Chapter Five

Corinna lingered in the hall of the medical wing. The hall was illuminated by sapphires carved into pale wooden walls. Disinfectants clogged the air, wafting towards her nose from hidden crevices. The door she hovered in front of was rimmed with golden light that occasionally throbbed like a heart; Corinna clenched the bag of aithyst hard enough to drain the color from her knuckles. Aithyst was supposed to be given to the wounded after mock battles. That was the standard procedure. She had managed to get herself to come all the way down here. All she had to do now was give Amynta the bag.

Come on...I can do this. Sweat trickling down her temple, she inhaled sharply. Sure, she wasn’t exactly that fond of Amynta, but she knew that wasn’t the true reason for her reluctance to enter Amynta’s room. Out on the arena, she faced her father’s face and words. The leaves surrounding her had brushed her cheeks as she’d run, heart clattering, hands barely able to keep a grip on her bow.

Corry, her father would often say to her. Do you want to disappoint me? His words had almost made her freeze up. It was only the din of battle around her that kept her going. Right as Linnea had prepared a swirl of magic that made leaves swirl in a deadly vortex around her legs, Corinna notched an arrow and fought to keep her aim steady. The overwhelming words of her father made her jaw clench; Corinna had steeled her nerves upon noticing the shrinking crystal.

That was theirs, she’d realized. The thought of Emma and Amynta risking it all, while she was left in the dust…

It didn’t sit right with her, yet she could practically feel her father’s lecherous gaze upon her, feel his strong grip around her throat. The crystal had shrunk once more. There hadn’t been much time. A startled noise rippled from her throat as she released the arrow. It sung through the air, soaring like a hawk as it cut through air and leaf alike, slapping Linnea back.

Corinna had felt sick ever since. She had shot Soul Arrows plenty of times in the past, yet that was the first time she’d used her talent against another person. I hurt her… Corinna exhaled sharply. I did it for me. Not Papa. Me. The perpetual dilemma involving whether she had any control over her actions or not had settled in shortly after the conclusion of the mock battle. She had hoped that coming here to the medical wing would help clear her head. So much for that one.

I should just leave this here and get going… Despite that thought, she found her legs to be as stiff as stone. Why was this so hard?

“Just leave it there,” Emma said from behind her.

Corinna whipped her body around. A patch of gauze was taped to the corner of Emma’s forehead, the skin beneath looking rather mottled. Oh. Ever since the mock battle, Emma hadn’t said much to anyone or moved around much at all. That wasn’t that unusual, Corinna supposed. Emma didn’t seem like the talkative type. Corinna felt a sharp sense of confusion whenever she was around Emma now. It was almost like the battle opened her eyes to things she’d been too oblivious to see before.

“I already dropped mine off….” Emma said. “It’s fine. The nurse will pick it up and make sure Amynta gets it.”

Corinna felt like her tongue was tied. Again, she could feel her father’s overwhelming presence around her. It was suffocating. Swallowing, she attempted to gather herself enough to look Emma in the eye and speak.

“I bet,” she managed.

“I more or less already told you, didn’t I? Soul Arrows are effective on the battlefield. We were put into a corner out there. It was thanks to you that we managed to get out of it.”

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“Is this your way of saying thanks?”

Emma blinked as if she hadn’t been expecting this. Her eyes soon flattened as she bit her bottom lip. She stepped closer. The height difference would have likely been humorous if Corinna wasn’t dealing with such emotional turmoil.

“Wouldn’t that be something,” Emma murmured with a slight smirk. “The broken bird trying to mingle with its companions. You seem to lack confidence. What are you trying to become?”

“A Hunter. What about you?”

“I aspire to be a Knight. We both have a long road ahead of us… hmm. Some would even say that our dreams are foolish and a waste of time. But I wonder. Is it so bad to dream? Is it so bad for the creature known as a human being to have ambitions? Nobody knows. I want to understand the meaning behind my life. Every single thing that has ever existed since the Waking was put here for a reason. Or, well, that’s just my hypothesis… I could be wrong. I’m open to that.”

“Why are you—”

“I've noticed things about you. We both have things we want to hide from others. Me? I believe that life is meaningless, but I don’t usually go around preaching my beliefs. I’m a vulnerable girl… the thought of exposing my beliefs like that terrifies me deeply. I only did that the other day in front of the others because I wanted to push them away. It’s better that way. As for you and Amynta...we’re going to be part of the same cell for the time being, so I have to be more open.”

Corinna searched Emma’s eyes. She saw the truth behind Emma’s words. It came as a shock. It was as if Emma had flipped a switch, completely changing her demeanor within the span of a day. It was honestly baffling. She’s really means it, though… Corinna gulped. Her father had always drilled the importance of prioritizing one’s mental fortitude above anything else. Shouldn’t she still try and be open? Papa isn’t here…. He couldn’t hurt her. Not physically, anyway. Nor could he poison her with his cruel and arrogant words.

“Thanks,” Corinna said. “This is just...so surprising, though. I never would have thought that you of all people would want to be open with me and Amynta. What’s changed your mind?”

“I realized something on the battlefield. Simple as that. If I’m going to achieve my goals, I can’t die just yet. And if I stomp on the feelings of everyone around me, then who will be there to care if I fail? Say…Amynta won’t be able to be around us for another day. In the meantime, how about we do some training of our own?”

Training? It was almost enough to make her gasp. Soul Arrows were still so new to her, yet the training her father had given her was something she was certain would stick with her for the rest of her life. Even so, a strong and sudden underlying emotion fought to break to the surface within her. She bit her tongue to keep herself from clutching a handful of her top. That was a bad habit she’d developed when she was a child, yet it always was difficult to determine where it had come from. Remembering its origin was impossible.

“Sure,” she said. “I don’t mind.”

“Mmm. We have some time before the staff reviews the results of the mock battle. That probably leaves us a few days. We can work on our magic and see if we can figure out what has the staff so worked up. Follow me. I know a good spot.”

Corinna’s eyes widened. See, Papa? I’m making friends on my own… Emma tucked her hands in her pockets. Corinna hesitated before leaving the bag in front of the room door. I can do it. No reason to be so shy! It was tempting to pinch herself. Another habit of hers that had started when she was young.

“Just had to do that first,” Corinna said. “Let’s go.”

Emma nodded, the movement barely visible. She turned and headed down the hall; Corinna joined her.