Kayden awoke in silken sheets, feeling well rested albeit extremely sore. It took her mind a moment to orient itself and remember where she was. When she remembered, she immediately got out of bed and looked around the penthouse. There was no sign that anyone had been here while she was asleep. Had her father been out all this time?

She went to stand at the huge windows to look out at the city. There was a faint light coming from the mouth of the cavern, so Kayden guessed it was sometime in the morning, but it was hard to tell.

The city looked relatively peaceful. Nobody would guess that it was home to the violence she had witnessed the night before. It all felt like a dream, like it hadn’t happened to her. But she had the bruises on her body to prove it.

She stayed staring out at the city for a while, trying to come to terms with everything when her stomach growled. Even with how chaotic her life was, she couldn’t ignore her bodily needs. She went to the kitchen to scrounge up some food. She kept her breakfast relatively light as she didn’t feel like preparing anything complex.

When she was done, she went back to the room and pulled out the extra pair of clothes she had stashed in her backpack. The Cliffsider clothes she had worn were no longer fit to be worn. She had left them on the floor in the bathroom and was currently wearing a white robe that she had found hanging up.

The day proceeded uneventfully. She briefly considered leaving the penthouse and having a look around the resort but discounted the idea. She had no idea what was going on out there and didn’t feel capable of taking it on.

She walked through the events that had transpired the day before. Nikiphero had been attacked by a rival gang called Mistech that was trying to seize control. There had been a fight at the arena. Nikiphero had barely managed to escape with heavy casualties. They were preparing a counterattack.

For all Kayden knew, the counterattack could have already been launched and a victor declared. Mistech could be storming the building at this very moment, coming for her.

She tried to push her fear away but it wouldn’t leave her, there were just too many unknown elements floating around to be sure about anything. Her fear was well founded. She hadn’t expected to be attacked at the arena and yet it had happened.

With this mindset she went to her room and got her backpack to fill it with some provisions in case she had to make a hasty exit. She only had about two-hundred scripts left. That would only be enough to last her a few days at most. She kind of regretted buying that book about gate magic just because any benefits--if at all--would only come in the long term, and right now she needed to focus on the short. Those three-hundred scripts she had used to buy it could have allowed her to live for a couple more weeks. But there was no point in worrying about it now. If it came down to it, she might be able to find someone to sell it to.

After a moment's consideration she went into the bathroom and washed off her dirty Cliffsider clothes in the tub and left them out to dry. If she needed to go back out and survive on the streets again then it would be smart to have a change of clothes that wouldn’t mark her as an Uptowner. Besides, she had kind of grown attached to the jacket that Darris’s sister had given to her. It felt like a waste to throw it out just because it was covered in some dirt.

Once all of her preparations were done, she explored the rest of the penthouse. There really wasn’t much to see. It was nice obviously but empty of anything really interesting.

So with nothing to do and still hesitant to leave the place, she sat on the sofa and pulled out the gate magic book. There was only so much she could glean. The book didn’t have a ton of writing. It mostly consisted of exercise diagrams with the basics for opening each of the gates.

Having nothing better to do, Kayden decided to test some of them out. She chose the Gate of Speed since that one seemed to be the most thoroughly documented by the author.

There were some exercises fairly simplistic in nature like lunges and shuffles. It was a slight let down. She had been expecting something more mysterious, but the book insisted that a gate arcanist couldn’t move onto the next step until they could do these types of exercises for long periods of time without breaking a sweat, and Kayden was obviously nowhere near close to achieving that. Only a couple minutes in and she was already heaving from the exertion. But she found that the exercise helped clear her head.

Next she took a look at some of the more advanced exercises. These were centered around striking certain poses and moving slowly from one to the next. It required an extreme amount of control and Kayden constantly had difficulty maintaining them. This style was all about unexpected, rapid movements.

The book specified to focus on precision just as much as speed. More important than that, it went into great detail explaining the subtle movements and tics of the body and how they could determine an opponent's next move before they even fully began it.

True speed could only be achieved through great confidence. If one doubted their next move or their opponents then speed was impossible to be achieved. When this was mastered, one could counter every move an opponent made before they were even aware they were making it.

As with all the explanations in the book, it then descended into protracted philosophical musings about how this could benefit a person’s life in general and not just for battle, by dissecting the saying that seemed to encompass the main tenet of the Gate of Speed: arriving at one’s destination before the cock crowed. This seemed to mean, the author thought, that one must always be prepared. What was faster, completing a task rapidly, or taking your time with it but having done it the day before? No matter how fast one is, it can not beat simple foresight.

Interestingly enough, this style was therefore all about laying traps and ambushes as a result of this type of thinking. Two attacks could be the same speed, but if one is hidden while the other is seen from a mile away, then which of the two is more likely to succeed?

The goal of speed, thus, is to win before the battle has even begun. It wasn’t until one understood this concept that they would be able to open the Gate of Speed. How one did this, the book wasn’t exactly clear other than by saying it could only come from experience and deep meditation.

Meditation was a key theme throughout opening all of the gates. So when Kayden had run through the exercises until her muscles were too tired to continue, she sat in front of the windows and breathed in deeply and evenly, trying to bring herself to a state of serenity and understand what it meant to arrive before the cock crowed.

She couldn’t accomplish this state no matter how hard she tried, there was just too much going on in her head at the moment. She gave up her practice for a moment and went to wash off the sweat from her exercise.

When she came out she was greeted to the sound of the elevator dinging to announce that someone was here.

For a brief second Kayden was filled with fear and she cursed herself. She had been reading all morning about being prepared, but in the end she had taken zero steps to be ready if someone came in and attacked her.

She ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife.

She had just grabbed it and turned around when she saw Rem step into view. He was no longer shirtless as he had been last night, but wore a suit which seemed the norm for Nikiphero members.

They stared at each other. His eyes flickered down to the knife she held clutched in her hand and she suddenly felt foolish.

Did she really think a kitchen knife could do any real damage if an attacker came for her? No, it would be next to useless.

She had a much better and more easily available weapon at her disposal which she hadn’t even thought about. Her aura. The way her father and Rem had utilized it for brutal killing efficiency the night before proved it was much more deadly than a knife. Why hadn’t she reached for that power instead. Maybe it was because despite wanting to protect herself, she wasn’t a killer like them.

She set the knife aside.

“What do you want?” she asked the stony faced man, and maybe it was just in her own mind but for a brief moment she thought she saw a flash of contempt go across his face, then it was gone and he was emotionless once again.

“Cassius wants to see you?”

“Why?”

His eyes bored into hers and she looked at her feet, letting her hair shield her from him.

“I do not question my orders. If Cassius wants you then I deliver you to him.”

“What about my father? Will he be there?”

“Your father”--was it just her or had a tinge of contempt entered his voice again, but when she glanced at him through her hair his face was still blank of emotion--“is out on business. Now come with me, Uptowner.”

Was it just her or had he become more aggressive toward her? It was hard to tell with him but she was certainly getting that impression. He hadn’t been like that the day before, but to be fair they hadn't really had a chance to interact much. Maybe he just really disliked Uptowners. It wouldn’t surprise her, he was a Cliffsider after all, and that seemed to be their usual attitude toward Uptowners.

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She didn’t think she would get anything else out of him so she followed him to the elevator and he hit the button for the floor of Cassius’s office.

She was scared of why the leader of the Nikiphero would want to meet with her, but she couldn’t really refuse him when she was staying in his resort, surrounded by his men. But she reminded herself that he seemed to be fairly close to her father so she didn’t imagine that he would want to harm her in any way.

She recalled the way he had studied her the night before. Maybe he just wanted to know more about her, although she had know clue as to why. She didn’t think she was a particularly interesting or noteworthy person. The Academy certainly didn’t think she was. And that feeling had permeated itself into how she viewed herself.

The thought that there might be something within her that brought her to the attention of someone as powerful as Cassius made Kayden feel strangely pleased and her heart began to pound excitedly in her chest. She didn’t expect to feel this way and wondered what it could signify, then the elevator reached his floor and dinged open.

They went down the hall to his office where Rem opened the door without knocking. Inside was Cassius at his desk looking down at some papers. He did not react to their entrance, just continuing to study whatever he was reading. Rem took her over to the sofas and bid her to sit, which she did, then Rem went up to Cassius.

“Is there anything else, sir?” Rem asked Cassius.

“No. Thank you. Return to your duties.” Cassius continued to stare at the pile of papers even as he spoke.

Rem bowed and retreated toward the office doors. As he passed Kayden, he gave her another intense glance, and then he was gone and she was alone with the most dangerous man Cliffside, maybe even all of Mitros.

She sat there, her nervousness and anxiety increasing with every second that ticked by. There was complete silence only broken by the occasional shuffle of papers when Cassius turned one over. Eventually, he finally finished looking at them and stood.

Kayden tensed as he approached, but instead of sitting down as she expected him to, he went over to the bar first and poured himself a drink. Only then did he come over and sit down across from her. He was also carrying another drink which he slid across the table to her.

“Thanks,” she said.

She took it out of politeness and for something to do with her hands but didn’t drink it. The smell wafting up from the golden liquor was strong enough.

She shifted uncomfortably as Cassius remained silent for a long time, studying her. She tried to meet his gaze for a moment, but the instant her eyes touched his and felt the force behind it, she looked down.

He leaned back in the chair and spoke. “Xolan told me you were expelled from the Academy.”

She nodded mutely.

“Don’t worry, we can get you back in once all of this has blown over.”

She looked up out of surprise. “Do you really mean that?”

“If it's what you want, we will make it happen, regardless of the repercussions. Your father wants what is best for you, and you are one of us after all. We look after our own.”

For some reason she felt a thrill at his words. Just a day ago she had balked at the idea of being put in the same group as them, but for some reason Cassius gave the gang a legitimate air that made her feel part of something big and important.

She thought about the offer. It was strange to think about going back to the Academy when she had come to accept that it was no longer a part of her future. The problem was that if Nikiphero forced her way back in, her teachers would not take that lightly. It would confirm in their minds every bad thing they thought about her. Did she really want to live the next few years of her life like that?

“No, I don’t think I will be going back to the Academy,” she found herself saying.

It surprised her to realize she really didn’t want to return there. It was more than how she was treated, it was the fact that she never felt like she belonged there. She had been so caught up in her anger at being expelled that she hadn’t realized how freeing it actually was to no longer be forced to be something she wasn’t.

Cassius didn’t question her decision, he simply nodded and moved on. “Tell me, I noticed you had some training in the use of body enhancement magic. How much have you mastered?”

“My father taught me the basics. I can infuse my arms with my aura but not really anything else.”

“That makes sense. That was always Xolan’s strength. He is one to punch first and ask questions later.”

It was strange to hear about this side of her father. She was still angry at him, but in a more detached way than she was before.

“You know him well?” she asked.

“Yes, I wouldn’t be where I am today without him having been with me every step of the way. We have been through more battles together than I can count. I always wondered why he kept you hidden away in Uptown. I understood he didn’t want you involved in this business, but to completely deprive you of your origins I felt was always a mistake. At least he taught you something about our ways of fighting.”

She didn’t know what to make of that. She didn’t know what to make of any of this. Had he really simply brought her here to ask her about herself?

He stood and walked over to the windows behind his desk. He waved her over. When she stood beside him he pointed out at the city.

“This is who you are. Not some Uptowner who thinks they own the world. We understand the truth, Kayden, that only the ones who fight survive. Those up there on the surface have forgotten their origins like you did. Because they have safety and ignorance to shield them from the reality of this world. But you see the truth now don’t you. You have awoken to what they wanted to lie dormant within you. Do you know why they do this?”

“No.”

“Because they're scared, Kayden. They’re scared of what we are capable of when we are let off the leash. They’ll do whatever they can to keep us as their pets. They’ll promise us comfort and riches above our wildest dreams so long as we obey. I’ve always had a problem with that Kayden, and I can tell that you are the same.”

Was she like him? Maybe they had been right. Maybe this is where she belonged, beside Cassius. The idea would have been abhorrent yesterday, but she found an inexplicable draw toward this man and his ideas.

“Nikiphero is about to evolve,” Cassius continued as if speaking to himself as the lights from the city shined in his eyes. “We are about to become what those men in their insignificant council fear. Untouchable. Powerful. Soon we will no longer be confined to this cavern, the whole world will be ours to conquer.”

He turned back to Kayden, his eyes shining bright, fervent. She couldn’t look away from him. He was a man bursting with purpose and drive.

“They wanted to stop me, and they almost succeeded. They threw things at me that not even I expected. I’m standing on the edge Kayden, about to be pushed over. But I am not scared. Do you want to know why?”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a Cliffsider, and Cliffsiders live their entire lives on the edge.”

His words hung in the air like the final notes of a symphony. Kayden knew what he was talking about. When she was running from the police and leapt from the skyship, she felt what it was like to risk it all and to come out on the other side still alive, still ready to fight. It was exhilarating.

“If you want to learn more of who you really are, I am willing to help you on this path.”

Kayden opened her mouth when the doors swung open and her father strode in, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. He was wearing a suit like the rest of the men of Nikiphero.

“Cassius, Mistech is--” He stopped when he saw her present. “Kayden?” His gaze flickered to Cassius’s.

Cassius remained level and calm. “Forgive me, Xolan, I wanted to explain to your daughter more about her origins. You shouldn’t have kept her away from us like you did. Now, what is your report.”

Xolan licked his lips. “I don’t think this is appropriate for my daughter to hear.”

“Kayden do you wish to leave?”

They turned to her.

Taking a moment to consider, Kayden decided that she didn’t want to go. Cassius intrigued her. She hadn’t expected this when coming to find her father, but maybe she had been wrong to turn away from this side of his life so quickly. Maybe Cassius was right and the only reason she had felt angry at her father was because of what the Academy had taught her. What did she really know about Cliffside, her father, and Nikiphero. Nothing.

“I want to stay,” she said decisively.

“Kayden--”

“There’s no use keeping me from this anymore dad. I’m involved whether you want me to be or not.”

He looked between her and Cassius. “I can see that you have come to some sort of understanding, but I will not be part of it. Kay, I will not have you become involved in this sort of thing. Return to the penthouse until I come for you, and no one else. Do you understand?” His voice was tinged with anger.

But Kayden wouldn’t be cowed so easily. She didn’t understand this man. She was trying to understand him but he just kept pushing her away. No matter what she did, it wasn't good enough for him. In fact, it was him that had pushed her to attend the Academy in the first place, pushed her to always be something that she wasn’t. He had kept her from knowing who she really was and where she came from. She had spent her entire life feeling like she didn’t fit in anywhere, like she was some kind of freak. It wasn’t until now after she spoke with Cassius that she finally felt like she could belong somewhere, to be a part of something that didn’t despise her for being different.

“I want to stay,” she said. “I belong here dad.”

“No you don’t!” he yelled.

She had never seen him so angry before. He was always jovial and loving in her memories, but these last two days were revealing a lot of things about her father she hadn’t known.

“I don’t ever want to hear you say something like that again! This world is not for you! I kept you away from it to protect you!” He turned to Cassius. “You are my brother and I respect you more than anyone, but I will not have you interfering with my daughter, do you understand?”

Cassius nodded once, completely unfazed by her father’s strong tone.

“Swear it.”

Cassius didn’t hesitate. “I owe you my life a dozen times over, if that is what you want then I swear it. Forgive me for overstepping my bounds.”

This alleviated Xolan’s anger and he took a deep breath. “No, forgive me, I should not have allowed my temper to get the better of me.”

Kayden felt her anger rage up inside her at being treated like she didn’t exist and didn’t have a say in the matter. “This isn’t right! You can’t deny me this!”

“I am your father. I will deny you anything that I think will bring you harm.” His expression and voice mellowed into the form she was more familiar with. “Please, Kay, just return to the penthouse. I promise we will go home soon and this will all be over.”

She stared at him trying to will him to change his mind. When she could see that she would get nowhere with him, she turned to Cassius, sure that he would be on her side after everything that he had told her.

His eyes were unreadable. “I will not go against your father in this matter. I owe him too much.”

She felt betrayed. What about everything he had just said about being yourself and not being collared. Was it all a lie? Just talk to make her feel better about her entire life being turned upside down. She turned away from the two of them in disgust and stormed out of the room.