"Don't spend the whole day in your bed, Chloe! You should get up and do something," Mom yelled after me as I trudged back up the staircase. A bowl of pomegranate seeds in hand, I closed my door behind me, drew the curtains and crawled back under the covers. Students at the Academy had Wednesdays off, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself. The one thing I was sure of, was that I wanted to be alone. I needed to be left to digest my thoughts. So much had happened the past few weeks. Things that don't normally happen.

From my personal cave of solitude – that is my bed – I turned my head and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was tied up in a messy knot, and I wore nothing but an oversized t-shirt and shorts. I laughed at how blank my expression was, sighed, and rolled over. For a while now, it felt like my head was filled with fog that I couldn't get rid of. I wasn't confused, but I just didn't know how to process things. I had never been presented with a situation like this, ever. My brain wasn't prepared. I popped a few pomegranate seeds into my mouth and began running through the events leading up to that day. I understood everything, but that feeling was never gone. To make things worse, I still had some trouble remembering things about it all when I was on Earth. It was going to take time for me to get used to Emiarhia and everything that came with it.

After lying in bed in the dark for another twenty minutes, I eventually got bored. Since I was an only child, I developed to be very independent. I was fine doing things on my own, and I liked just being by myself sometimes. It was relaxing. Sometimes I would much rather be with people, but it also probably didn't exactly help that I didn't have many friends throughout school. Those who were my friends (you can barely call them that), I didn't hang out with much because they all had better people they'd rather be with. Sometimes the best company is your own.

My phone dinged from the pillow beside me, but it was just a notification saying that an app could be updated. I didn't expect a text or DM. I picked it up anyway and scrolled through Instagram. My feed was filled with tropical sunsets, pool party shots, famous landmarks and bikini-clad mirror selfies. It seemed like everybody back home was having fun. I tossed my phone beside me and weighed my options for the day. It was too hot to go for a run, I didn't feel like going to the beach again, there was nothing for me to do in Emiarhia, I didn't have anybody to hang out with, and wandering aimlessly around town wasn't exactly ideal at the time.

"Dad," I called as I entered his office. "You've studied the area a bit. Know if there's something to do around here?"

He adjusted his glasses. "Lots of places to shop."

I shrugged. "I don't really need anything. What else?"

"There's a café and bakery a few blocks away, I think."

"I'm not really in the mood to eat."

"Then I'm all out of ideas," Dad chuckled.

Defeated and frankly quite tired, I grabbed a half-read book from my bedroom shelf and sat outside for the remainder of the day. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the words in front of me, I couldn't stop thinking about how excited I was for this weekend.

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"Mother, do we have another pitcher of oshriac?" Shaye exclaimed, poking her head out of the kitchen window. Her mom must've been too far outside to hear her, as there was no response. "Nevermind, qriityne and frost wesh will have to do."

She hastily walked out into the garden and set down a tray of refreshments on the table, along with three skinny glasses. I wasn't sure why she felt that the arrangement had to be so structured, but she told me she was raised in a household that encouraged being a proper hostess. Ashkan was expected to arrive any minute now, and my stomach was doing somersaults.

Just as I was helping her water the last flower bed, we heard a sharp knock on the front door. Shaye immediately rushed across the house, only to discover that Cilas had already opened it. I stayed farther back and observed from a distance.

"Out of the way, Cilas," she ordered, shoving her older brother aside with surprising force considering her delicate stature. "Don't you have studying to do?"

"Easy, Shaye," he threw up his hands and grinned. As the eldest child in the family, he was the wittiest, which also made him the most obnoxious, according to Shaye.

After shooting him one final glare, she turned to the doorway. "Good day, Ashkan. Apologies for Cilas."

"He's just your brother," Ashkan shrugged as he hung his cloak onto the nearby rack.

"Try having three of them," Shaye said, smoothing out her powder blue dress. "Besides that, you're late again."

He looked at her and gave a half-smile before shaking out the snowflakes from his wavy hair. "As always. Shouldn't you be used to it by now?"

She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to follow her into the garden. "Did you bring your necklace?"

He nodded firmly, fishing it out from his pocket. "My stars, Shaye. Was all this really necessary?" He gestured to the table of assorted beverages.

She nodded. "I've only known Brielle a short while, but I want this to go well. The three of us getting along is important."

"I suppose..." He plopped down in a seat.

Shaye settled across from him. "You couldn't have dressed a little nicer? Those garments aren't exactly formal."

"And? I don't waltz about in a doublet every day."

"With that being said, I do look forward to the Nyvar Festival."

He sighed. "Don't remind me."

They shared a laugh. I continued to stand just outside of the room, out of sight. I wasn't sure if I should let them finish talking first.

Shaye excused herself and walked over to me. "My apologies. I get caught up in conversation sometimes. Are you all right to join us?"

I took a deep breath and neatened my hair. I rarely get anxiety, but it's really obvious when I do. My hands start to shake and my breathing shallows. "I think so. Nothing to be nervous about, right?"

She smiled comfortingly. "It'll be great."

Ashkan stood up from his chair as she moved aside to make room for me to enter. "De Mavset. It's nice to finally make your acquaintance," he greeted with a surprising tone that seemed curt, if not indifferent. His expression was blank. It felt rehearsed, like a default greeting he always said to new people.

I nodded. "You too." He was taller – standing near him, I had to look up a few inches. His green eyes were striking.

"Come, take a seat." Shaye gestured to the chair on the other side of the table.

"So you're the other saviour? The Earthborn?" Ashkan asked, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Yeah... Crazy, right? I haven't seen either of you in forever," I replied. "All of this is so amazing and so frightening at the same time."

Shaye shook her head. "I don't think any of us expected to be involved in something like this. That much we have in common."

"Never in my life," I agreed.

"We'll be training together from now on," Ashkan said.

"Yes, there's that too," Shaye confirmed.

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"Shaye," I said, turning towards her. "Remember when we were talking about how we all have one of those necklaces? Do you have yours with you?"

"Oh, right! I think so. Just one moment." She quickly got up and headed to her bedroom.

While she was gone, I picked up Ashkan's necklace and compared it to mine. His was white gold with a pocket watch for a pendant. "They're so similar. Look, there's even the Emiarhian time on the rim here."

I continued as Shaye returned to the garden. Ashkan and I were huddled over the table, examining the two necklaces closely. I was doing most of the talking, he was just...observing quietly.

"I found it," Shaye announced. We laid the three pieces of jewelry beside each other on the table. Nobody could deny the resemblances. The chains were all exactly the same length, the different pendants were roughly the same size, and they each bore the Emiarhian time on the edge.

I sat up. "This is amazing."

Ashkan furrowed his brows, running his hand through his medium-length, sandy blond locks. It looked as if he had simply rolled out of bed, but his tousled hair remained effortless, only a bit messy. "This writing on mine... It says... Courage."

He looked to me for a reaction, wheat-coloured strands falling across one eye. I found myself staring curiously. He had a faint dusting of freckles across his cheeks and nose that wasn't visible at first glance. Also, like many other Emiarhians I'd met, his ears were pointed – but only moderately so; he could've passed as a human.

Quickly, I snapped out of it and turned to Shaye. "What word is engraved on yours?"

She picked up the sparkling pendant from the table. She squinted her eyes to read the tiny, elegant cursive. "It says... Wits."

Ashkan nodded. "Accurate."

"Aw, you two got good ones. Wits and courage are cool traits. All I got was honesty," I sulked.

"Also important," Shaye pointed out. "But no matter, it's getting a tad late. I shan't keep you too long." She picked up the tray from the table and carried it inside to the kitchen.

"I should really be on my way as well," Ashkan said, heading towards the door. "I look forward to our training sessions." Barely giving me so much as a glance, he clasped his cloak around his shoulders before leaving.

"I'm glad he likes you," Shaye said after he left.

My face turned slightly warm. "Huh?"

She shrugged. "It seems like he'll get along with you just fine. Seeing as we'll all be spending so much time together now."

"Oh," I nodded. "Yeah, he seems nice. Guarded, but...nice."

We chatted for a bit longer before I had to leave as well. I was really beginning to enjoy her company. It was so mind-blowing, the situation that the three of us were put into. Born into, more like. Nonetheless, I was more than happy that it happened to be Ashkan and Shaye, of all people. I knew that the absolute worst was to come – and that scared me a bit – but along with that, probably some of the best moments of my life.

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"Come on, get back up. Try again," Kadia ordered, nudging my side with the toe of her leather boot. I grudgingly rolled over and pushed myself to my feet. At this point, I became sweaty, tired, and increasingly annoyed. I brushed off the loose dirt that coated my bare arms. Only a day after I met Ashkan, we started daily physical training. I would be missing a lot of weekday dinners on Earth from now on.

I trudged through the soft floor made of packed earth, fixing my ponytail. We were supposed to wear the same clothes as we did in the field endurance course, and we would gradually be moved to heavier or more restricting clothing to simulate real-life situations. Shaye was over in the corner with Morgina and Reyshore – running, climbing, jumping and ducking through an obstacle course. Ashkan was sparring with Tyrath, and I was stuck with Kadia. I gazed at each of them in the distance and sighed. They were both far more experienced and talented.

"Shut everything out and focus," Kadia pressed as I pulled myself back up onto the beam. She told me that I was going to need to perfect my ability to make a quick escape, no matter what was in my way. Today I was jumping from beam to beam as they gradually got thinner, less convenient and higher from the ground. I almost slipped on one that was angled, but I managed to regain my balance.

"Knife!" Kadia yelled, throwing a leather ball in my direction. I instinctively ducked and grabbed the edge of the beam to hang off it. The ball whizzed over my head. I swung back up onto the top, only to be met by another leather ball to the face.

"Um, ow!" I snapped, shooting Kadia a glare. My cheek stung. "What the hell?!"

She shook her head. "You must be prepared."

I dropped off the high beam. "Can we do something else, please?"

"Fine. I'll give you something different." She led me over to an uneven wall with misshapen blocks sticking out of it. "To the top, as fast as you can. Go."

"Okay, geez." I felt carefully for a foothold before starting to climb up. I noticed how the blocks began to take different shapes, similar to things like roofing and stone.

When I finally reached the top, Kadia looked up at me and nodded. "Not...horrible. We'll work on it. Now come down."

I wiped my sore hands on my shirt. "How do you think I'm doing so far?"

"From the perspective regarding our final goal? Terribly. Dreadful."

"Okay, obviously, but I meant how am I doing today?"

"Considerably well. You're capable of doing much more, however. That's why I'm teaching you everything I know. Your physical state needs to be in absolute optimal condition and maintained that way. You will be working tirelessly and endlessly until the limits. You'll need to master the art of walking and running silently, among other essential skills. By the time the foretold war begins, you'll be easily scaling town walls, vaulting between rooftops, balancing along ledges, knocking down enemies, wielding weapons, using magic, lurking in the shadows, existing and yet being unknown."

I couldn't help but grin. "Not gonna lie, that last part sounds amazing."

"Indeed, I was the same when I first started my training. And now, almost six years later, I'm proudly helping lead the King's army. Which, being a woman, is more difficult to achieve than you may think."

"That's awesome."

She waved her hand. "Enough. Let's proceed to spar."

We took our fighting positions in the centre of a sandpit.

"Begin," Kadia said coolly. I immediately threw a punch, but she dodged effortlessly. "You fight with a temper. Never let your emotions get the better of you when in battle. The enemy will use that as an advantage over you." I winced as she gracefully parried my attack and hit me square in the shoulder blade. "Another tip is to make noise. Unless of course, you're trying to be silent. This might cause weaker opponents to back down, and stronger ones to perhaps be intimidated, even in the slightest."

I wiped the sweat from my hairline. "What do you mean?"

"I'll demonstrate." She then proceeded to roar violently as she jumped and twisted in the air, executing a very impressive tornado roundhouse kick that I barely managed to avoid. "RRRAHH!" If I had been about ten inches closer, I swear she would've dislocated my jaw.

"Whoa," I breathed. "I've only ever done that maybe twice. And it definitely wasn't that powerful."

"You need to have complete control over how your body operates and moves at all times. Powerful strength and lightning-quick reflexes are your closest companions. Focus your weight so it's more on your toes, and be prepared to move at a moment's notice. A few extra seconds can be the difference between a successful mission and failure, even life and death," Kadia explained while we continued to spar. "It's also crucial to always survey your environment. Often times you’ll be in a situation where you’ll need to get creative with your surroundings in order to succeed."

"Noted," I mumbled, trying hard to dodge her oncoming attacks. I managed to land a few hits – and I was starting to improve – but Kadia was seriously talented. I was doubtful that she was even trying.

"So remember to get creative if need be, keep your eyes open, assess every situation, and aim for the path of least resistance. Be prudent. Don't ever go looking for trouble. Try your best to pick apart your opponent. Learn their strengths, weaknesses, and patterns. Everybody has weak points, and everybody has moves they like to fall back on. You'll need to learn to predict your enemy's movements so you can react accordingly and exploit their vulnerability. Fight ahead of your opponent. Similarly, you need to learn to fight as unpredictably as possible, so enemies have trouble figuring you out."

"Could you give me an example?"

She nodded. "Watch. I can see from your stance that you're prepared to defend yourself from a mid-frontal attack, or perhaps one from up high. But, you aren't expecting a low attack. So, while you go ahead and hit forwards, I'll dodge that and sweep kick your legs, causing you to fall. And that whole thought process happens in a matter of seconds."

My eyes widened. "That's kind of incredible. So, what are these 'weak points'?"

"Everybody has the same ones, more or less. You need to learn how to properly and successfully guard these areas on yourself by blocking, deflecting and attacking. These are typically the eyes, ears, nose, temples, jaw joints, back of the skull, neck, larynx, bottom of the rib cage, lower back, elbows, wrists, lower abdomen, groin, kneecaps, the backside of the knees, and the back of the ankles."

"Why so many? Doesn't that seem like a lot?" I asked.

"Humans aren't exactly made for being hit. But, with all that being said, it doesn't take into account things like armour. That's why all Rime Guard armour has extra protection in those places. Sometimes during a battle, you'll need to find one of these points on the enemy for yourself. It could be anything, such as the smallest gap underneath a helmet that you can wedge your sword into the person beneath," Kadia said. "Some points are weaker than others. For instance, one sharp blow to the temple or jaw can render someone unconscious, it could even be fatal. It's quite satisfying, actually."

I laughed. "I'm sure that's a normal thing for you to say."