Lilith led me to the ruined lecture hall.
The chalkboard was cracked. Desks broken. Candles long melted into the floor.
"This is where I gave my first lecture," she said. "Back when I still believed in the Conclave."
She lit a candle with a snap of her fingers. Its glow flickered, soft and golden.
"I never thought I’d teach again," she murmured. "But you... changed that."
I leaned against the nearest column. "You were never just my professor."
She looked at me then, truly looked. Her eyes softer than I had ever seen them. "And you were never just a student."
I stepped closer, touched her hand. "Then let me say this now, before the war decides for us."
She didn’t stop me when I kissed her.
Didn’t flinch when I pulled her into my arms.
Her whisper against my neck was a vow: "If I fall, let it be for something I chose."
And I whispered back: "I choose you."