelle met her gaze and stuck out her tongue, a playful glint in her eyes. Aira bit back a laugh, grateful for the small moment of levity.
The day dragged on in a blur of lectures and discussions. Aira found herself struggling to stay focused, her thoughts wandering back to the previous night's mission, to Lire, and to the tension that seemed to hang in the air whenever they were near each other. There was something about him that was… different.
Her pulse quickened at the thought, but she quickly shoved it aside. She couldn't afford to think about Lire that way. Not when she was still hiding so much.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, Aira was more than ready to retreat back to her room. But just as she was about to leave the classroom, a voice called her name.
"Mike!"
Aira turned, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Lire standing in the doorway. His green eyes were intense, and for a moment, Aira felt like he could see straight through her.
"Got a minute?" Lire asked, his voice low and unreadable.
Aira swallowed hard, her mind racing as she nodded. "Yeah. What's up?"
Lire stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "You did good on the mission yesterday," he said, his voice softening slightly. "But something felt off. Are you… alright?"
The question caught Aira off guard, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Was she alright? The truth was, she didn't know anymore.
"I'm fine," she lied, forcing a smile. "Just tired."
Lire's eyes narrowed, but he didn't press the issue. "If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me."
Aira nodded, her throat tight. She didn't trust herself to speak.
Aira felt a strange ache settle in her chest as Lire walked away. She was lying to everyone, but most of all, she was lying to herself.
And sooner or later, the truth would come out.
TO BE CONTINUED