Chapter 108 Stalled fate
Chapter 108 Stalled fate
THE ACADEMY GARDEN
The Goddess of Fate had nearly disappeared when Twila stepped forward, her bare feet cold against the wet grass.
"Wait," Twila said loudly, her voice firm and stubborn.
The golden sparks froze in the night air. The Goddess slowly returned to her human form, looking at Twila with confusion.
"You do not command me, lunar Queen," the Goddess warned softly, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"I just saved the entire school from a massacre, so I will command whoever I want," Twila snapped, pointing a trembling finger at her. "You can't drop a life-changing bomb on me and then just vanish."
"I asked you a simple question, Twila," the Goddess replied calmly. "Who are you going to choose?"
"I am not choosing anyone tonight," Twila stated, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "I am exhausted, covered in dirt, and my heart is shattered. I can not make a choice right now."
"The universe does not like to wait," the Goddess murmured.
"Well, the universe will just have to wait," Twila yelled, hot tears of frustration stinging her eyes. "If I pick Niles, Raiden's soul will be completely destroyed. If I pick Raiden, Niles will literally kill himself, and the magic will stop Raiden's heart anyway. It’s a rigged game, and I refuse to play it tonight."
The Goddess gazed at her, a genuine smile touched her lips.
"You are very defiant, Twila," the Goddess whispered.
"Give me more time to think," Twila ordered, looking directly into the Goddess's eyes. "I need to make a decision that doesn’t end with someone I love dying. Back off, give me space, and I'll call you when I'm ready."
The Goddess bowed her head slowly, respecting the strength of the Lunar Queen.
"Very well," the Goddess breathed. "I will grant you time. But do not wait too long, Twila. A bleeding heart can only survive so long before it stops beating."
The Goddess vanished instantly, melting into the shadows without another word.
Twila exhaled a shaky breath. She turned and walked back into the castle, ready to crash in her bed.
THE KINGS LOUNGE
The next morning, the lounge was packed yet eerily quiet.
The school was safe, but the tension in the room was suffocating.
Twila entered the lounge, holding a hot cup of coffee.
Raiden sat on the far left side of the room, leaning back in his armchair, staring blankly at the wall.
Niles sat on the far right, reading a book and completely ignoring everyone.
"This is the most awkward situation I’ve ever been in," Island groaned, tossing her magazine onto the table. "Can one of you please say something? The silence is making my skin break out."
"Leave them alone, Island," Cassian grunted, pulling her against his chest. "They are dealing with stuff right now."
"I don’t care," Island complained. "Twila, you are dragging this out. Pick a King so we can all go back to normal."
Twila stopped in the middle of the room. She looked at Raiden, then at Niles. Both boys looked up at her, their eyes filled with desperate hope.
"I am not choosing today, Island," Twila said firmly, taking a sip of her coffee. "I talked to the Goddess last night. I asked her for more time and I will figure this out my way."
Raiden clenched his jaw, a muscle twitching beneath his skin.
"How much time do you need, Twila?" Raiden asked, his voice low and rough. "Sitting in the same room as him is driving me crazy."
"Then you can leave the room, Storm King," Niles replied calmly, not even looking up from his book. "No one is forcing you to stay."
"Shut up, bastard," Raiden growled, lightning sparking at his knuckles. "Or I’ll rip your fangs out."
"Both of you need to be quiet right now," Twila yelled, slamming her cup down on the table.
Raiden and Niles froze, staring at her in shock.
"I am sick of the jealous nonsense," Twila snapped, pointing at both of them. "You two are acting like kids fighting over a toy. I am a person, and my heart is breaking."
At that moment, Neon walked into the lounge. He glanced at his angry sister and let out a soft laugh.
"She’s right," Neon said, moving to sit on the rug next to Amorette. "You guys are suffocating her. Give her some space to breathe."
Amorette smiled up at Neon, her cheeks pink as his hand brushed against hers.
"I agree with Neon," Amorette said softly, looking at them. "If you truly love her, you will let her take her time."
Raiden sighed heavily, running his hands roughly through his messy hair, nodding slowly.
"Fine," Raiden said, looking straight into Twila's eyes. "I will give you space."
"Thank you," Twila whispered, feeling a little pressure lift from her chest.
Niles closed his book quietly and stood up from the sofa.
"I will respect your boundaries, Twila," Niles said softly, his eyes filled with adoration. "I am just glad you didn’t send me away."
Niles walked out of the lounge, leaving the room feeling much lighter.
THE ACADEMY HALLWAY
Later that afternoon, Twila walked down the busy corridor to her magic history class.
Island fell in step beside her, holding a green smoothie.
"You were harsh in there today, Psycho," Island said, sipping her drink.
"I had to be," Twila muttered, rubbing her eyes. "If I don’t set strict boundaries, they might actually hurt each other in the cafeteria."
"So what’s your actual plan?" Island asked seriously. "You are just delaying the inevitable, Twila. You will have to break someone's heart."
"I know," Twila said softly, looking down at the floor. "And it makes me sick to my stomach. Raiden is my whole world. But when Niles held me through the wolf shift, he took away my pain. He bled for me, I can’t pretend I don’t care about him."
Island sighed and linked her arm gently with Twila's.
"Love is messy, Twila," Island said softly, showing rare emotion. "But you have to follow your own instincts. Don’t choose Raiden just because you feel guilty, and don’t choose Niles just because of some bond. Choose the guy you actually want to wake up next to every day."
"Thank you, Island," Twila said, offering a small, grateful smile.
"Don’t get used to me being nice," Island smirked, flipping her blonde hair. "It causes wrinkles."
They turned the corner and stopped walking.
Neon stood by the lockers, talking quietly to Amorette.
"I was just wondering," Neon stumbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, his face bright red. "If you wanted to maybe go to the campus coffee shop with me later? Just the two of us?"
Amorette gasped softly, her big, pretty eyes lighting up with joy.
"I would love that, Neon," Amorette said with a beautiful smile. "It's a date."
Twila watched her brother smile so wide his face probably hurt. She felt a wave of happiness for him. At least someone in this crazy school was having a normal, drama-free romance.
THE EMPTY CLASSROOM
Twila pushed open the door to an empty classroom to grab a textbook. She walked over to the desk, but the door clicked shut behind her.
She turned around.
Raiden stood there, leaning against the closed door. He didn’t look angry but calm, but his eyes were burning with intensity.
"You said you were going to give me space," Twila whispered, her heart hammering
a fast rhythm against her ribs.
"I am giving you space," Raiden murmured, walking slowly across the room until he was standing exactly one foot away from her. He didn't touch her but kept his hands completely at his sides.
"Then why did you follow me in here?" Twila asked, looking up at his handsome face.
"Because I needed to tell you something without the whole damn Squad listening,"
Raiden said, his deep voice dropping into a rough whisper.
Raiden looked right into her eyes.
"Take all the time you need, Twila," Raiden promised, his voice cracking with honesty. "I am not going to pressure you. I am not going to fight him, I am just going to be here."
Twila swallowed hard, a tear slipping right down her cheek.
"I love you, Psycho," Raiden choked out, stepping back toward the door. "And I am going to wait for you. Even if it takes the rest of my fucking life."
Raiden turned around and walked out of the classroom, leaving Twila standing alone in the dark, her heart breaking into pieces.