Later in the day, with the starlight hiding behind the horizon, Rene takes me to her clinic. We reach the clinic, which says in big letters.

*Health and Recovery*

We enter a peculiar building. It is very pointy, with many sharp corners. It has an open section where nurses and doctors sit, taking breaks. Pillars hold up the open porch that leads into the small castle-like structure. The points all end in these red and white crystals that hum with magic. The windows all have the Four Cities Diamond etched into them. Inside the building, we enter a busy waiting room. Everyone looks up at the dinging bell.

“Doctor Star,” a bald older man with green eyes and a long white beard says.

“Doctor, I’m so glad to see you!” screams a younger boy with fiend horns and dark grey skin lying on the floor with a puzzle.

Wow, you don’t see Zenglins so far south

Usually, they stay in Vaxnor.

Everyone talks to Rene at once, and she waves her hand.

“Hi, everyone. I have some stuff to take care of, but I’ll return in a few hours.” Rene rushes me through a door and down a hall.

The other people in the clinic wave and nod at Rene.

“Boss, glad you’re back.” A man in scrubs says.

“Doctor, we need a new shipment of sterile needles and vinyl gloves.” A woman in a bun says, coming up to us with a clipboard.

“Call Zenox. They are the closest province to send us the needles and gloves.” Others come up to ask Rene more questions.

Rene waves her hand. “Busy guys, I’ll be back in a few hours, okay?”

Then Rene opens the nearest door, pushing me inside. She flips on a light, turns, and smiles at me.

“Sorry about all that.” She walks over to a desk with many papers, empty bottles, and wrappers.

“Umm, it’s okay, but one question?” I ask Rene while she ruffles through the papers on the desk.

“Yep, what is it, Emmy?” She asks, not even looking at me.

“Why did they call you boss?” I ask.

Still, she doesn’t look up from rummaging through the papers. “I am the Health and Recovery Association president, so every clinic and hospital reports to me.”

My mouth drops. “What! Holy Fates.”

She turns to me." Emmy, not a big deal." She pauses as she says that.

“Okay, it is a big deal, but it’s nothing to be excited about. Honestly, it’s just a pain in the ass.” She says, walking over to a drawer and pulling out a stethoscope and a thermometer.

I ask her. “Why do it then?”

She smiles. “I love my job. Also, somebody has to run the association. Might as well be me.”

“Now, sit in the chair, and let me fix you up. You can ask me questions another time.” She stares at me with a crooked eyebrow.

After an hour, Rene checks me, ensuring nothing is sore or broken. We leave the clinic and head to her house, which is only a few kilometers away. We walk down a path that goes through a long alleyway. Rene stays quiet the whole way.

Finally, we reach a building tucked away behind a few other houses.

“Here we are, my humble abode.” Rene bows to me.

Her house is very tame-looking on this beautiful side of town. Most of the homes incorporate stone pulled from the mountainside. Her house appears to be made from ancient Cedarwood. It has small windows on both sides and a wooden porch with pleasant-looking garden-type furniture.

“You’ll bunk with me until Zeke can find you a place of your own. But, for now, you’ll sleep in my room, cool?” Rene cocks her head to the side to see me.

“Ugh, I don’t know about that, but what I do know is I don’t have anything to wear besides my armor,” I say, worried.

She laughs playfully

“Don’t worry, we’re almost the same size. Rene smiles.

Man, she has such a gorgeous smile.

Rene looks me up and down and frowns. Finally, she looks down at herself and whispers.

“Pssh, younger than me and still bigger in the chest.” Rene turns towards the house, grumbling to herself.

“What?” I follow her through the front door.

“Nothing. Come, let’s get you ready for bed.” Rene fumbles at a large ring of keys on her belt and finds a small golden one. She turns the lock with a satisfying click, and we enter inside.

Rene has a very erratic sense of personality. She jokes a lot and teases everyone. So I thought her home would be way messier. But, nope, it’s pristine. Neatly hung pictures adorn the walls, and the kitchen practically sparkles. Bookshelves full of medical volumes line the living room walls.

“Man, your house is so clean.” Rene hangs her keys on a mounted holder by her front door.

Then she flops into a chair.

“Yeah, I’m always at one of the clinics in the city, so it’s hard to get a house messy when I work eighteen hours a day. Also, I have a personal cleaner from the castle come and clean it from time to time. That helps.” She leans back in the recliner, slips off her enclosed sandals, and then stretches out with an obnoxious moan.

She points. “Down that hall to the left is my room. Grab any clothes you want to sleep in. Sleep in my bed tonight. I’ll get you up before the initiation tomorrow.” Rene closes her eyes.

“Wait, it’s your home. You should sleep in your bed.” Janet would scold me if I agreed to her hospitality too fast.

“Emmy, go ahead. I have to return to the clinic in a couple of hours.” She waves me off.

“I won’t be back all night, so enjoy it, okay?” She turns her head to me and smiles.

“Rene, I can just sleep on the floor or something.” Then soft snoring meets my protests, cutting me off.

She passed out. I really wish I could fall asleep that fast.

Rene’s room is small, with pictures of her hanging on the walls. One catches my eye. It’s one with Alva and a girl with eyes like a serpent. I turn away from the photo to Rene’s closet. Inside, I see a bunch of pants, doctor coats, and only pajamas, which are nothing.

“Well, there’s nothing for me to sleep in here.” I shrug.

“Guess I’ll just sleep in my undershirt and shorts.”

Stripping down to them, I carefully place my armor and boots right next to my bed for quick access. I doubt anyone will attack the Capital, but I can never let my guard down again. Once my head hits the pillow, I feel the darkness of sleep slowly reeling me into its embrace.

“Emelia, do you wish for revenge?”

Those words Ezekiel said echo through my mind like an itch. I can’t scratch at it. The anger from that day when the Embers took everything from me continues to build inside me like a tiny flame being tended to daily.

Do I join his army? Might as well, since my life ended at Bladesfall when everyone died. So all that’s left is killing the Embers and their supposed New World. I’ll burn them just like they burned my people. I don’t care how I do it, but I will do it! I’ll crush their hearts with my own hands!

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

With that dark thought, sleep finally overtakes me.

-----

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” A gentle voice stirs me awake.

“Ugh, who?” My eyes open to darkness.

“Turn the other way, silly, hehe.” I turn towards the voice and then rub my eyes.

This set of orange eyes stares back at me. Panic bolts me up, and I scooch myself away, fear taking me over. A soft glow illuminates the stranger. My hands reach around me from the sudden fear trying to shrink myself away from it.

“Good morning, Milly!” The girl shouts with childish glee. Her voice echoes across this black plane of existence.

I sigh, the fear slipping away to annoyance. “Colt, it’s been five years since you last spoke to me. What do you want?” I ask the girl, crossing my arms.

“Silly Milly. Can’t I just drop in and talk to my best friend?” The girl giggles.

Colt stands in front of me in the same white dress as when I talked to her as a child. But I’ll never get over her brightly lit orange eyes with dark plus signs for pupils.

“Milly, we grew up together and had so much fun, didn’t we? Why are you being so cold?” She crosses her arms and puffs up her cheeks.

I sigh again. “Colt, you know I hate when you bring me here.”

I look around at the empty void, which is always so dark that I can only see myself from the glow that Colt always gives off. What is terrifying is the lack of nothing but Colt and I. It doesn’t even feel like I am breathing here.

Colt grabs me by my hands, squeezing them tightly in her smaller ones. Her childish persona has always been adorable—everything about her. I hug her and pull her close. She smells salty like the ocean, just like Lucy always did. I forget how being around her makes me want to hold her tightly and let her take me over.

“No!” I push the girl away and fall down on my butt as I try to move back away from her.

She smiles sweetly, but her eyes blaze like a raging void.

“Aww, come now, Milly. You still won’t accept me? Even after I saved your life from the black waves and made those big baddie guys flee your city?” The girl’s smile sharpens, cutting at the edges of my mind.

I try to speak, but quiet voices stir in my head.

“Accept us. Give in to the dark. No more pain.”

“Let us help you.”

“Mistake, the greatest mistake!”

The voices rattle my head like a bag of marbles. I place both hands on my head to stop them from scattering. The voice stops, and I see Colt sitting down and holding her ankles while rocking back and forth.

“Time for me to go. Milly can’t let mother know I’m talking to you again.” She stands up and smooths out her dress.

“Mother, you never told me who that was.” I raise one eyebrow at her.

The girl smiles, steps forward, grabs my hands, and looks into my eyes. I now have a clear view of them. Their endless depth has always enraptured me. They promise the power to achieve anything I want. If I trust Colt and accept the gifts they offer, I can take the world. My mind wants to melt under their endless potential and promise. The never-ending orange leaves me speechless. Colt’s voice brings me back to reality.

“Remember Milly.” She taps her temple.

“If you ever need my help or are in trouble.” She smiles and squeezes my hands tight.

I shake my head. “Colt, you know better. I’ll never accept your help.”

Colt smiles so big it sends chills through my body, turning my blood to ice.

“Milly.” She says, grinning.

“You already asked me for help twice.” My hands hurt from how hard she squeezes them.

I scoff. “Doesn’t matter. Those times were different.”

“Milly, you and I both know that you will accept me. We are inevitable.” I can feel her aura push down on me as I drop to my knees.

“N-never, Janet told me how dangerous you are.” I struggle to say this, as I can feel her grip crush the bones in my hands.

“Sweet girl.” The childish demeanor goes away, and the monster comes out.

“You can’t fight against Fate. What we will become is greater than your defiance. No matter how many mental barriers that woman put between us, you will be the one to tear them down.” Her eyes grow so bright there all I can see is nothing but an endless sea of darkness and burning orange.

I feel they could suck me in and erase me from existence.

She lets my hands go and backs away with that petrifying smirk. “All I have to do is.” She pauses.

“Wait.” Then she waves her hand.

Then, the darkness swarms me.

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

“Emmy, it’s time to wake up." A pause.

"Get up, knucklehead!” Rene’s voice pokes at my unconscious mind as it returns from the clutches of sleep.

“If you don’t wake up, we won’t have time to stop by for breakfast before your big day.” Then I hear a pattern of feet walking away.

The image of Colt and her orange eyes still lingers in my brain as I roll out of bed and slip into my armor. I lace up my boots and make my way out of the room. Rene waits for me by the door outside her home. She smiles.

“Finally, you get up. Time to get your butt in gear so we can grab breakfast. Then it’s off to your big day!” Rene claps her hands and twirls, causing her white coat to flutter.

“Ahhh, I can’t wait for you to check this place out. It’s the best food you can get in the Capital. He also doesn’t jack up the price, so you get your eels’ worth.” Rene says as she skips down the walkway.

There’s a humongous wave of people walking through the city today, way more than yesterday. I ask Rene why when I see it. A colossal billboard atop a towering building has two painted figures. Above them, it says in bold letters.

Alva Copper vs. Emelia the New Recruit!

Rene clicks her tongue. “Zeke is always one for a good spectacle.”

She shakes her head and weaves through the crowds of people.

Well, shoot, I didn’t know that I was going to be watched by the public. I hoped this was going to be a small gathering. I was just seen by the King, with some nobles betting on the winner, the typical lot that always appears at these events.

This can be similar to the Victorious tournament at Bladesfall. The entire city used to come to watch it. Rene stopped at a small food stand. The heavenly smell reminds me of the bar Lucy took me to that sold roasted Burgs with soft bread and that spicy warm cheese. Bringing myself to a stop by Rene, she smirks.

“Emmy, welcome to Rogner’s Wraps. He makes the best wraps for a quick bite on the go!” Rene closes her eyes and clasps her hands together.

She sings the slogan on the front of the man’s stand.

Rogner is a large man with a scruffy grey beard, a shining bald head, and muscles bulging under his apron. He is missing his left eye.

“Rene, thankz for coming by. Howz my loyalizt cuztomer. Zame az uzual?” Rene nods vigorously.

“Get my girl here a vegetable wrap with light meat and a drizzle of sesame sauce. She doesn’t need to puke during her debut. I’ll take the usual for me.”

Rogner nods.

He enters the cart, and I hear a knife chopping against a board or wood.

“Emmy, come here, look.” Rene points inside the cart.

Walking up to the stand, I peek inside and see the large man hunched over a small stove, his counter full of fresh ingredients of meat and vegetables. Then, as he seems satisfied with the stove, he cuts the meat into small slices, making it easier to fold. He grabs some soft shell wraps, puts them in his pan, then lays down the meat slices. Next, he chops the vegetables up, sprinkles some type of seasoning on the meat, then places them in a second pan.

After another moment, he wraps them up, grabs a brush, and smears a light yellow liquid on them. Finally, he serves them to us in white paper bags. Next, he grabs two silver mugs hanging from the roof and fills them with a brown, frothy liquid from a silver pitcher underneath the counter. Cold air puffs out of the small door.

“Whoa, there, Rogner, no alcohol. She’s underage.” She points back to me, smirking.

“Hey, I’m sixteen, only a few years away,” I yell back at her.

She laughs. “Emmy, the drinking age in the Capital is twenty. So you still have four years to go.”

Rogner clears his throat.

“It’s not alcohol. It’s a specialty of mine. I made it from sugar cane, mixed with bubbly water and light syrup.” He slides the mugs and our food.

“Oh, a new invention. I love it when you make new things. What’s it called?” Rene asks him as she grabs her mug and wrap.

I reach for mine, and the lovely smell of cooked meat and grilled veggies wafts through the air, hugging the inside of my nose.

“I call it Cane Water,” Rogner says.

Rene’s smile disappears.

“Not very creative, Rogner, but all that matters is the taste.” She shrugs. Pulls out a pouch and hands Rogner two silver ten-eel bills. Rene waves goodbye to Rogner.

She stuffs her mouth full of her wrap and coos.

“Oh, man, Rogner is the best,” Rene says as she swigs the liquid. She puts it down, thinks for a moment, then chugs the rest of the mug.

“Man, that is so sweet.” Rene turns to me.

“Hurry, Emmy, finish your food before we reach the stadium.” I do as she says and take a big bite of the wrap. The taste of the spices and the thinly sliced meat is a joyful explosion.

I finish the wrap and lick the wrapper out of habit in two bites. Then, sip at the liquid. The sweet taste washes over my tongue, mingling with the saltiness of the meat from the wrap. My mind screams for more. Tipping back the mug, I down it in one gulp.

“Bah! Man, that was so delicious, holy Fates.” I turn to Rene, who has the biggest smile on her face.

“Not bad for twenty eels, huh?” Rene says.

I nod.

“Rene, what are we going to do with the mugs?” I ask her.

She snaps.

“Right, there should be a bin up the way to trash silver mugs,” Rene says as she points to a green can a few steps up the street.

“Just throw away silver?” I ask, and she nods.

“These are recyclable mugs. The company that makes the tins has them all over next to regular bins for people. They melt them down and reforge them. An endless supply of sorts,” Rene says as we stop by the trash bin with the words.

Ton A Silver co

“Ton A Silver co interesting name,” I say, and Rene nods.

“Ton a Silver is the leading supplier of silver to the Capital. They used to be located in the Kelvin province a few years ago. Zeke paid them to relocate here.” Rene grabs the mug from my hand and drops hers and mine in the bin.

I nod. “Interesting.”

Many business leaders would jump at the chance to make a ton of profit.

Rene and I walk on for twenty minutes before a huge, rounded building crosses the horizon.

“Is that the stadium?” I ask Rene, and she nods.

“Yes, that’s Cardinal Stadium, owned by Hunter Mcburn,” Rene says as I stare at the crowd gathering on the stadium’s steps.

Rene goes quiet and stops.

“Emmy,” Rene asks my name.

“Yeah?” I look at Rene. The usual fun demeanor I’ve grown to know from her seems to have vanished from her face.

“Alva is powerful. Do you think you can win against her?” Rene looks a bit worried.

“Can’t say for sure it is Alva. If all the stories about her are real, then I don’t know if I have a chance. But I don’t think I have to win, do I?” I ask Rene, and she nods.

Rene’s right. Can I beat Alva?

“Well, you don’t need to win in the original sense. Just fight hard enough to impress Alva and the King with you.” Rene rests a hand on my shoulder.

I nod. “I used to spar with Lucy all the time.”

The memory comes back to me.

“Lucy and I used to sneak out to the fighting pits in the slums. It was my favorite pastime.” Despite the pit in my stomach, I smile.

“You fought in the Bladesfall fighting pits. Evan mentioned that the pits there were brutal.” Rene raises a brow.

“True, except Lucy was a legend there. She thought the experience was the best way for me to improve my magic.”

“Lucy seems like she was a good friend,” Rene smiles.

So do I.

“Yes, she and Janet taught me a lot.”

A tear wells up in my eye. I wipe it away quickly. Hoping Rene thought I was just rubbing my eye.

“Well, really, my advice is don’t give in until they let you join Emmy. Got me?” I nod with a smile.

Good, she didn’t notice the tears.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I smile at her.

Rene smiles back.

“Well, let’s get you in there.” Rene grabs my wrists and pulls me along.