I walked with my head held high and my back straight, a hundred mirrors watching me stride through the halls of Teshima Academy, my home. Each mirror reflected a black-haired boy back at me, his brown eyes and youthful vigor punctuated by sunken eyelids and sallow skin. Tugging at the silken white robes I’d put on for the day and playfully weaving across the strands of my hair were shimmering specks of light. Each particle was a different colored light. Green, blue, red, or gold. They were the valoa, the light that guided the paths, and my constant companions.
Well, that was what my brother called them. Personally, I called them annoying.
“Stop that,” I swatted away the lights. “I spent the whole morning getting my hair fixed.”
The lights danced out of my reach, swaying side to side teasingly and returning the moment my hand tired.
“You're doing it wrong, Suna,” a loud voice hit my ears. “You need to take them into your body and strengthen yourself. That’s what my dad says.”
“My brother says we can’t do that until we do the tests,” I replied.
I turned to my side and spotted a girl sitting on the floor. She had auburn hair that flowed across her shoulders and wore the same white robes as me. Motes of red and gold valoa streamed around her, but her lights were orderly and formed circlets around her wrists.
Her name was Kynari.
She was the same age as me. Six years old. But I was one day older, which made me wiser and better.
“Nuh uh, you can. My dad knows more than your brother.”
Kynari rose and a hundred reflections stood with her, two hundred bright orange eyes glowering with childish indignation.
“You’re wrong,” I said with conviction in my voice. “My brother grew up in Teshima Academy like us. That means he’s smarter.”
“My dad made the academy famous.”
“My brother is watched by more viewers.”
“That’s only because my dad is fighting them, and they don’t have time to watch him,” Kynari shot back.
Our hands rose, shifting into claws, and I glowered at her. She scowled in retaliation.
There was a ripple of movement as the surface of the mirrors across the hallway trembled. Waves of dissatisfaction surrounded us from every angle. The lush carpet pulled us apart from each other, radiating disapproval.
“Sorry, Teshima,” Kynari’s cheeks flushed, and she dropped her hands.
“Yeah, I’m sorry,” I said. “I was just mad. I know that Kynari’s dad and my brother know everything.”
The mirrors rippled in approval, returning back to normal as Kynari and I started walking again. We snuck glares at each other when we thought the other wasn’t looking, and when we caught each other staring we huffed and turned back around.
“I bet that I have more viewers than you,” Kynari said, refusing to look at me.
“My brother says I have to be the best,” I replied. “That means I have more than you do.”
“Then I bet I can step onto more paths than you,” Kynari didn't back down.
“My brother says my mind is sharp. That means I’m going to step onto the paths of Enigma or Insight,” I tapped my head. “Also, you are a butt.”
Kynari sniffed and didn’t dignify my barb with an answer. Which meant I won.
Our conversation muted as we walked the halls.
“All you do is make me look better,” Kynari broke the silence. “And my dad says I’m the cutest in the world.”
Oh no, I can’t beat that. I’m not the best in the world at anything. I thought.
We reached the end of the hallway, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Soft yellow light hit our skins, stopping our argument. It was the light of the afternoon sun.
Or so my brother said.
Personally, I had never seen the sun before.
An endless layer of clouds hovered in the sky, hiding a large yellow-orange orb. A hundred other orbs surrounded the star, each hidden behind the clouds and casting giant shadows across the sky.
“Oh hey, it's my dad’s statue,” Kynari pointed ahead, a smug grin on her face.
The hallway opened up into a wide-open courtyard. Walkways carved from stone curved and twisted around patches of grass and colorful flowers. Overlooking it all was a sculpture of a man chiseled from solid gold, with finely detailed ruby lines running across his titanic muscles.
He was Forza, paragon of the path of Violence.
And he was Kynari’s dad.
“They’re fighting again,” Kynari said.
I stared at the cloud layer and saw that she was right. The clouds lit up sporadically with all types of valoa, each being used to power different abilities granted by the paths.
The fighting had been going on for years. Since before I was born. Our teachers told us that it was called war.
A smidgen of worry crossed my heart, but I shook it away. The walkers of the four paths were titans. Each could battle hundreds of the enemy and win. One day I would be one of them.
“Kynari! You’re late, you rascal!”
A man appeared before us in a flash of red light, his powerful voice booming across the surroundings. It was Forza, the man from the statue. He wore a clingy red shirt that looked ugly, but easy to move in, and velvet black pants. Laying over his shoulders was a shimmering veil of gold.
His muscles were just as big as the statue, and his eyes glowed bright red, valoa twinkling like stars within them. As he opened his arms wide, his cheeks dimpled, and he shot us a vibrant smile.
I stepped back from him. Kynari’s dad always frowned at my brother when he thought nobody was looking. It was the kind of frown that meant he didn’t approve of my brother.
So, I disapproved of Kynari’s dad. My brother was the best. Nobody should disapprove of him.
“Daddy!” Kynari’s beamed.
She rushed past me with a stream of red and gold valoa following in her wake. The tidy circlets that her valoa had formed were now broken and wild as she leapt into her father’s arms.
I would tease her about it later.
“Suna, I expected you here earlier,” a cold and stoic voice hit my ears.
I smiled and turned, spotting my brother striding toward me. He wore a robe of dazzling crimson with streaks of turquoise blue, and heavy gemstones twinkled across its collar and sleeves. It was modified in several areas around his arms and legs to give him maneuverability, his muscles peeking out. There was a shimmering sword at his side, its blade carved from a transparent crystal the color of blood.
“Brother,” I bowed low. “It’s lovely to see you.”
Kynari’s amused smile slyly snuck through her father’s arms, and I resisted the urge to poke my tongue out at her.
My brother liked me to be formal.
Whenever I could I tried to show him the fruits of his training, so I made sure to keep my steps tight and efficient, without a single wasted movement. It was proof that I was taking his lessons seriously.
“Good form, as expected of a denizen of Teshima Academy,” my brother’s hand ruffled my hair and the specks of valoa clinging to the strands went flying. “People expect a lot from you today. I expect more. Your goal is having a higher tier valoa affinity or being capable of walking two paths. Do you remember what the tiers are?”
“Um,” I trailed off. “One through seven? So, tier one, tier two. And the rest.”
“Good,” my brother nodded, glancing at Forza as he did so.
I memorized it just like he said, but I wonder what a tier is. Also, yay, I got it right! I celebrated internally, making sure to look cool on the outside like my brother did.
My brother often told me about how he had a fourth-tier valoa affinity, nearing fifth. I didn’t know how good that was, but it sounded impressive. All I knew was that higher tiers meant that valoa could be absorbed faster into the body.
I didn't care about that. I wanted the paths. They were what made people strong.
“I will make you proud, brother,” I said, my fingers curling into a fist, tight with resolution.
“I’ve told you before, call me Cuikhu. Once you are inducted into the army and walk the Crossroads, you can call me brother. Just as my men do.”
“Sorry, Cuikhu,” I replied.
I hid a hint of jealousy. Cuikhu and I shared the blood of our parents and had both grown up in Teshima Academy. His army friends hadn't. But my brother was quirky like that.
From the corner of my eye, I spotted Kynari’s father frowning again, and I pursed my lips, reaching for my brother’s hand protectively.
My brother brushed my hand aside, and together the four of us walked toward our destination. Teshima Academy’s main hall was at the other end of the courtyard. Carved into its walls were the four symbols of the paths, each radiating power.
Within the hall was a crowd of people and I recognized my brother’s war band among them. They numbered five men, the standard number for a war band, and each gave salutes of respect to my brother, and bowed low to Kynari’s father.
I ignored the smug smirk on Kynari’s face as her father gently lowered her to the ground. Forza strode until he reached the middle of the hall. Sitting there was a chalice filled with all four colors of valoa, red, green, blue, and gold.
“Kynari Teshima, and Suna Teshima,” Forza’s voice filled the hall. “We have gathered here today to guide you in finding your path–”
I zoned out as Kynari’s father began talking. My brother said the man was amazing. Fantastic. Extraordinary.
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He was also incredibly boring.
A quick glance to my side revealed Kynari’s eyes glazing over as well. She loved her father, but that didn’t mean she liked to hear his speeches.
Kynari Teshima, and Suna Teshima. It was strange to hear our full names spoken out loud together.
People said that families shared the same brains, and Kynari was wrong all the time. That's why I thanked the paths every day that we weren't related. For her, Teshima was a family surname. For me, it was a title based after the city I was raised in.
That was the rule for all orphans.
“–First, we shall conduct the viewer assessment, then we’ll do the affinity and path test. Now then, let’s see how many of those bastards are watching our future prodigies.”
Forza’s hand touched the chalice, sending a pulse of light swimming through the air until it enveloped the hall. Countless particles of valoa flew over our heads, twisting and swirling as they morphed into luminescent lines.
They were forming numbers.
[302.]
[545.]
[164.]
The fringe members of the crowd got their numbers first, all of them in the quadruple digits. Each was a proud traveler of their path and a veteran of the war. The closer to Forza the person was, the higher their number. Every warrior radiated calm and confidence. Some even had numbers entering into five-digit territory.
Above the five members of my brother’s war band were numbers reaching the higher end of five digits.
Only my brother reached six.
[Viewers: 973,631.]
His number had grown larger since I’d last seen it. Much larger. A few of the crowd let out whistles and cheered. Several insults were also thrown, not directed at my brother, but at the numbers above his head.
They were our enemies, the viewers.
Using their strange magic, the viewers were able to spy on all of us, their prying eyes unveiling our entire lives. The valoa showed us how many of them were present.
I couldn’t see how many viewers were watching Kynari’s father. He had hidden his number somehow.
“This is kind of creepy,” Kynari whispered, leaning toward me. “They can see us at any time.”
“Not all the time. Brother said that most of our buildings are warded to blur their eyes,” I said. “And they probably can’t see us right now because of the clouds.”
“I don’t know, my dad said that we can’t be sure, since they don’t walk the paths.”
“No, see, none of the numbers are moving.”
Every few weeks the numbers would change, either going up or down. Ordinary people only had one or two viewers on them at all times. Ten, if they were interesting. The viewers were picky about who they kept their gazes on.
The bigger the threat you posed to the viewers, the more they watched you. My brother had taught me that. Each new viewer gave him a burst of joy. And I celebrated whenever he did.
“Hey, yours appeared,” Kynari interrupted my thoughts. “Look, it got bigger.”
I raised my head and saw the glimmering valoa dancing above me, forming a number.
[Viewers: 3714.]
A flash of pride flashed over me. Unlike my brother, I didn’t like that the viewers were watching me, but the fact that so many had their eyes on me meant that they saw me as a threat. I already had more viewers than some veteran fighters.
My brother was a hero, so the viewers knew I would be as well.
“I expected something like this,” I said, not hiding my smug expression.
Then I saw the number on top of Kynari’s head.
[Viewers: 4213.]
“I told you,” She mouthed the words slowly.
A rumble of excitement reverberated from the crowd. My brother had a proud grin on his face as his war band congratulated him. A rare display of emotion that made me beam in turn.
Forza’s expression was unreadable as he gazed at his daughter’s viewer number.
“The child of a paragon, and the brother of our enemy’s worst nightmare,” his voice spread out across the room, causing a hush to fall among the crowd. “If the viewers are watching us right now, then we know that they are trembling in fear for what is to come.”
A rousing cry rose in response, the ground trembling as several weapons banged against it. I winced and gave Teshima’s floor a gentle rub with my shoe. I felt the wooden planks underneath my feet lift up, letting me know that they were fine.
“Now, it is time for the affinity and path ceremony,” Kynari’s father said. “Kynari, Suna, step forward.”
I stepped forward at the same time as Kynari, both of us bumping our shoulders into each other as we walked up to the chalice.
The valoa within swirled in greeting.
“Since the dawn of time the people of Nahcari have walked the paths of power. Once, there were multitudes, but now, we only walk the four grand paths, Insight, Enigma, Violence, and Challenges.”
Anticipation coarser through me, and I could see Kynari’s hand quivering with excitement. The paths granted power beyond measure to every adult in Nahcari. And soon, we would join them.
Kynari’s father paused as he saw our barely restrained glee.
“Of course, you can’t step onto a path until you are seventeen, but your enthusiasm is wonderful,” he said, a small spatter of laughter coming from the crowd. “Come now and allow the valoa to flow through you.”
I snapped my arm forward, but it hit Kynari’s side as she placed her hands on the chalice, beating me by half a step.
Dang it. I thought.
Rivers of red and gold flowed across her skin the moment her hands touched the chalice. It was the valoa of the paths of Violence and Challenges.
Most of the lights vanished, but Kynari’s eyes glowed as some of them sunk into her skin. I saw several people staring in surprise, their lips all mouthing the same words.
“Fifth tier affinity,” they whispered.
“An incredibly high rate of absorption,” Forza smiled. “A fifth-tier affinity, if my eyes aren’t failing me.”
Several people cheered, the hall trembling as they celebrated.
Kynari’s grin widened with pleasure and surprise. Just like me, she didn’t know what the numbers meant. But she knew they were good.
Then her face warped in pain, and she clasped her hands over her stomach. A hacked and wretched cough reverberated through her and she heaved, ejecting a pile of black sludge onto the floor.
The goop smelled like death and looked worse, but nobody moved to help Kynari.
So, I did.
Kynari’s arm shivered under my touch, turning a shade brighter as her pale skin gave way to a peach complexion. Her sunken cheeks grew rosy, and her lips curved into a smile.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded, keeping her mouth closed.
“Kynari Teshima, not only do you have a fifth-tier affinity, you also have potential to step into two paths in the future. The path of Violence, and the path of Challenges. You're a prodigy,” Forza paused, his eyes resting on his daughter and his lips curling up into a smile. “I’m happy for you. And proud of you, as I always am.”
Only I heard her response over the cheers of the deafening crowd.
“Now I’ll be able to follow in your footsteps,” Kynari said. “I’ll kill viewers, just like you do.”
“War is a passing event and should never be the focus of our lives,” Forza’s voice was gentle. “The four paths guide us in all walks of life. You could become an artisan, or scholar. Just as the travelers of the paths did before the descent of the viewers. And as many more do today.”
“Why would I want to do that? I want to fight,” Kynari replied instantly.
Her father’s eyes flashed with sadness, and his eyebrows furrowed, but it disappeared as a murmur spread across the crowd. The crowd stiffened around me, staring at the space above Kynari.
[Viewers: 4216.]
Kynari’s viewer numbers were shifting.
[Viewers: 4219.]
The enemy was watching us.
“It appears we have company,” my brother was the quickest to respond. “Good.”
How can they see us? I wondered. Brother did the wards today.
My brother’s hand rested on the hilt of his blade, a confident smile on his lips as the five members of his warband gathered around him, striking a vicious pose. The viewers couldn’t pierce the cloud layer to be here physically, but I knew that my brother was trying to intimidate them through his existence alone.
That was why the viewers feared him and watched his every movement in droves. It was what made him a hero.
“It's my turn,” I said.
I rushed up to the chalice, placing my hands on it just like Kynari had. Valoa burst forth and circled my body. Green, blue, red, and gold lights cascaded over me.
The lights danced around me, playfully gripping my clothes and pulling my cheeks. Several motes charged at my skin, just like they had for Kynari, and my eyes widened in anticipation, waiting for the rush of power that would come with them.
Then, nothing.
Did it happen? I wondered.
Several specks of valoa floated across my vision, flickering in surprise.
The reason why quickly became clear. The valoa was being repelled by my skin. Most of the valoa treated it like a game, rocketing into my skin and joyfully bouncing away. It looked like they'd hit an invisible barrier. In seconds the lights grew bored and floated away, gathering back into the chalice as they became tired.
Valoa resided within our bodies. That was the rule, and it applied to everybody in Nahcari.
I’d seen it happen only moments ago with Kynari.
So, why isn’t it happening now? I thought.
Forza knelt down, his hands gripping my shoulders softly.
“His body is rejecting the valoa,” Forza frowned.
“What is his affinity? And his paths?” My brother asked. I could hear the panic in his voice.
Forza tapped the chalice and valoa ejected from it, smacking against my skin, and bouncing off.
“I thought he might simply be of the lowest tier, but that isn’t quite right,” Forza scrutinized me with an uncertain gaze. “His body is rejecting every entry attempt. Without valoa to guide him, walking the paths is impossible. He cannot step onto any of them.”
I stood there, frozen, as the meaning of his words sunk in. Then I shook my head, knowing that I must have misheard him.
“No, you’re wrong,” I said. “That can’t be possible.”
My words reverberated across the room, and the returning echoes were the only reply. Nobody was making a single noise. Nor did they move. Silence reigned as they heard the results of the test.
There was revulsion on their faces, but I couldn’t tell if it was meant for the viewers or for me.
“You’re pathless?” My brother’s voice shattered the silence.
He appeared beside me in a blur of movement, and a splatter of hope swept across my heart. My brother would have a solution. He had to.
“Brother, tell them they’re wrong.”
“Do not call me that,” Cuikhu snarled. “How dare you accuse the paragon of being wrong. Worse than that, you have humiliated me in front of the viewers. You have rejected the valoa that guides us, which means you cannot fight. And if you cannot fight, then you are worthless to me.”
I wrapped my fingers around his arm, tugging at it like I yard to when we were younger, and I wanted to be lifted into the air.
Disgust flashed across his features, “do not touch me.”
His hand swept out and I was flung onto the floor, pain erupting from my side. I gazed up at him in shock and was met with a flood of anger, his red eyes scouring my soul with fury.
I lifted myself up and held back tears as the pain worsened.
“You can teach me to fight,” I begged. “I don’t need a path.”
“Training a pathless? I’ve already wasted hours of my valuable time teaching you. I will never make that mistake again,” Cuikhu’s eyes burned with contempt. “I am taking away your referral. Prepare to leave Teshima Academy. Nobody will bear the burden of your existence any longer.”
“But it’s my home,” I gasped. “Where will I go?”
“I do not care.”
As I looked at Cuikhu a chill ran down my spine. The love I’d seen within him was gone, but he hadn’t lost it. In fact, he hadn’t changed at all. He looked at me as he always had, cold and unfeeling, but this time my vision wasn’t clouded by my admiration for him.
The emotions I’d thought were there had never existed.
A tiny hand clasped my wrist protectively as Kynari moved beside me, gazing up at Cuikhu defiantly, but he didn’t see her. Nobody did. All of their eyes were glued to the number floating above me.
Slowly, I raised my head and my heart sunk as I found my worst fears confirmed.
[Viewers: 0.]