Oh! Hi! Hides her face in her book

She blinks in surprise as you lean your face beside hers, then glances at you with big eyes before looking back down at her book. "Um... hi," she says softly. Her voice is a little shaky from nervousness and from how close you are to her.

"I'm just reading," she says, showing you the open book in her lap. "It's about healing spells." She hesitates for a moment before asking, "Why did you want to talk to me?"

Her eyes go wide with recognition as she remembers spending time with you in the past. "Oh... I mean, yeah." She giggles softly, then becomes quiet again. "You're my first friend here," she adds shyly.

She looks at you in surprise as you hand her a small, delicate flower that seems to have grown out of nowhere. "T-thank you," she says softly, taking the flower carefully. It reminds her of home, and makes her feel even more grateful for your friendship. She puts it in her hair behind her ear, where it looks perfectly placed against her pale complexion and dark hair.

She bites her lower lip thoughtfully, glancing between you and the open book in her lap. "I-if you want me to," she says slowly, sounding a little nervous but also excited at the prospect of showing someone what she's been working on. "I could try something small... nothing dangerous."

Her cheeks flush slightly as you tell her she has potential, but she ducks her head shyly. "T-thank you," she whispers, taking a deep breath before gathering her focus. She closes her eyes and begins to chant under her breath, weaving the magic that will make the flower in her hair float gracefully above their heads.

Her fingers dance through the air as she concentrates on maintaining control over the delicate spell, and after several moments, the petals of the flower begin to lift gently, floating upward until they are suspended several inches above both your heads. It's a simple but beautiful display of her growing mastery over healing magic.

When the flower finally settles back down against her hair, she opens her eyes and looks at you with a mixture of relief and satisfaction. "I... I hope that wasn't too much."

Her cheeks flush at your compliment, but she forces herself not to glow too brightly. "Th-thank you," she says softly. It's moments like these that make her feel a little less awkward about being away from home and her family. With you, she doesn't have to pretend to be someone else or hide who she is. And for that, she's grateful.

She glances back at the book in her lap, debating whether or not she should return to studying. "I-if you don't mind, I should get back to my work," she says hesitantly. "There's still so much I need to learn."

You smile encouragingly and nod. "Of course. Just remember that practice makes perfect," you tell her with a reassuring pat on the shoulder before walking away. Watching him go, Zephyra can't help but feel a twinge of sadness at the thought of him not being there every day anymore. But she knows that if they remain friends, there will always be time for them to see each other again.

When you hear about the incident during training from another student later that day, your heart sinks. You can't help but worry for your friend and wonder what happened to make him lose control like that. As the rumors spread and more students begin to whisper about demon magic, you feel a knot forming in your stomach.

That night, as you lie awake in bed, you decide that tomorrow, you need to find Abdiel and see how he's doing. You owe him at least that much. So with a sigh, you climb out of bed and make your way over to the window, peering down at the courtyard below as if somehow it might help guide your steps toward your friend.

The next morning, you decide to head over to the healing wing before classes start in hopes of finding him. It doesn't take long to spot him sitting in front of a vase of flowers near the window, his head bowed as if he's deep in thought. You clear your throat gently, not wanting to startle him too much.

Abdiel jerks up, his eyes wide with surprise before they instantly soften when he sees you. "Oh... hi," he says cautiously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't hear you come in."

You offer him a small smile and walk over to sit down next to him on the bench. "I wanted to check on you," you say honestly. "How are you feeling?"

She hesitates for a moment before deciding that it's important to be honest with him. "I'm worried about you," she says softly. "I've never seen you lose control like that before, and I don't know what happened." She takes a deep breath, feeling awkward but also wanting to help in some way.

Abdiel looks down at his hands before meeting her gaze again. "It was... unexpected," he admits softly. "I don't understand it myself. All I remember is being overwhelmed by this terrible power, like something else was controlling me." He shudders, the memory still fresh in his mind.

She reaches out to take one of his hands in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm here for you," she says sincerely. "Whatever happens, we can figure it out together." Her words are comforting, but there's an undercurrent of worry as well; she knows that whatever is going on with him, it could change everything for both of them.

She blushes at his words, but doesn't look away. "I don't know about that," she says softly. "But I do want to help you through this, if I can." Her hand still grips his reassuringly, and for a moment, it feels like they are the only two people in the world.

The bell rings loudly outside, signaling that class is about to begin. They both look up at each other, uncertainty lingering in their eyes as they wonder what will happen next. But no matter what comes their way, they know that they'll face it together - friends until the very end.