"Idiot!" Coralina shouted, her voice breaking with rage. "Do you realize what you've done?"
Peter stared at her, stunned, his hand touching his reddened cheek. "I just wanted to—"
"Shut up!" she cut him off. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, but her expression was pure fury.
"You have no idea the anguish you caused me," she continued, her voice trembling. "I didn't know if I'd find you alive or dead. Do you even comprehend what it's like to search through a field of corpses, fearing that one of them might be someone under my care?"
Her trembling hands betrayed her. "Do you think this is a game?"
"No, I… I just wanted to help," Peter replied weakly.
"Help?"
"I wanted to prove that I'm capable… that I can be on your level…"
Coralina interrupted him with a sharp gesture. "On my level? You're a child playing at being a man. And I'm telling you now, Peter Porter: you are no longer a Union mage."
"What… what does that mean?"
"It means I'm stripping you of your rank. You are no longer a magical soldier. You've lost the right to call yourself that," Coralina said, her voice cold and calculated. "I can't trust someone who doesn't understand the weight of their actions. From now on, you're just a civilian."
"I… I'm sorry."
"Sorry isn't enough, Peter. This isn't about you. You can't just play the hero and expect everything to work out. This is war. And war doesn't forgive the naive."
"I didn't want to hurt you. I never thought that—"
"That's what infuriates me the most," Coralina said, wiping her tears with her sleeve. "You didn't even think. And because of your lack of judgment, I had to humiliate myself before Snow, endure his blows."
The poison took hold. Her heart pounded, and a dizzying sensation clouded her vision.
"Idiot…" Coralina murmured, her tone softer than usual.
Peter lifted his gaze, seeing Coralina breathing heavily, her face weary yet still beautiful. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, burying his face in her chest.
"Don't do it again," Coralina said, gently stroking his hair.
"I can't help it. I love you too much. Don't push me away," Peter pleaded.
She sighed, unsure whether to laugh or be angry. "Don't be ridiculous. You've only known me for six months."
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," Peter said with such intense sincerity that Coralina looked away. "I'd do anything for you. I'd change everything about myself if it means you'll stay with me."
"You're a foolish child, Porter. You put me on a pedestal, and that's not good. I'm not who you think I am. And besides… I don't like kids."
Peter held her tighter. "Then I won't be a child. I'll change. I'll do whatever it takes."
"Where's your pride?" Coralina asked, pulling off the sweater she was wearing and placing it on Peter's shoulders. "Give it back when you're no longer an immature kid."
"I can't undo what I did. But I can promise I'll never be that stupid again."
"I'll prove to you that I can be more," Peter continued. "I don't know how or how long it'll take. But I'll become someone you can trust. I swear it."
The night dragged on, cold and slow. Peter carried Coralina in his arms. She was unconscious, her breathing uneven, her body weakened by the magical poison.
With unsteady steps, he moved across the rocky terrain. At dawn, he spotted the Union camp in the distance. From afar, he saw a lone figure— a well-built man doing push-ups.
"Thomas!" Peter shouted with all the strength he could muster.
Thomas's eyes widened in surprise as he saw his younger brother carrying Coralina.
He grabbed them both by the shoulders, quickly inspecting them. "What happened?" he asked, his tone worried, though he tried to maintain a calm façade.
"We faced the British mages."
Thomas's brow furrowed, but his eyes betrayed him. For an instant, his expression showed genuine fear. "Those bastards."
His mind filled with memories of the previous night. He had searched desperately for his brother in the camp, his heart sinking when he saw Peter's name on the preliminary list of the fallen and missing. Alone, in the darkness of his tent, he had cried silently, terrified of losing his younger brother and consumed by guilt for failing to find him.
Thomas reached out, touching Peter's arm and shoulder, making sure he didn't have any serious injuries.
"Watch your hands," Peter said with an annoyed look.
Thomas let out a nervous laugh, relieved by his brother's familiar attitude. "You're okay."
Without saying more, Thomas hoisted Peter onto his back while still carrying Coralina.
When they arrived at the medical tent, they were greeted by fellow magic academy students who quickly surrounded Peter with encouraging words and congratulations.
"Peter, you're back!" said one.
The relieved faces and welcoming words lifted Peter's spirits. Despite his exhaustion, he managed a faint smile. Coralina was immediately taken to a stretcher.
Thomas, on the other hand, brought Peter to his own tent, where he handed him some clean clothes. Once they were alone, Thomas suddenly hugged him.
"What are you doing?" Peter asked, trying to resist. "This is weird for you."
"I thought you were dead," Thomas said, his voice barely a whisper. "What would I tell Dad? That I didn't take care of you?"
For the first time, Peter noticed the emotional weight in his brother's words. Moved, he awkwardly returned the hug. "I'm here, Thomas. I'm okay."
A commotion outside the tent caught the brothers' attention. Claire Bennett, descending from the sky with her scorched magic broom and parts of her uniform burned, landed heavily on the ground. As soon as she touched down, she collapsed.
"I did it!" she shouted, a mix of pride and exhaustion in her voice. "I took down all the Confederate air units!"
A group of soldiers rushed over, cheering as they helped her to her feet. Her hair was partially singed, and her face was covered in soot.
"Claire Bennett," one of the soldiers said, "you've earned the title of Sky Mage. No one can top what you did that night."
"Someone had to do it. Now let me sleep… for a whole week."
Another soldier emerged from the camp, his expression cold and his posture rigid. He was a young mage named Gabriel "Gabe" Stokes, who had gained notoriety during the battle by singlehandedly confronting and defeating several mages from the Louisiana Brigade.
"There goes the Mage Slayer," someone murmured.
Gabriel seemed uninterested in the attention. His focus was on Thomas, whom he confronted directly as he stepped out of the tent.
"You don't deserve to be by Coralina's side," Gabriel said, his voice low but laced with venom. "You're incompetent."
Thomas froze, clenching his fists. For a moment, he tried to hold himself back, but he finally exploded. "I know!"
"I hope you step aside before someone else has to clean up your mess."
Gabriel's comment not only struck a raw nerve but rubbed salt into the wound.