As I hastily explained my sarcastic request for an HR complaint form during my late-night prayer session, Nora re-read the list of allegations with a tired sigh. “Yeah... these aren’t your words,” she concluded. “It’s like Clare was just waiting for one of us to say something.”

I handed the parchment back to her. “Guess I better go back and tell her message received, maybe do a little damage control...”

Nora stood up with a stretch, interrupting my spoken thoughts. “Don’t bother.”

“But it says to confirm receipt as soon as possible...”

“Rae. Go to sleep already!”

Her words made me flinch. “I can’t now! We’re going to be in so much trouble...”

“Why would we be in trouble?” Nora scoffed, shaking her head. “Eura’s the perp here. Nothing in there is a false accusation... I think. I can’t confirm what we drank was Nectar, but it sounds about right, all things considered.”

Doesn’t she know how these things really work? “She’s the president’s granddaughter! The only thing the investigation is going to reveal is silently accepted nepotism and a whiny complainer who stirred the pot- namely, me!”

Nora’s response was firm. “I don’t think so. But even if that’s the case, you didn’t do anything wrong, so you shouldn’t sweat the details.”

Feeling frustrated, I slumped onto a nearby fainting couch and let out a groan. “I can’t turn off my brain at the moment. It would be really nice if it came with a ‘stop thinking’ switch.”

“The problem is in the restart process,” Nora replied in a tone suggesting she had lamented over the same problem. “You wouldn’t be able to think of it yourself, and you can’t depend on anyone else to help you.”

We sat silently for a few moments while I gazed up at the ceiling tiles, again noting the intricate wood carvings within. “Hey...” I said as I started to sit up. “How are you doing, by the way?”

“What do you mean, how am I doing?”

“Well... I’ve been complaining about my thoughts, but... I haven’t asked you about yours. Consider this a wellness check.”

“Wellness check? Rae, I’m fine. Never better! Except if I was asleep, maybe.”

“Oh, sorry... I’ll stop.”

Despite her slight protest, she plopped down on the couch next to me and nudged me. “I don’t have any right to complain, you know. I’ve always wanted to escape to a fantasy world like this.”

Her words were too muffled for me to accept at face value. “It’s not exactly what you expected, is it?”

“Yes and no,” Nora admitted. “I do find the lack of modern plumbing a bit disturbing...”

I might have had a rather detailed follow-up to that, but I already complained enough for one night. “Being able to use magic is pretty cool, though, huh?”

“Yes, but keeping it under wraps is really frustrating,” she replied. “There’s so many things I could do if there weren’t any consequences!”

I paused for a moment before responding. “You must be growing up if you started realizing that!”

Instead of another playful nudge, Nora looked down at her hands with a serious expression. “Yeah... guess so.”

Her lack of banter during our conversation so far worried me. “You know... Even though you wanted to come here, you’re allowed to be upset about the way it happened. As I see it, you’re allowed to complain about anything you want. There’s just no guarantee I can do anything about it.”

Nora’s frown deepened as she looked up at me. “Why do you always feel responsible for fixing everything?”

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I paused, taken aback by the question. “Well, you’re my best friend, and I just want you to be happy,” I replied honestly.

“Yeah... and that’s what I want for you too, of course,” she murmured. “...But you’re not, are you?”

“I mean, not at the moment, but I’m sure...”

“Rae. When was the last time you were happy?”

“Dinner,” I declared swiftly.

“I mean for more than an hour!”

“Well, I can’t help it if I quickly get hungry again. I’m sure it’s a metabolism thing!” I mean, using amity powers takes energy, right?

Nora rolled her eyes. “I meant long-term happiness.”

Her words hit a nerve, and I found myself getting defensive. “Isn’t it too soon to think about that? We have more pressing matters at hand.”

But Nora was persistent. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

Oh, ye gods! It was the high school essay question all over again.

“Happy, fulfilled, financially sound... maybe living in a nice little apartment somewhere,” I replied with a vague toss of my hand. It was the standard answer without any substance behind it.

Nora raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Do you really believe we can return home and everything will go back to normal?”

“Of course!” I replied emphatically, pushing away a pang of uncertainty. “Who would believe us even if we told anyone what had happened to us? Everyone there wants us to be normal so it will be easy to fit in. Eventually, I’m sure this will just feel like a dream.”

“I’m... not so sure. About anything right now, really.”

I sighed, moving a little too fast over her statement that, in hindsight, I should have paid more attention to. “Nora, I know you don’t want to go home. And... I’m... okay with that.”

Nora jumped up as if she were in total disbelief. “You are?”

“Isn’t that what’s been bothering you? You don’t want to complain because you feel guilty about wanting to stay! But really, I understand if you do. There are a lot of great things about this place. And you know, look at all the friends you’ve made.”

Yes, I’m sure I have her feelings all figured out!

She opened her mouth several times, but no sound came out. She finally settled on a groan before headbutting me.

I hugged her despite the mock violence. “We’ll fix this place up really nice first so you can enjoy it. Okay? And I’m not talking about just running water, either.”

Nora’s nose twitched a little. “First... we get the church to admit that hybrids and dark mages have a rightful place in society.”

“Right. But culture change takes time,” I started to warn, but she held up a hand.

“Leadership is ultimately responsible for setting the culture,” she advised. “It will take a while, like you said, but it won’t even start if someone doesn’t champion it. It’d be nice if Euphridia made some commandments about it herself, but she’s not here to do that.”

“We can certainly try to get the council to reflect on it...”

“Well, once Relias nominates Aleph as councilman for the Wastelands, there will be a perfect opportunity for public shaming-- er, discourse.

I jumped up in shock. “When he what?!”

“They didn’t tell you?” Nora blinked several times before wringing her hands together. “Oh... uh...”

“Aleph... as Councilman? But...!”

“You don’t think it would be a good fit for him?”

“No, it’s not that. He would be great, but... wouldn’t that mean he has to stay in Chairo?” And what about Tetora? Tears welled in my eyes at the thought of being separated from them.

“Whoa, whoa! Hold the waterworks, missy.” Nora tried to calm me down. “Maybe this is why they didn’t tell you. Do you remember how long they said the election process would take?

My mind raced, trying to recall the details. “It takes a long time... and they haven’t yet replaced the open position Vetus left. But wouldn’t he have to stay and campaign during the entire time?”

Nora waved her hand dismissively. “Think of it this way... You’re part of the hero’s party, off saving the world. When you get back, your campaigning is already done!”

Though it made sense, something still didn’t sit right with me. “And what about Tetora? Is he okay with all of this?”

“Not sure, to be honest,” Nora admitted. “Now that you mention it, I’m not sure they’ve discussed it.”

“And you and Aleph have?”

“Well, Relias mentioned it to me. We talk about a lot of things.” Nora shrugged.

“You do?” I couldn’t remember seeing them having any deep conversations, just a few simple back-and-forths. Were they meeting in private?

Why did that idea bother me so much?

“Yep,” she confirmed. “I want to make sure I’m ready for anything! Once we get to Chairo and, you know, administer some overdue chastisement, he’s going to introduce me to the other dark mages there. Maybe I’ll level up, just like you are!”

I forced a smile, trying to hide the unease building up inside me. “It sounds like you two are growing closer,” I said.

“Almost makes me feel bad for testing him earlier... almost. But he seems committed to the mission, so I’ve decided he can stay.”

I watched as Nora spoke, her words swirling around in my mind like a storm brewing on the horizon. She continued talking excitedly about something, but I couldn’t follow along anymore.

“I’m... I’m tired,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. “I think I need to get some sleep.”

“I believe I told you that before, yes? Better hurry; it’ll be dawn before you know it.”

I nodded wearily, pushing myself up from the couch. The room spun slightly, a sign of how drained I truly was. Luckily, the bed wasn’t so far away, and I managed to strip down to the essentials before diving into it.

“Night...” I mumbled, pulling the covers over my head, never hearing her response.