𝐒𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 | 𝟏𝟖+

☽♡ 1 ♡☾

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗𝕺𝖓𝖊

❝Perhaps our deepest reflections emerge when the world outside falls silent, and the universe within us takes center stage.❞

Daydrinking was never her cup of tea — or a glass of liquor if you might.

But today's 'how more to fuck up with Saphyrine Roselight' was enough for an exception.

The air in the great hall of the Silvermoon academy hung heavy with the scent of herbs and the lingering anticipation of impending dusk. Saphyrine stood alone on the highest balcony, her gaze fixed on the chaos below. Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting kaleidoscopic patterns on the polished marble flooring.

In her hand, a crystal tumbler held a deep amber liquid. It wasn't a potion she brewed meticulously, nor an elixir concocted to enhance her magical abilities. No, this was a far simpler remedy for the storm brewing within her. Whiskey.

The news of her research termination echoed in her mind—a decree handed down from the influential halls of power, all orchestrated by the great Adryn Silvermoon. The son of the academy's revered figures, Adryn had once been a trusted friend, a companion in the pursuit of knowledge. Now, he was the architect of her impending downfall, since even if she was the greatest academic alchemist around, she couldn't be taken seriously without conducting research. Pathetic.

As the whiskey burned down her throat again, Saphyrine's steely gaze descended the tiers of the great hall, seeking the source of her discontent. There, at the very bottom, Adryn stood with an air of arrogance, his back turned to her. Months ago he used to be a friend. How she now hated his perfectly neat white hair, his overly starched suit. Adryn was always so exaggerated—hungry to look tinsel. He conversed animatedly with a few colleagues, unaware of the storm of very herself brewing above.

Her anger, a tempest within her chest, lock the target. If only looks could kill. With another swing of the bottle, she kept trying. It made her chuckle. That bastard.

Her staring spree was interrupted by the only pair of eyes in the great hall that laid on her. Rowan. Her ex-boyfriend. The boy she had known nearly her whole life. Black-haired, brown-eyed and hauntingly familiar, he stood beside Adryn. A ghost from a time she needed to forget—a time of dark sacrifices and misplaced trust. His trust.

Rowan was the one person she had promised herself and Adryn year ago that she would ignore for the greater good. That she would protect him from herself.

Saphyrine's gaze locked with Rowan's for a fleeting moment, an unintentional slip. She cursed herself as the connection sent a shiver down her spine, a reminder of the intricate web that bound them together.

Even from just the second she locked her eyes with him she noticed his state. He looked confused, glancing from her to his friend Adryn. She swallowed and waited for Adryn's snap of attention to her, killing her with his piercing eyes, but it didn't come. Rowan didn't alert him.

It caught her off guard and she indulged in swing the bottle once again without thinking — it had to be her muscle memory. A chuckle escaped her lips while she cleaned her lips by the heel of her hand.

She didn't have to look at him to know Rowan frowned — concerned about her state. Perhaps he hadn't seen her drinking yet that day. Perhaps he hated her more than she thought.

Rowan moved and it was clear he might go to her. She had to go as far as possible, it wouldn't be wise to break her promise to Adryn. She remained with just few minutes before he would get to her through all the staircases of the cascade floorplan.