"Hey hey, sleepyhead! Yoo-hoo, Alice!" Kairy said as she giggled, tapping Alice on her shoulder. Alice was laying on the ebony table flat on her face. She dozed off as the sunlight shone on her brown skin and jet black wavy hair. She groaned and lifted her head at the speed of a snail before plopping her head right back down into her arms. "It's almost time for the next class! Come on, it's the last day of school! We can't slow down now!" Kairy continued.

"J-just a few more minutes…" Alice replied in a low, sleepy voice.

"Haha, that's what you say, and then suddenly, two hours pass by. You're almost at the end, just try and power through it."

Alice blinked her blue eyes open and sat up. "...Fine." She grabbed her notebook and headed to the next class.

"So what did we all learn about Darkness today?" asked the teacher as he gestured towards the students.

"That it's not inherently evil?" replied a student with straight black hair and blue eyes.

"That it is just as necessary as light for the balance of the universe." replied another student with pink eyes and silver hair in drill-style twintails.

"Good answers, Kinsey and Rachel. Remember, everyone, when it comes to Light and Darkness, one must not overtake the other. If so, disaster will befall the world. You are now dismissed." the teacher ended. The students all got up and went off with their belongings, but Alice, Kinsey and Rachel stayed behind.

"Pretty interesting how Darkness is such a huge topic these days. There must be some underlying importance to it all." Alice said.

"These guys must just be off their rockers or whatever." Kinsey replied, shrugging.

"I wouldn't put it past them. Let's just grab Kairy and get outta here." Rachel said, walking out of the classroom. Kinsey followed, and so did Alice, but at a slower speed. "There has to be more to it…" she thought, pondering the things she's learned today.

"Ah, there you guys go!" Kairy exclaimed. As a gem sprite, she has pale skin and long, pointy ears. She also has bright blue hair that sparkled in the light, and red eyes that twinkled like a ruby.

"Yeah. It's finally over. It was difficult to stay awake through it all." Kinsey said.

"You don't say. At least it's all over now, not to mention that it's the end of the school year." Kairy replied.

"That fact is the only thing keeping me pushing through. Now how about we all just wind down and have something good to eat?" Rachel asked.

"And stay out!" said an employee in the restaurant before slamming the door shut behind the four girls. Now they find themselves back in the city of Saber Point, Elbrastion. Tall skyscrapers, bright neon lights. Bustling streets full of busy people scurrying around. Alice and her friends all began to walk away onto the sidewalk. They wondered why such a small thing got them kicked out of the restaurant.

"Yeesh! Why are people becoming such assholes lately?" Rachel said.

"I know right, all I did was miss the trash bin. I was going to pick it up afterwards, too, but noooo." Kinsey replied, rolling her eyes.

"The way people have been acting lately makes me not want to step into society at all." Alice said. "As a matter of fact, I'm going home to crash. Today was exhausting in every sense of the word."

"Already?" said Kinsey. "It's early in the afternoon."

"Yes, already. I'm defeated."

"Aw, but you're the life of the party."

"That's a lie and you know it."

"Maybe. Just remember to get back with us, we'll still be hanging out and all that."

"Sure. See y'all later."

★

I made it back home and I went straight to my bed. I plopped down onto it with my school uniform still on, except for my shoes. I left them beside my bed on the hardwood floor. The scent of the strawberry incense I lit earlier still filled the room as I stared up at the ceiling. It is black like the other four walls of her room. The curtains were pitch black, the sunlight from outside unable to pierce through. My only source of light were the tall candles.

"What a drag today was, and I'm not even halfway through the day yet." I complained, my head still ringing with a dull pain from the monotony of the school and stupidity of people. I went under my plush blanket and got what I considered a well-deserved rest.

★

"What do you guys think made Al want to crash so early?" Kinsey asked. She, Rachel and Kairy were in their hangout spot. They were sitting on a cliff on the outskirts of the city. The afternoon sun shone upon them and the valley below. The three were now dressed in their usual getups, grateful to be out of their school clothes for the long term.

"Well to be fair, school was a sleep fest," Rachel replied. "I'm surprised I haven't done the same as her. I'm not feeling it either."

Rachel wore a long, frilly black and white dress with a red bow in the center. White stockings covered her pale legs, and black loafers protected her feet.

"It was pretty boring, yes," Kairy began. "But if the school's making such a big deal out of it, then it must have some importance that we're unaware of."

Kairy sported a flowing white tunic with a simple black belt cinching her waist. The straps criss-cross in an X shape across her bust, leaving her shoulders exposed while providing some security for the upper area. Her feet are adorned with a pair of black sandals with silver buckles. A small pendant necklace hangs around her neck, decorated with a single diamond chip, glistening in the sun.

"It's all simply the ramblings of madmen to me." Kinsey said.

Kinsey's shoulder-length black hair is sprinkled with purple streaks and styled with soft, curling strands. The dark, gothic makeup around her eyes and the black eyeliner help to give her a mysterious, edgy vibe. She sports an oversized sweatshirt and skinny jeans with holes in the knees. Her feet are adorned with black boots with heavy-duty soles.

"I don't think it's that bad. There has to be a reason." Kairy replied.

"Maybe there is. But think about this, it is called Umbra Academy. It kinda makes sense that they would talk about Darkness and stuff." Rachel said.

"It's just a name," Kinsey said. "So let me guess… Photon Academy is talking about Light in the same way."

"You raise a good point…" Kairy replied. "Your assumption could very well be true."

"Then it has me thinking. Is there going to be some type of silly war because of Light and Darkness at some point?" Kinsey asked with a snicker.

"The way things are headed, it wouldn't be surprising," Rachel replied, shrugging her arms.

Kairy felt an ominous presence approaching her from behind. She looked behind herself. There was a small, pure black humanoid creature with glowing crimson eyes. A being no taller than a baseball bat and made of darkness. "Hey, what's that?" Kairy asked.

Rachel and Kinsey looked back together and met the being as well. "The hell?" Kinsey said. The dark creature lunged at the trio, with Kairy stepping forward to intercept. Closing the distance, Kairy kicked the creature, and it flew back several meters. The attack didn't seem to do much to it. The creature got back up in seconds, coming in for another attack with its claws now drawn. Kairy's eyes began to glow as she tensed up and rushed in for another kick. The creature flew back over twice as far as it did from the first one and could no longer stand. It then vanished in a poof of dark energy like it was never there.

"Oh Kairy, you're a lifesaver!" Rachel said.

"But just what in the hell was that thing?" Kinsey asked.

"Well, it did look like it was made out of…" Kairy began.

"Darkness," Kinsey interjected. "So anyway, what do you guys think might have caused that thing to pop up out of nowhere?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to like us very much," Kairy replied.

"And why would it, right? Just wait; at some point the whole city's going to be filled to the brim with those things." Kinsey said.

"Why do I have a feeling we won't be ready when it does?" Rachel asked.

Kinsey laughed with a sly smirk, "I'm not even worried now since we have Kairy on our side. You saw how she whooped that thing's ass like it was nothing."

"To be fair, I only did damage to it when I got serious," Kairy said.

"Wait. Your eyes glow like that when you get serious, then?" Kinsey asked.

Kairy nodded. "Right. It's a signature trait that gem sprites have. When we experience any strong feelings and emotions, our eyes and soul gems will glow. In that state, we become very powerful."

"Soul gem," Kinsey blurted out.

"Yes? What about it?"

"What are those?"

"Well you know the saying of the eyes are the window to the soul. For gem sprites, the same applies to our soul gems. They're made from the same gemstone that we were born from, and reflect our emotions."

"So if you're happy…" Rachel said in a falling intonation with a raised brow.

"...Then it will have a brilliant sparkle. Sadness and the like makes soul gems lose their luster."

"I see. Well, where are soul gems located on the body?"

"At the center of the ribcage, right above the chest."

"Can I see it?" Kinsey asked.

"No, you perv!" Kairy replied in a joking tone.

"Hey, you don't just pique my interest and then leave me hanging like that, Kai." Kinsey crossed her arms, grimacing.

"That wasn't what I meant," Kairy replied. "It's private. You don't just go around showing your boobs to everyone on the street, right?"

"You've got a point there," Kinsey responded. "But what makes it so private?"

"Well, the soul gem is attached to a gem sprite's heart. It's like the manifestation of our soul, and the source of our power. It's a vulnerable thing for us."

"Huh, well now I can see why they're so important to you and gem sprites in general. Now flash me already so I can see it!" Kinsey demanded.

"Oh no you don't, you little troublemaker!" Kairy teased as she giggled with Rachel. Kinsey rolled her eyes at the two with a crooked smile.

"Aw come on, I thought we were friends here! Just please show me for Tiffany's sake."

"You're really pushy, Kinsey!" Kairy said with a half-chuckle.

Rachel couldn't help but laugh as she watched her two friends going back and forth. She wondered how Alice would react if she was here with them.

"I think you just want to see my chest, is that it?" Kairy continued in an exaggerated tone. She glared at Kinsey while putting her hands on her hips and puffing her chest out. In spite of it being a serious moment, the three took the opportunity to make light of the tension.

"...Maybe…" Kinsey said with a knowing smirk.

"Not a chance, missy," Kairy smirked back.

"Mmm, you sure you won't let me, though? I promise I won't try anything funny, it's just to get it over with, y'know?"

"...Fine, fine! I'll let you have your way since you're so persistent. But I'll have my eye on you all the while, so don't get any ideas." Kairy gave Kinsey a death glare. Her eyes glowed with a blinding intensity that dimmed as her seriousness ebbed. Even her eyes were beyond beautiful to the other two in this state.

"Also, don't you dare touch it. Just... look. No touchers." She let out a giggle at the end. Blushing a deep pink, she pulled down the front of her dress to expose her cleavage. Behind it was her heart-shaped soul gem, embedded below her collar bone. The small red jewel above her cleavage reflected the sunlight and pulsated with life. "Tada! Here you go, perv," she said with a slight smirk. In her moment of titillation, the jewel's light flickered with many colors. After a few seconds, it returned to its usual state. "Pretty, right?"

Kinsey's eyes locked onto the gemstone in an instant. She was helpless in looking away as its effect was hypnotic. The same was the case for Rachel, who also admired the gem in silence.

"Cat got your tongue~?" Kairy teased, giggling.

"Y-yeah, I see what you mean," Kinsey replied after a long while of being in a trance-like state.

"Woah! It's so impossibly pretty!" Rachel said with her mouth agape.

"Well thank you!" Kairy replied. "Anyways, just remember—this is our dirty little secret." Kairy smirked.

Kinsey chortled. "Duh! It's between us and us only! I kinda hate that Alice wasn't here having a laugh with us, though."

"They're fine! They need their space and time to get back into the zone, you know?" Kairy smiled.

"True. As much as I freaking love you guys, we aren't a complete team without Al. Can't wait for them to spring back into action."

★

Thousands of miles away in another continent, there was a forest. Tall, colorful trees with leaves of red, orange, and gold blocked the beaming rays of the sun. The mystical continent of Yushalia seems to be stuck in autumn all year round. In a small house in the forest, a young woman stirred in her sleep. Sunbeams shone through the cracks of her blinds and battered her pale skin. Her amethyst eyes opened to the new day seconds later. Her auburn hair was a tad messy, but she didn't pay it much mind as something else caught her attention. There was a ruckus outside of her house and she was dying to investigate it. With her sleepwear still on, Sharline opened and then looked outside of the front door. There was nothing but the calm, cool breeze blowing through and the leaves that danced along in it. The odd noise was coming from the left side of the building. She peeked around the corner and saw a short woman with long black hair and gray eyes. She wore all black clothing and a determined gaze as she was opening a portal. The woman turned her head to look over to Sharline. "What brings you here…?" the woman asked.

"What brings me here? What brings you here?" Sharline replied with a raised eyebrow.

"A very important mission. Something that should have been done a long time ago."

"Which is…?"

"...To lead the Dark Forces to victory."

Sharline paused for a moment as she thought about this answer. "So it's not just the schools teaching such things. There are actual people out here taking it seriously…".

"Indeed, and you should be glad that there are those like me out there. The Light is too powerful and the balance of the universe is threatened as a result. It is simply fighting back, and I am aiding it in that fight."

"The Light seems pretty normal to me," Sharline shrugged.

"Indeed, to you. I, on the other hand, am watching everything unfold and know that is not the case. We have to change this imbalance while there's still hope. It's difficult, yes, and many times I've struggled in my attempts to correct it. However, I can guide you if you feel lost. You'd just have to be willing to let the Darkness consume you inside out."

The woman opened another portal and wasted no time in jumping through. The woman's words rang through Sharline's head as she looked at the portal that was left behind. It was still open but it became weaker and weaker, so Sharline knew she had to make a decision. With a deep breath, Sharline jumped in.

★

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Sharline landed in a small cave. The cave was cozy, with a table, a lamp, and even a couch inside.

"You have decided to follow through?" asked the woman from before.

"I was left with many questions back there, so yes, kinda."

"Then will you give yourself up to the Darkness and join me on my mission?"

"Hey hey, I didn't agree to all that!" Sharline flashed an awkward smirk.

"But you wish to get to the bottom of this mystery, do you not? It's better to have the Darkness on your side than against you."

Before the woman could say any more, she felt a presence moving closer to the cave. She then opened up another dark portal for escape. "In any case, you're free to make your decision. I'll take my leave, but best case scenario, you'll join me and fight for the better of this world and every world." The woman then stepped into the portal and disappeared. Sharline sat down on the couch in the cave, wondering where she even was. "It's night here so it must be the other side of the world or something…" she thought.

Sharline could hear subtle noises outside the opening of the cave. She turned her head to the source of the noises, seeing a pair of black boots coming down a ladder. Next, she saw black and blue striped pantyhose, a jet black dress, and finally a face.

"What are you doing here?" Alice asked, staring at the auburn haired barefoot girl in pajamas.

"I came here through a portal somebody made."

Alice gave Sharline a stare of disbelief before shrugging. "I'll take your word for it. What's your name?"

"Sharline."

"Huh, that's one you don't hear everyday. Cool. I'm Alice. And in case you don't know, this is my little cave. I come here for a good view of the ocean while I kick back and relax. In fact, I'm the only one who lives out here."

"I see. Well, this is a snug place, I must say. Where am I? It was daytime before I went through that portal so I must be very far away."

"This is Saber Point, in northern Elbrastion."

"Elbrastion?! Oh nice, that's very far from Yushalia!"

"You're from Yushalia, you say? I always wanted to visit there, you should tell me about it sometime. But for now, how about we get into my house? It's pretty chilly out here, I wouldn't want to catch anything out here."

...

"Nice place. You have a style, I'll give you that." Sharline said while she looked around the house with a smile. She and Alice were sitting in the candlelit dining room at the ivory dinner table. On the table were tall glasses of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.

"Thanks. All right so, what brought you through that portal back there?" Alice asked.

"There was this strange woman who was talking about the Darkness and I just got curious."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "Really…"

"Yeah. She said that she would lead the Dark Forces to victory or something like that."

"Must be one of those Light and Dark fanatics that's been everywhere recently."

"Oh yeah. She sounded determined about it."

"I can imagine she did. I feel like there is so much more to all this stuff but I won't worry about things too much for now."

"Same here. Well, I guess I'm hitting the hay for tonight. Any free rooms here?"

"Plenty. The one next to mine is the coziest, though."

"Gotcha, we'll see each other tomorrow." Sharline put her glass in the sink along with Alice as the two headed upstairs to end the night.

★

Alice was in the city walking with her crew: Rachel, Kinsey, and Kairy. The afternoon sun shined down on them and the streets of the shopping area below.

"You saw what now?" Alice asked.

"A weird creature of a pure black color. Kairy saved our hides, thankfully. But that was close." Rachel replied.

"Damn. How did she do it?"

"Well," Kinsey began. "There's this thing that gem sprites have. Their eyes glow real bright when they get strong or something like that. Then she just one-shot that creature like it was nothing."

"She's right," Kairy said.

"I see. Remind me not to ever get on your bad side, Kairy." Alice said.

"You won't have to worry about that any time soon." Kairy replied with a giggle.

"Good to know."

The townspeople watched Alice and her friends with odd looks as they went past. Whispered to each other, got up from their seats and left the area in a hurry.

"What's up with these guys?" Kinsey asked.

"Maybe they think we dress funny or something." Rachel said.

"Eh, I mean, people have been acting very strange as of late so I don't know what to think anymore." Kairy said.

"Thieves!" shouted a bystander from behind.

"What did he just call us?" Rachel asked, raising a brow as she turned to the person.

"Thieves!" shouted another person. From there, the entire crowd joined in and began to chant.

"We haven't stolen anything, though?" Rachel said.

"Ugh, let's just get out of this place." Alice said with a shrug. The four walked away from the scene, but the crowd followed them, continuing to chant.

"All right, get off our backs and go on about your day, now." Kinsey said with her hands on her hips. Upon closer inspection, Kinsey saw wanted posters that had Alice and Rachel on them. Each had a reward of one hundred and sixty thousand sunstones. There were more of these posters of four other individuals, but none of them rang a bell for Alice or the others.

"Uh, guys— you may wanna take a closer look at those posters. You guys are wanted…for something." Kinsey said with a shrug.

"We're wanted? For what?" Alice asked, taking a few steps back from the crowd as her face contorted with confusion.

"Ooh, you two are in trouble!" Kinsey teased with a snicker.

"No, seriously, like—"

"We're out of here!" Kairy said before turning around and dashing off. Alice and Rachel followed behind. Kinsey came along last after giving the crowd a piercing glare.

The girls went down a few blocks to a less crowded area, stopping to take a break.

"The hell was all that about?" asked Rachel.

"Beats me," Alice replied. "But why are we wanted? I know I didn't do anything." Alice observed another wave of wanted posters plastered all over every building. Their brows furrowed as they looked at each supposed thief. There was herself and Rachel, and then a who's who of curious unknowns.

Kairy looked at Alice, then the posters before frowning.

"Times are getting out of hand…" Kairy said, looking down as she sighed. "First, people are horribly rude. Then the creature of Darkness attacked us. Now, two of my best friends are wanted for something they didn't do."

"The stealing thing is obviously a mistake." Kinsey said.

"It's a mistake that could get us killed for nothing," Rachel replied, crossing her arms as her eyes narrowed.

"Then we should all be prepared to protect ourselves."

"But you're not in the wanted posters though, you really don't have to protect yourself."

"An enemy of yours is an enemy of mine—simple as that. I'm down for whatever to keep you guys safe."

"The knights of this country are super strong though, you know that. Just like the Aberzanthan knights. Remember the guy that made an entire forested area disappear with one sword swing? Try protecting us from that, Kinsey."

"He had to get that strong someway, so it's my turn next. I'd do anything to accomplish such a thing. The time for me to work in order to get there is now." Kinsey said with a smirk.

★

Alice entered her home later in the evening. She caught immediate notice of Sharline frowning at her with her lips pressed. Alice's body closed up as she fidgeted with her fingers.

"Hey, you…stole from the sovereign, Alice?" Sharline asked. "I saw an advertisement and you were on a wanted poster."

Alice sighed and shook her head while holding her hands behind her back. "I-I think there was a mistake because I know I didn't steal anything. I dunno, there must be some shape shifter out there causing mayhem. All I do is chill in here and keep to myself."

"Strange… This is a pretty sticky situation to be in. I'm sorry you have to go through such a thing."

She believed me that quickly? At least I don't have to convince her any further… Alice thought. "It's fine, I'll just have to get used to the negative attention now."

"I see. My question is, why would they shapeshift into an everyday person like you?"

"That's what I wanna know. I'll find out the answer to that question soon enough. About your pajamas though, don't you wanna change out of them? I have some dresses you can help yourself to."

"Sure, I'll take a look, thanks."

"Uh-huh. And...don't you need some footwear while I'm at it?"

"Eh, I'm a barefoot gal, but thanks anyways."

"Very well. By the way, you should meet my friends. You'll be a neat addition to my little circle."

"Of course. You seem like the type that would have good people around you."

"Do I? Well, that's a first. Thanks…?"

★

Alice and all her friends, including Sharline, sat under the awning of a bakery. Several baked goods and desserts littered the table. The afternoon sun shone through the cloudy sky as the cool autumn breeze blew.

"The hype is still going on, huh?" Kinsey said.

"Unsurprisingly so," replied Alice.

"I'm surprised no one's tried to take us on yet. They're offering a pretty good reward after all."

"Right. But at some point, someone's gonna try us." Rachel chimed in.

From Rachel's peripheral vision, she saw a towering figure approaching them. She thought she spoke a challenger into existence as she turned to face the figure. A very tall, muscular young woman with pale skin, crimson eyes, and navy blue hair. She wore a black bandeau, a black halter neck, frayed blue jean shorts, and black ankle boots. Then, it hit Rachel. This woman's appearance matched one of the wanted posters from before. The woman noticed the same thing about Rachel, pointing at her while squinting.

"Hey, aren't you the one from…"

Alice and the rest looked at the woman after she spoke, and froze.

"You're one of the people on those posters!" Rachel said.

"And so are you!" the woman replied.

"Well yeah, but maybe you know more than we do; who put us up to this?"

"I 'unno. I didn't steal a thing."

"You either, huh?" Alice asked.

"Oh, so you ain't guilty either?"

"Heck no, I'm not. There's some shape shifters out there that used our appearances for the theft. I believe that a hundred percent."

"Well, that sounds about right enough. It's not like they even have our names."

"True. Speaking of names, what's yours?"

"I'm Blair. And you guys?"

"I'm Alice, and this is Rachel, Kinsey, Kairy, and Sharline," Alice replied, gesturing to each of her friends.

"Neat! We might as well stick together through all this."

"Indeed. It's all that we can do until we find out who framed us."

"Right! I must tell y'all, though. I had a weird dream about you guys. This one dude told me to 'find the other members of the Ephemerals', which I guess is me and you and Rachel. I also had to 'follow the Twilight Fragment', whatever he meant by that."

"Twilight…? Oh, don't tell me these Light and Darkness fanatics are entering people's dreams now." Alice rolled her eyes.

"Wait— Twilight Fragment, you said?" asked Sharline. "I've heard about that. It's all myth and legend, though."

"Yeah, it's supposed to be this sword that can open portals of Light and Darkness." Kairy said. Hearing this, Kinsey's eyes went bright with interest, but she kept quiet and listened.

"Aren't there three of them?" asked Alice.

"Indeed there are," replied Sharline. "One of Light, one of Darkness, and one of the Void."

"Void?" Blair said.

"The omnipresent supernatural force that exists within all things."

"Huh. Well I'd like to learn more about that than the nonstop Light and Darkness drivel." Alice said.

"You can say that again." Rachel said with a small giggle.

"So like, it's pretty funny how this whole bounty thing is bringing us together isn't it?" Blair asked.

"Very much so. I know for a fact that this was the unintended consequence of putting out wanted posters of us."

"Right? They're making our job easier without knowing it!" Blair flashed a cocky grin.

"Don't be so sure of yourselves," said a pale-skinned young man from the table behind them. Clad in red, blue and black armor, he looked at the group with firm ice blue eyes as his red hair blew in the breeze. "This fight will be more brutal than you may think it will be."

"Oh snap, it's Dario— one of the Elbrastion Knights!" Blair thought, watching Dario with slacked jaws and a gaze full of uncertainty.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked with a scowl.

"There is far more to everything going on than what you know now." replied Dario.

"Then please fill us in, we're all confused." Kairy pleaded.

"Very well. It wasn't your friends who stole the artifact from Elbrastion's sovereign." Dario began, looking at Alice, Rachel and Blair. "There's another knight among us who's a shape shifter. They used your identities for the theft and are trying to frame you all."

Alice gasped and almost dropped her chocolate bread. What did I say?! she thought. "So why us? Out of all the people that guy could've picked, why choose us?"

"Because of your aura,"

"Aura, you say…?"

"That's right. He said he's never felt such auras during his time serving the Empire. He knew there was something about you upon reading your aura. So he decided that you and the others would be perfect for his mission."

"Aura, huh?" said Kinsey. "Isn't that a bunch of baloney though?"

"Far from it. It is very much real, you just have to unlock it."

Unlock it…? Kairy thought.

"And how do we do that?" Kinsey asked.

"I know someone who can help you with that. This is a good time, however, to tell you that you all should flee from this country posthaste."

"Flee? Screw that, I wanna know more about the aura stuff!" Blair said with a cheeky grin.

"That will come a little later, but please heed my advice for now. It may appear that Elbrastion and Aberzanthan are only after you in particular. Elbrastion is ready for full-scale war against Aberzanthan, and vice versa. This entire country will be a battlefield for the two factions of Knights to fight on. But it's for reasons deeper than just the theft."

"Damn, really?" Rachel said.

"Yes. There's a higher power above even the emperor and the king of Aberzanthan. They plan to make both continents enter a lockdown and let the two fight it out. No one can come into either of the countries, and no one can get out."

"Woah, you're kidding? Aren't those the highest positions one can be in?" Blair asked.

"Not quite. Both are merely puppets. There are people above them who are truly pulling the strings from behind the scenes. They're the ones telling everyone in positions of power what to do, and how and when to do it. The People That You Don't See."

"I can't say I'm surprised about this." Alice said.

"So, who are those guys?" Blair asked.

"No one knows. Even we don't know." Dario replied.

"That's…odd. The People That You Don't See, eh? What's that mean— they're invisible?"

"No. They get that title from their secrecy and anonymity in the public world. The powers that be know barely anything about them, let alone us."

"And aren't you going to be in this war with them?" Kairy asked.

"Yeah, aren't you one of the bad guys here?" Rachel added with a piercing gaze.

"No, we aren't all bad. You have knights like me who are truly noble and doing our job. Then you have two rebellious factions of Knights. Those are the ones you are after. But reaching them won't be easy—not in the slightest."

"...That's a lot," Sharline said after scratching her head.

"You don't say," Alice said. "Anyways, about the aura thing from earlier… Who is that 'someone' you mentioned?"

"Her name is Celeste, a witch living in a forest south of Albion's capital city, Lanceton. She'll teach you everything about aura and Void Magic."

"Hold on— Void Magic?" Blair asked.

After Blair's question, dark creatures surrounded everyone at the table.

"The Depraved again," Dario said.

"Depraved? These things have a name?" Sharline asked.

"Yes. They are common around these parts. Beings made of Darkness that are attracted to negative emotions of people. It is called Depravity."

Dario got into a stance and locked onto the wave of Depraved around him. With a swing of his hand, a wave of invisible energy sliced several of the Depraved in half. For the remaining ones, Dario rushed in at an incredible speed. Before Alice and her friends knew it, he cut them down with the same energy which they couldn't see.

"...And that's why we deal with them to protect the populace. Take that as an example of what's to come for you all."

Alice and the others, especially Blair, watched with an intense fixed gaze all the while.

"That was so cool! You did a whole bunch of motions and those things went down easily!"

"It's not a mere bunch of motions. What you witnessed was Void Magic."

"That's what it is?" Blair asked.

"Indeed. Now as I was saying, you're better off seeing Celeste and getting the Void Magic training you need. Train so you can stack up against the current threats of our world."

"You're saying we can do what you did? Heck yeah, I'm all for it! Where's the place again?"

"I recall him saying Lanceton in Albion. That's the capital." said Kairy.

"Right," Alice said. "But now that I think of it, isn't it a bad idea to go somewhere a war's gonna happen? Especially since Lanceton's the capitol and all."

"Lanceton may be the capital, yes. But the city of Sinlocke over in Arcland is home to the number one Void Magic training facility in the world. Not just Aberzanthan, but the world. Therefore, the Elbrastion Knights will strike there first nine times out of ten. During that ample free time, you can train well before the threat arrives." Dario replied.

"Good point. So how are we getting to Lanceton in time? Aberzanthan is far up north across the Elbrastrian Ocean from here. And isn't the nobody-in-nobody-out lockdown in effect?"

"That's coming real soon, but by using my Void Magic ability, Memory Portal, we can go there in an instant."

"No joke?" Rachel asked. "You could really get us there in an instant?"

"I indeed can. You'd just have to stand close to me."

"Well that's easy," said Kinsey.

"Get ready, because I'm set on taking you all."

I'm gonna miss my home and old activities. Well— if sleeping in all day and doing pretty much a bunch of nothing counts as activities. Alice thought. She took the final bite of her cookie and stepped forward with her friends. "You guys ready?"

"Do ya even need to ask?" said Blair with a grin extending from ear to ear.

"Let's get this show on the road already." said Kinsey with eyes burning with conviction.

"All right, let's check this place out!" Kairy said.

"Don't have to tell me twice," said Blair.

Dario looked at the others to make sure they were ready, and then became cloaked in a dense, powerful aura. "Very well, everyone, we'll be arriving…now," he said, before he and everyone else disappeared in the blink of an eye. In that same instant, they arrived in the city of Lanceton. Half-timbered buildings, streets of white stone, and an overcast sky. The citizens walked around with faces contorted with anger and annoyance.

"Damn, what's up with these chumps?" Kinsey said.

"The same as it is everywhere else," Dario replied. "The effects of Depravity are spread across the globe. Where there's Depravity, the Depraved are either already roaming the streets…or they are right around the corner preparing to do so."

"So no matter where we run, people are going to be sticks in the mud to each other?" Kairy asked.

"Bingo."

"Okay now, everything aside, what time is it?" Alice asked.

"We're now two hours ahead of Saber, so 4:46 P.M." Rachel replied.

"Ah, well it's time to eat. Any good restaurants around here?"

Alice looked around, seeing a pizza place across the street. She pointed at it and exclaimed. "Ah! There goes…" she said before she narrowed in on a sign that said humans only. "Welp…there goes that… Kairy won't be able to come in." She frowned.

"Me?" Kairy asked. "Why can't I?"

"It's humans only,"

"Are you kidding? What kinda backwards people are we dealing with here?" Kairy asked as her eyes began to glow and sparkle.

"The effects of Depravity are bringing out the worst in people. You have the Astro Land tavern around the corner." Dario replied.

"Oh, we're by that place?" Alice asked with her brows raised. "I've always wanted to try their stuff!"

"Well, behind this building a few blocks down, you'll find it."

"Say no more,"

The Astro Land tavern, made of steel and glass with neon trim, looked alien to Alice and the others.

"I'm so excited to actually see this tavern in person." Kairy said.

"This is even better than the pictures," Alice said, a light smile spreading across her features.

"Are we going in already or what, guys?" Blair said with a grin.

At one of the tables outside of the tavern, there was a man and a fairy in an ever escalating dispute. This caught the attention of Alice and the others.

"You bumped right into me real hard and I don't even get a sorry or an excuse me?" said the fairy.

"That's our culture you blasted idiot!" replied the man.

"Culture, my bum! You're just a stuck-up prick with no morals!"

"Oh I have plenty of morals, damnit, just not for you and your kind."

"And what does that say about your kind?"

"Don't you even get started. I'll never let a fairy tell me, a human, the flaws of humanity when we've accomplished far more than you ever have."

"I can get started, and I can go on for hours. Sure, some of us may have led lost humans into bogs just for a laugh. But at least we don't start wars over literally anything. And we don't cut off the electricity and water of our people's cities. All because of internal political nonsense that has nothing to do with the populace. Take that for an accomplishment!"

The man thought of an answer for a second with determined eyes, but could come up with nothing good to counter with. He flipped off the fairy and stormed away, the fairy smirking at him afterwards.

"I mean, she wasn't lying…" Alice said.

"Yeah, that fairy girl knew what she was talking about." Kinsey said.

"That dude got embarrassed for sure." Rachel said, smiling.

"When trying to be a badass goes wrong," Kinsey replied, grinning.

A young woman with wine red hair stormed out of the tavern. She looked straight over to the direction of the ruckus with her light blue eyes.

"Oi, take yer gum-flappin' somewhere else, ye fucks!" she said in a bombastic, raspy voice.

"I-It's Svenja herself…" Alice said under her breath.

"Yo, Svenja!" Blair said, walking up to her.

"Ey, chaps. These bastards have been driving me up the wall." Svenja replied with lowered brows and a flushed face.

"Us, too." Alice said. "We were trying to find a restaurant that accepts us all."

"If only ye knew. So many restaurant owners have been pullin' that tripe lately. Now we're at the point where nobody's eatin' anywhere. If the restaurant's owned by a human, then more likely than not there's a humans only policy. Or they take it a step further and separate humans between light skin and dark skin. Another restaurant owned by a sprite? Sprites only. On top o' that, they might only mean regular sprites too, not gem sprites. An' they mean it."

"I guess the conclusion to that is people of each race and creed are sticking to their own." Alice said.

"Right-o, mate." Svenja replied with a nod. "Y'all are good in my bar though, even the gem sprite there." she continued, pointing at Kairy. Kairy gave a soft smile at what she heard.

"Good to hear you aren't doing what the other places are doing."

"O' course. I accept everybody. Fairies, witches, angels, whatever. Money is money, no matter who it comes from."

"You're the boss for that."

"Well, I am the boss…in more ways than one, I suppose." Svenja grinned. "Now how 'bout ye chaps treat yerself to the best food in all o' Aberzanthan?"

"Don't mind if we do," Blair replied.

"This is it, the best food in all of Abby." Alice said as she smiled at her dish: Grilled chicken and a glass of red wine.

"Damn straight," Svenja replied with the proudest smirk. "Our ingredients were gathered from the finest crops an' livestock. We've searched high an' low for 'em. From 'ere in Fairylyl to Euphoria an' beyond." she continued.

"Euphoria, you say? Where's that?" Rachel asked.

"Oh, that's a whole new world. It's as alien as it gets. Very far away place."

"Y-You're kidding, right?" Blair said with wide eyes.

"Yeah, you probs had a bad trip if y'know what I mean." Kinsey added.

"Bah, not at all— I'm dead serious. It ain't normal there. In that place, anythin' can happen. There ain't even any weather channels 'cause it be so random an' unpredictable. They wouldn't serve any purpose."

"Wicked stuff. I'll have to witness it myself someday." Alice said.

"I know, right?" Kairy concurred. "So there are really other worlds out there besides ours?"

"Yep," Svenja replied. "The best ingredients may be waitin' for ye in another world entirely."

"Wait, how do you get to those worlds?" Sharline asked.

"The same way I got you all here: the Memory Portal technique." Dario answered.

"The chap's right," Svenja said.

"Sounds convenient as hell." Alice said.

"It is."

"Welp, it was nice seeing you, Svenja, but I have a witch to visit in the forest nearby." Alice said, putting down her utensils and getting up.

"Oh yeah? Ye mean Celeste?"

"Right on."

"She was my teacher long ago. Ye interested in learnin' Void Magic, eh?"

"Very much so. All my friends are."

"Then ye picked the best one for the job."

"Hey, it was this guy that recommended her to us." Alice said as she gestured to Dario.

"Good on ye, Dario. Now we'll have even more powerful warriors fightin' with us before we know it."

"I'm always excited to welcome promising talents to Celeste."

"An' she's always excited to teach 'em."

"She sounds cool. I'd like to see it for myself." Alice said.

"Then, shall we?" Dario asked.

"Wait. Everyone's done digging in, yeah?"

"Yup!" Blair replied.

"It appears everybody's ready." Sharline said.

"All right, then let's go." Dario said, the familiar powerful aura surrounding him and then the others. Svenja stepped away from the vicinity and waved goodbye to everyone. "Keep the new students safe, Dar!" she said with a bright grin.

"Obviously." Dario replied with a soft smile.

...

The group found themselves in a forest with nothing but tall trees in front of them. Behind everyone was a large black house. A silhouette stood in a window on the upper floor.

"Huh, there's nothing here but—" Alice began, before turning around and seeing the house. "...Nevermind." she said, scratching her head.

"I suppose this is the place?" Kairy asked, looking at the house and its surroundings with intrigue.

"Indeed it is." Dario replied.

"Huh, it's a spooky-looking place."

"I mean, a witch lives there so whaddya expect?" Blair said in a sarcastic tone.

Alice looked at the window with the silhouette to see that it's now absent. She waited until she saw the doorknob turn. She watched as the door opened, revealing the legendary witch. The gray-haired witch was as pale as milk. Her long orange and black dress fluttered with the slight breeze. Also swaying in the breeze were her crescent moon earrings. Her black high heel boots crunched the fallen leaves below her as she stepped off the porch. She approached the others, staring at them with narrowed eyes.

"Hello, my new students! How does it feel to know you're going to be unlocking your aura? And how do you feel about learning to manipulate it in any way you see fit?" Celeste asked.

"Cool, I guess?" Kinsey replied.

"Pfft, what a lackluster response! This is aura we're talkin' about! You should be as excited about it as I am!" Blair said, crossing her arms with a boastful grin.

"Is there anything you aren't excited about?"

Blair frowned. "Well, your attitude is a good place to start…"

"You're better off learning to deal with it than complaining."

"Hey, hey! Please don't cause a disturbance." Sharline said, shushing the two.

"No problem!" Celeste replied with a reassuring smile, shaking her head while shrugging her hands. "As a teacher, I'm quite used to the bickering of my students."

"I know I could never be a teacher in a million years." Alice said.

"It's not all that bad being a teacher. It's all about patience and the presentation."

"I mean, I have a good level of patience when it comes to things. But my tolerance threshold for annoying situations is very low."

"Don't those two cancel each other out?"

"Like, I guess…?"

"She has a point though. Patience and tolerance are practically the same thing in most cases." Blair said.

"No, but yes…but really, no." Kairy replied.

"All right, guys! Before we get philosophical or whatever, let's get started with your training! You know what you came here for!" Celeste announced.

"Very well. So…aura, huh?" Alice said.

"Right. It's the energy that resides within all of us."

"I've heard. You're telling me that I can do what Dario did after unlocking my aura?"

"Absolutely, but first, you have to open your aura nodes."

"And we do that how?"

"Well, you could meditate for weeks until they open naturally… or, I could just open them for you on the spot."

"You can do that?" Blair asked.

"Well, I am a witch after all!"

"But what does that have to do with anythi—"

In the blink of an eye, the living room flooded with an overwhelming aura. It surrounded all the others and flowed through them. It gave them the feeling of a spiritual awakening. All the students couldn't move an inch as their aura nodes were being opened by force. To Celeste, the process was rather quick. To Alice and her friends, it felt like minutes went by. The aura dissipated and the students were feeling brand new.

Spectacular… It feels so weird. Like I'm glowing or something… Sharline thought with her mouth agape.

"What the hell did you do to us?" Kinsey asked, gasping between her words.

"I did exactly what I said I was gonna do: open your aura nodes for you."

"No- you didn't say you were gonna do it for us, but that you could!" Kairy corrected.

"Eh, the world kinda needs powerful, talented individuals like— right now. So I decided to speed the process up a little bit so we can get straight to the fun stuff!" Celeste rebutted with a confident smirk.

"That's still no reason to do that to us without consent!" Sharline said with a glare.

"Hey, that's fair and all… But in this journey, many things will happen to you that you won't be ready for. Difference being, in this instance, it actually helped you!" Celeste shrugged and smirked more.

Not even gonna try to argue… Alice thought.

"You sorta raise a good point, Celeste." Rachel said with an understanding nod.

"Of course I do! I'm the universe's number one witch! Now then, I'd like to determine your aura types before we get to the actual training!"

"Aura types, you said?" Rachel asked.

"Indeed. There are eight of them."

"Is that so? Well then, what are they?" Kairy asked.

"Not so fast! You're not even in class yet!"

"But…we are here though, aren't we?" Kinsey asked.

"Yeah, you're here, but you won't be taught here," she replied with a slight smirk. "You'll be learning it in my citadel."

"Aight, and where is this citadel?"

"It's a realm I made entirely of my aura, so…"

"Wait, you can do that?"

"Indeed! Now, sit nice and still for me…"