Oswin's mind replayed the last part of the memory over and over in his head. "You can trust her…" he mutters to himself. She said it so matter of factly, I almost thought she was speaking to me… He scratches his head, yanking his hair enough to feel a slight sting, as frustration begins to set in. I need to know who she's talking about. Oswin scrambles forward and begins grabbing paper after paper, throwing each one off to the side in disappointment, as he searches for the same zapping sensation as before. Scrolls and notebooks scatter the floor as he slumps back onto his rear. I've looked through everything here, damn it all… he looks around at the mess he's made. I… should probably clean this up. He slowly files all of the different stationery back onto the shelf, and as he's about halfway through the pile, his foot gently begins tingling, like a small current of electricity. He swings back around and sees his foot resting on a tattered notebook. He swivels around and cautiously slips his fingers underneath either side, gingerly picking it up to avoid any damage. Taking care, he sits back and opens to the first page. Just as soon as he reads the first word, a sharp pulse through his head causes him to keel forward, eyes squeezing shut.

The sensation leaves just as soon as it comes and he lifts his head back up, eyes squinting as bright light sears into them. Why am I being blinded by the sun all of a sudden? As his eyes adjust, a small waving field of tall, golden, aged grass stands before him. A large gnarled tree is just ahead. Wait… why does this place seem familiar? Where am I even? Suddenly two older girls run past him, startling him. Is this another memory? Whose is it this time?

"Nephele! Are you coming or not?" The larger one shouts behind herself, springing twenty feet into the air toward the highest branches of the tree. Isn't that one of the girls' names from the last memory? Are these the same girls? They must've grown a few years. So that one has a Specialty… Interesting. It looks rather useful.

"Right! Sorry, Aisha!" The words come out of Nephele's mouth, Oswin hearing her voice reverberating like it was his own in his head. That is something I don't think I'll get used to. So… it is the same ones as before… Nephele takes off running, and a burst of wind behind her lifts her up into the sky. She soars through the air toward the branch near Aisha. Oh, my Gods, this child has a Specialty as well? One so powerful? Landing elegantly on the branch, Nephele and Aisha look down at the auburn-haired girl on the ground by the trunk below.

"Okay, Tesni! Do it now!" Aisha hollers down. Tesni nods and begins sweeping her foot elegantly in the dirt as she rounds the base, almost as if it were a dance. Her feet dig in forcefully enough that her metal-tipped boots kick up sparks as they scratch against hard surfaces in the soil. What is she doing? She continues doing spins as she goes around the trunk of the tree, planting the leading foot down and spinning with the other. More sparks fly into the air, but on closer examination, it occurs to Oswin, Wait… are those sparks… frozen? As Tesni rounds the tree completely, she kicks off the ground, hopping high into the air, and flipping back onto the lowest branch. The sparks, each one floating delicately in place, form a glowing blossom surrounding the base of the tree from above. Tesni extends her hand and snaps, each spark spewing a jet of fire, scorching every blade of grass in a 200-foot radius, a roaring inferno surrounding the tree, smoke billowing into the sky. Just as soon as the fire cuts down the field, a downpour of rain falls from the sky. Wait, why is none of this water falling on us? Almost as if Oswin willed it himself, Nephele looks upward, to see an umbrella of air that she must be creating herself. These girls are incredible… How could they have so accurately predicted the storm? I was blinded by the sun just a few minutes ago… where did the clouds come from? Just as soon as the fire started, the rainfall extinguished it, leaving a large circle of wet ash surrounding the tree. That was immaculate! Such a wonderful use of Specialties! In the distance, two more girls break through the still-standing grass into the ring and they begin making their way to the tree.

"Great job, Mira!" Aisha hollers out to the girls, "Now it's your turn, Terra!” Mira climbs up into the tree, and everyone watches as Terra begins running through the muddy ash. With a small hop as she moves, turning her body to the side, she begins gliding effortlessly on the ground, as if she were riding an invisible board. She starts weaving around, twisting and turning as mud flies through the air under her. Oswin sees her take a handful of something from her pouch and begin flicking them into the muddy soil with her fingers, continuing to swirl around the entire open patch. What is she doing? What are those… Are they seeds? As she finishes the entire round, she slides her way over to the tree and smiles up at everyone.

"All done! Ready Mira?” she bounces excitedly. Mira hops down and looks out over the field.

"Yeah, let's do this." She declared. Terra jumps into the air, and as her feet impact the earth, the ground in the surrounding area slams downward, packing in the mud instantly, creating a multitude of long straight mounds where the seeds were planted, reaching out from the center tree to the edges of the ring. As Terra had landed, Mira had lifted her arms, fingers spread downward, and all of the excess moisture left after Terra compacted the earth drew into the air. A giant, floating, wiggling orb of water hanging above the ground. The earth underneath was just damp enough to provide nourishment to the plants. I… wh… I've … never seen anything like this before… These girls are truly astonishing. How is it that their powers are so substantial?

Mira walks the water bubble away, siphoning it back into a nearby pond that she nearly drained, the ball growing smaller and smaller until the last drops slip in without a ripple. Just as soon as she finishes, Nephele's head turns back to the field, dragging Oswin's attention away. The muddy ground was now littered with little leaf sprouts. How did those grow so fast? Was this that Terra girl's Specialty? Oswin's thoughts are interrupted by Nephele's voice as she hops off the tree, preventing her fall with a gentle puff of wind underneath her.

"Alright, we should get home before the sun sets too far. I bet I can beat you all home!" She cackles as she begins sprinting in the direction of the sunset, the other girls shouting behind her as they stumble into runs themselves. Terra flies by, sliding across the ground and down the hill, letting out a mocking 'Ha ha' as she passes Nephele. Aisha sprints down the hill, blasting by Nephele at a blistering speed, following right behind Terra. Oswin feels the minor frustration building in Nephele, who proceeds to whip hurricane-force winds behind herself, launching herself forward, and catching up quickly to Terra and Aisha. All three of them speed forward, neck and neck, and exchange glances, their competitive side causing them all to laugh and blast forward. As they charged down the hill, a crack of lightning scattered across the sky. Nephele closes her eyes and Oswin is back in the tower, another blank scroll in his hands. His thoughts last just for a moment, before passing out, as the sound of footsteps rush up behind him. Who are those girls…

Oswin blinks awake, the purple fabric across the top of his canopy bed greeting him. Morning already? Just five more… wait… How did I end up back in my room? The sunset, the tree, wait. Why do I know that tree? Where are those girls from? He shoots up out of bed. I have to find out more. He rushes to the door, slinging it open, and being greeted with Viralia's presence.

"Your Majesty," she pushes past, several servants piling in behind her and changing Oswin into his formal attire once again, "We have a lot to take care of today. We must continue with where we left off in the Ceremony yesterday."

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"Wait, wh-"

"It really is important we don't allow those Specialties to run rampant in the streets of the poor, who knows how much damage they could cause. I've already begun rounding up the remaining subjects, and they will be here within fifteen minutes. We must have you presentable and ready to begin in ten." Viralia finishes her sentence right as the last piece of Oswin's attire is set. She walks briskly out through his bedroom door, forking left. Oswin gets ushered out by the number of servants surrounding him, heading right toward the grand hall. I have to find a moment to break away. Practically being dragged down the corridors, Oswin throws his head from side to side, looking for any chance to separate away. Just then, he sees a hand waving from behind a pillar across one of the courtyards, his eyes locking on. The hand disappears behind the pillar, and Oswin is taken aback with confusion.

"Please tell me one of you saw that as well," Oswin speaks to the servants, all of them keeping their heads down and marching him forward. "No? Okay. Just me then." He mumbles to himself. As they continue down different hallways, he continues noticing little glimpses of someone who seems to be trying to draw his attention. A foot slipping around a corner, a hand making different gestures to beckon him over, a shadow slipping across the space between the pillars, he can't help but see each one. His focus shifts forward and he sees they are approaching the doors to the grand hall. Crap, I have to think fast… wait… CRAP! Oswin swallows his pride and shouts, "Wait!" The servants stop, waiting for the king to continue, and Oswin, struggling to find the words, blurts out without thinking, "I believe I am experiencing diarrhea, please excuse me." He pushes through the ring of servants around him, separating two of the females and accidentally placing his hand on the left one's breast in his panicked state. "Oh, gods. I deeply apologize," he attempts to say as she shrieks. Oh Christ, what have I done? He pushes through, running toward where he saw the figure last and hollers behind him, "Please do forgive me! It's an emergency." The group doesn't move and watches as he slips down the hall.

Oswin begins scrambling through the halls, trying to trace where the person he saw before went. Reaching a fork in the halls, he glances both ways and sees a shadow cross the end of the left hallway leading to a spiral staircase. Rushing, he falls onto his hands, stumbling up the staircase following the figure's shadow. Another corridor goes by and he turns, watching as the shadow slips into the Archives. He runs to the doors, slinking in and locking the door behind him. He rests his back against the door for a moment before pushing himself upright. He projects his voice out into the halls of shelves, "Hello?" His voice echoed in the enclosed chamber. As he walks down the path to the center of the room, a hand pops out from the last bookshelf, the same one as before. The figure slips out and Oswin takes quick note of their appearance as the candlelight bounces off of them. A small woman. Blonde shoulder-length curled hair. Icy blue eyes pierced directly into his own. She stood with an energy that could take on the world. He takes a step back, and continues, "Are you the one who was trying to catch my attention earlier?"

She nods, her demeanor shifting to a more peaceful one. "I see you finally found it." Oswin looks at her with the same confused look as before.

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's just say… you have cute tidy whities," she states almost sarcastically. I guess I know who ended up putting me in my bed this morning now.

"So, why did you take me back…?”

She shrugs, "I dunno… Don't you have somewhere to be, though?" He clenches his fists as he registers what she says.

"Yes… Yes, I do… Will you be here… later?” He asks softly, "After the Ceremony, that is…"

"Do you need me to be?"

"Yes… I suppose I would appreciate that," Oswin states, trying to maintain his composure. "What, might I ask, is your name?” After a moment of hesitation, she speaks.

"Hrithika," she says suspiciously, eyeing the king up and down, him not seeming to notice, appearing to be lost in his own thoughts, him taking a moment before responding.

"Stay right here," he speaks within a moment of clarity, "Í promise I will be back soon. I've got something." He takes a few deep breaths and slips out the door before Hrithika has a chance to get a word in. I know what to do. He rushes down the hall, jumping and sliding, around down their spiral staircase, stumbling down until he lands on the first floor. He hurries toward a nearby set of double doors, slamming through into a fully staffed kitchen area. Before anyone has a chance to speak, Oswin shouts out through the lengthy kitchen. "Prepare a feast suitable for at least two hundred individuals. As soon as possible. And bring it to the grand hall upon completion." The staff exchange glances around each other, "Bring it in at thirty minutes into the Ceremony. That is all."

He slips back out exactly as he came in and rushes toward the doors for the grand hall, the group of servants still waiting for his return. He slides back into the ring, slipping in some basic apologies for wasting so much time. The ring promptly closes around him and begins walking toward the doors, without a word. I pray to the Gods they finish the food fast enough. Entering into the grand hall, Oswin is guided to his throne. Upon taking a seat, he takes notice of the room, seeing twice the normal guards and being thankful he prepared a distraction. Now to make time, he thinks to himself.

He palms the pendant and looks down at it, questions beginning to form in his mind. Is this crack bigger than before? The doors swing open, and Oswin quickly adjusts himself into the posture of a royal. The children between fifteen and eighteen entered first, as well as the first batch of fourteen-year-olds to be accepted into the Royal's program. Oswin flinches as he recognizes some of the faces he confronted the day before. As the last of the older children lined up, those thirteen and younger began entering through the opposite side. Oswin begins rapping his fingers nervously on the arm of his throne, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Soon after the last of the young ones filtered in, Viralia stepped out of a side door and walked up to the podium, shooting a glare toward Oswin as she approached, a smirk growing across her face, a feeling of accomplishment emanating from her. She takes her place in front of the podium and clears her throat, announcing her words loudly.

"It is time for the Royal Ceremony to commence!" The doors swing open as before, and the remaining fourteens file in a single line. Reaching the end of the carpet, the line clusters to a stop. Viralia snaps her fingers twice, and two servants push through the same hidden side entrance, carrying the treasured crown. Oswin stares precariously at the head ornament, a strange feeling of unease settling upon him as it is placed on the pedestal in front of Viralia. Come on… please chefs. The sooner the better. She lifts the crown off of its silk cushion and approaches the first child in line. The crown is placed upon the child's head and the gem begins swirling with colors, settling on a deep shade of orange. Damn the gods… please do not make me sentence this innocent child to their death… Oswin holds his tongue, and a strenuous lengthy silence fills the air.

"Your Majesty? What is your ruling?" Viralia attempts to pry an answer out of the king, but he refrains from speaking. "You're Majesty, please find a ruling so we may continue with the Ceremony." Oswin's eyes flick around the room, making eye contact with different children, older and younger, as everyone in the crowd has their eyes on him. Taking a deep breath, just as he is about to present his judgment, the doors swing open. In marches a slew of cooks carrying a banquet of food, a few more bringing forth a line of rectangular tables, setting up chairs as they go. The children in line move to one side and every last child is salivating as they watch the food be carted in. Viralia stands with her jaw hung open, and she begins to boil inside. He did this… How did he do this? She shouts at the staff to stop what they are doing, but they ignore her and push past her, almost knocking her off balance against the podium. Catching herself, she stares daggers at Oswin, before marching over to the servants that brought him here. “What happened? Who ordered all of this food?” Viralia hisses, one of the servants attempts to explain before being cut back off, “Did. You. Let. Him. Out?”

“No Madam, he pushed his way through, he said he had…”

“What! What did he say?!”

“The runs… Madam Viralia.” The servant woman shrinks.

“Oh, for god’s sake…” Viralia turns back to the nearly fully set up dining room, large roasted turkeys and pigs with a plethora of colorful vegetables and side dishes. All the children are ready to dive and crawl over each other to get to the food, and as the last table is set, Oswin stands from his throne, boasting his voice through the hall.

“Children!” A few sets of eyes in the waving sea of small people tear off of the food enough to look in his direction, which is enough of a sign for him to continue, “Please enjoy this offering as my personal thank you from your kingdom. After you have finished your food, you are free to leave. You may begin.”