Like everything else in the Virelli estate, the dining room was spacious and elegantly furnished. Soft candlelight reflected on the polished wood of the long table, while the subtle aroma of exquisite food spread throughout the room. Despite the cool elegance of the place, dining with Viviana always had something reassuring.
Corin could feel the exhaustion in his bones, but Viviana's company didn't let him sink completely into his tiredness. It was fascinating how she dominated the room with her presence without being overbearing. It was in her voice, her gestures, the way she chose her words, almost as if she turned every conversation into a game whose rules only she really understood.
"The disciplinary committee, huh?" Her eyes twinkled in amusement as she popped a grape into her mouth. "Corin, Corin... I would have thought you'd stay in the background for now. And yet? Playing directly with the dogs."
Corin took a sip of his water and shrugged his shoulders. "I have my reasons."
Viviana tilted her head and looked at him with that typical expression, knowing, amused, perhaps even a little challenged.
"Of course you do." She tapped her finger lightly against her cheek. "Let me guess... You want to make a name for yourself. Not just any name, but one that no one will soon forget."
Corin returned her gaze calmly. "Sounds like you already know me well."
"I understand what drives ambitious men." She smiled, but there was something deeper in her eyes.
"However... you're choosing a risky path. The committees aren't just groups of students with too much free time on their hands. They have influence. Relationships. And they know how to make unwelcome problems disappear."
Corin took his time before answering. "If I wanted to stay invisible, I should never have gotten involved with you."
Viviana laughed softly. "Touché."
They both leaned back as the atmosphere of the conversation gradually relaxed. The tension of the past few hours gave way to a pleasant calm.
"Anyway," she continued, playing with a piece of silverware between her fingers, "The family isn't under any particular pressure at the moment. At least not yet."
Corin raised an eyebrow. "Not yet?"
"My brother will probably return next week."
That alone was enough to make the air between them a little heavier. Corin didn't know him personally, but he'd heard enough. Ellion Virelli. The true heir to the family. Unlike Viviana, who dominated her surroundings playfully and with charm, Ellion was porbably someone who secured his influence through sheer presence and power.
Viviana watched him closely. "You wonder what he'll be like?"´
Corin took another piece of bread, chewing slowly. "I'm more wondering how he'll see me."
Viviana grinned. "I'm curious to find out."
She toasted him with her glass, and Corin couldn't help but recognize the hint of a game in her words. A game that was only just beginning to unfold.
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Viviana had dismissed him early. No training, for which he was grateful.
The fabric of the sheets was soft, cooling against his skin as Corin let himself sink into the huge bed. Although the Academy's standards were high, he liked the Virlli estate far more.
The moonlight that fell through the half-open curtains cast silver streaks on the floor. Here, away from the constant tension of the academy, he could finally relax. But the peace was deceptive.
His thoughts found no peace. The obsidian castle, the eternal cold, the snow-covered ruins, they haunted him. The images kept popping up in his mind's eye, oppressive and yet as clear as if he had really experienced them.
He remembered the feeling when the vines and thorns threatened to engulf him. The panic, the desire to fight back and then, the storm of ravens. His ravens. They had come and stood against the stranger. Was it a coincidence? Or was he already more connected to this place than he wanted to admit?
Corin rubbed his eyes. Black blood. The memory made him shiver. He didn't know what Viviana had really intended with this "training", but one thing was certain: his resonance had reacted to it.
That meant it hadn't been a simple dream.
He turned on his side and exhaled slowly. No matter what this vision meant, he had no answers.
Not yet.
But he would find them. With that thought, he finally let the darkness of sleep envelop him.
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The water enveloped him like a liquid cloak of coolness and stillness. Corin glided through the pool, letting himself drift, feeling how the world was reduced for a moment to nothing but his breathing and the movement of his body. There was something calming about swimming, something controlled, perhaps that was precisely what fascinated him so much about it. There were no distractions, no unforeseen factors, no political intrigues or hidden dangers. It was more on the relaxed side of training, which had done wonders fo him. His body has always been quite defined without any real fat. However, this was due to his lack of nutrition. In addition, his muscles were always rather functional. Years of straining his body seemed to pay off with a pretty solid physique.
And yet he was aware that this peace would not last forever.
He had hesitated on purpose. Today was the first time he hadn't looked for Viviana as soon as he got up. A simple test. A question he wanted answered: Would she come? Or would she leave him alone?
The answer came faster than he had expected.
The rhythmic clacking of high heels on marble cut through the silence of the room like a sharp blade.
'Viviana. There she is.'
A slight smile flitted across his lips before he ducked under one last time.
'Let her wait.'
When he reappeared, she was already there, leaning against one of the white pillars with an elegance that seemed almost unnatural. Her dark dress was immaculate, figure-hugging enough to suggest a certain nonchalance, yet chosen to convey a clear message: power, control, aloofness.
But it wasn't her clothes that stood out.
It was her gaze. It slid over his body a little too slowly. From his somewhat broad shoulders down to his chest, over the wet fabric of the swimwear that clung to his hips. A silent, unhurried appraisal, as if she couldn't decide whether she wanted to assess or simply be amused.
He noticed it. Of course he did.
Finally, she met his eyes again, and this time there was something in her gaze. A hint of amusement, but also something scrutinizing.
"So there you are."
Corin brushed the water from his face and looked at her calmly. "Good morning, Viviana."
She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "A very late morning."
"A rare luxury."
He climbed out of the water, letting the cool wetness bead off his skin, and reached for the towel at the ready. He moved slowly, taking his time, feeling her gaze still resting on him. Viviana was many things, but impatient was rarely one of them, unless she was being deliberately teased.
He felt her step closer. Her heels echoed softly on the marble until she was finally less than an arm's length away.
"I was wondering if you were lost."
Corin let the towel fall around his shoulders and looked directly at her. "I was just curious what would happen if I didn't show up right away."
Viviana's lips curled into an amused smile. "So, was your experiment a success?"
"Let's just say it was enlightening."
She tilted her head slightly. "So you're really assuming it was my intention to seek you out?"
He returned her smile with one that seemed almost defiant. "It wasn't?"
A brief silence. Then a small, playful tilt of her head, as if she was considering whether to let him get away with this provocation.
"Maybe it was. Maybe not."
She let her gaze slide over him again briefly, this time more openly, almost as if she was testing for a reaction. Then came a quiet, barely audible grin.
"You should go swimming more often."
Corin grinned. "A compliment?"
"An observation."
He took a step closer, just enough to blur the line between playful flirtation and power play. "If you're so interested, you could join me."
A second of silence. Then a soft laugh, soft, but with a hint of mockery.
"That would be unfair, Corin." She placed a hand on his shoulder, letting her fingertips glide lightly over the wet skin. "You already have enough advantages."
He couldn't help but grin.
Viviana turned slowly, leaving him standing there as she often did, feeling as if she had won, even if he wasn't sure what game they had just played.
"Get dressed. We still have to talk."
And with that order or invitation, she left the room.
Corin took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. Game or not, one thing was certain: she had been looking for him.