When night finally came, Lalanat finished cooking and returned to Alaric's room to bring him something to eat.
Just as she opened the door, she stopped.
Alaric was sitting on his bed.
Beside him, Elara had fallen asleep while sitting next to the bed.
Lalanat stood there for a moment, quietly staring at the two of them.
The sound of the door caught Alaric's attention.
He turned his head and saw Lalanat standing there, holding a tray with a bowl of rice and soup.
Lalanat forced a small smile and walked inside.
She placed the tray beside Alaric's bed.
"How's your stomach?"
Alaric thought for a moment before nodding.
"It still hurts sometimes when I'm in certain positions, but it's better now."
Lalanat smiled and nodded.
"That's good, then."
She smiled at him again.
Alaric pointed toward the tray.
"So this is for me?"
Lalanat looked down at the food.
"Ahh, yes. I made you some soup and rice. I thought you might not be able to eat much, so I only made a little."
Alaric immediately took the tray and placed it on his thighs.
He looked at the food with a small smile, already looking excited to eat.
For a while, Lalanat simply stood there.
Her eyes slowly shifted toward Elara, who was still sleeping beside the bed.
She remained silent for a moment.
Then she lowered her gaze.
"I'll go back to my room. It's pretty late now."
Alaric looked at her while chewing and nodded.
"Ahh, yeah. Thank you for the food."
He waved his hand slightly.
Lalanat nodded.
"Goodnight."
She turned and walked out.
The moment she stepped into the hallway, she leaned against the wall.
A long breath escaped her.
Her eyes began to fill with tears, and the tip of her nose slowly turned red.
She quickly wiped her eyes before the tears could fall.
She took another deep breath.
Then she quietly went downstairs and returned to her room.
As soon as she reached her bed, she fell onto it.
For a while, she simply lay there.
Her mind kept replaying the scene from Alaric's room.
Alaric sitting on his bed.
Elara sleeping beside him.
The image wouldn't leave her mind.
Lalanat reached for her pillow and hugged it tightly against her chest.
"I hate how I am."
Her grip tightened.
"I'm full of jealousy."
She closed her eyes.
"I'm not even in a position to admit it out loud... and yet I still feel this way."
Her arms tightened around the pillow.
"I hate this."
Her voice became quieter.
"I hate this. I don't like who I'm becoming."
She remained there for a long while, fighting against her own thoughts.
---
Meanwhile, inside Alaric's room, Elara slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision was still blurry.
She raised her head and found Alaric sitting on his bed, eating loudly.
Elara slowly stretched her arms and looked around the room.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then she realized something.
She wasn't in her room.
She quickly scanned the room again.
"Wait... why am I here?"
Alaric shrugged.
"Seems like you fell asleep here."
He said it casually, as if there was nothing strange about it.
Elara stared at him for a moment in disbelief.
Alaric finished his food and placed the bowl beside him.
After a short silence, Elara pointed toward the bowl.
"So... let's see. I fell asleep here, and who gave you that food?"
Alaric looked at the bowl.
"Hmm? Of course, Lalanat."
Elara suddenly stood up.
"And why didn't you wake me up when she came?"
She looked at Alaric.
Alaric shrugged again.
"Well, I thought you were tired or something, so I didn't bother waking you up."
Elara sighed.
"This is embarrassing."
She turned toward the door.
"I'm leaving. I can see you're already feeling better anyway."
She took a few steps.
"Lara?"
Alaric's voice stopped her.
Elara froze.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Slowly, she turned toward him.
That name brought back the memory of the first time they had met, back in the garden behind Alaric's house when they were children.
Alaric gave her a small smile.
Elara chuckled softly.
"I guess you finally remember me."
She looked down at the floor.
Alaric scratched the back of his head.
"Ahh... I'm sorry it took me so long."
Elara shook her head.
"No... it's okay."
She paused.
"You didn't do anything worth apologizing for."
Her voice became softer.
"It's me who held on to our past."
She looked at him again.
"Even back then, you never promised me anything. I'm the one who kept holding on to it and waiting to see you again."
Alaric remained quiet.
He seemed to be processing her words.
Elara slowly smiled.
"Now that you finally remember me... I'm glad."
She paused.
"And that's enough for me."
Alaric looked at her.
"And why's that?"
Elara raised an eyebrow.
"Huh?"
"I mean... you could've told me before, you know."
He paused.
"So why did you wait for me to recognize you first?"
Elara chuckled softly.
Then she sighed.
"I'm just glad you're still Alaric, whether you know me or not."
She turned away.
"So I won't answer your question."
She slowly walked toward the door.
"Oi, that's not fair!"
Alaric's voice followed her.
A small smile formed on Elara's face.
She reached the door and opened it.
Before leaving, she turned her head slightly.
"Goodnight, Alaric Thandor."
Then she closed the door.
Alaric could only watch helplessly as she disappeared.
For a moment, he remained there, staring at the closed door.
"What does that even mean?"
He scratched his head.
"Why did she hide it in the first place?"
He paused.
"And why won't she answer a simple question like that?"
He shook his head slightly.
He still couldn't understand her.
Then, somehow, a smile slowly formed on his face.
"Well..."
His voice became quieter.
"I, too, am grateful that we met again..."
He paused.
"...Lara."
He whispered her name to himself.
---
And after that, everyone returned to their own rooms as the night slowly began to fall.
Tomorrow was the final day of the Chosen Class ceremony.
Every student would gather for the ceremony, where the winning class would receive a badge and a reward from the King himself.
---
As morning came, the sunlight slowly began to fill the sky.
The sound of birds chirping outside eventually woke Lalanat from her sleep.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked toward the window.
The sun was already higher than she expected.
Her eyes widened.
"I totally overslept."
She quickly got out of bed and hurried out of her room.
As she made her way toward the kitchen, she stopped when she noticed Alaric sitting nearby, talking with Elara while eating.
Alaric noticed her approaching.
"Oh, morning, Lala."
He smiled at her.
Lalanat brushed a hand lightly against her neck before returning his smile.
"Morning, Alaric."
Alaric immediately turned back toward Elara and continued telling her about something he had only recently realized.
He explained how he hadn't known she was a princess when she had first visited his house. He had only discovered it after she had already left, when his father finally told him who she was.
Elara chuckled as she listened.
Lalanat glanced sideways at the two of them before continuing toward the kitchen.
*What are they talking about?*
After spending some time in the kitchen, she eventually came back out carrying a plate of food.
She sat down beside Elara.
Alaric continued talking while Lalanat began eating, and Elara listened to him with a small smile.
After a moment, Lalanat looked toward Alaric.
"What are you guys talking about?"
Alaric turned toward her.
"Oh, I was telling Elara about how we actually met when we were little. It was back when my father had retired."
Lalanat nodded with a small smile.
"Oh. That's the first time I'm hearing about that."
Alaric nodded.
"I only realized it yesterday, too. Elara already knew who I was from the beginning, though. She remembered me the whole time we were in Elysium."
He suddenly turned toward Elara.
"So why didn't you tell me if you already knew from the beginning?"
Lalanat also turned toward her.
Elara smiled nervously and shook her head.
"Like I said, it's nothing. I just wanted you to figure it out yourself."
Alaric didn't look completely convinced.
"Hmmmm..."
Lalanat remained quiet.
Her thoughts drifted back to something Elara had once said when they were talking about Caelin proposing to her when they were children.
*She said she already has someone she's interested in...*
Her eyes shifted slightly toward Elara.
*Does she mean Alaric?*
The thought lingered in her mind as she tried to connect the pieces.
"Lala?"
Elara's voice suddenly pulled her back.
Lalanat blinked and looked at her.
"Ah... sorry. What is it?"
"Are you coming to the ceremony today?" Elara asked.
Lalanat shook her head.
"I have some laundry to do. Sorry, I won't be able to make it today."
Elara stood and picked up her plate.
"Okay, then. I'll go alone today. I have to accompany my father, so I need to be there."
Both Alaric and Lalanat nodded.
Lalanat continued eating while Alaric began heading back toward his room.
---
Meanwhile, at the palace...
King Conrad sat inside his room with General Edric.
Conrad took a slow sip of his tea before setting the cup down.
"General Edric."
Edric immediately turned toward him.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Bring me Arasa after the ceremony."
Edric nodded.
"Yes, my lord."
He hesitated for a moment before slowly raising his head.
"May I ask what for?"
Conrad tilted his cup slightly, his eyes resting on the tea inside.
"We're going to strike first."
He paused.
"And for this matter, we don't need to dirty our own hands with something so small."
His gaze slowly lifted toward Edric.
"So we need someone who can do it for us."
Edric remained silent for a moment before nodding.
"Understood, my lord. I'll bring Arasa to you after the ceremony."
He turned and left the room.
The door closed behind him.
Conrad slowly lifted his tea again and took another sip.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
He smiled to himself as he sat alone in the room.
Something was already beginning to move.
---
And just like that, the ceremony began inside the Elysium Academy Hall.
Almost every student and teacher had gathered there.
The King personally presented the prize to Class Seven, who had won the Chosen Class competition.
Arasa was praised by his teammates and his homeroom teacher, who congratulated him for their victory.
The hall remained lively throughout the ceremony.
Students celebrated together, enjoying food, dancing, and listening to speeches from their principals and the King.
Meanwhile, Elara stood alone on the balcony.
She rested her hands against the railing and quietly watched the sun slowly disappear beyond the horizon.
For a while, she simply stood there, enjoying the silence away from the noise of the hall.
Then a voice came from behind her.
"Rare to see you alone."
Elara turned toward the voice.
Caelin stood there, leaning casually against the wall.
Elara shrugged slightly.
"Yeah. Alaric and Lala couldn't make it, so I came alone."
Caelin pushed himself away from the wall and walked over.
He stopped beside her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
They simply stood there together, watching the sunset.
"How's Alaric?" Caelin eventually asked.
Elara nodded slightly.
"He's doing fine. He recovered faster than I thought he would."
A small smile formed on Caelin's face.
"I really thought he would win against us in that battle."
Elara turned toward him.
"You both knew he was going to lose. But that wasn't because he was weak. You guys simply outnumbered him."
Caelin nodded slightly.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"Perhaps it's better that way. I was already in a tight position, trying to worry about who I was fighting and who I was fighting alongside."
He paused.
"Besides, this wasn't a real battle for me anyway."
Elara chuckled.
"You sound like an old man who has too much to worry about."
Caelin frowned slightly.
"I'm not that old."
Elara laughed.
Caelin complained again, but that only made her laugh harder.
For a moment, the two of them simply stood there, talking and laughing as the last light of the sun faded across the sky.
Inside the hall, Silvia stood near the entrance.
Her eyes were fixed on Caelin and Elara standing together on the balcony.
Someone from another class approached her and invited her to dance.
Silvia politely refused with a small smile.
"Sorry, maybe another time."
She then turned her attention back toward the balcony.
She watched Caelin and Elara for another moment.
Then, without saying anything, she turned around and walked away.
Outside, Caelin's gaze suddenly shifted downward.
He noticed Arasa being escorted by his father's general, accompanied by several soldiers.
They forced him toward a carriage.
Caelin's expression changed.
He watched as the soldiers pushed Arasa inside.
Elara followed his gaze and noticed them as well.
She turned toward Caelin.
"Is something happening?"
Caelin kept his eyes fixed on the carriage.
"I don't know."
He paused.
"I'll go see what's happening."
Without waiting for a response, he rushed outside.
By the time he reached the courtyard, however, the carriage was already gone.
Caelin stopped and watched helplessly as it disappeared into the distance.
He released a long breath and ran a hand over the back of his head.
He had been too late.
From the balcony, Elara watched him standing there alone.
She simply shrugged slightly.
Then she turned around and walked back inside the hall.