Chapter 13
Stella
I leave Hazel’s flower shop with a smile and head straight to the town library where Layla and I planned to meet.
As soon as I step inside, I’m hit with a memory of the temple where I used to compete.
The library is enormous, with a roof that feels like it touches the sky.
Sunlight streams through tall windows, pouring warm golden light over everything.
Endless shelves stretch in every direction, stacked high with books, and narrow staircases lead to even higher floors. It’s magical.
Layla spots me from the second floor and rushes down, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. I laugh at her excitement.
“Slow down!” I call out, stumbling as I try to keep up with her as we climb the stairs.
She doesn’t listen.
“Layla! I can’t keep up!” We tumble together onto the top of the stairs, laughing until we’re out of breath.
For a moment, we just sit there in comfortable silence.
“This is where I discovered my dream of writing,” she says quietly. We both sit down, leaning our back on the bookshelves. I realize that we’re in the rom-com section, where Layla hides away from the world. It feels so meaningful for her to bring me here.
She seems to guess that’s where my thoughts went.
“I still remember how I walked in these hallways the first time.” Layla smiles softly.
“I can’t explain it, but in this exact spot, I felt a pull .
To that shelf right there.” She points to the shelf on our left.
“It was like some magnetic force or something. I’d lost my magic at the time, and that pull felt exactly like my magic felt.
It’s the weirdest thing to describe and .
. .” She laughs quietly. “It sounds crazy when I say it out loud.”
I smile. “I get it. My powers felt the same way . . . before I lost them.”
Layla’s eyes are full of curiosity. “How did you use your magic back home? I mean, for me, it just happens naturally. The water moves with me. But I imagine fights would be pretty boring if that was how everyone competed.”
I nod. “Well, at first my magic came like yours. But the city I live in doesn’t view magic the same way you do here.
It’s extremely rare for us to have magic, and it didn’t take a long time for me to feel the pressure.
My parents always knew I was going to go far, but they never pushed me. They wanted me to be a kid.”
I pause, sighing.
“I had the best childhood. But I did have to grow up too fast. I didn’t get to be a teenager; I had to be more mature, to grow up.
That’s when I joined the tournament. But I forgot that I was still a teenager and I was still na?ve.
The first fight I had was brutal . And I knew I had to step up if I wanted to help my family. ”
I stop talking.
Crap. I hadn’t meant to say the last part.
“Training for the tournaments forces you to control your magic, to force it out, even when it doesn’t want to come.”
Layla gives me a sad smile. “I see now why you needed a break.”
“What?”
“Magic is an extension of us. Every ability is different, because we’re different. Unique.”
I smile faintly. “The more time I spend here, the more I wonder if that’s the problem. Maybe I pushed myself too hard. Maybe I drained my magic, and it just couldn’t recharge.”
Layla shakes her head. “I don’t think it’s like that. Our powers adapt. We lose them because something inside us needs us to. It’s as if you were underwater and, since you lack oxygen, you’re forced, pushed , to go back up for air.”
I sigh heavily. “It’s all so confusing. Every time I think I have it figured out, something happens and I realize I’m wrong. Then I have to start over again.”
“It’s a part of the process. You’ll get to the finish line eventually.” Layla gets up. “Well, I’m going to look for books to read. You can explore the library if you want to. Come see me if you find something,” she says cheerily, a smile on her face.
I get up and start walking down hallways and bookshelves.
Nothing catches my eye. I sigh and head for the stairs—
But something makes me stop.
A hallway. I could’ve sworn it wasn’t there before. There’s a window at the end, the light filtering through dust-covered panes. The hallway feels forgotten.
Curious, I jog toward it, feeling a strange pulse in my chest, all the way to my toes. My hand finds the doorknob, and I pause for a second.
That’s when a green petal falls from my hair.
I catch it in my hand—Hazel’s flower.
A warm, unexpected joy blooms in my chest. I know, deep down, that something important awaits in this room.
I twist the doorknob, and the door creaks open. On the other side is a large window, sunlight streaming through, illuminating a piano .
My childhood dream sinks back into my bones, my heart, my soul. Without even thinking about it, I sit down on the bench and begin to adjust the piano.
I press my fingers to the keys, and the notes float in the air. I giggle. I’ve missed this.
The life I’ve been living is just . . . It doesn’t feel like it’s for me anymore. I begin to play, humming the song I wrote as a teenager, the melody flowing through me. For the first time in a long time, I feel at peace.
And for the first time in my entire life, I am not twisting my reality, but enjoying it as it is.
Adrian
“Come on, you can’t be slacking off on me right now,” I call out with a grin to Isabella. She’s always had a competitive streak, and I often use it to get her more motivated while we run.
“Hey! I have to prepare an entire shop in a few days for the busiest month of the year! Forgive me if I can’t get as much rest as you can!” she calls back, stopping to catch her breath.
I laugh quietly and slow to a stop, waiting for her to catch up. My racing heart begins to settle, and my breathing slows. That’s when I hear a soft melody fill the air. Isabella’s eyes find mine, mirroring the curiosity I feel.
It doesn’t take long for us to find the town’s library. My sister looks uneasy. She doesn’t like intruding on Layla’s space, especially since we know she goes to the library to recharge and be alone.
We exchange a look.
Without a second thought, I start running, knowing the large window on the side of the library will give us a clear view of the room.
“Wait! Adrian, I can’t keep up!” Isabella calls out from behind me, out of breath.
I don’t stop. Not until I reach the window.
My chest tightens when I finally see her—Stella—sitting at the piano, lost in the music.
Wow. Her music is freaking enchanting.
Isabella catches up to me, and I hear her breathless whisper. “She’s . . . She’s really good.”
I’m about to agree when I hear her voice . It’s pure magic.
I glance up at her face through the window, and the emotions I see there knock the breath out of my lungs. She’s focused, grounded, and happy . Not happy as in joyful, but a soulful kind of happiness.
It’s almost as if she didn’t just find the piano room, but rather found herself. And I hope with everything in me that she did.
Stella
I hit the final note, feeling high from happiness. This felt good. So good.
I turn around to leave when I see Layla leaning on the doorframe. My cheeks flame. Then I notice that her eyes are teary. “Crap. Are you okay?”
I rush over to her side, guilt rushing through me. I should’ve stayed with her. Layla giggles and wraps her arms around me in a hug. Relief washes over me. She’s fine.
“That was beautiful, Stella.” Her voice is full of emotion, and it’s making me emotional.
“I’m still a little rusty.”
Layla cackles . “Rusty? Stella, there was nothing rusty about that.”
I grin. “Stop showering me with compliments.”
She shakes her head, still giggling. “Nope. Not gonna happen.”
We both laugh as we make our way outside of the library, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow.
“This library has to have some magic in it! A piano, Stella! A piano ! What are the odds of you finding a piano in a library?!” Layla stops mid-sentence when she notices us standing there.
She suddenly looks at me, a frown pulling at her brows.
Adrian and Isabella are standing near the library. My smile widens.
“Why are they here?” she mutters to herself.
I glance back at Layla, just as confused. “I don’t know.”
Adrian
My eyes lock onto Stella’s face, and for a moment, I can’t look away. She’s gorgeous . Her eyes are dazed, crinkled at the corners from a smile so big. Her smile could rival the sun.
“I heard you playing the piano. You were amazing,” I tell her, ignoring my sisters’ curious gazes.
Stella’s smile widens, if that’s even possible. “Thank you. I’m out of practice, but I hope to get better.”
If Stella practices, her music will be out of this world with the talent she already has.
“Well, I gotta go now,” Layla says, eyeing us both suspiciously. “Have a nice rest of your day, Stella.”
She starts to walk away but pauses, turning back to me. “And, Adrian? I’ve got my eyes on you.”
I chuckle, ignoring her comment, and take a step closer to Stella. “You played before?”
Stella tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, obviously nervous. “Yeah. I played as a teenager. I stopped before I joined the tournament, and . . . I never picked it up again until today.”
“Well, you clearly aren’t out of practice.”
She laughs nervously. “If you all keep saying that, I might start believing it.”
I chuckle. “I thought you were the honest one here. You can tell the truth, but you won’t accept it?”
“Sometimes, things are too good to be real,” she murmurs.