"Rayne, my child. Do you know what this is?" His mother smiled, her eyes hidden beneath the curtains of her hair.

She dangled an amulet in front of him, and he reached out to grab it immediately with his small hands.

It shone blue, more blue than anything he had ever seen. It reminded him of the sky or the sea, even though he hadn't seen the latter for some time now.

"It's pretty," he whispered, and his mother laughed.

"You're right, it is pretty, but it's so much more than just pretty." She took it from his hands, smiling even more as she watched it glow.

"You haven't been able to see your friends, but with this, you might be able to," she stated, almost reluctantly, before setting the amulet down on the table.

"Rayne, you wouldn't leave me behind, would you?" she whispered, and Rayne looked up to find tears coming from her eyes.

Almost instinctively, he jumped to hug her, holding her tighter than anything. "No, I wouldn't, not if it makes you sad."

She smiled in surprise at the moon outside before wrapping her arms around her son. "I know you wouldn't."

✦✦✦

Rayne jumped up from his bed, pressing a hand to his head.

That dream... he had forgotten that it had ever happened.

It must have been when he was around the ages of Aurelia and Merce, but if it was so long ago, why was he dreaming about it now?

The amulet... it was the same amulet that his mother had used to let Lux and himself leave the palace. Now that he thought about it, what exactly was that amulet? If it could allow them to leave, then why—

"Good morning, participants! You'll be expected to be in the training grounds in an hour, so be quick!" a guard shouted quickly before leaving swiftly.

They seemed to be more composed today, Rayne thought to himself, taking off his blankets and beginning to make his way to the bath.

However, he heard Cedar speaking with a group of people, and he groaned internally. He never seemed to be quiet.

It looked as if some others were thinking the same thing, as a group watched Cedar speak with a strange hate in their eyes.

"Filthy traitor. He has no shame; he even came to take the guard's exam," one of them seethed, and the others nodded.

"And he still talks as if he's better than us all. Shameful," another whispered, crossing his arms.

Filthy traitor? What could that mean?

Rayne went up to the group and put a hand on one of their shoulders.

"What are you talking about? Cedar, I mean?" he asked, and the group looked him up and down.

"Who are you?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Darrion," he replied simply, and they all shared a look.

"You don't know anything?" he asked, and Rayne shook his head.

One of them sighed and sat down. "Well, if you don't know, I'll tell you."

Rayne took a seat in front of him, and he began to tell a story. "When the Callis and Athas still ruled together, some families were particularly loyal to the Athas, and it was the same for the Callis. Cedar's family, Chloros, was one of the families loyal to the Callis. However, when they all vanished, the families loyal to them became loyal to the Athas instead. Except Cedar's family," the man scowled but continued.

"As a punishment, they haven't been stripped of their riches, but they made Cedar, their oldest son, take the guard's exam. It's way more than they deserve." He shot a look at Cedar, who was still talking about something loudly.

Rayne stood up and thanked them, continuing to make his way to the bath to think over what he had just been told.

If what he had learned was true, then Cedar was surprisingly happy, considering everything that was happening to him.

Suddenly, someone bumped into Rayne, nearly causing him to topple over.

"Out of my way. I'll be going first." Cedar scowled at him, reaching for the door handle.

Rayne smacked his hand away, and Cedar looked at him with surprise.

"I was here before you. You can wait," he stood up, looking straight back at him.

"Do you know who I am?" Cedar clenched his fists, and a piece of grass peeking in from a gap outside started to grow bigger.

Rayne's breath stilled. This was not a good situation. He didn't have his sword, and his magic was useless.

Regardless, he stepped back, putting up his hands to fight however he could.

However, something strange occurred, as Cedar suddenly calmed down, and the grass stopped growing.

"Hm. You're funny. What's your name?" he asked, his voice surprisingly lighter.

Rayne kept his hands up in shock but somehow found himself answering the question.

"Darrion."

Cedar raised an eyebrow, putting a hand on his chin.

"You don't have a last name?" he asked, still watching him like a lion that had caught its prey.

"No," he replied simply, though he was confused, and Cedar put his hand back down.

"Fine. I'll let you go before me." He chuckled and then walked away.

Rayne was glad that he could use the bath peacefully now, but he wasn't sure what had just happened.

✦✦✦

Lux followed behind Mika like a shadow.

For her training that day, she was to follow one of the other maids and watch them do their jobs; then, in the afternoon, she was to learn how to serve at events since the ball was approaching fast.

Thankfully, the maid that she was assigned to tail was Mika, which was a stroke of luck. It seemed that Mrs. Rodia hadn't realized that she had paired the two of them together, and Lux was glad she hadn't. It was nice to be around a familiar face.

However, Mika hadn't said anything, instead doing her job like a ghost. Lux watched her open curtains, dust tables, and stoke fires, but she still hadn't said a word.

Lux looked outside at a nearby window and sighed. The weather had begun to change, from the brown of autumn to the white of winter. In Adamas, it was always autumn all the time, and she wished that she could go outside and play in... what was it called again? Snow?

Suddenly, another maid passed them by, seemingly in a hurry, but still stopped to talk to them.

"You. We need extra help. Go to the second biggest guest room," the rushed maid said quickly, not even looking back as she dashed off.

"Huh? What? But I'm..." Mika sputtered on the spot, reaching out to the maid, who was going further and further away.

She shook her head and turned to Lux, her expression serious.

"If it's a guest room, then it's someone important. Make sure that you don't mess this up, Kira," she told her, her eyes cold, and Lux froze.

She... was mad at her. And not just mad at her; she thought that she was irresponsible.

The first person that she considered a friend in the outside world.

Lux held her hands, lowering her head and nodding slowly.

"Okay. Let's go." Mika began to walk down the hall, and Lux followed, her head staying down the entire time.

Eventually, they arrived at a magnificent set of doors, with multiple guards in front of them.

The doors reminded her of the throne room in Adamas, and she looked around nervously, wondering if somehow they had gone to the wrong room.

However, Mika stepped forward, rapping on the door lightly.

A strong, regal voice came from the other side of the door. "You may come in."

Mika stepped in, Lux tailing her, and she dipped into a curtsey.

For a second, Lux forgot where she was, instead looking at who they were about to serve.

It was a woman with dark skin and light hair; her eyes were bright, and they reminded Lux of stars. She seemed somewhat otherworldly, ethereal, as if she could see through everything.

"Kira," Mika hissed, and Lux dropped into a low bow. The woman had completely taken her attention.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, completely ignoring Lux, instead focusing on Mika.

"We were asked to come here by another servant, my lady," Mika quickly mumbled, and for a while, it was silent.

However, the strange woman finally spoke, putting a hand underneath her chin.

"Okay. Rise."

In one sweep, Mika stood up, and Lux scrambled to follow as she moved to the side of the room, where other maids stood in a single file line.

Lux looked around in confusion, having no clue what it was that they were supposed to be doing, and since she couldn't ask Mika, seeing as she was so angry with her, she decided to turn her attention to the lady they were supposedly serving.

She noticed that she wore multiple pieces of jewellery, such as golden rings, a shining necklace, and a glittering pair of earrings. She also sat with an air of absolute elegance, and Lux concluded that, seeing as she had so much jewellery and was also in the second biggest guest room, she was most likely important.

Suddenly, she shifted in the chair she was sitting in, moving to point at one of the maids lined up.

"You. Fetch me a glass of water."

The maid bowed, exiting the room quickly.

The woman sat back down in her chair, but she wasn't done. "Get me a flower."

Another maid bowed, dashing out.

"Get me a bowl of dates. Get me bread. Get me hairpins."

The orders kept coming, and slowly every maid left the room. When Mika left to fetch the woman's latest request, Lux followed after her.

"Not you. Did I tell you that you could leave?" she hissed, and without a second glance, Mika left the room, leaving Lux alone.

"You, come here." The woman wagged her finger, and Lux approached.

She rested her head on her hand, looking Lux up and down. She seemed somewhat bored, even though she was the one who had called her over.

"What is your name?"

"Kira. My lady," she muttered at the floor, still feeling somewhat sorrowful.

Though, as she looked more and more at the lady, she realized that in a way she reminded her of her mother. However, while all of her mother's elegance and grace seemed natural, hers seemed more artificial.

She smiled slightly. "What a cute name."

Lux looked down at the ground awkwardly. This was a good way to learn who exactly she was, but she didn't know why she had taken an interest in her.

"You're not from Polemus, are you? What do you like about this city?" she asked, a small smirk playing on her face.

"Err... I like... how many people there are..." Lux stuttered, and though it was most likely rude, she started twirling her hair instinctively.

She pouted a bit. "Really? I hate it. People can get so annoying."

"I don't find people annoying. In fact, I'd like to meet a lot of them since I haven't talked to a lot of people in my life..."

"Are you from a small village then?"

"I'm from Sidus... it's... a really beautiful place, with cute houses and a lively atmosphere, even though it's so small." Lux described it with her hands, starting to ramble, a bit happy to remember Sidus.

"Why did you leave then?" she asked, her eyes piercing.

Lux was caught off guard; her question seemed more... testing.

She hesitated for a minute.

"I needed to come work here. For my family," she stated, looking straight at her.

She looked out the window thoughtfully. "Family. Hm."

At that moment, a line of maids started to enter the room, all of them stumbling over one another.

"Leave what you've brought on the table. You're all dismissed." She waved her hand, and one by one, the maids left, and Lux followed after Mika.

As she exited, she stole one last glance at the lady, who was looking thoughtfully out of the window.

Who was she?

✦✦✦

Rayne was stood in front of a suspicious grass wall with all the other participants.

Today, the commander was accompanied not only by Naya, but by many other people who looked somewhat similar to her.

"Welcome to the third day of the guards exam participants," the commander boomed, his hands behind his back like always.

"Lady Naya will not only be helping us today, but also her family."

They all waved slightly, their hands shaking a little.

"I'll trust that you'll honour their hard work by doing your best today," he exclaimed, just like he had done on the other days, but the air felt more tense than before.

"For your second-to-last test, you will be in pairs; however, you will be allowed to choose these pairs yourselves." His eyes narrowed.

"You may do so now."

Rayne panicked internally; he didn't know anyone and frankly didn't want to speak to anyone, but suddenly a hand touched his shoulder.

"Do you want to be with me?" a voice asked, and Rayne turned to see a familiar face.

A girl with two purple braids.

Thea.

Rayne simply stared at her. It was embarrassing enough that his confidence had made him lose his match with her, but now she wanted to pair with him?

However, more and more people were beginning to pair with each other, and it seemed as if Rayne had no other choice.

"Sure," he answered, his face blank.

"If you have found a pair, move to an area in front of the wall," the commander instructed, and together they moved.

"Let's do our best, okay?" Thea smiled, and Rayne simply nodded.

However, he suddenly heard distressed screaming, and he turned to find a single man being dragged away by guards.

"We have an odd number, and the one person who did not find a pair has been disqualified," the commander explained, and Rayne watched the man be dragged further and further away.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

How much of this was a test?

"Now, for this test, you will be trapped in a maze, and you and your partner must escape before lunch begins."

So we have about two hours, Rayne thought to himself, trying his best to think of a strategy as soon as possible so as not to embarrass himself again. However, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Your name is Darrion, right?" Thea asked, still smiling, and Rayne thought of the first time he had seen her, after the wall climb, and how different she looked now.

"Y—" he attempted to reply, but the commander cut him off abruptly.

"Ready yourselves."

Lady Naya and her family raised their hands, despite looking close to collapsing.

"Go!"

Suddenly, the grass wall opened up, revealing a passage, and Rayne and Thea dashed in, not looking behind them.

"This is similar to the first test, right?" she asked cheerily, despite them being in the middle of a test.

"I guess so," Rayne replied nonchalantly.

"You don't really talk, do you? I can understand that."

Suddenly a wall appeared in front of them, and they were forced to make a sudden stop.

"Is this part of the test?" Thea wondered aloud, and Rayne leaned closer to the wall.

There was... writing.

"There's something on this wall," he pointed out, and Thea came closer, beginning to read it out loud.

"I am always there, everywhere, but the only way to conceal me is to cover me with one specific thing, what am I?"

"Wow, that's pretty hard." Thea crossed her arms. "What's everywhere... air maybe? But you can't see air..."

As Thea continued to wonder aloud, Rayne decided that while she was trying, he'd try as well.

What was everywhere?...

Just like Thea, the only thing he could think of was air.

He kept trying, but the only thing he could think of was air, and he slowly started to panic.

What if they couldn't figure it out, stuck on the first riddle? What if they didn't finish before lunch, and they failed? What if Lux continued to wait for him to arrive, waiting well into the night—

Night.

"Darkness!" Rayne shouted, and the wall came down rumbling.

"Wow, how did you figure that out?" Thea asked, and Rayne decided not to say anything about him panicking.

"I just... realized that darkness is everywhere, and the only thing that covers it is light," he muttered, beginning to run further down the maze.

"Oh, I get it. That's pretty smart," she remarked, and they both continued to travel down the maze.

"Anyways... your name is Darrion, right? You didn't get to answer me earlier," she asked, and Rayne sighed silently. He didn't want to talk to her; it was too embarrassing after his loss.

"Yes."

"That's a nice name. You already know, but I'm Thea Lasko."

It seemed as if she wanted to go on, but they ran into another wall.

"Oh, another riddle," she mumbled, and Rayne went over to read it.

"What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?"

Thea put a fist to her hand. "That's easy. Silence."

The door opened, and they continued down the maze.

As they made their way through the countless riddles, Thea continued to talk. Rayne could guess from the way that she spoke that she wasn't usually so talkative, but he didn't have a clue as to why she kept speaking now.

Eventually, they came to another wall, and Rayne realized that so far, they hadn't gotten a single one incorrect.

"Ok, let's see," Thea leaned in, reading the riddle from off the wall.

"I'm in December, January and February, but not in June. What am I?"

Rayne thought over the question, and he remembered that in the outside world, there were different seasons depending on the month. In fact, the season was in the middle of changing right now.

"Winter," he stated, and the wall opened.

Thea and Rayne dashed towards it; however, vines began to spring out, coming towards them with intense speed.

Rayne froze, and sweat raced down his face. He had gotten it wrong.

"DARRION!" Thea shouted, and he shook his head and drew his sword, Aurbrier. He had managed to bring it with him this time.

Thea also wielded a sword, and together they moved towards the vines, cutting them up swiftly, their blades slicing through them like butter, despite Rayne's anxiety. The sounds of their swords pierced the air, and together they were like thunder.

After they were done, Rayne stared at the dead vines.

He had gotten it wrong.

What if he hadn't been able to cut the vines? He hadn't almost just gotten himself killed, but Thea as well.

Why could he never do anything right?

"It's okay that you got it wrong," Thea placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Sure," he muttered.

"No, I'm being serious. It's okay. You did most of the other riddles when I would have said the wrong answer. No one is perfect; you did great, and you should give yourself credit for that," she told him, her eyes sincere.

Rayne turned his head away, embarrassed a bit, but still managed to mutter, "Thank you."

Thea smiled slightly, turning her attention back to the riddle.

The wall was closed now; however, the riddle remained.

"I guess we still have to solve this riddle," she pouted, putting a hand to her head.

Rayne turned to the riddle he had gotten wrong, his confidence wavering.

He didn't want to mess everything up again, but he decided that he could at least try; Thea was right in the fact that he had gotten many of the riddles correct.

He stared at the riddle, concentrating hard, and he started to wonder if it was more literal.

"The letter R!" he shouted and then quickly put a hand over his mouth; he didn't even ask Thea what she thought. What if he had gotten it wrong again?

He quickly reached for his sword, but to his surprise, the wall opened, and not to another passage, but to the outside.

"Ooh! Well done, Darrion. We did well," she chimed, walking over to where the commander was waiting.

Rayne was in shock but followed after her regardless, completely silent, like a child following their mother.

The commander watched them leave the maze with a gleam in his eyes, his hands behind his back as he stood up tall.

"Congratulations to the both of you; you're the first to arrive."

Rayne looked up in shock. They were the first to arrive?

"Your names are Thea Lasko and Darrion. Correct?" he asked, picking up a scroll from behind him.

Thea nodded. "Yes, sir."

"You may return to your barracks now. Lunch will be in an hour," he said, looking between them then scribbling something down, and Thea began to walk away.

"Goodbye, Darrion!" she called over her shoulder, and Rayne found himself alone.

He continued to stare at the floor, thinking about all that had just happened, but he quickly shook his head, remembering that lunch was in an hour, and he had to meet Lux.

If nothing else, he'd meet with Lux.

✦✦✦

Lux fiddled with strange chunks in her soup, her map tucked in her sleeve.

After shadowing Mika all morning, it was time for lunch, and she had hoped that somehow the food would be better. It would have been better not to get her hopes up.

She had the task of delivering lunch to the commander and, in turn, giving information as well as the map to Rayne, but it wasn't time yet, and she still had to wait another ten minutes, so she sat bored and sad in front of her food. She considered for a second if she could ask Mrs. Rodia if she could officially take on the job, but she decided that it would raise too many questions.

Suddenly, Mrs. Rodia herself entered the room, and Lux couldn't be sure, but it seemed as if her eye was twitching.

She rang a bell that she was holding frantically, and everyone snapped their heads to watch her.

"Good afternoon, all. I have received an important notice from the queen," she stated, her eyes looking more and more deranged.

"Her Majesty the Queen has declared... declared that." She took a deep breath, putting a hand to her chest.

"The ball's date shall be moved up, and it will be taking place tomorrow."

A chorus of protest went up in the air, and Mrs. Rodia started ringing her bell, trying to rein in the chaos.

However, Lux started to think.

For her, it was a good opportunity. The sooner that she could find out information, the better, she supposed. Though she wasn't in any mood to do so at the moment... and at the actual ball...

She hoped that she'd be feeling better by then.

"BE QUIET!" she screamed, and silence washed over the room.

She sucked in a breath, putting her hand back on her chest.

"Yes. Despite the guards' exam ending on that day and despite the fact that I still have a handful of maids to train, that is what the queen has declared, and whatever the queen says is so." She sneered before leaving the room promptly.

As soon as she left, the dining room erupted into chaos again; however, Lux spotted a maid carrying a tray, and in the middle of it all, she dashed off, a bundle of information stored in her brain.

✦✦✦

Lux spotted Rayne waiting for her by the same wall, and looking around carefully, she dashed to him.

"Darrion!" she smiled, walking up to him.

"Kira," he replied, though he wasn't as cheery. However, he raised an eyebrow, and Lux wondered if she had done something wrong.

"You don't have the tray with you. You didn't come here without an excuse, I hope?"

Lux chuckled a bit. "Oh, I just gave the tray to the commander straight away. I was late last time, and he wasn't very happy."

"Oh." He looked at her a bit closely, and he adopted a frown. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, despite knowing exactly what he meant, seeing as what happened with Mika was still weighing over her, but she decided that she didn't need to tell Rayne and worry him.

"Never mind." He looked around quickly. "Did you bring the map with you?"

She nodded, producing it from her sleeve.

He took it from her, opening it and studying the circled place from the note in the corner. "I'll go once I finish the exam," he told her, though his voice was a bit dark.

"Do you have anything else to tell me?" he asked, putting the map in a bag he had brought with him.

"Oh yes. I have a lot to tell you." Lux prepared herself, starting to twirl her hair.

"First, this morning there was a strange lady in the guest room, the second biggest one in the whole castle. I ended up having to serve her."

Rayne pressed his chin to his hand, starting to think.

"She may have something to do with Ataraxia... though it is a wild guess, but I'm trying to link it to what we know."

Lux nodded. "I guess that makes sense, so she's a guest then?"

"Most likely. What else do you know?"

"I found out that the ball... is being moved to tomorrow," she stated, and Rayne's eyes widened slightly.

"Really? Despite all that's happening?" he asked, his tone surprised.

Lux nodded. "Mrs. Rodia, the head maid, seemed very... upset about it all."

"I wonder what caused the queen to move it..., but Kira, you have to be prepared for it. This is one of our biggest opportunities to learn information," he whispered, and she stood up straight.

"You can rely on me, brother," she told him, and Rayne smiled slightly.

"Anyways, what have you learned?" she asked, and Rayne remembered what had occurred that morning.

"When the Athas and Callis ruled together, the noble families specifically served one or the other. However, when the Athas sealed us... away, every family began to serve the Athas, but someone else who's taking the guards' exam, whose name is Cedar Chloros, comes from a noble family. His family continues to support the Callis, and as a punishment, he was forced to take the guards' exam."

Lux cocked her head. "Is he an ally then?"

He winced slightly. "I'm not sure; he seems to be very... proud."

"Isn't that a good thing?" she asked, and Rayne thought about it.

"Sometimes, I suppose," he said hesitantly.

"But moving on... our horses," he said, making Lux confused.

"What happened to them?" she asked, and he almost smacked his face.

"We need to pay for them weekly."

"Oh!" she gasped audibly. "Well, seeing as I have my first break this weekend, as well as my first payment, I can go pay for them."

Rayne frowned. "...Once I pass the guards' exam and get paid, I'll pay for the horses. I should do it since I'm older than you."

Lux wanted to protest, but when she saw the look on his face, she simply nodded.

She started to worry if everything was too much for him.

"Well, if that is everything, I should leave. I'm also going to try and contact our siblings tonight and give them the information," she said, beginning to walk off, but suddenly, a girl with purple braids walked up to her, a smile on her face.

"Hello, Darrion!" Thea exclaimed, even though Rayne, as well as Lux, looked mortified.

Lux started to panic. If someone had heard their conversation, what were they going to do then? How would they explain it to Mother? And not just her, but the rest of their siblings as well.

When she saw their expressions, she laughed. "Don't worry; I didn't hear anything from your little lovers' meeting."

Somehow their expressions managed to look even more mortified, and she observed them both closely again.

"Oh! Sorry! Now that I look more closely, you look like siblings. You even have the same hair; silly me." She clapped her hands, seemingly in apology.

"Who are you?" Lux asked, forgetting to be careful.

Thea began to speak, but Rayne cut her off.

"This is Thea Lasko; she took the guards' exam with me."

Thea chuckled. "No, I didn't just take the guards' exam with you; I'm your friend."

Rayne raised an eyebrow in confusion, but Lux smiled.

"Well, my name is Kira, Thea, and I hope you'll continue to be friends with my brother." She laughed, walking off.

She was glad that Rayne had a friend, even though she herself didn't have as much luck.

✦✦✦

Kaia made her way to the throne room, needing to give her mother new information that Lux had given her. She was glad that she had been able to speak with her older sister, even though she sounded... sad. She wished she had been able to talk it over with her, but she didn't have the time.

She sighed.

She missed them.

Eventually, she arrived at the grand doors and opened them slightly, her arms a bit tired.

Her mother had been making her siblings train their magic almost all day, and she didn't even allow Aurelia or Merce to take a break, resulting in them crying numerous times. Kaia often wondered if all of this was necessary.

"Kaia, my child," her mother smiled upon her throne, looking pleased with herself for an unknown reason.

"You should bow." She smiled even more, and Kaia raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean, mother?" she asked, wondering if maybe she had heard wrong.

"You should bow. I am a queen, after all," she told her, and although Kaia was confused, she couldn't disobey her mother, so she did as she was told.

"Good. Rise. What is it that you wanted, Kaia?" Kaia stood up, still very much confused, but still relayed the messages to her mother.

"We talked to Lux; she told us that Rayne is going to finish the guards' exam tomorrow, and he'll contact us afterward. She also told us about a family... that still supports us? I didn't really understand what she meant by it, though," she told her, though her mother didn't seem that interested.

"She also told me that a ball is going to be taking place tomorrow, but she doesn't know what it's for specifically. The last thing that she told me was about something called... Ataraxia? I think." Kaia placed a hand on her chin, trying to remember; however, her mother was practically jumping out of her seat.

"Kaia. Continue," she boomed, and Kaia shivered. "Yes, um, someone related to Ataraxia might have arrived. They were in the second biggest guest room in the entire castle."

Her mother suddenly seemed far away, as if thinking, but she came back to reality as soon as she had left, rising from her throne. "Thank you for telling me, Kaia. Now, please gather all your siblings here; we are going to have another lesson."

Kaia frowned; she was already tired. She didn't need another lesson, but she knew better than to argue or disagree with her mother, so again, she did as she was told.

✦✦✦

Lyra sat with all of her siblings in the throne room. They had just finished a lesson, but her mother had called for another one.

Lyra sighed; this was getting ridiculous. What did they need all these lessons for?

Her mother had even made Aurelia and Merce train hard, and for the first time in a long while, she felt remorse for her siblings, as well as for herself.

Suddenly, their mother stood in front of them all, her hands clasped together, smiling slyly.

"Good evening, children. The first thing that I must say is that I need to apologize to you."

"Huh?" Arden said audibly, and Kaia whacked him on the head.

"For your second lesson today, we will not be in the throne room. Please follow me," she chimed, and began to leave the throne room.

For a second, they all didn't move, caught in a haze of confusion, but after a moment, they abruptly rose, following their mother in a hurry.

As they moved through the halls of Adamas, Luther and Vivianne talked to each other, though it seemed one-sided.

"What do you think we're doing, Vivi?" Luther asked, and Vivianne scowled.

"How would I know? Figure it out yourself," she sneered, and he pouted.

Eventually, they arrived at a set of fairly old doors, and the conversation ceased.

Surprisingly, Lyra felt a bit more at ease since the door reminded her of the library, and she began to wonder what they were to do.

Their mother opened the doors to a room filled with shelves and a long wooden table where multiple people could sit. Ink and feathers were dotted around the room, as well as paper that lined the shelves.

It was a comfortable room, Lyra supposed.

"Take a seat, children," their mother said, and Lyra took a seat next to Kaia, who was sitting next to Arden.

She noticed that Aurelia and Merce were sitting on the same chair together, and she remembered that they had somehow gotten even closer since the start of their lessons, even though it also meant that their fighting had increased.

Their mother sat at the head of the table and handed each of them a handful of paper.

"For this lesson, my dear children, you will simply be practicing your handwriting." She smiled and wrote something on her own piece of paper, holding it up.

"Simply keep writing, 'the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,' since it contains all the letters of the alphabet."

Lyra was confused but did as she was told, and she and her siblings began to write. They all mostly concentrated, with the exclusion of Aurelia and Merce, who were arguing over something.

As Lyra was writing, a hand suddenly slammed on the table, and she looked up to see her mother towering over her, a glare in her eye.

"Is... something wrong, mother?" she asked, and her mother picked up her paper.

"What is this, Lyra?" she hissed, and Lyra winced.

When she was in the library, she spent more time studying than she did writing. However, when she did write, it was messy. It never bothered her since all that mattered in her perspective was whether she could read it or not.

Suddenly, her mother ripped up the paper, and Lyra watched the pieces float in the air before her.

"Start again," she seethed, and handed her another piece of paper. However, her eyes suddenly widened a bit.

"Oh! Excuse me, I need to get something," she exclaimed, leaving the room in a hurry, and the room turned silent.

Lyra watched the blank sheet of paper, a sense of sorrow creeping over her. However, she felt a hand on hers, and she turned to see Kaia smiling at her.

For a second, she considered smiling back at her, but she pulled her hand away. She was supposed to be mad at them.

Suddenly, Kaia stood up, her hands on her hips.

"I am completely and utterly tired of you, Lyra!" she shouted, and Lyra froze in shock.

"Yes, I am very sorry that mother tricked you, but let us be honest here. Do you really think that you were prepared to go outside?" she boomed, going on a ramble.

"I do agree that mother went too far, but you shouldn't be cold to all of us! We are the only people that you have, Lyra! And we all care about you! So... suck it up already!" She sat back down, breathing heavily, as if she had run a marathon.

Lyra turned back to her paper.

She didn't want to admit it, but Kaia was somewhat right. They hadn't done anything, and they were the people closest to her.

She turned to Kaia, looking her straight in the eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Kaia smiled slightly. "I forgive you."

✦✦✦

Oak travelled through the streets of Sidus, her cloak clinging to her face.

After a reevaluation, maybe she really didn't need to come here anymore, especially since she had found herself entangled with the rebels.

She nodded slightly. Yes, the only reason she was here was to tell the rebels that she wanted nothing more to do with them.

However, at that moment, a hand grabbed her, and she was dragged into a nearby alleyway.

Two tall, completely cloaked figures towered over her, and she had a sudden sense of déjà vu.

"You're the helper lady, aren't you?" one asked, and she crossed her arms.

"Yes, but I'm no—"

"There's no time for you to talk. Let's go," the other said, taking her arm.

"I don't want to! Unhand me!" she shouted, but they continued regardless, dragging her further through the alley.

She kept thrashing and screaming all the way, but still, no one came. However, they made a sudden stop, and for a moment, she wondered if they were actually about to let her go.

Yet what happened next was worse.

"You can't see this. We're going to knock you unconscious," one of them said, surprisingly nonchalantly.

She shrieked. "You're going to WH—"

When Oak woke up, her hood was down, and she was sitting on a chair in a fairly nice room.

It was completely wooden, with no windows, and had many portraits and shelves against the wall.

"I guess our reports are correct. You are just a girl," a voice called, and she turned her head to see a middle-aged man with black hair and green eyes staring at her.

At his sides, with their hands behind their backs, were the people she had met the night before... Rhea and Ronan, if her memory served her correctly.

"Am I in the rebel base?" she asked straight away.

"Wow, you get straight to the point, but to answer your question: yes," he answered, looking at some paper on his desk at the same time.

"Can I leave then?" she asked, and the man looked up.

"Don't you want to be here? You said you supported us."

"I don't want any part in what you're doing." She stood up, reaching for the door behind her, but in a flash, Rhea and Ronan were in front of her, swords drawn.

"Sit down," the man said, and Oak sat down. She wanted to leave, but she wasn't stupid.

"Do you still support us then?" he asked, and Oak thought about her answer.

It might be better to say that she didn't, and maybe they'd leave her alone, but it was more likely that they'd execute her on the spot.

"I am neutral."

"No, you're not," the man replied, and she grimaced.

"Fine. I support you. May I leave now?" she asked, and he smiled.

"Why do you want no part in this if you support us? You publicly declared it, after all," he asked, picking up the piece of paper, which she guessed contained information on her.

She would have to steal that at some point.

"You most likely know, but I am not from Sidus. This does not involve me," she argued, beginning to become irritated.

"But this doesn't involve simply Sidus. It involves all of Flei," he said, but she stayed silent.

He sighed. "What I am about to tell you is highly confidential. If you tell anyone, we will find you."

Oak sat up slightly.

"The Athas do not know this, but our soldiers are spread far and wide. We even have many in Polemus. They believe that we're a minuscule movement, something they can finish when they have the free time, but that's our strength. They underestimate us."

Oak was interested now. If anything, she still didn't want to have anything to do with the rebels, but if she was practically going to be forced to work with them, then information was important, especially if they were spread all the way in Polemus.

The man grinned slyly. "I've persuaded you, haven't I?"

She nodded slowly. He was right, but not because of the reason he was thinking of.

"Good. We'll take you back now, and this time we'll use a blindfold."

She raised an eyebrow at that. She was working with them, but she wasn't even allowed to know where their base was?

Rhea and Ronan approached her, holding a piece of black fabric.

"Wait!" she shouted, and they stopped.

"What is it?" he asked in confusion.

"Can I at least know your name, seeing as you're the leader of all of this?"

He smiled again. "My name is Colton, but I'm not the leader of the rebellion."

She sighed silently; she should have known that something this big wouldn't show their leader to her straight away.

As Rhea and Ronan approached her again, she didn't resist as they tied the blindfold on her, taking her arms and moving her out.

As she was led out, Colton yelled as the door closed, "I hope I'll be able to learn your name someday too, Oak!"

She laughed. "Hopefully not."