in the grand halls of aldebrayn academy, a school perched on the cliffs where the skies shifted with swirling magic, competition was fierce. you and gunwook had been at each other's throats since the first day you both held a wand, each spell cast an unspoken challenge to the other. gunwook, with his annoyingly perfect incantations and his tendency to charm every person within a mile, was a thorn in your side—and you weren’t sure if it was because he was talented or just infuriatingly smug about it.

this year, the stakes were higher. the coveted position of student council president would guarantee a place in the legendary runesguard, a prestigious order of sorcerers. for the past month, you’d doubled down, making sure to study every advanced spell and ancient incantation in aldebrayn's vast library. you thought you’d finally found a moment of peace, curled up over a particularly dusty tome on elemental magic, when you heard that familiar, cocky drawl.

“hey loser,” gunwook said, sliding into the chair opposite you with a grin that sparkled like a well-cast charm. “what you up to?”

he tilted his head, as if amused by the worn, enchanted books surrounding you. his eyes gleamed with that look you knew too well—a mix of intrigue and challenge.