Kilian

It was the kind of day that made you think the world could actually be a decent place, even if just for a while. The sun shone warmly over the marketplace, and a light breeze carried the scents of freshly baked bread and spices through the cobbled streets. Kira, William, and I had slipped out at dawn to make the most of the day, knowing there wouldn't be many of these left. Two years until conscription. Two years to soak up every moment of freedom.

We had just come out of the Wyrmwood, our hands still sticky from catching fireflies. Kira was looking particularly smug, her braid slightly undone and a few leaves still clinging to her sleeves.

"See, Kilian? I told you I could catch more than you," she said, her grin wide as she skipped ahead, her jar filled with the softly glowing insects swinging at her side.

I rolled my eyes, matching her pace. "You caught two more than me. It's hardly worth bragging about. Besides, the ones I caught were bigger."

Kira shot me a sidelong glance, her eyebrow arching. "Bigger doesn’t mean better. You’re just making excuses. Face it, I'm smarter and faster."

"Smarter? Please," I laughed. "Remember last week when you tried to convince me there were monsters in the Wyrmwood?"

Kira crossed her arms defensively. "There are monsters in there, Kilian. Everyone says so."

I shook my head. "Not in the Wyrmwood. You’re thinking of the Woods of Zilara. That’s where every place is crawling with dangerous creatures." I gave her a pointed look. "That's why the Zilarans learn to fight practically as soon as they can stand. You think those kids wield real swords for fun?"

She frowned, her face flushing slightly. "Well, it’s easy to mix them up. Woods are woods."

"You should do better research," I said, nudging her with my elbow. "It's all right there in 'The Chronicles of Ancient Realms,' you know. Page 43. You should give it a read sometime."

Kira stuck her tongue out at me, and I grinned. "Oh, don't be like that," I teased. "I might even help you find a copy if you ask nicely."

William, who had been trailing behind us with an amused look on his face, finally chimed in. "You two bicker like an old married couple," he said, shaking his head. "It's almost cute."

"Shut up, William," Kira and I said in unison, and then we both burst into laughter.

We wandered through the market stalls, taking in the sights and sounds. Musicians were gathered near the fountain, playing lively tunes on fiddles and flutes, drawing a small crowd. We stopped to listen for a while, enjoying the lively beat. Kira started swaying to the music, her face brightening with every note. William even tried to pull me into a dance, but I pushed him away, shaking my head with a grin.

After the music, we moved to a stall selling candied nuts. The sweet, sugary smell was too tempting to pass by. "Alright, who's getting these?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Kira's eyes sparkled as she nudged me. "You are, obviously. Unless William has finally decided to spend his own money."

William held up his empty hands. "You know my pockets are always empty. It's part of my charm."

I sighed, handing over a coin to the vendor. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t get used to it," I said, handing each of them a small paper cone filled with the warm, sweet nuts.

We munched on them as we walked, our hands sticky from the caramel coating. We passed by a stall selling brightly colored scarves, and Kira insisted on trying on almost every color, wrapping herself in blues, greens, and golds, twirling in front of a small mirror. William and I sat on the edge of a wooden crate, offering commentary.

"The green makes you look like a forest witch," William said, nodding seriously.

"What about the gold?" Kira asked, twirling again.

I pretended to consider it. "Definitely makes you look like royalty, but not in a good way. More like 'about to be overthrown by the people' kind of royalty."

Kira stuck her tongue out at us before finally picking a deep red scarf, which I begrudgingly bought for her after much pleading.

Further down the market, we came across a stall with a game—knock down the bottles to win a prize. William's eyes lit up immediately. "I've got this," he said, rolling up his sleeves.

"You say that every time, and every time you miss," I pointed out.

"Today’s different," William insisted, taking the wooden balls from the vendor. He took aim, squinting at the bottles as if they were his mortal enemies, and threw. The ball sailed past, missing by a wide margin.

Kira burst into laughter, and I couldn’t help but join in. "Different, huh?"

William tried again, managing to knock down a single bottle, but the rest remained stubbornly upright. He sighed dramatically. "This game is obviously rigged."

Kira patted his shoulder. "Sure, William. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

I took a turn, managing to knock down two bottles. Kira went next, and, surprisingly, managed to knock them all down. Her face lit up with triumph. "See, that's how it's done!"

The vendor handed her a small stuffed rabbit as her prize, and she hugged it to her chest, sticking her tongue out at William again. "Guess I'm just better."

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William shook his head, pretending to sulk. "I swear, you two are out to get me today."

We continued through the market, passing a flower stall where Kira insisted on buying a small bouquet of wildflowers. She handed a bright yellow one to me and another to William, sticking the rest in her hair.

"What's this for?" I asked, twirling the flower between my fingers.

"It's to remember the good day we're having," Kira said with a smile, and for a moment, everything felt perfect—like the world wasn’t as broken as it actually was.

We moved on, coming across a small commotion near one of the stalls. A thief had tried to grab something—a golden bracelet by the looks of it—and a guard had caught him by the arm. The guard twisted the thief's wrist, forcing him down to his knees. The thief, a scruffy-looking young man, looked terrified. The guard barked at him, demanding to know if he was working alone. The crowd watched, some murmuring amongst themselves, others just staring silently.

Kira clutched my arm, her eyes wide. "Do you think they'll take him away?"

I frowned, shaking my head. "Probably. They don't let thieves off easy these days." I could feel Kira tense beside me, and I gently steered her away from the scene. "Come on, let's keep moving."

We passed a few more stalls, each filled with trinkets and goods that seemed to glitter under the bright sunlight. The colors of the vendor tents were vibrant, with bolts of cloth in deep reds, greens, and blues hanging from racks, and baskets of fruit piled high—golden apples, bright oranges, and dark, juicy plums. Kira paused in front of a stall selling honey cakes, her eyes lighting up as she eyed the treats.

"Do you want one?" I asked, already reaching for a coin.

She hesitated, but her grin betrayed her. "Maybe just one."

I handed over the coin, and the vendor wrapped a small honey cake in paper, passing it to Kira. She took a bite, and her face lit up even more. "It's so good," she mumbled through a mouthful.

William leaned over, his eyes wide with mock desperation. "Hey, what about me? Don't I get one too?"

I rolled my eyes but handed over another coin. The vendor passed a cake to William, who immediately took a huge bite. "See? This is why I'm friends with you," he said, his mouth full, and I shook my head, smiling.

Kira laughed, and for a moment, everything felt right. We moved on to another stall, this one selling small trinkets—hand-carved figurines, tiny glass bottles filled with colored sand, and delicate necklaces. Kira picked up a small wooden bird, turning it over in her hands, while William examined a collection of rings, trying on one that was far too tight for his finger.

Kira walked ahead of us, her chin up as she wove through the crowd, her loose braid bouncing with every step. William nudged me with his elbow and grinned. "Hey, think I should ask her to the Harvest Dance?"

I shot him a warning glance. "That's my sister, you idiot. She's fourteen."

William ignored me, as usual. "Kira!" he called, jogging a little to catch up to her. "You know, if you still need a date for the Harvest Dance, I'd be more than happy to—"

Kira wrinkled her nose and spun around, fixing him with a look of utter disdain. "Ugh. You're disgusting, William. Absolutely not." She marched on, muttering under her breath about "stupid boys" and "especially stupid friends of her brother."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Told you," I said, clapping William on the shoulder as we walked. "Leave her alone. She's got better taste than that."

William rubbed the back of his neck, pretending to look wounded. "You guys are so mean to me. I'm practically the most charming person in town."

"If by 'charming,' you mean 'a persistent annoyance,' then sure," I said, and he shoved me lightly in return, a grin spreading across his face.

We turned a corner, and I caught sight of something that made my smile falter—a group gathering near the main square. The air felt heavier as I realized what it was: a makeshift stage, hastily assembled, and soldiers in dark uniforms ushering people closer. A public trial.

I stopped in my tracks. Kira glanced back at me, her expression shifting from curiosity to apprehension. I could see it in her eyes; she knew exactly what this was too. The royal guards had caught multiple magic users.

The accused were being led up the steps to the stage. There were three of them, all with sacks over their heads. I caught sight of one—a child, maybe twelve, in tattered clothes that seemed hauntingly familiar. Kira's face went pale as she stared at them, her eyes widening in shock.

"Kilian," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I think... I think that might be someone from school."

The child stumbled, and a guard yanked them roughly to their feet. The crowd grew quieter still, and I felt the knot in my stomach tighten. I wanted to look away, to shield Kira from what was about to happen, but my feet were frozen in place.

A guard stepped forward, unrolling a scroll. His voice echoed over the square, flat and emotionless. "These individuals stand accused of practicing forbidden magic, a crime against the Crown and against the people of Cyrennia. The sentence, as decreed by His Majesty, is death."

The crowd remained completely silent. Not a cheer, not a word of protest—just silence. I knew what it was. It was a protest of its own kind, a silent refusal to participate. They couldn't speak out. Not here. Not unless they wanted to be next.

I felt my stomach twist into a knot. I hated this. I hated how people acted like this was a spectacle, some kind of entertainment. I looked at Kira, her face pale as she stared at the stage. She was too young to see this—no one should have to see this.

"You don't have to watch this," I said, stepping closer to her. My voice came out more urgent than I'd intended. "Come on, let's go."

She nodded wordlessly, and I put my arm around her shoulders, guiding her away from the crowd. I glanced back once, and I caught William's expression—the way his smile had vanished, replaced by something colder, something pained. He hated this too. We all did.

Kira looked up at me, her voice trembling slightly. "This is the sixth one this week, Kilian. And it's only Thursday." She shook her head, her eyes welling with tears that she tried to blink away. "How many more until there's no one left? Soon, Alaric will have extinguished magic in all of Cyrennia."

I clenched my jaw, unable to find the right words. She was right, and it gnawed at me. I wanted to say that it would stop, that people wouldn't let this go on—but we all knew that wasn't true.

Kira let out a shaky breath. "I thought they'd stop after Aethelwald Academy. I thought... I thought people would riot, that they'd fight back. But they did nothing instead. They just watched." She paused, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "They just watched, Kilian. Like it was nothing."

I stopped walking and turned to her, placing both my hands on her shoulders. I looked into her eyes, those amber eyes that looked so much like mine, but with so much fear and confusion clouding them. "Listen to me, Kira. People are scared. They think if they don't fight back, if they stay quiet, they'll be safe."

"But they aren't safe," she said, her voice breaking. "No one is."

I swallowed, nodding slowly. "I know. I know they're not. But that's why we have to change things. That's why we can't just... let this keep happening. One day, we're going to do something about it. I swear to you. We won't just watch. We'll make it stop."

Kira looked at me for a long moment, her expression caught between fear and hope. Then she nodded, her lips pressed together tightly. "Promise me," she said.

I squeezed her shoulders gently. "I promise." My voice was firm, though inside, I felt the weight of that promise settle in my chest. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I would. For Kira, for William, for everyone who had to live in this broken world.

William caught up to us then, his face still grim. He gave us both a look, one that spoke of understanding, of shared pain. He didn't say anything, just nodded, and we started walking again—away from the jeering crowd, away from the darkness that seemed to be tightening its grip on Cyrennia.

We still had two years left. Two years to make them count.