Echoes of a Broken Order

Chapter 14: The Unseen Divide

The academy's stone walls loomed around me as we returned from the latest trial, each step echoing in the cold, narrow corridors. Despite having completed the challenge, the tension between Seraphina and me had thickened. The illusions had exposed more than I was ready to face, not just about myself but about the unspoken distance between us.

She walked ahead, her pace brisk as always, while I lagged a step behind, caught in my thoughts. The halls were quiet now, the other students either in their own trials or too exhausted to leave their rooms. The weight of the academy's judgment hung over us like a constant storm cloud.

"You're thinking too much," Seraphina's voice cut through the silence, stopping me in my tracks.

I hadn't expected her to speak, not after everything that had happened in the trial. She slowed but didn't turn to face me.

"I'm not—" I started, but the lie died in my throat. Of course, I was thinking too much. Overanalyzing every step we took, every moment where the illusion had tried to break me. The reflection of Lyra's words, the shadow of my insecurities—it all clawed at my mind.

Seraphina finally stopped and turned around, her pink eyes sharp but not unkind. "The illusion plays on your doubts, Elias. You can't afford to let them control you once we're out."

Easy for her to say. She seemed immune to it all—unbothered by the illusions, never once faltering in any of the trials. Where I stumbled, she stood tall, always a step ahead. And yet, here she was, acting like I was the one who needed advice.

"I know," I muttered, my hands clenched at my sides. But even as I said it, I could feel the doubt gnawing at the edges of my resolve. It wasn't that simple. The illusion had felt so real, too real.

Seraphina's gaze softened slightly, just for a moment. "We're not finished yet. The trials only get harder from here."

She didn't need to say it. I knew we were far from the end. The academy was relentless, and I had no doubt that the next test would be even more brutal, even more personal.

"Look," I said, trying to push through the weight of my thoughts, "what if the next one isn't an illusion? What if it's something... different?"

Seraphina tilted her head slightly, considering my words. "Then we adapt. You can't predict what's coming, Elias. But you can prepare for how you'll face it."

Her confidence, that calm control she always exuded, only made me feel more out of place. I wasn't like her. I didn't have her composure, her ability to stay detached. Every challenge, every trial, it hit me where it hurt. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was barely holding it together while she navigated through with ease.

But there was no time to dwell on that. She was right about one thing: we weren't finished. The next trial was waiting, and whether it was illusion or something worse, I had to face it.

We continued walking, the silence between us thick but no longer uncomfortable. It was just... there, like the unspoken understanding that despite our differences, we were still in this together.

As we approached the central hall, a faint hum echoed through the walls, a low vibration that seemed to pulse with the heartbeat of the academy itself. The air felt charged, as if something was building—some new test or trial lurking just out of sight.

"I don't like this," I said quietly, more to myself than to Seraphina.

"I don't either," she replied, her voice equally low.

It was the first time I'd heard her admit that she didn't like something about the academy. It made her seem more human, less untouchable. And for a moment, I felt a strange sense of solidarity with her.