The sweet shop was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Filled with the laughter and chatter of students.
The aroma of freshly baked cookies, pastries, and chocolate wafted through the air, mingling with the faint scent of brewing coffee.
Ariana Snow sat at a corner table with her two closest friends.
Eliza Thornfield and Clara Windsor.
The trio was well-known for their tight-knit bond.
Forged through years of shared experiences and late-night heart-to-hearts.
Eliza, a petite girl with curly auburn hair and a penchant for bold statements, was enthusiastically recounting a dramatic moment from her week.
"And then he tripped—yes, tripped—over his own two feet while trying to cast a fireball!
Can you believe it?
Nearly set Professor Martin's robes on fire!"
She exclaimed, her green eyes gleaming with amusement.
Clara, the ever-poised and slightly mischievous one, laughed as she sipped her iced tea.
"I swear, Eliza, half the boys in this academy are walking disasters.
They can conjure lightning but can't manage basic coordination."
Ariana, however, wasn't joining in their laughter.
She sat quietly, absently tracing her finger along the edge of a cookie on her plate.
Her other hand cradled a warm mug of coffee, the steam rising and swirling around her face.
Eliza and Clara exchanged a quick glance.
It wasn't like Ariana to be so distant, especially when surrounded by sweets—her one true love.
Normally, she would have devoured her cookies and debated the merits of caramel versus chocolate with passionate fervor.
Today, she was barely nibbling.
And her usually bright silver-blue eyes seemed clouded with thought.
"Ari..."
Clara said, leaning closer and resting her chin in her palm.
"What's going on with you?
You've been poking at that cookie like it's insulted you or something."
Ariana blinked, startled out of her thoughts.
"Huh?
Oh, nothing. I'm fine."
Eliza wasn't having it.
"Liar. You've been off since we got here.
Spill it, Snow. You can't hide from us."
Ariana hesitated, her fingers pausing mid-trace on the cookie.
She sighed, knowing her friends wouldn't let it go.
"It's... it's nothing, really.
Just something stupid."
"Stupid things are our specialty."
Clara said with a grin.
"Come on, Ari.
Out with it."
Ariana took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their expectant gazes.
"Okay, fine.
It's about...
Noah Ashbourne."
Both girls froze, their expressions shifting to a mix of disbelief and indignation.
"Noah?"
Eliza repeated, her voice sharp.
"What did that insufferable, arrogant, pompous jerk do now?
If he so much as looked at you wrong—"
"It's not like that!"
Ariana interjected quickly, holding up her hands.
"At least, I don't think it is.
It's just..."
He even went as far as to threaten their lives. "
Clara leaned back, her expression skeptical.
"Noah Ashbourne?
The same guy who treats everyone like dirt stood up for 'you?'"
"I know it doesn't make sense."
Ariana admitted.
"But he did."
The table fell silent as the three girls processed this revelation.
Finally, Eliza broke the silence with a dramatic groan.
"Ugh, I hate this.
Now I have to rethink my whole mental image of him.
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Do you know how much effort I put into hating that guy?"
Clara smirked.
"Don't worry, Eliza.
I'm sure he'll give you plenty of reasons to hate him again soon enough."
"True," Eliza conceded.
"But still. This is weird."
Ariana sighed, picking up her cookie and taking a small bite.
"I don't know what to think.
It's been on my mind for the last weeks."
Eliza reached across the table and patted her hand.
"Well, stop thinking about it.
He's not worth the mental energy, Ari."
"Exactly."
Clara agreed.
"And even if he did have some weird moment of decency, it doesn't change the fact that he's a self-absorbed, egotistical jerk.
Probably just trying to get something out of you."
Eliza grinned wickedly.
"If he ever tries anything, just let us know.
I've got a whole list of ways to make him regret it."
"Like what?"
Ariana asked, her curiosity piqued despite herself.
"Oh, you know..."
Eliza said casually.
"Maybe I'll 'accidentally' spill ink all over his fancy clothes.
Or 'accidentally' trip him into a mud puddle."
Clara laughed.
"Or we could enchant his shoes to squeak every time he takes a step."
The three girls dissolved into giggles at the thought, the tension lifting as their bond of friendship eased Ariana's worries.
"Thanks, guys."
Ariana said, smiling genuinely for the first time that day.
"Anytime."
Eliza replied, grinning back.
"And don't let his scrawny ass occupy your thoughts.
He's not worth it."
Clara nodded, her expression turning serious.
"And remember our pact.
No falling for anyone at the academy.
We graduate as independent women of the empire, no strings attached."
Ariana laughed, raising her cookie like a toast.
"Deal."
Ariana felt lighter.
Whatever Noah's intentions had been, she knew she could count on her friends to keep her grounded.
For now, that was all she needed.