Chapter 248: Did you know it was me?
The memory flowed again, this time gentler, like dawn light warming the cold corners of her heart.
Liora watched Aeris—herself, younger—walking through the tall gates of the Spire Military Academy. The campus was vast, shaped in perfect symmetry, with towering silver buildings and curved walkways stretching toward the skies. Everything gleamed under the morning sun. Drones flew silently overhead, and the scent of charged metal and polished marble filled the air.
Aeris stood at the threshold in her standard black cadet uniform. The collar was stiff. The boots were heavy. But she stood tall, a determined look in her eyes. She had left Eli safely in the care of her father and returned to the life she had once dreamed of.
She was no longer just a girl burdened with the weight of sudden motherhood. She was a cadet now. A fighter in training.
Her first weeks were a blur of early mornings, relentless drills, late-night theory classes, and more physical exhaustion than she had ever felt in her life. Yet through it all, she remained focused. Her instructors praised her endurance. Her simulation scores rose steadily. Her aim was precise. Her strategic thinking sharp.
She wasn’t the top cadet—not yet—but she was known for one thing: never giving up.
Then came the first joint command simulation.
It was a high-pressure training day—one where both first-year cadets and upper-level commanders participated in mock scenarios. They were told it was a rare occasion and they have to seize the opportunity to learn from commanders.
And that’s when he walked in.
Aeris stood among her squad, fingers gripping her energy rifle lightly, when the simulation doors slid open with a soft hiss.
And in stepped a tall man in full black uniform, his steps quiet but powerful.
Liora, standing as a ghost within her memory, felt her breath catch before she even saw his face.