Leon had certainly not cheaped out on his celebration, though I had no idea how he threw it together so fast. The benefits of incredible wealth and influence extended even farther than I had imagined.
He had rented out one of the inns in Volaris' main square, booking every single room in the entire building, a few hundred in total. Every student in the Academy, and what felt like half the nobles in the capital, were invited. I almost felt bad for whoever owned the building but took solace in that they would walk away with a fortune in profits by the end of the night.
The upper floor consisted of mostly open space with tables around the edges and a large balcony overlooking the city. Currently, the entire place was packed with people, most already well on their way to drunk. I had met a few dozen nobles whose names I did not bother remembering, but the night was beginning to wear on me. Sophia must have felt similarly, and I spotted her concealing a glare as she was stuck socializing with her brother's friends.
Leaning against one wall, I sighed, letting the waves of music and the clamor of conversation wash over me. Raising the glass to my lips, I took a long drink, wincing at the fiery burn that ran down my throat. It was some horrifyingly potent liquor from up north, and I could not say for sure that it was not corrosive. Still, a downside of my growing physical durability was that only strong alcohol worked on me.
Usually, I disliked drinking, but the feeling of being watched had me on edge. And of course, it was a party, and not drinking might appear unusual. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths, going over my list of priorities again. Get money from Flynn, gather my supplies and flee from Ferris, faking my death on the way out. Easier said than done, but doable as long as I did not slack off.
That still left the question of what to tell my allies? The truth? Part of it, maybe? If I told them of my visions, perhaps they could begin preparing the rest of the country for a potential invasion. Ten years of preparation might allow Ferris to grow powerful enough to change our fate.
A hand landed on my shoulder, and I started, opening my eyes and finding Amelia standing a few feet away.
"You okay?" she asked, leaning in closer and examining my face.
"Yes, sorry. Just taking a moment to myself. It is just hitting me that our first year here is over already." I explained, giving a wide smile.
Her eyebrow raised, and I could tell she did not believe me. Gesturing towards the staircase with one hand, she turned, weaving through the crowd with effortless grace. I paused for just a moment before finishing my drink in a single motion, placing it on the table before following after her.
Walking downstairs and further along a hallway, she slipped into one of the rooms, muffling the sounds of the party down the hall. The moment the door closed, she turned to me and crossed her arms.
"Alright, spill it. What's wrong?"
"There is nothing wrong. Like I said, I just-" I began, but stopped as Amelia narrowed her eyes, a silent warning on her face.
I sat down on the bed behind me, folding my fingers into a tent-shape and placing my chin on it. I took several seconds before looking up to her, asking, "Can I trust you?"
The glare she responded with told me I might have made a mistake.
"We've been friends for a year now, spent every day together, fought beside one another, and you have the nerve to ask me that? Of course, you idiot," she replied, shaking her head at me.
"Alright, I will admit that it was a dumb question," I responded, rubbing the side of my face.
"Dumb and insensitive, but I expect nothing less from you. Like I've said before, you aren't the best at social cues," she remarked with the slightest grin.
Sighing, I rubbed my eyes, casting out my senses, and checking for a few hundred feet around us. I might trust Amelia, but I certainly did not trust the drunk, gossiping fools occupying the rest of the building.
"I think someone is out to get me, and that they have been manipulating and maneuvering me for the last few months."
She opened her mouth, likely to ask questions, but I help up one hand, halting the oncoming tirade.
"There are many things I cannot tell you, for your safety if nothing else. I have secrets that have to remain my own, and although I do trust you, I think it is better this way."
"Vayne, I need you to start making sense." she insisted, taking a few steps closer before sitting down on the bed next to me.
I paused, staring at the ground again before looking up at her.
"During my Awakening, I had visions of the future that were horrifying. We fight, and lose, a war against invaders that wield abilities I have never seen. I play a major role in this future, and I believe whoever has been trying to manipulate me wants me for their own goals."
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She blinked several times, my words not immediately registering before she finally shook her head.
"Slow down for a second. That can't be true. Why would anyone want a weak commoner as their servant? No offense, but you're not a prodigal mage or anything. I know you've gotten handy with a staff, but that doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. There are a hundred more powerful mages out there."
"No, there isn't. In the future that I saw, I am the most powerful mage in Ferris. I will become an Archmagus, the personal champion of King Lyos." I responded, meeting her eyes with a steady gaze.
If she had been surprised before, she now looked floored. Several times, her mouth opened and closed, no sound coming out before finally, she spoke.
"You-you're an Archmagus? That can't be true."
"Amelia, why would I lie? What purpose does that serve?"
"I don't know! You clearly have been lying up until now!" She half-shouted, pushing up off the bed and taking a step backward.
Wincing, I held up my hand, saying, "Please, keep your voice down. I would rather not call attention to our room. As you can imagine, I would prefer to keep this quiet, for now."
Her jaw clenched, but she nodded, continuing, "I do trust you, Vayne, but you have to admit this is difficult to believe. Why would you not tell your lords that you can become an Archmagus? They'd be beyond thrilled. The prestige they would gain would be immense."
"Simple. In my visions, I am a glorified slave. A tracking enchantment was slapped onto me, and my life was steered into becoming a weapon for Ferris. While understandable, considering we were facing invasion, you can understand that I would rather not repeat that future. Revealing my potential seems an excellent way to ensure that came to pass."
"So why did you tell me now? What changed?" she asked, sitting back down and turning to me.
I did not reply for a minute, staring at my hands in silence.
"I needed to tell someone, I suppose. Keeping secrets and lying wears on you, and I thought I would pick you if I could tell anyone. You've never given me a reason not to trust you." I replied, looking back up to her.
Several tense seconds passed before a warm smile crossed her face, and she nodded, responding, "I'm still not happy you've been lying to me, but I can understand why. If I saw what you saw, I have no idea how I would have reacted. I'm glad you told me, at least."
A wave of relief passed over me, and I nodded, happy that she had taken my confession in stride. It was a better result than I had hoped for and more than I felt I deserved.
"What now?" she asked, turning back to me and tilting her head to one side.
"Now? We go back to the party and celebrate. After that, we will see. I want to change what I saw, and I hope that you can help me do that. Together, I have a good feeling about what we can accomplish." I responded, standing up from the bed and holding out a hand to help her up.
Taking my head, she stood, nodding once.
"Of course I'll help you. I plan to keep kicking your ass in sparring, and having you get snapped up by the crown for special training would ruin those plans. I'm doubting the king would be too thrilled about his personal champion getting all bruised up."
Chuckling, I shook my head at her response, glad her sense of humor seemed intact. I began walking towards the door but felt a hand on my shoulder again, turning me around.
Before I could respond, I felt something soft against my lips and saw Amelia had closed the gap, pressing herself against me. I had only a brief second to realize what had happened before she separated again, a slight blush on her face.
"I like honesty. Keep that in mind next time you think about lying," she explained with a shrug and a sly smile before pushing past me and walking out of the room. I blinked several times, my face burning as I tried to process what had just happened.
"Never going to understand women. Magic maybe, but women? Never." I muttered under my breath, shaking my head again before following her out and back into the party.
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A half-dozen mana crystals sat on the desk, filled with mana, just like the ones I had used in the tournament. Just disappearing would not work for my purposes. It was almost definite that someone was aware of who I was or could become. If I vanished, people would be looking for me, including Duke Estton. There were far too many ways to track me, and I needed to give myself time to put as much distance between myself and the Academy as possible.
That still raised a single problem I had not figured out yet. What to do about a body? Butchers in the city could provide me with enough meat to simulate a corpse or at least one blown to bits, but I was worried it would not work. Grim as it may be, experienced mages might be able to tell the difference between human and animal remains, even ripped apart.
Still, it was the best option short of murdering someone to use as a body double. I might be growing desperate, but that was a step too far.
Tomorrow night was my meeting with Flynn to get the money he promised me. I had returned after the party and found a note, asking to meet in the woods behind the Academy. No doubt, he wanted to give me my gold outside of the view of others, who might perceive his move as weakness.
It was possible, even likely, that it was an ambush, but I planned to prepare for the worst. I was leaving Ferris, and if it came down to a fight, I had no reason to hold back anymore. If I was in danger, I coudl always use Cortos' ring to escape, and move my plans up. While the worst-case scenario, I would prefer to reveal my powers than end up injured or enslaved to his family.
Sitting on the desk next to the crystals was a letter I had written to Amelia. It detailed that I was leaving Ferris searching for ways to grow more powerful and asking for forgiveness for misleading her. I explained that I had no intention of lying, but felt that she might offer to go with me if I told her the truth.
More than that, I asked her to continue working with the Esttons and Simon, growing as mages and preparing for the coming invasion. I was not lying when I said I wanted her to help me change the future, but bringing her along with me was something I could not do. She could do more good here, working with Ferris and our friends while I found the rest of Cortos' sanctums.
I was still not sure if I should leave the letter for her or not. It was, after all, a loose end that could lead someone right back to me. But every time I imagined leaving without saying anything, I felt a painful twinge in my stomach. Guilt was a powerful motivatior, it seemed.
Young love. I am once more glad I am not human.
Snorting, I turned to Fortuna, replying, "And I am glad I am. I much enjoy thumbs, and fur sounds horrible in the summer heat."
Ignoring him, I walked across the room and slid into the makeshift bed I had built in the sanctum. One way or another, tonight might very well be the last night I slept at the Academy.