Kael slung his bag over his shoulder, heading into Mrs. Olivarez's class. He could already tell this period was going to drag; Mrs. Olivarez wasn't like Mrs. Ava. She actually taught.
When he walked in, his suspicions were confirmed. The seating chart projected on the screen showed his name right next to "Aurora." He furrowed his brow. Aurora? Who was she again? Then he spotted her—sitting in her seat, staring intently at her notebook as if the entire universe depended on it.
Aurora wasn't just shy—she was quiet to the point of being invisible. Kael didn't know much about her except she was rich and always kept to herself. And now, they were stuck together.
Kael dropped into his seat with a sigh. "Hey," he greeted casually.
Aurora peeked up from her notebook, cheeks already flushing. "Hi," she whispered, looking like she'd rather evaporate on the spot.
Mrs. Olivarez clapped her hands to get the class's attention. "Alright, listen up! You're going to work with your seat partners on a month-long project about the history of the War of Hell and Heaven."
The room erupted into groans, but Kael barely registered them. His stomach twisted. Of course, it had to be *that* war. His parents had been key players in it. This wasn't going to be awkward at all.
Aurora shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Um… we should probably start planning," she said softly, her voice barely audible over the murmurs of the class.
Kael nodded. "Yeah, sure. You… wanna come over after school? My dad and mom were, uh, kinda involved in that war. They could help."
Aurora blinked, stunned by the invitation, but nodded quickly. "Okay."
---
After school, Kael waited by the gate, spotting Aurora approaching hesitantly. "Hey, this way," he said, leading her toward the castle.
Aurora's eyes widened as they approached the massive gates. "You live *here*?"
Kael shrugged. "Yeah, it's a lot, I know." He pushed the doors open and gestured for her to follow.
As they stepped inside, the grand halls of the castle seemed to overwhelm Aurora. She clutched her notebook tightly, staying close behind Kael.
Before they could make it to his room, Ere'ana peeked out from the kitchen. "Kael, who's your friend?"
Kael turned, already dreading her teasing tone. "Mom, this is Aurora. We're working on a project together for history."
Ere'ana's eyes twinkled mischievously. "A project, huh? Are you sure this isn't your *girlfriend*?"
Kael's face turned red. "Mom! No, it's not like that!"
Aurora, equally flustered, looked down at her shoes, muttering, "It's just a project."
Ere'ana smiled knowingly but let them go. Kael led Aurora to his room, where they set up their books and notes.
"So," Kael began, trying to steer the conversation back to their project, "what do you know about the war?"
Aurora hesitated, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just what we've learned in class. It… destroyed a lot of lives."
Kael nodded. "Yeah, it did. My mom and dad were both part of it. They don't really like talking about it, but they probably know everything we need to get an A."
Aurora's eyes widened. "Your parents were in the war? Like… directly?"
Kael nodded. "Yeah, my dad, Kikidori, fought for Hell. And my mom, Ere'ana, was on Heaven's side before they, y'know, got together."
Aurora's jaw dropped slightly. "That's… incredible."
Kael smirked. "You think that's wild? Wait till you hear what my dad says about it. He's got some… interesting stories."
Aurora couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. For the first time all day, she felt like this project might not be so bad.
End of Chapter 36