Coastal Clear

Salty wind whipped at Eydis' hair as she gazed upon Ker Ys. The city clung to a rocky promontory, waves crashing and foaming against its sheer cliffs like enraged dragons. Legend whispered of smugglers and shipwrecks, whispers lost in the ranging Atlantic storm. Ker Ys, a city as tempestuous as its surrounding ocean, was the stage for the second round of this impossible tournament.

The first test had been survival, pushing them to their physical and mental limits. Now, the stage was set to unearth Azura's secrets – a treasure hunt, once a pirates' well-kept secret. Crafted by none other than the Duke himself, a man with the map to his own backyard treasures. Why not snatch them, you ask? Well, when your dukedom's piggy bank jingles louder than a pirate's chest of gold, those treasures are just spare change in the couch cushions of Azura's wealth.

For a commoner like Eydis, this round felt like drowning before you even stepped onto the boat. "Well, almost," she muttered under her breath, a wry smile playing on her lips. Her gaze met Lord Grant's across the bustling crowd, his disapproval etched like permanent rain lines on his face. She knew, almost felt, his intention to drag her down, to place her in a group destined for failure.

Beside her, Natalia fidgeted, eyes scanning the hastily scribbled group assignments tacked to a weathered board. "Ugh, this is ridiculous," she grumbled. "I was hoping we could team up."

Eydis squeezed Natalia's shoulder, the pressure a silent vow, a promise of shared defiance. "Relax, Nat. You'll ace it," she said, her voice light yet laced with steel. She met Natalia's gaze, the unspoken loyalty reflected in the depths of her crimson eyes.

Natalia scoffed, but a hint of warmth touched her eyes. "At least each team has one Azura mage. Though," she gestured toward a hunched figure on the edge of their group, "Yours, however..." A boy, barely older than them, with skin the colour of moonlight and eyes that mirrored the clear blue sky. Eydis recognised him, a fellow bookworm from the library.

Natalia's voice drops to a low whisper. "Heard he's a genius, but he just couldn't bring theory into practice."

Before Eydis could respond, a haughty voice sliced through the air. "Red Birdy, there you are. We need to strategise."

Eydis arched an eyebrow at the peculiar term of endearment—or whatever it was.

Melissa, the Azura girl with ice in her veins and jewels around her neck, stood with an outstretched arm. Natalia hesitated, torn between two worlds, two loyalties. "Blue! Just a sec, hold on... Eydis, can you meet me in the dining hall before dinner?"

Eydis nodded, her gaze following on Natalia being dragged away by Melissa. The Sylvanwood girl with intelligent emerald eyes, and Billie, the commoner senior with biceps bigger than her vocabulary, trailed behind them. Even the earth mage, a broad-shouldered boy with calloused hands and a quiet confidence, had a reputation for raw power. They were a constellation, each star blazing with their own unique light.

But it was the flicker of movement in the furthest star, Astra, that truly snagged Eydis' attention. Violet eyes, usually aflame when they met hers, darted towards her for a fleeting moment before vanishing behind a veil of silver hair. It was like a shooting star, glimpsed and gone, leaving behind a trail of stardust and a burning question in its wake.

Astra, her intricate braids gleaming like moonlight woven into mortal strands, stood poise and elegant amongst her admirers. Yet, it was her eyes—those glacial pools usually warmed by the fire of their interactions—that twisted Eydis's stomach into a knot of unease. They were still, devoid of the familiar spark, as if Eydis didn't exist. As if she were a shadow in the corner of Astra's vision, easily dismissed.

The silence between them echoing with the memory of their last conversation outside Red Hill. A conversation teetering on the edge of understanding, a bridge almost built. Now, it lay shattered, and the unease gnawing at Eydis' gut was a bitter reminder. Had she unwittingly crossed a line, pushed too hard and sent Astra retreating back into her fortress of ice?

As if summoned by instinct, Melissa glided closer to Astra. Their shoulders brushed, a touch that lingered just a beat too long. Astra, who flinched away from Eydis' gaze, allowed Melissa's closeness, the contrast echoing in the silence. Eydis narrowed her eyes, a knot of tension twisting in her chest. What was it about this unexpected alliance, this unspoken bond, that left her feeling so… unsettled?

A shaky voice, barely a whisper, broke through Eydis's world of quiet contemplation. "L-Lady E-Eydis, right?" The Azura boy approached, his leather boots barely making a sound against the timber floor. His gaze, a skittish butterfly, flitted between the ground and her face, unable to hold her unflinching stare for more than a fleeting moment.

Eydis's lips curved into a playful smile, melting the frost from her features. "Just Eydis, see, formality's lost on a commoner like me."

A flush crept up the boy's neck, painting his cheeks the colour of summer berries. He stood noticeably shorter than her, forcing him to crane his neck to meet her eyes. It was a mistake, he realised, as they held a mischievous gleam, the glint of someone who saw right through facades.

"W-well, we know who you are, you're kind of… famous," he stammered, the words tumbling out like pebbles from a shaken bag.

Ah, yes, the notorious Eydis, toying with the threads that bind a duke and a prince, a reminder that her attempt to be invisible had failed with remarkable success. "Pleasure to meet you, Lord Adam Sapphire," said Eydis, her eyes twinkling, seeing visible surprise on his face.

He blinked, eyes widening in astonishment. "You know who I am?" he whispered, a spark of curiosity igniting in his hesitant demeanour. "But please, just call me Adam."

Eydis inclined her head, a faint smirk playing on her lips. She knew them all—sixty names, faces and talents etched in her memory, each meticulously catalogued without Natalia's whispered hints. Information, after all, was her currency, her weapon, and part of the dance she had long mastered.

"I know a lot about you, Adam," she said, drawing out his name like a secret shared solely between them. "Perfect scores in theory, a reputation for…resourcefulness."

The compliment sparked a faint blush on his cheeks. If whispers were true, then 'that guy' would indeed be in her group.

"But what good's theory," he muttered, his voice barely a sigh, "when you can't turn it into practice?"

Eydis leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Oh, Adam," she teased, her words like a silken melody, "we nerds can be quite resourceful when the need arises."

Just as the blush on his face reached a fever pitch, a throat cleared behind them. So, the bait had been taken. Eydis spun around, a defiant glint in her eyes as she met the gaze of a tall, lean figure with a cascading light green hair. "Lord Elias Kivi, I presume?" she said, her voice laced with a playful challenge.

Elias, outwardly irritated by her audacity but secretly intrigued by her spark, reluctantly dipped his head and brushed her hand with his lips. "Indeed, Lady Eydis. Since you've already charmed my… acquaintance," he emphasised the word, his emerald eyes flickering towards Adam, "perhaps we can drop the formalities."

"Elias it is, then. Now, tell me, how do you think our little team of misfits can pull off this watery challenge?" Her playful wink sent a jolt through Elias, a flicker of confusion battling with the annoyance in his eyes. The Sylvanwood noble found himself speechless, caught off guard by this whirlwind of a girl who seemed to see right through his carefully crafted facade. 

The team introductions that followed were a blur of names and faces. Joseph, an Inferno boy crackling with nervous energy; Anna, a Silverkeep girl radiating quiet confidence, and Emma, a Terravale girl content to blend into the background. But Eydis' gaze kept returning to Elias, his arm briefly hovering over Adam's before retracting with a visible effort. 

She was right, and it seemed Adam and Elias might just be the key to their victory. Love, after all, could be a potent weapon, even if unspoken. But something else lurked beneath the surface, a tension that crackled like static between the two boys, a hidden melody waiting to be played. And Eydis, ever the collector of secrets, was determined to unravel its tune.