"So, are you prepared for tomorrow?" Shaye asked me as we stood at my locker after classes had ended.

I nodded absentmindedly, not really wanting to think about that topic. My stomach still twisted at the thought of it, though. Tomorrow was the start of the weekend and our very first gemstone retrieval quest. The gemstone of light magic was target number one. Kadia and her team had apparently pinpointed its most probable location based on the riddle the Elders gave us. She insisted that the light gem had the easiest riddle, and it would likely be the least dangerous to find. So, tomorrow shortly after dawn, I was heading back to Shialumura along with Shaye, Ashkan, Kadia, Thorne, Tyrath, Morgina, and Reyshore.

"I wish I was as level-headed as you," Shaye continued, wringing her hands. "My nerves have not been kind to me today…"

I reached over and patted her shoulder. "We'll be fine. Our bodyguards may not be able to come, but we've got five other people who would take a bullet for any one of us. You just gotta have some faith and try not to stress too much. This is what we've been training for, virtually every single day for the past five or six months! And for you and Ashkan, years."

She sighed, smiling. "You're right. But I'll need all the sleep I can get tonight. Oh, have you said your goodbyes to your parents?"

Since we were leaving so early tomorrow morning, Kadia made arrangements for me to spend the night at her place. This way, the time difference that would normally be a big problem would be erased.

"It's not 'goodbye', Shaye, it's 'see you later'," I chuckled. "But yeah. It was a little hard… Mostly just strange. I think my mom was hiding how worried she actually was."

"Mine as well," she replied, turning to check her reflection in my locker's mirror. "They're proud of me, though. And you."

I took a glance in the mirror myself, ensuring that my collar was straight and my sweater wasn't rumpled – because at the Academy, you can get in trouble if your uniform is deemed unkempt. I've seen students get berated for untucked shirts, tights with runs, loose ties, and even using too much hair gel. Thankfully, I could always rely on Shaye to neaten me up.

As I checked my shoes for any noticeable scuff marks, a flash of sky blue in Shaye's bag caught my eye.

"Hey, isn't this the thing Viktor gave you?" I bent over to pick up the book and started rifling through its pages. Instead of words, it was filled with hundreds of various fashion sketches, like something my mom would own. "Weren't you going to give this back?"

"He wouldn't let me," she sighed. "Maybe I should have insisted more, but… It is a first edition collection of Yevrani's original sketches…"

"Who?"

Her jaw dropped. "Only one of my absolute favourite couture designers, Hânokub Yevrani! He's an artisan with a passion for the divine – he studied old Emiarhian styles and designs, and he revived them to trends today. He's a king of the fashion empire, especially in Hezura, and a master of proportions. Yevrani has designed garments for royalty and celebrities alike, all over the globe. It would be a dream come true to work under him. And this book right here has pristine copies of his work! Sketches that he drew with his own hand! I could only wish to achieve such style and creativity. He's the epitome of elegance."

I smirked. "You done?"

She paused, then closed the book. "For now."

"Where did Viktor even get that, if it's so coveted?"

"Apparently it was his mother's, but she had no use for it. And I've mentioned Yevrani a few times in our conversations… I can't complain about a gift such as this," she explained.

"Oi, saviours!" Miseris suddenly called out to us. She and Lilwen walked up, each bearing a casual smile. "Ready for your big adventure tomorrow?" Of course, they didn't know where we were going or why; they simply knew that we would be away on 'business' over the weekend.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Shaye replied. I nodded.

Miseris turned to me. "Say, if you don't make it back, can I have your textbooks? You know how I always manage to singe the edges of mine."

Lilwen gasped. "How could you say such a rotten thing? Don't be daft, Miseris. They will be fine; I just know it."

"Relax, I was kidding," she said. "Anyway, how's it going with lover boy?"

"Ew, please refrain from calling him that," Shaye demanded, wincing.

I chuckled. "Ashkan's getting his antidote later today. It should be ready after training. And not a moment too soon."

"Did you hear the buzz about Ofelia?" Lilwen continued. "She is getting suspended for a month because of that stunt she pulled. I could not imagine being in so much trouble…"

"Whoa, really? Who ratted her out?" I asked, more than a little surprised.

"Kadia," Shaye answered. "She spoke with the headmaster a couple of days ago. Ofelia admitted her misdeed, and she was punished.

"Without consulting with us, though?"

"Did you truly expect her to? A rule was broken, the perpetrator was obvious, and the consequences were significantly hindering our mission, so she took things into her own hands. Repercussions for Ofelia were inevitable, especially considering Kadia. It's not as though Ashkan could have a say in the matter."

"It's what she deserves," Miseris added with a shrug.

"Oh, I believe someone would like to see you, Brielle," Lilwen interjected.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. And, god, I never would've expected to see what I saw.

It was Ashkan, standing tall with abnormally well-kept hair and a small bouquet of pink naedum flowers that practically matched the blush on his cheeks. He looked so out of place that I almost burst out laughing. Despite this, a wave of dread washed over me. For the most part, I'd been trying to avoid him as much as possible in public for fear of humiliating one or both of us. But, as you'd expect, that wasn't easy to do with him being under the effects of a stupid love potion. I was pretty used to his behaviour by now, but not in the way that you'd get used to something you enjoy.

"Hi, Ashkan," I said, highly confused. It was clear that he had absolutely zero of the love potion suppressor in his body – he was getting cured soon, anyway, but in a state like this, he was way more prone to embarrassment.

"Hey," he replied, his eyes absolutely glued on me. "Um… These are for you." He gently pushed the bouquet into my hands.

I heard Lilwen swoon. "Aww!" Miseris just rolled her eyes, and Shaye had a polite but uncomfortable look on her face.

I blinked, staring down at the flowers. They smelled… Well, they smelled really pleasant. I'd never gotten flowers from somebody that wasn't a family member before.

"Are they okay? Do you not like them?" Ashkan sounded increasingly anxious.

"I… Um…" I could feel my cheeks heating up. I glanced around at my surroundings. The scene had now gathered a small crowd, which skyrocketed the awkwardness of the situation exponentially. A few groups of girls clung to one another, whispering in each others' ears. I bit my lip, knowing that I shouldn't embarrass Ashkan like this, in a situation where he couldn’t control himself – even though I was definitely feeling embarrassed myself. So, I put on a smile. "…They're lovely. Thank you."

He grinned, clearly relieved, displaying an expression that was way too affectionate for what I was accustomed to. I held my smile for a bit longer before hurriedly stuffing the flowers into my locker with zero regard for their fragility. My face was still burning. Thankfully, the small crowd dissipated within seconds.

When I turned back around, Ashkan was still standing there with his lopsided smile. There was a ray of sunlight that just so happened to land on a section of his face, illuminating one of his eyes and the surrounding locks of hair. I frowned and knit my eyebrows together, taking in the sight. He just looked…different. Not like himself.

"Why do you look like that?" I asked, my voice coming out more pointed than I'd intended.

He tilted his head and gave a cheeky wink. "Like what?"

I wasn't sure if I was confused, intrigued, annoyed, or a combination of all three. My head felt like it was underwater. "Like…that."

He laughed. "Like this?"

I gritted my teeth. "Yeah."

"Like what?"

"Like that!"

"Why, do you like how I look?"

"No!" I exclaimed, blushing furiously. "I mean, not that you're– Yes? Whatever, nevermind!"

Miseris started cackling. Even Lilwen seemed to be holding in a chuckle.

I turned to Shaye, gesturing wildly at Ashkan. "We need to get rid of this."

She nodded. "I could not agree more."

----------------------------------------

"I had my work cut out for me with this one," Thorne announced, raising the elusive antidote in the air triumphantly. "I made a little extra, just in case. He just needs to ingest at least most of it."

He, Kadia, Shaye, and I were all gathered around his kitchen table. Ashkan sat in a chair in front of us, gazing at me dreamily like usual. I folded my arms, avoiding his gaze. These past two weeks had been excruciatingly awkward, especially since the potion was showing no signs of wearing off. I was more than ready for it to be over, and I'm sure everyone else was too. Especially Ashkan. Although, I didn't know if he would remember any of it when he woke up.

"Let's hope this works," Kadia said, checking her pocket watch, "and you three can get back to training like normal."

Thorne smirked at his girlfriend. "Don't you trust me, love? I like to think I'm a pretty skilled brewer."

She smiled – a rare behaviour coming from her. "I do trust you, which is why I'm sure things will turn out fine. Let's begin, shall we?"

Nodding, Thorne set the antidote down on the table. I picked it up to examine it. It was contained in a little, truncated vial, not much bigger than my thumb. The antidote itself looked syrupy and it clung to the sides of the glass. It was dark blue in colour.

"Drink this," Kadia ordered plainly, regarding Ashkan.

He didn't say anything and instead just stared at her, perplexed.

Shaye leaned on the table. "Hello, can you hear me? You need to drink this, please."

Once more, no response. Just a look of skepticism.

"Oh, for the love of stars…" she sighed.

"What if you try, Brielle?" Thorne piped up.

I groaned. "Me? Why do I have to?"

"He mostly seems to listen only to you," Kadia pointed out. "So, you try."

Reluctantly, I trudged over to Ashkan and pulled out a chair in front of him, sitting backwards in the seat as if to put a barrier between us. I draped my arms over the back of it and held out the antidote. "Bottoms up."

"Perhaps a little gentler than that…" Shaye mumbled from behind me.

Ashkan's eyes moved from mine to my palm, and back up. "Why? What is that?"

"An antidote," I replied.

His face fell. "Huh? Am I sick?"

I angled my head from side to side, weighing my answer. "Yeah, kind of."

"N-No… Am I going to die…?" he asked, his voice filled with a certain sorrow that – albeit completely fake – still gave me a pang in my heart. "I don't want to die… I don't want to leave you..." he continued, his gaze now full of distress. He reached for my hands, but I pulled away.

You're killing me here, I thought. Just remember, none of what he's saying is real…

"Listen, you're going to be okay if you drink this," I said. "I…made it myself. Yeah. It's good for you. Here, we can…share."

Cringing briefly from our dialogue, I popped the cork off the antidote. After glancing at Thorne to make sure this would have no effect on me, I took a tiny swig of the concoction. And oh boy, was it ever sour. There was pretty much no sweetness at all, just pure, citrusy sourness. Yet it was somehow also ice-cold. It was like drinking a liquified, sugar-free Warheads candy that had been left in the freezer. The flavour almost made my eyes water as I tried to keep my nose-scrunching to a minimum. Then, before I knew it, the taste evaporated completely from my tongue.

I suppressed a cough and handed the vial to Ashkan. "Your turn."

His almost childlike pout turned into a wicked grin. "Will I get a kiss if I do as you say?"

Immediately, my cheeks were set ablaze for what felt like the hundredth time today. I glared at him sternly. "No."

"Then I'm not drinking it," he replied brazenly, positioning his face closer to mine.

I resisted the urge to bash my own face in with the nearest object. It would be cruel to force him to drink, right? Inhaling a slow breath, I lied, "Fine. You get one kiss if you take the antidote."

With nary another word, Ashkan held the vial to his lips and tipped the rest of the remedy into his mouth. He recoiled briefly from the taste, before looking back at me expectantly.

I leaned back, waiting for him to recover. Everyone else in the room had gathered behind me. We watched as he shivered, and his irises turned deep blue for a split second. He then slumped in his chair, breathing deeply, his eyes squeezed shut.

Kadia moved closer to inspect him. "Ashkan? Are you awake?"

"Hey," Shaye chimed in, shaking his shoulder carefully.

I winced. "Please don't tell me this lobotomized him or something."

"No way, no how," Thorne responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I followed the recipe exactly. Just give him a minute to come to."

I looked over at Ashkan again. He was still breathing audibly, eyes tight, face tense.

Shaye gripped the hem of her blouse. "He's not in pain, is he?"

Thorne pressed the back of his hand to Ashkan's forehead, then checked his pulse. "Seems fine and dandy. That potion must've really had a hold on him. Maybe he needs a kiss to wake up, eh?"

I rolled my eyes. "As if."

Without warning, Ashkan's head jerked up from where it had been drooped over. His eyes snapped open. They were glazed over, and scarily close to what someone looks like when they first wake up from a long sleep. His gaze raked over each of us individually before landing on his own hands. I could practically see the thoughts flooding back into his mind. His own thoughts, hopefully. He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. He then shook his head, slack-jawed, eyes still wide.

"Ash!" Thorne chirped. "How're you feeling, mate?"

"Is it…? Am…I…?" Ashkan muttered in a slightly raspy voice. He glanced around the room.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're all right!" Shaye exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "I'm so sorry we couldn't help you sooner!"

He hugged her loosely, still clearly very puzzled. But at least he was himself again. He blinked rapidly, then squinted. A few moments of silent confusion went by. Finally, he exhaled roughly while clutching his head. A long breath of relief.

Then, his gaze locked on mine. A little more comprehension passed over his face before he sat up with a start, almost falling out of his chair. I glanced back at him apprehensively. This was the moment of truth. Had he woken up with memories of his actions during the past two weeks? I was praying for him not to remember.

"Brielle…" Ashkan whispered.

Subconsciously, I started twiddling my thumbs. "Um, hi."

Watching him mentally put the pieces together, I could just about make a countdown timer for the reaction I was dreading. Three… Two…

As if on cue, the faint dusting of freckles on Ashkan’s face gradually disappeared under a scarlet flush of mortification – which spread all the way to the tips of his pointed ears. And by the look of sheer, unadulterated horror on his face, you would've guessed he had just witnessed a dog get run over by a car.

"I didn’t– I didn’t– I couldn't–" he stuttered, his hand covering his mouth. "Oh, gods. I mean, I really don’t know what to say… Other than I-I am…so, so sorry."

I shook my head calmly. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. Hey, at least we know you haven't lost your memory."

"So… You were awake that whole time?" Shaye asked.

He nodded, staring at his hands. "It felt as though I was in a dream, watching someone else make a fool of themselves, utterly powerless to control anything. More of a nightmare, I suppose…"

"Well, the important thing is that you're back to normal," Thorne mentioned, clapping him on the back.

"That being said, we must continue training. Come along," Kadia said.

After we thanked Thorne profusely and left his place, I started walking right on Kadia's heels. Something told me that I wouldn't be conversing with Ashkan anytime soon, at least not without accompanying awkwardness. I just hoped he wasn't beating himself up about it. On the way to the arena, Shaye made it perfectly clear to him that it was entirely Ofelia's fault, and that she'd been suspended for it. That seemed to help a little, but he was probably still reeling from the general experience. I didn't blame him. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was probably worse that he could remember all that had happened, rather than being 'asleep' the whole time. I figured it was best for me to keep my distance for now.

Which was going to be quite difficult during our upcoming mission.

----------------------------------------

That weekend, the eight of us set out to Shialumura shortly after dawn. To be more inconspicuous, we travelled to the realm by train instead of by carriage this time. I had slept surprisingly well at Kadia's, considering all that had happened the day before (and that I was in an unfamiliar bed). After a light breakfast, we all met up and took a carriage to the train station near Alselian's western border. Said train would take us across Winithas and into Shialumura. The five trainers chatted here and there about the plan, but overall, there wasn't much conversation amongst the group. Some of us were still waking up, some of us were nervous, and some of us were both. We were all dressed ordinarily, and Shaye, Ashkan and I had hoods pulled low over our faces. Good thing the station was bustling, so nobody had time to recognize us. Also, exactly like the people around us, everyone had on their 'respect' adornments, whether it was a unique circlet or a small, crest-shaped lapel pin.

Soon, we climbed aboard the train with no fuss at all. I wouldn't call it fancy, but it was certainly nice on the inside. Everything was mostly soft blue and grey, with wooden accents. The individual cabins were large and had frosted windows on the doors. I was in a cabin with Ashkan and Shaye, Kadia and Thorne's was across from ours, and Tyrath, Morgina and Reyshore's sat beside theirs.

Expelling a long breath, I settled into my seat after putting my bag in the overhead compartment. Shaye sat beside me and Ashkan sprawled out on the bench across from us. As the sun rose, a vaguely musical chime sounded, and the train lurched out of the station. I quickly learned that trains in this world, although still very fast, were slower than flying carriages, and the trip was going to take about six hours. It chugged off slowly and was surprisingly quiet for a train. We stayed quiet too. I knew we were all nervous, but we could hardly say anything amongst ourselves. It wasn't normal. Yes, there was the whole potion thing that was still fresh in everyone's minds, but...still.

Shaye broke the silence first, saying, "We'll be okay." I couldn’t tell if she was speaking to us or herself. Ashkan and I looked at her. Our eyes were wary, and she must have seen it on our faces because she looked a little scared herself. "We’ll be fine," she repeated with a little less confidence. Her complexion seemed to pale.

"We'll be more than fine," I said, trying to make my voice as light and carefree as possible. "It's nothing we can't handle." She smiled shakily. Her eyes seemed to be tearing up. "Aw, Shaye," I whispered, reaching over to pull her into a hug. She happily welcomed the embrace.

Normally, I didn't hug my other friends as often as I hug Shaye. Spencer wasn't that big on them, for instance. But Shaye was quite emotional, and definitely a hug enthusiast. She hugged me and all her friends plenty. So, if that's how I could help her, then I wouldn't think twice about it. I obviously didn't want to see her upset.

I released her a few seconds later. "Look, I am so proud of you, okay? Your parents are proud of you, your brothers are proud of you, Ashkan's proud of you, so is Kadia, we all are. You're not alone in this, Shaylie. We're right there with you, and we all got your back. If anyone tries to get to you, they're gonna have to go through me first. And I'm not going down easy."

She let out a small laugh, but it sounded a little choked. "Th-Thank you. You truly mean that?"

"Of course I do," I replied. "You know why? Because I know that you'd do the exact same thing for me. And that's what being best friends is all about." A single tear rolled down her cheek and I wiped it away with the sleeve of my sweater. "You can cry when we have the gemstone back, all right?"

"And I probably will," she said with a more stable grin. I gave her a quick side-hug, and her expression then brightened. "Say, would you let me do your hair?"

"Go for it," I chuckled, turning my back towards her in my seat. With absolutely no context, that question would seem pretty absurd and off-topic. But it was perfectly normal for Shaye. Everyone has different ways that they like to decompress; some people meditate, some people listen to music, some people take baths, some people spend some time outdoors. I like to go for runs to clear my head. Ashkan tends to pick up a book when he's stressed. For Shaye, that thing is brushing and styling hair – usually her own, mine, or Lilwen's, since Miseris hated anyone messing with her 'do. I couldn't complain; it helped her to bring her focus back together, and I got a free hair-brushing.

Shaye grabbed a few things from her bag and started untying the messy braid that I had slept in. She then sectioned it and began to untangle it, carefully working her way through. I could feel myself relaxing as the tension I didn't even know I had slowly left my shoulders. Within minutes, she had secured my hair into a low, side-swept bun with some loose tendrils around my face. Afterwards, she pulled out her sketchpad and began doodling various pieces of clothing.

My gaze drifted to the scenery out the window. It was all passing by so quickly. There was a big forest next to the tracks, some farms, and a few shops along the way. We passed by a big town and a smaller one about half an hour later. There were even a few villages, but they were tiny in comparison. The speed of the train made it difficult to see everything clearly, not to mention that it was still a little dark outside. Although, we didn't get to the next city too long before the darkness gave way to daylight. When we crossed the border into Shialumura, it was pretty easy to tell, because the snow gradually disappeared from the ground, and the architecture changed from Gothic-like stylings to something more akin to Tudor.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ashkan glancing at me periodically. I also noticed that, despite having been reading from the moment we were settled, he hadn't been turning the pages in his book nearly as often as what would be logical. I wondered what he was thinking about. I hated that almost every time our friendship seemed to be stabilizing, something else would happen that would throw it out of whack. It was something I really hoped wouldn't become a regular pattern. At least this time, it was neither of our faults. Plus, perfect friendships with absolutely no bumps just don't happen. And I suppose you could argue that the amity was still developing in a net positive fashion. I just hoped that we were close enough to simply not let things be awkward. Most things aren't awkward unless you make them awkward, in my mind.

So, without making it apparent that I'd seen him looking, I peered over at Ashkan and smiled softly. Upon making eye contact, he didn't exactly return the gesture, but he pressed his lips together into what resembled a thin but civil smile. He then promptly shifted his attention back to his novel.

Okay, so he was still thinking about that.

"Whatcha reading?" I asked curiously. The cover was very plain, consisting of worn leather and gold script that was far too small to make out.

He chuckled faintly before looking up at me. "Oh, a book," he replied. "Something to break the monotony of our journey."

I rolled my eyes, fighting a grin. "I can see that, you dolt. What's the title?"

He simply held it out closer to my face. The Thirteenth Amulet, read the cover.

"What's it about?" I continued.

He turned the page, then stared down at it. "Oh, it's complicated. Just a mystery story."

"That sounds interesting." I leaned forward in my seat, propping my elbows up on my knees. "Is it good?"

"Mm-hmm. But I suppose that's subjective."

Without thinking about it, I suggested, "Think you could read me a page or two?"

Ashkan looked at me oddly. "Me?"

I shrugged and let my hands fall to my lap. It's not like I had my phone or any music to pass the time. "I mean, only if you want to. But why not?"

"Well, I'm halfway through the book," he told me, glancing back down at it, "and I don't want to bore you two. You wouldn't understand what's going on, either."

"Some background noise would be nice," Shaye chimed in. I nodded.

He cleared his throat, then took a moment to consider it. "Um, okay, sure," he eventually replied. "All right. But I'll have no snickering should I fumble a word."

I made a gesture of zipping my mouth shut.

He inhaled deeply and smoothed out the current page before beginning to read aloud. "'So, Mrs. Eiudo took matters into her own hands, calling in a local detective agency. The detective’s report on the case revealed that there were several unusual aspects of the murder. For example, the detectives could not rule out the possibility that a person or persons unknown had tampered with the main door's lock. The report also suggested that the victim's cause of death was asphyxiation. But the autopsy concluded that there were no external injuries to the body, indicating that it was someone who had died of an anoxia-induced cardiac arrest, which meant that Mr. Narsingh had been dead for some time before he was buried in the cellar. But if so, how did his body end up there?'…"

I nestled back into my seat, gazing out the window while listening attentively. Ashkan's voice was low and surprisingly soothing. As time passed, I could tell he was settling into the story and paying less attention to our presence, because he was putting a bit more emotion into his narration. He'd be a good storyteller for audiobooks, I thought.

When he finished reading a few pages, Shaye and I asked him to continue, so he ended up reading for pretty much the rest of the train ride. I think it was a pleasant distraction for all of us.

----------------------------------------

In the heart of gold where rain’s hues meet

She stands empty-handed, yet She holds both bolt and key

Await Her strongest hour, then proceed oppositely out of Her reach

But one mustn’t trivialize Her craft’s glaring and illusive properties

Deep in thought, I ran my fingers across the parchment over and over. This wasn't the original version of the clues we'd received from the Elders, of course, but a copy that Kadia wrote. I wasn't sure why I was so curious about it; the trainers already knew where we were going. But I was still intrigued.

"You said this was the easiest clue?" I asked Kadia, sitting up from my chair. Since we needed a safe place to prepare and discuss our strategy, and we weren't staying for the night, the eight of us gathered at her friend's place after we left the train station. Well, it was more like her friend's basement – the entrance was hidden in an alley. I knew better than to ask questions. Still, the room was actually quite nice. It was furnished and spacious, although some of the objects in there were a little suspicious. Let's just say that it didn't look like a place that law enforcement would approve of.

"Correct," Kadia replied from where she was surveying some maps. "The 'heart of gold' refers to Yethriondra, Afran, where we are now. It's the centre city; the 'heart' of Shialumura, which is called the 'Golden Realm' because of its origins in light magic. The surrounding burgs and towns all have names based on the colours of the rainbow, so this is where 'rain's hues meet'."

"And who is the woman in the clue? Are we meeting somebody?"

"Please, I have a million and one things to deal with right now. You'll see for yourself later." She then threw me a burlap sack that was presumably full of clothes and equipment for me.

I huffed and grabbed the bag before walking behind a large divider to change. Shockingly, everything fit me like a glove. After I was done, I gave myself a quick once-over in the mirror. I was wearing a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, pale tan trousers, and a dark brown leather vest that laced up at the front. The vest had matching boots. Overtop, I wore a small black capelet that had a high collar, a silver chain closure, and a long hood with a heavy silver charm on the edge to weigh it down. Finally, I slipped on some black leather bracers and a black dagger sheath around my thigh. My travelling necklace was still tucked securely under my shirt.

"How come everything fits me perfectly?" I questioned, stepping out from behind the divider.

"Kadia asked me a while ago for your measurements from the Nyvar Festival," Shaye piped up from across the room. She walked over to help me lace up my vest. "King Typhis and Queen Valanche had these specially tailored for us. Isn't that lovely?"

"So, if you don't like 'em, feel free to let them know," Morgina grinned.

"Will this be enough protection?" Ashkan wondered out loud, looking down at his own ensemble, which was vaguely similar to mine and Shaye's. The colours and styles were all different between us, but they were fairly alike in terms of materials, construction, articles, and weight. We all had hoods, for example – although so did everyone else, whether it was a capelet, cloak, jacket, or coat. A lot of thought probably went into this, I realized. But I was too busy thinking about other things.

Tyrath nodded firmly. "You wouldn't be wearing it if it wasn't protective. Leather isn't as sturdy as metal, but it also doesn't reflect light, which is what we're going for. Not trying to get blinded out there if we can help it."

"I also enchanted them to boast extra defence," Reyshore added with a smile.

"And you're likely only wearing them once," Thorne said, "so you can tear them, stain them, bleed on them, what have you. The most important thing is that you three stay alive."

Morgina put her hands on her hips, squaring her shoulders. "Which is exactly why we're here. We'd get the gemstones ourselves if we could, but unfortunately, you guys are supposedly the only ones that can handle them. So, we'll guide you there, make sure you're in as little danger as possible, and one of you will pick it up."

"Is that why we only get daggers?" I asked.

"For now," Kadia confirmed. "You shouldn't even need them. We don't have our usual weapons, either. And you also have your magic, remember?"

I frowned as I twirled the dagger in my hand. "Ooh, what am I gonna do, throw a ball of light at enemies? That'll protect me."

She shot me a look. "I'll pretend that you didn't indirectly insult your highly skilled and capable trainers, not to mention Miss Lucera. You may be late to the party, Brielle, but your issue has never been one of power or ability. For you, it's about control. Not tapping into too much or too little magic. I know what you're capable of. I've seen it. The problem is you not believing in yourself enough."

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For a moment, I was speechless. Was that really how she thought of me? More importantly, was she right? What did she know that I didn't? My mind was flooded with all the spells I'd learned, every book I'd read, every theory I was taught from my professors, all the hours I'd spent studying and practicing magic. I wouldn't be here if I couldn't handle it… Right?

Reyshore must've noticed my stunned expression, because he spoke up, "Well, I think what Kadia meant is that magic is just as much an art of the mind as it is of the body." He approached me calmly, all three of his eyes displaying a reassuring air that was characteristic of him. "If you don't have confidence in your magic, you won't succeed as much. Just as you wouldn't run as fast if you were sore and tired, if you have a lack of confidence in your skills, you won't perform them to the best of your ability. You see? It's much more cerebral than most realize."

I had to admit he had a point. "Yeah, okay. Thanks for the wisdom."

"Well, gang?" Tyrath interrupted. "Are we ready to set out?"

After a quick check that we had everything and everyone was fully equipped, we were off into the city streets of Yethriondra. With one last deep breath, I pulled my hood up and followed everyone else outside.

By this point, it was almost noon, and the sun was shining brightly, creating a perfectly tepid temperature. The breeze carried the scent of the sea in from the nearby harbour and the sounds of carts, horses, and people were starting to fill the air. It didn't look like a highly rich city, but certainly not a poor one. As I recalled from my geography lessons, Shialumura was famous for its imports and exports with all other realms. Being a realm with many islands and entirely surrounded by ocean – save for a small, bottlenecked border with Winithas – it had dozens of ports and harbours for ships to dock. Despite it being Emiarhia's smallest country, it was densely populated, and both its influence and prestige were apparent.

The people had a certain air about them. They seemed clean, happy, and proud to be from the region – not to mention how unique they all looked. As I understood it, Winithas was a sort of big melting pot for Emiarhia's races: there was a large variety and more 'mixed' people than 'pure'. Lots of them came to Winithas for work or better opportunities. It could be compared to New York or Los Angeles in those ways. Thus, travelling to a less influential realm allowed me to get a better understanding of its race's distinctive traits and cultures. But beyond that, even the way they dressed was noticeably different than Winithinian styles. The best I could explain it was a unique blend of nautical/pirate-like and steampunk fashion, with intertwined elements of Tudor and aristocratic flairs. I saw plenty of starched collars, metallic elements, hoods, hats, minimalistic silhouettes, and pinstripes.

I turned to Morgina, who looked by far the most like she fit in out of everyone, remembering that she was purely this race. "Faennias, right?"

"Very good. I expect you to know that, since you're about one-eighth Faennic," she smiled, nodding. "Yep, Shialumura's native race is Faennia. Shimmery skin, rounded features, iridescent hair, pale brows or lashes, and large eyes in any shade of the rainbow. If there's anybody with pink or purple hair, they've got to have some Faennic genes. Keep your eyes peeled and you might see some of our rare traits – ocular albinism or even sections of colour-changing scales."

"Is it strange being back here?" I asked.

She glanced away and replied, "Not really. It's nice to visit, I guess. I think about it from time to time, but I'm much happier in Winithas. This is where I was born, but it's not where I'll die." She seemed remarkably unemotional about the whole thing. I decided not to push any further.

A few minutes later into our walk, my immersion was interrupted by the sharp sound of rustling foliage, and then a tap on my shoulder.

"Check this out," Ashkan murmured from my left, holding out a single oblong leaf in front of me.

I took it between my fingers and examined it. "It's a leaf."

"It's not just any leaf," he corrected. "Press your thumb onto it."

I did so, and right before my eyes, the leaf turned from pale green to vibrant orange underneath my thumb.

"Whoa. Is this some kind of mood leaf? What does orange mean?"

"That you're alive and warm," he replied. "It changes based on temperature, not mood. I think the smaller trees are common in houses for weather-related purposes."

"Still cool," I shrugged, handing it back to him. "Thanks for showing it to me."

"My stars, Ashkan," Shaye interjected from behind us, "could you please not desecrate the local flora while we're visiting as guests? You major in earth magic, for the gods' sake..."

Ashkan turned around to face her and began walking backwards. "Well, you major in air magic, so you could've swept it out of my hands."

She folded her arms. "Oh, are you saying you need a nanny?"

I laughed under my breath, but Ashkan simply rolled his eyes. "Blimey, I'm just showing Brie something interesting. No need for a lecture." As we passed by another one of those trees, he reached up and magically reattached the leaf to a branch, making it appear as though it had always been there.

A smile crept onto my face when I heard him use that nickname again. "You really were serious about 'Brie', huh? Out of all the options? You could've picked 'Elle', or 'B'. But no. It had to be the cheese."

He chuckled briefly, which made me glad that we were pretty much back to being comfortable around each other as usual. "'Elle' is much too frilly for you. 'B' sounds kind of dodgy, and it's the most unimaginative. 'Brie' is the most befitting." He paused to give me a sidelong glance. "Short and simple; it's just off-kilter enough to be apt."

"Wow, thanks," I said wryly. "Today I learned that I'm small, bland, and weird."

Unintentionally, I somehow got him to laugh at that. "Is that the sum of your self-knowledge?" he posed, his voice teasing.

"Is that how you see me?" I countered with a grin.

He scoffed and shifted his gaze to his boots. "Only the last of those things is true. But...in a good way. Besides, brie cheese is extremely rare here. Nobody would even genuinely make that connection but you."

"Ofelia did."

"Then she's an outlier. And since when do you care about what she thinks?"

I blinked at him. "...I don't. I'm just saying..." I didn't quite know how to finish that sentence, so I started a new one. "If you get to call me 'Brie', then don't I get to call you 'Ash'?"

The pace of his footsteps slowed for a moment, and I could tell he was fighting off a smile. "Don't push your luck."

"Pay attention, you two," Tyrath suddenly cut in, gesturing to the front of the group.

Ashkan and I caught up to the others in the centre of a round plaza, who were gathered around a giant statue of a woman carved from gold and white reflective stone. She stood proudly in glittering armour, her long hair flowing behind her. In one hand she held an ornate spear, and the other was stretched up towards the sky. A handful of people around her were seemingly deep in prayer.

"This is a statue of Gavphine," Morgina explained, mostly to me. "The Goddess of Light, Vanquisher of Monstrosities, the Pellucid Healer, creator of Shialumura. She's arguably the most worshipped deity, but that's a bit of a taboo topic."

I squinted as I observed the sculpture. Its luminescence was hard to look at, not unlike the sun.

"Reyshore, if you'd please?" Kadia said after glancing up at the sky. "It's just about noon now."

He nodded, then walked a handful of paces away from us. He tilted his head back and forth a few times before returning. It seemed like he was searching for something on top of the statue, which made sense considering he was by far the tallest and had the advantage of a third eye. "It appears as though there's some sort of light-sensitive panel on her palm. I've seen ones like it before."

Kadia hummed in response, then mumbled, "'She stands empty-handed, yet She holds both bolt and key'…" She then turned to me. "Brielle, try sending a small bolt of lightning up to the statue's palm."

"But I don't know if–" I began.

"It's good practice," she insisted.

Hesitantly, I approached the statue, pressing two fingers discreetly against its base. Careful, I reminded myself. Not too much and not too little.

"Just focus on what you'd like your magic to do," Reyshore chimed in, giving me an encouraging nod.

After a few seconds, I managed to harness the power I was becoming increasingly familiar with, which was easy to tell because the feeling it gave my skin was so unique. Soon enough, electricity began crackling between my fingertips. I flicked the tiny bolt upwards and watched as it danced its way up to Gavphine's palm. The moment it made contact, some semi-loud but muffled clunks and whirs could be heard from underneath the statue. The eight of us immediately whipped around and pretended to be oblivious. Some people within earshot stared at us quizzically before walking by. Morgina and Thorne started muttering and pointing together at something in the distance, acting like the sound came from somewhere else. When the coast was clear, we regrouped.

"What was that?" I whispered, pulling my hood down.

"A sign that we're on the right track," Kadia replied. "'Await Her strongest hour, then proceed oppositely out of Her reach'…"

Reyshore called us over from where he'd been examining the perimeter of the statue. "This structure has quite the perplexing foundation… As if there's a locking mechanism inside. See this minuscule gap that wasn't there before? I'm almost certain that there is a cavity underneath; perhaps a passageway…"

Sure enough, when Kadia lightly pushed the base with her foot, it budged to the side ever so slightly. Tyrath quickly pulled it back into place.

"There is no way we can go down there in broad daylight!" Thorne exclaimed. "That'd be like walking into a sacred temple in front of hundreds of devout witnesses and ransacking it. Absolute blasphemy. We'd be lynched on the spot."

"Agreed," Tyrath said. "Morgina, have any charts for a place underneath here?"

"I should," she answered, digging through her bag full of different high-quality, hand-drawn maps. It wasn't difficult to guess what her hobby was. "Ah, here we are." With a quick hand gesture, a map started levitating in front of her, unfurling and twisting to display the location in question. "Yeah… Well, I don't have anything for directly underneath the statue. But near it, underground, is the…Obscremed Penitentiary."

I heard Shaye gasp from beside me.

Morgina bit her lip, her eyes flickering between the map and Kadia. "I mean, there's no… We can't…"

"No," Tyrath asserted firmly. "Kadia, it's too dangerous. There has to be another path."

"I don't see one," Morgina added.

"Then we'll just have to bite the bullet before we run out of time," Kadia decided. "Follow me."

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On our way over there, I learned that the Obscremed Penitentiary had many names: Deadlock, Nadir, the Throes, the Depths, the Void, and by far the most popular, the Chasm. That name apparently symbolized the metaphor of the very deepest and darkest pit of being that one falls into when they've strayed so far from the light by delving into illegal, dark magic – which I'd never heard of until then. It was a sort of permanent prison for these half-beasts called 'Rotted' that used to be people. Virtually everyone that'd been overcome by this darkness got sent to the Chasm in hopes of a cure, or at least to protect society from them. Because both Gavphine and light in general were so fervently worshipped in Shialumura, this prison was built underneath Yethriondra as a sort of punishment for its inmates, as a way to banish them from ever seeing proper light. According to Morgina, nobody had ever seen patients leave that place.

After walking through some dark tunnels on the outskirts of the city that reminded me of subway stations, we arrived at the penitentiary and saw for ourselves the gate to the Chasm. It was guarded by several men in heavy armour. I thought it was going to be impossible to get past them, but Kadia was already prepared. She showed them what looked like an official pardon edict from the King of Shialumura, one that I assumed was a sort of 'visitor's pass' that identified us as special personnel. After talking to them for a while, they agreed to let us in, but we had to leave our circlets and pins on. Easy enough.

The gates swung open to reveal the entrance to what was practically a city underneath the city. There were several bridges and passages that wound all through the main buildings, which had multiple levels. The towers stretched far down below into the darkness as well as high above. A hole in the rocky ceiling seemed like the only large light source in the whole place. Naturally, the place was swarming with armed, lantern-carrying guards.

Kadia turned around from where she'd been leading the group. "Right, so this is a bit of a kick in the teeth. But we can handle this. Don't stray from the path. Don't draw attention. Stay on your guard." She looked at Ashkan, Shaye and me. "Anything we say goes. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to run, you run. No hesitating, no fooling around, no backtalk. Do I make myself clear?"

I swallowed, my throat going dry. "Crystal." This was it. The real deal. By the time I would be walking out of here, I would have a gemstone in my possession that contains the literal powers of a goddess. Either that or… I shook my head.

"Good. Hoods up, and let's go."

"We'll want to stay heading northeast," Morgina said, surveying her map. "That'll lead us to right under the statue. Hopefully."

So, we set off down the main bridge. Our footsteps echoed against the floor, mixing with the distant sounds of clanking metal and other noises. My stomach felt unsettled, but I wasn't sure if that was because of my surroundings or from general nerves. I glanced around at the group. Ashkan's expression was determined, and his mouth shut, but I saw his eyes dart to Shaye and me every now and then. I wondered how nervous he was. I felt Shaye link her arm around mine, likely for comfort.

The bridge eventually came to an end as we entered a very dark hallway lined with prison cells. I felt my heartbeat quicken. Some cells were empty, but most weren't. Guards patrolled back and forth on either side, giving us confused looks until Kadia flashed them the edict. The darkness around us was intense, but Reyshore had summoned light orbs to follow each of us. The air was cold yet musty, filled with various groans and wails from the prisoners. The entire place felt haunted.

Although Shaye, Ashkan and I walked in the middle of our group with our trainers surrounding us, I still made an effort to look around. And what I saw inside those cells was something right out of a night terror. Calling them 'Rotted' was fitting. Their skin was gaunt, waxy, and pallid, and it looked like it was almost falling off their bones. The ragged clothes they wore hung off them. They were covered in black, root-like markings as if their veins themselves had turned dark. The ones that still had hair didn't have much of it. Above all, the most unsettling thing was their eyes, which were entirely pitch-black right to the sclerae, creating the illusion of hollowed-out sockets. Some were shackled to the walls. Some watched us as we passed, while others stayed lying on their beds or curled up in corners.

I watched as one pressed its face against the cell bars, slowly thumping its head against them, staring right at me. It was like watching a car crash; I wanted to look away, but I just couldn't. Its mouth hung ajar, baring blackened but scarily sharp teeth. In the blink of an eye, it tried to reach out and swipe at me, but was immediately swatted by a nearby guard's glowing spear. The Rotted snarled and hissed, shaking its head in fury before retreating backwards. It seemed...afraid of the light. Under the spear's radiance, I could see that it had some open wounds oozing through parts of its clothing. Not all that fresh and raw, but there nonetheless. Except its blood wasn't red; it was–

My vision was then blocked by Reyshore leaning in front of me. He smiled. "Let's keep moving, all right?"

I nodded, finally tearing my eyes away from that creature. "You saw those sores on it, right? Are they flogging them or something?"

"No. It's a punishment in itself to have to live in a prison like this. In absolute darkness." We passed another set of cells and he motioned for me to stay back. "But the wounds come from darkletting."

"Darkletting? Like bloodletting?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "When magic, especially dark magic, inhabits the body in such a way that is excessive and unnatural, it tends to taint the blood. Part of the experimental treatment for these poor souls is to make incisions and let blood flow through a special filter that only lets the magical contamination pass through. It's supposedly fairly effective at pacifying them, but they continue to fail at synthesizing healthy blood afterwards, which makes them inherently different from people who have been cursed with a similar but temporary ailment of which can be solved through gentle darkletting. Not to mention that they're unfortunately quite violent. The problem is finding a permanent solution; a cure."

I was getting a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. This place was even worse than I had expected it to be.

The cell-lined corridors soon opened up into another set of connecting bridges and staircases, and we pushed onward.

Morgina checked her map again, then pointed to a large set of stairs leading up to a separate building. "That's where we need to go."

Inside the building, the same kind of cold I had sensed before was in the air. There was something about this place. Something about the cold. It was like we were entering a giant freezer. An iron sign to my right read, "Maximum Security Wing". Before me, the big circular room split into three hallways. On one side was what looked like an endless row of cells and other doors, with a handful of guards roaming about. The other side was pretty much the same. It was still so difficult to see because this whole place was dark. The hallway in front of us was much shorter, however, and was lit by a few lanterns. A set of double doors could be seen at the end.

Tyrath glanced over Morgina's shoulder and down at the map. "Yep, straight ahead."

His brother sauntered right up to the doors to examine them.

"Thorne, careful," Kadia warned, motioning backwards for the rest of us to follow.

We stood next to the double doors as Thorne tested each of them. He pulled on the handles, only managing to open them a little. "Ty, some help?" he grunted.

Together, they managed to swing open the doors with relative ease. I watched in anticipation to see what would be behind them. Treasure? The gemstone? A horde of Rotted?

"Um..." Thorne began, pushing the doors open wider. "...It's a wall."

Sure enough, it was a stone wall covered in golden cogwheels and engravings of circles.

"Seriously? Is this a joke?" Tyrath scowled. "There's nothing here; let's go back."

"No, no," Kadia commanded. "This is it, a puzzle of sorts. Let's see what this thing is for." She walked forwards to inspect the wall.

Tyrath crossed his arms, a stubborn expression forming on his face.

Morgina chuckled, giving him a small shove. "Aw, you're just mad that you can't brute-force your way through this one. Let's leave it to the brains, hm?"

He frowned, glaring daggers at her. "What, are you saying you're the brains? Don't make me laugh. I'm pretty sure you can bench press more than Thorne can."

"Oi, not true!" Thorne shot back. They both ignored him.

Morgina sighed. "It's so easy to get you riled up, Tyrath. All I'm saying is that I was born here, so I know the most about the area."

"None of us have been down here before, you dimwit!" he retorted. "If you're so confident, then why don't you figure out the puzzle?"

"Remember, we all have our own strengths," Reyshore interjected, trying to defuse their quarrel. "Who says brains and brawn are mutually exclusive?"

"Enough!" Kadia shouted, raising her hand. Everyone fell silent instantly. "I chose you four as trainers for good reasons, because you all have a wide variety of different skills that prove to be invaluable on a team, but at different times. So, enough of the squabbling already. We work together."

After a beat of silence, Shaye spoke up, "This wall is covered with the symbol of light."

"That's what I was about to say," Morgina replied, before explaining to me, "Each deity, and each type of magic, has a shape that represents it. Circles mean light."

"And this mechanism seems interestingly...disengaged," Reyshore added from where he was studying the wall beside Ashkan. He pointed to various sections. "These linkages are unlocked, and these pawls are lifted."

I stepped closer. "That must've been what we heard earlier."

"This is also right where my map ends," Morgina said. "Beyond this is directly under the statue."

Thorne ran his fingers along the gears, scratching his chin. "Then, if it's already unlocked, shouldn't we be able to open it? I don't see a switch or lever or anything." He leaned against the wall, and as soon as he did, his arm started sinking farther and farther into the stone, like it was made of gelatin.

"Thorne!" Kadia yelped, lunging to try to catch him. But it was too late – he had already fallen sideways, right through the wall with nothing more than a shout of surprise. "Stay here," she told us before walking through the wall herself. A few moments later, she poked her head back out. "It's a secret chamber. Come on."

"An illusory wall activated by the statue... Of course!" Reyshore murmured, following Kadia through the passage.

One by one, the rest of us joined them in the hidden room. The feeling of walking through a fake wall was actually not unlike walking through gelatin, or some kind of thick air.

"This is just smashing!" Morgina grinned, excitedly scribbling down the room's floorplan on her map.

When my eyes adjusted to the darkness once more, I scanned my surroundings. It seemed like this was an area that nobody had discovered yet, or at least not in a very long time. All the walls were lined with pillars, and there were strange stone slabs all over the place. Several had glyphs carved into them. I couldn't read them, but I had no doubt they were all written in a language none of us could read. A fairly large section of the floor was broken away, revealing a pit of darkness underneath. Above us, you could see the underside of Gavphine's statue, complete with thin ribbons of light streaming in from where its base had been detached. The rest of the ceiling was covered with circular designs, but they were messy, almost as if someone had drawn them. But how could anyone reach up that high?

"Hey, do you think this still works?" Thorne gestured to an old cage elevator that sat in the corner. "Nowhere to go but...down."

Reyshore carefully opened the mechanical box on its outside. "Egads, the cables are enchanted! And still strong, too. What kind of everlasting charm is that...?" He pressed the panel in the centre of the elevator's floor with his foot and it began descending. After the cables stopped moving, he pulled the nearby lever to bring it back up. "Fully functional, just a tad dusty."

In two groups of four, everyone took the elevator down to the lower level. It was even darker than the previous room. I preemptively relit the orb of light hovering over my shoulder. There was no ceiling, so I could see all the way up to the floor of the last room.

The medium-sized chamber contained not much more than a circular table covered with various potions, scrolls, crystals, and other magical clutter. Other than that, I noticed a small, framed picture of a night sky on the wall. It almost appeared as though someone lived here.

Unsure of where to start, we all spread out. The thing that caught my eye was a certain trinket on the table that looked an awful lot like a camera.

"Why's this here?" I asked no one in particular, rotating it in my hands.

Morgina turned her head. "Wow, look at that! That must be one of Gavphine's cameras. See, every god and goddess is said to have had a specific pastime that they enjoyed doing before they, um...disappeared. Hers was photography. Oh, and they also each had unique abilities that only they could perform without using magic – Gavphine's was invisibility, if that helps here."

I looked back at the camera. It became apparent that it was missing quite a few pieces. No lens, no film... It was basically a dead box.

"Don't touch anything that looks even remotely dangerous," Kadia warned me as I flipped the machine open, scanning its various circuits, components, and wiring.

"Yeah, I got it," I said. "Actually, I think I might be able to fix this."

She looked at me incredulously. "You aren't serious."

I nodded. "No, seriously. All the parts are here. And it's not that different from cameras on Earth, which I have plenty of experience with."

Shaye approached us and laid a hand on my shoulder. "I'll help her."

"Then I'll supervise," Kadia replied, crossing her arms.

Shaye and I got to work on the camera. I would search around for the right piece, she would confirm if it was correct or not, and if so, I'd set it into place. Other than a special crystal that it needed for power, every component was very similar to some models I'd seen before. About five minutes later, we had a functioning camera. I flipped a switch on the top, and it whirred to life.

I glanced around the room using the viewfinder. Everything looked the same, except for one thing. Set into an indentation in the back wall was a strange, long metal object with random prongs and ridges.

"What's this?" I questioned, reaching for it. My fingers went through it like it was just a mirage.

"What's what?" Kadia came up behind me. "There's nothing there."

"There is," I insisted. "I can only see it through the camera."

She took the device from me and looked through it. "It doesn't make sense, but you're right."

"Try taking a photo of it," I suggested.

Kadia complied and pressed the shutter button. The camera flashed and a yellowed photo started printing out from the top. Oddly, the metal object was absent from the picture, but it manifested itself out of thin air in real life.

I cautiously took it out of the wall. It was slightly warm to the touch, which was not what I expected for a metal object that had been underground for hundreds of years. It also had some chipped smears of pink paint on it. "Okay, what now?"

Ashkan walked over to see the object. His face lit up. "I think I know what this is. I saw a photograph of something like it in one of my old books."

My eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

He nodded. "It looks like a shadow spinner. And the paint on it matches the frame of that picture on the wall." I handed the object to him and watched as he held it up to the picture, closing one eye. "Think you could shine some light in front of it?"

"Sure," I said. With a wave of my hand, my palm started glowing brightly. I held it in line with the spinner, so a shadow formed on the picture.

"See how one of the stars in the sky here is whited-out? I think that's where the shadow needs to be," Ashkan explained.

In time, after twisting and moving the spinner around a bunch, its random pieces aligned perfectly into a two-dimensional shadow of a star. Some clicks started emanating from the room.

"Whoa, hey!" Tyrath suddenly exclaimed from across the room. We turned around to see a long panel beside his head that had just flipped around from inside the wall. It had seven painted circles on it, all arranged in a row.

"Red, orange, yellow, green... This definitely has something to do with rainbows," Morgina commented. "They're not buttons, though..."

Shaye glanced at the table in the middle of the room. "Do we have to sort these crystals by colour?"

"There's too many of them," Thorne said.

"And I don't see any receptacles or holders of any sort," Reyshore added.

Everyone thought in silence for a moment.

I thought about it as well. "This is like a colour test or something."

"Hold on," Shaye spoke up. She dug through the pile of crystals, seemingly searching for something. "Look at this one! It's just refined enough to be a prism." She held up a clear, colourless crystal that was shaped like a near-perfect triangular prism.

Morgina looked at her with wide eyes. "That's it!"

She smiled, then asked me, "Brielle, if you would be so kind?"

I nodded, summoning a straight beam of white light from my fingertips. Shaye held the prism near it, and we watched as a rainbow spilled out the other side. It took a bit of fiddling to align the rainbow just right onto the circles, but it worked. The panel began to glow as more sounds of machinery filled the air. At the back, a large section of wall slid open, revealing a tarnished and dusty floor-length mirror. It bore a small symbol of a crossed-out eye on its left border.

Thorne moved to inspect the symbol. "Don't tell me we have to turn ourselves invisible."

"No, that's too simple..." Kadia replied, joining him in front of the mirror. She squinted at it, taking her time. "This isn't a mirror... This is a mirror portal."

"A what?" Shaye asked, sounding perplexed.

Kadia pressed one finger horizontally onto its surface. "There isn't a gap between my fingertip and its reflection, meaning it's at least double-sided. Real mirrors show a gap." She then moved her face closer, examining it from an angle. "And the glass is a bit too flexible to not be enchanted. There has to be something on the other side."

"So how do we walk through a magic mirror?" Tyrath inquired.

"It must have something to do with this symbol," she answered.

Thorne tried walking through it with his eyes closed but ended up just smacking into it. We tried the same thing with everyone's eyes closed – no luck. Even Reyshore tried turning invisible first, which still didn't work. Kadia began pacing back and forth.

"What doesn't it want us to see...?" Morgina wondered, squinting.

Tyrath yawned and began fidgeting with his glove. "Maybe it doesn't want to see something."

She smirked. "You're being dense. Mirrors don't have eyes."

He started to defend himself before Kadia jumped in. "Wait... Say that again," she told him.

Tyrath shrugged bemusedly. "Uh... Maybe the mirror doesn't want to see something?"

"Of course. It can see us!" Kadia stated. "We're standing right in front of it. How can it not see us? We don't need to close our eyes; we need to close its eyes."

Everyone else looked at her like she had two heads.

"Think about it," she continued. "What are some things we can do to prevent the mirror from 'seeing' us?"

"Turn invisible?" Thorne suggested.

"Already tried that; it sees us turn and still knows we're there."

Ashkan tapped his boot on the floor, thinking. "Cover it with something?"

"I don't see anything big enough. And it'll likely stop us from passing through with something in the way."

A few seconds of silence passed before Reyshore snapped his fingers. "What if we darken the room completely?"

Kadia stopped pacing. "Yes. That must be right. Lights out, everyone."

Within seconds, everyone had extinguished their orbs and the room was plunged into pure darkness. I couldn't even see my own hands in front of my face.

There was a faint twinkling sound, and Kadia said, "It worked." One at a time, she took our hands and guided us through the mirror.

We emerged into a chamber that was surprisingly quite larger. It had a high ceiling, tall columns, and elaborate tapestries lining the walls. At the back, there was an intricate golden altar holding something that was glowing – which was the only light source in the room. My pulse quickened. The air was charged. The room seemed to be humming with electricity.

"Keep an eye out for traps," Kadia uttered.

We all began advancing. Ashkan took a step beside me, but when his foot hit the floor, the panel underneath buckled slightly. I heard a high-pitched whir, almost like something was powering up, before the panel started crackling with electricity.

"Watch out!" I yelled, grabbing his arm and tugging him backwards. Just as his foot left the panel, it exploded with a puff of sparks and a sharp electric noise. He stumbled into me, trying to catch his balance, grasping my shoulders in the process.

I looked up at him. "You okay?"

He blinked at me a few times before brushing himself off. "Yeah, thanks. I just couldn't spot it."

"All right, so that's a 'yes' for traps," Thorne huffed.

Kadia moved forwards. "Just test each tile before stepping on it."

So, that's exactly what we did. Before long, all eight of us had made it to the other side without having gotten electrocuted. Afterwards, the electric panels seemed to power down for good, strangely enough. We gathered carefully around the shimmering altar, quietly marvelling at the treasure before us.

The light gemstone. Right there, in all its lustrous glory, sitting patiently on a silk pillow. It was the shape of a perfect sphere and had delicate facets all over it. Its colours seemed to shift between white, gold, pink, and lavender as I moved my head. I'd never known that something could possibly be so sparkly. It was so reflective and lucent that the longer I observed it, the more I wanted to squint.

Morgina clasped her hands together. "Well? What are we waiting for?"

Kadia glanced behind her. "Reyshore?"

"I don't see any obvious evidence of a decoy," he replied. "Let's keep our guards up just in case."

She then turned to me. "You're wearing your necklace, right?"

"Wait, why am I doing this?" I retorted.

"Why not?"

I pursed my lips, eyeing Shaye. She shook her head timidly.

I then peered at Ashkan. "I can do it if you don't want to," he offered.

"No, I'll do it. I got this," I said, shifting my attention back to the gemstone.

Kadia watched me expectantly. Taking a deep breath, I slowly put my hand in front of it, my fingertips just inches away from the jewel. The warmth from its pulsing glow greeted my skin. I held my pendant in my other hand, and with one last surge of determination, I reached for it.

...And my hand slipped right through.

Kadia leaned over the altar. "What's going on?"

A cold sweat ran down my spine. "I don't know; I can't grab it!" No matter how hard I tried, my fingers kept passing through the stone, as if it was a hologram.

"Try using your other hand," Kadia urged, sounding almost panicked. I did so, but once again, it didn't work.

My eyes widened in shock. "...It's a fake."

Just barely after those words left my lips, the room was filled with a flash of the brightest, most intense light I'd ever seen. My reflexes kicked in as I squeezed my eyes shut and angled my head down, shielding my face with my hood as much as possible. Still, despite that, I thought I'd gone blind for a second. Before my retinas had a chance to recover properly, I felt someone pull me to the side. When I dared open my eyes, my vision was heavily blurred with afterimages and coloured streaks. It took me several seconds and lots of blinking to realize that I was standing in a circle with Ashkan and Shaye, surrounded by our trainers and a magical forcefield. The torches that lined the room – which I only then noticed – were now lit.

"Everyone all right?" Kadia called out.

There was a collective affirmative response.

"The gemstone has disappeared," Reyshore commented. "Or the illusion of it, rather. This isn't over yet."

As we finished recovering from the flash, we kept still and silent to listen for danger. I reached for my dagger and brandished it as a precaution. Suddenly, I felt a burning sensation on my arm. My eyesight adjusted to show a coin-sized hole in my sleeve, covered in yellow-green fluid. I went to wipe it away before that same sensation returned twice, once on my shoulder and once on my hand. Both were accompanied by the same substance, which rapidly bubbled and burned holes straight through my clothing. The skin underneath tingled painfully.

"What the hell...?" I whispered, registering that it was dripping from the ceiling.

"Anyone else being acid-rained on?" Morgina asked.

Slowly, everyone looked up in unison. Tyrath threw up a shield above us that was made of enchanted water, so it was transparent enough to see through. More acid dripped down, slowly eating away little holes in the barrier. I gazed up into the darkness, trying to make out any shapes. But it was the sound that reached us first – a low growl mixed with sharp clicking.

"We're not alone here," Shaye whispered, her voice trembling.

Dread slithered through my mind. I stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out where that was coming from. Can Rotted climb that high?

And then I saw it. The torches' flames danced across its grotesque form as it grew nearer, gradually revealing itself. It was about the size of a small elephant. The only times I'd seen a creature that horrifying was in movies or video games. But actually seeing one in real life was infinitely scarier. It looked like a mix between a black spider and a beetle, complete with sharp mandibles, six legs, and eight giant eyes. On top of that, it had smaller eyes all over the front of its body. The creature continued clicking its jaws as it came closer. Acid seeped from its mouth.

"Mirror. Go," Kadia said quietly.

Thorne rushed over to the exit, only to discover that it had sealed. He pushed on it with all his might, but to no avail. Kadia cursed under her breath. By now, the creature had dropped down from the ceiling, causing the ground to shake. Tyrath cast another water shield around us three before guiding us to the back corner. He then stood in front of us protectively.

At first, the creature didn't move much at all. But without warning, it lunged at us. Kadia leapt to the side, slashing it with her sword. It responded by shrieking and spitting acid, which she narrowly avoided. It then swiped at her with immense force, sending her crashing against the back wall. Thorne went to help her up as the other trainers started attacking it.

But this beast wasn't interested in them. The whole time, it kept its gaze locked on us...specifically me. Maybe since I was the one that tried to grab the gemstone, I was the one it wanted. Despite everyone else's best efforts, their damage output was limited with their relatively small weapons. But what worried me the most was the fact that the acid that it spewed was seeping into the walls, and from there, into the ground. Soon, it would be impossible to stay in the safe corner.

My heart leapt into my throat as it swiftly approached me. The trainers were trying their best to distract and terminate it, but it was too powerful. With one big spray of acid, the creature had completely melted the shield around us. Ashkan cast another hasty one, only for it to be disintegrated as well. It widened its jaws, ready to crush. I stepped in front of him and Shaye.

"No!" Kadia yelled, trying to run over to us. She was clutching her stomach. Reyshore had started forming a third shield made of light, but I'd already felt pressured to take action.

Yet... I hesitated. My hands shook from where they were wrapped around my dagger. Time seemed to unfurl in slow motion. I was seconds away from having my face ripped clean from my skull.

Kadia's voice pierced through my mental paralysis, "Stab its head! NOW!"

Snapping out of it, and with one fluid motion, I used both hands to plunge my blade right between the beast's two central eyes. Deep red blood spewed from the puncture, spraying across my upper body like a small geyser. It was so embedded in its head that I couldn't manage to pull the dagger back out fast enough. The creature bellowed in agony, seeming as if it would collapse and fall to the floor at any moment. But with the most powerful and vicious screech, it reared back and went to spit more acid.

Morgina cast an ice barrier at the last moment, deflecting the attack pretty effectively. Thorne and Tyrath rammed into its side, almost toppling it right over, as Reyshore started pelting it with magical shards. Kadia, who looked sore but overall none the worse for wear, jumped forwards and in one clean slash, cut one of its legs right off. Thorne repeated this twice more with a searing magma spell, leaving it to stand on just three legs. Still, the beast swatted them away like flies, focusing solely on me. Splatters of blood and acid were everywhere.

I felt Ashkan's and Shaye's hands on me, pulling me backwards. I resisted, knowing that huddling back with them would only put them in more danger.

Without knowing what else to do, I held my palms outwards and a torrent of magical energy came pouring out of me. It was unlike anything I'd ever cast before. The adrenaline in my veins seemed to have an effect on it. A dazzling orb of light shot out of my hands, connecting with the creature's face in one quick flash. It hissed, its eyes starting to smoke. I staggered back a couple of steps as a wave of dizziness passed over me. It was just like the feeling you sometimes get when you stand up too fast.

"Light!" Kadia managed to shout. "It must hate light!"

Immediately, everyone started hurling balls of light at the beast. Some exploded upon impact. The monster's head whipped around as it wailed and began retreating up the wall. Its exoskeleton melted away like wax. It continued to scuttle up towards the ceiling as we attacked it, screaming in pain. Kadia shot one more large orb at it, hitting the back of its throat as it opened its mouth. It writhed for a few seconds before letting out a near-deafening cry that was strangely...human-like. A small explosion of white energy ripped through the air. Then, it was silent. The creature dissolved into a black ooze that dripped down the wall before melting away into nothingness.

My head pounded as I tried to catch my breath. I felt more tired than I was anticipating. I looked back up to where that thing had been, just to see something least expected.

The gemstone.

About twenty feet above us, where the monster had died, it hovered in midair, glowing brightly. Underneath my shirt, I felt my necklace turn warm. I wasn't sure why, but I felt like this jewel was the real one. But before anyone could say anything, it started plummeting to the ground.

Kadia and everyone else looked up at it as it spiralled out of control, gaining speed as it fell. "Catch it!" she cried out.

Trusting that my necklace would protect me, I gathered my last bit of strength and sprinted for it. I dove forwards with my hands outstretched. By the skin of my teeth, I grabbed hold of it right before it hit the floor.

In an instant, my mind was invaded by a myriad of emotions and images. Opaque flashes of colours, places and scenes all bombarded my vision. White, violet, pink, gold. It quickly became all I could see or hear, as if I was having a fever dream. I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or shut. My body felt like it was in a vacuum. The only sensation that connected to my brain was the weight and the sunlight-like warmth of the gemstone in my hands. It seemed to be pulling me in, or perhaps feasting on what little energy I had left. I had to focus to escape its clutches, but it was like quicksand; I couldn't quite pull myself out.

And then everything went black.