Chapter 165 The graduation pact
Chapter 165 The graduation pact
Zarek’s POV
Graduation.
A word that should’ve felt distant, foreign, like something meant for someone else. Yet here I was, standing at the edge of the Academy courtyard, watching as workers draped silver banners across the archways and lined the steps with flowers that matched the school’s crest.
The air smelled of anticipation, like ink on fresh parchment and smoke from torches being lit in preparation for the ceremony. Students buzzed around me, laughing, trading robes, snapping pictures with little crystals enchanted to hold moments still forever. It should’ve felt ordinary. Instead, it felt like a closing chapter.
And I hated closing chapters.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and leaned against the stone railing. From here, I could see almost everything—the rising stage, the chairs lined in perfect rows, the polished podium where Principal Kieran would stand. And there, at the heart of it all, Zara.
She was laughing with Jace as they carried extra chairs into place, her hair catching the light like fire. She looked lighter now, freer, as though some invisible weight had finally slipped from her shoulders.
And gods help me, she was beautiful in that freedom.
“Thinking about kidnapping the graduate before the ceremony?” I muttered to myself with a smirk. “Zarek: world’s most charming abductor.”
But the joke fell flat in the hollow of my chest. Because I knew I wouldn’t. Not really.
.
The sun dipped lower as the courtyard filled with laughter and chaos. My friends—if I could even call them that—teased one another, tossing graduation caps into the air just to see them float back down on enchanted breezes. But I stayed where I was, anchored to my post like some reluctant sentinel.
I watched Zara brush dust from her hands, rolling her shoulders back in that stubborn way she always did after heavy lifting. I watched her toss Jace a grin, the kind that said, we survived this, didn’t we?
Jealousy should’ve bitten at me. Once, it would have. But tonight, all I felt was pride.
She deserved happiness. She deserved peace. And if that meant it was with him, then I’d grit my teeth and let her go.
For once in my life, I wouldn’t fight to take. I’d fight to protect.
.
My mother’s words echoed in my mind. “Do not become your father, Zarek. You are more than his shadow.”
And maybe she was right. Maybe this—choosing her happiness over my want—was how I proved it.
.
The courtyard grew louder as rehearsal ended. Students spilled into clusters, buzzing with nerves and excitement. Zara lingered by the fountain, dipping her fingers into the water, her gaze far away.
Before I could stop myself, my feet carried me toward her.
“You know,” I said, letting a smirk tug at my lips, “this would be the perfect time for me to steal you away. No one would notice until the ceremony, and by then, we’d be long gone.”
Her head snapped up, and for a heartbeat, her eyes widened in surprise. Then she rolled them, shaking her head with a smile tugging at her mouth. “You’re impossible.”
“Charming,” I corrected. “There’s a difference.”
“Mm, debatable.”
Her laugh, soft, unguarded—cut through me sharper than any blade.
I dropped onto the fountain’s edge beside her, dipping my own hand into the water. “Seriously, though. Doesn’t it feel… surreal? After everything we’ve been through, we’re just… graduating.”
Her smile faltered slightly, eyes flicking toward the half-rebuilt tower in the distance. “Yeah. Surreal.”
The silence between us stretched, filled with ghosts of battles, betrayals, and too many near-deaths. Finally, I said the words that had been clawing at me for days.
“You’re going to be incredible out there, Zara. No—you already are.”
Her brows lifted. “Where’s this coming from? You never compliment me without slipping in sarcasm.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I said quickly, though my chest tightened. “But… I mean it. You’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever met. And you’ll only keep proving it.”
She studied me for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. Then she nudged my shoulder. “Coming from you, I’ll take it.”
We sat like that, side by side, listening to the rippling water. And all the while, I kept my mask in place—cocky grin, lazy posture, because if I let it slip, she’d see the truth.
That I loved her.
And that I was letting her go.
.
Night fell. Torches lit the courtyard, casting everything in golden glow. Students drifted off, leaving the stage empty for tomorrow’s ceremony. Zara excused herself, heading toward the dorms, and I stayed behind, staring at the banners swaying in the breeze.
My chest ached, but for once, I didn’t shove the feeling down. I let it burn.
Because love wasn’t always about getting what you wanted. Sometimes it was about choosing to stand back, to be the shield instead of the sword.
And so I made my choice.
It was my pact. My vow. My graduation gift to her.
And maybe, just maybe, it would be enough.
.
When the courtyard finally emptied and silence settled in, I whispered it into the night, a confession no one would hear but me.
“You deserve happiness, Zara. Even if it’s not with me.”
The words cut deep, but they felt right.
For the first time in my life, letting go felt like strength.