Chapter 246: Her Name Was Aeris
It did not take much before the memory shifted again and a new scene appear in front of her.
A sun-drenched hallway, floor panels humming faintly beneath her small steps. Liora couldn’t have been more than nine years old in this memory. Her long snow hair hair was tied in two bouncy tails that swayed with every step she took. She wore a crisp white uniform, sleeves slightly too long for her arms, and a star-shaped badge pinned proudly to her chest.
"Little monster, where do you think you’re going again?"
The boy’s voice came from behind her, teasing and familiar.
Aeris turned around quickly, puffing her cheeks in frustration. Her brother stood with a lazy grin, leaning against the doorway with his hands behind his head. He was already tall at that age, all limbs and mischief. His uniform was half-unbuttoned, his tie missing, and his ID chip blinking red—yet again marked for skipping class.
"You were supposed to walk me to my activity room!" she said, stomping her foot lightly.
He chuckled. "I was busy running from mine. Priorities, kid."
Aeris huffed and was about to argue when another figure appeared beside her brother. He moved like a shadow—quiet and precise. His uniform was perfectly neat, his ID chip glowing green. Thin silver-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. In his arms, he carried three thick manuals that looked heavier than Aeris herself.
he was Kazren.
Even now, watching through the lens of time, Liora’s breath caught. He looked... exactly the same. Just younger. Sharper jawline still soft with youth, eyes deep and unreadable even then. But the way he looked at her—that hadn’t changed.
Without a word, Kazren adjusted the books in his arms and stepped forward.
"You’ll be late," he said calmly, glancing at the clock embedded in the corridor wall. "Room C3."