“We’re getting on a plane?” Demund exclaimed, his mouth hanging open. He’d never ridden on one of those before in his life.

“Do you want to travel a couple of days by bus?” Enariss snorted. “Of course we’re taking the plane.”

The guidelines had only stated that they’d travel to Zone 1, and not being outside of Zone 13 all of his life, he had little sense of the distances that separated them. Well, he had learned geography, but he hadn’t put much thought into it. After the carts arrived, they hoisted their bags and boxes onto them, and they automatically navigated their way into the airport.

“Will the items be safe?” Demund asked, fretting for his samples. If they broke, it would be a disaster.

“Don’t worry,” assured Ms. Clarn. “Machines are more careful than humans.”

Demund was glad that the nurse had come along with them since she was someone he knew. While he hadn’t frequented the infirmary as of late, her relaxed, cheerful attitude towards him hadn’t changed. She was one of the younger teachers in school, and pretty as well. Of course he would enjoy her company.

The other adult was someone he wasn’t familiar with, but he had introduced himself as Mr. Hothman, the head of the science department within the school. Someone important, no doubt. He had been one of the judges. He wondered just how rich the school had to be to pay for all of their expenses since he hadn’t paid a single coin. It was a privilege he could enjoy because of his power. How many others had failed?

After they passed through the gates and waited for the departure time, they got on the plane, and Demund felt his heart beat faster. Flying through the clouds was something he’d never done, at least in this world. While he had flown with Grak, it had been akin to gliding. He wondered how different it would be.

“I think Demund wants the window seat. It’s his first time flying,” Enariss told the adults, and before Demund could deny it, he found himself looking outside. Enariss plopped down next to him, and it made him happy that she’d decided to sit beside him.

“I hope you’ll like the takeoff,” she smiled mischievously.

“What does that mean?” Demund asked.

“You’ll see.”

When the plane began to accelerate, Demund found himself sinking into his seat, his whole body being pressed against the cushion, smushing him down. Enariss looked fine when the plane’s wheels separated from the earth, though Demund’s stomach somersaulted as they ascended to the clouds. Grak had never been this fast. While the dropping feeling was something he was used to, he still felt a little nauseous after the plane stabilized.

“Are you okay?” Enariss grinned.

“I’m fine,” Demund replied, circulating to keep his stomach in check. While he couldn’t will his body to be in perfect condition as he’d done with his other self, he could ease the discomfort a little.

“My ears,” he said.

“You need to blow air into them to stabilize the pressure,” Enariss explained. “Try yawning.”

Demund already knew how to stabilize pressure inside of his ears, but he had never felt the pressure difference so severely before. Looking out of the window, they were much higher than what he’d been used to, soaring above the clouds. Grak had never liked going high up because it had made breathing more difficult. For a creature as large as he, reaching the clouds hadn’t been necessary, though they did glide off mountains from what he had heard.

“Yeah, that worked,” Demund said. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

It was quiet afterwards, and Demund reviewed his notes and presentation, causing Enariss to ask, “Didn’t you prepare enough?” to which he replied, “There can never be enough preparation.”

“And here I thought it would be fun if I sat next to you,” Enariss sighed.

“Fine,” Demund said.

They spent the beginning of the flight dueling each other through the various games in the plane’s consoles embedded into the seats, and Edan joined halfway through, inserting himself as another player.

“The more the merrier,” he said with a smile.

Demund managed to win against Enariss a couple of times, and he was grateful to Rhyne that he’d given him some experience on games and strategies, though it was mostly her that emerged victorious. He knew that he would be in last place had he not circulated, and he felt bad for wasting his mana like this before the Junior’s Advancement began. So once he began losing, he exited, closing his eyes to rest. He heard Enariss and Edan play a few more before they exited to rest too upon Mr. Hothman’s recommendation. The rest of the trip was quiet after that.

When Enariss’s head fell on his shoulder, he was surprised he didn’t feel that tense. It felt almost natural, and Demund wondered once more if he should try confessing. But if they began dating, what would change? He liked things as they were now. Was he even worthy of dating her? She was smart, rich, athletic, and beautiful, and he paled in comparison.

Maybe he could confess if he won the competition. But then, she would hate him for that. Rhyne would hate him too if they began dating, and he wasn’t sure how their friendship would be affected. He had three friends, and he didn’t want to lose any of them.

Oh well. He would simply enjoy the moment—though he didn’t know why Edan was sending him glances. He just hoped that rumors wouldn’t spread around the school.

Demund tapped Enariss on the shoulder when the food arrived, and she stretched while they each received a warm package with juice to the side.

“This is amazing,” Demund commented, stuffing himself with the meal. “Is airplane food always this good?”

“You like it?” Enariss frowned. “This is low-quality. The ones in first-class are much better.”

“Still tasty,” Demund replied.

He’d tried high-quality things before as Shaden. He’d eaten things normal people wouldn’t be able to imagine. Spices that didn’t exist in this world, flavors unique to Exarria. Though that didn’t stop him from enjoying the simple things. He’d had better, he’d had worse. An airplane meal had no choice but to taste good because of its uniqueness.

It was funny seeing Enariss eat everything after what she’d said, and he joked about it, causing her to snort and cross her arms.

“It’s for nutrition,” she said frankly.

“Of course, of course.”

He got a punch in the arm for that.

Descending the skies was scarier than ascending it, though he was confident he’d taken it without breaking a sweat. The plane skidded to a halt and eventually stopped, slowly driving to the airport where it docked. They got up, got their belongings, and headed out.

Their baggage and boxes were waiting for them outside, and they loaded them into a new bus, a smaller one, which they got on. Enariss sat next to him again, and this time he thought he saw Edan glower for a split second—or it could have been him simply yawning, but he wasn’t sure. With the subtle harassment he’d experienced in school, he couldn’t help but feel slightly paranoid.

It didn’t take that long from the airport to their destination—the World Memorial Center. He’d seen pictures of it, but seeing it up close took his breath away. There were no gates that surrounded it, no barriers that prevented outsiders from entering. But instead, massive statues of past heroes overlooked the scenery, their stone eyes on the look for foes. Each was over ten meters tall, surrounded by snow-topped trees, frozen streams and rivers, well-kept without a trace of dirt or moss on them. Demund couldn’t recognize any of them—all he knew was that they were related to the time when superpowers had first begun to manifest in the world. That was decades ago. Now, many things had changed, and superheroes weren’t as well known individually as they had been.

Of course, there were still popular heroes. But it was no longer about diving into danger and saving civilians from threats. The world was better than that now. It was more about sports, games, competitions, music, fending off natural disasters, exploration—things normal people had done, but now with superpowers. The term ‘superheroes’ had stuck, but they were essentially celebrities. But Demund had the feeling that the people portrayed at the World Memorial Center were different.

“Who do you think they are?” Demund asked. Enariss squinted, and a subtle red haze radiated from her eyes.

“Heroes who’ve died,” Enariss observed, “noticeably on the Islands.”

“The Preliminary Islands? Why? Did they get attacked by monsters?”

“Monsters? What makes you think that?”

“Just guessing,” Demund shrugged. He noticed Ms. Clarn glancing back at them. Come to think of it, she’d mentioned being in the Islands once. He could try asking her when they had the time.

After they’d driven through the landscape, proper buildings began to emerge in the distance, each as large as their school. Instead of heading straight towards the main building where the Junior’s Advancement would be held, they headed to some buildings to the side. These were blockier and simpler in design—the place where they would stay while the event lasted.

They left their supplies on the bus while they took their luggage into the building. No keys were needed because the doors opened with a simple tap of the phone.

“Ms. Emily and Enariss will be sharing a room,” Mr. Hothman said, “and we will be sharing one.”

“The school couldn’t afford us personal rooms?” Edan groaned.

“The place is completely booked,” Mr. Hothman shrugged. “Don’t worry, the rooms are large, as you will see.”

They were. Inside of each room were two separate bedrooms, and Demund was wondering how it would work when Mr. Hothman placed his bags down next to the couch.

“You boys can each use the beds,” he said. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Is that okay?” Demund asked.

“Can’t have you two sneaking out at night, can we?”

After they’d roughly positioned themselves, it was time to prepare for their stations at the main building. They all returned to the bus and drove to the back since the front was covered with stairs. After getting a cart from the drones (the place reminded Demund of the Selection building), they pushed their way to an enormous, open hall where people were bustling around in preparation. After finding the three spots reserved for TISE High, all of them began to unpack and set up.

“I looked over your report,” Mr. Hothman said, helping Demund take his items out. “You’ve got quite the interesting topic. I’m sorry I couldn’t help out.”

“No worries,” Demund told him. “I don’t think anyone could help on this project.”

“I’d say it’s revolutionary if what your outline says is true. You’ve expanded on it further from your initial ball-heating experiment. I wanted to take a look, but surprise me.”

“I will,” Demund smiled. He was feeling good about himself when the teacher went to Enariss, praising her for her remarkable project. While he knew it was for them to gain confidence, he was a little disappointed that he wasn’t the only one who was praised.

Who am I kidding, he thought. Had he been that desperate for commendation? Unlike the Jakhar Kishaks, he’d rarely seen the Nieuts compliment anyone. They were quick to point out errors, but not so much with rewards. Maybe he wished for people’s approval. Lately, things hadn’t felt that exciting or satisfying.

“Alright,” he said, looking over his setup. Everything was in place, ready to go. He was relieved that the algae hadn’t died through the trip, and putting his hands over the glass told him that they were still imbued with mana. All that was left now to do was to present.

Contrary to him, the other two were still setting their stations up. His station was simple; the resources required had been minimal, and most of it had been him doing the procedures, not machines. Enariss’s setup looked like it had come out straight out of a laboratory, while Edan’s was a display of spare parts with a remote-controlled car, small robot, and ship in the middle. Homemade machines, by the looks of it. The poster read, ‘Simple Robotics That Anyone Can Understand’.

Their stations were bright, eye-catching, and fun. He just had containers of algae and a few rice-sized crystals in a jar with a few pictures taken from his phone. It looked plain compared to what lay around the room.

But he was confident. There would be periods where they would be able to present at the front, and people all around the world would be able to hear it. Though whether or not they would pay attention was another issue.

There would be hundreds of projects present. Each submission would be recorded and available for view online, but in the end, it was a vote of popularity. If he didn’t manage to catch anyone’s eye, no matter how awesome his project was, he wouldn’t be able to win. That was why he’d prepared for hours and hours, thinking of phrases that would get people interested.

“Whew,” he muttered. The atmosphere—the cool air from the air conditioners and the smell of cleaning agents and sanitization—made him nervous. Especially the cameras. There were so many cameras, one for each station. One for him.

“Will Mr. Zarke be coming?” Mr. Hothman said, scanning Enariss’s station. “He must be proud of you.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“He’s busy, but he’ll view the Junior’s Advancement through the cameras,” Enariss replied.

“How surprised he will be if you manage to win.”

“He has seen a few winners before.”

“Ah, from the orphanages.”

Orphanages. She’d never talked about that much. He knew that Mr. Zarke was famous for his philanthropy, but Enariss had never really brought it up during their conversations. If anything, she avoided it.

“I’d rather not talk about it,” Enariss said.

Mr. Hothman nodded. “I’m sure you’ll do well.”

“Any difficulties?” Ms. Clarn said, moving next to him.

“Not at all,” Demund replied.

The nurse smiled. “It feels like yesterday that you were in my office. Who knew you were good at exercising and studying?”

“Not so much the prior now,” Demund smiled weakly.

She covered her mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“No big deal. I can still run,” Demund said, doing some small hops. “I’m used to it now.”

“You’re strong, finding your way,” she said quietly. The dark circles under her eyes seemed to deepen. “Do your best.”

“I will.”

“Demund—your project,” Ms. Clarn said in a low voice, “it’s wonderful. I’m amazed you figured it out on your own. But I hope you won’t be disappointed if you don’t win.”

“Enariss, right? I heard hers is amazing.”

Ms. Clarn smiled meekly. “I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks. It means a lot.”

He’d have to text his parents how to observe him through the Junior’s Advancement. While the others were finalizing their preparation, he called them to tell them that he’d arrived safely.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Demund sighed. “Don’t worry too much. I have everything. It’s nice. Don’t forget to watch. I’ll call you later.”

“Your parents?” Enariss asked.

“Yeah. They worry too much.”

“My dad’s too busy to call,” she snorted.

“If everyone is ready, we’ll be heading to dinner now,” Mr. Hothman said.

It was cool to see glass barriers rise from the ground to cover their stations, sealing them off from potential threats. While they headed to the cafeteria, Mr. Hothman explained a few things regarding their schedule.

“We’ll have all day off tomorrow,” he told them, “as well as after dinner. If you stay within the World Memorial Center, you can travel alone, but if you wish to head outside, you’ll have to travel with one of us.”

“What will you do?” Enariss asked him, and their eyes fell on him. “It’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow, after all.”

“It wouldn’t be bad touring the Center,” he said.

Enariss rolled her eyes. “It’s your first time at Zone 1, and you want to stay here?”

“Well, I don’t know anything.”

“Then you’re coming with me. Mr. Hothman, do we really need an adult with us?”

“Of course you do,” he answered.

“I can handle myself.”

“I know you can, but we can’t have you going around doing inappropriate things—”

Demund felt his stomach drop.

“—like drinking,” he finished. “Why don’t we all go outside? I know some fun places for New Year’s Eve.”

“I guess that’s good too,” Enariss nodded.

“Could we go somewhere that isn’t too expensive?” Demund asked.

Again, they all looked at him.

“Don’t worry, it will be written off as an educational activity fee,” Mr. Hothman told him. “Bringing a wallet won’t be necessary unless you want to buy souvenirs.”

“Ah.”

After they’d had dinner, they returned to their rooms, and Enariss called him out through his phone outside. After getting permission from Mr. Hothman, Demund headed outside in his jacket.

“Let’s go take a walk,” she told him, her hands in her pockets.

They strolled through the paths under the streetlamps, enjoying the view. At night, the buildings softly lit up, and their white walls turned into gold. It was the same for the statues, and they looked like titans in the distance.

“I didn’t know this place existed until a few months ago,” Demund said, eyeing the buildings. “What do you think the memorials are for? I know there were wars in the past, but I never knew people died in the Islands.”

“For those who stood up against paranormal threats—is what the website says,” Enariss replied. “The current government began with the founding of the Preliminary Islands. I’m sure there were plenty of enemies around.”

“Huh, maybe,” Demund nodded. “It feels vague.”

“Anything related to the Islands is vague,” Enariss said. “It’s why my dad didn’t want me to go there.”

“And here you are, trying to get there,” Demund said.

Enariss shrugged. “I have my reasons.”

“My best friend is there at the moment,” Demund said. “I wanted to go there with him. But my rating was too low.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Best friend?”

“Yeah. I’ve known him since first grade.”

“What’s his name?”

“Jothan. His sister is attending our school right now.”

He hadn’t talked to her in a while because of his project. Darn. He’d make sure to see if she was doing well after this was over.

“Best friend…” Enariss mumbled. “I guess my reasons are similar to yours.”

Demund tilted his head. “I thought it was related to your...erm, mom.”

“It is. The person I’m trying to meet is directly responsible for her death.”

He hadn’t expected her to say that. He could only look at her, unable to say a word while their steps dampened the silence around them.

“Oh,” he managed to say.

“Harsh, isn’t it?” Enariss chuckled. “There’s a reason why I’m trying so hard to win. You wanted to know, didn’t you? Do you really want to know?”

“If you don’t mind it.”

“I don’t know. You’ve become far more than what I’d expected. Maybe if you know too much, you’ll use it to hurt me in some way.”

“I would never. Not for anything in the world.”

“Do you swear it?”

Her ember eyes shined under the moonlight, a mix of worry and curiosity melded onto her expression. A threatening stare—Demund felt time slow down, the sound of his heart counting the seconds one by one.

“I swear.”

She stopped, still looking at him. Then she sighed, shaking her head.

“I’ll tell you if you get in first place,” she promised.

They returned to their rooms, and Demund didn’t know whether to feel sympathetic for Enariss or happy that she’d shared something personal with him. Her mother’s death—the death of the wife of a billionaire. Not from natural causes, but murder. If it was related to the Islands, there was no doubt that superpowers of higher ranks were involved. It wasn’t something he could interfere with—at least, his current self couldn’t.

Though how long it would take for him to reach her level—he could only dream of it.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

Shaden’s relationship with the squadron wasn’t the same after he’d announced his withdrawal.

“Quitter,” he heard Hinz smirk audibly as they passed each other. The other members seemed to ignore him, and even Gel who’d given him warm smiles acted as if he didn’t exist. No one in Fort Avagal took notice of him, with the exception of the Nieuts.

Pillen taught him how to use focusing with each other each afternoon, though, on busy days, they practiced in the evening. The rest of the day, Shaden spent practicing his magic, feeling every strand and pattern of mana so that he could replicate it in the waking world. More often than not, he’d take walks outside of the fortress because staying in his small room made him feel like he was confined. He was free, but at the same time, he didn’t feel free.

They were petty—all of them. They were all adults, but they acted like children who’d been denied candy. He was the child, for goodness sake. Was it so unacceptable that he had quit?

“They’re unforgiving, aren’t they,” Nicar had said after dinner one day. He’d volunteered to wash the dishes, and she’d allowed him to assist her.

“Unforgiving? They’re petty,” Shaden muttered.

“This place is harsh on quitters,” she told him. “Though everything will be forgiven if you decide to join again. Your first week will be rough, but they’ll accept you after.”

“Do you want me to rejoin?”

“I’m giving you advice,” she muttered. “I know how lonely children can become.”

“Isn’t it weird that you’re making a child train here in the first place?

“It was your choice.”

Silence. The clanking of dishes was very audible.

“If you need anything, you can ask,” Nicar said after they were done. It confused him because he’d thought that she’d disliked him.

“But I’m no longer under you,” he said.

“You’re a guest.”

He didn’t get it. Keeping work separate from personal life—was that what this was? But there was no ‘personal life’ in the fortress. It felt unsensible to Shaden, if not downright hypocritical. Couldn’t they have acted nice while he was still a soldier?

One day, after he’d finished practicing with Pillen, Patran came to him to speak with him. It was none other than to show his thanks.

“I’m sorry things had to turn out this way,” he apologized, lowering his head. “But this is just how it is around here. Do you have plans on joining again? If you do, I’ll make sure no one under me touches a single one of your hairs.”

“Not yet,” Shaden replied. “But explain what things are like around here. Everyone is treating me like I don’t exist.”

“You don’t know why?”

“Not really.”

“You must know that deserters are severely punished,” Patran said. “Normally, you can’t quit because you want to. Those who quit are the mentally ill, the weak-willed, the cowards. They’re the scum of the nation, unwilling to protect their friends and family.”

Shaden winced.

“But you’re not from here,” Patran said. “You’re not an official soldier. While I understand why everyone is treating you like a ghost, I don’t approve of it.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“And you’re a child!” Patran sighed. “I am sure they are doing this because they are unsure themselves. This is not a situation we are familiar with. There is an unspoken code, and it never said anything about children or outsiders who quit. I’m sure everyone thinks the same.”

“Then why are you continuing?”

“Because that is what we are used to. It’s difficult to go against what is established.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s the same with you, isn’t it? Because you aren’t used to the rules here, you quit. Don’t think too badly of us.”

Patran continued to ignore him after that. Perhaps he was afraid of stepping out of line or acting differently from the others. It felt hypocritical to Shaden, but at least he now knew that they didn’t downright hate him. It was a twisted sense of reason, but he could see why. It would have been easier to ignore them as well as look down on everyone, but he could empathize.

He didn’t know that hating someone could be this hard. Well, except Hinz. He didn’t like Hinz at all. That man took things personally. He’d spit, grunt, snort when he’d catch a glimpse of him. He hadn’t done anything directly harmful, but his actions irritated Shaden more than he would have thought.

He just wished—dearly wished that this nonsense would end someday.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

“......Demund, are you listening?”

Demund blinked. “Huh? Could you say that again?”

“Do you want to try some fireworks?”

“Fireworks?” Demund grinned. “I’d love to.”

“What were you thinking about?” Enariss asked on their way to the fireworks shop. They’d done so many things and a lot of walking today, so relaxing a bit had inadvertently led his thoughts into the dream world.

“The future,” Demund replied. “Living is difficult, isn’t it?”

“You realized that now?”

“Wait till you begin taking college courses,” Edan butt in. “We’re in the special class, but there are harder classes you can take if you’re up for it.”

“Studying is simple,” Enariss said. “Right, Demund?”

“Yeah,” Demund answered, remembering all those hours he’d spent memorizing and practicing problems. “It’s simple.”

“Now, now, students should be hopeful!” Mr. Hothman said with a chuckle. “Let’s blow those worried faces away with a blast.”

Rockets, cherry bombs, popping rocks, spinning explosions, burning sticks, wizard wands—they bought them all. After donning gloves and goggles just in case the fireworks malfunctioned, they headed to a set location for fireworks where others had gathered as well. It was spacious enough for everyone.

“Now, don’t aim these towards anyone,” Mr. Hothman warned. “Go enjoy yourselves! Please don’t get hurt.”

So they began blasting away. Enariss laughed when Demund covered his ears, wincing at the large sounds. He couldn’t help it. They were loud. Even Edan was flinching with every shot, though the adults and Enariss didn’t seem to be affected by it.

It was fun, but he was jittery after all the blasts. It was much more soothing to use the fire sticks that burned away quietly, casting harmless sparks everywhere.

Edan had crouched next to Enariss, and they were talking about something. She didn’t look particularly interested, though it looked like Edan was trying his best to keep the conversation going. Demund wasn’t particularly worried. Why should he be? They weren’t even dating.

“She seems interested in you.”

Demund turned around, finding the nurse smiling softly at him. She sat down next to him with another fire stick in her hands.

“Do you think so?”

“Definitely,” she nodded. “You wouldn’t lean against someone you don’t like.”

“We’re just friends.”

“Friends go on walks at night?”

“Yeah.”

“I could ask her if you’d like,” Ms. Clarn offered. “Maybe she’s waiting for you to confess.”

“Maybe,” Demund shrugged. “But I wouldn’t want to mess things up.”

“So you do want to confess.”

“I like the way things are now,” he said. “Friendships last longer, right? She’s done so much for me. I’d hate it for it to end.”

“It sounds like you have your circumstances.”

“Yep.”

“Here I thought I could see something romantic,” Ms. Clarn sighed.

“How about you?” Demund asked. “Did you date anyone before?”

“I did,” she said. “Back at the Islands. It didn’t end well.”

“Oh...sorry about that.”

“It’s all in the past. Nothing to worry about. But sometimes I wish I hadn’t gone there at all.”

“Was it that bad?”

“Fairly difficult.” She sighed. “You never know who’s watching. Come on, spend the last stick with her.”

“Yeah.”

Demund went to sit next to Enariss, who smiled when he arrived. Edan didn’t look too happy, but Demund didn’t care.

“Here’s something cool,” he said, lighting the stick with his finger. “I’m getting better at it every day.”

“I’ll have you teach me after this,” Enariss said.

“That’s a promise.”

So New Year’s Eve was spent fairly simply, enjoying time together with Enariss—his second year of doing so. He remembered something important he’d said back then.

“This year too, can we be friends?” Demund chuckled, extending a hand. Enariss looked at it, looked at him, raised an eyebrow, then took the hand with a grin.

“It might be difficult, but yes,” she laughed softly. “But be honest. You were trying to confess to me last year, right?”

“Er—not at all.”

“And that time when you invited me to school—ah.”

“You mean when I lost my leg.”

She nodded.

“Not at all,” he told her. “I love being friends.”

“Really now.” She sounded less amused.

And it was Edan who was the most perplexed among them, and he looked from Enariss to Demund then back to Enariss again before returning to his fire stick, letting out a quiet sigh. No one heard it, nor did anyone care.

Demund went to bed with a thousand thoughts clouding his mind that night. His future was even more uncertain than before now that he’d learned of Enariss’s past—if only a little. If she won, not much would change; if he won, everything would change. Not only would his future be set in place, but he would also get to know more about Enariss.

Though—

He wanted her to win. And he wanted to be selfish. He wanted both things—why couldn’t there be two winners?

“Fair and square,” he muttered as he fell asleep. She would do her best, and he would as well. That was all he had going for him as Demund.

Trying his best.