Chapter 100 : A Demon’s Choice
The capital's edge had its quiet corners—rare, tender things overlooked by all the bustle and cobblestones. Past the school gates, behind a low fence and through a break in the ivy wall, there was a path of trodden grass that led to the riverbank.
Revantra had found it a few weeks ago when she was trying not to throw a fireball at one of the professors. She'd claimed it as hers the moment she saw it: a crooked willow tree bent like it was eavesdropping on the world, a flat rock to sit on, and the kind of silence that didn't ask for explanations.
Today, she wasn't alone.
Elias sat beside her, close but not too close, boots stretched out in the dirt, medical bag at his side. The sun was golden and warm, and the city beyond sounded far away. Too far for danger. Close enough to return to, if needed. The river lapped gently at the moss-covered edge, reflecting the two of them in watery blur.
"Hey," Revantra said suddenly, voice thoughtful. "Do you think people with fire magic are always warm-blooded?"
Elias blinked. "Uh... I mean, probably? Technically, their core temperature—"
"Because I keep sweating through my school blouse and I'm blaming biology now, not puberty."
Elias choked on a laugh. "That's fair. Biology is a coward anyway."
Revantra smirked, then leaned forward to toss a pebble into the water. It skipped once, twice—then immediately sank.
She made a face. "Just once, I want a magic pebble that skips fifty times and explodes into flower petals. You know, something charming and narratively satisfying."
Elias looked over. "You've been reading Theo's magical girl comics again, haven't you?"