The restaurant they arrived at was a karaoke-themed place, with neon lights flickering and music filling the air. The boys led Cior to a private booth, where they all settled in, ready to enjoy the food and, for some, the karaoke.
"Hey, tell us about yourself. Your father's been hiding you as if you were his secret treasure," Ziven said, leaning back and giving Cior a curious look.
"Hey, it's not like that! You guys should tell me about yourselves too," Cior shot back, picking up a drink from the table.
"We know each other from childhood," Amias chimed in, shrugging.
"Oh, I see." Cior leaned in, ready for the story. "Let's start with small stories from our past."
"Good idea!" Arvan agreed, a grin tugging at his lips.
"We're too curious about you," Amias said, pausing for effect. "No one knew about your existence until you were five, and no one had seen you until you were fifteen. Similarly, when your father married your mother, no one knew what she looked like. And when she died during childbirth, no one was allowed at her funeral."
"Wait, my father got married?!" Cior choked on her juice, the liquid splattering out of her nose in surprise. She quickly grabbed a napkin, her face turning a shade of red. "What kind of secret life is this?"
The boys burst into laughter, but Cior was genuinely stunned. "Wait, I never knew that! What do you mean? I never even heard about my mom!"
Ziven, looking more serious now, leaned in. "So, how did you get born then? You do have a mother, right?"
Cior paused, her mind racing. "My father never told me about my mother... I didn't know anything."
The table fell silent for a moment, each boy looking at her with mixed expressions of shock and sympathy.
"Well, that's a family mystery, huh?" Arvan said, trying to lighten the mood. "Guess you're just as mysterious as your old man."
"I'm starting to think my father is a secret agent or something," Cior muttered, rolling her eyes. "Maybe he's been hiding me from the world for my own safety, or just to be dramatic."
"Well, it's working," Ziven teased, grinning. "You're pretty good at keeping secrets yourself."
Cior sighed dramatically. "Yeah, I'm the secret child of the year, apparently. Who needs a normal family?"
The laughter that followed was easy and lighthearted, and for a brief moment, Cior forgot about all the mysteries surrounding her. Maybe she didn't know everything about her past, but at least she was starting to enjoy herself a little more with these strange, fun new friends.
Cior sat back, her thoughts swirling after the revelation about Kieran. Kieran… married? She found it hard to believe. "He's too self-centered and carefree for that. Marriage doesn't even sound like something he'd bother with." She rubbed her chin, still processing. But the part that stuck out the most was the mention of her mother dying during childbirth. So, does that mean there's another child? The idea of a mysterious sibling unsettled her. Where is that child now? And why hasn't Father ever mentioned this?
Snapping out of her thoughts, she realized the boys were waiting for her to contribute to the conversation. They had been swapping stories about their childhoods, each more hilarious than the last.
"So," Cior began, crossing her arms with a playful smirk, "my life's been pretty awesome, even with all the so-called Noble Training."
"Oh, here we go," Ziven teased. "Let's hear it, oh great noble child."
Cior ignored the sarcasm and leaned forward. "There was this one time, back at home, when I decided to prank one of the house staff. I set up a fake portal trap—looked completely real—and made it seem like it would send them into a dark void. One of the guards tried to be brave and stepped into it, only to fall into a giant pile of feathers I'd prepared."
The boys burst out laughing.
"Wait," Mateo said, gasping for air, "you set up an entire fake portal? Who even thinks of that?"
"Apparently, I do," Cior said, grinning. "I've got brains and style. Don't be jealous."
Amias shook his head. "So, your adventures were just pranks, huh?"
"Not just pranks," Cior shot back. "There were plenty of actual adventures too. Like sneaking out to explore the surrounding towns, racing strangers, and occasionally stealing a treat or two from vendors when no one was looking."
"Wait, you stole food?" Arvan asked, eyebrows raised.
"Don't judge me," Cior said, holding her hands up defensively. "I was starving, okay? And sometimes it just tasted better when it was free."
Ziven laughed. "You're wilder than I thought. Here I was, thinking you were some pampered noble with no sense of fun."
"Trust me, my life's been far from boring," Cior replied. "It's been full of pranks, sneaky getaways, and chaos. I make sure of it."
The boys began sharing their own stories—small mishaps, fights, and moments of rebellion during their childhoods. It was clear they all had their own sense of adventure, even if it was different from Cior's.
By the end of the evening, the group had grown closer, laughing over their shared tales and teasing each other mercilessly. For a moment, Cior let herself relax, pushing aside her father's mysteries and the nagging thoughts about her unknown sibling.
After a hearty meal and a night filled with laughter and stories, the group began winding down. Cior, however, couldn't fight off her exhaustion any longer.
"Hey, wake up," Ziven nudged her shoulder gently, his voice carrying a mix of amusement and annoyance. "We need to go back."
"Ah… ah, okay, okay," Cior mumbled, her eyes half-closed. She waved her hand lazily, summoning a portal. But instead of opening to their dorm, the swirling light revealed Kieran's private room.
"Cior!" Kieran's unmistakable voice boomed through the portal, his sharp glare making the group freeze.
"Oh no!" Cior exclaimed groggily, snapping the portal shut before Kieran could say anything more.
Ziven blinked. "Did you just—was that your father?"
"Shut up. Wrong portal," Cior muttered, too tired to explain. This time, she opened the correct portal to their dorm's common area. As soon as they stepped through, Cior flopped onto the couch without another word, her face buried in the cushions.
"Seriously?" Mateo asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're just going to sleep here?"
"She's out cold," Amias said, crouching next to her—er, him in their eyes. "Should we just move her to her room?"
Ziven jiggled the door handle of Cior's room but frowned. "It's locked. And we don't know the password."
"Great," Arvan sighed. "So what do we do? Leave her here?"
Amias shook his head and lifted Cior up with ease. "We'll let her sleep here for now. It's not like anyone's going to bother her." He carefully placed her back on the couch, draping a blanket over her.
Ziven smirked. "For someone who acts so tough, he sure looks like a little kid when he sleeps."
"Let's hope the 'little kid' doesn't open another portal to his dad's room while dreaming," Mateo joked, earning chuckles from the others.
Satisfied she was comfortable, the boys retreated to their rooms, leaving the common area quiet. Little did they know how much chaos their new "classmate" would bring into their lives in the days to come.