A kiss

The heavy scent of rain and crushed eucalyptus hung thick in the air, a physical weight that mirrored the tension tightening in Soma’s chest. He leaned against the stone balustrade of the academy library, his eyes fixed on the darkening horizon where thunderclouds rolled over the jagged peaks of the northern valley. It was the eve of the Great Deployment, the day the elite corps would scatter across the borderlands. Soma, chosen for the vanguard, knew the statistics. He knew how few returned from the northern front.

A soft rustle of silk broke his focus. He didn't need to turn to know who it was. The delicate cadence of her footsteps was etched into his memory, a rhythm he had counted on to ground him through years of brutal training.

"I knew I would find you here," Rin said, her voice a fragile anchor in the rising wind.Soma turned slowly, his silver-threaded uniform catching the dim, fading twilight. Rin stood just a few paces away, her dark hair pulled back, but a few loose strands whipped across her face. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, knuckles white against the fabric of her dress. She was trying to be brave. She was always trying...