When I woke up the next morning, Rebecca, Lilly, and Mary were already stationed outside. Once they heard I was awake, they rushed in and helped me bathe. I noticed that Lilly had what seemed to be a third-degree burn on her face. It was deep crimson and had a glassy texture, which surprised me. I would have guessed that a healer could sort it out, and I didn't think she'd have any permanent scars—this was Altair, after all. Magic was supposed to be what they were good at. Not to mention, the fire wasn't even on her face for long, maybe half a second at most.

"Lilly, what happened to your face? Did you not get to see a healer yesterday?"

The quiet girl startled at being addressed suddenly.

"Oh, no, Lady Bella, I managed to find a healer."

"Then why do you still have a burn?"

She looked at the ground dejectedly before raising her gaze back to mine.

"Well, um, Lady Bella, the healer said it was... unlike anything he'd seen before."

Really?

"He said that it seemed to be caused by very powerful magic, and he wouldn't be able to make it go away, but he'd be able to ease the pain and accelerate the healing process. He said that maybe... the, um, head healer would be able to fix it. So he called him..."

She looked back at the ground.

"But he couldn't do anything either."

This was interesting. I'd wondered how the Children of Aster were different from other magic users, but I'd never heard of burns that couldn't be completely healed here. From all the books I've read, anything in Altair could be healed.

"My apologies, Lilly, I really didn't mean to leave a scar."

"Ah no... It's really okay, Lady Bella."

She still looked at me with scared eyes, though, and I wondered if she'd look at me like that forever.

✭✭✭

When I travelled to the common room, I was greeted by Iris, who was chatting animatedly about something, while Demi and I listened silently. Well, I was only really half-listening; my mind was focused on what would happen today. We were told that we'd have a tour, and then lessons. I wondered what we were going to do in the lessons. Would they be academic? If so, I wondered how that would play out, considering that we'd probably all be at different levels of education or wouldn't have any education at all.

My train of thought was interrupted when the Royal Oracle, Andreas, entered the room, and I wondered if he was supposed to be looking over us or something like that. I noticed that the royal chancellor wasn't here either—maybe he just wanted to see us for himself.

"Good morning, Children of Aster," Andreas announced.

He looked as tired as he had yesterday, and I really wondered if he got any sleep.

"Today we'll start with an official tour of the castle. I'll be your guide. Now, follow me."

Iris was practically bubbling with excitement and dragged Demi and me out the door.

It was a bit impressive how she still had such a strong spirit after yesterday. If I wanted to break her, it would take a while.

We all exited the common room, following Andreas in a sort of line, as we passed through many hallways decorated with numerous paintings.

"This is exciting, isn't it?" Iris was practically jumping as we walked.

"It really is. I've never been in a castle before."

"I know, right? I bet every room is going to look as beautiful as the dining room! But Demi, you're probably not impressed since you're a noble and all."

Demi sighed. "That's true, but I barely visited castles when I was little. And I ran away, remember?"

Iris pouted for what felt like the hundredth time in two days.

✭✭✭

The tour took about thirty minutes, even though we skipped some rooms and places we weren't allowed in—like the towers where the royal family slept. Though, if I speak to the queen again, I might be able to see them. There were many rooms in the castle, which isn't surprising, but what was surprising was how stunning they were. Iris was right in saying that they were all as beautiful as the dining room. They also had unbelievably high ceilings; I noted.

During our tour, we passed many courtiers who looked at us curiously. I wondered if they knew who we were.

Eventually, we stopped at a room in a quieter part of the castle, and Andreas turned to address us.

"We'll be stopping our tour here, but if you find that you need to access a room that we haven't covered on our tour, don't be afraid to ask a guard for directions. Of course, that's only if you're allowed in said room."

He turned to the door and started to open it.

"We'll most likely spend the next few minutes in here, so make sure you're comfortable."

I recall Iris telling me that we'd be having classes at some point. Maybe this was it?

My guess was confirmed when we all walked into the room to see twelve tables and chairs all facing a chalkboard.

"Take a seat anywhere you like."

I sat down next to Iris, who was sitting next to Demi.

Andreas walked up to the chalkboard and looked at all of us.

"Alright—"

"Excuse me!"

Andreas was interrupted by Thalia, who was sitting next to Alec, Chris, and Julian.

"What is it, Miss Demo? And next time, please raise your hand if you have a question."

"I apologise for my interruption, Sir Makis. Next time, I'll make sure to raise my hand. But I was just wondering how we would be able to take lessons together if..."

She looked around the room quickly.

"If some of us aren't as... educated as others, especially those from the lower city."

That's a weird way of saying she thinks people from Aries are dumb.

She's not half-wrong, though. We don't have school in Aries, but that doesn't mean we can't teach ourselves.

Andreas sighed and looked at Thalia.

"That shouldn't be of your concern, Miss Demo. And today isn't dedicated to those kinds of lessons. Though I understand what you're trying to say, we'll deal with that when we get to that point."

Thalia nodded in response.

"Thanks for taking the time to answer my question."

Thalia looked satisfied with his answer, unlike Julian and Chris. Alec, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

Andreas continued. "Moving on, the reason we're not doing anything today is because of a system we're introducing."

A few whispers went up in the air.

"Quiet. Anyway, the system is specifically for you, the Children of Aster."

He picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the board.

"When I say 'point,' I don't mean tallies or rewards or something like that. Instead, think of it as a point on a star." He wrote this down as he talked.

Points on a star... system... what does that mean?

"This system is to rank your magical ability."

I should've figured.

"The first point would have the most magical ability, while the twelfth would have the least."

Andreas scratched his head for a minute.

"Actually, let me rephrase that. It's not to measure who has the most, but who can use it best. Since, in theory, you should all have the exact same amount of magic."

Chris scowled at that—he probably thought that everyone from Altair would do better than everyone else.

"Anyway, you might remember me saying to Miss Floros that we'd be seeing your magic today, and that is in fact true."

I'm guessing that they'll assess our abilities by having us fight, but I have no idea how to fight. Hell, I don't even really know how to control my magic. I've used it twice, and both times it came out in random bursts.

"In a minute, we'll be going outside so your individual points can be decided, but before we do, we'll go over everything you need to know about magic."

Iris surprisingly reached over to me with a concerned face.

"What do you think we'll have to do to earn our points? Whatever it is, I don't think I'll be able to do it," she whispered.

I smiled and gave her a squeeze on the shoulder.

"I'm sure it won't be too hard. They wouldn't risk hurting us."

She smiled back at me, looking a lot more settled.

Obviously, I'm aiming for the top. It would definitely hurt my chances if someone else was better prepared.

"Quiet." He sighed. "Continuing on... magic is something that, as a kingdom, we've always had. Far before any other kingdoms, actually."

He wrote this on the board as he said it.

"Magic determines who inhabits Aries, Aetos, and Altair, with people with the most magic living in Altair, and the least living in Aries. Families usually inherit the amount of their magic power, resulting in most families living in the same city. However, there are people who might have more magic than their families. In these situations, they can apply to move to higher cities, but if someone has less magic than what is required in their city, they can be dragged down a city."

He stopped writing and looked back at us.

"These are the basics, which I'm sure most, if not all of you, know. If you have any questions, speak up now."

Kora raised a hand.

Stolen story; please report.

"Yes, Miss Metro?"

She looked like she had second thoughts about raising her hand, but she went through with her question.

"Um, what if someone hid their lack of magic power?"

His answer was blunt.

"They'd be killed."

Well, he just killed the mood.

"Any more questions?"

No one raised their hand.

"Great, moving on. When it comes to magic, there are two things to consider."

He drew a table on the board with two headings: Basic and Manifestation.

"Basic magic is something that everyone aged eighteen and up possesses. It's essentially what allows us to lift things without touching them. However, it's not to be underestimated; if used correctly, it can be a powerful weapon."

He summarised this as a bullet point under Basic.

"In Aries, it's common for people under eighteen to lack magic; some of you may have been in that situation until recently. However, it's unheard of for anyone over eighteen to have no magic whatsoever. In Aetos, it's uncommon for children under eighteen to lack magic, but anyone who reaches ten without it is sent to Aries."

He says that like Aries is a prison, but he's not wrong.

"In Altair, all children are born with magic. It's common for babies to make things float around them when they cry."

He moved his chalk to Manifestation.

"Manifestation is basically the pinnacle of your power; it represents you and your magic. For example, if your magic is based on ice, that would be your manifestation. In Aries, no one has a manifestation. In Aetos, some people have manifestations, but none are as powerful as those in Altair. In Altair, everyone has a manifestation, and families usually have similar ones."

I'm guessing mine is fire, or something like that.

He set the chalk down and turned back to us.

"You, Children of Aster, all have manifestations, and from the reports I've seen, you all know how to use them. We'll be heading downstairs to the training grounds now to test your abilities. Any questions?"

Julian raised his hand.

"Yes?"

He adjusted his glasses before responding. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, what is your manifestation?"

Andreas scratched his head. "Well, mine is receiving oracles in my sleep. It's a fairly rare power."

He started walking toward the door.

"If no one else has any questions, I'd like to get going."

That probably meant no more questions.

We all stood up from our seats and followed Andreas to the training grounds.

✭✭✭

We were lined up horizontally, facing Andreas, who stood next to a group of people dressed in white. He explained what we would be doing.

"We've asked all the guards not to use this area today, so it's completely free."

He pointed at two identical doors behind the grounds.

"You can get changed in there—boys on the right, girls on the left."

We all filed into our designated changing areas, with a thick silence as everyone wondered what we would have to do. I put on the clothes left on a rack—comfortable navy blue that felt light on my body. I borrowed a ribbon from Demi and prepared to leave for the training grounds.

That's when I noticed Katherine shivering in a corner.

She seemed to be having a complete breakdown, her arms wrapped around her waist, eyes closed. I saw Kyra leaving the room and thought she might comfort Katherine, seeing as they were sitting together on the day we were introduced, and Katherine had been with Kyra and Iason since then. Though, Kyra and Iason seemed pretty close, so maybe Katherine is a third wheel or something like that.

I walked over to her, seeing no one else was going to, with everyone else having already left or just not caring.

"Kat, are you okay?" I said softly.

She didn’t respond, continuing to shiver in place.

"I can see that you're scared, but it's okay. Just focus on your breathing." I told her while placing my hand on her shoulder.

I've read that when people start panicking, this is one of the best things to do to help them.

"It's okay, just keep breathing with me."

We did breathing exercises for a minute or two before she fully calmed down.

"Thanks a lot, Ara. I'm just really nervous about what we might have to do today." Katherine looked back at me with a smile, though her voice was shaky.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing too hard. They wouldn't put us through that."

I smiled back at her. It would be good for me to be someone Katherine could trust.

I looked back at the door with a bit of worry; this had taken a while.

"I think we should get going. We wouldn’t want to delay anyone." I started making my way toward the door, where I heard worried voices.

"Right."

Katherine and I walked back outside, where we saw everyone lined up and facing Andreas. I noticed he wasn’t wearing training clothes like the rest of us, which confirmed that we’d be fighting each other.

Once Andreas saw that we had all arrived, he started to address us.

"Now that you're all here, I'll fill you in on what you are to do."

He narrowed his eyes at Katherine and me.

"But in the future, please ensure that you are more... punctual."

He turned his gaze back to everyone else.

"Some of you may have been questioning what we're doing today. In fact, some of you may have already figured it out."

Now I'm sure we're fighting.

"We'll be determining your points by having a competition of sorts. You'll fight everyone, and the person with the most wins will be the first point. The person with the fewest wins will be the twelfth point. So, in short, the more wins you have, the higher your point."

I could feel Katherine starting to shiver again next to me.

Andreas continued to pair us up, starting with me against Iris.

"Ara, I really don't want to fight you first, but I won't go easy on you just because you're my friend. Kay?" Iris said as we moved to our designated area.

I'm definitely not thinking of going easy on her.

"I don’t want to fight you either, Iris, but here's to a fair match." I reached out to shake her hand.

"Yeah." She returned with a huge grin.

I'm going to wipe that smile off her face.

"Before we begin, I'd like to set some rules." Andreas addressed us from where he could watch us all.

"You cannot do anything to interrupt other matches. You cannot leave your designated area. You cannot use any weapons. And I hope this last rule is obvious, but you cannot kill your opponent."

If he hadn’t told me that, I might have considered it.

"You’ll be considered a winner when your opponent can no longer fight or forfeits."

He gave us all one last look before shouting, "And now... begin!"

I turned my attention back to Iris, who was advancing toward me. I started to do the same, despite not really knowing how to fight. I'm hoping Iris is in the same boat. I can tell from her eyes that she's scared, which could work to my advantage.

Iris threw an unsure punch my way, and I used the opportunity to grab her arm and push her away. She stumbled a bit, but Iris started concentrating hard.

And suddenly, I felt incredibly light, like I was floating. Because I was. Iris’s power seemed to manipulate gravity, making things float. I focused back on Iris, whose hair was floating and eyes looked like they were on fire. I recalled the first time I used my power, back in the alleyway, and remembered them saying similar things about me. If Iris is in the same state I was, she must be seeing everything in perfect detail, and her senses must be heightened. If that’s true, I don’t stand a chance against her like this. Which means I should use my own powers.

I'm still not sure how to use my powers, and I regret not testing them earlier. When I killed those boys, they were set on fire without me touching them. I should be able to ignite things from afar. If I can do that, I can probably win. The problem is I'm not sure what to set on fire. I could set Iris herself on fire, but that would kill her, and as much as I like the idea, it’s against the rules and I would lose instantly. I'm also sure there would be other complications.

Just as I was figuring out what to do, I was slammed to the floor with a thud. I tried to get up, but it felt like a dozen weights were pressing on my back. This confirms my theory that Iris can control gravity, but I'm still unsure what to do. If I continue like this, I’ll get too tired, and even if she releases her magic, I won’t be able to get up. I'll have to take a gamble.

I focused on Iris’s trousers specifically and used all my might to set them on fire. The feeling returned as if all the stars had aligned, and Iris’s trousers ignited. They roared to life, consuming her lower half like a hungry lion. Iris let out an ear-splitting scream and collapsed to the floor. Suddenly, it felt like the entire world had been lifted off my shoulders.

I can probably say that I’ve won.

Andreas noticed this and announced, "Miss Bella has won. Miss Floros has lost. You may both leave the grounds now."

A groan escaped Iris’s lips. "I don’t think I can walk; my legs..."

Andreas sighed and nodded to the group of people in white, who came over and started to heal Iris. After a while, she could walk again and came over to congratulate me on my win, saying my magic was so cool—blah blah blah. I wasn’t listening, as I was wondering how Iris had been healed. When I burned Lilly’s face, they weren’t able to heal it, but Iris was completely fine after seeing a healer. My fire was a lot stronger than yesterday. Does this have to do with being Children of Aster?

"...But yeah, good match!" Iris said as she extended her hand.

I took her hand and shook it with a smile. "Likewise."

After fighting Iris, I had to face Iason, who had the power to make mini meteorites fall on specific areas; Kyra, who could teleport; Robin, who could control ice; Demi, who could create illusions; and Kora, who could fly. I managed to win against all of them, with each fight getting progressively harder, but I struggled against Thalia, who could summon a haze like an aurora that made me dizzy; Julian, who could create mini black holes; and Chris, who could manipulate some sort of dark matter. I ended up losing to them.

Each defeat was making me more and more frustrated, especially after losing to Chris, who snickered after our match. If I lose another fight, I wonder what rank I’ll end up with. I wanted to be first, but right now it seems out of reach. However, that’s only temporary. I’ll figure something out, no matter what it takes.

The last two people I was set to fight were Katherine and Alec. I hadn’t been able to watch any of their matches, so I was at a disadvantage. While I waited for my turn, I decided to observe them.

I turned my attention to Katherine, who had just started her match with Kyra. Surprisingly, it was already over, with Andreas declaring Kyra the victor.

I assumed it would be easy to fight Katherine, given how nervous she seemed.

Andreas noticed that Kyra and Katherine had finished and told Katherine and me to begin our duel.

As we walked to our designated area, I saw that Katherine was shivering even more than before.

"Are you alright, Kat?" I asked.

She didn’t respond, merely walking to the other side to face me.

When Andreas signalled us to start, I sprinted towards her.

But Katherine still didn’t make a move.

If she’s going to be like this, I won’t waste any time.

I gave her a shove; she fell to the floor and didn’t get up.

Andreas saw her lying there and declared me the winner.

That was surprisingly easy, but it made me wonder what her power was.

I exited the arena and returned to waiting, just as Alec finished his match. Andreas noticed and called us up for our duel.

As we stood opposite each other, Alec gave me a quick nod before Andreas signalled us to begin.

I charged towards Alec...

...and then I fell.

I couldn’t move.

Somehow, Alec was already behind me.

"Good match," he said as he walked away, and Andreas announced his victory.

What is his power? How can someone do that?

If I want to be first, I need to find out.

✭✭✭

After everyone had been healed, we were led back to the classroom, where a woman with long black hair waited. Andreas made us all sit down and began speaking.

"Now that you’ve all fought each other, I’ll announce your ranks."

He picked up chalk and wrote all our names alongside our points.

I was... fifth.

I narrowed my eyes in frustration but continued reading.

Alec was first, Julian was second, Thalia was third, Chris was fourth, Demi was sixth, Kyra was seventh, Robin was eighth, Iris was ninth, Iason was tenth, Kora was eleventh, and Katherine was twelfth.

No surprises there.

I glanced at Thalia, Chris, Julian, and Alec. They seemed to be the dream team, but something about them bothered me.

Thalia, Chris, and Julian were all from Altair, but Alec was from Aetos. I had wondered why they were friends with him, but perhaps it was because they knew he was powerful.

I turned my attention back to the board. Andreas was observing our reactions, and I made sure to keep my expression neutral. It wasn’t too difficult, especially since I wasn’t feeling particularly angry, sad, or even happy.

I was completely fine because I knew I’d rise to the top.

I looked at the woman standing patiently. I thought she was wearing some sort of uniform, but I wasn’t sure.

Andreas cleared his throat.

"Mrs. Gabris will be marking your arms according to your rank. Go up to her and tell her your name. And it would be wise not to lie, as I’m standing right here."

We all got up and formed a queue. When I reached her, she made a peculiar symbol on my shoulder before asking my name.

"I’m Ara Bella. It’s nice to meet you."

She smiled and continued to apply purple paint to my arm.

"It’s nice to meet you too, Ara. Congratulations on your rank."

I returned her smile as the shape began to form.

"Thank you very much."

The mark took the shape of a five-pointed star, and I sat back down in my seat.

Once everyone was done, Mrs. Gabris left, and Andreas spoke to us again.

"Congratulations on your new ranks, everyone, but know that they are not permanent."

Oh?

"In the future, you can challenge those with ranks directly above you, and if you succeed, you can take their rank. If someone challenges you, you cannot decline. I hope this motivates you all to work harder."

As his words sank in, I stared at the board.

My name will be at the top.