Ember sat by the window, her chin resting on the palm of her hand. From her history class, she could see the back of the Academy, with its vast training fields. Another section trained in the use of weapons, wielding swords in repetitive exercises. Professor Minn's words came to her muffled, unable to penetrate the bubble of thought that surrounded her; it was just a monotonous voice, lost in the memory of last night.

The argument with Alpes was a nail in the wall of her mind, as were the questions about the mysterious Ysnian woman. But in truth, her mind was leading her back even more determinedly in an entirely different direction, to minor details that she could not shake.

Lightara's hand holding hers. The way their bodies moved together. Ember had been so clumsy, she remembered almost every little mistake she had made. Every time she had stepped on Lightara's toes. But the Sergeant had supported and guided her as if nothing had happened.

Something sharp stabbed her in the shoulder. Ember returned to the present and turned to face Ciel, who was poking her with the tip of a pencil. "Hey, you don't look like you care about the Battle of Kaddan," she said, lips curled into a mischievous grin.

Ember ran her hand down her neck, following the shape of the chain until she reached the flame-shaped pendant. "Um, no, I was distracted."

"I can see that." Ciel winked at her. Ember looked away, feeling her face burn.

It's not like she can read your mind, calm down.

From the desk behind her, Viola watched her with a raised eyebrow. She said nothing, and Ember shook her head, begging her not to speak; Ciel, however, pointed at Ember's red cheeks with a giggle.

If you get a shovel, you might be able to dig yourself a hole by the end of the day.

Viola leaned forward. "Stop being an ass and concentrate," she said to Ciel, who rolled her eyes at the ceiling. Viola reached over to the bench to slap her back. "If Ember wants to daydream about Sergeant, you have no right to tease her."

"Huh?"

Gotcha. Where could you find the shovel?

Ciel hid the laughter behind her hand, fingers doing the twirling of the pencil.

Professor Minn gave her a wry look from her desk. With her glasses perched on the tip of her nose and her hair in an elegant bob, she continued to speak without looking at the book in her hand. As if she knew it by heart. As if she were the book. "Valestria was dealt a heavy blow in Kaddan, but the large number of the Valestri Lines allowed to hold off the invaders until the army arrived."

Ember focused all her attention on her for the next few seconds. Professor Minn seemed a discordant note in the brooding of her thoughts, but she strove to keep her in the center.

At least until the professor buried her nose in her book again. Ember clenched her tongue between her teeth. Focus. But her hand still tingled, the memory of Lightara's fingers supporting her still fresh in her mind, the vulnerability on her face in the light of the street lamps.

A thud made her jump out of her chair. Professor Minn had slammed the book down on the desk. "Cadet Leroy, what do you think of the Battle of Kaddan? Can you give us your thoughts on it?"

In the storeroom. You will definitely find it in the storeroom, the shovel.

Ember gasped like a fish out of water for a few seconds.

What in the world had the Professor said? "Um, the battle was a... problem, because... we weren't..."

A frown of disappointment appeared on Professor Minn's face. Ember locked her feet behind the legs of the chair, desperately searching for an anchor.

"The Valestri Lines allowed for resistance to Ysnian magic." Viola's voice came to her in a whisper. Barely fighting the urge to turn away, Ember tried to parrot her words. "...But the battle sanctioned the first point of no return for magic."

She received a nod of agreement from the professor, who resumed the lesson as if nothing had happened.

Ember let out a sigh. She tore a sheet of paper from her sketchbook and drew a frightened, shaggy chick with blond hair and the words 'that was me, thanks for saving me'. She handed it to Viola, who giggled.

On the other side of the room, Mark and Jason were talking. Ember could feel their eyes on her, a weight she had learned to recognize over time. On this day, however, it tasted more bitter than usual.

Ignore them.

Just ignore them for now.

Ember scribbled something on the paper to distract herself. She should listen to the lesson, but she also knew there was no point in forcing herself. The graphite of the pencil created images on the white, small curtains of a giant foot kicking Mark and Jason's butts. Ciel glanced sideways and with a grin added a few stars for decoration.

With the class over, they all made their way down the hall. Ciel pulled Ember and Viola by the arm. "I'd kill for some food, wouldn't you?"

"You had breakfast a little over an hour ago," Viola pointed out.

"Yeah, so what?"

Ember opened her mouth to speak, to help Viola, but stopped short. There, at the far end of the hallway, a hand resting on his red hair, was Alpes. He was walking toward them. Toward her.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Ember ran her hand down her neck where it met the chain, and fear climbed over her like a vine.

He is coming for you. He wants to use you against Lightara.

You will be her downfall.

And the downfall of the kingdom.

"Hey, are you okay?" Viola barely nudged her shoulder to get her attention.

Ember stirred, but the creep kept rising, locking her muscles. "Huh? Um, y-yes."

Alpes interrupted them, stopping directly in front of them. A tall, imposing presence. Had he always been this tall?

He looked at them with a new and unusual determination. "Ember," he said, then corrected himself in a more serious tone, "Leroy."

Ember took a step back without noticing. She backed into Ciel, who put her hands on her shoulders. A comfort that was not enough to melt her fear. "Yes?"

"Come to my office. I need to speak with you about an important matter."

Before she could answer, Alpes started walking again. Stiffer than usual. He left her standing there, breathing heavily, hands clasped at her sides.

"What has Alpes done? I never thought I'd see him so upset," Ciel said.

Viola nodded while Ember kept her head down. "Excuse me," she muttered, and walked away with great strides.

✦⋆𓆩✧𓆪⋆✦

Outside it began to rain. A few large drops fell on the window behind the desk, dripping quietly. Alpes' study was overflowing with curious knickknacks: models of dragons and other mythological creatures, golden hourglasses, and sword-shaped paperweights lined the shelves. But under the gray light of an approaching rainy day, everything looked gloomy.

Ember felt almost watched. The open jaws of dragons greeted her from above, like so many small creatures ready to attack.

You should’ve called the Sergeant. You cannot face him alone.

But Ember had not wanted to ask Lightara for help. She had promised to help her, not be a burden to protect. It was time for her to face the situation on her own.

Alpes absentmindedly tugged at the lapels of his jacket and sat down behind the desk. Without his usual friendly smile, his face looked grim. Stern. He was almost a different person.

"Ember, about what happened yesterday," he began, pausing for a long sigh. "I understand that you hold Lightara in high esteem. But please don't let yourself get into dangerous situations."

Every one of Ember's internal alarms screamed and flashed red.

She twisted her fingers in her lap. "Is that a threat, Lieutenant?" Her voice trembled. She hated it with every fiber of her being.

"What? No, absolutely not. That's not my intention. I'm just trying to make you realize that you should be careful." Alpes settled better against the backrest. "This is not a game, Ember. And you should focus on your training, that's your priority."

Ember dug her nails into the palm of her hand. She made small white grooves and watched them in silence. She waited for the grooves to fade, but did not speak even then.

She had promised Lightara she wouldn't leave her.

Alpes seemed to take the hint, for he let out a weary sigh. "Look, I know what you're thinking. I know how it sounds. But Isme is no threat to Valestria or the Academy."

"Do you really think there is no traitor?" Ember interrupted him suddenly, her voice weak and her eyes still downcast.

"I don't know, Ember. But Isme and I certainly had nothing to do with it."

Hard to believe.

But Ember nodded, understanding. After all, Alpes was right about one thing: Lightara was easily lost in speculation without knowing the whole story. But Alpes' behavior certainly didn't help him look any less guilty.

She watched him pick up a colored paperweight to play with. She watched him think carefully about what words to say. He hesitated too much. He was nervous. "The way Lightara is using you is problematic, Ember. If I tell the Colonel about this, she could even face harsh punishment."

What did I say? He's using you against her. Far from helping her, you will ruin everything.

The Sergeant's half-smile returned to her mind's eye. Ember had promised that icy, lost look that she would stay by her side.

You only risk making things worse. Let it go.

No. You don't just run. You are fighting. Don't give up now.

She frowned and stood up. Her legs were shaking, her hands were frozen and sweaty at the same time. "I doubt the Colonel will think it's that important when I tell him you let a Ysnian woman in here at night."

Alpes blinked, his lips parted. The paperweight fell from his fingers and rolled across the desk. "You have no proof."

"But I would cast doubt."

"Really? Need I remind you how the Jason Oers thing turned out?"

A flash of lightning flashed past the window. In that fleeting moment, the vase of colorful flowers on the windowsill seemed to stretch. The stems appeared gray, the withered petals folded in on themselves as if in silent lament. A few moments later, thunder rumbled in the distance.

Ember pressed her hands against her pants, trying to stop them from shaking. "You are so afraid that you call me here. It's two against one, Lieutenant."

Alpes turned his attention to the paperweight lying upside down on the desk. He picked it up between his fingers and put it back in its place. When he was done, he shook his head as if not satisfied.

"Yes, you are becoming a real soldier." Those words hit her right in the heart. A strange tinge veiled his eyes, a combination of admiration and resignation. "You can go now. I won't mention this to the Colonel if you promise to do the same."

Had she won? For now, at least.

Ember felt the shaking finally stop. The tension let go of her, the crawl of fear dissipating one spiral at a time. "Of course," she murmured. That one word hung in the air as the rain fell harder against the window, making haunting music.

She left the office, footsteps echoing softly on the carpet. The door closed behind her, leaving Alpes and his threats on the other side, along with the rumble of thunder.

You made it.

A smile spread across her lips. Ember took the flame-shaped pendant between her fingers, still imagining Lightara's withered smile. Would she have been proud?

A movement, quick and fleeting, caught her attention. Ember tilted her head, sharpening her vision. She waited to make sure the shadow did not reappear. Her thoughts flew to Jason. What if he was the one eavesdropping?

You're just being paranoid.

Whoever it was was gone. The chances that he was just a passing cadet were high. Still, Ember struggled to ignore the way her heart was pounding in her chest.