One Secret, One Truth

‘How did it end up like this?’

From behind the stage, Aya shrank into herself in fear. Cassian protected her with his shield while Romina held her upright. Snow hurtled across the palace grounds in ferocious tides, and lightning tore through the sky. Amid all these was Lorenz, his emotions reflected by the treacherous storm.

Seeing him look around desperately, she felt a pang of guilt. He's searching for her like the others. Hiraya had disappeared, and Aya had spent what seemed like an eternity staying hidden. Without a single trace of her in sight, no one knew what had happened to her.

‘I understand that's a big deal, but- Eek!’ Aya recoiled as lightning boomed and crackled overhead. ‘Is this a rescue mission or divine retribution?! Am I being punished for deceiving everyone?! Is that what this is about?! Have I been caught lying?!’

And of all times, it had to be when she finally decided not to use an illusion of herself anymore.

Today was the last, she’d promised. Come the new year, she would appear before everyone not as the princess they admired, but as the girl who hid the entire time. If they were to feel disappointed or betrayed, she couldn’t blame them. She was the one who made them believe she was more than she claimed to be. So, she expected to be left behind, to be alone again.

She didn't expect the sky and earth themselves would conspire against her.

“Are you sure about this, Princess?” Romina's hands tightened around her. “If you appear now, they will know your secret.”

“...Maybe they meant to.” Aya gave her a self-deprecating smile. “I’ve always had a feeling that, one of these days, it would be revealed in the worst way possible. This is long overdue.”

Shade, having been so unnerved by the turbulent fluctuations of mana in the atmosphere that he'd gone and taken refuge in the darkness, had proposed creating another illusion just to prove Hiraya was safe. But that would be tricky. For sure, she’d be inspected for injuries, and the moment a hand lay on any weak spot, she’d be exposed. Not to mention, she couldn’t think of any excuse this time, given how bizarre the circumstances were.

She wasn't sure if showing herself would quell the chaos. If she had a choice, she'd rather Lorenz only scold her like he used to. She didn't know what he'd do once he saw her. He’s not himself right now, and while she believed that he’d never hurt her, his rampage made her hesitate.

“Aya! Where are you?!”

Right then, Aya saw Calixtus.

Her heart skipped a beat. Despite the dangers, he ventured onward and scoured the rubble in hopes of finding her. Even the princes needed to retreat momentarily. He, however, refused to yield. He called for her over and over, his expression filled with regret.

“Rest assured, however. I shall see to it that no harm comes to Your Highness.”

Remembering Calixtus’s words, something inside Aya broke.

She could no longer bear it, not when everyone was risking themselves for her. Her eyes darted around the ruins, then settled on Lorenz. Most of the attackers had been captured by this point, leaving the storm as the last remaining threat. She stepped out from behind the stage, only to stagger at a clap of thunder.

“Gyah!”

“Princess!” Cassian quickly caught Aya as the sky roared once more.

“Hikkk!”

“Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes, but…”

“This might be a problem.”

Looking ahead, Aya realized immediately she wouldn’t be able to reach Lorenz this way. Moving closer was unsafe. Shouting was futile. She needed something else to draw his attention.

“Oh, that's it!”

A familiar illusion of a doll with a cake popped up mid-air, directly in front of Lorenz.

He froze, and the storm faltered with him. For several seconds, he merely stared, not understanding. Yet eventually, a look of recognition spread across his face.

Cassian grinned, pleasantly surprised, while Romina blinked in confusion.

“Isn’t that from before?”

“Pardon. What might it be?”

“Hehe!” Aya preened herself. “The first-ever illusion I showed him!”

Lorenz’s expression shifted until, at last, the turmoil in it dissipated.

The wind dwindled, its howls fading into a hush while snow drifted down in soft, gentle flakes. The lightning tapered into faint and sporadic flashes, then stilled altogether. Soon, all that was left were the occasional rumbles of thunder in the distance.

Calixtus tipped his head upward, relief breaking through his tired expression. The sky had cleared. Aiden ran up to him, followed by the others, the tension in their faces easing. From several paces away, Aya watched them with a smile.

“Hiraya…!”

Lorenz looked around frantically before finally finding Aya.

His eyes widened, and his mouth fell slightly open. Her breath stuttered at how his entire face crumpled. He appeared painfully relieved—vulnerable, as if he was struggling to hold himself together. Not too long, he was moving towards her.

“You are safe. I'm glad.”

‘I don’t understand at all.’ Aya regarded Lorenz quietly, her head lowered, her fingers clasped. ‘Yesterday, too… He’s been like this with me. I can’t tell what he’s thinking.’

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

As he reached for her, she had this impression that he wanted nothing more than to be closer. He tried to hold her, but she tensed despite herself, almost by instinct. Noticing this, he stopped instantly. His arms fell back to his sides, and the relief on his face was replaced by anguish.

Lorenz glanced at the stage, at the snow, at the destruction that he’d caused, and then back at Aya.

“I have frightened you,” he said, and her chest ached for some reason. “I’m sorry.”

She couldn’t understand why those words carried so much pain—why seeing her, and not seeing her, seemed to affect him deeply. She couldn’t understand why his gestures held such tender affection. She couldn’t understand why he still refused to explain anything.

What Aya knew was that showing herself did end it all, and now Lorenz, who’d commanded the universe itself moments ago, looked as though he had been stripped of every ounce of power.

“But how could this happen? I saw you, Hiraya, and…” he trailed off in a quivering voice. “You were gone.”

“I wasn’t.” She stared him in the eye. “I… I will tell you my secret, but please tell me the truth as well, Lord Lorenz.”

---

The warm rays and fresh breeze of early spring streamed through the tea room, making the place almost too peaceful for the emotions warring within Aya.

It’s supposed to be a pleasant occasion, with all six of them gathered together at the Diamond Palace for some afternoon tea. Calixtus had suggested it a while ago. So much had happened after the Threshold Crossing Feast, and everyone sought a little respite. Yet even during the day itself, she couldn’t bring herself to unwind.

Aya’s thoughts kept returning to Lorenz.

“Forgive me, Hiraya. Please, forgive me.”

"Is something the matter, Aya?”

Calixtus’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

At that moment, she couldn't think of anything to say. The conversation carried on around her, with Drystan grousing about having to return to the academy so soon, Aiden tossing back that dropping out of school was an option, and Enzo mediating between them while Gabriel quietly drank his tea. Listening to them was strangely calming. For a short while, she managed to forget the heaviness in her heart.

She felt content like this, but then she remembered why she agreed to host the tea party. Her fingers stiffened around her cup, and she straightened in her seat, speaking up once the chatter came to a lull.

“There is a matter I’d like to discuss.” At that, every head turned to Aya. “I’m…sorry….”

Calixtus tilted his head quizzically. “For what?”

“...For lying.”

Enzo blinked. “Do you mean the illusion?”

“I really haven’t heard your thoughts about that,” she replied with a meek nod.

Gabriel frowned. “Were you expecting something?”

“...That you’d be disappointed. I lied the whole time, and I was scared you’d somehow figure it out, so I kept avoiding you. There were circumstances, but that’s no excuse to continue doing it.”

There was silence for a few seconds, then, surprisingly, Drystan spoke first. “Well, perhaps, you weren’t entirely truthful, but neither did you mean any harm. As for me, I’d been too honest with you the first time, and it hurt you all the same.”

Her brows raised. ‘Is he referring to our first meeting? That's a long time ago.’

While everyone else regarded him with mildly surprised looks, Aiden said next, “As a matter of fact, I’m more impressed by the ingenuity than anything. I could hardly take offense. To begin with, isn’t that what that kind of magic is for? To deceive.”

“I-I didn’t intend to-!”

“And that proved my suspicion.” He smirked meaningfully. “You’re not as you seem after all.” Suddenly, she’s reminded of the "blackmail" incident from before.

“I-I guess you almost got it…”

“We are simply glad that you are safe, Hiraya,” Enzo added while Gabriel nodded along.

Her eyes stung a bit, and she gripped the fabric of her dress.

She had expected them to see her differently after learning her secret, to be chastised once more, or even shunned and ostracized, for being deceitful. She was prepared for it too, only consoled by the fact that she had already once resolved not to seek them out.

Yet instead, they were sitting there and smiling at her without a hint of judgment.