A Game of Masks and Glances

  Arvanya's POV:

  The afternoon breeze wove through the trees, stirring leaves into a whispering dance. Sunlight dappled the ground, warm and golden, shifting with the swaying branches above. The scent of earth and crisp foliage clung to the air, grounding us in the quiet serenity of the forest.

  Sofia and Zane perched on a fallen log, their shoulders so close they nearly brushed, a silent familiarity in the space between them. Lila sank onto the grass beside Ryker, leaning against him with the ease of someone who had done so a thousand times before. Dante, Nico, Esme, Calen, and Kai sprawled across the clearing, some stretching out on the ground, others propped lazily against tree trunks. A smooth, flat rock stood nearby, its cool surface inviting beneath the heat of the day. I slid onto it, the solidness anchoring me. Beside me, Lucian followed, his presence like a shadow—imposing, yet still.

  A prickle of awareness brushed over my skin. I turned. His gaze met mine—sharp, unreadable.

  "Is there any problem with me sitting here?" His voice was low, steady.

  A simple question. So why did it make my pulse trip?

  "Yes— I mean, no!" My words tumbled out, half-formed. "You can sit here."

  A flicker of something—amusement?—ghosted across his face before he looked away.

  Nearby, Ryker and Zane dropped their bags to the ground, the zippers rasping open in near unison. A second later, an avalanche of snacks tumbled out, scattering across the grass.

  I blinked. "That’s… a lot of food."

  Ryker, utterly unbothered, popped a chip into his mouth. "Survival skills, Arvi. You never know when hunger might strike."

  Zane scoffed. "You mean, you never know when your next craving might hit."

  Lila lunged forward, snatching a bag of cookies with a victorious gleam in her eyes. "Oh, Sofia, pass me those chips!"

  Sofia smirked, holding the packet just out of reach. "Not until you admit that I'm a better water elemental than you."

  Lila’s jaw dropped. "Never!"

  Calen, already peeling the wrapper off an energy bar, chuckled. "You all act like you haven’t eaten in days."

  Esme, breaking off a square of chocolate, lifted a knowing brow. "That’s because we appreciate good food."

  Ryker grabbed a sandwich and a protein bar, then turned to Lila, his teasing edge softening. "You should eat. You were going all out earlier."

  Lila hesitated, her fingers hovering before she took the sandwich. Their hands brushed—just for a second—but enough for something unspoken to pass between them. "Thanks," she murmured, quickly unwrapping the bread.

  Zane, barely looking up from his bag, wordlessly handed Sofia a granola bar.

  She arched an eyebrow but took it. "You’re bossy."

  His smirk barely wavered. "You need the energy."

  She didn’t let go of his hand right away. Neither did he.

  I pushed myself up, stepping toward the scattered snacks. My fingers brushed against a bag of crackers—

  And then warmth. A firm grasp, wrapping around my wrist.

  A jolt shot up my arm, too sudden, too familiar. My breath caught, and I turned.

  Lucian. His hand around mine, steady but not forceful.

  His fingers twitched, as if he felt it too.

  I schooled my face into neutrality, even as my pulse hammered against my ribs. "What happened?"

  Lucian didn’t speak right away. Instead, his hand slipped into his bag, the faint crinkle of wrappers breaking the quiet space between us. A neatly wrapped sandwich and a couple of granola bars emerged, and before I could react, he pressed them into my hands. His fingers barely brushed mine—warm, steady—before he pulled away.

  "Eat this instead." His voice was even, casual, but there was an edge to it, a quiet insistence. "I brought it for you."

  I stared at the food, the weight of it unfamiliar in my palms. My throat tightened. I lifted my gaze to him, searching his expression, but he gave nothing away.

  "Oh." The word felt small, inadequate. "Thanks."

  Lucian leaned back, arms resting loosely on his knees, his eyes still unreadable. "You should eat properly. Not just chips and cookies."

  Across from us, Nico let out a low whistle, nudging Dante with an exaggerated shake of his head. "Wow, so he packs snacks for her now? That’s next-level dedication."

  Lucian’s gaze snapped to him, cold and sharp. "Mind your own snacks, Nico."

  Nico coughed, muttering something under his breath, while Dante elbowed him, smirking. "Well, this just got interesting."

  I exhaled and sank back against my seat, my fingers tightening around the sandwich. The granola bars rested on my lap, untouched. Before opening one, I glanced at Lucian. He wasn’t looking at me anymore. His focus had shifted to the others, watching their banter with faint amusement, the corner of his mouth tugging upward—just barely.

  I tore my gaze away and glanced at Zane and Ryker. They were too busy inhaling their food to notice anything else, chewing like they hadn’t eaten in hours. And if they hadn’t… then Lucian probably hadn’t either.

  Without thinking, I nudged the sandwich toward him.

  "You should eat too," I murmured. "You need energy—you’re in that competition too, remember?"

  Lucian’s eyes flickered to the sandwich, then back to me. For a fraction of a second, something unreadable passed over his face—a crack in his usual composure. His fingers hesitated before taking it, slow and deliberate, like he wasn’t used to the gesture. Then, just as quickly, his lips curled slightly. A real smile.

  Something fluttered in my stomach. Ugh. Stupid mate bond.

  I dropped my gaze, pretending to be deeply invested in peeling back the wrapper of my granola bar, willing the warmth in my cheeks to disappear.

  Lucian unwrapped the sandwich, still smirking. "Thanks."

  The conversation around us shifted, the teasing fading into strategy talk.

  "You all need to be extra cautious," Zane said, wiping crumbs from his fingers. "The ball changes its mode after every ten seconds."

  "And you never know what mode it'll switch to," Ryker added, his voice losing its usual humor. "That unpredictability throws most teams off."

  Lucian leaned forward slightly, his tone calm, assured. "If you focus properly, you can catch the pattern at the last second."

  Kai frowned. "How? No one can predict it."

  Lucian’s smirk deepened. "No, but you can sense it. When it shifts to fire mode, the air around it heats up. Earth mode makes it heavier. Air mode turns almost weightless, and water mode gets slick. If you’re too busy watching your opponents, you’ll miss the cues."

  Sofia’s eyes widened. "That’s why so many teams lose. They’re focused on the wrong thing."

  Nico let out a slow whistle. "That’s actually… smart."

  Esme leaned in, intrigued. "So this is the reason you three have been winning this competition for three years straight?"

  Zane grinned, puffing out his chest. "What can we say? We’re just that good."

  Ryker smirked, nudging Zane. "And humble. Don’t forget humble."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Lucian rolled his eyes but didn’t deny it.

  I glanced at him, processing his words. He made it sound so simple, but the truth was, this information could change everything. And the fact that he was sharing it with us…

  But then I thought about the other two modes and couldn’t help but ask, “What about Shadow Mode and Chaos Mode? Can we predict those too?”

  Lucian turned to me, his gaze steady, piercing. “No, you can’t predict them. That’s what makes the competition more complicated.”

  He paused, letting the weight of his words settle in. “If it enters Shadow Mode, it can move anywhere within the arena in an instant. That means you’ll need to be faster and more alert to catch it before your opponents do."

  Zane added, his voice laced with seriousness, “As for Chaos Mode, you’ve only got two seconds before the blast. You’ll need to throw it off, fast. It can injure anyone caught in its path, and some teams will use that to their advantage—especially when they want to hurt the other team’s members.”

  His gaze swept over us, lingering on Sofia just a second too long. His jaw tightened, his fingers flexing at his sides. A slow, knowing look passed between him and Ryker before his eyes flickered to Kai, Dante, and Esme.

  Something cold curled in my stomach.

  They weren’t just warning us.

  They were preparing us.

  I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms until the sharp sting grounded me. The weight of the words hung in the air—some teams wouldn’t just aim to win. They’d aim to break their opponents.

  I exhaled, forcing the tightness in my shoulders to ease. When I turned toward Lucian, his gaze met mine, already locked on me. The intensity of his stare was like a physical presence, pressing against my skin. His eyes searched mine, sharp and unyielding.

  I didn’t look away.

  “Don’t worry,” I said, my voice unwavering. “We’ll practice. We’ll protect ourselves.”

  Nico scoffed, dragging a hand through his messy hair, his voice thick with frustration. “That’s nice, but we haven’t even seen the damn ball. How the hell are we supposed to know when it switches modes?”

  Zane’s smirk spread slowly, like he was savoring the moment. “We’ve got an idea. And we’ll practice tomorrow morning.”

  Sofia’s arms folded tight across her chest, her brow furrowed in disbelief. “What idea? Can’t you just tell us now?”

  Zane’s grin didn’t budge, his expression a perfect mix of confidence and amusement. “No.”

  Sofia huffed, frustration evident in her posture. “Why not?”

  Zane shot a look at Lucian and Ryker, neither of whom said a word but whose expressions were mirror images—calm, composed, and holding a hint of something they weren’t ready to share.

  The air between us crackled, thick with the tension of unspoken thoughts.

  Sofia’s narrowed gaze stayed fixed on Zane, weighing whether to press him further. But Zane just raised a brow, daring her to challenge him.

  She blew out a sharp breath, rolling her eyes. “Fine. But this better not be some stupid surprise.”

  Zane chuckled softly, his amusement clear. “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll find out soon enough.”

  Suddenly, Kai’s brow furrowed in concern. “But we have classes tomorrow morning.”

  Ryker’s low chuckle broke the moment, his voice smooth with a knowing edge. “No, we won’t.”

  Every head turned toward him.

  He crossed his arms, his smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Every year, the day before the competition is an official day off. For teams to prepare.”

  Zane shifted, leaning casually against a tree with his arms crossed. “And this year, it’s bigger. Royals and high-ranking officials from every kingdom will be here. The faculty’s too busy getting ready for them to care what we do.”

  A strange heaviness settled over me, making everything else feel distant.

  Royals.

  The word hit like a wave crashing into me, pulling me under with a rush of memories.

  Then Ryker’s voice broke through the fog. “Tomorrow night, there’s a gathering. Every royal, every official who arrives will be there.”

  My breath caught.

  A pulse of adrenaline shot through my chest, pushing my thoughts into overdrive.

  Tomorrow.

  Tomorrow, I would see my family.

  Excitement sparked bright and fast, a fire kindling in my chest, but underneath it—something darker. A knot twisted tight in my stomach, suffocating the thrill.

  Would I be able to speak freely to them? Or would something—someone—stand in the way?

  My fingers flexed at my sides, nails digging into my palms again, grounding me. I couldn’t let this overwhelm me.

  Not now. Not yet.

  I swallowed hard, pushing down the lump in my throat, forcing my breath to steady. But the truth, unrelenting, kept clawing its way to the surface.

  Tomorrow.

  Everything would change.

  A nagging thought tugged at me, growing heavier by the second, until I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

  Would my brothers be there tomorrow? Or just my parents?

  The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it, the uncertainty coiling tight in my chest.

  “Do only the kings and queens attend these royal gatherings, or do their children—the princes—come too?”

  A shift in the air. Not metaphorical—literal.

  A sharp chill settled over me, like ice threading through the warmth of the space. I could feel the weight of something invisible pressing in, heavy, unrelenting.

  I turned my head.

  Lucian’s eyes met mine, already fixed on me. Cold, intense, and calculating. His jaw clenched, muscles tight as if holding something back. His expression was unreadable, but the warning in his gaze was clear. As if I had touched something I wasn’t supposed to, crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed.

  Before I could speak, Ryker’s voice sliced through the thick silence. “Yes, all princes from the kingdoms will be attending. The Earth Kingdom’s prince is already here. The two princes of the Air Kingdom will arrive tomorrow.” He paused, his voice dropping slightly, as if weighing the words. “But the princes of the Aquara Kingdom... that’s uncertain.”

  A knot twisted in my stomach.

  Why weren't they coming?

  I wanted to ask more, needed to know, but the words tumbled out before I could stop them. “Why? Why wouldn’t they come?”

  The silence thickened.

  It felt like the ground itself was closing in on me, the open space somehow stifling. The sharp scent of scorched earth clung to the air, heavy and unyielding. Lucian’s gaze burned into me, searing and unrelenting—but now, I could feel it wasn’t just him. Zane and Ryker stood nearby, their eyes like blades, sharp and assessing, cutting through any pretense.

  Curiosity flickered across their faces, turning the space between us into a kind of unspoken game. To them, my question didn’t make sense. Why would I care?

  To everyone else, the Aquara princes were names—distant, aloof, figures of status. But to me… they were my brothers. And no one here knew that except my friends.

  I couldn’t let them suspect.

  Zane leaned back, his posture casual but his eyes betraying a keen interest. One eyebrow lifted, amusement creeping into his smirk. But there was something sharper beneath it, something calculating.

  “The princes of Aquara rarely attend these kind of events,” he said, his voice smooth. “And their princess—the only princess across all the kingdoms—has never attended a single one. No one’s ever seen her outside of the Aquara Kingdom.”

  A heavy pressure settled in my chest.

  I lowered my gaze to my hands, fingers twitching slightly, as if the tension might spill over into them.

  What if my brothers didn’t come? Would my parents at least be there? Would I be the only one missing from the family?

  The thought sank deep, like a stone lodged in my gut.

  I curled my fingers into a fist, nails biting into my palm, grounding myself.

  And then—

  “Aria.”

  Ryker’s voice broke through my thoughts, his tone even, but there was something in it that I couldn’t place. When I looked up, his gaze was sharp, a quiet assessment in his eyes.

  “Why the sudden interest in the Aquara princes?”

  The weight of their stares hit me all at once—like a storm pressing in. They were watching me, waiting for something. For an answer, for a crack in the facade.

  I forced a smile, though it felt tight, unnatural. “Just… curious.”

  The lie hung in the air between us, heavy and obvious. I could see it in their eyes. None of them bought it.

  And from the way Lucian’s gaze lingered, intense and unwavering, like he was pulling apart every layer of me, piece by piece—

  I knew he wasn’t going to let this go.

  Ryker’s eyes scanned the group, lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary. “You all were at Aetheria Academy, right? So… have you seen that princess before?”

  The air seemed to grow heavy, and my friends exchanged nervous glances, avoiding eye contact as if they couldn’t bear to be caught staring at me. Esme and Calen stiffened, their discomfort palpable. I couldn’t help but smirk internally. Idiots. They’re only going to raise more suspicions acting like this.

  I looked at Ryker, raising an eyebrow. “Why? Why are you so interested in the Aquara princess all of a sudden?”

  My words hit him like a sudden gust of wind. He hesitated, but then his gaze flickered to Lila, who had shifted uncomfortably beside me.

  Lila’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of recognition sparking in them. She quickly shot a look at me and, with a dramatic flair that only she could pull off, glared at Ryker. “Yeah, why are you so interested in the princess?”

  Ryker faltered under the weight of her gaze. His response was slower than usual. “I was just asking because... well, no one’s ever seen her before. People say she’s ugly, has too much attitude.”

  The words landed like a slap, and a flash of fury burned in my chest. I narrowed my eyes at him. Who the hell is saying these things about me?

  Before I could snap at him, Nico spoke up, his voice low but filled with venom. “Offending someone you don’t even know… who said those nonsense words about her?”

  Kai’s usual calmness was gone as he added, “Yeah, if you don’t even know a thing about her, maybe you should keep your mouth shut.”

  Ryker held his hands up in mock surrender, his voice defensive. “I didn’t say it. It’s what others are saying.”

  Lila’s face flushed with anger. “You shouldn’t believe everything others say. Especially if it’s just cruel gossip.”

  I stood there for a moment, taking in how fiercely my friends were defending me. It wasn’t just about standing up for me in that moment—it was how loyal and protective they all were. My heart swelled with gratitude. If they weren’t with me, if they didn’t have my back like this… I don’t know what I’d do

  Then Zane spoke up, his voice sharp, a little too knowing. “From your faces and the way you’re all reacting… I think you all know her.”

  The words hit like a bolt of lightning, striking them all silent. A tension, thick and suffocating, spread across the group. They froze, caught off guard, not sure how to backpedal or how to escape the sudden attention.

  I could practically hear the wheels turning in their heads, trying to figure out how to dodge Zane’s insight. But I wasn’t about to let them get tangled in this.

  Taking a breath, I stepped forward, forcing myself to stay calm. “Yes, we’ve seen her... a few times,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “She’s not the most beautiful, but definitely not ugly either. So stop believing those ridiculous rumors.”

  I shot a quick, reassuring glance at my friends, hoping my lie would buy us some time. It wasn’t the truth, but it was enough to shift the focus away from them.

  The silence that followed felt heavier than before. Everyone seemed to be processing my words, but Lucian… he didn’t say anything. He just stood there, his eyes locked on me with an intensity that felt like he could see through me, peeling back the layers I was so desperately trying to hide.

  His gaze was unreadable, yet it sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t tell if he was buying my story or if he was just waiting for me to crack.

  Zane’s gaze flicked between us, a glint of curiosity in his eyes, but Lucian didn’t look away. He just watched me, as if waiting for something to slip—waiting for me to slip.

  I forced myself to ignore the tightness in my chest, trying to focus on the present. Zane shrugged, clearly satisfied with my answer, though the knowing look never fully left his eyes.

  The tension in the group slowly began to ease, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief. My friends seemed to relax a little too, though I could tell their minds were still racing. But for now, the storm had passed.

  Lucian, however, remained silent, his gaze still heavy on me. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that the moment of peace was only temporary.