Kael had never shopped for a gift before.
Not in the way that mattered.
He'd traded herbs for dried meat, sold monster parts for coin, bartered quietly for supplies under a hood in the black markets outside the forest. But nothing in those deals ever asked for this strange, impossible thing:
Meaning.
How do you say "You saved me. I don't know why, but it mattered more than I can express."
How do you wrap that?
He paced the Academy library for days, pretending to browse titles while listening to whispers.
Selene Virellia liked tea—but only when it was bitter. She hated roses, called them a flower for those who lacked imagination. Her favorites were moonblossoms—delicate, pale things that bloomed only under silver light.
He remembered her voice at the pond, quiet and offhanded:
"I told them it'd be windy."
She liked practicality. Things done right.
No fluff. No excess.
It helped narrow the list.
Kael moved through the market district on the Academy's free-day with his hood up and questions careful. He didn't ask merchants for suggestions. He watched what they sold to people who weren't nobility, but still bought with intention.
In a tucked-away stall near the outer square, he found it.
A silver-laced tea set—elegant but simple, hand-crafted by a smith from the north, etched with crescent patterns. Not delicate like porcelain. It had weight. It could be used.
Beside it: a sealed pouch of highland tea leaves. Rare. Bitter.
Kael stared at it for a while. Then bought it with coin he didn't count.
The midterm exams ended in a flare of magical exhaustion and bruised egos. Students staggered from the fields, some elated, others broken. Kael had watched from afar, arms crossed behind a tall stone pillar, invisible in plain sight.
Selene emerged from the testing grounds last, her posture as perfect as ever, hair pinned but slightly windblown.
She looked… tired.
Not weak.
Just human.
Kael waited until she separated from her circle of friends. Then he approached—not suddenly, not boldly. Just enough to meet her steps by the courtyard fountain.
She blinked at him, a little surprised. "Kael Riven. I didn't know we were on speaking terms."
He shrugged, calm. "We are now."
Selene's lips quirked. "And why's that?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he held out the small box—simple brown wrapping, no frills. "For you."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, suspicious—but curious.
"…Is this some kind of joke?"
"No. It's thanks."
She stared at him for a breath too long. "Thanks—for what?"
Kael's gaze didn't flinch. "Doesn't matter."
She didn't press.
Instead, she opened the box just enough to see the silver shimmer. A pause. Then another look at him—this time unreadable.
"…You didn't have to."
"I know."
"…You want something in return?"
He shook his head. "Just your time."
Now her guard shifted. Not up. Not down. Just… tilted.
Kael spoke before she could shut the door herself. "This weekend. Outside the Academy. Just a walk. Or tea. If you'd rather."
Selene raised one brow. "…Without Lucien?"
Kael gave a faint smirk. "Let's not tell him yet."
She tilted her head slightly, as if studying a puzzle. Then—
"…Alright."
No hesitation. Just agreement, clean and quiet.
Kael nodded once, then walked past her.
He didn't look back.
But her voice followed a moment later, soft, dry:
"You really are strange."
He didn't answer.
But in his chest, something warm shifted.
It wasn't affection yet. It wasn't closeness.
But it was a beginning.