Mel made it into the classroom, right before class was about to start. She hadn’t slept last night, just stayed up with her knees tucked into her chest. Gabriella had sat up with her for a few hours, before she had fallen prey to exhaustion. She could see it now, the difference between the people from the valley and the people from Aldrion.

The nobles' faces were marred and tired, just like Mel’s. While Isabella sat twirling a lock of her blonde hair between her fingers and chatting with Meredith. Austin was looking out the window, but now his face turned to her and his gaze landed on Mel.

Mel took the seat by the window, next to Austin, and he kept looking at her. Professor Monroe stood by the blackboard, writing something in green chalk. Mel didn’t meet Austin’s gaze. For some reason, she felt betrayed by him, for seeing his relative last night. For him not telling her about who he was.

Professor Monroe turned to the class. “Good Morning everyone. It was quite the exciting night yesterday and I know some of you haven’t experienced an attack before. So therefore I will talk about the history of the war during recent times today. But before we begin, I would like to remind you all that the semester's history test is tomorrow.”

Mel grew numb with this information. Professor Monroe moved away from the blackboard and looked over at Mel. She could have died yesterday, Marcus too, and today they were announcing some test. It felt so cold somehow. There had been people fighting and she had seen them fall.

How could she just move on from that? Pretend everything was normal, that it didn’t happen?

A shiver ran down Mel’s spine, and hatred filled her heart. She hated the people of Aldrion now. For letting people die, for giving a shit about tests, and for staring at her. Mel turned her face toward Austin and met his gaze. He gave her a thin smile and Mel shot daggers at him. Eventually, he looked away and Mel felt a small victory in her chest.

“Gabriella. Why did they attack yesterday?”

Mel’s head turned to the back of the room and she saw Gabs looking pale and weak. She heard the waver in her voice and Mel felt sick. But also she wanted to know why. Her gaze turned to Professor Monroe, who had sat down on her desk.

“Who knows? They are the carnation of evil and want everyone dead. Or they need something we have. Or maybe they will die if they cannot feast on human flesh. We just really don’t know. These are the most popular theories anyhow. But what the void wants is a mystery. Why the void creates beasts and shadows and tries to get into the valley is also a mystery.”

Professor Monroe shrugged, and the classroom grew quiet.

“What I can tell you is that ever since Aldrion was an outpost, we have been fighting these attacks. The void has grown stronger, yes, but so have we. Today we have entire classes of elemental warriors graduating and joining the fight. The army of Aldrion are training tons of soldiers to guard the walls and protect the city. This was one attack of many, I’m sure, that you will experience during your time here. It will get easier with time and you will learn to survive.”

Professor Monroe pointed toward where Mel was sitting.

“Austin. If we could convince the governor about letting more students from Aldrion train at Falden, we could fight back. Maybe we could even get to the heart of the void, out in the wasteland and kill it. We don’t have to live like this, in constant fear and terror of the next attack.”

“What’s your point?” Professor Monroe said.

“My point is that the nobles from Stonehearth have political power. Or at least their families do. They could convince the king, convince the governor, to put an end to this madness. Let us fight back.”

Professor Monroe sighed and walked around her desk.

“Some would say your family has political power also, Austin. But I don’t see your father trying to change the governor’s mind. And even if one did change the strategy we currently live under. Who is to say it would be better?”

Austin opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“Our history tells us we have tried different methods of fighting the beasts. Of trying to kill the void. But who can kill something that doesn’t have a heart? The void is mist, taking forms and shapes of horrors. Where does this mist come from? Where would you possibly go to kill it?”

Professor Monroe turned back to the class and wet her lips.

“During the early days of the Last Stance. Many tried what Austin is suggesting. They traversed the wastes to find this evil. They wanted to rid the land of it. We had magic, so why, after all, couldn’t we just kill them? But they searched and died out there beyond the wall. They never found what they were looking for. There was no heart to pierce, no monster to slay. Only mist and nothingness.”

#

When class ended, Mel didn’t want to speak to Austin. She was still angry with him. Angry at the world. But she knew she needed to speak to Professor Monroe. She had promised Marcus she would find out what she could at Falden.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Austin lingered by his desk, as if waiting for her to look at him. But Mel didn’t. She walked up to the professor and cleared her throat. Professor Monroe looked up from her bag and met Mel’s gaze.

“Oh, Melissa, how are you?” she asked.

Mel ignored her question. “What happened yesterday? Why did they attack when they haven't done that in a while?”

Professor Monroe straightened her back and swung her bag over her shoulder.

“They do that sometimes,” she said. “They are probably testing our defenses. If they find them weak, a bigger attack is coming. If not, they will make an attempt to test them again.”

“But why don’t we stop them?”

“How are we supposed to stop them?” Professor Monroe asked.

“I don’t know,” Mel said. “Maybe go out there again and try to find the heart. Or get even stronger defenses so that they will never try to test them again. Or something?”

Professor Monroe gave her a thin smile.

“They’ve tried, I can assure you,” she said. “And it’s all rather political. What Austin said isn’t untrue. It’s the opinion of many these days. That we should try again to fight back. But the governor and the king have decided the defenses of Aldrion are the army's job and the elemental warriors are supposed to be few in numbers. Mostly going on missions out to the wastes, to scout on the enemy, and help out during an attack.”

“But the army can’t fight those things,” Mel said, throwing her arms out to her side. “I saw it yesterday. I saw…”

Professor Monroe nodded. “I know it’s difficult. But try to understand. The army can keep Aldrion safe and its people. It has been doing so for centuries. You need to trust in the governor and the king. They know what they are doing. And, we don’t actually know for sure how serious yesterday was. Sometimes the army likes to exaggerate a bit. Get more funding and play the governor until he gives them more resources.”

Mel took a step back from the professor. They hadn’t been playing with anyone yesterday. People had died. How could she say that?

The professor walked out of the classroom and Mel followed her out, feeling numb and in shock. Monroe turned to her and put a hand on Mel’s shoulder.

“You’ll get used to it, you’ll see.”

She left Mel in the corridor on the third floor and Mel felt air rush in her ears. She grabbed the wall and steadied herself. She hoped Marcus had gotten better answers than she had. What would they do now? How could she stay here in Aldrion when she was risking both of their lives only by being here?

Mel made it down to the second floor, but there her heart started pumping again at a furious pace. She felt blood rushing through her veins and her fists clenched. She walked to the stairs, but then turned and walked back again. She paced between two rooms and felt herself getting angrier with every step.

“You okay?”

Mel spun on her heels only to find Austin standing in the opening to a room.

“Are you seriously following me now?” Mel asked.

Austin winced. “No, I was studying.”

He turned his back to her and walked inside the room. Mel followed him there, not feeling like she could control herself. She was so angry.

“Why are you so calm? Why is everyone so calm? Don’t you people get that soldiers died last night?”

Austin turned to her and took a step forward. “Yes, I get that.”

“Then why don’t you care?”

“I care,” Austin said. “That’s why I want the governor to change his mind and send people out into the wastes again. Okay?”

“You liar,” Mel said. “You always just lie to me. Why didn’t you tell me you had a brother? I met him last night, you know.”

“It's not like it ever came up, Melissa,” Austin said.

He ran a hand over his face, looking exhausted.

“So he is your brother, then?” she said. “I… You…”

“What?”

“You’re always hiding things,” Mel said. “This entire town is hiding things. It feels like the moment I start to trust you, the rug is pulled from under me. How can I trust Aldrion will protect me when I don’t even know anything about what I’m being protected from? What even are the beasts, the shadows, the void?”

“Is this about me or about the city of Aldrion?” Austin asked. “Or about the enemy?”

“I don’t know,” Mel said, pacing the room in front of Austin.

He took a step forward and Mel stopped; she met his gaze. He took another step forward and Mel felt her breath coming in ragged bursts now. Austin reached for her hand and Mel looked down, not meeting him halfway, but not pulling back either.

He grabbed her wrist and took a last step, closing the distance between them. He put his palm on her head and stroked her hair. Mel put her face against the soft fabric of his shirt and took in a deep breath. He smelled like soap and cotton.

Austin kept stroking her hair and eventually she felt him releasing her wrist and snaking his hand around her back, keeping it just beneath her shoulder blades.

“I’m sorry, Melissa,” Austin said.

Mel shook her head, brushing her nose against his chest. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I just… yesterday was just scary. I don’t get how you people are so calm about this. They died.”

She let those last words sink in and memories flashed behind her eyelids. Would she ever sleep again? Would she ever forget the faces of the soldiers who were killed? Or those white shining eyes of the shadow?

“I’m just as angry as you are,” he said. “I guess I’m just used to feeling this way all the time.”

Mel’s eyes fluttered open, and she heard his heart beating. Her hands had unconsciously clasped the edge of his shirt and suddenly she felt he was very close. She brought her hand up to his chest, feeling a flat torso, and swallowed hard. She pushed him away from her and Austin let go, taking a step back.

Their eyes met for a moment, but Mel averted her gaze quickly. She felt a blush creeping up her neck and her heart was pounding. Mel turned her back toward Austin, murmuring a thanks, and walked away.

Down the stairs, she thought about him and then about yesterday with Marcus. She felt hot and then cold. How could she think about this when the world was in chaos?

But a part of her knew that answer, knew that she wanted an escape from the horrible events of yesterday and what was about to come. She leaned into it, feeling that blush reach her cheeks and feeling a flutter low in her stomach. It was Austin she thought about, and a part of her felt guilty.