Sun leaned her hand against the cool brick wall outside, doubled over as she puked into the bushes. Zen held her hair back while Nick rubbed soothing circles on her back. She had no idea how they'd found her out here.

"Guess we don't need to ask how it went," said Zen.

"I'd prefer you didn't," she muttered, fighting down the next wave.

When she had killed all those people back in the slums years ago, she had seen some of the damage she'd caused as they'd dragged her out; the images had stuck with her. It had been horrible. The deaths themselves didn't appear gory or violent, but the twisted look of horror etched on their faces had clawed themselves into her brain and latched on tight. She had always wondered what it felt like to age so fast. Did it hurt? It must have been terrifying.

When ever she remembered them, she was relieved she was incapable of dreaming. She didn't want to imagine the nightmares and images her guilt would conjure.

She pushed herself off the wall, wiping her mouth off.

"Let's get you something to wash the taste out," Nick suggested, taking her hand in his.

They took her back to their room. Boys had to share, two to a room. Revenant candidates were predominantly male, so there were few enough girls they each got their own.

Her demonstration hadn't been strenuous physically, it hadn't even been too difficult energy wise. It was the blow to her conscience that made it hard. Even if they were awaiting execution. Maybe she would feel better - at least a little less guilty - if she found out what their crimes had been...

She wished she had a more benign ability. Nick could teleport. Zen hadn't manifested anything, but he preferred the auric manipulation side of it anyway. He liked close quarter combat, and increasing his speed and strength to do it was something he found enjoyable in itself.

Once in their room, they dragged the blankets from the beds and made a little nest on the floor. They used the sheets to build a fort before Nick and Sun crawled inside. Zen brought in a flask of water and offered it to her. She drank deeply before lying down on her back and looking up at their makeshift ceiling. The boys lay down either side of her, staring up at the sheet hanging over them as well.

Though the slums had been an awful place to live, the shelter they'd cobbled together to keep them warm and hidden had had it's charm. Blanket forts gave them that same sense of safety and comfort—a haven from the outside. It had always been them against everything outside, and coming to Perdition hadn't exactly changed that mindset. Though it had mellowed them out a little.

"Would you rather drink a litre of piss or a litre of sweat?" Zen suddenly broke the silence with the stupidest question she had ever heard.

They both looked over at him, knowing what he was trying to do, and she was grateful for it.

"Whose sweat?" Nick asked.

"Does that matter?"

"Some people definitely smell worse than others, I assume it would apply to taste."

She hadn't thought of that before, it made sense. "Is there someone who's sweat you'd be more agreeable to drinking?"

"Can't think of anyone off the top of my head," he replied.

"It's my sweat and piss," Zen told them.

They both scrunched up their faces.

"You don't drink much water," she said. "You'd probably be quite..."

"Flavourful?" He suggested with a grin.

"Pungent," both Nick and Sun said in unison, laughing lightly at the coincidence and the look on Zen's face.

"That's a bit strong," he muttered with a pout.

Sun laughed. "So are your armpits after combat training."

He rolled quickly then, burying her face in his armpit, and with his size and strength she really didn't have much of a chance. And since she was laughing the whole time she was catching mouthfuls of the smell. He had at least showered after his hand to hand exam today; she could tell that much. She started jabbing him in the side where she knew he was ticklish and he wiggled off her, rolling onto his back once again.

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She elbowed him in the side. "Dick."

"Arseface."

"All right, children," Nick said, and they could hear his eye roll.

He wasn't even that much older than them. But secretly they could admit he was the more mature one of the trio.

She snuggled into the blankets, eager to forget the world for a little while.

-

Nick had to wake her up an hour before dawn the next morning so she could get back to her own room. What they did wasn't exactly against the rules, but it was frowned upon. Most of them were of an age where they didn't need their sex lives policed. Though Sun was still a minor, barely. Possibly. None of them really knew their true ages. She could be eighteen by now.

She returned to her dorm, showered, and got ready for the day. She had no classes to worry about, and her next exam wasn't until the afternoon. The free time and lack of crowds were about the only upsides to exam week.

She should probably study or something, but after yesterday she would rather just relax, maybe clean her pistols; that was always a soothing exercise. Or even sharpening and polishing her blades. She took very good care of her weapons. In battle, it was them she had to rely on; she did not want to resort to her power for killing, and her skills in hydrokinesis and casting were quite pathetic.

She had met up with Zen and Nick in the mess for breakfast; some of her appetite had made a bit of a comeback, at least.

"Sun, the headmaster would like to see you."

Looking up, she was surprised to see one of her instructors standing there, arms crossed over his chest. Was she in trouble for disobeying yesterday? For questioning her order?

With a nod, she muttered her goodbyes to the boys who were watching her worriedly as well.

Though she wasn't eager for this meeting, she walked quickly and took the stairs up two at a time. She walked as quickly as she could and knocked on the headmaster's door. At his muffled 'enter' she opened it and stepped inside. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene.

The headmaster was sitting at his desk; standing almost directly opposite was Commander Illusen and beside him was an old lady, obviously very wealthy if her clothes and jewellery were anything to go by. In her ear she wore an earring similar to Commander Illusen but less intricate and not as long; it only just reached her shoulder. The woman's eyes were the same blue, although seemingly dulled with age. The last person in the room was one of the school healers. Sun stayed in the doorway, eyeing everyone suspiciously. What could possibly be going on that would require the nurse, a Commander, an old lady, and the headmaster?

"Sun, come in," said the headmaster, his voice, though kind, had a grim note to it.

She hesitantly obeyed, closing the door behind her. He gestured for her to take a seat and she slowly complied, not sure who she should focus her eyes on.

She felt the healer take her arm gently as the headmaster informed her they would be taking a sample of her blood. She quickly snatched her arm back and eyed them warily.

"Why?" She asked, annoyed that they thought they could just do whatever they wanted with her. Damn the Guardianship orders they had over her.

"Do as you're told," Commander Illusen said; his voice was so cold. "An order from a superior is to be obeyed."

She clenched her jaw but allowed the healer to continue her job. "May I at least know why?"

"Who are your parents?" Illusen asked.

She turned her glare to him. Pompous ass. "None of your business," she shot back.

The headmaster delivered a hard whack to the back of her other hand with a ruler.

"Show some respect," he told her.

"Your parents. Do not make me ask again," Illusen warned.

"I don't know who they are," she spat. "I'm an orphan. What do you want with my blood?"

Technically, the headmaster was her legal guardian since they'd stripped her of her rights with their bullshit about her being a danger. If she didn't listen to him, he could punish her in ways he couldn't with the other students. And after yesterday, she didn't want to risk pushing her luck.

Again, her question was ignored as the old lady grabbed her face and examined her closely.

"You are obviously from the Winter Clan," she said. "We're taking your blood to determine who stained the family honour by birthing a bastard."

"Winter Clan?" She probably should have been more angry at the fact this old woman had just called her a stain and a bastard in one sentence, but with all the other questions and emotions running through her, that was what came out.

"One of the Great Four, Sun," the headmaster told her as if that should have cleared it up.

It didn't.

The nurse closed off the vial of blood, put a piece of gauze on the injection site, and told her to hold it down. Illusen took the vial from her hand and left without a backward glance, the old lady following closely behind him. Sun turned her confused gaze on her headmaster.

"Who were those people?" She asked.

"You met Commander Illusen yesterday, didn't you?"

She nodded. "I know he's a Commander. Why does that entitle him to my blood?"

"Kalys Illusen is head of the Winter Clan. A very powerful and influential man. Should the royal family ever be left without an heir, the throne would fall to one of the Great Four. They are practically royalty. The woman with him was Noda Illusen, one of the clan elders. If you are ever to see them again, you had better be more respectful. Your behaviour casts a reflection on the candidacy program and I will not have its reputation brought down by you." He leaned back in his seat. "They suspect you're related to them, Sun. And if he wants your blood, I cannot stand in his way."

Sunny left the office in a daze, replaying the conversation in her head. The Winter Clan? Didn't even sound remotely familiar. The woman had inspected her face, so something in it must be some kind of indicator; she had a feeling it was her dark eye. She still wasn't happy about that stain comment. She was in some way related to those two people? Probably not; that's what the blood was for. They had ways of tracing lineage through one's blood. It was a magic beyond her limited comprehension.

Gods above, she hoped these people were wrong. She just wanted to get through her time here, be released from Perdition's 'guardianship' and build a life for herself. If she had ever bought into the long-lost family dream, it would have been shattered upon meeting those two. She didn't want them, and it was clear they didn't want her.

Besides, she had Zen and Nick; they were all the family she needed.