An ironic case of déjà vu wracked Val’s brain as she stepped into her office for the seventh time in a week. Lowell entered shortly after her and peeked past the room’s threshold. His head swung both ways to clock the hallway and, once satisfied, he closed the door, promising a degree of privacy.

Sensing their presence, the lights toggled on unasked. The brief moment when the modern lantern above banished the darkness, illuminating everything from the mahogany bookshelves to the framed pictures upon her desk, gave her pause each instance. This was all truly and wholly hers, the same girl pickpocketing and wiping bar tables not too long ago…

Today, she worked to tuck away her wistfulness, focusing on the here and now. She studied her fellow artificer, the way he scanned the area for saints-knew-what and how he frantically placed a metal disk on the floor. Two seconds later, a familiar wave of energy swept over her, and a quick activation of Vague View solved its mysterious origins.

Heavens—he silenced the area? She could hardly believe that he owned the expensive gadget, not to talk of using it even inside the closed doors of her office.

“Why so dramatic?” she asked, genuinely curious. Few things could provoke such precautions, which made it all the more weirder since it concerned a rather straightforward event. An auction.

Ruffling his raven bangs, he moved to occupy the guest seat tucked beneath her desk. “It’s not dramatic if it calls for it.”

“Okay…” She followed his lead and sank into her chair. “I’ve been let in on some pretty crazy stuff. Lay it on me.”

“Absolutely nothing can leave this room, ‘Lore. Nothing.”

“You have my word.”

He rubbed at his cheek, took a sharp inhale and nodded to himself. “Alright, but at least tell me why you want to know.”

“That’s a valid ask,” she said, buying time to organize her thoughts. “This auction must be something else if it needs the attention of Rowan—a twelve-year-old for heaven’s sake. I thought maybe if I understood the gist of it, I could help Kenneth ride the wave.”

Val chewed the inside of her cheek, the underlying cause of her inquiry dancing on the tip of her mind. If he was willing to let her in on this supposed secret, she should return the favour in some manner.

“Real talk though?” She leaned forward in her seat. “I’m looking for either a rare ingredient, a highly-expensive tonic—or both. It’s nothing I’ll discover laying around on the streets. Think I can find it at this auction?”

Lowell bobbed his head. “Oh totally. One hundred percent.”

Val’s heart clenched, hope sighted in his words. “How can you be so sure?”

“If you can’t find it at the biggest auction of the continent, where else would you be able to?” He expunged a handful of air. “In a simple and honest term, it’s grand. The Jin Clan takes ten years to prepare it, scouring our side of the continent and bottom side for priceless items. Everyone attends—and I mean everyone. Desni royalty, the Twenty, the Eryidian bloodlines, notability in the Eastern Islands.”

“Saints…” Val breathed.

“Like I said,” he shrugged. “Everyone. It’s kept highly under wraps to avoid plundering. Let’s not forget that the elite like being elite, so secrecy is a must. Now, since neither you nor I are a part of any of the groups I just mentioned, we obviously don’t have a seat reserved. To get in, you need to request a meeting with the head of the family or receive an invite. I don’t have that kind of access to make either happen.”

“You’re Rowan's brother,” Val countered, “the boy that, if I remember correctly, needed bodyguards to walk him home? If that doesn’t smell like access, I don’t know what does.”

“Val,” Lowell sighed. “Me and Rowan are brothers and at the same time, we’re not.” He took out the lanyard tucked under his sweat-stained shirt. “This is the key to the orphanage. My home.”

Orphanage? Val’s eyebrows pinched together, and sorrow weaved around her insides at the implication. “Saints, I… I’m sorry for prodding.”

He waved her concerns away. “I didn’t make the biggest effort to hide it, either.”

“But the manor.” Val’s brow furrowed. “It’s huge and largely empty?”

“It’s not your average orphanage,” he admitted. “You see, it belongs to the Jin Clan. My parents were members of a branch family, and so they sent me there in their absence. It’s the same story for the other children, who I basically consider siblings.”

“So that’s that.” Val nodded. “I respect it.”

“No no no, Rowan’s not orphaned,” Lowell chuckled. “I mean, the heir of the clan can’t be shipped to an orphanage, can he?”

The number of lines on Val’s forehead increased. “I’m sorry—did you just imply that he’s the heir of the Jin Clan?”

“I’m not implying it, I’m saying it. The role comes with its perks and misfortunes. Especially the misfortunes. It’s incredibly brutal, growing up in hostile conditions.”

Hostile? “And by that you mean…”

“It’d take a day and a half to explain the inner workings and drama of an age-old clan. Just take it from me,” he said. “Rowan needed an out—a place to be a kid. He found it at my orphanage. I’m not about to seclude him from the family due to the crap surrounding his existence, that’s not how I work.”

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“I’m glad he found a brother in you,” she smiled, and a friend in Ken.

Lowell’s face warped into a mean glare. “Wasn’t hard for him to do so when his real one is a complete ass.”

“Oof.” Val winced and allowed him the time to cool off. Never did she believe that Lowell belonged to the Jin Clan. Better yet, never did she expect Kenneth—the same person who despised his status-inclined peers—to befriend the heir of a major clan. Did he know? Nah, I would’ve heard about it by now.

Her gaze returned to Lowell—Lowell Jin or, if following his culture, Jin Lowell. Wow, that would take some getting used to. In hindsight, she remembered thinking his house bore a resemblance to the clan’s symbols and customs. Reflecting on the connection, a light bulb went off in her head. “Since you’re a part of the Jin Clan, I take it you know a thing or two about Clementine?”

“Xiandra Clementine—Zihao’s pet?” Lowell scoffed, and dismissed the wariness in her tone. “She’s harmless, all bark and no bite.”

“That’s the last impression she gave off, believe me,” Val retorted. From the unfortunate times they crossed paths at HQ right to the start of the Rookie Competition, the girl’s talent and self-confidence appeared untouchable. “I feel like I’m lacking some context.”

“I don’t know much, so I can’t say much. Her talent was useful, and moldable—so the clan took her in. Yeah sure, she’s a national prodigy, but she won’t do anything without Zihao’s command.”

“Who’s Zihao?”

“Exactly,” Lowell's shoulders rose in a shrug. “You don’t know him, so he won’t know you. She’s probably here to scout the scene for the upcoming university activities.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Val said.

“Well to answer your first one, about the auction,” he grinned at her annoyed frown, “he’s among the few people you need to impress to gain a seat at the auction. Half of the clan, at the end of the day, believe him to be the heir.”

“This reeks of family drama.”

“What can I say,” his grin tampered down into a resigned smile, “it comes with being part of the Twenty.”

“Okay then, how do I ‘impress’? I don’t think ten years is enough time to become something on par with longstanding clans and families.”

“It’s coming up in three to four years, actually,” he corrected.

“Even worse,” she said. “At this rate, I won’t be allowed in the parking lot.”

“You don’t have to become that big,” Lowell said. “You only need to show that you have the potential to become that big. It’s far more desirable since potential can always grow, and potential is very much attainable. People can deign to link up with a rising mage. With someone from a distinguishable background, power dynamics have to be considered, and that can be troublesome.”

Val shook her head, dejected. “I barely made it into my university as it is. I’d be hard pressed to convince the upper echelon of an age-old clan to save me a seat.”

“Valory, for someone so perceptive, you can be so blind when it comes to yourself. It’s actually baffling sometimes. I have to literally drag you out of your office and beg you to take time for yourself.”

She grimaced. True.

“You’ve managed to catch the public and private eye of many, including Thales Academy, Runic Mead, and Clementine apparently. That list extends to the artificing sphere and your adventuring squad full of distinguishable characters.”

Also true.

“Your hard-working character and personal charm is plenty of potential to me. Add your silver PAST on top of it?” He smirked. “Think about it ‘Lore, you’ve got lots of potential and you have time. You just don’t see it and it’s going to be your downfall. Alongside falling into obscurity due to burnout, that is. Pace yourself. Take small steps like coming to the socialite party I was talking about. That’s how you rise. That’s how you excel.”

Val blinked silently, overwhelmed by both the truth and how starkly he put it. I have time, huh… The exact opposite of her thoughts yesterday, yet true all the same.

“Well then.” A wry smile graced her face. “Let’s head to this party.”

----------------------------------------

First Halo of Ciazel,

Atera,

East Lily Drive

-Six days later-

“Give it to me straight.” Val turned the corner into the small living room. “How do I look?”

Caro struggled to find words, a rare thing in her case. “For a person who dreads parties, you sure know how to dress.”

“I’ll take that as a good sign.”

Val would’ve said she went all out for the event, but she knew full well her appearance would appear a tad underwhelming in her future company. Brooks—the social media specialist she’d met moments after her time inside an Aether Chamber—practically vibrated when she mentioned the invite to the yearly Summer Delight.

The lady hardly let her finish the conversation before rushing to organize everything from the proper driving arrangements down to the dress itself. It was far from a smooth endeavour. Val had never said no so many times in a row. She simply deemed most garments as too much. Too gaudy, too loud, too revealing. Thankfully after some hours of trial and error, they picked the right outfit for her.

The gown, made of some black matte material, draped over her torso to wrap round a shoulder, leaving one arm bare. A modest slit showcased an elegant pair of silver heels, and the added height nearly made her 5’10. For the jewellery, an assortment of interlocking Glazen bangles adorned her unsleeved forearm, and a tight metal necklace—bordering on a choker—glistened above her collar bones.

Val decided for a softly-messy bun held together by a long coldsteel pin, a few select strands escaping the updo to frame her face. The dark colours cut a dramatic contrast to her green eyes, and olive skin, ensuring she stood out pleasingly. She raised a hand to rub at her forehead, then forcefully restrained the nervous tick to avoid smudging her makeup. “So did—”

Caro nodded. “Yes, Jesal sent the driver. He’s downstairs.”

“And my—”

“Your brothers will be fed, taken care of and put to sleep.”

“There’s—”

“Girl, go. Get going.” Caro pushed her out of the apartment, then leaned against the doorframe. “Stop being such a worrywart and enjoy the night out. You need the break.”

“But I—”

She raised a commanding eyebrow. “What did I just say?”

Val groaned and spun on her heels. “I’m going.”