Chapter 40: Burden of His Help

Words : 1121 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 40: Burden of His HelpEvaline: The sun had barely risen. Its gentle light was cascading through the thin white curtains of the bedroom window. My roommate was already gone... as we’re his bags, and the other students were also busy packing their things. With the final test over, the air was buzzing with quiet excitement and fatigue. One by one, the other candidates were preparing to leave, heading back to their packs before the new semester officially began in three days. There were forty-two of us who had made it, accepted as students into Silver Moon Academy. And somehow, I was one of them. Not just one of them, but the one. My name, Evaline, was sitting at the top of the final result sheet with top score - 98/100 points. This made me recipient of the Privilege Award that I was supposed to receive sometime during the first week of the term. But before that, there were still three long days that I needed to pass. I quickly showered, got dressed, and met with Mallory and Kyros for breakfast as they were about to leave. Mallory hugged me tight once it was time to leave. "You better message me the second you are settled in. Got it?" "Yeah," I lied while nodding. I didn’t even have a phon, something she probably failed to notice. Kyros lingered a little longer. "You sure you are okay? You never said where you are going." I forced a smile and slipped into that familiar mask I had been wearing for years. "I’ll figure it out." He frowned, clearly unconvinced, but didn’t push. Selene and Noah waved from a distance. Their bags were slung over their shoulders and they were already halfway down the gravel path toward the transport station. Mallory ran to catch up with them and Kyros followed with a heavy sigh. And just like that... I was alone. Completely and utterly alone. The sun climbed higher as the day wore on. The cottages emptied, one after another. The chatter, the footsteps, the laughter... all of it faded into silence. Even most of the staff had disappeared as they headed back to the Academy to prepare for the influx of students. Only a couple of guards had remained behind who were stationed idly at the entrance. I was standing near the wooden fence bordering the training grounds, staring at the horizon, while my suitcase and small carry bag sat next to me. I had no pack to return to. No family to welcome me home. And definitely no money to afford a room for the night, let alone for the school supplies or the custom uniform required for the semester. I had no idea what I was going to do, or supposed to do, so I just waited... for either a miracle, or for the guards to throw me out as they were done waiting for me to leave on my own. It wasn’t until the sun began to dip into the horizon, that the silence of the place was broken by the sound of a sleek black car that pulled up to the entrance. The engine purred as it came to a stop. The door opened and I found myself looking at a familiar face, Alpha Kieran. He stepped out in casual clothes, but the power and poise he carried made him impossible to mistake. He looked around once before his gaze found me, and he walked toward me with the calm of someone who never had to rush. I straightened, brushing the dirt off my trousers whike trying not to feel too awkward. "You stayed behind," he said as he reached me. "There was no one to pick me up," I replied. There was a pause before he gave a soft nod. "I figured." The next thing I knew, he had my stuff loaded in the trunk of his car while I sat on the passenger seat. Then, we were off to somewhere. I didn’t ask a single question, but he explained on his own. "I have booked a hotel room for you in the nearby town," he said simply. "You’ll stay there until it’s time to return to the Academy." I opened my mouth to protest, but he was already pulling a small envelope from his coat. Inside was a key card, a sleek phone, and a silver bank card. "I don’t-" I began as panic hit me. "I can’t take this, Alpha Kieran. I already owe you for everything. I-" "You’ll take it," he cut in gently but firmly. "You need a phone to stay in contact. You’ll need funds to buy supplies and your uniform. You are a student now... my student. You can’t afford to walk into the Academy unprepared." "But-" "It’s not charity," he added. "This is part of our arrangement. You hold up your end of the deal, and I’ll hold up mine." I swallowed hard. He was making it sound so reasonable. So professional. But deep down, I knew it was more than that. I could see it in the way he watched me, as if trying to figure out something even he didn’t understand. He handed me a folded list of essentials. "This will help you know what to buy," he said. "Text me once you are done. Someone will come to pick you up and take you to the Academy. My number is already saved in the phone." I stared at the list, then at the items in my hand. The phone felt too light for the weight it carried. He glanced at the sky, then back at me. "You did wonderful in the tests, Evaline." I looked up, surprised by the sudden acknowledge... or was it praise? He wasn’t smiling. Not quite. But his eyes... they held a quiet kind of pride. "Thank you," I whispered, unsure why it made my throat tight. He gave me one last nod as we arrived at our destination. I climbed out and he followed, unloading my bags. "Have a little break and get your things. I’ll see you at the academy, student," he said with a soft smile before slipping into the driver’s seat and driving away. I stood there, clutching the bag and the phone and the damn envelope, watching him leave. The car pulled away, taillights glowing faintly as it disappeared down the road. And just like that... I was alone again. But this time, it felt different. Because now, I had a room waiting for me. A phone. Money. A future. And - whether I liked it or not - a thread connecting me to the very man who once stood on the other side of a war.

Chapter 40: Burden of His Help

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