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Chapter Text

The golden light of sunset filtered through the wide windows of Farah's office, tinting the ancient volumes on the shelves and the heavy mahogany desk with amber. Sophie knocked gently on the already ajar door, waiting for permission before entering.

"Come in," said Farah without looking up from the documents she was reviewing, her voice calm but tired after a long day.

Sophie entered, closing the door behind her. Farah finally looked up, and for an instant her face softened. That small, almost imperceptible change Sophie had learned to recognize over the years. It was the way Farah looked at her when she lowered her defenses, albeit slightly. "Difficult day?" asked Farah, setting down her pen and giving her full attention. It was always like this—when Sophie entered her office, everything else could wait.

Sophie sat in the armchair facing the desk, the one she had come to think of as hers after years of evening conversations. "No more than usual. This year's new arrivals are... a handful."

A hint of a smile crossed Farah's lips. "Do you remember when you were the one who was 'a handful'? You were sixteen and convinced you knew everything about lunar powers because you were the Queen's niece."

"I was unbearable," Sophie admitted with a laugh. "I don't know how you managed to put up with me."

"I saw the potential behind the arrogance," Farah said simply. "And you needed someone who would really listen to you."

Sophie felt her heart beat slightly faster. Even after all these years, when Farah spoke like this—with that rare and precious sincerity—Sophie had to remind herself to breathe normally.

"Clara called today," Sophie said, changing the subject before her feelings became too evident on her face.

Farah's face hardened imperceptibly. She knew Sophie's family history well—the mother who had never forgiven the father for his abdication, the weight of being the "forgotten" niece of the royal family.

"What did she want?"

"The usual things. When I'll return to Solaria, why I'm 'wasting' my time at Alfea, if I plan to marry and provide heirs to the family..." Sophie sighed, massaging her temples. "Sometimes I think she'd prefer if I had died at Aster Dell rather than being here 'dishonoring' the family name."

Farah stiffened at the mention of Aster Dell. Her eyes—the ones Sophie knew so well—clouded with that hardness that always appeared when the past was discussed, when Rosalind was mentioned, when what had happened came up.

"Never say such a thing," Farah said, her voice sharper than usual. "Never."

Sophie looked at her, surprised by the intensity of the reaction. In the school's basement, behind magical barriers that only Farah knew, lay the reason for that hardness. Rosalind Hale, once mentor, once... something else. Sophie knew it, as she knew many things that were never spoken aloud in that office.

"I'm sorry," Sophie said softly. "I didn't mean to..."

Farah shook her head, composing herself with that same iron control that Sophie admired and sometimes found frustrating. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. I overreacted."

She got up from the desk, moving toward the window. Her silhouette stood out against the dying light of the day, and Sophie couldn't help but think how beautiful she was, even—or perhaps especially—with all that weight on her shoulders.

"Your mother doesn't understand," Farah said to the window, "that a person's worth isn't measured by the titles they carry or the marriages they make. You've chosen to dedicate your life to raising the next generations of fairies. There's no dishonor in that."

"I know," Sophie whispered. "You taught me that."

Farah turned, and for a moment their eyes met. In that gaze Sophie saw everything Farah never said—the pride, the affection, the weight of shared secrets, and maybe—just maybe—something Sophie didn't dare hope for.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" asked Farah, returning to the desk. "Ben and Saul will be here soon. I think Ben has cooked something he defines as 'experimental,' which means it will be either incredible or inedible."

Sophie smiled, feeling the familiar warmth of being included, of being part of that small family they had built at Alfea. "I would like that very much."

Farah nodded, and as she tidied the documents on her desk, Sophie watched her in silence. Tomorrow she would return to being Professor Lunaire, and Farah would be Headmistress Dowling. But for now, in that golden sunset light, they could simply be what they had always been: two women who knew each other too well to need many words, bound by secrets and by an affection that Sophie knew she would have to keep hidden forever.

Farah's office was illuminated by the soft light of the lamps while the four friends had settled comfortably with glasses of whisky that Ben had brought from the greenhouse. The atmosphere was relaxed, far from the formality of the day.

"So, Sophie," said Saul, leaning against Farah's desk with a mischievous smile, "I heard you had to handle the new second-year specialists while I was away. How did it go?"

Sophie rolled her eyes, taking a sip from her glass. "Your favorite student, Marcus, thought it would be a good idea to try an acrobatic move from the top of the gymnasium to 'impress' the first-year fairies. He ended up upside down in one of Ben's flower beds."

Ben almost choked on his whisky. "My petunias!"

"Don't worry," Sophie said laughing, "I used a bit of... mental persuasion to convince him to fix them personally. Now your petunias are perfect, and Marcus has learned a lesson about the value of humility."

Saul burst out laughing. "Ah, classic Marcus. Tell me he at least didn't get hurt."

"Only his pride," Sophie replied with a grin. "Although I must admit his combat techniques have improved. Your training methods are working, when he's not trying to show off."

"Our methods," Saul corrected, raising his glass in an informal toast. "You've become an excellent instructor, Sophie. Sometimes I think you understand better than I do how to motivate these kids."

Ben, sitting comfortably in the armchair next to Sophie's, interjected: "It's because she can read their minds. Unfair advantage, if you ask me."

"I don't read their minds!" Sophie protested, giving Ben's arm a light punch. "I use empathy. It's different."

"Sure, sure," Ben said jokingly. "And I only use 'botanical intuition' when I understand that my plants are sick."

Farah, who had observed the exchange in silence, couldn't help but let a small smile escape. It was always like this when they were together - defenses came down, formal roles disappeared, and they went back to being simply what they were: friends who had shared too much to need masks.

"In any case," said Saul, addressing Farah, "Sophie covered for me perfectly during my trip to Solaria. The castle reports are impeccable, and I didn't receive a single complaint from the students."

"That's because they know that if they misbehave with Sophie, then they have to deal with you when you get back," Ben observed wisely.

Sophie shook her head. "No, it's because I learned from the best," she said looking at Saul with genuine affection. "And because a bit of mental discipline is very... persuasive when used correctly."

Saul laughed again. "Do you remember the first time you tried training with the specialists? You were so determined to prove that a fairy could fight like them that you ended up telekinetically lifting half the class and hanging them from the gymnasium ceiling."

"It wasn't my fault!" Sophie protested, blushing slightly. "You said to 'use all available means'!"

"And you took me at my word," said Saul, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Farah had to come free them personally."

Farah raised an eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, you insisted that Sophie continue training despite that little... incident."

"Because I knew she had potential," said Saul, his tone becoming more serious. "And I was right. Look at her now - she can hold her own against any specialist in the school, and at the same time maintains the finesse and precision of a mind fairy. She's a lethal weapon."

Sophie felt the warmth of pride fill her chest. Saul wasn't the type to give empty compliments, and his respect meant a lot to her.

"Well," said Ben getting up to pour another round of whisky, "all very nice, but I'm just glad Sophie can keep the boys in line when Saul's not here. It means fewer visits to the infirmary for 'excessive training' injuries."

"Hey!" said Saul, feigning offense. "My methods are perfectly safe."

"Sure," said Ben with irony. "Like that time you blew up half the gymnasium during a demonstration."

"It was for educational purposes," Saul defended himself.

Sophie leaned back in her chair, watching her three mentors and friends joke among themselves. In moments like these, sitting in that office with them, she felt truly at home. It didn't matter what happened outside those walls - family pressures, the secrets they all shared but never named, the complexities of their lives - here she was simply Sophie, surrounded by the people who knew her best and cared about her.

"By the way," said Saul, his tone becoming serious for a moment, "Sophie, you did an excellent job with the administrative situation in Solaria. The queen specifically complimented your... diplomacy."

Sophie nodded, knowing that behind that word there was much more. The missions to Solaria were never just administrative, and everyone knew it.

"That's what you trained me for," she said simply.

Saul smiled at her, and in that look Sophie saw all the affection and pride of a mentor who had seen his student grow beyond all expectations.

Chapter Text

Like every time they drank a bit, Ben - who couldn't handle alcohol at all - started making increasingly strange and suggestive jokes, but never vulgar, always charming in his particular way.

"You know," said Ben with a silly smile, brandishing his whisky glass, "my petunias have a more active social life than I do. They 'pollinate' regularly with the bees, while I..." he made a theatrical pause, "I only talk to fertilizers."

Sophie burst out laughing, while Farah rolled her eyes with an amused smile.

"And then," Ben continued, getting more animated, "have you ever noticed how certain plants are so... expressive? The dionaea muscipula, for example, opens and closes with such passion... it's a real spectacle of nature!"

"Ben..." said Saul with a warning tone, but he was clearly holding back laughter.

"No, no, listen! The pistil and stamens have this dance that's so intimate, so... coordinated. It's all about timing, you see. Like in love life, I suppose. Not that I know much about timing..." Ben swayed slightly, leaning on the arm of the chair.

"And the mandrake!" he exclaimed suddenly. "It has roots that are so... robust and deep. It penetrates the soil with a force that... that..."

"Ok Ben," Saul interrupted, standing up, "it's time to go to bed. I'll take you to Rose, she's the only one who can stand you when you're in this state."

Ben got up pretending to be offended, swaying visibly. "Stand me? I'm charming! I'm just sharing my passion for reproductive botany!"

"Of course you are," said Saul with infinite patience, taking his arm.

Sophie watched them head toward the door and shouted: "Be careful! The corridors of Alfea at night are full of dangers... like doors, corners... and Rose.

Farah couldn't hold back a genuine laugh at that comment.

"Hey!" protested Ben from the door, "Rose is an angel! An angel with a bad temper when you wake her up, but still an angel!"

Saul shook his head affectionately. "Good night, girls. Sophie, make sure Farah doesn't work until dawn."

"Promised," Sophie replied with a wave.

And so Saul and Ben left, leaving Sophie and Farah alone in the office lit by the soft light of the lamps. The silence that followed wasn't awkward, but charged with a familiar intimacy that both knew well.

Farah poured herself another finger of whisky and looked at Sophie. "Rose will kill him when she discovers he has drunk so much."

"Probably," Sophie agreed, "but at least the petunias are safe."

They remained silent for a few moments, lost in their thoughts, while outside the night enveloped Alfea in its silent mysteries.

Well, I think I'll go to sleep too. Tomorrow I have the first-year and they are... tiring," said Sophie, getting up from the armchair.

"The price of education," replied Farah with a small ironic smile.

"Are you going to sleep, headmistress?" asked Sophie, stopping at the door.

"I'll finish the last few things and go," said Farah, indicating the documents still scattered on the desk.

"If I see your light on from my room, I'll come get you," Sophie warned with a joking but determined tone.

Farah smiled. "You don't need to worry about me."

"Of course I worry about you. You're my headmistress, mentor... and friend," said Sophie, lingering on the last word.

Farah looked up at that last word, her face lighting up, and made a small genuine smile. "You should make friends who are more fun and don't always work."

"You always work but you're fun... when you want to be," Sophie replied with a mischievous smile.

"When I want to be?" Farah raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. "I'm always fun."

"Sure, like when you made that face during the council meeting when Professor Kellway suggested replacing magical history lessons with 'yoga for fairies'."

Farah couldn't hold back a laugh. "That was an expression of... professional reflection."

"That was an expression of 'if this man says another stupid thing, I'll turn him into a toad'," said Sophie, imitating Farah's stern expression.

"I can't turn anyone into a toad," protested Farah, "I'm a mind fairy, not a witch."

"But you thought about it," said Sophie with a grin.

"...Maybe," Farah admitted reluctantly, and they both burst out laughing.

The silence that followed was charged with warmth and familiarity. Sophie realized how rare it was to see Farah so relaxed, so... free. Without the weight of her role, without the masks she wore during the day.

"Farah," said Sophie softly, "promise me you'll go to sleep within an hour."

"Sophie..."

"Promise me," Sophie insisted, crossing her arms. "Or I really will come get you."

Farah looked at her for a long moment, and Sophie saw something waver in her eyes - perhaps surprise at having someone who truly cared about her, someone who knew her well enough to know when she was pushing too hard.

"I promise I'll go to bed within an hour," Farah finally said.

"Good," said Sophie, satisfied. She headed toward the door, then stopped. "And Farah?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for... for all of this. For being my friend, I mean."

Farah looked at her with such a tender expression that Sophie felt her heart race. "Thank you, Sophie. For always being there."

Sophie nodded, not trusting her own voice in that moment, and left the office, gently closing the door behind her. As she walked through Alfea's silent corridors, she carried with her the warmth of that look, that small moment of vulnerability that Farah had granted her.

From her window, later, Sophie checked Farah's office. The light went out exactly fifty-five minutes later.

Chapter Text

Sophie saw the light go out and went to bed peacefully, wearing her Mystic Harmony t-shirt - the most popular fairy pop group in the Otherworld - and short pajama pants. She got under the covers and opened an elven book that was on her nightstand.

But she wasn't really reading; the words escaped from her mind, dancing on the page without meaning, so she closed it with a sigh.

On the nightstand was a photo of her and Farah. Sophie was seventeen years old, in her third year, and had just won the advanced magic prize, established by Queen Luna herself. In the photo she was smiling radiantly, holding the golden crystal of recognition, while Farah - already headmistress for two years - stood beside her with an expression of genuine pride.
She remembered how happy she had been that day, and how proud Farah had been of her. But she also remembered the teasing that followed. Everyone said she was only favored because she was the Queen's niece. No one ever knew that Farah was her personal mentor.

She had asked her one night, a few months after Aster Dell.

After they had decided to put Rosalind in stasis because she was too dangerous and Farah had erased all evidence regarding the fact that Sophie had been in Rosalind's squadron for six months.

Queen Luna, her aunt, and her mother Clara had believed that due to her great and exceptional magical abilities, Sophie should go to Alfea at fourteen and a half. What they didn't expect - what they didn't hope - was that she wouldn't be a normal student, but that Rosalind would take her into the special squadron because she considered her a weapon.

When Luna discovered this, she shuddered. Perhaps for her it was more serious than the destruction of Aster Dell itself. That's why she agreed with Farah to hide everything.

Sophie, however, remembered those months with pain, but also with a strange joy, because it was there that she truly got to know Farah. Before, she had only seen her a few times at the palace - it was Farah who had fought to keep her from entering the squadron. "She's too young," she had told Rosalind, "and it doesn't matter if she's strong, she needs a normal education."
But with Rosalind, you never had the last word.
After Aster Dell, Farah rebuilt Alfea's reputation piece by piece. And after months, Sophie went to her office one night, entered without knocking - she was only fifteen then - and simply said: "Do you want to be my mentor?"
Farah initially didn't want to. She didn't want to be like Rosalind had been for her. But then, seeing her struggling and closed off, yet still full of eagerness to learn, she decided to say yes.

From that day, Sophie's life changed completely.
Gradually, her admiration for Farah transformed into something else. Something deeper, more dangerous, more impossible to confess.

At twenty-four, she decided to return to Alfea because she missed the school, but especially Farah. And now, at thirty, she found herself in a situation that didn't satisfy her - a relationship with a woman from Solaria who didn't truly understand her - and with a secret she could never reveal to Farah.

Sophie looked again at the photo on the nightstand. Farah had the same face as always, but Sophie knew how to read every micro-expression, every nuance in her eyes. In that photo, Farah looked at her with pride and affection, but also with something that Sophie had always hoped was something more.

But Farah had been burned by her relationship with Rosalind - Sophie knew this, even though they had never spoken about it openly. And Sophie had been her student, then her colleague, then her friend. How could she ever cross that line without risking losing everything?

She turned off the light and curled up under the covers, carrying with her the image of Farah's smile from that evening. Tomorrow she would return to being Professor Lunaire, efficient and professional. But tonight, in the darkness of her room, she could allow herself to dream of what she could never have.

Outside the window, Alfea slept in its ancient mysteries, and in the basement of the building, behind barriers that only Farah knew, lay the past that bound them forever - Rosalind Hale, in eternal stasis, keeper of secrets that would never be completely buried.

Sophie woke up at 6 AM like every morning. She slept little, especially during the school year. She always wanted to be ready and prepared - she had learned from Farah that young minds didn't tolerate mistakes. You had to always present your best self and show them confidence and integrity.

So after putting on her workout clothes, she did her half-hour run around Alfea's perimeter. Her footsteps echoed on the cobblestone paths while the morning sun filtered through the ancient trees surrounding the college. Then she'd return to her room, change, and finish reviewing her lesson.

She was a very practical person - no heels or makeup. Most people said she didn't need it; she was thirty but looked twenty-three. She'd always answer "good genes" with a smile. The morning run kept her in shape and helped her think.

That morning she put on a white shirt, navy blazer, and loose jeans with her beloved white sneakers. She left and headed to Alfea's dining hall. At 7:30 it was almost empty - very few students, more focus for her.

She grabbed a black coffee like every morning and a plate of fresh vegetables. She sat at a free table by the large windows overlooking the gardens. She opened her laptop and started reviewing the day's lesson: "Manipulating Others' Emotions - Ethics and Moral Limits in Mental Magic."

A few minutes later, she sensed a familiar presence. It was Farah.

"Always the first to arrive," said a familiar voice behind her.

Sophie looked up, smiling. Farah was approaching her table with a steaming cup of tea and an expression that mixed fatigue and determination - the same one every morning since Sophie had known her.

"Good morning, Farah. You're here early too," Sophie replied, gesturing to the chair across from her. "Want to sit?"

Farah sat gracefully, her eyes automatically scanning the nearly empty dining hall - a habit Sophie had noticed years ago, that constant environmental awareness.

"Did you sleep?" Sophie asked, noticing the slight dark circles under Farah's eyes.

"Enough," Farah lied, and Sophie knew it because she knew her too well. "You look fresh as a daisy."

"The morning run helps," Sophie said, closing her laptop to give Farah her full attention. "Plus, someone has to set a good example for the students."

"Right," Farah smiled, taking a sip of tea. "What are you teaching today?"

"Ethics in mental manipulation. The fourth-years are getting a bit too... creative with their powers."

Farah raised an eyebrow. "Creative how?"

"Let's say someone thought it would be fun to make their roommates forget their assigned homework," Sophie said with an amused expression. "Nothing serious, but it's time to talk about responsibility."

"Wise words," Farah said. "And very important, especially for a powerful mind fairy like you."

Sophie felt the usual warmth at Farah's compliment but hid it behind a sip of coffee. "I learned from an excellent teacher."

For a moment they sat in comfortable silence, two women who had shared enough mornings together to not need to fill every pause with words. Around them, the dining hall slowly began filling with early-rising students.

"Farah," Sophie said after a moment, "everything okay? You seem... thoughtful."

Farah looked at her, and Sophie saw something pass through her eyes - a fleeting vulnerability that disappeared almost immediately. "Just the usual headmistress thoughts. Nothing to worry about."

But Sophie always worried, and Farah knew it.

But Farah was excellent at deflecting attention from herself and shifting the subject.

"Since it works so well for you, I think I'll start running with you tomorrow morning. What do you say?" she asked, sipping her tea with an apparently casual air.

Sophie smiled, tilting her head slightly. "You're brilliant at changing the subject, as always, Farah. A real master at it!"

Farah raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "I'm just saying running is good for you. Being thirty and looking twenty seems like a pretty good result, don't you think?" she smiled.

"Good genes and low stress," Sophie teased. "You probably have the first one, the second...?"

"Ah, that one's missing!" Farah laughed, and for a moment she seemed genuinely relaxed.

"Self-inflicted, right?" Sophie grinned. "But if you're going to run with me, I'll be strict: 6:15 sharp, half an hour every morning. I'll only let you off on weekends—I'm generous like that."

"Miss Perfection, why so committed to duty?" Farah asked playfully, though something deeper lingered in her eyes—admiration, perhaps, or something else.

"I learned from the best," Sophie replied simply.

Their eyes met and they smiled. With Sophie, Farah felt at peace, as though her responsibilities faded away for a few precious moments. But like a weight, they always returned. The growing noise of students arriving for breakfast pulled her back to reality.

She cleared her throat and stood, slipping effortlessly into her headmistress composure. "Well, I'll fetch my things from the office. See you in fifteen minutes in the faculty lounge for the meeting."

"Yes, ma'am!" Sophie replied with a playful salute, though her eyes held all the tenderness she didn't dare express aloud.

Farah turned to leave but paused. "Sophie?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For... all of this." She gestured vaguely at the table, the conversation, the rare moment of normalcy they had shared.

Sophie's heart quickened. "Always, Farah."

As Farah walked away through the tables filling with chattering students, Sophie lingered a moment longer, her gaze falling on the still-steaming cup of tea Farah had left behind. A small, intimate trace of her—something she had left in Sophie's care, if only for a moment.

Closing her laptop, Sophie rose, bracing herself for the day ahead. Yet she carried with her the warmth of that look, that brief moment when Farah had lowered her defenses.

Tomorrow morning, 6:15, she thought with a smile. Farah would probably regret her impulsive offer, but Sophie intended to hold her to it—not for the run itself, but for those precious minutes at dawn, when the world still slept and the two of them could simply be themselves.

Chapter Text

The meeting was brief. A few meaningful glances exchanged between Sophie and Farah. Then the morning lessons.

At 1 PM, Sophie headed to the dining hall. She looked around for Farah but didn't see her. the usual workaholic, she thought to herself with a smile.

She grabbed some food and headed to Farah's office. As expected, she found her there grading papers.

"May I?" Sophie said, knocking gently on the open door.

"Sophie, come in. Everything okay?" Farah replied, looking up from her documents.

"Have you seen the time?" Sophie asked, setting the tray on the desk and pointing to the clock on the wall.

Farah followed her gaze and sighed. "1:30. I lost track of time again."

"As usual," Sophie said gently, pulling up a chair next to the desk. "That's why I brought you lunch."

"You didn't have to bother..." Farah began, but Sophie interrupted her with a look.

"Farah Dowling, when was the last time you took a proper lunch break?"

Farah was quiet for a moment, as if actually trying to remember. "Um..."

"Exactly. So eat," Sophie said, gently moving the papers to one side of the desk to make room. "What are you grading?"

"Fourth-year magical history exams. Some are... creative in their interpretations," Farah said, taking a forkful of salad.

"Creative how?"

"Well, according to Marcus Whitfield, the Great Magical War of 1847 was won thanks to the intervention of 'allied space dragons,'" Farah said with an amused smile.

Sophie almost choked on her sandwich. "Space dragons? Where did he pull that theory from?"

"Apparently from a movie he watched last week," Farah sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if kids these days can still distinguish between reality and fantasy."

"Makes you wonder what they're teaching in elementary magical history these days," Sophie joked.

"Evidently not enough," Farah replied, but her tone was affectionate rather than frustrated.

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, with Sophie occasionally commenting on the papers Farah was grading.

"You know," Sophie said after a while, "you could delegate more. Ben, Saul, me... we're here to help you."

Farah looked at her, and for a moment something vulnerable passed through her eyes. "I know. It's just... sometimes it's hard to let go of control."

"I know," Sophie said softly. "But you don't have to carry everything alone, Farah. Not anymore."

Their eyes met, and Sophie felt that electric connection between them again, that moment of perfect understanding that went beyond words.

"Thank you," Farah whispered. "For lunch. And for... everything else."

Sophie smiled, feeling her heart race. "Always."

The two finished lunch without talking much - words seemed unnecessary in that moment.

"Don't you have class soon?" Farah asked, glancing at the clock.

"Trying to get rid of me already?" Sophie smiled.

"No," Farah smiled back, "just asking."

"In an hour, yeah."

Sophie's phone buzzed. She looked at the screen, then put it back in her pocket. Farah noticed.

"Everything okay?" Farah asked.

"Yeah, fine!" Sophie stood up and walked to the window.

"You just went dark all of a sudden," Farah observed.

Sophie turned around, leaning against the windowsill. "Elisa," she sighed.

"I know Saul asked her to help with the senior specialists."

"Yeah, and she accepted so we could be closer together," Sophie said, but her tone wasn't enthusiastic.

"And you're not happy about it?" Farah asked, rising from her chair.

"I am... I think. I've never been good at relationships, you know me."

Farah slowly approached Sophie, stopping just a few steps away. "Sophie, what's really going on?"

Sophie looked out the window for a moment, watching students cross the courtyard. "It's complicated, Farah."

"Try to explain it to me," Farah said gently, tilting her head slightly.

"Elisa is... she's perfect on paper. She's kind, intelligent, beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to have her," Sophie ran a hand through her hair. "But when she texts me, when she tells me she's happy to come here to be closer to me, I... I don't feel what I should feel."

"And what should you feel?" Farah asked, taking another step toward her.

"Joy? Excitement? I don't know, what you're supposed to feel when someone you love says they want to be with you?" Sophie turned to face Farah, her blue eyes full of confusion. "Instead I just feel... pressure. Like I should be grateful, like I should love her enough to justify her feelings for me."

Farah looked at her with a caring expression. "Sophie, you can't force what you don't feel."

"I know," Sophie whispered. "But then why can't I let her go? Why do I keep hoping that one day I'll wake up and love her the way she deserves?"

There was something in the air between them, an electric tension that Sophie recognized but didn't dare name. Farah was so close now that Sophie could smell her perfume, that mix of lavender and something more sophisticated that she'd always associated with her.

"Maybe," Farah said quietly, "it's because your heart is already somewhere else."

The words hung in the air between them. Sophie felt her breath catch, her eyes locking with Farah's. For a moment, the outside world disappeared - no more students, classes, responsibilities. There were just the two of them, and that unspoken truth that had been hovering between them for years.

"Farah..." Sophie whispered.

The sound of the class change bell broke the spell. Farah stepped back, instantly composing herself back into her headmistress role.

"You should go," Farah said, her voice slightly hoarse. "Your students are waiting for you."

Sophie nodded, still in shock from what had almost happened. "Yeah, you're right."

She gathered her things, heading toward the door. But she stopped at the threshold.

"Farah?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For listening to me."

Farah smiled, but there was something different in her eyes, something Sophie couldn't quite decipher. "Always, Sophie. You know that."

Sophie left the office with her heart pounding, carrying with her the echo of those words: "Maybe it's because your heart is already somewhere else." And for the first time, she allowed herself to think that maybe Farah knew exactly where that "somewhere else" was.

Chapter Text

The Next Day - 6:00 AM

Sophie's phone buzzed on the nightstand. Elisa, punctual as always with her morning call. Sophie looked at the screen for a moment before answering, trying to shake off thoughts from the night before.

"Hi love," she said, forcing enthusiasm into her voice.

"Sophie! Good morning beautiful. I'm not waking you, am I?" Elisa's warm voice came through the phone, with that slight Solaria accent she'd always found charming.

"No, no. I was already awake." Sophie sat up in bed, rubbing her forehead.

"How's the preparation for the move going?"

"Amazing! I finished packing last night. I can't wait to get to Alfea. Five years of long distance has been... challenging, but we'll finally be in the same place!" The excitement in Elisa's voice was palpable.

Sophie felt that familiar weight in her chest - that feeling of needing to be grateful, of having to feel the same joy that Elisa showed. "Yeah, it'll be... it'll be wonderful," she said, and technically she wasn't lying. It should have been.

"Saul told me I'll be working mainly with the fourth and fifth-year specialists. I'm so excited to start teaching again. And then we can finally have lunch together, dinner together..." Elisa paused. "Sophie? Everything okay? You sound strange."

"No, everything's perfect. I'm just... surprised how quickly it all happened. Yesterday Saul told me about your application, and now you're already ready to move."

"Well, when I found out there was an opening at Alfea, I couldn't let it slip by. After all these years teaching at smaller schools... working at Alfea is every specialist's dream." Elisa chuckled. "Though I have to admit, you were the real motivation."

Sophie closed her eyes. Elisa was perfect - loyal, in love, ready to uproot her career to be with her. Why couldn't she feel what she was supposed to feel?

"I'm happy," said Sophie, and part of her really was. Maybe this time things would be different. Maybe being physically together would spark something.

After hanging up, Sophie sat on the bed for a few minutes. Five years.

They'd met during one of her post-Alfea travels, when she was twenty-four and exploring the realms of the Otherworld trying to figure out who she was outside those school walls. Elisa taught at a small academy in Solaria - brilliant, funny, and incredibly patient with the young fairy who always seemed to be running from something she couldn't name.

They'd become friends first, then something more. Elisa had given her stability, unconditional love, a reason to stop and put down roots. The fact that she wasn't a fairy but a specialist had made things interesting - different perspectives, complementary approaches to magic and combat.

But there had always been that voice in Sophie's head, the one whispering that something was missing. And now, with Elisa coming to Alfea, that voice was getting louder.

Stop, Sophie told herself, getting up from bed. Enough with these thoughts. Elisa loves you, you care about her, and now you'll finally be together. It's everything you should have wanted.

She dressed quickly: black leggings, gray sports top, and an Alfea zip-up hoodie. She tied her blonde hair in a high ponytail and put on her running shoes. In the mirror, she looked at herself for a moment - she still had that young face that made her seem more like a student than a professor, but her blue eyes betrayed the weight of thoughts too complex for a Tuesday morning dawn.

She grabbed her water bottle and earbuds, checked her phone: 6:10. Perfect. She left her room and walked through Alfea's silent corridors. At this hour the school was still sleeping, with only a few particularly early-rising first-year fairies here and there.

She arrived at the main courtyard at exactly 6:15. The morning air was fresh and clean. She began stretching against one of the ancient stone columns, letting the moment's tranquility calm her.

She didn't really expect Farah to show up - after all, Farah had a thousand responsibilities and had probably regretted her impulsive promise.

"I hope I'm not late."

Sophie spun around. Farah was approaching, dressed in a dark blue tracksuit, her brown hair pulled back in a low chignon, her face slightly flushed.

"Farah!" Sophie couldn't hide the surprise in her voice. "You... you actually came."

"Does that surprise you?" Farah asked, stopping in front of her. "When I promise something, I keep my word".

Sophie looked at her for a moment, impressed. That's why she's the headmistress. Even when things get complicated, she keeps her commitments.

"Well," said Sophie, smiling. "Then are you ready for half an hour of pure suffering?"

"Can't be worse than a school board meeting," Farah replied with a small smile.

They started running along Alfea's perimeter, maintaining a steady pace. At first they remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Sophie kept glancing at Farah, noticing how she ran with natural grace.

"You're not as rusty as I thought," Sophie commented after the first ten minutes.

"I used to run a lot when I was younger," Farah replied, her voice only slightly breathless. "Before I became headmistress."

They reached a point where the path forked - one continued along Alfea's walls, the other led into the woods surrounding the school.

Sophie slowed, then stopped completely. "Farah?"

"Yes?" Farah stopped too, turning toward Sophie.

"Want to do something different today?"

"Different how?" Farah asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sophie pointed to the path leading into the woods. "That leads beyond the magical barrier. It's a beautiful route, much more interesting than the usual lap around the school."

Farah followed her gaze, then shook her head. "Sophie, you know I can't leave the barrier. If something happens..."

"Nothing will happen," said Sophie, taking a step toward her. "It's just twenty minutes in the woods. If there really is an emergency, you'll still hear the mental communication through Alfea's crystal."

"Sophie..."

"When was the last time you did something just for yourself?" Sophie asked gently. "Something that wasn't tied to work, responsibilities, having to always be the perfect headmistress?"

Farah looked at her for a long moment. Sophie could almost see the conflict in her eyes - duty fighting against the desire for freedom.

"We shouldn't," said Farah, but her voice lacked conviction.

"No, we shouldn't," Sophie agreed. "But maybe that's exactly why we should do it."

Farah looked at the path again, then back at Sophie. There was something about Sophie's determination that had always fascinated her - she represented everything Farah could no longer be: free, impulsive, capable of living in the moment.

"Twenty minutes," Farah finally said. "No more."

Sophie's face lit up. "Twenty minutes," she promised.

And so, for the first time in years, Farah Dowling crossed Alfea's protective barrier not out of duty, but from simple desire for freedom, following a blonde-haired young woman who was teaching her that sometimes, just sometimes, it was okay not to be perfect.

The two began running through the woods, and Farah looked around, her eyes scanning every shadow between the trees.

Sophie sensed her tension. "Relax, there's nothing there. They've patrolled the area."

"Okay, okay," said Farah, relaxing her shoulders slightly. "But you seem thoughtful. Did something happen?"

"Elisa called me this morning," Sophie replied, avoiding her gaze.

"And...?"

"It's something that didn't seem real before, now it is. She'll be arriving at Alfea soon."

"Mmh, I see," said Farah, slowing her pace slightly. "Well, regarding what I told you the other day... if your heart is elsewhere, you'll figure it out, won't you?"

Sophie felt her chest tighten. "The problem is that I care about her, but coming here she'll also see how I live."

"And how do you live?" Farah asked, smiling with genuine curiosity.

Sophie glanced at her sideways, then stopped abruptly, leaning against a large tree. She was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Are you okay?" Farah asked, concerned, stopping beside her.

"No, I'm just a little short of breath but it'll pass," said Sophie, placing her

hands on her knees and breathing slowly.

"Sophie..."

"The problem is..." Sophie paused to catch her breath, "that..."

"What?" Farah gently prompted.

Sophie straightened up slowly, looking into her eyes. "Farah, look at me. I desperately try to be perfect at everything. I wake up early, I review my lessons a thousand times, I even convinced Saul that I'm a good specialist..."

"You really are," Farah said with conviction.

"Yes, but this obsessive pursuit of perfection isn't normal," Sophie began moving, walking slowly. "Saul and Ben are sweet to tell me I'm good at everything, but they see that I'm trying to be someone I'm not... I'm trying to..."

"To...?" Farah asked, following her step by step.

Sophie stopped again, turning toward her. "Make myself seen."

"By whom?"

Sophie looked directly into her eyes, with a vulnerability that Farah had never seen before. "By you."

There was a moment of absolute silence. Only the sound of wind through the leaves and their still slightly labored breathing. Farah remained motionless, her eyes wide, as if processing what she had just heard.

Sophie looked away first, embarrassed by her own confession. "There, I said it."

The silence stretched on, heavy and loaded with meaning, while both remained motionless on the forest path, surrounded by the ancient magic of trees that seemed like silent witnesses to a moment that would change everything between them.

Sophie was about to start running again when Farah stopped her, firm but gentle.

"Wait," said Farah, reaching out to touch her arm.

Sophie froze, still turned in the opposite direction.

"Now you're the one running away," Farah continued, her voice softer than usual.

Sophie turned slowly, her face flushed from more than just the exertion of running. "I'm not running away."

"Sophie," said Farah, taking a step forward, "you just made an important confession and now you want to start running again like nothing happened?"

"It was stupid," Sophie mumbled, looking at the ground. "I shouldn't have said it."

"Why was it stupid?" Farah asked, tilting her head to catch her eyes.

Sophie looked up, and Farah saw all the vulnerability she was trying to hide.

"Because... because I'm your colleague. Your former student. I shouldn't... I shouldn't need your approval so desperately."

"But you do?" Farah asked gently.

Sophie hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yes. And I hate myself for it."

Farah remained silent for a moment, studying Sophie's face. There was something in her expression that Sophie couldn't decipher - surprise, perhaps, but also something else.

"Sophie," Farah finally said, "you don't have to hate yourself for what you feel."

"But it's wrong," said Sophie, her voice cracking slightly. "Elisa will be here in a few days and I... I'm here confessing to you that I've spent years trying to impress you like some schoolgirl with a crush."

The air between them seemed to stop at those words. Sophie realized too late what she had just said, what she had just admitted without meaning to.

"A crush?" Farah repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

Sophie felt her world crumbling. "I... I didn't mean to... I mean..."

"Sophie," said Farah, taking another step toward her, "look at me."

Slowly, Sophie raised her eyes to meet Farah's. For what felt like an eternity, they looked at each other in silence, surrounded by the quiet of the woods and the weight of truths finally spoken aloud.

Chapter Text

Farah and Sophie are still in the forest. The horizon is beginning to lighten, but the morning has not yet been touched by the sun."

"No!" Sophie exclaimed abruptly.

Sophie ran a hand through her hair and looked away, her face completely red. She averted her gaze, unable to bear the intensity of Farah's eyes on her.

"Can we talk like adults here, please?" said Farah with a calm but firm voice.

Sophie gave a sarcastic little laugh, shaking her head. "Yes, because what I just told you is perfectly adult."

"Sophie..." Farah began, but Sophie interrupted her.

"No, Farah. Don't say my name in that tone." Sophie began pacing back and forth on the path, her hands gesticulating nervously. "It's embarrassing. It's mortifying. I'm a thirty-year-old professor acting like a fifteen-year-old girl."

"What if you're not?" Farah asked gently.

Sophie stopped abruptly. "What?"

"What if what you feel isn't childish?" Farah took a step forward, her voice more determined. "What if it's something real, something valid?"

"It's not," said Sophie quickly, too quickly. "It can't be. You are... you're Farah Dowling. The headmistress of Alfea. You're brilliant, powerful, incredibly beautiful... I mean..." Sophie stopped, realizing what she was about to say.

"What?" asked Farah, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

Sophie looked at her with horror. "No. No, no, no. I'm making this worse."

"Sophie, stop for a moment," said Farah, reaching her and gently placing a hand on

her arm. "Breathe."

Sophie stopped, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She looked at Farah's hand on her arm, then raised her eyes to her face.

"I can't take it back, can I?" Sophie whispered. "I can't pretend I didn't say anything."

"No," said Farah gently. "You can't. But maybe... maybe it's time."

"I could erase your memory... yes, I could do that..." said Sophie, pacing and thinking aloud, her hands gesticulating frantically. "It would be easy, a little spell and you wouldn't remember any of this conversation. We could go back to being just colleagues and..."

"You know I won't let you do that, right?" said Farah, smiling and leaning comfortably against a tree with one foot, while taking an energy gel from her hoodie pocket. Her tone was amused but firm.

Sophie stopped abruptly, looking at her incredulously. "How can you be so... so calm?"

"Why should I be agitated?" Farah asked, opening the gel and taking some.

"Sophie, you just did the bravest thing you could do."

"Brave?" Sophie looked at her as if she'd said something absurd. "I just admitted to having a crush on my former mentor! That's not brave, it's pathetic!"

"No," said Farah decisively, pushing away from the tree and taking a few steps toward Sophie. "It's honest. It's real. And..." she paused, as if choosing her words carefully, "it's mutual."

Farah's words hung in the air like powerful magic. Sophie felt the world stop completely - there was no more wind through the leaves, no sound of nature, not even the beating of her own heart. There was only that phrase echoing in her mind.

"What?" Sophie whispered, her voice barely audible.

"You heard right," said Farah, moving even closer. Farah's presence was always secure, reassuring, but now there was something different - a vulnerability that Sophie had never seen, mixed with a determination that left her breathless.

"But you... Elisa... I..." Sophie stammered, completely overwhelmed.

"Sophie," said Farah gently, stopping right in front of her, "breathe. We're here, in this moment. Just the two of us. Everything else can wait."

And for the first time in years, Sophie allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't the only one who had lost her heart in that labyrinth of stolen glances and conversations that meant more than they dared admit.

What did you just say?" Sophie asked, her voice trembling.

Farah moved away and turned her back to her, looking out toward the wild nature of the forest.

"That I feel the same way about you... or at least I think I do," Farah sighed, her shoulders rising and falling with a deep breath.

"No, no, no," said Sophie, shaking her head frantically.

Sophie approached Farah and stopped in front of her. "No, it can't be."

Farah looked at her with tenderness and smiled. "Well, no, we can't act on these feelings, but this is what I feel for you, Sophie."

"Since when?" Sophie asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Mmh, I couldn't say when it started," said Farah thoughtfully, her eyes lost in memory. "Maybe one evening at the Solaria palace. You were beautiful in that blue dress, you were..." she smiled softly, "yes, you were trying to explain to your mother Clara that you didn't care about marrying a man and having children, but that your life was destined for something greater... That's when I saw the freedom in your eyes."

Sophie looked away, embarrassed. "I... I can't believe it."

"It was during the gala for the alliance between kingdoms," Farah continued, turning completely toward her. "You were... twenty-six? You had just returned to Alfea after your travels. You wore that midnight blue dress that brought out your eyes, and when your mother started talking to you about arranged marriages and dynastic duties, you lifted your chin with that pride that defines you and said you'd rather become a hermit than give up your freedom."

Sophie looked at her with wide eyes. "Do you really remember all of this?"

"Every word," Farah confessed. "And the way you looked toward the gardens through the windows, as if you wanted to escape from all that formality. In that moment I thought you were the bravest person I'd ever seen."

"Farah..." Sophie whispered, feeling tears sting her eyes.

"I know it seems impossible," said Farah, taking a step toward her. "I know there are a thousand reasons why we shouldn't even talk about this. But when you told me that everything you do is to impress me... Sophie, you have no idea how hard it's been to pretend I don't see what I feel."

The silence of the woods enveloped them, broken only by the sound of wind through the leaves. Sophie felt as if the world was changing shape around her, as if every certainty she had built over the last few years was crumbling and rebuilding into something completely new and terrifying and wonderful at the same time.

"And now?" Sophie asked, her voice trembling. "What do we do now?"

Chapter Text

Farah glanced at her watch - it was 6:20.

"Now let's go back to Alfea," Farah said.

She started running slowly.

Sophie looked at her for a moment, then followed.

Sophie caught up to her.

"So we're just going to act like nothing happened? Great, fine!" Sophie said.

Farah stopped. "I thought you wanted to erase this moment, didn't you?"

"I thought you felt the same way about me."

"Sophie, I'm proud of what you did today, really, but..."

"But the inflexible headmistress has no room for feelings - she has to maintain her ice queen facade. Right!" She gave a bitter smile and started running again.

"Sophie!" Farah called out, but Sophie had already picked up the pace.

Farah stood still for a moment, then shook her head and chased after her. It took a few minutes to catch up - Sophie was running like she was escaping from something.

"Sophie, stop!" Farah said, gently grabbing her arm.

Sophie turned around, her eyes glistening. "What do you want, Farah? For me to apologize for ruining your perfect morning?"

"I want you to stop running away every time things get difficult," Farah said firmly.

"I learned from the best, didn't I?" Sophie replied bitterly.

Farah stiffened at those words, as if they had physically struck her. "Sophie..."

"What, Farah? What do you want to say now?" Sophie took a step back. "That what happened here shouldn't have happened?"

"It's just..." Farah stopped, visibly struggling with herself. Her face had closed off, returning to her professional mask. "Sophie, I have a school to run. Hundreds of students who depend on me."

"And what am I? An obstacle?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Farah said sharply. "You are... you're important to me, more than should be appropriate. And that's exactly the problem."

"The problem?"

Farah ran a hand through her hair, visibly tense. "Sophie, I can't afford to repeat the same mistakes. Not again."

Sophie looked at her carefully. There was something in Farah's voice, in the way she avoided her gaze. "The same mistakes?"

"Mixing personal feelings with professional responsibilities. Letting emotions compromise judgment." Farah spoke as if she were reciting a painfully learned lesson. "Once I allowed my feelings for someone... for my mentor... to ruin everything."

Sophie felt her heart stop. Even though Farah had never spoken the name, Sophie had always known. The silences, the distant looks when someone mentioned the past, the way Farah shut down whenever Rosalind was discussed.

"Farah..." Sophie whispered.

"You don't understand," Farah continued, her voice cracking. "When you mix love and power, when you cross those lines... everything falls apart. People get hurt. Institutions crumble."

"I'm not her," Sophie said firmly.

"I know!" Farah exploded, finally turning to look at her. "I know you're not... that you would never... But I'm still the same person who made those mistakes. And I can't... I can't afford to mess up again. Not with Alfea. Not with you."

Sophie looked at her, finally seeing the real fear behind the professional coldness. It wasn't just fear of compromising the school - it was terror of reliving pain that had nearly destroyed Farah once before.

"So that's how it ends?" Sophie asked quietly. "Before it even begins?"

Farah closed her eyes for a moment, as if fighting against herself. When she reopened them, they were full of pain and determination.

"Let's go back," she said simply. "We have to go back."

And without waiting for an answer, she resumed running toward Alfea, leaving Sophie standing on the path with a broken heart and the terrible understanding that she wasn't just fighting against Alfea's rules, but against the ghosts of a relationship that had already destroyed Farah once.

The two crossed the barrier and arrived at the back part of Alfea, near the great labyrinth.

Farah arrived first, stopping abruptly and placing her hands on her hips, her breathing steady despite the intense run.

Sophie arrived out of breath and had to bend over to catch her breath, hands on her knees with her chest rising and falling rapidly.

At that moment, Saul Silva appeared, evidently returning from training with the specialists, judging by his combat gear and the sword at his side.

"Farah?" said Saul, looking at her with surprise. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

His gaze shifted to Sophie, who was still bent over and seemed more worn out than usual for a simple run. Sophie typically had better endurance, and seeing his friend so winded made him suspicious.

Farah looked at him with an expression that brooked no discussion. "I felt like going for a run," she said curtly. "I'm going to get ready for my lesson. See you later."

Her tone was so cold and final that it allowed no reply. Without even waiting for a response, Farah headed toward Alfea's main entrance with determined steps, leaving Sophie and Saul in the back courtyard.

Saul approached Sophie and placed a hand on her back, concerned. "Are you okay?"

Sophie straightened up abruptly, shaking off Saul's hand with a sharp movement. "Fine," she said, but her voice betrayed frustration and pain. "I'm going to take a shower."

She too walked away quickly, heading toward the residential wing, leaving Saul alone in the courtyard with a thousand doubts and a thousand questions.

Saul remained motionless for a few minutes, watching the two figures disappearing in opposite directions. He knew both Farah and Sophie well enough to know that something had gone wrong during that run. The tension in the air was palpable, and the way both had avoided his gaze only increased his suspicions.

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. It wasn't the first time he'd noticed strange behavior between the two women, but today there was something different, something deeper and more painful.

What the hell happened out there? he wondered, looking toward the woods from which they had just returned.

Chapter Text

Sophie had returned to her room for a shower, still in a foul mood. The steam hadn't eased her tension, and when her phone buzzed on the nightstand, she already knew it wouldn't be good news.

Hey love, change of plans—arriving early, see you this afternoon. Love you. Elisa.

Shit, just what I needed, Sophie thought, tossing the phone onto the bed. She replied with nothing more than a heart emoji, then pulled on fresh clothes and left for breakfast.

At 7:30 AM the dining hall was still half-empty. She grabbed her usual coffee and, for once, a chocolate muffin. Screw self-control, she muttered inwardly.

Farah walked past her table, her posture elegant as always. Sophie's eyes followed her, but Farah stopped to speak with a group of students, never sparing Sophie so much as a glance. Sophie looked away quickly, pretending not to care.

The morning drifted by quietly, lessons blurring one into the next. But after her last class, as Sophie walked the corridor, she saw Farah again. She was about to look the other way when a sudden, piercing headache made her stagger. She pressed her palms against her temples.

Farah noticed and hurried toward her—but before Sophie could register anything else, the world slipped away.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing alone in the same corridor. Only, it wasn't the same. Everything shimmered in sepia tones, as though she'd stepped into an old photograph.

"What the hell..." she whispered.

Up ahead, a girl came into view. She wasn't anyone Sophie recognized—at least not at first. She wore a crisp uniform with Alfea's crest embroidered on the chest. Nobody at Alfea had worn uniforms in years.

This isn't real, Sophie realized. A memory?

"Farah, come on! We'll be late for Professor Hale's class," the dark-haired girl called, her voice echoing strangely in the sepia air.

Farah? What?

Sophie's breath caught as the girl turned. It was unmistakably Farah—only younger, softer, still carrying the awkward energy of a student.

The two girls hurried toward a classroom Sophie knew well. Curious, she followed; they didn't seem to see her.

The dark-haired student slipped inside, but Farah paused at the door.

"Good morning, Miss Hale," young Farah said politely.

A blonde woman, no older than thirty, looked up from the desk.

"Did you study the books I gave you?"

"Yes, Miss Hale. I've read them all—three times."

The blonde smiled approvingly. "Good." She placed a hand on Farah's back, guiding her inside with a touch that made Sophie's stomach twist.

"Rosalind?" Sophie whispered.

But the word was barely out before everything dissolved into darkness.

She came to on the cold floor of the real corridor, blinking at the concerned faces of Ben and Farah leaning over her.

"Sophie? Can you hear me?" Farah's voice was tight with worry.

"She's been out too long," Ben muttered.

Farah's tone softened. "Wait, she's waking up."

Sophie groaned and tried to sit up. "Where am I? What—"

"Easy," Farah urged, steadying her. "You fainted. Don't push yourself."

"I think I'm okay now," Sophie murmured.

"Not taking chances," Ben said firmly. "You're going to the infirmary. No arguments."

Supported by both of them, Sophie rose to her feet. She caught Farah's gaze for the briefest second, but Farah looked away almost immediately, her face unreadable.

"Fine," Sophie sighed. "I'll go."

The infirmary smelled faintly of antiseptic and herbs. Ben checked her vitals with quiet efficiency.

"You're stable," he said, frowning. "How do you feel?"

"Normal," Sophie insisted.

"You were unconscious for a while. Are you sure?"

"Just a headache."

"Did you eat this morning?"

"Yes."

"Did you sleep?"

Sophie smirked faintly. "Not much. You know me."

"That's exactly why I'm worried," Ben said gently. "I know what you've been through."

Sophie pushed herself upright, her tone sharper than she intended. "I'm not some kid you need to protect anymore, Ben."

Before he could reply, Farah's voice cut in—cool, controlled. "No. You're not. You're a respected professor, and we need you healthy and whole, Sophie."

That word—colleague—landed like a stone. Sophie gave her a bitter smile. "Now you care about my health?"

"I care about the health of all my colleagues," Farah replied, too quickly.

"Right," Sophie said flatly. "Well, your colleague has a class to prepare for. Thanks, Ben."

She left with a polite smile for Ben, but nothing for Farah.

When the door shut behind her, silence lingered. Ben looked at Farah, studying her face. "Something's wrong with her. You really don't know what's going on?"

Farah's eyes flicked away. "Why would I?"

"You're her friend, aren't you?"

"She doesn't tell me everything," Farah said sharply. "I should get back to work."

She left, her heels clicking against the floor, leaving Ben alone with his doubts. He sat at his desk, drumming his fingers. He had known Sophie for years, had seen her battle her demons—but something was different this time. And Farah... Farah had been colder than usual, almost defensive.

What the hell happened between them? Ben wondered, staring at the door through which they'd both gone.

Chapter Text

In the afternoon, as promised, Elisa arrived at Alfea.

Sophie was waiting for her in the main courtyard, sitting on one of the ancient stone benches. She had tried to fix herself up, to look normal, but the reflection in the mirror had shown her tired eyes and a tense expression she couldn't completely hide.

When she saw Elisa's familiar figure walking through Alfea's gates with two suitcases in tow, Sophie felt a mix of relief and panic.

Elisa looked radiant - her short red hair perfectly framing her face, her green eyes bright with excitement, the brilliant smile Sophie knew so well, and that natural confidence she had always admired.

"Sophie!" Elisa called out, dropping her suitcases and running toward her.

Sophie stood up just in time to be wrapped in a warm, familiar embrace. The scent of Elisa's perfume, that floral fragrance she'd used for years, filled her senses. It was all so comfortable, so right... yet something inside her felt strangely detached.

"You look beautiful," Elisa whispered in Sophie's ear, holding her tighter. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," Sophie said, and technically she wasn't lying. She had missed Elisa - her reassuring presence, their conversations, the simplicity of their relationship. It was just that now, after that morning in the woods with Farah, everything seemed more complicated.

Elisa pulled back from the hug to get a better look at her, holding Sophie's hands in hers.

Her green eyes searched Sophie's face attentively. "How are you? You look tired."

"It's been a long day," Sophie said, forcing herself to smile. "But now that you're here..."

"Now that I'm here, everything will be better," Elisa finished, kissing her softly on the lips.

The kiss was tender, affectionate, full of love. Sophie closed her eyes and tried to focus on the sensation, to let herself go as she always had with Elisa.

It was at that exact moment that Farah emerged from the main building to welcome the new colleague. She stopped short seeing the two women embracing, the kiss lingering in the afternoon sunlit courtyard.

For a moment, something indefinable crossed her face - surprise, pain, perhaps jealousy - before her expression returned to being impeccably professional.

She cleared her throat gently and approached with determined steps.

"Good afternoon, Professor Aliss," Farah said in a formal tone, extending her hand. "Good to see you again."

Elisa pulled away from the kiss and turned, smiling brightly. "Miss Dowling! The pleasure is all mine, but please call me Elisa."

"Let's keep things professional, shall we?" Farah replied, her voice firm but courteous. "All colleagues here do." The reference to the kiss she had just witnessed was subtle but unmistakable.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, that's fine," Elisa said, immediately catching the message and blushing slightly.

Sophie watched the scene in silence, feeling the tension in the air like a taut string.

"Well, I have to go now, I have things to do," Farah said, maintaining her professional tone.

"I'm sure Professor Lunaire will explain everything to you. You already know the school, right?"

Elisa nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, of course! It was home for five years and now it will be again," she said with a nostalgic smile, looking at Alfea's building with genuine affection.

"Excellent, welcome back then," Farah concluded with a courteous but distant smile, before walking away toward the main building.

Sophie watched her leave, noticing the stiffness in her shoulders, the way she held her head high with almost military determination. When Farah disappeared behind Alfea's doors, Sophie turned toward Elisa, who was observing her with curiosity.

"Always ice cold, that headmistress, huh," Elisa commented with a little smile.

"Yeah, but she's good at her job," Sophie replied, choosing her words carefully.

"I can imagine," Elisa said, picking up her suitcases. "So, will you show me my new home?"

As they walked toward the residential wing, Sophie felt the weight of Farah's gaze from one of the main building's windows, though she didn't dare turn to check.

Elisa's arrival had made everything infinitely more complicated, and Sophie knew there was no way to go back from the path she had started down that morning in the woods.

Sophie led Elisa down the corridors of the residential wing to a door near her own. She opened the room and let Elisa in.

"This would be your room," Sophie said, turning on the light.

It was a cozy space similar to her own - a single bed, an empty desk, an armchair by the window overlooking Alfea's gardens, and empty shelves ready to be filled with Elisa's personal belongings.

Elisa set down her suitcases and looked around, then looked at Sophie with a puzzled expression. "Why do we have separate rooms?" she asked, with a slightly disappointed tone.

Sophie looked at her with an expression that clearly said are you serious? "You heard the headmistress, didn't you? All colleagues here stay professional," she replied, imitating Farah's formal tone.

Elisa laughed. "Ah, right. The ice queen and her rules."

Sophie felt a slight annoyance hearing Elisa call Farah that, but said nothing. Instead, she changed the subject. "By the way, my cousin Stella is here for her first year."

Elisa's green eyes lit up with curiosity. "Really? The crown princess of Solaria? How's she doing? Do you talk often?"

"Every now and then we talk," Sophie said, sitting down in the armchair. "But you know how Stella is... she's too caught up in herself and being popular. She always has to be the center of attention, always has to have the perfect outfit, always has to be surrounded by admirers. Being the heir to the throne and daughter of Queen Luna certainly hasn't helped with her narcissistic tendencies."

"I imagine it's hard growing up under all that pressure," Elisa commented understandingly.

"But," Sophie added with a gentler smile, "when she really needs someone, I'm always there. Underneath all that perfect princess facade, she's still a kid who sometimes feels lost. Especially with her mother being... well, Queen Luna isn't exactly the most affectionate type of mother."

"That's sweet of you," Elisa said, moving closer to Sophie. "You've always been good at taking care of others."

There was something in her voice that had changed, lower, more intimate. Elisa stopped in front of the armchair where Sophie was sitting, then slowly leaned down, placing her hands on the armrests.

"I really missed you, you know," Elisa whispered, her face inches from Sophie's. "Five years of phone calls and video calls aren't the same as having you here, in front of me."

Sophie felt her heartbeat quicken, but she wasn't sure if it was from excitement or anxiety. Elisa's green eyes were staring at her with that intensity she knew well, the kind that usually preceded intimate moments.

"Elisa..." Sophie began, but her voice came out huskier than she intended.

"Shh," Elisa said, moving even closer. "We're here now. Together. Finally."

And before Sophie could say anything else, Elisa's lips were on hers, the kiss more passionate than what they had shared in the courtyard. Elisa's hands moved from the armrests to Sophie's hair, while the weight of her body pushed her deeper into the chair.

Sophie closed her eyes and tried to let herself go, to be present in the moment. But her mind kept wandering - to Farah's words that morning, to the way she had looked at her in the courtyard, to the vision of a young Farah with Rosalind.

Focus, she told herself. Elisa is here. Elisa loves you. This is what you should want.

But as Elisa's hands began to explore her body with familiarity gained over the years, Sophie couldn't shake the feeling that something had fundamentally changed, and that there was no way to go back.

The two began to kiss with growing intensity. Elisa's kisses were familiar yet charged with a passion that spoke of months of separation, of video calls that couldn't replace the warmth of a real embrace.

Elisa took Sophie by her hips, her hands steady and confident as she lifted her from the armchair. Their bodies pressed against each other, and Sophie felt the heat emanating from Elisa's skin through their clothes.

With slow but decisive movements, Elisa began to lift Sophie's shirt. For a moment, Sophie hesitated - her mind still full of images from that morning, of Farah's words, of the confession that had changed everything. But when Elisa's green eyes met hers, full of love and desire, Sophie made a decision.

Enough, she told herself firmly. Not now. I'll think about the visions later, I'll think about what they mean later. Right now there's only this moment, only Elisa.

She raised her arms to let Elisa remove her shirt, abandoning herself completely to the present.

The fabric slipped away, and the cool air of the room caressed her bare skin.

"You're beautiful," Elisa whispered, her hands tracing delicate lines along Sophie's hips and back. "I've dreamed of this moment for months."

Elisa gently guided her toward the bed, their movements slow and full of a tenderness that spoke of years of shared intimacy. Sophie let herself be led, focusing only on the sensations - Elisa's scent, the sweetness of her caresses, the way her green eyes sparkled in the soft light of the room.

When they reached the edge of the bed, Elisa stopped, her hands framing Sophie's face with infinite delicacy.

"I love you," she said simply, and in those words was everything - the security of five years together, the promise of a shared future, the joy of finally being reunited.

Sophie felt something tighten in her chest at those words, a mix of genuine love and a guilt she couldn't quite suppress. But she pushed those thoughts away, focusing instead on what was in front of her - the woman who had loved her faithfully for years, who had crossed continents to be with her.

"I love you too," Sophie replied, and as she said it, she tried to convince herself completely, to make those words erase everything else.

Elisa began to leave a trail of light kisses along Sophie's neck and shoulders, each kiss like a silent promise.

Sophie held her close, fingers intertwined in Elisa's red hair, closing her eyes and letting herself go completely into her expert hands.

Elisa gently unclasped Sophie's bra, her movements slow and filled with reverence.

She paused for a moment, gazing into Sophie's eyes with a smile that blended love and desire.

"You don't know how much I've missed them," she whispered in a husky voice, her eyes lingering on Sophie's breasts.

"Did you miss only them?" Sophie asked, her voice barely a breath, as warmth spread through her body..

"Not only them," Elisa replied, moving even closer. "I missed her too."

Her hand traced delicately along Sophie's hips, making her shiver at the sweetness of the touch.

Gently and slowly, starting from her hips, she moved her hand to the middle of Sophie 's legs, making Sophie gasp.

Time seemed to have stopped in that room bathed in the golden afternoon light. There were only the two of them, their breathing growing deeper, whispers of love lost in the warm air.

Sophie tried to focus only on this moment - on the sweetness of Elisa's caresses, on the familiar scent of her skin, on the way her presence filled every empty space inside her.

For a moment, she managed to forget everything else - Farah, the visions, the confusion that had filled her heart that morning.

As Elisa continued to worship her body with gentle touches and adoring kisses, Sophie abandoned herself completely to the present, letting the love and passion of five years carry her away from every doubt and uncertainty.

In that rediscovered intimacy, for a few precious moments, there existed only the two of them and the love that had united them for so long.

Chapter Text

The whispers of pleasure remained lost in the air, along with the scent of distant lands carried by their close bodies.

The afternoon sun of mid-October, warm and gentle, streamed through the room's windows, flooding everything in pure orange light. The two were now embracing under the covers.

"Thank God they bothered to set up the bed," Elisa commented with a mischievous smile,

"though I have to say... it's a bit soft." She put on a fake serious expression.

"If you want, we can get it changed tomorrow," Sophie replied, stroking her hair.

"Yeah, I can just picture myself going to the headmistress and saying: 'Excuse me, the bed is too soft, I can't make love to my girlfriend,'" Elisa said, bursting into laughter.

Sophie wasn't laughing. She pulled away from the embrace.

"Everything okay? What did I say?" Elisa asked, immediately noticing the change.

Sophie was already getting dressed. "Nothing, but I have to go. I have a meeting in half an hour."

"But that's ages away! Come on, come back here," Elisa pleaded.

"You have an appointment with Saul Silva, the head of the specialists. Come on, get up, lazybones," Sophie said, pulling on her shirt.

Elisa huffed. "Okay, okay, fine."

Sophie was ready, fixing her hair in front of the small mirror. "I'll see you later. I'll help you settle your things if you want."

"Okay, but I don't like this separate rooms thing."

"My room is right next door, you can come over whenever you want," Sophie smiled. "I'm going."

Sophie left the room and headed toward Farah's office. They usually had a meeting twice a month to check for any weaknesses in Alfea's protection and barrier. The meeting typically included Ben, Saul, Farah, and Sophie, but that afternoon Saul had to meet with Elisa to explain her role and give her the class schedules, so he would arrive later.

Sophie knocked on the open door of Farah's office.

"May I come in?"

"Come in, Sophie," Farah said, looking up from her documents. "Ben had some problems in the greenhouse with the first-year students. He'll be late. And Saul is still talking with Professor Aliss."

"Oh, okay," Sophie said, entering and closing the door behind her.

The silence that followed was awkward. Farah kept staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"Your zip is open," Farah finally said without looking away.

Sophie blushed, fixing it quickly. "Oh... sorry."

"Sit down," Farah said, indicating the armchair in front of the desk. "How do you feel now? You scared me this morning."

"I'm fine, thanks. It was probably just fatigue."

"Fatigue?" Farah leaned forward slightly. "Sophie, you were unconscious for several minutes. Ben says it's unusual, considering your physical condition."

Sophie shifted in the armchair. "It just happened, that's all."

"It happened right after what we discussed in the woods," Farah said with a calm but penetrating voice. "Don't you think there might be a connection?"

"A connection?" Sophie tried to keep her voice steady. "What kind of connection?"

"Emotional stress can manifest in various ways, Sophie. Sudden fainting spells, for example." Farah stood up from her chair and moved toward the window. "What we confessed this morning... I know it was intense."

Sophie felt her heart racing. If only Farah knew that she had seen a young Farah with Rosalind, that her fainting had nothing to do with emotional stress but with something much deeper and more mysterious...

"Farah, I..." Sophie began, then stopped. How could she explain what she had seen without sounding completely crazy? And more importantly, what did that vision mean? Why had she seen that particular moment?

"What?" Farah asked, turning toward her. "You can tell me anything, Sophie."

"It's complicated," Sophie said, choosing her words carefully. "I don't know how to explain it yet."

"Try," Farah said, returning toward the desk but not sitting down. "I'm worried about you. And... after what we told each other this morning, I think we shouldn't hide anything from each other anymore."

Sophie looked into her eyes and for a moment was tempted to tell her everything but something held her back - she didn't know what had triggered that vision, didn't understand why at that exact moment, right after their confession. What if there was a deeper reason? What if telling Farah had consequences she couldn't foresee?

"Farah, I..." Sophie stopped again. "I need time to understand some things. What happened today... it's not what you think."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that my fainting wasn't due to our... our moment in the woods," Sophie said slowly. "It was something else. Something I can't explain yet."

Farah stared at her for a long time. "Sophie, you're hiding something from me."

"I'm not hiding anything from you," Sophie lied. "I'm telling you I need to understand before I can explain."

"And in the meantime I have to sit here worrying about the woman I..." Farah stopped abruptly, realizing what she was about to say.

"The woman you what?" Sophie asked, her heart beating fast.

Farah looked at her with a tormented expression. "Sophie, Professor Aliss seems very happy to be here. To be with you."

The change of subject was abrupt and painful. Sophie felt something tighten in her chest.

"Elisa has always been a positive person," she replied, avoiding Farah's gaze.

"It's nice to have someone who loves you unconditionally," Farah said, her voice apparently neutral. "Someone who crossed continents to be with you."

"Farah..."

"Someone who doesn't hide anything from you," Farah added, and those words hurt Sophie more than she expected.

Before Sophie could respond, the door opened and Ben rushed in, out of breath.

"Sorry I'm late! The first-years nearly set the greenhouse on fire. How's everything going here?"

Sophie had never thought she'd be so grateful for an interruption, even though Farah's words continued to echo in her mind like a condemnation.

"Sophie, how are you feeling?" Ben asked, approaching with concern.

"I was just asking her that, I'm worried," Farah said, looking at Sophie intently.

"You don't need to, there's no need, Farah. I already told you," Sophie replied with a somewhat sharp tone.

"At least let me check your pulse to see if your heartbeat is regular?" Ben asked, raising his hands peacefully.

Sophie huffed and raised her arm toward Ben. "Fine."

"Thanks," Ben said, taking her pulse and looking at his watch to count the beats.

"Everything's normal. It was probably a drop in blood pressure, it can happen in the morning after a run. What bothers me is why it lasted so long."

"I'm fine, okay? I'm not some princess who needs saving, I'm serious," Sophie said with growing irritation.

Farah kept looking at her. She was angry because she felt Sophie was hiding something from her.

At that moment, Saul arrived too.

"Here I am, sorry. Sophie, are you feeling better?" Saul asked, entering the office.

Sophie stood up angrily. "Are you done?"

"Sorry if your friends worry about you," Farah said with a cutting tone.

"Now we're friends?" Sophie replied sarcastically. "I thought we were just colleagues and that this school had standards, or do you only say that to new teachers?"

The two looked into each other's eyes. Sophie's eyes were blazing with anger.

"Sophie Lunaire, I remind you that I am your direct superior and headmistress of Alfea. I will not allow you to raise your voice at me in my office, understood?" Farah said with a firm and authoritative voice.

Sophie stiffened, realizing she had crossed the line.

"Okay, okay, we're all on edge. Sophie is fine, let's talk about more important things, okay?" Saul intervened diplomatically, trying to ease the tension.

"Exactly," Ben added, nodding.

The silence that followed was heavy, charged with unresolved tension between Sophie and Farah, as all four tried to find professional balance after that unexpected confrontation.

After the meeting ended, Sophie stood up and left the office without saying a word.

Saul looked at Farah. "What's wrong with her?"

Farah didn't respond.

"It's women's stuff, maybe she's on her period?" Ben suggested.

Farah stood up abruptly. "Come on, Ben, she's not a child who can't control her menstruation." She walked over to the window.

"Okay, these are difficult things for us guys to understand. Let's go, Ben. If you need anything, you know where to find us," Saul said diplomatically.

Sophie was walking quickly through the corridors when that terrible headache hit her again.

This time she heard a familiar voice that she hadn't heard in 15 years.

"Sophie... Sophie, I'm here, come to me..."

And she found herself in another memory. Everything turned sepia-toned.

She was still at Alfea - there were students who seemed to be graduating, Sophie thought. There was Farah again, 19 years old with a diploma clutched in her hand, looking happy.

"Miss Dowling," Rosalind called.

"Headmistress, yes, you were looking for me?" Farah replied.

"Excellent results. Now come with me to my office."

Sophie followed them, looking around bewildered, but she was sure they couldn't see her.

They all entered Farah's office, but it was different - more austere, filled only with manuals that seemed to be about advanced magic, nothing about philosophy and poetry.

Rosalind leaned against the wooden desk.

Farah stood with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Excellent grades in all subjects, Farah. Good," Rosalind smiled.

"Thank you, Headmistress."

"But come on, those grades without concrete training are worth very little."

Farah looked at her somewhat discouraged.

Rosalind moved around the office. "You know, I've identified some of your classmates who, like you, have great abilities, and I want to put together a team of brilliant talents - excellent powers and physical skills. You would be the leader with me. What do you think, Farah?"

"I... I don't know what to say, Headmistress."

"Call me Rosalind. You're not a student anymore."

Farah blushed.

Rosalind put a hand on Farah's back, making her startle. "You have great abilities, Farah. Why do you want to waste them? You know, love, friendship, and all that bullshit they sell you out there are for the weak. But you're strong."

"What... what would we do in this squad?" Farah asked.

"Protect the Otherworld from threats. Protect civilians like good soldiers."

"That would be a noble task," Farah smiled.

"Good, so is that a yes?"

"Yes, Head... Rosalind."

"Good. From today I'll be your personal mentor."

The memory dissolved and Sophie was sucked into a cloud. She woke up - she was in the infirmary lying on the bed.

In the right corner of the room were Ben and Farah talking quietly.

Sophie sat up abruptly.

"No, no, no, take it easy, Sophie. You've been unconscious for more than 10 minutes," Ben said.

Farah looked at her. "Ben, could you leave us alone for a moment, please?"

Ben left.

Farah approached the bed and looked at Sophie intently. "There's something tormenting you, Sophie. I can sense it clearly."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sophie said, avoiding her gaze.

"I'm an empath and a mind fairy, Sophie. I can feel the storm inside you. And I won't let you go until you tell me what's really happening."

Sophie looked into her eyes, seeing Farah's iron determination. She knew she had no choice - Farah wouldn't give up. But how could she explain what she had seen? How could she tell her that she was having visions of her past with Rosalind?

"It's complicated, Farah," Sophie finally said with a broken voice.

"Then start from the beginning," Farah replied with a gentler tone, sitting in the chair next to the bed. "Tell me what you saw when you fainted."

Chapter Text

The infirmary was empty, only Farah and Sophie were there, everything was lit by a soft glow, shadows flickering and dancing across the white walls. By now, darkness had been settling earlier for weeks.The days were growing shorter, and winter was slowly approaching Alfea.

Farah sat on the edge of the bed, close to Sophie but not too close, keeping the professional distance she had tried to maintain all day. Sophie leaned back against the headboard, her legs stretched out under the crisp white covers.

"Could I have some water, please?" Sophie asked, her voice hoarse.

"Yes, of course," Farah replied, standing immediately.

She crossed the room to the small table where a white ceramic pitcher and glasses waited. With precise movements, she poured, the gentle trickle of water breaking the silence.

"I know I won't be able to get up until we talk anyway," Sophie said with a bitter smile.

Farah handed her the glass, their fingers brushing for the briefest instant. "Exactly."

Sophie drank slowly, buying herself time. Then she set the glass on the nightstand and met Farah's gaze. "What I'm about to tell you will sound... impossible."

"Tell me," Farah said softly, settling into the chair beside the bed.

Sophie took a deep breath. "When I faint, I don't just black out. I see things. Visions."

Farah's brows drew together. "What kind of visions?"

"Memories that aren't mine," Sophie explained carefully. "This morning, when I collapsed in the in the hallways, I saw you. You were still a student, very young. You were just about to step into classroom and a young woman was there, and only later did I realize she was...Rosalind".

Sophie paused to remember clearly.

"She was... asking whether you'd finished some books she'd lent you."

Farah's face tightened. "Sophie... how could you know that?"

"I don't know Farah. Today, when I fainted again," Sophie went on, "I saw another memory. You'd just graduated, diploma in hand. Rosalind was asking you to join a special squad—under her mentorship."

Farah rose abruptly and began pacing the small room. "Those memories are private. How can you possibly know them?"

"I don't know," Sophie admitted, her voice trembling. "But what scares me most is that in the visions... I hear Rosalind's voice. Calling to me. As if she's the one showing me these memories."

"Impossible," Farah whispered, stopping short. "Rosalind has been in stasis for years. Her powers should be completely dormant."

"And yet it's happening," Sophie said firmly. "I don't understand how her influence could still be so strong. How can she reach me in that state?"

Farah sat back down, her face pale and tense. "Sophie, tell me the truth. Did Rosalind ever do anything specific to your mind when you were young?"

Sophie lowered her gaze, her fingers clutching the sheets.

She pause for a moment, then went on.

"While you were caught up in the toughest missions, she trained me in secret. She used to run what she called 'advanced mental training'. She said it was necessary to test my defenses."

"What did that mean?" Farah pressed, her voice taut.

"She tried to break through my barriers. Sometimes she managed to get all the way inside. She knew every fear, every secret. At fourteen... I didn't really know how to protect myself." Sophie's eyes lifted to Farah's, shimmering with dread.

Farah felt cold anger stir in her chest. "Sophie, what she did was a violation. A mind fairy's worst crime. And it could have left a permanent link."

Sophie pulled a face, the kind that said just how reckless Rosalind han been in her life.

Then she turned her attention to the connection she felt-"A link she can still use?" Sophie asked, panic edging her voice.

"It's possible," Farah admitted gravely. "Some intrusion techniques leave hidden doors behind. And if Rosalind was as powerful as I know she was... she may have found a way to keep them open. Even in stasis."

Terror flickered across Sophie's face. "Does that mean she can look inside my mind whenever she wants?"

"Not necessarily," Farah reassured, moving closer and gently taking Sophie's hands. "But it could explain the visions. And it's something we can fight."

"How?" Sophie asked, clinging to her words like a lifeline.

"First, we need to understand why she's showing you these memories. There's a reason." Farah's eyes searched hers, steady and determined. "And then I'll help you build barriers so strong that not even Rosalind will ever break through again."

A spark of hope lit in Sophie's chest, but unease still gnawed at her. "Farah... what if it's not just about memories? What if she's trying to tell me something more?"

Farah's expression darkened with worry. She couldn't help but wonder the same thing—why Rosalind had chosen those particular fragments of her past to reveal to Sophie.

"Farah, we've worked so hard on my mental defenses. She shouldn't be able to get in—how is this possible?" Sophie's voice was tight with tension.

Farah stopped pacing, her expression grave. "It's probably a connection she forged a long time ago. It's not about your current barriers. The truth is... she's already inside."

Sophie's eyes widened with terror.

"But Sophie," Farah pressed, turning toward her, "why didn't you ever tell me what she was doing to you?"

Sophie dropped her gaze, her hands trembling. "What was I supposed to say? That while you were all out hunting Burned Ones, she was torturing me?"

Farah's face twisted with disbelief. She began pacing again, guilt pressing down on her chest. "I knew it was a mistake to bring you with us. You were just a child."

"Farah, no," Sophie cut in, her voice rising.

"And I allowed it to happen," Farah whispered, broken with remorse.

Sophie sprang from the bed and grabbed her by the arms. "Farah, stop! It wasn't your fault. Stop carrying this guilt. You've been punishing yourself for fifteen years for something you didn't do."

"Sophie, I followed her blindly," Farah said, her voice cracking, raw with emotion.

For the first time in years, Farah's vulnerability surfaced. Sophie held her hands, the two of them standing face to face, so close they could feel each other's breath.

And that was the exact moment Elisa burst in, sent by Saul.

"Sophie!" she cried, rushing into the infirmary.

Farah instantly pulled away, and Sophie lowered her head, retreating into herself.

Elisa froze at the threshold, sensing the tension thick in the room. "What's going on?"

Sophie forced a smile. "Nothing. Don't worry. My blood pressure's just been a little low."

Farah had already turned away, her back stiff, her posture distant.

Elisa crossed to Sophie, cupping her face with one hand. "What did Ben say?"

"That I'm fine. You just need to stay calm, okay?" Sophie tried to sound convincing.

"Saul told me this has happened before. Why didn't you tell me?" Elisa asked, her voice tinged with hurt.

Then she glanced at Farah. "Farah... Miss Dowling... what's really happening? At least tell me the truth."

When Farah turned back, her face was masked in that cold, practiced calm, her smile polite but empty.

"Sophie is fine. She only needs rest. Now that you're here, I can go," Farah said, her tone clipped and professional.

She was already moving toward the door when Sophie called after her. "We should... finish that discussion...about the mental protection for first years..."

"In due time," Farah replied without looking back, and left the infirmary.

The door shut behind her, and Sophie felt a crushing weight settle on her chest. That fleeting moment of honesty, of shared vulnerability between her and Farah, had vanished the instant Elisa walked in. Now Sophie was left alone again, tangled in secrets and fear—while Rosalind's voice still reached for her through a connection that seemed impossible to sever.

Sophie walked back to the bed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

"Shall we go?" she asked.

"Go? Can you explain what's going on? And why were you so close to Farah?" Elisa asked.

"She was just worried about me, that's all," Sophie replied.

"So... is there something serious I should worry about?"

Sophie smiled genuinely. "No! I'm just hungry. Let's grab something to eat, and then I need to sleep."

"Okay, but lean on me," Elisa said.

"Relax, I don't need a caretaker... not yet," Sophie laughed.

They got to the cafeteria, and Sophie ate more than usual—she was starving. But her mind kept wandering.

"I'm going to get some water," Sophie said.

"No, I'll get it. You finish eating," Elisa replied.

Sophie smiled. Seeing this woman who cared for her so much made her feel almost guilty. But she still needed to talk to Farah.

She grabbed her phone and typed quickly:

Sophie: Can we meet in your office after dinner? I need to understand what's happening to me. I'm scared. Please don't shut me out now.

Elisa came back with the water.

"Here you go," she said.

Sophie set her phone down. "Thanks."

"Are you sleeping in my room tonight?" Elisa asked.

"No, I want to try to rest. With you there, I'd get too distracted," Sophie smiled.

"What do you mean?" Elisa asked.

"You know exactly what I mean," Sophie laughed.

"Okay, okay... but I'm walking you to your room and tucking you in."

"Fine," Sophie agreed.

Elisa stood, waiting for her.

Sophie's phone buzzed.

Farah: Okay, my office at 9:30 PM.

Elisa noticed Sophie looking at her phone.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

"Perfect. Let's go," Sophie said.

Elisa walked her to her room, kissed her on the forehead.

Elisa said" okay, try to get some sleep, if you need anything..."

Sophie finished the sentence, "I'll call you, I know... promise..." She smiled. " Thanks, you're a sweetheart".

Elisa added,"Even in you need some cuddles, or stress-relieving sex!" . She laughed.

Sophie grabbed pillow next to her on the bed and tossed it at her.

Elisa dodged it. "I'm just looking out for for your fragile bones", she said.

Sophie laughed " Are we going from nurse to escort now?"

"Idiot!" Elisa said. "Okay, I'm going, Write me, alright?"

Sophie smilled.

Elisa left the room.

At 9:20, Sophie got out of bed, pulled on a hoodie and sneakers, and headed toward Farah's office.