Chapter 234: Friendship and decision

Lira left Elion’s office with her heart still pounding, the Grandmaster’s words echoing inside her. The key felt heavy in her hand, yet it was no longer just a burden—it was a promise, a direction. She tucked it safely away and stepped into the familiar halls of the academy, her thoughts already drifting to the two people she trusted most.

She found Maelin and Patricia near the courtyard, the afternoon light spilling across the stones as they laughed softly together. For a moment, Lira simply watched them—her friends, her anchors in a world that seemed to grow larger and more mysterious each day. Then she moved forward.

"Lira!" Patricia’s eyes lit up the instant she saw her. She rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Lira without hesitation. Maelin followed, smiling, and the three of them soon found themselves in a tangle of arms and warmth, Fluffy weaving between their feet with a happy little mew.

"I missed you," Lira whispered into Patricia’s shoulder, and Maelin’s laugh answered softly.

"You always disappear into impossible places," Maelin teased gently, though her eyes shone with relief. "But you always come back stronger."

Lira pulled back slightly, looking at both of them, her heart racing again—though this time not with nerves, but with excitement. "There’s something I need to tell you," she began, lowering her voice. "I... I’ve found something. Something that could change everything. A hidden place beneath the library, knowledge about multielemental users, about what came before us."

Patricia’s mouth parted in surprise, while Maelin tilted her head, sharp curiosity glinting in her eyes.

"And I have a plan," Lira continued, her voice steadier now. "The Grandmaster believes in it too. If there are others like me out there—others hiding, others lost—I want to find them. To help them. To give them a place where they’ll be safe." She paused, searching both their faces with earnest hope. "If you want... maybe you could go with me. Together."

For a heartbeat, silence hung between them, the weight of her words sinking in. Then Maelin reached out, clasping her hand firmly.

"Of course," she said with a certainty that made Lira’s chest ache with gratitude.

Patricia’s smile bloomed, bright and unwavering. "You don’t even have to ask. Wherever you go, we’ll follow."

Fluffy gave another approving mew, curling around Lira’s ankle as if sealing the promise.

Still holding each other close, the three girls slowly made their way through the academy corridors, laughter trailing faintly behind them. Fluffy trotted happily at their heels, tail flicking in contentment as though he too sensed something important was beginning.

When they reached Lira’s room, Maelin flopped down onto the edge of the bed with an exaggerated sigh of relief. Patricia set herself down beside her, legs tucked neatly under her, while Lira leaned against the desk, folding her hands together for a moment as she searched for the right words.

Her heart thudded faster. This was the moment she’d been waiting for.

"I want to search for others like me," Lira said finally, her voice steady but soft. "Other multielement users. Somewhere, maybe hidden, maybe afraid... I know they exist. And if they’re alone, if they’ve been forced into silence or hiding, I want to bring them out. I want them to know they’re not alone anymore."

Patricia’s eyes widened, her lips curling into a grin almost instantly. "That’s incredible, Lira. You mean... we could actually find more like you? People who can weave the elements together?" Her hands clasped together tightly, excitement radiating from her.

Maelin leaned back on her hands, eyes thoughtful but sparkling with interest. "It makes sense. If the knowledge was hidden under the library all this time, then it must have been meant for someone to rediscover. And who better than you?" She tilted her head. "But that also means... it might be dangerous. People hide because they’re hunted."

Lira nodded, her gaze earnest. "I know. That’s why I don’t want to do this alone." She stepped closer, sitting on the bed between them. "I want you both with me. You’re my strength, my family. I was going to ask Elion if... if maybe he would let you join me, if you want. He said he would support me, and I think he’ll understand."

Patricia threw her arms around Lira again before she could say more, squeezing her tightly. "Of course I want to come! You don’t even have to ask me."

Maelin smirked, though her eyes softened. "Well, someone has to keep you from charging headfirst into every mystery without thinking. So I guess that has to be me." She nudged Lira’s shoulder gently. "Of course I’ll come too."

Lira laughed, relief and joy filling her chest in equal measure. She hugged them both at once, the three of them tangled together in warmth. Fluffy jumped onto the bed, kneading the blanket with tiny paws before curling up at their feet, purring as if sealing the promise.

Patricia pulled back just enough to meet Lira’s eyes. "So when do we talk to the Grandmaster? Because if we’re going to do this, we need to prepare. Supplies, maps, maybe even a plan for where to start looking."

Maelin’s smirk deepened. "Listen to her—already planning before we’ve even asked permission."

Lira smiled, heart swelling with affection for them both. "Tomorrow morning. We’ll go together, all three of us. And then... we’ll see what comes next."

The room fell into a comfortable silence after that, the kind where no more words were needed. Just three friends, their futures tied together, with a world waiting beyond the academy walls.

The night was quiet when Lira slipped from the academy halls. A cool wind brushed against her face, carrying the faint scent of pine and earth from the forest beyond. After sharing her heart with Maelin and Patricia, her mind still hummed with restless energy. She knew there were others she had to speak to before morning came.

Her feet carried her toward the border of the academy grounds, where the forest loomed tall and shadowed, the moonlight catching on its leaves in silver streaks. She knew she would find them there—Renkai and Thalanir, the two who had stood by her through countless moments of danger, each in their own way.

Sure enough, as she stepped beneath the arch of the outer gates, she saw them waiting. Renkai leaned casually against a tree trunk, arms crossed, his expression relaxed but his eyes sharp as always. Thalanir stood a little apart, his posture disciplined, hands clasped behind his back as though still a guardian on duty.

"You called," Renkai said with his crooked grin. "So here we are."

Thalanir inclined his head. " Speak, and we shall listen."

Lira smiled faintly, her heart warmed by their certainty. She stepped closer, the grass soft beneath her boots, the forest shadows wrapping around them like a cocoon of secrecy.

"I found something," she began softly, her hand brushing against the satchel where the fused shard rested, though she did not yet reveal it. "Something hidden for centuries beneath the library. A place of knowledge, of multielemental users like me. They left their wisdom, their history—and I believe they left it for me to discover."

Renkai’s eyes flickered with curiosity. "So it wasn’t just some shiny trinket hunt. Figures."

Thalanir’s brows furrowed, his tone serious. "Knowledge of that kind... it can change more than just your life, Lira. Entire kingdoms might fight for it if they knew."

"I know," Lira said, lifting her gaze to both of them. "Which is why I want to protect it. But more than that—I want to find others like me. Other multielement users. If they survived, if they are hiding somewhere, they deserve to be brought back into the light. And I don’t want to do it alone. I want you both with me."

The words hung in the air for a long moment. Then, almost at the same time, both men stepped forward.

"I’ll go," Renkai said firmly, pushing off from the tree. "You’ll need someone who can keep you laughing when the world gets heavy—and someone who can punch his way through when words fail."

"No," Thalanir interjected, his voice steady, though a flicker of challenge burned in his eyes. "You’ll need discipline. A protector. Someone who doesn’t treat everything as a jest. I should go."

Renkai shot him a glare. "What, you think you’re more reliable than me? You wouldn’t even know how to have fun on a journey like this."

"At least I won’t abandon her in a fit of recklessness," Thalanir replied smoothly, though his jaw tightened.

Lira blinked at the sudden tension, caught between amusement and exasperation. The two of them—always circling each other, always so different yet bound by their loyalty to her.

Before she could speak, a shadow moved from the trees behind them. Serelyth stepped into the moonlight, her dark hair gleaming faintly, her eyes carrying that familiar depth of untold years. Her gaze flicked between Renkai and Thalanir with something like mild disdain before settling on Lira.

"And what about me?" Serelyth asked quietly, though her tone carried weight. "Am I to stand aside while you gather your companions?"

Lira didn’t hesitate. She crossed the short distance and threw her arms around Serelyth, holding her tightly. "Of course not. You’ve been my guide, my anchor, my strength through all of this. I couldn’t do this without you. I don’t even want to try."

For the first time in the long night, Serelyth’s expression softened. She returned the embrace slowly, her usually controlled presence breaking just enough to show how much the words meant.

When Lira stepped back, she glanced at all three of them—Renkai still smirking despite his earlier tension, Thalanir standing tall and steadfast, Serelyth calm and unreadable at her side. Her heart swelled with gratitude.

"Then it’s decided," she said. " I’ll speak to Elion in the morning. I want to search for others like me—and I want you with me when I do."

The forest was silent around them, but Lira felt the weight of destiny pressing forward. Together, they would step into whatever future awaited.