After the lecture, Kael met up with his friends. Together, they headed to the cafeteria, overhearing the chatter of other students along the way.
"Hmph. What's so special about her that everyone keeps talking about her?" Lia asked irritably, her voice carrying a faint trace of jealousy.
"Because she was already famous before," Zaros replied dryly.
"Obviously. But she's gone, so what? If it's true that it was her decision, then we should skip that chapter and move on." She turned to Kael. "What do you think, Kael? You've been really quiet so far."
"Hm?" Kael, who had been staring absently at his surroundings, turned to Lia. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What did you say?"
Lia and Zaros exchanged a look, and worry flickered in their eyes.
"What's going on with you?" she asked softly. "I know you tend to overthink things, but you've never been this distracted before."
"Hah," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry. The lecture was just exhausting. We learned a lot of new things about words, but you know I can't tell you about them."
"We know that," Zaros said, "but it's not just that. You've been like this since you woke up. You saw something in the Labyrinth. Something so severe that it changed you."
He stepped closer until only a few centimeters separated them. Looking directly into Kael's eyes, he said quietly, "We can't help you if you don't open up to us."
Kael met his gaze, weighing the consequences of telling them everything.
I can't tell them about my vision. I just can't. If they found out, they'd insist on accompanying me, and I can't let that happen. But maybe I can tell them about my partnership with Astra. Maybe they could help me find her.
"All right, I'll tell you," he finally said with a faint smile, "but first, let's eat something. I'm starving."
Seeing the change in their friend's expression, Lia and Zaros exchanged a quick glance and nodded in agreement.
After eating, the three of them went to their usual quiet spot. The air was calm, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the breeze.
"Do you remember how we met?" Kael asked. His gaze was distant and filled with nostalgia as he watched the branches sway softly above them.
"Of course," Zaros replied, his voice tinged with confusion. "It was a sunny day, and I was on my way to my dormitory when I heard someone practicing with a sword."
His voice brightened. "I walked into the courtyard and saw a guy swinging his sword through the air." Zaros laughed. "It was terrible! I couldn't stand watching him struggle, so I went to help him."
Kael laughed as well. "Yeah, I was completely focused when suddenly, I heard a deep voice behind me saying that I'm so bad his eyes can't take it anymore.'"
"And when the two of you were lying on the grass, gasping for air, a saint came to your rescue," Lia added, smiling teasingly.
The trio burst out laughing, the memory of their first meeting warming the air between them.
Kael's cheerful expression slowly faded into melancholy. "Yeah, I think that was one of the best moments of my life," he whispered, his voice soft but tense.
"Enough," Zaros said firmly. "You wouldn't reminisce like that for no reason. What happened?"
Kael fell silent again, his gaze drifting to the leaves swaying gently above them.
"In the labyrinth," he began at last, "there was a trap. It showed you your worst memories. It was designed to break you, to trap you inside your own wretched consciousness."
Lia and Zaros gasped. They had never heard of anything so cruel. Before they could respond, however, Kael turned around. Sadness and longing filled his expression.
"But for me, it was different," he continued softly. "I don't know how, but the trap read me. It knew that I'd lost my memories, so it showed me the cruelest thing imaginable." He took a trembling breath. "It showed me a wonderful, happy memory. It was so beautiful that it filled me with desperate longing and an ache that I still can't overcome."
His voice grew quieter with each word until the last ones were barely a whisper.
Lia couldn't bear it any longer. Seeing her friend in such pain, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"We're here," she murmured. It was only two words, but they were enough.
"Exactly," Zaros agreed, placing a steady hand on Kael's shoulder.
"Thanks, guys," Kael said, his voice muffled as he buried his head against Lia's shoulder.
After a while, he took a step back and drew a deep breath. "I'm better now." His expression softened, and a faint steadiness returned to his eyes. "Anyway, that was the first trial. Now, for the reason why I've been so distracted lately."
"It's because of her, isn't it?" Lia asked, her voice calm but cold.
Kael looked at her, looking into her eyes. He knew exactly what she meant.
"Yes," Kael said quietly. "But not in the way you imagine. We're not a couple, and we're not in love. It's more complicated than that. She knows something about my past, and I couldn't get her to tell me before she left."
"What?" Zaros exclaimed. "She knows your past? How?"
"I don't know," Kael admitted, shaking his head. "But if that were the only reason, I wouldn't be this concerned."
"It's something that happened between you two in the Labyrinth, isn't it?" Lia asked, her tone calm yet piercing, as if she could see straight into his memories.
Surprised by her accuracy, Kael looked at her and nodded slowly.
"She and I made a deal," he began. "We agreed to help each other in the Labyrinth. To support one another." He paused, his gaze distant. "Over time, I began to trust her. She's more than the cold, calculated beauty that everyone thinks she is. She has feelings and a very painful past. Or at least, it seems that way."
He took a deep breath before continuing, his voice laced with guilt. "After the Labyrinth, when I was in the infirmary, she came to visit me. She just wanted to see if I was all right. But I turned her away. I was too harsh. I accused her of manipulating me with what she knew. I was angry and confused and took it out on her.
Kael looked up at them, his expression heavy with remorse. "I'm responsible for her disappearance. I have to find her and be there for her."
He lifted his gaze toward the sky, his voice fading to a murmur. "You should've seen her face at the end. It was as if her whole world had collapsed. She trusted me, but I turned away. It's a sin I have to carry."
"But please," he said, his tone pleading, "Help me find her."
Zaros and Lia remained silent throughout Kael's confession, their expressions unreadable.
Finally, Zaros sighed and met Kael's gaze. "Of course we'll help you. There's no question about that."
Lia adjusted her hat, lowering it so her face was hidden from view. "Of course we'll help you," she said softly. Her voice was muffled beneath the brim, but even through the quiet words, a faint sadness could be heard.
Zaros glanced at her tightly clenched hand, understanding all too well what she was thinking. Then he turned back to Kael. "Where do we even start? The entire academy has been searching for her and found nothing. What makes you think three students can find what they couldn't?"
"Come on," Kael said with a grin, his voice regaining a spark of hope. "With your strength, Lia's cleverness, and my intuition, we can accomplish anything. I couldn't imagine a better team."
Then his tone grew serious again. "I have an idea, but I'll need to get into her room for that."
Zaros smirked and crossed his arms. "No problem, partner."