Chapter 23

Chapter 23
Chapter 23 – Sera

Sleep wasn’t an option at night because the cramps were wrecking my insides like some monster. On top of that, my mind was filled with the accusations kael was throwing at me earlier.

“You’ve been lying to me.”

The words still rang in my head long after the dorm had gone quiet.

I curled myself tighter under my blanket, clutching my stomach as another cramp shot through me. A muffled whimper escaped before I could stop it, my throat burned with the effort of swallowing the sound back down.

I was Seth and boys didn’t whimper about period pain, boys didn’t have period pain at all.

If anyone found out, if Kael found out it would all be over. How will I explain to kael why was I crying while clutching my stomach? And going to the infirmary is like a suicide mission me because the nurse will know in an instant that I was a girl.

I bit down hard on my sleeve and squeezed my eyes shut, willing sleep to come but it didn’t Instead, my ears picked up the quietest sound like sheets rustling and slow footsteps across the floor.

I froze.

Someone was coming to my bed!

The moonlight from the window caught a tall figure standing near my bed. It was Kael.

Of course!.

I jerked upright, my heart leaping into my throat. “W-what are you doing?” I hissed.

“ I was checking on you.” His voice was low, deep, steady and Infuriatingly calm. “You’re restless.”

“I’m fine.” My words came out too fast

What a lie.

Kael’s eyes flickered to me, his jaw tightening. “You don’t sound fine.”

“Go back to bed.” I yanked the blanket higher, hating how my voice trembled.

His gaze lingered on me for a moment too long before he finally decided to step back but not before I caught the shadow of something dangerous in his expression.

Was it suspicion? Or concern.

I buried myself deeper into the covers, praying he’d let it go but he didn’t.

“Don’t lie to me, Seth.” His voice was softer this time, but it carried the same weight as before. “I notice more than you think.”

My stomach clenched for reasons that had nothing to do with cramps.

He went back to his bed, but I could feel his eyes on me even after I turned my back to him. It was like he was watching... waiting.

I didn’t sleep that night.

The morning came with the crueler reality that I had to get up and function like a normal person except I was feeling like shit, my cramps were getting worse than before.

By the time I shuffled into the bathroom, Luca was already brushing his teeth, he was shirtless and annoyingly perfect. I still didn't understand why he decided to sleep in our room yesterday.

He spotted me in the mirror and grinned, toothpaste foam was clinging to his mouth like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Morning, sunshine. You look like hell.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, fumbling with my toothbrush.

He spit into the sink and leaned closer, smirking. “Rough night? Or did Kael keep you up with his intense staring? Because, honestly, I thought the walls were about to combust with all that tension.”

I gagged on my toothpaste. “Shut up.”

“Oh, come on.” He bumped his shoulder against mine. “Don’t act like you don’t notice. Kael is obsessed with you.”

“He’s not.” I rinsed my mouth violently.

“Sure,” Luca drawled. “And River doesn’t dramatize everything, Theo doesn’t eat his weight in snacks, and Alexander isn’t plotting world domination in silence.”

I shot him a look. “You’re insufferable.”

“Admit it though having Kael wrapped around your finger wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. But hey…” His eyes glinted as he leaned closer, his voice dropping into a mock whisper. “If you ever get tired of the brooding type, I’m available. No force is required.”

I shoved him away, but my cheeks betrayed me, they were burning hot.

Unfortunately, River chose that exact moment to walk in. His eyes flicked between us before his grin spread like wildfire. “Ohhhh! What do we have here? Seth is caught between Kael and Luca? The love triangle is lit.”

“Kill me now,” I muttered.

“Not before the love confession scene,” River said cheerfully.

“Not happening,” I snapped.

The Sovereign Circle had been assigned to compete together in the interschool event it was chaos, basically.

River thrived in it. Luca thrived in it. Theo… complained with his mouth full of food the entire time. Alexander moved like a shadow, efficient and silent, watching everyone with that unnerving gaze of his.

Kael was everywhere I turned.

He caught my sleeve when I tripped during the relay. He pressed a water bottle into my hand before I even realized I was thirsty. His eyes tracked me when I went too far from the group.

Every gesture was small, subtle but the Circle noticed.

“Oh my God,” River whispered loudly during a break, clutching his chest like he was watching the most dramatic drama ever. “He’s literally acting like your bodyguard. This is unreal.”

“Maybe he’s just… responsible?” I offered weakly.

“Responsible?” River scoffed. “Kael? Mr. I don’t care about anyone unless they annoy me? Yeah, right.”

Theo shoved chips into his mouth. “Honestly, if this were a romance novel, Kael’s actions would scream main love interest.’”

I choked on my drink. “It’s not a romance novel!”

Luca smirked. “You sure about that?”

I buried my face in my hands.

And still… every time Kael’s eyes found mine, my stomach twisted in ways that had nothing to do with Juliette’s kiss or even my cramps.

By the time evening came, exhaustion was written all over me. My body ached, my head was spinning, and the cramps had worsened over time.

I climbed into bed as quietly as I could, curling onto my side and pressing a pillow against my stomach.

The others were still awake River telling a dramatic story, Theo munching loudly, Luca throwing playful insults, Alexander sitting in silence like he was the only sane one among them.

I stayed quiet but It didn’t take long for Luca to notice.

He leaned over from kael's bed, his smirk was gentler this time. “You okay, Seth?”

“I’m fine.” My voice cracked betraying me.

River tilted his head. “You don’t look fine.”

Kael’s gaze snapped toward me instantly.

“I said I’m fine,” I repeated, curling tighter under my blanket.

The room went quiet for a moment. The only sound was Theo crunching another chip.

Then River grinned. “Oh my God! Don't tell me he is moody because Kael hasn’t confessed yet? .”

“River,” I groaned into my pillow. Honestly I was feeling cranky but I didn't want my emotions to affect anybody so I chose to remain quiet.

Kael’s jaw flexed and his glare was sharp enough to shut River up instantly.

The room shifted after that, one by one, the others quieted down until only the sound of steady breathing filled the space.

But I didn’t sleep, the cramps wouldn’t let me.

I curled tighter, clutching my stomach, biting my lip to keep the pain silent.

Until a whisper broke through the quietness

“Seth.

It was Kael.

He was closer now, crouched by my bed.

“You’re not fine.”

I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “Go back to sleep.”

He didn’t move. “You’re hiding something.”

My pulse quickened.

This was it. One wrong move, one slip, and the entire lie would come crashing down.

I clenched my blanket tighter, my voice trembling as I whispered, “You don’t know anything.”

His gaze didn’t waver. “Don’t I?”