🎶: Lavender Haze - Taylor Swift

The rooftop had erupted into chaos. Powder, Mylo, and Claggor were all talking at once, their voices overlapping in a tangled mess of questions, exclamations, and accusations. It was a cacophony of sound—too loud, too fast—and Vi and Caitlyn were caught in the middle, struggling to make sense of any of it.

"Vi, you didn't even tell us anything!" Powder shouted, her pale blue eyes wide as she waved her arms around. "Were you just gonna keep this a secret forever? Or—"

"No, no, hold on—she confessed first, didn't she?" Mylo cut in, gesturing toward Caitlyn with a triumphant grin. "Vi doesn't have the guts. I bet Caitlyn made the first move—"

"Seriously?" Claggor interrupted, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at Mylo. "Vi probably made it awkward as hell. You know how she gets when—"

"ENOUGH!" Ekko's voice boomed over the rooftop, his arms shooting up as he glared at the group. The noise cut off instantly, leaving a stunned silence in its wake. Powder froze mid-gesture, her mouth still open, while Mylo and Claggor exchanged sheepish glances.

Ekko dropped his hands, a sly grin creeping across his face as he turned to Vi. He crossed his arms, tilting his head with exaggerated smugness. "Heh," he said, his tone dripping with amusement. "So it finally happened, huh?"

Vi straightened from where she was leaning against the ledge, her sharp blue eyes narrowing in warning. "Shut up, Ekko," she muttered, her voice low and defensive, though the flush creeping up her neck was impossible to miss.

"Oh no," Ekko said, stepping closer, his grin widening. "You don't get to shut me up. This is golden."

Vi groaned, running a hand through her tousled burgundy hair as she glared at him. "It's not what you think—"

"Oh, it's exactly what I think," Ekko cut her off, his laughter bubbling over. He gestured between Vi and Caitlyn. "You've been acting all cagey for weeks, and now here you are, standing on a rooftop, all flustered and caught red-handed."

"I'm not flustered," Vi shot back, her arms crossing over her chest as she tried—and failed—to look indifferent. "And I didn't get caught."

Powder snorted from behind Ekko, her grin as wide as the moon. "Oh, you totally got caught, Vi."

"Shut it, Powder!" Vi snapped, pointing a finger at her younger sister, though the faint pink dusting her cheeks gave her away. She shifted her weight awkwardly, her usual confidence nowhere to be found.

Caitlyn, who had been quietly observing the chaos, arched an eyebrow and leaned slightly toward Vi. "Are you always this eloquent when cornered?" she asked, her voice calm but threaded with dry humor.

Vi groaned again, dragging both hands down her face. "This is why I don't tell you guys anything," she muttered, half to herself, half to the group.

Ekko slapped a hand on her shoulder, his grin as smug as ever. "Don't worry, Vi," he said, his voice practically dripping with mock sympathy. "We're all just so proud of you."

Powder, Mylo, and Claggor immediately launched into a chaotic symphony of overlapping voices, each louder than the last.

"Wait, wait, wait! Did Vi actually kiss her? Or was it Caitlyn?!" Powder practically shouted, her excitement bubbling over as she bounced on her toes.

"Vi doesn't have the guts," Mylo said, grinning wickedly. "Caitlyn totally made the first move. Look at her—classy as hell."

"Oh, please," Claggor cut in, crossing his arms. "Vi probably tripped over her own feet and somehow landed in a kiss. It's the only way this makes sense."

Vi stood there, her sharp blue eyes narrowing further with every word. Her jaw tightened, her face flushed a shade of red she couldn't hide. She opened her mouth to retort, but the noise was too much—her siblings were relentless, a chaotic wave of teasing she had no hope of stopping.

She groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Why am I related to any of you?" she muttered through her fingers.

"Don't be shy, Vi!" Powder chirped, her grin wide enough to rival the crescent moon. "We're just trying to piece together your epic love story!"

"Epic?" Mylo snorted. "More like painfully awkward—"

"STOP!" Vi barked, her voice muffled but loud enough to halt the chatter for all of two seconds. Then the teasing resumed, louder and even more , who had been watching the scene with quiet amusement, finally decided she'd had enough. Her sharp blue eyes softened slightly as she took a step closer to Vi. Without a word, she reached out, her hand brushing Vi's arm before sliding down to lace her fingers gently with Vi's.

The effect was instant. Vi froze, her hands lowering slightly as her gaze snapped to their entwined fingers. The chaos around them seemed to dim, fading into the background as Vi's sharp blue eyes flicked up to meet Caitlyn's.

Caitlyn's expression was calm, steady, and just a little playful as she tilted her head. "I think they've made their point," she said softly, her thumb brushing against the back of Vi's hand in a quiet reassurance.

Vi blinked, her usual bravado flickering back to life as she straightened slightly. "Yeah, well," she muttered, her voice low, "they're still annoying."

Caitlyn's lips quirked into a faint smile, her voice light but firm. "Maybe. But they're not wrong."

The rooftop fell into a brief, stunned silence as the group collectively gawked at the sight of Caitlyn holding Vi's hand. Powder's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, while Mylo made an exaggerated choking noise.

"Oh my God," Powder finally managed, her voice a high-pitched squeak. "You two are so—so—"

"Ugh," Vi groaned again, but this time, she didn't pull away from Caitlyn's hand. Instead, she tightened her grip, her smirk returning as she turned to face the group. "Alright, get it out of your system now, because I'm not doing this again."

Ekko chuckled, shaking his head. "This is the best night ever."

-ŕ­¨ ŕ­§-

🎶: Just You and I - Mia Mormino, Karo Moralyan

The courtyard was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of the overhead lamps. Evening had settled over the university, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. Lux stood near a wrought-iron bench, her polished demeanor beginning to crack under the weight of growing impatience. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her piercing blue eyes darting toward the shadowed pathways that framed the space. The curt message—"Courtyard. Now."—lingered in her mind, its commanding tone grating on her.

The sound of boots against stone broke the quiet. A tall figure emerged from the shadows, moving with a deliberate confidence that seemed to draw the very air toward her. Riven Konte stepped into the soft lamplight, her green eyes cutting through the dim glow like a blade. The white streaks in her tousled pixie cut gleamed faintly, and her leather jacket shifted with her purposeful stride. She didn't stop until she was standing a few steps from Lux, her sharp gaze locked onto hers.

"Riven," Lux greeted, her tone clipped, though she forced a faint smile onto her lips. "What an honor."

Riven didn't bother with pleasantries. Her smirk was faint and biting as she tilted her head, studying Lux with a detached, almost predatory curiosity. "I'd say the same, but we both know I don't waste my time on lies."

Lux's lips thinned, her eyes narrowing. "If you dragged me out here just to trade insults, Riven—"

"I didn't," Riven interrupted coolly, taking a slow step closer. Her voice was quiet, but the weight of it pressed against Lux like a physical force. "I'm here about Katarina."

Lux's polished mask slipped, her sharp eyes flickering with surprise before narrowing again. "Katarina's business is her own," she said, her tone defensive. "I don't see how it concerns you."

Riven chuckled, though the sound carried no humor. "Oh, but it does," she said, her smirk fading as her expression hardened. "See, whatever little favor you called in, whatever thread you're trying to pull to get her on your side—it ends. Right now."

Lux's polished mask slipped for only a fraction of a second before she recovered, a sharp laugh escaping her lips. It wasn't the kind of laugh that lightened the mood—it was the kind of laugh that dripped with condescension, designed to cut. She tilted her head, her blue eyes gleaming with mock innocence as she crossed her arms.

"What favor?" Lux said, her voice as sweet as poison. "You've lost it, Riven. Completely unhinged. Should I be worried about your grip on reality?" Her lips curled into a sharp, saccharine smile, as though she was enjoying every second of this confrontation. "Or maybe you're just here to air out some paranoia. If that's the case, I'll gladly let you have the floor."

Riven didn't flinch. Her green eyes locked onto Lux's, unyielding and razor-sharp. She took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them with a dangerous calm that made Lux's confident posture falter ever so slightly. Then, Riven smirked—a wicked, knowing curve of her lips that seemed to strip away Lux's façade with ease. Her voice was low, every word delivered like a calculated blow.

"Vi wouldn't love you," Riven said coolly, her smirk deepening, "even if Katarina joined you in all your little stupid games."

Lux's saccharine smile wavered, her blue eyes flashing with a flicker of anger she couldn't quite mask. Lux's hand shot up, her polished composure cracking under the weight of Riven's words. Her fingers curled, ready to deliver a slap meant to cut as deeply as her own barbs, but before her palm could connect, Riven's hand snapped up with lightning-fast precision.

The slap never landed.

Riven's grip closed around Lux's wrist, firm but not cruel, holding it mid-air as effortlessly as if she'd caught a falling leaf. Lux's eyes widened, her confidence flickering into something closer to panic as she realized how easily Riven had countered her.

Riven's smirk twisted into something darker, her sharp green eyes narrowing as she leaned in, her voice dropping to a chilling murmur. "If you hurt Caitlyn," she purred, "I will kill you myself."

The threat wasn't shouted, wasn't barked—it was quiet, laced with a deadly calm that made it all the more terrifying. Riven released Lux's wrist with a deliberate slowness, as though to emphasize just how little effort it had taken to stop her. Lux stumbled back a step, her hand dropping to her side. Her breath caught for a moment, her carefully constructed mask now fully shattered. She glared at Riven, but there was no witty comeback this time, no venomous laugh to deflect the weight of the moment.

Riven tilted her head slightly, her wicked smirk softening into something colder, more calculated. "You can play all the games you want, Crownsguard," she said, her voice steady as she turned to leave. "But if you cross the line…" She let the threat hang in the air, her darkened gaze pinning Lux in place, making it impossible to look away. With that, Riven turned on her heel, walking away with the same unhurried confidence she'd arrived with. Lux stood frozen in the courtyard, her hand still tingling from the failed strike, her expression a volatile mix of fury and fear as she watched Riven disappear into the shadows.

Her polished facade had shattered, leaving behind a raw mix of fury and humiliation that burned in her chest. Her hand trembled as it dipped into the pocket of her coat, pulling out her phone. She hesitated for a moment, her sharp blue eyes glinting with a volatile mix of determination and something darker. Then, with a steadying breath, she unlocked the screen and scrolled to a number. Her fingers hovered over it for the briefest second before she pressed call.

The line rang once, twice, before a voice on the other end answered. Lux clenched her jaw, her grip tightening on the phone as she spoke, her tone low but resolute. "Plan B."

Without waiting for a response, she ended the call, her hand falling to her side as she stood alone in the courtyard, her expression hardening into a mask of icy determination.

ŕ­¨ END OF MINI CHAPTER ŕ­§