“Turn around!” Akari shouted as their boat hit the waves. “We lost Kalden!”

“I know.” The Grandmaster’s breathing came out rough and ragged. His eyes were weary as he gazed at the sea ahead.

“Then turn around!” she repeated.

A brief silence followed as the waves smacked against their hull. “The Martials were right behind us,” Elend said through clenched teeth. “These cuffs were worse than I thought. I can’t—”

“Can’t, or won’t?” Akari broke in.

She understood the pain of these cuffs better than most. They’d brought her to tears several times in her training, and she’d failed to force any mana through. Not only had Elend fought through the pain, but he’d performed several amazing techniques. For Talek’s sake, they’d just flown through the mana wall on a freaking boat.

Akari cycled as she paced on the wooden deck. She’d felt like a caged animal this past hour, unable to fight or change the tide of the battle. The Grandmaster had taken charge the second she released him, and everything had passed in a blur.

She hadn’t complained before. Why would she? She was getting exactly what she’d always wanted—freedom, and a chance to advance.

But now Kalden was gone.

Elend gave her a serious look, gesturing a finger between them and Relia. “If I turn around, I’d risk all three of our lives.”

“You’d be an ice cube without Kalden,” Akari snapped back. “You owe him.”

“I did everything I could.” Elend kept his voice annoyingly calm. “I’ll permanently damage my soul if I push too hard. Then the tides will kill all three of us.”

Damnit. She wanted to call him a coward, but she couldn’t argue with his logic. She’d seen Elend struggling during that last fight. He’d nearly crashed the boat after they passed through the wall. He’d also dropped their shield too early, which was the whole reason Kalden got hit.

If Elend doubted his ability to keep them safe, then he was probably right.

Still . . . Akari glanced over her shoulder to see the retreating island. How could he give up so easily? Why weren’t they at least discussing their options?

“Maybe we don’t have to fight,” she said. “Maybe Kalden got away.”

“He took an ice blade to the shoulder,” Elend said with the same even voice. “It pierced his armor. Do you think Kalden would want us to die trying to save him?”

Kalden would tell them to keep running, no question about it. But he was also her friend—the best friend she’d ever had. What would he do if their places were reversed?

Akari turned to Relia, who lay strapped down on the larger seat. “Can you wake her up?”

“Probably,” Elend said. “But she’s in no state to fight. She used the rest of her mana healing herself, and that chamber damaged her channels. She’ll recover, but it will take a few days.”

“What about those fancy pills?”

Elend shook his head. “Her pills won’t solve this.”

Akari kept cycling. Her mana felt like it was bursting at the seams, and a part of her wanted to hurl a Missile over the water’s surface.

Kalden was right there on the beach, less than a quarter-mile from shore. This shouldn’t be so hard.

Akari finally gave in to her soul’s demands. She gathered the mana in her palm, then released it off the side of the boat. It parted the waves like a cannonball as it flew. No sooner had she released the mana than a sharp pain twisted in her chest. She grimaced, pressing a hand to her sternum.

Talek. What was this? It felt like her soul was being ripped apart from the inside.

Akari stopped cycling, and the pain faded to a dull ache.

But no . . . this wasn’t the sort of pain you avoided. This was a pain you faced—something you leaned into. Some pain caused permanent damage, but other pain made you stronger.

Akari started cycling again, and the sensation returned in full force. It felt like the first time she’d ever used her mana. Like taking a breath of air after drowning. Painful, but necessary.

She released more mana from her hands, and the pain reached a crescendo in her chest. It spread in waves through her arms and legs, and up into her face. Her vision went dark, and she tasted mana in the back of her throat. She collapsed on the deck, dizzy with a thousand sensations.

The Grandmaster stopped the boat, then he pivoted in his chair to face her.

Akari drew in several deep breaths. She must have lain there for a full minute before she found the strength to speak. “What the hell was that?”

His lip curled up at the edges. “That, my dear, is advancement.”

Akari’s vision blurred, then she saw a web of blinding light. Elend sat in the chair beside her, and mana glowed from the center of his chest. It twisted like a Missile with its infinitely complex patterns. His channels extended through his arms and legs, blocked by the collar and cuffs he wore. Smaller channels broke off from the larger ones, reaching every inch of his body.

She turned to Relia and saw a fainter glow, then she examined her own body to see something fainter still.

Could it be . . .

Akari focused her eyes again, and the world snapped back to her ordinary vision. She rolled up her sleeves and glanced down at her wrist.

50/50.

“Silver,” Akari said. “I’m Silver now.” Relia had been right before. That place was a prison, and all she had to do was leave. But now she had to go back. Elend and Relia might be drained, but they weren’t the only mana artists on this boat.

“Turn around,” she told him. “I’ll fight the Martials myself.”

Elend considered that for a moment. “I know you feel invincible right now, lass. Trust me, I’ve advanced five times. But you’ve been training for what—four months? That’s nothing in the grand scheme of things. We can come back for Kalden later. With a few years of training, you could be as strong as Relia.”

“If Kalden’s still alive when we get back.”

He’d aided the two biggest public enemies, and he’d helped them destroy half the Martials’ numbers in a single day. Even if they didn’t kill Kalden tonight, they would charge him with high treason. Even Golds could get the death penalty for that.

Besides, she and Kalden weren’t like other mana artists. Relia had said so that day in White Vale. They learned quicker, unlocking skills that should have taken months.

This felt right. She knew it in her heart, the same way she’d known to become a mana artist.

“This is what I want,” Akari said. “And I know the risks. Been fighting Golds my whole life.”

Elend steered the boat back toward the shore, but he didn’t accelerate. “There’s a field of knowledge mana surrounding this place. I didn’t notice it the first time, but I think it’s lowering our inhibitions. It made me surrender to the Martials, and it made Relia rush in to save me.”

Akari hesitated. Now that he mentioned it, she did feel different. More fearless than usual.

“It’s a subtle thing,” Elend said. “And you could choose to resist it if you wanted. I just thought you should know all the variables.”

“I still want to help Kalden,” she said.

Elend nodded. “I’ll wait for you as long as I can, but no promises.”

Her heart pounded as they neared the shore. Elend was right—she had felt invincible earlier. Now that feeling faded at the prospect of fighting so many Martials by herself.

The island drew closer, but there was no sign of civilization from this side. The mana wall stood over a hundred feet high from the interior, and its blue glow should have been visible for miles.

Here, she saw nothing but the starry night sky.

Akari checked her weapons and armor. She still wore her hoodie beneath her shadow jacket. That should stop at least one bullet or Missile—maybe more if she recharged it quick enough. As for weapons, she had the stolen Martial pistol, a portable shield Construct, and a ten-inch blade enhanced with metal mana. She’d tested all of those back on the helicopter, and they seemed to be in working order.

Finally, she pulled out the shadow artist’s headpiece and slipped it over her head. It clung tightly like a ski mask, pulling at her hair from half a dozen awkward angles. No wonder Viv had always worn her hair in a tight knot.

Her advancement also hadn’t fixed her eyesight, which meant the goggles pressed against her glasses. Oh well. She’d met enough near-sighted Silvers and Golds to know it wouldn’t be that easy.

“One more favor.” Akari gestured down at her black bodysuit “Can you charge this?”

Elend raised a silver eyebrow. “Why me?”

“It runs on some fancy light mana,” she said. “Your mana has some light in it, right? That’s how you make those illusions.”

He held up a finger from the steering wheel. “You don’t need light mana to craft illusions. You’re better off manipulating a person’s perceptions.”

“That wasn’t a no,” Akari said.

He shrugged, drawing his lips back in a thin line.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I know those cuffs suck, but this is pocket change for you.”

Another short pause as the island drew nearer. “This better be the last favor,” Elend said.

“Promise.”

He nodded, then held out his hand.

Akari stepped closer and offered her arm. They clasped wrists, and the Grandmaster sent a burst of power into the armor. He winced as the mana left his body, but it barely took him a full second.

“I’m no expert,” he said. “But I doubt that’ll last you more than thirty seconds. Better make it count.”

They reached the shore a minute later, and Elend pulled the boat into a rocky cove. Akari leapt out once they reached the shallows, then she headed inland to save her friend.

Four Martial soldiers scoured the beach ahead, examining the trail of disturbed sand between the forest and the sea. Silver badges gleamed on their vests, catching rays of moonlight as they walked. Some carried assault rifles, while others had Missile rods.

No Golds? Maybe they were all dead. Now, wouldn’t that be a treat? More likely, they were too scared to show their faces beyond the mana wall.

Akari licked her lips, considering her options. Gusts of salty wind blew in from the Inner Sea, shaking the trees beyond the dunes. Somehow, this felt more real than the wind she was used to. She hadn’t noticed it on the boat, but this was stronger—more tangible. The same way her dreams felt sharper than reality.

Her teachers had claimed the mana wall didn’t block small particles. But what if that was just another lie? What if she’d never felt real wind until tonight?

Focus.

She turned her gaze back to the trees, and she spotted more Martials hiding in the shadows.

Talek. This was a trap. They knew someone might come back for Kalden.

What would Kalden do if he were here? Probably something smart and strategic. But what? She obviously couldn’t fight those soldiers on the beach. Even with her sigils active, they would see her footprints in the sand. She might take one or two by surprise, but the rest would overwhelm her in seconds.

The forest it is, then.

She crawled along the dune, taking cover in the trees. She’d still have to fight the guys on the beach, but she’d deal with that problem later.

The trees glowed as she relaxed her vision, with rivers of blue light racing through their trunks and branches. Most plants didn’t have this much mana, but the trees were stronger out here by the sea. They had to be, or the tides would turn them to kindling. She ran a gloved hand across one trunk, and the bark felt more like stone than wood.

Akari kept walking until she spotted two human souls in the forest of light. She swallowed hard, then sent a pulse of mana into her armor. Her legs and boots vanished beneath her, revealing her own footprints in the soil. Her outstretched hands became blurry images of the forest beyond.

It wasn’t true invisibility, but it was still trippy as hell.

Alright, enough playing around. The clock was ticking in more ways than one. Akari charged the two soldiers, dodging trees as she ran.

Both men spun around with raised rifles. Too slow. Akari drew her blade, slashing in two quick arcs as she passed between them.

Her weapon bit the first man’s throat beneath his helmet, releasing a spray of blood. She followed through on the swing and plunged the blade into the second soldier’s windpipe.

Her advancement hadn’t strengthened her body, but she moved with more grace and agility than before. And when she slashed her blade, it felt like she’d been training for years.

Maybe she had been. What if those dreams were memories, and she’d taken a step closer to her old life?

Bullets rang against the trees as a third soldier charged in from the beach. Akari raised her palm and sent a Missile toward him.

Her opponent dodged left and kept firing. More bullets ricocheted off the trees, sending up chunks of the stone-like bark.

Akari ran serpentine, using the smaller trees for cover as she closed the distance. At the same time, she pulled back her Missile and struck the back of her opponent’s helmet. The impact sent him staggering into the undergrowth.

She seized the advantage, slashing her blade at the man’s face. He raised his rifle and blocked with his left forearm. Her weapon glanced off his armor, and he shoved her back.

The man swung his rifle again, but her armor refracted the light and threw off his aim by several inches. Akari moved as quick as a cat, circling around the man and burying her blade beneath his left arm. A scream escaped his mouth as he fell.

She pulled the blade free, and rivers of blood soaked the leather hilt. Akari fought down a wave of nausea as she adjusted her grip. She’d never considered herself squeamish, but . . . Talek. Why did it have to be so warm?

The Martial kept thrashing and swinging at the air in a blind rage. She grabbed his head with her left hand and slashed the blade across his throat.

And just like that, he stopped moving, collapsing on the ground like a fallen tree.

Her armor faded in the same moment, bringing her hands back into focus. That was thirty seconds? It felt more like five. She tore off the mask and gloves and tossed them aside. They would just slow her down without the sigils.

She was about to remove the jacket when she caught a blur of motion ahead. Three more Martials charged in from the beach. Their flashlights shone between the trees, casting long shadows on the forest floor.

Akari knelt by the nearest soldier and unsnapped the pocket of his vest. He had a frag grenade inside, just like the guards outside the prison. She searched the other men’s pockets and found a second one.

Kalden’s words came back to her as she worked. Four seconds after I pull the pin.

Akari pulled both pins, rolling the explosives into the undergrowth. The cluster of soldiers moved in, closing more distance with every heartbeat. Akari ran the other way.

Three . . .

Gunshots sounded behind her.

Akari ducked behind the nearest tree and unclipped the shield hilt from her belt. She pressed the button on the side, forming a circle of protection mana between herself and her attackers. Several bullets struck her shield, and the surface rippled like waves on water. Then she raised her right hand and hurled a Missile toward them.

Two.

The Martials raised Constructs of ice mana, clustering together in a tight group.

One.

The blasts shook the ground beneath her feet, mingled with the screams of dying Martials. Akari felt the impact in her bones, and she saw the clouds of dust and debris through her shield.

A fourth blast followed the three grenades. Something struck her shield, and the vibrations raced up her arm. Akari squinted her eyes through the ripples of blue mana. Several seconds passed, then she spotted a survivor in the smoke.

Two more bullets struck her shield, and the Construct flickered out. Akari scrambled for cover, but the next bullet slammed straight into her stomach. The impact forced the air from her lungs, and she doubled over on the forest floor.

Waves of pain ran through her body, from her stomach to her toes. She raised a shaking hand to her wound and found a hole in her jacket. Panic followed as she braced for blood. But when she unzipped the outer shell, she found her hoodie unbroken.

Thank Talek. This was the best ninety-nine coppernotes she’d ever spent.

Her enemy limped out of the smoke, still clutching his handgun.

Wounded, huh? She could work with that.

Akari sucked in a deep breath, releasing a Missile straight at the man’s right knee. He doubled over with a satisfying crack.

Akari grabbed her blade and forced herself back to her feet. Her stomach still felt like a pounded nail, but the pain was easier to ignore now.

Still kneeling on the ground, the man hurled a pair of ice Missiles toward her.

Akari threw a Missile of her own, moving it in a corkscrew pattern, knocking his attacks off course. Her mana struck the man in the face, shattering his visor and caving in his nose.

Shit. Had her mana gotten stronger, too?

Akari approached the man with her blade, prepared to put him out of his misery. Fortunately, his body went limp, and he didn’t move again.

Silence followed, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. The coppery scent of blood filled her nostrils, and she stared at the mess of bodies around her.

Akari hadn’t killed anyone back in the prison. Not even from the helicopter’s machine gun.

Now, she’d taken several lives in the span of a few moments. It wasn’t even an accident, or an act of self-defense. She’d chosen this. The thrill of battle had surged through her veins as she fought, reaching a crescendo with every kill.

Now, the flame had flickered out, replaced with more waves of nausea. For the first time, she understood Relia’s reluctance. Her soul felt stained in more ways than one—as if she’d lost a piece of herself she could never get back.

This had been the cost of saving Kalden’s life, and she didn’t regret it. That hardly made it better, though.

~~~

Akari crept deeper into the forest, following the trail of destruction left by their boat. Her route took her up the side of a rocky stone ridge—the same spot where Kalden had fallen less than twenty minutes before.

She’d removed the rest of her shadow armor and unzipped the front of her hoodie. Her mouth was dry, and her limbs felt like wrung-out rags. Even the rush of advancement had faded, and she felt like curling up into a ball and sleeping for the next two days.

Damnit, Kalden. Where are you?

She answered her own question when she reached the top of the ridge. Kalden lay in the dirt, bound with metal cuffs and cords of ice mana. Blood pooled out from his shoulder and leg.

“Who’s this?” a man’s voice said from the shadows. “The Bronze?”

Kalden rolled over, turning to face her. “Akari?” His eyes widened with shock. “Run! Get out of here!”

“She won’t get far.” Agent Frostblade stepped forward into the clearing. The man looked like an older version of Emberlyn, with the same high cheekbones and piercing violet eyes. He raised a glowing palm toward Akari, preparing to unleash his signature technique.

Akari dropped her blade and threw up her hands. “I surrender!”

The mana faded from Frostblade’s palm, and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Several heartbeats passed, then he pulled a pair of cuffs from his belt, tossing them toward her.

Akari caught them, never taking her eyes off her enemy.

“On your wrists,” he said.

She swallowed, considering her options one last time. If she wanted to fight him, then this was her last chance.

But no . . . she could never beat the Martial in a fair fight. Not only was he the better fighter, but his mana reserves were probably full. Meanwhile, she barely had enough juice left for one more Missile.

Akari pulled the cuffs apart and attached each one separately to her wrists. They were impedium like the ones she’d worn during her house arrest. Only these were solid metal without the cushioned interiors. She had to force herself to stop cycling before the pain hit her. Chills ran up her spine instead, along with memories of feeling weak and helpless.

Frostblade tossed her a second pair. “Ankles.”

Seriously? She was wearing boots, for Talek’s sake. She’d probably break her foot if she tried to shoot a Missile that way. Still, Akari complied, fastening each one in place.

Frostblade just stared at her as if she were a fascinating insect. “Where are the others?”

“Gone,” Akari said.

“Gone?” he raised an eyebrow.

“They left us behind when we fell out.”

“Then you’re useless to me,” Frostblade said after a short pause.

Funny how he waited until after she put the cuffs on. Bastard.

Akari tried to swallow in her barren throat. “How about a trade?”

“You have nothing I want.”

“Look at me.” She took a slow step forward. “Really look.”

The Martial relaxed his eyes, then they widened in pure shock. “Silver.”

He really hadn’t known? Emberlyn had claimed her father was obsessed with advancement, but she could have been wrong. Then again, if the Golds knew the secret, they would all be Apprentices by now.

Frostblade stepped forward, closing the distance in three long strides. Akari shuffled back until she hit the tree behind her.

“How?” He grabbed her by the arms and squeezed. “You were still a Bronze back in the prison.”

Akari held her tongue.

“I’ve been out here before.” His voice rose as he gestured to the surrounding forest. “I’ve been on the sea. Nothing has worked. What did Dawnfire tell you?”

He’d actually been out to sea? Maybe she had nothing to trade after all. But why had advancement worked for her and not for him?

Then again, Relia had called the first two advancements effortless, but the jump from Gold to Apprentice was supposedly more complicated. The Golds had come out here themselves, but they’d never tested it on the lower ranks.

If they had, then maybe they would have seen this prison for what it was.

“Let us go,” Akari said, “and I’ll tell you—”

“No. We’re not negotiating.”

Fine. Akari drew in a deep breath and began cycling her mana.

Frostblade’s palm glowed blue again. This time, he pointed it at Kalden. “Tell me what you know right now, or Trengsen dies. That’s the deal.”

Never hesitate, Jared had said. No warnings. No second chances. Frostblade said it himself: this wasn’t a negotiation, and it only ended one way. She’d known that from the second she’d stepped off the boat.

Akari cycled harder, and each iteration sent waves of pain up her arms and legs. She didn’t bother hiding it. Pain was expected when a man twice your size pinned you down.

Faster. She brought the currents back to her chest. For two months, this had been her only means of releasing her mana. It took more skill than an ordinary Missile, but she’d had nothing but time during her house arrest.

Akari pushed the Missile straight from her soul, releasing a burst of light from her chest. The technique struck Frostblade in his stomach, knocking him back into the dirt.

Never hesitate.

Frostblade fired his own Missile as he fell. Akari was quicker as she dodged to the side. She reached behind her back in the same moment, and retrieved the Martial handgun from its holster.

Akari squeezed the trigger. The gun recoiled, and the bullet took Frostblade in the jaw.