Phantom Hunters | Saphir Casters Academy

26 | Wynt

XXVI | WYNT

    "Have you guys seen Wynt?" Kael asked as he placed his bowl of soup on the long wooden table.

    Rita and Fadhia paused their chatter.

    "No," Rita said. "I thought he was with you."

    Fadhia tilted her head as if to think. "Yes, that is strange. He never skips dinner. Say, Tyra. Have you seen him?"

    Tyra shook her head. "No. Not since this afternoon."

    "This afternoon?" Kael put his spoon down. "Where did he go? Did you see?"

    The armored girl shrugged. "I saw him rushing inside with his instrument. He looked like he was running away from something. I assumed he was rushing to his room."

    Kael's shoulders slumped. He had knocked on Wynt's door before coming to dinner. His friend hadn't been inside. Or — the thought made Kael lose his appetite — he simply hadn't answered the door.

    "Why?" Rita asked, eyeing Kael suspiciously. "Did you guys fight?"

    "No, it's not like that," Kael said. He thought over the events of that afternoon, wondering if he should relay his concerns to his friends. He remembered Wynt's outburst after he had accidentally stumbled into his performance. "Do you guys know why Wynt refuses to play for us?"

    Fadhia shook her head. "No. Do you?"

    "No." Kael sighed. "I don't know if I should be telling you this, but something happened this afternoon."

    "Yeah, no kidding," Rita said with a scoff.

    "Please behave when someone is speaking," Tyra scolded. "Don't be rude."

    "I was just being sarcastic."

    "Well, what happened?" Fadhia asked, leaning over her bowl. The tip of her necklace dipped into the soup, but she didn't seem to notice.

    Kael hesitated. "Well, uh. So, I was walking in the woods to clear my head. I didn't know I was in so deep, but I heard this sound. Um, music. It came from somewhere in the woods surrounding the Silver Wolf. So, I followed it and, well, I found Wynt playing on his viola."

    Rita's eyes widened. "You did? How was it?"

    Kael recalled the gentle tunes warming his heart and the wistful loneliness behind each note followed by the angry music that seemed to call out for someone to listen.

    "It was...it was the most amazing music I've ever heard," Kael said. "I don't know much about music, but to me, it almost sounded like, like feelings. I don't know how Wynt does it. How he turns sound into something more than just...sounds."

    "Is it really that good?" Fadhia asked. "I want to hear him now."

    "But," Kael looked down at the flecks of vegetables in his soup. "When he saw me, he got really mad. He told me I wasn't supposed to hear it."

    "Maybe he gets nervous playing for audiences," Rita suggested. "Or maybe he just wasn't ready for someone to hear it yet."

    "I don't see why he would be so mad, though," Kael said glumly. He looked at the empty seat next to him, where his friend would normally sit. It was like Garun all over again. The moment Kael glimpsed a little bit of Wynt's emotions, the boy ran off like he never wanted to speak to Kael.

    "You should give him some time," Tyra said. "I believe Rita is correct, at least partially. Maybe he was preparing it for someone special and got upset that you heard it first."