Chapter 4 His world

Chapter Four

Elara’s POV

The next morning started out quiet. Too quiet.

The sun slanted through the tall windows of the academy halls, spilling golden light over polished floors. Students moved in groups, laughter and chatter bouncing off the walls, but every time I passed, the noise seemed to dip. I knew what it meant. They were whispering about me again.

I tried to focus on the books in my arms, clutching them tighter as I made my way toward class.

It did not take long for trouble to find me.

The same group of girls from yesterday were waiting at the corner near the stairwell. Their leader, the tall brunette with ice in her eyes, leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. She smiled when she saw me.

“Well, if it is not the new girl. You just cannot take a hint, can you?”

I froze, the grip on my books tightening. “I am just going to class.”

“Sure you are.” She stepped forward, her friends closing in around me like a pack. “But class is not the problem, is it? It is Kael. You were seen with him last night.”

My stomach dropped. They must have seen us talking outside the arena.

“I was not with him,” I said quickly, though the heat in my face betrayed me.

Her smile widened. “That is not what people are saying. Do you know what happens to girls who think they can get close to Kael? They regret it. Every single one.”

One of the other girls reached out and shoved my shoulder. I stumbled back into the wall, my books scattering across the floor. Laughter followed, sharp and cruel.

My throat tightened, but I forced myself not to cry. I would not give them that.

Before I could pick up my books, another voice cut through the noise.

“Back off.”

The laughter died.

Rowan stepped into the hall, his blond hair catching the sunlight, his eyes steady. Jace was at his side, leaning casually against the wall as if he owned it, though there was a sharp edge in his grin. Luca followed, quiet but solid, his gaze enough to make the girls shift uncomfortably.

“This again?” Jace said, shaking his head. “You girls never get tired of the same game.”

The brunette scowled. “This is none of your business.”

“Actually,” Rowan said, his voice calm but firm, “it is.” He bent down and picked up my books, handing them back to me with a small nod. “She is with us.”

The words sent a shock through me, though he had said something similar before. Still, hearing it again, in front of everyone, made my chest ache in a strange way.

The girls hesitated, but when Luca stepped forward just a little, his gray eyes cold as winter, they finally backed off. Their leader muttered something under her breath, then turned and stalked away, her followers close behind.

The hall slowly returned to its normal rhythm, but the moment still hung heavy in the air.

“You should not walk alone,” Rowan said softly.

I hugged my books to my chest. “I did not think it would be this bad.”

“It always is,” Jace said, though his grin had softened. “But you handled yourself better than most would.”

“I did not do anything,” I admitted.

“You did not break,” Luca said simply. His voice was so deep it felt like it echoed. “That is enough.”

Something in his tone made me believe him.

Rowan gave me a small smile. “Come on. We will walk you to class.”

And just like that, they fell into step around me. Rowan steady at my side, Jace throwing careless remarks to lighten the mood, Luca quiet but watchful. I should have felt smothered, but instead I felt something else. Safe.

By the time the day ended, word had spread again. Everyone knew I had been cornered. Everyone knew Rowan, Jace, and Luca had stepped in. And everyone knew Kael had not been far away.

That evening, the arena filled again for practice. I told myself I should just stay in my dorm, but something pulled me back. Maybe it was the need to prove I was not afraid. Maybe it was something else.

I found a seat higher up this time, where the cold air from the ice drifted in soft waves. I watched as the boys skated out, sharp and fast, their movements blending into one another.

Then Kael appeared.

Even in practice, he was different. His focus was razor sharp, his power undeniable. He commanded every pass, every shift. The sound of his skates cutting through the ice rang clear, filling the arena.

Rowan, Jace, and Luca were there too, strong in their own right, but always watching him, always moving with him.

I could not take my eyes off him.

Halfway through, Kael stopped mid-play. His head lifted, and his gaze swept across the stands. It found me with terrifying ease, pinning me in place.

My breath caught. The world seemed to go quiet, even though the practice went on. His eyes did not leave mine. Not for a second.

Something passed between us then, something raw and unspoken. I felt it in my chest, in my bones, in the air I breathed.

And I knew, no matter how hard I tried, I could not stay out of his world.

Tbc