𝐒𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 | 𝟏𝟖+

☽♡ 10 ♡☾

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖊𝖓

❝The road of sacrifice navigates the maze of trials, eventually leading to the treasure trove of a gratifying ending.❞

The relax area enveloped Saphyrine in a familiar embrace of relaxation, its ambiance offering a sanctuary from the intricate web of the Silvermoon Academy. The medium-sized swimming pool sparkled under the gentle glow of sunrays streaming through the mosaic window, casting a subtle shimmer on the water's surface. It used to be her secret place to escape from her lab and now it was her friends' new gathering spot.

Arietta's laughter was spread through the space, a lively echo bouncing off the overly decorated walls. Her buoyant figure gracefully floated on the water's surface, her ginger hair and the fabric of her gown cascading around her like a billowing cloud. "See how carefree I am right now? This is exactly what I needed." The joy in the air enveloped her, blending seamlessly with the gentle sounds of water softly caressing the pool's edge.

There Odette and Saphyrine found a serene perch, the cool surface beneath them was grounding them from an academic anxiety. Their bare feet, peeking from their long skirts, dipped into the water, providing a soothing touch. Saphyrine relished the carefree moments, spending time with Odette and Arietta and chuckling at the occasional rumor or simple jab, that was heard in the long forgotten relax area.

She attempted to relax without falling asleep — her sleeping routine had been nearly non-existent in recent days. Because of the increased risk of migraines from energizer overuse, she had been trying to avoid taking any more of them.

She wanted to spend some time with the girls because she had neglected them in recent days, primarily due to not sleeping in the dormitory.

But the carefree moment was paying its debts — Saphyrine felt weird being in the same room after a few days after she had been there with Finnian. How foolish she had been believing that it would help her forget about Rowan — or to do it solely for stress relief.

And here she was taking her girlfriends to her secret hideaway and Odette had invited Finn to join them. Maybe it wasn't such a smart idea to conceal the little secret called Finnian from Odette; perhaps her roommate wouldn't have asked him to come if she knew about their short but wild past.

Saphyrine tried to breathe to stop her racing mind — there was a reason she had been working so hard to avoid her anxiety since splitting up with Rowan — and killing the wrong vampires...

She didn't trust herself with being alone with her own thoughts and shaking her head didn't help from overthinking.

Finnian, while taking off just his boots, approached the pool with a sense of ease on his face, ready to immerse himself in the water. "We all need some stress relief."

As if he'd heard her earlier thinking.

He and Arietta began exchanging jokes and giggles like the old friends they were.

Odette's sigh carried a hint of curiosity as she whispered to Saphyrine, "What did Ivy want from you today?"

Finnian glanced at them from deep inside the water, not even somewhat concerned about getting his academic outfit wet because, after all, they had magic spells.

Saphyrine halted, remembering the incident as Ivyrenne had been in the greenhouse just an hour ago, but knowing damn well this wasn't what Odette meant. She was asking about the breakfast as the Silvermoon had asked her about Finnian.

Odette sought answers about the breakfast debacle.

With a lower voice, Saphyrine offered, "She thought I was holding Finnian in my room." She could see Finnian glancing away from them, avoiding their talk, in her periphery vision.