“Approaching Koreldon University,” said a voice from the intercom.
The train doors slid open, and Akari stepped onto the raised platform above Chapel Street. Thick white snowflakes drifted from the gray sky, covering the sidewalks and the streets below. A line of cars sat bumper-to-bumper, and the scent of burning mana crystals hung heavy in the winter air.
Akari followed a crosswalk over the congested street, then she raised her hood as she descended the stairs on the south side. From there, she followed the winding stone paths through campus, all the way to the Artegium.
It was the first day of the new semester, and she passed hundreds of students and teachers along the way. It actually felt good to be back on campus after all those weeks away. There was a sense of energy here, with hundreds of Mana Artists united toward a single purpose. Regardless of their rank, they all strove to grow their mana and their skills.
Akari had spent the past few days moping about her admissions score, but time had already dulled that pain. Now, being out of the house put things back into perspective. She’d spent her whole life dreaming of this moment—for a chance to truly push herself as a Combat Artist.
Now, she finally had her aspect, and she was training at Espiria’s top university. More importantly, she had Kalden and Relia, and she didn’t appreciate them half as much as she should. Relia had tried roping her into another day trip, but Akari had refused. Kalden had also tried to arrange a date night before classes started, but Akari had made excuses.
Talek. What was wrong with her? Why hadn’t she said yes? She didn’t even want to train this much, but she couldn’t help herself. She wished her friends would push harder sometimes. But Relia was too nice, and Kalden avoided any battle he didn’t think he could win.
There was a rhythmic humming, and Arturo glided up on his hoverboard. Her teammate wore a bright yellow jacket along with a pair of dark sunglasses, despite the gray sky.
“Hey, shokita.” He slowed his board and fell in beside her. “Congrats on hitting the top ten.”
“Thanks.” Akari forced herself to sound genuine. Arturo hadn’t even made the top fifty, so she couldn’t exactly complain about her score in front of him.
“You’re in Block B this semester?” he asked
Akari nodded as they approached the Combat Arts Center. “Headed to Nightfang’s class right now.”
“Same.” Arturo pulled out a plastic case, no bigger than two of his hands. Then he flipped open the lid, picked up his hoverboard, and shoved the entire thing inside. Clearly, this was another one of his pocket dimensions.
They stepped through a pair of double doors and followed the main corridor around the arenas. They’d already taken one class with Nightfang, so they knew what to expect. Like Raizen, she taught the same skills they might have learned in the military. Things like building a shelter, foraging for food, or purifying water.
They stepped into an empty classroom with tiered seats arranged in a half-circle around a small stage.
“That’s weird.” Akari glanced back at the clock. “Are we early or something?”
“Nah.” Arturo removed his sunglasses and clipped them to the front of his shirt. “Everyone else has Raizen before this. They probably need time to change.”
They found seats near the back, and the others trickled in over the next few minutes. Kalden and Zukan were both in Block C this semester, but Elise Moonfire strode in with the crowd. For once, the Dream Artist walked alone without her little group of friends. Her gaze briefly flicked toward Akari, but their eyes didn’t meet as she stepped down the center aisle.
Several of their classmates shot glances toward the back, and Akari caught the names “Zeller” and “Moonfire” more than once.
“This is weird,” she muttered.
“What?” Arturo said. “The spotlight?”
Akari shrugged. She’d started last semester as a Gold. That had raised a few eyebrows, but it was nothing like this. “I wonder what happened in Raizen’s class today.”
“He announced the battleground teams.”
“How do you know that?”
He held up his phone. “Got some friends in Block A.”
In other words, everyone knew Elise Moonfire was their teammate. That would explain all the looks and whispers, especially with how the qualifying rounds ended.
Arturo leaned into her personal space. “You should ask Elise to sit with us.”
“What?” Akari rounded on him. “You hit your head on that hoverboard?”
He grinned. “Several times, but that’s not the point. She’s our teammate.”
Akari let out a long breath through her nose. “Doesn’t she have a little gaggle of cheerleaders who follow her around?”
“Not in this class. Besides . . .” Arturo nodded toward the Skyfall cousins, who sat together on the left side of the room. “Notice how her former generals are giving her the cold shoulder? We’re not the only ones she betrayed.”
“Sucks to be her.” Akari took a long sip of her coffee. “Maybe she’ll learn her lesson for next time.”
“Or maybe she already did. We’ve been training together for weeks, and she’s never caused a problem.”
“Doesn’t mean she won’t.” The girl had practically admitted to spying for her parents. Even Relia still didn’t trust her. Talek help them all if she’d become their team’s voice of reason.
“Ever heard of keeping your enemies close?” he asked.
“You want to sit with her?” Akari gestured toward the front of the room “Be my guest.”
“You’re the captain,” he said. “You should bring our team together.”
She snorted. “Funny how I’m the captain, but everyone tells me what to do.”
“Fine,” Arturo put his hands on the table. “Then consider this. Nightfang likes to throw us into survival scenarios, right? No teams or rules. Just pure chaos.”
That much was certainly true. They might be in a classroom today, but they’d spent at least two-thirds of last semester in the arenas.
“You and I are short on friends here,” he said. “But we’ve got plenty of people who want to see us fail.” His gaze shifted across the aisle to where Tori Raizen sat with Lyra Manastrike and Dario Santano.
“Those three formed a battleground team, in case you haven’t heard. They’re ranked second-highest behind us. That means they’ve got lots to prove.” His eyes flicked to his left, several rows down. “And speaking of betrayals . . .”
Akari followed his gaze to where Nico Talez sat with two more people in the front. The boy beside him had a shaved head, and the girl had mana-blue hair. Nimble and Sadie. Her old team had managed to stay civil at the end of last semester, but only because of their group project for Truewater’s class. Today, she had no doubt they’d try to sabotage her.
“Shit.” Akari sank deeper into her chair. She could have waited until they needed Elise, but that put her in a position of power. Despite the girl’s prim appearance, she excelled at survival-based tests. Not only could she make herself invisible, but she’d clearly spent time in a military prep school.
Arturo was right: they needed her more than she needed them.
Akari drew in a sharp breath and got to her feet. “Moonfire,” she hollered across the room. “How come you’re sitting alone?”
Elise looked over her shoulder and met her eyes. Akari jerked her head toward the empty seat beside her. She half-expected Elise to ignore her, or mutter some excuse or clever retort. That’s what Akari would have done in her position.
Instead, the other girl grabbed her bag and headed straight toward them.
“Sorry.” She flashed them a genuine smile, as if they were all best friends. “Didn’t see you guys up here.”
The three of them sat in a pool of awkward silence while Elise settled in, and the whispers continued.
Fortunately, Nightfang stepped down the aisle a few minutes later and began attaching her laptop to the projector. She looked young for a Master, barely in her forties, with her long brown hair in a simple ponytail.
They still had a few minutes before class started, so Akari used that time to cycle ambient mana into her soul. Even a few extra minutes of training could add up. Arturo and Elise engaged in some small talk, but she wasn’t listening.
Eventually, Nightfang stepped outside again, and a small girl approached Akari’s table. She couldn’t have been older than eight or nine, and her bright pink sweater made her look even more out of place among the students.
Akari stared for several heartbeats as the girl shuffled her feet and fidgeted with some papers. However, she didn’t leave. If anything, she appeared to be inching even closer.
“Hi,” Elise said in a cheerful tone. “What’s your name?”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Aria Nightfang,” the girl replied.
“Nice to meet you, Aria. I’m Elise.”
Ah, that made sense. The girl looked like a younger version of Master Nightfang, come to think of it. They both had the same pale skin and long brown hair. This girl even had the same freckles dusting her cheeks.
Elise leaned forward, resting her hands on the table between them. “Did your mom bring you to work today?”
Aria nodded. “My school had a snow day, and my nanny was sick.”
Elise nodded down to the blank piece of paper. “What do you have there?”
“Oh.” Aria glanced down as if just noticing it. “I was hoping—if it’s not too much trouble . . .” Her voice got quieter as she spoke, then she trailed off entirely.
“Did you want an autograph?” Elise asked in the same gentle tone.
Akari almost burst out laughing. Seriously? Did Elise think she was a celebrity? She knew the Dream Artist was full of herself, but this was a whole new level. She shot Arturo a glance, but he looked just as confused as she felt.
The girl nodded eagerly as she held up the paper. “Could you?”
“I’d be honored,” Elise said. “You know, this will be the first autograph I’ve ever signed.”
“Really?”
Elise nodded as she pulled out a pen. “Did you watch the qualifying rounds?”
“Of course I did. You were amazing!” And then Aria started talking, in detail, about just how amazing Elise was. The girl grew more animated by the second, and Elise wrote a long note on the paper, followed by a tall, wavy signature. The paper actually glowed with dream mana when she was done.
Great. Elise Moonfire was a role model for little girls. Were eight-year-olds even supposed to watch the qualifying rounds? The school censored the language, but that didn’t make them kid-friendly. Not even close.
Elise slid the paper back across the desk. The girl thanked her with a small bow, but she still didn’t leave. Instead, she shifted her gaze to Akari.
“What?” Akari snapped. “You need something?”
Elise leaned closer, and lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “I think she wants your autograph, too.”
Aria practically bounced up and down. “I watched your duel in the library like ten times. No, more like fifty times! The way you used that water tower with the portal, and how you were too strong for the dream mana.” This time, she did bounce, as if she couldn’t contain her energy. “You were the coolest person in the whole game. Is it true you invented the spacetime aspect yourself? Is Kalden Trengsen your boyfriend in real life?”
“Wait, what?” Akari’s cheeks grew hot. Was this really happening? She knew people watched the qualifying rounds on TV. She’d even looked for her name in the online message boards, but those comments had all focused on her blunders.
“I’m gonna be a Spacetime Artist when I’m older!” Aria said. “I can’t wait to see what new techniques you invent! I’m gonna learn them all!”
Elise slid her pen across their shared table, and Akari signed her name in a daze. She didn’t have much experience with this, and it looked nothing like Elise’s signature.
The girl accepted the paper and glanced back and forth between Akari and Elise. “Are you friends in real life?”
Akari froze. They definitely weren’t friends, but how was she supposed to explain that to an eight-year-old? She had about as much experience talking to kids as she did signing autographs.
“We’re teammates,” Elise replied smoothly. “The qualifying rounds are just a game. Everyone puts on a show for the cameras.”
“That’s what I told my friends, but no one believed me!”
Just then, Master Nightfang stepped back into the room. “Aria? What did we talk about just now?” Her voice was stern, but not surprised. Almost as if she’d expected this.
The girl ducked her head and ran toward a small desk at the front. After a quick exchange with her mother, she put on a pair of headphones and glanced down at a tablet.
Nightfang spent another minute adjusting the large monitor. This time, it reflected the display from her laptop, and she turned back to face the class.
“Sorry for the delay,” she said. “If there are no questions, we’ll get straight to business.
No one raised a hand, and Nightfang brought up a map on the monitor.
“As I’m sure you know, the storms have gotten worse along Cadria’s southern coast. It started on Pritember third when a mana spirit attacked a research base on Vordica. People are calling it ‘Storm’s Eye’. Whether it’s the same spirit from mythology, we can’t say. But we know it has Mystic-level power. Early reports also suggest some level of self-awareness.”
“How do we know it’s self-aware?” someone asked from the right side of the room.
“Mystic Everest faced the spirit in Vaslana yesterday. As a Knowledge Artist, he’s capable of reading the signs, even from ten miles away.”
Sadie Horne raised her hand from the front. “What if it attacks Koreldon City? Are we in danger here?”
“Unlikely,” Nightfang replied. Then her gaze shifted from Sadie to the rest of the class. “Koreldon borders the Inner Sea, but it’s one of the safest places on the east coast. Can anyone tell me why that is?”
Elise Moonfire threw up her hand as if this were a contest. “Three Mystics live in the city, including Prime Minister Salerian himself. Even one Mystic was enough to drive it away in Vaslana.”
“Good,” Nightfang said. “What else?” She shook her head when Elise raised her hand again. “Someone besides Miss Moonfire this time.”
Several more hands shot up, including Akari’s. She’d gotten better at speaking up in class these past few months. The whole thing had felt pointless at first, as if she were showing off for her teachers and classmates.
Akari was all for showing off when it looked cool, but certain people just came off as insecure. For example, a certain blonde Dream Artist to her right. But then Kalden had posed class discussion as a challenge, and everything changed.
“It’s not about them,” he told her one day. “It’s about you. If speaking up scares you—even a little—then it’s a chance to come out of your comfort zone. To improve in something besides Mana Arts.”
“Ah.” Nightfang pointed directly at her. “Miss Zeller?”
Akari cleared her throat. “Estrana’s peninsula protects the bay. So does another one in Koreldon. It’s the same reason we don’t get mana storms here.”
Nightfang nodded again as she paced in the front of the room. “Our city has some of the best geography for a coastal region. This also means we’d have plenty of warning. Enough time to bring in more Mystics and Grandmasters to defend the city.”
“What about the marks?” a boy named Brisco asked from the middle row. Akari hadn’t noticed until now, but he wore a glowing sigil on his forehead. It looked exactly like the marks she’d seen in Creta.
What the hell was that about? She’d seen these marks in Espiria, but never on KU’s campus. In fact, Brisco wasn’t the only person wearing one.
Nightfang considered that for several heartbeats as she paced. “Officially, the school has no stance on the marks. Things might change as we gather more data. Until then, we’re more concerned with science than politics.”
Akari grinned. Most of the pro-mark groups claimed to have science on their side, but Elend said that was bullshit. The group had already made up their mind, then they found a "scientific" narrative that fit with their conclusion. That was, in fact, the opposite of real science.
The fact that Nightfang called this a political debate showed exactly what she thought about that. Arturo must have agreed because he was nodding along.
Sadie spoke up again, “But Storm’s eye avoided Creta, and that nation enforces marks. He went straight from Kangavar to Vaslana.”
“That’s anecdotal evidence,” Nightfang said. “These storms have always been a force of chaos, and basic mana theory states that forces of chaos are attracted to forces of order. Creta is also the poorest nation in Cadria, with the weakest Mana Artists. And most of their population lives inland, closer to their western borders. Any of these factors could have played a role, or none at all. Regardless—”
“What about the research base in Vordica?” Sadie broke in. “That wasn’t filled with powerful Mana Artists. And no one there wore marks. I checked.”
“There were three Grandmasters at the research base,” Nightfang retorted with an amused smile. “That’s more than the entire nation of Creta. Next time, you might want to research your argument more thoroughly. Not just the parts that prove your own points.”
Okay, Nightfang was officially Akari’s favorite teacher now.
Another boy raised his hand. “If chaos is attracted to order, then why do most mana storms pass through Vordica?”
Nightfang turned her attention to the rest of the room. “I’ll let one of your peers answer that one. Should be easy enough.”
Akari raised her hand. “Path of least resistance. The other continents all have shield walls around their coasts. This builds up pressure, and the pressure gets pushed south through Vordia.” She actually hadn’t known that until recently, but she’d researched it after their field trip.
Nightfang nodded. “Regardless, we aren’t here to discuss large-scale battle tactics. This is Survival class. We’re here to adapt to this challenge and defend ourselves from it.”
A low murmur broke out among the crowd. Some whispered among themselves, while others threw their hands in the air.
Nightfang pretended not to notice. Instead, she spun back toward the large monitor behind her. The screen came to life, showing a full rendering of Storm’s Eye. The spirit looked exactly as it had in person, with the body of a serpent and the head of a dragon. And like Glim, its entire body was solid blue.
Despite the similarities, this rendering looked far less intimidating than it had in person. The real Storm’s Eye had felt infinite, blending in with the clouds and sky. The real Storm’s Eye also had a physical weight to its presence, but that was true for all high-level Mana Artists.
“How can we fight something like that?” a boy asked. He’d been in a different block last year, so Akari didn’t know his name.
Nightfang spun around to face him. “Who said anything about fighting it? I said I’d help you survive.” She began pacing down the center aisle. “We discussed high-level encounters last semester. Particularly when it comes to Masters or above. What’s the absolute worst thing you can do in this scenario?”
“Attack them first,” Arturo said.
“Can you elaborate for us, Mr. Kazalla?”
“It’s a war crime for Masters to attack Apprentices. But an Apprentice who attacks a Master first is fair game.”
“Correct. Anyone in range of another Master is also fair game. In other words, you should always keep your distance from high-level fights. Soldiers in the military don’t always have a choice. You do.”
Nightfang raised her remote, and the rendering of Storm’s Eye began shooting massive Missile techniques at some unseen target.
“These attacks have leveled entire city blocks,” she said. “Even a Grandmaster would be hard-pressed to survive them head-on.”
Akari had seen one of those attacks in person, and she knew that was no exaggeration. A single Missile had destroyed that base in Vordica, and everything within a half-mile around it.
“Now, you’re probably thinking, ‘Nightfang—what’s the point of all this? Sounds like we’re screwed no matter what we do.’”
A nervous chuckle broke out across the room. Aria glanced up from her tablet at the front, and she almost looked tempted to remove her headphones before her mother shot her a knowing look.
“And that’s true,” Nightfang said. “You won’t survive a direct hit from this guy, and nothing I teach you can change that. But as always, we focus on the variables we can control.”
The screen zoomed in on Storm’s Eye’s Missile, and a thousand small sparks flew off from the technique itself. The perspective zoomed closer until each spark materialized into a smaller mana spirit. Some were human-shaped, while others resembled animals. The class watched in silence while these smaller spirits went on to fight various groups of humans.
“We call them mana spawn,” Nightfang said. “Each one has the strength of an Apprentice or Artisan, depending on the size. They’re also as smart as a raptor, capable of unleashing their own techniques across the battlefield.”
The screen cycled through various animations, showing the mana spawn doing just that. Akari had caught glimpses of these things on the news, but nothing this detailed.
“Worst of all, they can change their shape at will—fitting through small spaces, or healing damage.”
More animations showed the spawn regrowing limbs and sliding under doors. Akari’s respect for Nightfang grew by the second, along with all the Mana Artists who’d fought these things on the front lines. Storm’s Eye had revealed itself less than a week ago, but they’d gathered an enormous amount of data in that time. What’s more, Nightfang had reworked her entire class to account for this.
Finally, a single spawn filled the screen, and the view switched to something resembling Silver Sight. This revealed a neural network in the spirit’s head.
“We thought these were dream techniques at first,” Nightfang said. “But the reality is far worse. Each spawn has a mind of its own, and they can linger for days, even after Storm’s Eye is long gone.”
Nightfang shot a glance at her daughter, ensuring she hadn’t removed her headphones. “The news focuses on the larger-scale attacks, but these spawn are even more dangerous. They’ve continued rampaging cities, even after the Mystics have driven Storm’s Eye away. A few have also made their way into the suburbs and countryside.”
Talek. A skilled Combat Artist could probably handle those, but ordinary people would be defenseless if one showed up in their home.
Nightfang paused the screen and faced the class. “Since the spawn are shapeshifters, there’s only one way to kill them.”
“Destroy their brains,” Akari muttered into the silence.
“Correct, Miss Zeller. And practice starts right now.”