《Duelcrest Academy》


 Prologue

    Deep down, I knew it would end like this.


    She and I.


    For one last time.


    The slender black haired girl in front of me flashed a bitter smile as she unsheathed her sword.


    To think that not long ago we couldn''t even stand each other.


    Maybe it would have been better if things had stayed that way.


    At least now it wouldn''t hurt so much.


    I drew my magic wand, praying that something, anything, would come to end this moment.


    But no one would come to save us.


    Inexorably, that strange voice we had come to know ended its countdown.


    Our final duel had begun.


    My opponent immediately lunged at me with superhuman speed.


    For a moment, I remembered the first time I had seen her fight. Her fighting style akin to a lethal dance fascinated me since then.


    With time seeming to slow down, a thought flashed in my mind:


    "Perhaps letting myself be pierced by her blade is the best thing after all."


    But... I couldn''t do it.


    At the last moment, the fear of death prevailed.


    I recited a magic spell.


    But it was too late.


    That moment of hesitation would cost me the duel and my life.


    I squeezed my eyelids shut, waiting for the inevitable.


    But the pain did not come.


    I opened my eyes.


    My opponent was in front of me, very close. Her blade was suspended above my shoulder, as if she were a queen dubbing me her knight.


    She had missed me on purpose.


    I lowered my gaze. A gaping hole, several centimeters wide, caused by my spell, marred her chest.


    ?Y-you... I-I didn''t...? I stammered.


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    Her gentle hand brushed my cheek, wiping away the tears that had begun to flow down my face.


    ?I''m sorry, it was the only way. I knew you would never strike me otherwis-?


    Her voice was interrupted by a fit of coughing, and her body seemed to lose all its strength.


    I caught her in my arms before she fell.


    The blood she had coughed stained my uniform.


    ?What have I done...?


    The girl weakly smiled at me.


    ?You finally defeated me. I''m glad I only lost to you in the end.?


    ?No, no, no, don''t say that, please! I didn''t want to... You can''t do this to me...?I whimpered.


    ?Then maybe you shouldn''t have put a hole in my stomach, don''t you think??


    Even at the very end, she wouldn''t stop teasing me.


    ?Since we set foot in this school, it was destined to end like this. But it''s okay. If we hadn''t come here, we would never have become friends. And I-I wouldn''t have...? new fits of coughing interrupted her.


    ?Stop talking! Try to conserve your strength, maybe...?


    But her hand grabbed my wrist tightly, using what were her last energies.


    Her sharp green eyes locked onto mine.


    ?Stop running away from reality! You have to be strong now. Promise me you''ll make those bastards who did this to us pay.?


    I sniffed. She was right.


    ?I-I promise. I''ll avenge you.?


    ?That''s the way, now I recognize you. Never change. Or when you die too and we meet again, I''ll make you pay for it.?


    It was just like her to leave me with those last words.


    With my heart shattered but a smile on my face, I gently laid her down on the ground.


    ?I''ll never forget you.?

 1. A photo and a letter

    His cold black eyes, like a winter night.


    His shining raven hair.


    His broad shoulders, his strong features that resembled more a powerful warrior than a wizard.


    I sighed for what must have been the hundredth time, admiring the photo of Sir Aldric, my idol.


    Of humble origins, people said that he was the only wizard to have successfully completed the final exam of Duelcrest, the Royal Academy of Magic .


    Just two years after graduation, Aldric had embarked with the kingdom''s finest warriors on a campaign to defeat the Demon King, whose forces had long threatened our reign''s western borders.


    According to reports, the young wizard had personally defeated the King with a single spell.


    Since then, in these times of peace, he had become a true celebrity with thousands of admirers.


    I was one of them.


    I wasn''t one of those who dreamed of nothing but marrying him though (although maybe I wouldn''t have minded...).


    He just was the wizard I looked up to the most. In a society where nobility looked down on simple citizens like me, he had shown that social status was irrelevant when it came to magical power.


    My bookshelf was full of books and magazines about him, his portraits adorned the walls of my room, and I had that photo, my most prized treasure.


    It was a perfect reproduction of his appearance, the result of a recently invented spell. I had saved for months to afford one!


    "And now, perhaps I''ll have the opportunity to meet him!" I thought, shifting my gaze to the letter, resting on the desk next to the photograph.


    I had read and reread that missive dozens of times since it had arrived, about a month ago. The first time I opened it, I almost fainted.


    "Might as well take one last look, just to make sure it''s not all a beautiful dream."


    I opened the envelope, separating the two parts of the wax seal, which depicted two crossed swords with a magic wand in the center.


    "Dear Miss Elizabeth Belvoir,


    It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to attend Duelcrest, the Royal Academy of Magic. By royal mandate, once selected, attendance is mandatory. The duration of your stay will be of a maximum of two years and will begin on the first day of September. Make sure by then to have a functional wand and a sword, or another white weapon of your choice, in good conditions. Also, make sure to bring clothing and other personal effects that you deem necessary for a serene stay at our school.


    It is strongly advised that you do not communicate the contents of this letter to anyone, except your parents.


    On the designated day, an official will come to your residence to accompany you to your destination.


    The Headmaster, Professor Evander Skylark."


    Below was printed the royal seal to confirm the authenticity of the letter. That symbol was enchanted with a powerful spell that made it irreproducible except by officials who had received the right directly from the sovereign.


    And it was a good thing that it was there.


    Otherwise, I would have probably thought that it was all some kind of elaborate joke.


    Those peculiar instructions had initially raised more than one doubt in me.


    What did they mean by a maximum of two years?


    But after thinking about it for a while, maybe they weren''t so strange after all.


    Duelcrest Academy was shrouded in mystery, to the extent that many doubted its existence. Aldric was the only person known to have attended it and was the only one to have obtained the diploma. I was almost certain that all the other failed students had undergone a memory-wipe spell, otherwise a lot more would''ve been known about it.


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    There was a good possibility that the spells taught in the school were extremely dangerous, and those who couldn''t complete their studies weren''t considered worthy of using them.


    On the other hand, maybe it was for better that a spell capable of defeating the Demon King in one blow wasn''t circulating among the wide population.


    There were probably conditions under which one could fail even before the end of the course, so in the letter, it said a maximum of two years.


    "But I won''t fail!" I hyped myself up.


    The idea that only one student had successfully completed the two years wasn''t very encouraging. But the prospect that if I succeeded, I would surely have the opportunity to meet sir Aldric, filled me with conviction.


    I grabbed the letter and the photo, and gently tucked them into the suitcase resting beside the bed.


    I had finished filling it with all my belongings the night before.


    It was 8 in the morning, today was the designated day for the start of the school year. The letter didn''t specify the time, so I had woken up at 6.


    Not that I had slept a much...


    "Now, one last touch."


    I made sure that my wand was in the holster secured to the right side of my belt. Then I grabbed the sword I had bought a few days before and fastened its sheath to the left.


    "I hope they''ll teach me how to use it."


    If there was one thing that could make me fail, it was surely my skill with the sword.


    So far, I had relied on my great aptitude for magic and had never felt the need to learn to fight with a weapon.


    I turned to the mirror to make sure I looked presentable. They hadn''t sent me a uniform, so I wore the gray, anonymous one from my old school. It certainly wasn''t at the level of a royal academy, probably full of nobles.


    Except for rare cases like Sir Aldric, magical power and blue blood usually went hand in hand. Like him, I hoped to be the exception that proved the rule.


    My parents were simple merchants. Nevertheless, since childhood, I had shown a great propensity for magic, also aided by impressive levels of mana .


    "I hope they won''t make fun of me," I thought, smoothing out the wrinkled skirt and straightening the bow attached to my blonde hair.


    It was better to wait in the kitchen, otherwise, the anxiety would devour me.


    I went down the stairs and crossed the house immersed in silence.


    My parents weren''t here.


    Maybe it was better that way, my mom would only make things worse. The night before, when she and dad left for the capital with the cart loaded with goods, she had shed quite a few tears.


    Deep down, I understood her. I had never left our small town on the border of the realm. But that was also why, in addition to anxiety, I couldn''t contain my excitement.


    I sat in the kitchen and lit a candle. My gaze got lost in its flickering flame, with a thousand thoughts and worries swirling in my head. It was only when I heard a knock on the door that I snapped out of that trance-like state. I had lost track of time, maybe I had even fallen asleep.


    I jumped up, smoothed my skirt once again, and headed towards the entrance.


    I opened the door. In front of me stood an imposing bearded man, probably in his forties. He wore a black and white uniform, with the same emblem printed on his chest as the wax seal that sealed the letter.


    ?Miss Belvoir, I assume?? he asked, staring at me with a serious expression.


    ?Y-yes, it''s me,? I replied, my voice trembling slightly.


    I didn''t know why, but that man made me a little uneasy.


    ?Very well,? and he offered me a gloved hand.


    ?Nice to me-? I started, reaching out to shake it.


    But the man didn''t return the handshake. Before I realized it, his hand grabbed my wrist, closing it in an iron grip.


    ?B-but wh-?


    Before I could finish the sentence, a strange sense of numbness seized my body, and the world suddenly turned black.

 2. An unexpected meeting

    After what seemed an instant, a blinding light bursted into the darkness that had enveloped me.


    However, I had no idea how much time had truly passed. For all I knew, I could have blacked out for a few hours.


    As my eyes adjusted to the daylight, I tried to make sense of what had just happened.


    I had opened the door to the official who was supposed to escort me to the Academy. After grabbing my wrist, he mostly likely had hit me with a spell to make me faint.


    I guess it could make sense. If the location of the Academy was top secret, it was understandable that they would want to keep the route to get there hidden.


    "Surely he could have been a bit more delicate though," I thought, massaging my still sore wrist.


    My theory was confirmed when I finally managed to fully open my eyes and take a look at where I was.


    This place definitely wasn''t my house''s doorstep.


    Around me stretched a large, well-kept green lawn. A pathway made of stone tiles divided it in half and led to a majestic white marble building. Four mighty white columns supported the entrance, where stood a grand iron gate. Below two huge door knockers were two emblems. There was no doubt, it was Duelcrest Academy''s crest.


    At first glance it seemed that the school was divided into two separate wings, respectively to the east and west of the entrance. Counting the windows, I assumed there were at least three floors.


    Such a large and flashy building would hardly go unnoticed if it were near a city.


    But if it were in the middle of nowhere, it would still stand out.


    "How long was I unconscious?"


    One thing was certain, that place was not near my town. We must have traveled a long distance.


    But there was something that didn''t add up.


    If I had really fainted, why had I woken up standing?


    Looking around, I quickly got an answer to my question.


    Distracted by the sight of the Academy, I hadn''t noticed that I wasn''t the only person on this lawn. Around me, numerous other kids dangled, with the same confused and astonished expression that I probably had on my face a few seconds ago. At regular intervals, new students appeared out of nowhere with a small pop.


    "Teleportation magic?!"


    If the spells they were teaching here were at this level, of course they wanted to keep everything hidden...


    Gradually, a varied crowd of young people my age began to form. I could recognize the elegant uniforms of renowned schools from the capital and the more modest ones from schools in nearby cities.


    It just so happened that I was an expert on school uniforms.


    For a while, I had toyed with the idea of running away from my little town to study in some big city. So I had done thorough research on the most famous schools. Among the various parameters I had considered, there was also the appearance of the uniforms. Even the eye wants its part after all.


    In the end, however, I had to continue studying at my local school, since my parents couldn''t afford to send me elsewhere.


    "But now I''m here. I hope the uniform is nice!"


    I continued to observe my future classmates. I noticed that some were not wearing a uniform, but luxurious and elegant clothes.


    "Nobles."


    Despite the general population''s opinion, I didn''t feel particular hostility towards the noble class.


    Unfortunately, the same could not be said for what the average noble felt towards us common citizens.


    I strongly hoped that our school life would not turn into a class struggle, as often happened in schools in the capital, from what I had heard.


    Certain nobles wanted magic to be their prerogative and wished that the most prestigious magic schools wouldn''t allow access to commoners.


    I was immersed in these thoughts when I heard a familiar voice exclaim:


    ?Lizzie!??


    There was only one person who would call me by that obnoxious nickname.


    Before I could even turn around, I was engulfed in a rib-crushing hug.


    ?Lizzie, I knew I would find you here!?


    ?Amy??


    It was her. That short girl, with a bob of brown hair and a sweet smile veiled by round glasses, was Amy Thomson, my classmate for the past five years. Among my old classmates, she was the only one I could still consider a friend.


    My hot-headedness and impulsiveness often made me unpleasant to my peers. Amy didn''t seem to mind though. She managed to stifle my fiery nature with her good character.


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    On my part, I found her a bit too affectionate and oblivious to my personal space, but I had learned to tolerate her as she did with me.


    ?Yes!! It''s me. Sorry, I didn''t tell you I had been selected! The letter said to keep it secret. But I was sure I would find you here! You''ve always been a genius, if they accepted me it was impossible for them not to take you! Did a giant man come to get you too? When he grabbed me, everything went dark. I was very scared and...?


    She almost drowned me with a river of words.


    But what she said made me think.


    Unlike her, I didn''t expect at all to find Amy here. She was a very nice girl and worked hard, but her magical abilities were nothing exceptional. If this was really such a prestigious and elitist school, I couldn''t understand why Amy had been selected.


    "Probably there are other selection criteria besides magic ability..."


    However, I was still happy to have Amy with me. Without her, I would probably have struggled to make friends. Sociable as she was, she could help me get to know the other students. As long as I could keep my temper in check...


    ?...I hope we''ll have fun together! Remember, you''ll have to help me study, okay!? Ohhh, look, the door is opening!?


    These last words brought me back to earth.


    Without emitting even a creak, the doors of the Academy slowly swung open.


    From the school emerged a figure.


    He was an older man, you could tell by his gray hair and the wrinkles that lined his face. However, his determined gait betrayed no trace of old age or tiredness.


    He wore a formal gray suit with a tie, had a square haircut, and sported an impeccably groomed mustache.


    With that appearance, he wouldn''t have looked out of place behind a government office desk, busy signing papers.


    He didn''t have the mystical appearance I would have expected from a professor at the most important magic school in the kingdom.


    But appearances, as they say, could be deceiving.


    The man addressed us students with a clear and firm voice:


    ?Welcome, welcome. I, Evander Skylark, as your headmaster, have the pleasure of welcoming you to Duelcrest, the Royal Academy of Magic. This will be your home for the next two years.?


    His lips curled into a smile. But I noticed that this didn''t affect his icy blue eyes.


    "Perhaps he''s not very enthusiastic about us new students."


    After all, after having Sir Aldric as a student...


    Professor Skylark resumed speaking:


    ?First of all, allow me to offer you my apologies for the abrupt journey you have faced. The location of the Academy must remain secret to the public and we could not allow anyone to become aware of it. Teleporting you was the only way.?


    ?Do not worry,? he continued, ?Your belongings have also been transported here. They are waiting for you in your rooms, which you will visit later.?


    I hadn''t even thought about it, but judging by the sighs of relief from some students next to me, someone was worried that their suitcases had been left at home. After all, living for 2 years with just a change of clothes would not be ideal. It didn''t seem like there were any shops nearby.


    From what I could see in the distance, beyond the mighty black iron gates, the Academy was surrounded by a dense forest.


    ?Well, it''s time, without delay, for your first lesson. But first, this requires...? the old professor clapped his hands.


    I felt a breeze pass through me and lowering my gaze, I saw stunned that I was no longer wearing my old gray uniform.


    I was wearing a new one. On me I had a white blouse with a fancy look, closed at the neck by a black tie adorned with golden lines. Below, a black corset hugged my waist, closed by golden buttons. To complete the outfit, I had a fluttering black skirt, black stockings that reached above the knees and two leather boots.


    ?Cute!? I exclaimed.


    ?It''s super fancy!? Amy echoed.


    We weren''t used to clothes of that quality.


    The headmaster waited for the chatter caused by the change of clothes to die down.


    ?Well, now you look appropriate. Don''t worry, the clothes you were wearing are also waiting for you in your rooms. Now, please follow me...?


    The headmaster turned around and walked inside the academy. After a moment of hesitation, my classmates and I followed him.

 3. The first lecture

    Upon crossing the entrance gate, we found ourselves in a large hall lit by torches. A grand marble staircase led to the upper floors. Two guards armed with halberds were stationed on both sides of the staircase, at attention.


    Unfortunately, this wasn''t the time to explore.


    We hurried after the Headmaster, towards the east wing of the building.


    A long corridor awaited us, decorated with numerous paintings depicting members of the royal family, armour, and display cases filled with weapons and strange magical contraptions.


    The old professor opened the first door to the left and entered the room.


    Following him, I saw that we were being led into a large auditorium. Three large chalkboards occupied the wall near a large wooden lectern.


    We students made our way to the many seats.


    Amy and I climbed to the top rows.


    From there I could see that the right wall was illuminated by a strange spell, the purpose of which eluded me, as the room was lit by a large chandelier hovering above our heads.


    After waiting for everyone to be seated, Professor Skylark cleared his throat and began to speak.


    ?As Headmaster, I am not normally responsible for your lectures. But for today, I thought it would be useful to give you a personal introduction to the inner workings of the Academy,? the old wizard explained, his eyes sweeping through the crowd of students.


    ?I will put it to you very simply. You students are here for one reason and one reason only: to find the new Sir Aldric. In other words, among you sits the most powerful wizard of your generation, and our goal is to find out who they are. That is the ultimate purpose of the Academy.?


    An excited buzz spread among the students.


    One of us will become a wizard as powerful as Sir Aldric. It seemed impossible but... it HAD to be me.


    ?To this end, the Academy is structured to test you, to hone your skills, so that one of you can reach that level. Forget long, boring exams and evenings spent with books.?


    An even more enthusiastic buzz spread among the students.


    ?You heard me,? said the Headmaster with a smirk, but immediately turned serious again, ?But don''t expect it to be a walk in the park.?


    ?Tell me, do you know anyone who has completed their studies at our school??


    ?Exactly!? he exclaimed, nodding, without even waiting for us to respond.


    ?Only Sir Aldric,? he paused for a moment before continuing, ?this is because only one person can successfully complete our course.?


    Looking at our faces, which had lost all traces of enthusiasm, he continued:


    ?Each week, unfortunately, one of you will have to leave us. This will continue until there is only one wizard left. A wizard of the same level as Aldric or, why not, even greater.?


    Something like that... I didn''t think I''d ever reach his level. But to be the best among my peers... I could do it, no, I had to do it!


    ?Now you may be asking yourself, how will we assess you? As I have already told you, we do not value tests or exams at this Academy. No, we are looking for someone who excels in the practical side of magic. As the name of the Academy suggests, you will be judged solely on your ability to duel. Whoever manages to crush the competition with their fighting skills will be the winner!?


    This statement seemed to slightly revive the class''s mood.


    As hard as it was going to be, our stay at the school was certainly not going to be boring. Focusing on magical duels sounded much more appealing than hunching over spell books.


    The Headmaster continued:


    ?For this reason, we have established a set of rules to create a ranking. At the end of the week, the bottom of the class will be eliminated.?


    As he said this, he gestured towards the strange luminous wall. Most likely, it was there that the students'' ranks would be visible to the whole class.


    ?I have provided, in the pocket of your uniform, a list of the Academy''s rules,? explained Professor Skylark, ?BBut I will try to summarise the most important ones for you. Each of you can challenge one of your classmates to a duel. You cannot challenge the same classmate more than once a day. We don''t want you to try to challenge your friends too often and distort the ranking,? he said with a cunning expression, ?if your opponent decides to accept, the duel will begin in a few seconds. The winner receives two points and the loser loses two points. We have decided to allow you to decline a duel if, for example, you are not feeling well. However, accepting is strongly encouraged. Therefore, the person who declines a duel will lose two points and the challenger will gain one point.?


    ?It makes sense. If there were no penalties, a person would only accept duels they are sure to win,? I whispered to Amy, who looked a bit confused.


    ?That''s pretty much it,? concluded Skylark, ?Challenge each other, win duels, and don''t decline too many challenges to climb the ranking. Other than that, in the manual, you''ll find some common-sense rules. For example, any act of violence between students outside of duels is strictly prohibited. Or the fact that the duel ends if one of the parties is unable to fight or accepts the surrender of the other,? he seemed to conclude.


    But with a smirk under his mustache, he added, ?Oh, I almost forgot. This year we decided to add a new rule to make things more interesting.?


    "That doesn''t sound good."


    ?Dueling for points can get boring in the long run. Especially if you''re at the top of the leaderboard and don''t risk saying your goodbyes at the end of the week,? he said as if he was remembering something.


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    It probably had happened in the past.


    ?That''s why we thought of adding another incentive to duels,? he continued, ?If you challenge one of your classmates, you''ll also be able to wager on the duel. Think of it as a bet. The loser pays. If you win, you can ask your opponent for an object, such as their jacket, or an action, such as making them carry your bag for a week...?


    "I doubt it will stop at such innocuous things."


    I was well aware of the cruelty that kids my age were capable of. In my mind I could already imagine some very unpleasant scenarios.


    ?However, be careful,? Skylark warned us as if he had read my mind, ?nNo unreasonable requests. As you can read in the rules, our duels are overseen by an impartial magical judge, conjured by a powerful spell. If the judge deems your request unreasonable, the duel will be cancelled and you will lose two points. In addition, the person you are challenging will make a request of their own after accepting yours. If you make mean demands, be prepared to receive some in return.?


    Despite these words, I couldn''t help thinking that my school life would be anything but peaceful.


    <hr>


    ?Well, let''s get down to business,? said the Headmaster, after giving us a few minutes to absorb what had been said so far.


    He pulled out his wand from inside the jacket and waved it in the air.


    The classroom door swung open, and a strange glass sphere made its entrance.


    Inside of it shone a faint bluish light


    I recolled seeing something similar on the cabinet in front of the class.


    The old professor grabbed it and delicately placed it on the lectern, where it remained still, without rolling away.


    ?The first question to ask yourself when you feel like dueling is: who do I want to challenge? As you''ve just arrived, you have no idea of your classmates'' abilities. To help you, I thought I would create a preliminary ranking,? said the headmaster, ?however, assessing your abilities would take time, which is better spent constructively. So we''re going to use a much quicker, albeit very crude, method. We''ll rank you according to your mana level. It''s an objective measure that will give you an idea of your opponent''s magical potential and allow you to fight balanced duels.,? he explained.


    "Balanced duels my ass..."


    I could only see one way this could go: those with low levels of magical power would become easy targets for the stronger students.


    "And he knows it well.."


    I hadn''t quite figured out Professor Skylark just yet, but he was certainly not stupid.


    Was that his intention?


    After all, if one sought the most powerful wizard, it made sense to follow the law of the jungle.


    The weak would succumb first.


    But then, what was the point of inviting them to the Academy? Something didn''t add up, I had already realized it when I saw Amy here.


    ?Now, when I call your name, come to the lectern and place both hands on the sphere. You won''t have to do anything else.?


    So the professor began his roll call. The first student, a tall boy called John Aberich, approached after hearing his name.


    After grabbing the sphere, the light inside it increased in intensity before returning to its original state.


    Glancing around, I saw Aberich''s name appear on the right wall of the classroom with the number 0 next to it.


    Other students followed. The sphere reacted differently, emitting a stronger or weaker light. In some cases, it illuminated the front of the class, while in others, it barely changed.


    After completing the test, the names of the students were added to the ranking, changing their positions. Everyone had a score of 0.


    "Mana doesn''t give points. It''s just a provisional ranking after all," I thought.


    After a few students, it was my turn.


    ?Elizabeth Belvoir,? called the Headmaster


    I stood up and made my way to the lectern absentmindedly.


    I just had an idea.


    I would soon have to fight my classmates. Keeping my abilities hidden could''ve been an advantage.


    From what I had been told as a child, I had a mana reserve that was definitely out of the ordinary. If I could keep it hidden from my classmates, maybe I could gather some easy points.


    "It shouldn''t be impossible to hide the extent of my magical power."


    As it happened, I had excellent control over my mana as well as the quantity.


    As I reached for the orb, I concentrated. I imagined a barrier forming in the depths of my mind. Imagination was the most important principle in mana control.


    "This is going to work!" I thought as I grabbed the sphere.


    Suddenly, I felt as if my entire being was being sucked into that glass ball. The barrier I had erected to hide a fraction of my mana instantly shattered.


    A flash of light burst in front of me, blinding me.


    The nun who had measured my mana when I was a child wasn''t kidding...


    After regaining my sight, I thought I saw a smirk of mockery cross Professor Skylark''s face, but it was only for a moment.


    "I didn''t imagine it, he knows what I was trying to do, that old man!" I thought, turning on my heels to return to my seat.


    And that''s when I realized that the eyes of the whole class were fixed on me.


    "Mission failed," I thought as I climbed the stairs, "I hope someone with more mana than me goes to the lectern quickly, maybe they''ll forget about me."


    I couldn''t help but laugh nervously as Amy told me how she had always known I was special.


    After all the students had finished, the first name displayed on the scoreboard read:


    Elizabeth Belvoir.

 4. A sharp blade

    ?Now that we''re done with the boring part, I think it would be a nice idea to have a demonstration duel. Any volunteers??


    The tension in the classroom rose palpably. The competition to become the strongest mage in the kingdom would begin with that duel.


    I didn''t even have time to think about whether to volunteer or not when a boy a few rows ahead of me stood up with his hand raised, exclaiming:


    ?Me! Mr. Principal.?


    ?Ah! And you are, sir??


    The boy replied in a tone that seemed vaguely annoyed:


    ?Frank Montague, sir, I''m the son of Count Ferdinand Montag-?


    ?Very well, Mr. Montague,? Skylark interrupted him, ?do you already have an idea of who you want to challenge??


    ?I want to challenge Sophia Thornton,? said Montague, reading the name from the right wall.


    "Predictable."


    The name he had read belonged to the person at the bottom of the ranking, essentially the one with the least magical power in the class.


    "It''s going to be like I thought it would be from the beginning, huh?" I thought.


    ?Perfect,? said the principal in a neutral tone, ?Miss Thornton, could you please stand up??


    I heard someone move behind me. From the last row, without saying a word, a slender girl with black hair stood up. Her sharp green eyes betrayed a slightly annoyed expression, as if this situation were a nuisance.


    I had already noticed that girl. When she had grabbed the glass sphere, the light barely moved. Probably the bench she had been sitting on a moment before had her same mana level.


    "What are people like her doing at the Academy?" I wondered for the umpteenth time.


    ?Mr. Montague, do you want to put any conditions for the duel?? asked the Headmaster.


    ?Of course,? the boy replied promptly, ?If I win, I want Miss Thornton to challenge me to a duel every day for a week.?


    "The nobleman isn''t stupid."


    This would give him an extra 14 points for the week. But the girl could simply refuse.


    Surprisingly, Sophia replied, ?I accept the duel.?


    "She''s either an idiot or has an ace up her sleeve."


    ?What are your conditions, Miss?? asked the professor.


    ?I want Montague to give me half of his lunch for a week,? she replied with a bored tone.


    "Okay, she''s just an idiot."


    Most of the class burst into laughter.


    ?I accept,? replied Frank Montague, gritting his teeth.


    ?Great, come up here in front of the class,? ordered Skylark.


    When the two approached the lectern, a strange glowing dome began to form around them.


    ?It''s a magical barrier,? explained Skylark, ?inside it, you can use the most powerful spells at your disposal without fear of hurting the spectators or damaging the classroom.?


    ?Oh, and don''t worry about destroying the floors or anything like that,? he added, ?all objects within the barrier will be regenerated at the end of the duel.?


    After the old professor''s words, a metallic voice suddenly echoed in the class. It came from the barrier.


    ?Prepare for the duel!? it resounded loudly and clearly.


    The black-haired girl did not draw her wand. With an elegant movement, she unsheathed her sword. It was a thin blade, decorated with strange engravings. It didn''t look like a weapon for combat, but rather an object to be displayed in a cabinet.


    After seeing it, the blond nobleman burst into laughter.


    ?Hahaha, you''re not taking this duel seriously at all, are you?? he commented.


    He also drew his sword. It was a one-and-a-half-handed sword, with a large handle decorated in gold.


    He probably would have broken Sophia Thornton''s sword like a toothpick.


    With his left hand, Montague drew his wand and exclaimed, ?Strength!?


    A golden aura surrounded him. A buffing spell.


    ?Why not? Let''s play a little!? he said mockingly.


    "Big shot," I thought sarcastically.


    If he had focused on spells, he would have won one for sure. He was giving her a chance.


    Unfortunately, though, I didn''t think there would be much of a chance for the girl to win. Looking at that weapon and the well-trained muscles of the boy, he would probably win in a few instants.


    After all, nobles usually received sword lessons from a very young age.


    The voice began a countdown.


    ?10... 9...?


    I watched Sophia. She didn''t seem intimidated. On the contrary, she smiled. Maybe...


    ?3... 2... 1!?


    With superhuman swiftness, Montague lunged toward his opponent. The enhancement spell he had cast seemed to have strengthened the muscles in his legs.


    ?Perhaps one blow will be enough,? I thought as Montague''s strike was about to descend upon Sophia.


    For a moment, it seemed it would end just like that.


    However, the girl was still standing.


    The blow must have missed by mere inches.


    Montague continued the assault. One, two, three strikes...


    All in vain.


    With a slight step to the left, Sophia dodged the fourth strike, which landed on the ground.


    "Now! Hit him!"


    But the girl merely pricked Montague''s leg, causing a small cut.


    With a grunt, the boy raised his sword and resumed attacking.


    A few minutes later, the scene before me was very different from what I would have expected at the beginning of the duel.


    Montague was panting, leaning on his sword, thrust into the wooden floor for support, his uniform torn in several places, and his body covered in small cuts


    Sophia Thornton, who looked like someone who had just taken a leisurely walk in the woods, stood before him, completely unscathed.


    It was like watching a predator toying with its prey.


    Every single one of Montague''s attacks was dodged with graceful movements, to which the girl responded with agile thrusts and strikes, never delivering the finishing blow.


    "She wants to prove something... Perhaps that she''s not someone to be trifled with."


    Montague''s smug smile had disappeared.


    In its place was a pained expression betraying great frustration.


    ?You... Why don''t you attack me?? he asked, panting.


    ?Did you say something? I thought I heard an annoying buzz,? Sophia replied mockingly.


    I expected an angry or offended response from the nobleman, but I saw that while the girl was responding, he had pulled out his wand and whispered a few words.


    All it took was a moment.


    A flash, and Montague grabbed the sword with both hands and, like lightning, rushed toward Sophia.


    He had distracted the girl with that question and used a spell to further enhance his speed. That boy was underhanded.


    ?Watch out!?


    A cry escaped my mouth as the rest of the class held their breath.


    From that distance, Sophia wouldn''t be able to dodge.


    Parrying was out of the question as well, her thin sword would have snapped in half.


    A blow that strong could injure her badly or even kill her!


    I instinctively closed my eyes. I heard a loud metallic screech and a cry of pain.


    I slowly opened them back.


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    Blood.


    But not from Sophia.


    Montague was bleeding from his nose. His sword laid on the ground at his opponent''s feet.


    "What?"


    I turned towards Amy, hoping she wasn''t as cowardly as me and had seen what had happened.


    ?She managed to block the blow with her sword! I thought it would definitely break,? Amy explained excitedly, ?but she put it sideways! Montague''s sword slid on the blade and hit the floor. She took advantage of it to hit him with knee to the face.,?


    I listened in disbelief to that explanation. One thing was certain, that girl with minimal magical power was an incredible swordswoman.


    But... she had made a mistake. She should have ended the duel while she could.


    As I imagined it would happen, Montague drew his wand.


    ?Y-you piece of shit,? he muttered, ?enough with games now. I admit you''re more skilled with the sword than me. But it''s time to end this.?


    The boy pointed his wand at Sophia and yelled:


    ?Fireball!?


    An enormous fireball erupted from the tip of the wand and sped towards the girl.


    That was what I feared: as long as pride drove Montague to continue to engage in melee combat, Sophia had the advantage, but now that the nobleman had switched to spells, things were looking grim.


    The fiery sphere reached the girl, who didn''t seem to attempt to dodge. After all, even if she had, the subsequent explosion would still have hit her.


    Instead, Sophia Thornton faced the spell head-on, as she had done so far with the count''s son.


    Her silhouette disappeared for a moment in the blaze of the fireball, and...


    The sphere suddenly split in half, passing by the sides of the girl, who, with the slender blade stretched out in front of her, was completely unscathed.


    A deafening silence filled the classroom.


    "But... did she just cut a fireball in half?"


    I was stunned: such a thing was impossible.


    Montague seemed to think the same. He had a dumbfounded expression, as if he had taken another knee to the face.


    Gradually, however, he seemed to regain his composure.


    ?Ah! You must have cast a defensive spell without me noticing...?


    I heard exclamations of understanding and saw a few students nodding.


    Surely it was the most logical explanation. But... Sophia had never drawn her wand or uttered a spell. Could someone with such little magical power cast spells without invocation and bare-handed?


    Maybe the sword had a wand inside?


    didn''t know what to think.


    ?Well, you got me.?


    Montague, on the other hand, seemed convinced of his explanation and had regained his spirits.


    ?But now you''ve surely run out of tricks. I want to see how long your barrier can hold with that mana of yours.?


    The boy pointed his wand at Sophia again and shouted, ?Firestorm!?


    This time it wasn''t a sphere but a fiery stream, like the breath of a dragon.


    "A continuous-release spell!"


    Not being a single projectile, it was the ideal type of spell for breaking a magical defense. Montague could have continued to assault Sophia''s barrier with his flames until she ran out of mana.


    "If she really conjured a barrier..."


    I wasn''t sure at all.


    It must be said that Montague had proved to be a very cunning duelist himself. Between him and Sophia, I had made two gigantic errors in judgment.


    I slapped myself in the face, causing Amy to startle beside me.


    "If I want to make it to the end, I have to be less arrogant."


    I focused on the duel again.


    Sophia didn''t move an inch. She waited for the flames and moved her sword in front of her, as if she were trying to block an invisible blow.


    Like the fireball, the flame blast seemed to encounter an invisible force and split into two separate streams.


    Seconds passed. Montague''s wand continued to emit a torrent of fire. Sophia continued to stand anchored with the sword in front of her, the flames roaring on the sides without touching her.


    One minute, two minutes.


    I could see sweat beading on the girl''s forehead. The flames couldn''t reach her, but the temperature must have been unbearable.


    But Montague didn''t seem to be faring well either. His hand trembled, and the stream of flames seemed to become increasingly irregular.


    And then...


    For a fraction of a second, the stream of fire weakened.


    As if she had been waiting for that moment from the beginning, Sophia Thornton darted to the left and rushed forward.


    ?Shit!? Montague cursed, gripping the wand with both hands. The stream of fire regained its power, and the boy adjusted his aim towards Sophia who was about to pounce on him.


    She couldn''t dodge!


    The girl grasped the sword with both hands and positioned it to protect her right side.


    The stream of flames struck her head-on, but she continued her charge.


    His wand clattered to the ground.


    Sophia, with her uniform blackened by the flames and what looked like a nasty burn on her left arm, was still standing, and her sword was pointed at Montague''s throat.


    ?I y-yield!? the boy stammered in panic.


    Sophia lowered her weapon and leaned on it, panting.


    The magical voice resonated again in the classroom:


    ?The winner is Sophia Thornton.?


    At the same time, the glowing leaderboard was updated. My name was no longer at the top.


    Sophia Thornton - 2 points.


    ?This... This duel is not valid!? Montague''s scream broke the stunned silence that hung in the lecture hall.


    ?What do you mean, Mr. Montague?? Skylark asked coldly.


    I had glanced at the professor during the duel. His expression remained seraphic, as if things were going exactly as he expected.


    ?That sword! It repelled my spells! It''s clearly an enchanted weapon. Someone with such little magical power couldn''t have enchanted it during the duel. It must have been enchanted beforehand! She cheated!?


    ?Mr. Montague, if you had taken a few minutes of your time to read the rules before challenging Miss Thornton to a duel, you would have known that carrying enchanted armaments is not against the rules,? the principal explained amusedly.


    The count''s son opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, like a fish out of water.


    ?Let this be a lesson to everyone. Magical power is not the only important thing in this school. Now, you two go to the infirmary, you''ll find it at the end of the hallway. After a duel, if you have any injuries, the infirmary will get you back on your feet in no time.?


    Without waiting for Montague, Sophia immediately headed for the door.


    I couldn''t help but stare at her as she left.


    "An enchanted sword, huh?"


    It seemed like the only plausible explanation.


    But no, there was something wrong. An enchantment powerful enough to cut a fireball in half as if it were butter? Could such a thing exist?


    But if it wasn''t that, then how did she do it?


    I had no idea. But one thing I was sure of. If I wanted to be the last survivor in two years, I had to find a way to beat that girl.

 5. An unfriendly conversation

    The rest of the morning went by peacefully.


    After wishing us a good school year, Headmaster Skylark had made way for a stern-looking teacher.


    Montague and Sophia, seemingly perfectly healed, returned to class half an hour later while we were being shown the layout of the school.


    As I had already noticed, the Academy had two wings. The east wing, where we were now, housed the facilities for our training. Besides this classroom, dedicated to theoretical lessons, there were others with various equipment useful for practical training. There was also a large inner courtyard. The school had three floors, but we weren''t told what was on the upper floors of the east wing. I imagine there were teachers'' offices and their rooms.


    The west section was entirely dedicated to student accommodations and other spaces for our free time. There was a dining hall, two large bathrooms, a recreation room, and a sports area complete with even an indoor pool.


    Each of us would have our own room.


    Amy was excitedly fidgeting beside me. For both of us, who had so far lived in a humble village, living with all these luxuries would be incredible.


    ?A room all for myself!? squealed Amy happily.


    I got her, as she had grown up with three brothers, finally having a little privacy would probably feel like a dream. A couple of hours ago, I would have reacted in a similar fashion.


    But now my mind kept going back to the duel I had witnessed and to Sophia Thornton.


    I needed to figure out the secret behind that girl''s strange blade.


    "Maybe I should try to exchange a few words with her, perhaps I could discover something useful."


    Usually I was terrible at making friends, but if I approached her together with Amy, I might have a chance.


    Unlike me, chatting and getting to know new people was second nature to her.


    It wasn''t nice to approach her with ulterior motives, but this was a competition. I had to get every advantage I could.


    Luckily, the opportunity presented itself on the same day, after the end of the morning lessons, which had mostly been an introduction to the Academy.


    Amy and I stopped in the class for a few minutes to chat about what we had discovered so far.


    ?I''ve never been great at casting spells... But I think you can do it. You have the largest magical power in the class, and you''ve always been so smart. I''ll do my best to support you,? said Amy, puffing up with pride.


    ?Thank you, Amy. But as you saw from that duel, mana isn''t everything.?


    ?That''s true, that girl was incredible. I''ve never seen anyone so skilled with a sword. But you don''t just have mana on your side, right?? Amy replied, winking at me.


    Mmmh, she was right. After all, I also had an ace up my sleeve, but I wasn''t sure if it would be useful against someone like Sophia. And unlike the ability to cut spells in half, it was something rare but not unique. Who knows how many other mages were capable of doing something like that in here.


    ?Well, let''s go to lunch. All these rules and explanations have made me hungry.?


    Amy and I left the classroom and headed towards the west wing.


    Finding the dining hall wasn''t difficult.


    We just had to follow the noise: chairs being moved, cutlery clinking, and the cheerful buzz of our classmates'' conversations.


    We went through a double door and found ourselves in a vast room illuminated by several chandeliers. Dozens of tables occupied most of the space. There were tables of various sizes, from long tables to more intimate ones for 4 people. It seemed there were more seats than necessary, perhaps to ensure a solitary lunch for those who wanted to be on their own.


    Amy and I joined a line that started to the left of the entrance, guessing it was for getting our food. Peeking over the shoulders of the students in front of us, we caught a glimpse, at the beginning of the line, of a table covered with a red cloth with a complicated magic circle drawn on it.


    When a student approached it, it emitted a glow, and a tray full of dishes materialized out of thin air.


    I faintly remembered hearing something about it during the lesson.


    Apparently, our meals were personalized. They would take our tastes into account to serve us balanced and healthy meals.


    Certainly convenient. But it all seemed a bit cold and mechanical.


    These thoughts were soon dispelled when it was my turn, and I received my portion. A plate of pasta and a large steak with an inviting side salad materialized in front of me.


    If we ate like this every day, mechanical as it may be, I''d get used to it.


    After Amy also received her tray, we walked around looking for a place to sit.


    There was plenty of choice, but that''s when I got an idea.


    Lunch was the ideal time to try and make friends!


    I scanned the dining hall until I saw her.


    Sophia Thornton was sitting alone at a table near the wall, seemingly intent on devouring a plate of spaghetti.


    Her tray was visibly fuller than mine.


    "She must have gotten half of Montague''s," I thought, chuckling.


    I signaled for Amy to follow me and headed towards Sophia''s table.


    When we reached her, I asked:


    ?Can we sit here??


    Sophia barely glanced up from her plate and nodded.


    Amy and I sat down and began to eat our lunch.


    Amy immediately lost herself in praise for the school''s cuisine. Amidst the various bites, we continued to chat about what had happened today.


    Throughout all this, Sophia didn''t seem remotely interested in joining our conversation.


    "She doesn''t seem very sociable. I don''t know why, but that''s what I expected..."


    She was definitely a peculiar girl. With that vaguely bored attitude, as if the first day at the mysterious Royal Academy of Magic was business as usual.


    While she was busy with her extra-large lunch, I studied her features.


    Her face was illuminated by those sharp green eyes, now partially obscured by a fringe, as she studied the fish in front of her.


    Her pale skin seemed incredibly smooth. She probably took good care of it. The same went for her long black hair that fell in gentle waves over her shoulders.


    I would never have the patience to keep them in such perfect shape.


    That''s why I always opted for a shoulder-length cut.


    "She''s really beautiful..." a type of beauty that was carefully maintained, different from what I was used to.


    ?Need something??


    "Shit."


    Sophia was staring me straight in the eyes. Her face had captured me so much that I hadn''t realized she had lifted her gaze and caught me staring.


    ?Sorry, it''s just that... Amy and I were really impressed by your duel. Right?? I said, blushing, trying to save face.


    ?Of course! You were incredible, you showed that arrogant noble what''s what,? Amy energetically came to my aid.


    ?Mmh, thank you,? Sophia replied laconically and lowered her gaze again. She seemed to want to return to her lunch.


    But I didn''t want to miss the opportunity.


    ?Anyway, I''m El¡ª?


    ?Elizabeth Belvoir,? Sophia interrupted me without looking up from her plate, ?the one with the most mana in the class.?


    For some reason I could hear a note of comptempt in her voice.


    ?Ahah, yeah...? I laughed nervously.


    Things weren''t going as expected. My attempt to start a friendly conversation had been thwarted from the start.


    ?I, on the other hand, am Amy! Amy Thomson, nice to meet you!?


    Sophia just nodded at her.


    Even the more outgoing Amy seemed unable to make a dent in the wall that was Sophia Thornton.


    "I can''t give up..."


    ?So, how do you like the school?? I tried again.


    This time, Sophia raised her gaze.


    ?What do you actually want?? she asked in a cold tone.


    Her emerald eyes seemed to want to pierce through me, as if trying to get an answer to her question by reading it directly from inside my skull.


    ?Uh, I was just trying to strike a conversation...?


    ?Out of all the empty seats in the dining hall, you decided to sit here on purpose. I can already guess what you''re thinking, so don''t try to lie to me,? her voice was now clearly hostile.


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    I thought about coming up with some other excuse, but in the end, I decided it was better to be honest.


    "Operation friendship: failed."


    ?That sword... It''s not really enchanted, is it?? I asked, looking her in the eyes.


    I noticed her pupils dilate for a moment from surprise. But she was quick to hide it and with a mocking smile she asked me:


    ?Oh? And what makes you think that??


    Meanwhile, Amy seemed to be in panic mode, shifting her gaze between me and Sophia, as if she were following a hectic tennis match.


    ?Mainly for two reasons. First of all, weapon enchantments usually leave some trace on the blade, like a faint glow. Your sword, on the other hand, seemed completely normal,? I replied, ?I can''t exclude that there might be a way to hide an enchantment''s visual effects , though. But the most important thing is the nature of the enchantment itself. An enchantment capable of nullifying others'' spells would be incredibly unstable. I doubt that if something like that existed, it could last on a blade for more than a few minutes. We were at school for at least an hour before the duel. I can''t imagine you enchanted it yourself just before the fight, given your low mana level. So unless you have an accomplice...?


    Sophia didn''t seem surprised by my explanation.


    ?Interesting... Let''s assume what you''re saying is true. Why would I pretend to have an enchanted sword??


    That was obvious; after all, I had tried to do the same.


    ?To hide your true abilities,? I declared, ?you made everyone believe it''s better not to challenge you because you have an enchanted sword that can nullify magic. But in reality, your power is something else, but you don''t want to draw attention to it.?


    Sophia gave me a small round of applause.


    ?Bravo!?


    But her expression quickly turned into a contemptuous one:


    ?Assuming what you''re saying is true, what do you think you''re doing right now??


    "I-I just wanted to make friends. But I guess I failed spectacularly. Now I''m just antagonizing her by snooping around."


    ?I see that you''ve figured it out. I don''t think you''re the only one who thought something like that after my duel. But you''re the only one who came to tell me. I don''t know whether to admire your boldness or laugh at your stupidity,? Sophia''s voice lost all semblance of cordiality.


    ?Let me give you some advice. As you''ve imagined, I want to try to avoid attracting attention. Keeping a low profile is important in a competition like this. After all, it''s not important to be first in the rankings, but only not to be last,? she explained, ?Going straight to one of your rivals and telling them "I know what you''re hiding, I''m keeping an eye on you!" is not what I would consider laying low. It would seem like you want to make enemies,? Sophia mocked me.


    "I wanted to do the opposite."


    My cheeks were burning with embarrassment. But at the same time I felt my blood boiling.


    ?And even if I did? Unlike you, I don''t need to resort to stupid tricks to win a duel,? I burst out angrily, standing up.


    ?Oh, do you think you could beat me?? Sophia replied, also getting up and putting her hand on the hilt of her sword.


    The mocking expression she had kept during our conversation disappeared, giving way to a furious one.


    It was kinda strange.


    She had given me the impression of being some sort of ice queen, but apparently it didn''t take much to make her snap.


    Obviously, I had made yet another misjudgment. Or maybe I had touched a nerve.


    But our conversation was no longer private.


    If Sophia wanted to keep a low profile, well, her plan was having the same success as mine. We had indeed attracted the attention of the entire dining hall.


    Sophia seemed to realize it too, and her angry expression suddenly changed to one of regret, like that of a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, her pale cheeks now tinged with pink from embarrassment.


    "Despite her attitude, she seems to be a normal girl underneath," I thought, before feeling someone tugging at the sleeve of my shirt.


    I had almost forgotten that Amy had witnessed our entire conversation. Now the poor girl was trying to get us to sit back down.


    Both Sophia and I complied.


    The rest of the lunch proceeded in an awkward silence.


    But the troubles weren''t over there.


    After finishing my meal, I stood up, ready to leave the table as soon as I could, when a handsome boy with long brown hair suddenly stood in front of me.


    ?Miss Belvoir, am I correct?? he asked pompously.


    ?Yes, what''s up?? I asked confused.


    ?Allow me to introduce myself, I am the first son of the Marquess Von Bitten, my name is Ferdinand. I present myself to you to challenge you to a duel,? he replied.


    ?Huh? Okay...? I replied, surprised.


    It was all very sudden, but a duel would do me good. I could unleash some of the anger I harbored toward that insolent girl.


    ?Well, as my condition, if I win, I would like for you to have a date with me,? Ferdinand said energetically.


    ?Excuse me?? I asked, hoping to have misheard.


    ?A date. I think someone with your magical power would be a great partner for someone of my lineage.?


    Silence pervaded the dining hall. Everyone seemed to have heard what that boy said.


    I blushed again.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia smiling maliciously.


    I could imagine what she was thinking: "This is what happens when you attract attention. Only annoyances."


    And it was annoying. But I should have expected it.


    It was a sort of common belief among the noble class that mana level was hereditary. That''s why it was customary for them to seek out wives or husbands among those who possessed large quantities of it. For many, this custom was a positive thing. After all, it was a way to obtain a noble title, even if one was of humble origins.


    I found it disgusting. I had no intention of reducing myself to a baby-making machine for some guy I didn''t even know, let alone love.


    I took a deep breath and replied as calmly as possible:


    ?Fine. If I win, please don''t speak to me again.?


    I heard some chuckles erupt in the dining hall.


    ?Very well,? Ferdinand replied unperturbed.


    A moment later, a magical barrier swelled around us, gently moving the tables and even some students sitting at them, until an ample free space formed around us.


    I drew my wand and assumed my position.


    I was ready. I would show that brat what I was capable of.


    The countdown began.


    3...


    I would do as usual. A nice fireball with as much mana as I could cram into it. If it weren''t for the barrier, I could blow up half the dining hall...


    2...


    Then I would use my ace in the hole. With my left hand, I would...


    1...


    My mind returned to the conversation with Sophia. The importance of not attracting attention. How it was better not to make enemies...


    ?Frostbolt.?


    A dart of ice flew at me from my opponent''s wand.


    ?Fire shield.?


    I conjured a simple shield of fire, and the dart melted in mid-air.


    ?Lightning bolt.?


    It was the turn of a small lightning bolt. To which I responded with a wall of stone.


    "How boring..." I thought as I neutralized yet another spell. Then I cast another couple in response.


    A couple of minutes later, Ferdinand yielded.


    It had been a textbook duel, with no surprises. I had simply summoned the appropriate defenses and struck when I could.


    Ferdinand seemed to want to say something, but his voice didn''t seem to want to come out of his mouth.


    It seemed magic would make sure my conditions were respected regardless of his will.


    As I gathered my bag, Sophia passed by me on her way to the exit.


    ?Maybe there''s more going on inside that head than just mana...? she whispered to me.


    I resisted the temptation to throw my bag at her head.


    As I headed toward the afternoon classes with Amy, I thought that maybe I hadn''t made an enemy, but at very least a rival.

 6. Cold war

    The following two days went by in relative tranquility.


    The classes at Duelcrest Academy weren''t that different from the school I had attended before, except they focused much more on the practical applications of magic. In addition to the time spent in lectures, every afternoon, starting after lunch, several hours were dedicated to training, both in magical duels and in hand-to-hand combat.


    The magic training room was not far from the main lecture hall where we had classes in the morning. It was a spacious area without desks, equipped with numerous magical dummies that lazily received our attacks. There was also a large zone protected by a magical dome, identical to the one conjured for official duels, where one could practice one-on-one without the fear of losing points.


    As for physical combat, the training sessions were held in the school''s inner courtyard. That extensive green lawn was clearly the result of some sort of enchantment. It was definitely too large to fit within the school building''s walls. Moreover, the temperature was drastically different from outside the school''s main gate. Despite it being a particularly cold September, we could easily roll up our shirt sleeves and be perfectly fine.


    Furthermore, despite many students, including myself, not being proficient with the sword, there hadn''t been any accidents so far, not even a scratch. It seemed that in that area, we were protected by a magical barrier that prevented us from harming each other.


    After the evening workouts and a hearty dinner, Amy and I went to the common room, where there were numerous armchairs and tables, perfect for reviewing what we had studied in the morning. No one had tried to challenge me to a duel anymore, and I hadn''t gone looking for trouble either. At least for the first few weeks, I intended to take things slowly.


    If things continued like this, apart from a few classmates who weren''t particularly pleasant, the next two years would be quite pleasant and peaceful overall. However, there was a blot on this otherwise perfect picture: the silent war that was being fought between me and Sophia Thornton.


    Since our dispute on the first day, we hadn''t spoken to each other. However, during the first sword training session, I couldn''t help but notice the giggles and amused glances Sophia continuously threw my way as I wielded my weapon with the grace of an elephant.


    So, I couldn''t help but retaliate when instead of launching a fireball at the dummy, Sophia produced puffs of black smoke that caused half the class to cough.


    ?You should just apologize,? Amy said exasperated on the third evening.


    We were studying when Sophia entered the common room and headed for a chair near the fireplace. Amy must have noticed the dirty look I shot at her as she passed by our table. She returned it with such an icy glare that I wouldn''t have been surprised if the room''s temperature dropped a few degrees.


    ?Apologize? For what? She''s the one who started it,? I replied, lifting my nose in the air.


    ?She could have been more diplomatic, for sure, but remember, you were the one who approached her with ulterior motives. It''s not strange that she got annoyed,? Amy scolded me.


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    She was right. But I didn''t want to admit it.


    ?There''s no reason to make peace anyway... I don''t want anything to do with that girl.?


    ?Mmmh, I don''t think you''re telling the truth. Maybe at first, you approached her just to find her weaknesses. But I think after talking to her, she caught your interest. And I think the same goes for her. You had plenty of fights in the past but you never quarreled like this with anyone. When you are in the same room it''s like you can''t help to look at each other.?


    Amy replied, adjusting her glasses on her nose.


    "This girl is dangerous, it''s like she can read my mind..."


    She might not be a powerful mage, but when it came to understanding human relationships, she was unmatched.


    She had hit the nail on the head. For better or for worse, after our dispute, my thoughts kept inexorably veering in Sophia Thornton''s direction.


    I couldn''t quite define the reason. Despite the antipathy that flowed between us like a poisoned river, I had a great desire to get to know her better.


    Despite her bad temper, she kinda intrigued me. Where did she learn to swordfight like that? And why did she have that strange attitude towards the school?


    ?We''ve known each other for, what, 16 years now? I''ve never seen you interested in anyone in our little town. Maybe it''s because you''ve never met someone who can stand up to you. I think you should try to bury the hatchet. Maybe at breakfast tomorrow?? Amy suggested.


    ?You know I''m not great at these things... But I guess it can''t go worse than this...? I replied.


    ?Exactly! Also, think about the future. If you can befriend her, she''ll be a great ally! You, the most powerful mage, and her, the strongest swordswoman. You could come out on top together,? Amy said excitedly.


    ?But in the end, we''d still have to fight...?


    It was something I didn''t want to think about. Not so much for Sophia. But for Amy. The day would come when one of us would be eliminated or we would have to duel each other.


    I didn''t know how I would have managed without her. Those few days at the academy had made me realize more than ever.


    I hadn''t given it much thought during our years in our hometown. Almost taking her sunny company for granted.


    But now, in this alien environment, having her with me has been a blessing. Without her, I would probably be holed up in my room staring at the ceiling.And even now, she was giving me that necessary push to change things.


    ?Thank you, Amy,? I said, smiling at her confused face.


    <hr>


    An hour later, in my room, I wasn''t smiling anymore. In fact, I wanted to tear my hair out.


    I could see those icy green eyes staring me up and down, judging my pathetic attempt to make peace.


    "Aaaah," I sighed, "why did I tell Amy I''d do it..."


    I tossed and turned in bed, trying to think of a way to avoid encountering Sophia.


    "Come what may," I finally thought, defeated.


    Between Sophia laughing in my face and an angry Amy, I preferred the former.


    Slowly, I slipped into a restless sleep, unaware that the next day I would never have the chance to make those apologies.

 7. The crimson sword

    The next morning I woke up early. The bed had been enchanted to ensure that we always woke up on time and didn''t arrive late for classes.


    ?Those dark circles! Did you have trouble sleeping?? exclaimed Amy when we met to go have breakfast together.


    I shook my head, yawning.


    ?Come on! Just need to bite the bullet,? Amy urged me on, giving me small pats on the shoulder as encouragement.


    But when we arrived in front of the dining hall, we encountered something unusual.


    A crowd of students blocked the entrance. Usually there was never such a long line.


    Male screams could be heard echoeing through the hallway.


    We approached the scene.


    I immediately noticed that Sophia was also in the group, staring at something beyond the other students, frowning.


    Tiptoeing, I tried to see what was causing all the commotion. I managed to catch a glimpse of two boys engaged in a violent quarrel. Or rather, one of them was leaning against the doorframe, looking bored, while the other was shouting at him.


    I didn''t know all my classmates'' names yet, but I knew who those two were.


    The bored-looking boy was Igor Valentine. With his dirty blond hair tied in a messy ponytail, his uniform untucked, and his tie loosely knotted, he gave the impression of a sloppy and undisciplined boy at first glance. And in this case, that first impression was extremely accurate.


    Since the second day, he had attracted negative attention from all other students.


    During classes, he lounged on the bench, paying no attention to what the teacher said. So far, no problem. If he didn''t want to learn anything, that was his business. But it was during practice hours that things had escalated.


    He had accidentally hit his training partner several times with some kind of strange spells, which had caused disgusting violet-colored pustules to appear on his skin. The unfortunate victim had to run to the infirmary to have them removed.


    During a sword practice, he had accidentally let go of his sword, which had flown towards another student. Things could have ended very badly if the protective spell hadn''t been active.


    During meals and other free time, he had repeatedly annoyed other students, especially girls, with less than pleasant comments.


    In short, he was the epitome of the classic bully. The black sheep in a class that otherwise seemed rather peaceful.


    Despite his actions, the teachers didn''t seem particularly interested in punishing him. They simply continued their lessons as if nothing had happened and ignored the other students¡¯ complaints.


    That¡¯s when the other boy, Carl Stuart, came into play.


    With his shaved cut and square glasses covering two usually stern eyes, he couldn''t have looked more different from Valentine.


    There were rumors that he was the son of one of the most important generals in the royal army. He certainly had a militaristic air about him.


    He seemed extremely dutiful and respectful of the rules. I had heard him snap at some of the more talkative students during lessons several times.


    Faced with the lack of action from the teachers regarding Igor Valentine''s behavior, he had taken the situation into his own hands.


    During dinner, last night, he had gone to his table and given him a scolding that had lasted about ten minutes. His deep voice echoed throughout the dining hall.


    Although Stuart was about ten centimeters taller than him and had impressive muscles for someone our age, Valentine didn''t seem particularly intimidated. However, he left without making a scene.


    Many probably hoped that would be the end of it and Valentine would start behaving decently. Or at least stop bothering the other students. But given the scene in front of me, it was evidently a vain hope. And this time Valentine must have really messed up. Carl Stuart seemed beside himself with anger.


    Leaning further forward, I managed to see what was behind Carl Stuart. A student was crouched on the ground, holding his face. I could see blood spilling through his fingers.


    ?What the fuck..??


    Impulsively, I turned to the only person I knew in between all those students.


    ?Do you know what happened?? I asked Sophia in a whisper.


    ?Valentine slammed that guy against the doorframe. It seems he broke his nose,? she whispered back in response.


    Like me, she seemed too focused on what was happening to pay attention to the bad blood flowing between us.


    "Violence between students is prohibited outside of duels."


    Valentine wouldn''t get away with it this time. He would be punished.


    "Unless Carl doesn''t tear him apart first."


    I focused on what the boy was shouting.


    ?Have you lived in a pigsty until now?! That''s not how humans behave. The mess you''ve caused in class, bothering our classmates... I could still take it as the nonsense of an undisciplined kid. But this¡­ this is too much...?


    ?I''ve already told you he was blocking the door while I had to go through. It''s not my fault if he was in the way,? Valentine retorted, maintaining the same bored expression.


    ?This brute doesn''t seem to feel even a bit of remorse. Someone go call the headmaster, while I make sure he stays here,? Carl ordered the crowd. I saw a couple of boys leave the scene, presumably in search of professor Skylark.


    ?Someone go call the headmaster,? Valentine mimicked him, ?As big and tough as you are, do you need to hide behind Skylark??


    ?Believe me, if I could kick your butt, I would''ve already done it... But you gave me an idea. I challenge you to a duel. Since you''re such a tough guy, you won''t refuse, right? After I teach you a lesson, I want you to apologize on your knees in front of the whole school,? Carl replied, succumbing to the provocation.


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    ?I accept,? said Valentine, with a smirk.


    ?Your conditions?? Carl asked.


    ?None,? his opponent replied. A murmur spread among the onlookers.


    "No conditions..."


    I had a bad feeling. Valentine didn''t seem to be scared of Carl in the least, despite his massive build.


    It didn''t seem like that bully was particularly skilled in magic. And from a physical point of view, there was obviously no comparison.


    But then¡­ why did he seem so confident?


    And why didn''t he impose any conditions on the duel? He gave the impression of someone who would make his opponent do something terribly humiliating.


    Was he bluffing to put pressure on Stuart?


    In the meantime, as I pondered this possibility, the now familiar semi-transparent barrier had formed around the two challengers. The other students were forced to step back, widening the circle and finally allowing me to observe the scene without having to stand on tiptoe. The poor victim lying on the ground had been pushed out of the duel''s airspace.


    Two students lifted him and, supporting him, escorted him to the infirmary, his nose dripping blood leaving a trail on the ground to mark their path.


    Meanwhile, Stuart had drawn his sword and positioned himself. Valentine had also unsheathed his blade, but his arm was lazily resting at his right side.


    This time, after Sophia''s duel, I didn''t want to take anything for granted. But after the countdown, things seemed to go just as expected.


    Carl lunged forward, wielding the sword with two hands and delivering a powerful blow. Valentine barely managed to intercept it, raising his sword at the last moment, but the force of the blow bent his arms, causing Carl''s blade to surpass his block and wound his left forearm. Carl continued the assault mercilessly, striking the off-balance Valentine with a left uppercut to the stomach, doubling him over in pain.


    At this point, Stuart stepped back.


    ?You''d better surrender now,? he declared to his opponent, who was bent over on his knees with his back turned, ?as despicable as you are, I take no pleasure in fighting an inferior opponent.?


    ?You wish!? yelled Valentine. He had seized the moment of respite to discreetly draw his wand. Turning around, he hurled a violet-colored dart towards Carl.


    The latter, however, was on alert for a trick like that and dodged the attack by ducking. He then charged at Valentine, hitting him with a shoulder check and sending him sprawling to the ground.


    In the next few minutes, what we witnessed wasn''t so much a duel as it was a massacre. Punches, kicks, multiple sword strikes, headbutts, and some spells were exchanged unilaterally.


    Carl, repeatedly shouting "SURRENDER!", was battering his opponent''s body.


    There was no contest. Valentine didn''t seem capable of defending himself, let alone attacking.


    I saw some of the students present avert their eyes in disgust from this one-sided beating, while others left the scene as if the duel were already over.


    But¡­


    Something wasn''t right.


    I glanced briefly at Sophia. She had a furrowed brow. She must have noticed it too.


    Despite enduring that severe beating, Valentine kept getting back up. Even if he had an incredible tolerance for pain, his strength should have left him long ago after his body had been battered in that manner.


    Furthermore, I noticed how his injuries seemed strangely superficial. The wounds caused by Stuart''s sword were mostly surface cuts, and he didn''t even seem to have suffered serious damage from the bare-handed blows his opponent had delivered.


    By now, he should have been in a pitiful state and drenched in blood.


    The one-sided clash continued for a few more minutes. Then Carl stepped back again.


    ?You''re as resilient as a cockroach,? he pointed out to his opponent. He didn''t seem tired at all, despite his assault having lasted about ten minutes by now.


    ?But I warn you, if you continue to refuse to surrender, I''ll be forced to go all out,? he continued.


    "Oh, because until now you weren''t being serious?" I thought.


    Physically, he was an incredible fighter. If I were his opponent, he probably would have knocked me out with a single punch.


    Fortunately, I had magic on my side. I''m sure I could have defeated him easily before he got close. From what I had seen, he wasn''t that skilled with spells. Not that it would help Valentine, who didn''t seem to be much of a powerful wizard himself.


    I didn''t know what those strange violet curses he was casting were, but they didn''t seem particularly threatening. Carl easily dodged or blocked them with a simple defensive spell.


    Valentine took advantage of the respite to get back up. He was smiling.


    ?No no, I''d say that''s enough. Despite everything, you still think you have the victory in the bag, huh?? As he spoke, he moved his hand to one of the cuts on his right arm.


    ?Time to teach you something before finishing the duel.?


    With a mocking laugh, Valentine pulled a crimson blade from the wound.


    "Is that... blood?"


    There was no other explanation. That sword had been created with his coagulated blood.


    But how was that possible?


    He hadn''t cast any spells.


    I had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It was exactly what had happened in the first duel I had witnessed. Like Sophia, Valentine had just done something inexplicable.


    One thing was certain: the outcome of the duel was no longer so set in stone...

 8. Paradigm shift

    This time it was Valentine who launched himself against Carl.


    The latter, having recovered from the initial surprise, was waiting for his opponent.


    The crimson blade and the steel one clashed.


    Carl jumped back, his uniform torn open, exposing his chest, luckily unharmed.


    ?Hahaha, good reflexes,? Valentine complimented him sarcastically, a shallow cut across his chest.


    They truly were. If I had blinked, I would have missed what had happened. When two blades crossed, Valentine''s blood sword had suddenly lost consistency and was easily pierced by the opponent''s. Then the blood had immediately solidified again, ready to strike Carl. But the boy, being the great fighter he was, had noticed something was wrong and jumped back, avoiding being hurt. Sadly his blade had only grazed Valentine though.


    "It was pretty much a suicide attack."


    Valentine didn''t seem to care about getting injured.


    But it made sense, given his strange resilience, he could afford it.


    Speaking of his resilience, now I understood the reason behind it.


    Valentine, somehow, seemed to be able to control his blood at will. This explained why his wounds were so superficial and why he didn''t bleed from them. He had probably hardened his blood to form a shield in the areas where he was hit. That strange power was the perfect weapon against a skilled melee fighter like Carl.


    Now that Valentine had unleashed that blood blade, the tides of the duel had changed. Carl was on the defensive. He couldn''t parry it, so all he could do was try to keep his distance to avoid being hit.


    Valentine taunted him: ?Not so cocky now, huh?? he yelled, continuing his assault.


    But Carl didn''t seem to give up. He sheathed his sword and used the strength of his legs to put as much distance as possible between him and his opponent while casting fire darts from his wand. This tactic was defensively sound.


    However, the spells were also proving ineffective in causing any harm to Valentine. The boy countered every fireball with spheres created from his blood. When the two projectiles met, they produced a small explosion, disappearing in the air.


    It was a stalemate. Valentine couldn''t get closer, but Carl would eventually run out of mana. Valentine, however, had become increasingly pale throughout the past minutes. It was unlikely that he could use his blood as a weapon indefinitely.


    Perhaps for this reason, after another exchange of spells, Valentine seemed to have had enough.


    With a leap, he threw himself once again at Carl, disregarding the spells that were about to hit him. One, two, three fireballs hit him squarely, but he continued his charge unperturbed.


    His lunge didn''t reach its destination.


    His crimson blade stopped a few inches from Carl''s neck, who with a jump managed to dodge it once again at the last moment.


    With a triumphant yell, the boy pointed his wand at his opponent and shouted: ?Flare!?


    An explosion way more powerful than the fireballs hit Valentine in the chest. It was a more advanced spell than the ones Carl had cast so far. He was probably saving it as his trump card.


    Valentine was lifted into the air by the impact.


    But just as the outcome of the duel seemed to tip back towards Carl''s victory, the blood blade came to life once more.


    While its owner was sent backward by the force of the spell, the sword lost consistency and trembled, forming a spear that hurled towards Carl lightning fast. This time, he couldn''t dodge backward: the blood jet was too fast.


    The entire room held its breath as one man. In that instant, the entire duel was going to be decided.


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    Shortly after, the students slowly began to breathe again.


    With a quick sideways movement, Carl barely managed to dodge the blood blade, which had only caused a small cut on the side of his neck.


    That piece of shit! Valentine had aimed for a very dangerous spot. If Carl Stuart hadn''t had his lightning fast reflexes, it could have ended very badly.


    Speaking of Valentine.


    The explosion had thrown him several meters back. He must have focused all his power on that last offensive, as for the first time, he seemed to have been affected by the blow. What was left of his charred shirt couldn''t cover the large burn that had formed on his chest.


    This time, Valentine didn''t get up. But Carl remained at a distance, waiting. He probably didn''t want to risk getting closer when victory was finally within his grasp.


    Finally, with a grunt, Igor Valentine, using his sword as a cane, managed to get up. He was in terrible shape, and his legs were visibly shaking.


    ?I think that''s enough, I hope I''ve managed to teach you something,? said Carl, eyeing his opponent.


    Despite his words, he still held his wand pointed at his opponent, not letting his guard down.


    But this time, surprisingly, Valentine nodded thoughtfully and declared:


    ?For once, I agree with you.?


    The entire group of spectators seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief: that endless duel had finally come to an end. Even Carl seemed relieved. Valentine had certainly proved to be a much tougher nut to crack than he had expected.


    ?Very well, I accept your surrender,? he said, but without lowering his wand.


    ?Surrender?? Valentine asked, feigning surprise. ?I think you''ve misunderstood. I just meant to say that I''m done playing with you, and it''s time to finish the duel.?


    ?Stop talking nonsense! You can barely stand on your own. Surrender and don''t make me hit you with another spell.?


    But Carl''s tone betrayed uncertainty. With the turn the duel had taken and the strange power Valentine possessed, he couldn''t be sure if he was bluffing.


    Valentine had a wicked smile on his face.


    I had a bad feeling.


    The boy opened his mouth, and what he said cast a cloak of terror over everyone present.


    ?Hey, what''s coming out of your neck?? he asked, pointed the small wound he had caused with his blade ?Is that blood, by any chance??


    ?You don''t...? his opponent stammered.


    The threat behind those words was clear to everyone. But it wasn''t possible... If Valentine''s control over blood extended beyond his own... It was... Over? Not Carl, not Sophia, not me. No student could do anything against such power. What use were spells when your opponent could turn the liquid flowing in our veins into a blade capable of disemboweling us from the inside?


    But then, with such power, why had he let himself be reduced to that state by Carl?


    As if he had read my mind, Valentine chuckled:


    ?Hahaha, there''s nothing better than seeing the expression of someone who thought they had won realizing they lost. But don''t take it badly, you fought well. Unfortunately, you had already lost the moment you challenged me to a duel.?


    After those words, Carl''s conviction completely broke. Desperate, he yelled:


    ?I surrender!?


    His face was distorted in an expression of terror. That emotion didn''t suit that terribly strong and proud boy. It was even more unfair that that was the face with which I would''ve remembered Carl Stuart from that moment.


    With a spray of blood and a horrible sound of tearing flesh, Carl Stuart''s head rolled on the floor, forever frozen in that expression of unspeakable terror.


    99 students remaining...

 9. The game begins

    It was as if the entire Academy had been dragged underwater.


    For several seconds, no one dared to exhale a single breath. It was as if, when Carl''s head had touched the floor, time had frozen. Perhaps we were all waiting to wake up from what was undoubtedly a nightmare.


    Finally, a scream broke the silence. A female student crouched down and began to cry desperately, pressing her hands against her ears, as if trying to isolate herself from this terrible reality. It was like a signal.


    All hell broke loose.


    Panic ensued, many sought refuge in the dining hall, while others fled to the dormitories. I saw some students collapse back onto the floor, while others slumped unconscious. The bravest ones drew swords and wands, pointing them in Valentine''s direction, but refrained from attacking.


    The murderer simply smiled and raised his hands in surrender, knowing full well that no one would actually dare to challenge his terrible power.


    I was petrified.


    My gaze kept returning to Carl''s empty eyes. It was impossible for something like this to happen.


    Amy clung to my right arm, trembling. Unable to speak, I held onto her in return.


    We remained like that for what seemed like hours.


    Finally, a group of people arrived on the scene. Among them, escorted by two guards and followed by a handful of students, was the headmaster.


    Professor Skylark glanced around at those present, pausing for a few seconds on Carl Stuart''s corpse and finally on Igor Valentine, still held at bay by several students.


    I wanted to scream at Skylark to be careful, that boy was dangerous even for an experienced wizard like him. But it was as if my voice had vanished the moment Carl was killed.


    It was the elderly professor who spoke first.


    ?Lower your wands and sheathe your swords!? he ordered.


    The students hesitated.


    One of them retorted, ?Professor, this piece of shit is a murderer! He''s capable of anything. We can''t let our guard down!?


    ?I appreciate your initiative, but this is a matter within my jurisdiction. If you want to be of help, assist your unconscious classmates and take them to the infirmary. I will personally ensure that Mr. Valentine receives appropriate punishment,? the headmaster replied.


    ?But, Professor, his power is too much even for the-?


    Skylark cut him off. With a wave of his hand, the students'' swords and wands clattered to the floor.


    "That''s insane... he didn''t use a wand or utter any spells."


    But it was as the boy had said. If Valentine had wanted to, he could have killed Skylark simply by looking at him.


    Unfazed, the headmaster approached the boy. The smirk on Valentine''s face had vanished, replaced by a neutral expression. Though he didn''t seem intimidated, he refrained from mocking Skylark.


    ?Mr. Valentine, have you read the list of rules provided to you?? the professor asked calmly.


    Rather than addressing a murderer, it was allmost like he was lecturing a student who had arrived late to class.


    ?Yes, Sir,? Valentine replied without hesitation.


    ?Then you should know that acts of violence among students are strictly prohibited outside of duels, correct?? Skylark questioned.


    ?Correct, I apologize for breaking the rules, professor-? Valentine attempted, in a deferential manner.


    ?I''m afraid apologies won''t suffice in this case,? the headmaster admonished him, ?Mr. Valentine, outside of class hours, you will be confined to your quarters for a week. Is that clear?? he continued sternly.


    ?All clear,? the boy replied, nodding.


    Despite the two speaking perfectly clearly and audibly, I was certain I had missed something. Perhaps they had suddenly decided to use a strange alien language that used common words but with a different meaning. Because that conversation completely clashed with the situation we were in.


    ?Professor, do you think it''s a good time for jokes?!? an angry student asked.


    The professor turned to him and repeated, frowning: ?Jokes??


    ?This... person, just killed one of our classmates! Are you telling me confining him to his rooms would be his punishment?? another disbelieving student burst out.


    ?Of course not!? Skylark replied, surprised, ?the punishment I have assigned to him is for breaking Mr. Whrite''s nose.?


    ?WHO THE FUCK CARES ABOUT HIS FUCKING NOSE!? another enraged girl exclaimed, ?what''s the point of punishing him! This scum will rot in prison for killing Carl!? she continued, sobbing.


    I stared at Skylark, he seemed annoyed.


    A feeling of pure terror crept into my mind. There was something terribly wrong with all of this. The headmaster''s reaction to the murder of one of his students made no sense. Why focus on the broken nose, as if it mattered...


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    And then I understood. In my mind came flashing the strange circumstances surrounding the Academy, the rules we had been explained, the headmaster''s strange behavior.


    The pieces fell into place.


    There was one terrible explanation for all of this. I prayed with all my being that I had misunderstood. Maybe it was all a coincidence.


    But, inevitably, the headmaster''s words ruthlessly confirmed what I had just realized:


    ?Miss, you should also review the rules of the Academy. Mr. Valentine killed his opponent during a duel. This is perfectly in line with the rules, as stated in the regulations, violence among students is prohibited only outside of duels. For this reason, Mr. Valentine will not receive any punishment in this regard.?


    For the second time that day, we all stood petrified. What Professor Skylark had said made no sense, just like Carl''s death. But deep down, we all understood that the headmaster wasn''t joking.


    ?You are completely insane!? accused a student, many others echoed him. A rain of insults poured towards the professor. Some brandished their wands again. But as in Valentine''s case, no one seemed willing to dare to attack.


    Skylark merely sighed impatiently.


    ?For today, I''ll pretend nothing happened, since many of you are probably in shock from the death of your fellow student. I advise you to be less emotional if you wish to graduate successfully. If there are no further questions, it''s time for me to return to my offices and for you to have breakfast,? serene, he began to walk away.


    But a muscular student stood in front of him. I recognized Frank Montague, the boy who had dueled with Sophia three days before. It seemed like an eternity had passed since then.


    ?You are out of your mind if you think you''ll get away with this. It so happens that my family has direct connections with the King, and I''ll make sure he knows about this as soon as possible. Murder is the most serious crime in our kingdom, and the punishment is death. Royal law is above the stupid rules of your academy,? he confronted the headmaster.


    The latter didn''t seem at all bothered by Montague''s words and replied:


    ?His Highness is perfectly aware of the peculiarities of this academy. Our mission, to create Sir Aldric''s successor, is of great importance to the Sovereign. That''s why he has decided to give us a free hand to achieve our goal.?


    ?He''s lying!? many shouted.


    Skylark ignored them and started walking towards the entrance. Montague stopped him again.


    ?Lies! But it doesn''t matter. I have no intention of participating in your perverse game anymore. If someone here can kill with impunity, I don''t want to stay here for another second. Prepare a carriage immediately!? ordered the boy.


    Many other students cheered in approval.


    Skylark finally seemed to be losing patience.


    ?Once again, I have to note your inability to read. In your admission letter, as well as in the regulations, it is specified that attendance at the Academy is mandatory, so-?


    Montague had had enough. He shoved Skylark with both hands, causing him to fall to the ground.


    Standing over him triumphantly, he shouted, ?I''ll wipe my ass with your rules! Now open that gate this instant or I''ll write to my father. And let me remind you, as a count, he has an army more than capable of leveling your stupid school to the ground.?


    Skylark slowly got up, adjusting his glasses. He seemed to have regained his calm.


    He addressed his assailant in a soft tone: ?Are you sure you want to leave the Academy early, Mr. Montague??


    Those words made my skin crawl. I wanted to scream "no, don''t say it!" but I didn''t have the time.


    ?So, you finally understand, huh?? Montague replied with a triumphant smile, oblivious that it would be the last one of his life.


    The headmaster clapped his hands.


    A bright light illuminated the corridor, blinding us, accompanied by a thunderous roar. When we regained our sight, all that remained of our classmate was a pile of ashes.


    ?Well, if no one else wants to leave prematurely, that''s all for today. I recommend you review the rules, attend classes, and make sure to engage in your duels. Remember, the last one in the rankings will leave by the end of the week,? the headmaster bid us farewell calmly, as if killing one of his students was routine business for him.


    We stayed there, as a terrible smell of burnt flesh began to permeate the air.


    It was clear to everyone what would happen to the last one in the rankings.


    We were trapped.


    Only one of us would leave this school alive.


    98 students remaining...

 10. Frustration

    Despite what just happened, not a single student missed class. The reason was simple: the rules of the Academy.


    Today''s events had made us understand the importance of carefully reading that little book we had been given on the first day of school. Even a small language nuance could be of vital importance for our survival.


    Fortunately, in this case, things were crystal clear: an unjustified absence from class resulted in the loss of a whopping 10 points. With the sword of Damocles hanging over the last-place student''s head, no one wanted to shoulder that penalty. A single point could mean the difference between life and death.


    So, we were all present, but I don''t think anyone would have been able to report a single word of what the professor had explained by the end of the lesson.


    The atmosphere couldn''t have been more different from three days ago. I could hear the subdued cries of several students. Many others were staring at the ranking visible on the right wall of the class.


    An ominous inscription had appeared at the top:


    "98 students remaining...".


    The names of Carl Stuart and Frank Montague were now at the bottom, overlaid with a large X indicating their deaths.


    I still couldn''t wrap my head around how it could be true. I spent the entire lesson trying to rationalize what had just happened.


    Assuming Skylark''s words were true, the King not only knew what was happening but also approved of the situation. They wouldn''t have had legal issues then. But our parents would surely not stay silent if we had simply vanished into thin air. From what I had seen, among my classmates were many children of influential nobles. If dozens of children of counts and marquises disappeared at the same time, it would become widely known.


    They had to have a plan to cover it up.


    I guess they couldmake extensive use of memory spells. But that was a very complicated branch of magic.


    Was it really possible to alter the memories of what had to be hundreds of people, including fathers, mothers, and various siblings?


    It seemed unlikely. But then there had to be another method.


    After all, they had already succeeded.


    It was an uncomfortable thought, but there was no point in deluding myself. It must have gone like this:


    Sir Aldric was the only person known to have attended the Academy because all his classmates had vanished into thin air. No one probably remembered that they ever existed.


    "This is the second time."


    An even more sinister thought crept into my mind.


    "But then, what about Sir Aldric?"


    As a survivor, he was probably the only one, besides the professors and the guards, who knew how things had really gone.


    Why hadn''t he revealed the terrible truth about what had happened within the walls of the Academy to the world?


    Why did the mage I admired so much decided to keep the world in the dark?


    Was it possible that he was a monster like Valentine and wanted to hide what he had done to his classmates?


    No, it wasn''t possible. After all, he had saved our kingdom.


    I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on another question:


    "Why?"


    Why did us students need to die?


    If the ultimate goal of the Academy was truly to find out who the strongest fighter among us was, there was no reason why we couldn''t just go home once eliminated. They could just wipe our memory like it seems they intended to do with our relatives.


    Despite everything, I didn''t think our deaths were simply sadistic entertainment for Professor Skylark. There had to be a very specific reason for why we had to die.


    Was it simply to motivate us to give our best in duels? It seemed very drastic.


    During my studies, I had often been passionate about the magical culture of other kingdoms. The strange rituals of the eastern kingdoms had particularly fascinated me. Among these, I remembered reading about an ancient curse called kodoku.


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    The technique to conjure it consisted of sealing various venomous insects in a vase, leaving them locked up to devour each other. In the end, the last surviving insect would absorb the poison of all its peers, becoming a powerful cursed creature.


    Not that I had tried to perform the ritual myself, but I was sure it was just old superstitions.


    And we were people, not insects.


    But the parallel between that ritual and our situation still sent shivers down my spine.


    I spent the rest of the lesson formulating other conjectures, each one more unlikely than the last.


    Finally, Amy and I got up, ready to head to lunch.


    Despite everything that had happened, we had agreed that continuing with our routine was the best thing to do. Maintaining a sense of normalcy would help us stay sane in the crazy situation we were in.


    But as I was about to leave the classroom, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.


    ?Elizabeth, right? Do you have a minute??


    Hearing my name spoken by that voice sent chills down my spine. But who knows what would have happened to me if I had ignored it.


    I turned to Igor Valentine and replied:


    ?Um, I was just about to go to lunch now, can we talk later...??


    His hand remained tight on my shoulder. I didn''t dare to try and free myself.


    With an amused smile at my obvious discomfort, Valentine replied:


    ?Come on, lunch can wait. I just wanted to challenge you to a duel. Since you''re the strongest in the class, I think you''re the right person to test me... So, what do you say?? Then he added, looking me in the eyes, ?Oh, there''s no need to put anything at stake!?


    "Piece of shit..."


    The implication was clear. There was no point in betting anything when you intended to kill your opponent.


    I clenched my fists.


    ?No, I refuse.?


    I could feel tears of frustration welling up in my eyes.


    Three days ago, I would never have thought of refusing a duel. But what could I do now? Accepting Valentine''s challenge was suicide. I had no hope against the power he possessed. He could kill me before I could even cast a single spell.


    I sniffed, trying to hold back the tears.


    All the confidence I had in myself had been shattered in a matter of days.


    How stupid I had been to think I had any chance of winning this competition!


    The mana flowing within me was worth nothing against monsters like Sophia and Valentine.


    And now, after today''s events, I knew that my weakness wouldn''t lead to just expulsion but to my death.


    Valentine seemed pleased with my reaction.


    ?Ahahaha,? he chuckled, ?well, maybe next time then.?


    He walked past me out of the classroom, waving his hand in farewell.


    That piece of human garbage knew very well that I wouldn''t accept the duel.


    I glanced at the ranking. The two points I had earned on the first day had been deducted.


    "Elizabeth Belvoir 0"


    Fortunately, I wasn''t last. Apparently, points could go in the negatives, which is why I had several students below me. Aside from today, there were three more days before the end of the week. If I didn''t score any more points and others won duels, they could surpass me.


    Amy, who had watched my interaction with Valentine with a terrified expression, approached me, also scrutinizing the ranking. She had 4 points. In the past few days, she had won three duels and lost two. Unlike me, she had been diligent.


    Fuck my ego...


    Amy put a hand on my shoulder. The feeling of her touch couldn''t be more different from Valentine''s.


    ?Let''s go to lunch. Don''t worry, we still have until Sunday. You just need to challenge some other students to regain points,? she tried to console me.


    ?Right,? I replied uncertainly, and followed her out of the classroom.


    "I''ll start dueling anyone I can find from tomorrow onwards. Today, I just need some peace," I thought as I walked towards the dining hall.


    I just hoped that Valentine hadn''t singled me out as his target.

 11. Trauma

    I was ready.


    The countdown was almost over.


    With the wand in front of me, I prepared to cast the spell.


    1...


    Before I could utter a word, I was lifted in the air and thrown backward.


    It was kinda strange: even with the impact being so strong, I felt no pain.


    Finally, I touched the ground.


    The momentum was so strong that I rolled on the floor a couple of times before stopping.


    Something heavy fell in front of me.


    It was... a body?


    A figure approached me, but I couldn''t see their face from my position. My legs didn''t seem to want to respond to my commands.


    I felt their hand grab my hair and lift me up.


    I couldn''t resist.


    The figure pulled me up, and I found myself facing a mirror.


    A vacant gaze met mine.


    Eyes as empty as Carl Stuart''s.


    My mouth opened wide in a voiceless scream as I stared at my severed head.


    Finally, I regained the use of my voice.


    ?AAAAAAAH!?


    I struggled out to free myself the blankets'' grip.


    With my heart pounding wildly, I sat up in bed. I was drenched in sweat. I had never had such a realistic nightmare.


    Trembling, I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was still the middle of the night.


    It had taken me a long time to fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed, trying to push away thoughts that were far from conducive to sleep. But apparently, they had followed me into the dream world.


    I lay back down, taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself.


    I needed to rest at least a little. I had to be in shape for tomorrow. I had points to recover.


    Unfortunately, this purpose proved itself futile.


    I spent the rest of the night alternating between being awake and restless sleep.


    In the morning, I got up, even more tired than when I had gone to bed the night before.


    <hr>


    I couldn''t help but notice the concern in Amy''s eyes when we said hi to each other before going to breakfast.


    I must have looked terrible.


    I decided to act as if nothing was wrong and tried to start a conversation about what I wanted to eat today. I was grateful when Amy caught on and began chatting normally.


    I hoped that if I ignored those intrusive thoughts swirling in my head, they would leave me alone sooner or later.


    But the end of the first lesson of the day reminded me of the situation I was in. And pretending not to see the problems wouldn''t make them disappear suddenly.


    Igor Valentine, with the usual malicious smirk on his face, stopped me again as we left the classroom. Like yesterday, he challenged me to a duel. And like yesterday, all I could do was to refuse.


    With a sinister "See you tomorrow!" Valentine left me there, powerless.


    It was obvious by now: he would continue to use me as a point bank from which he could withdraw every day.


    I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs from the burning humiliation I felt. But I couldn''t let go. It was time to mount a counterattack. I was at -2 points in the standings; it was time to recover and secure my survival.


    So, after lunch, I parted ways with Amy and went in search of students to challenge.


    I had decided to avoid public duels as much as possible. This time I wanted to pull out all the stops: I would try to use all the power I had at my disposal to win quickly.


    With the tiredness I had in my body, I couldn''t afford to prolong fights more than necessary, otherwise, my energy would run out long before my mana.


    For my first duel, I went in search of a classmate whose skill I knew somewhat. I didn''t want any surprises. That''s why I had used the previous day''s practical lesson to identify some prey.


    I wandered through the west wing of the school until I saw a boy leaving his room. I didn''t remember his name, but last night I had seen him fail several times to hit the training dummy. He must not have had much control over his mana.


    An easy target.


    But then... why was my hand shaking so much as I gripped my wand?


    The boy walked down the hallway. I had to move or I would miss the opportunity.


    But I hesitated.


    A huge weight seemed to have lodged itself in my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.


    A new thought came, making me unable to move.


    "What if he wasn''t an easy target?"


    What if even that unassuming student hid an anomalous power like Valentine''s?


    I let myself slide down the wall.


    "What''s happening to me?"


    It wasn''t like me to be overtaken by fear like that. But even if this was a natural reaction to yesterday''s events, what choice did I have?


    If I didn''t fight, I still risked ending up last in the standings. Might as well go out fighting.


    But at that moment, the images I had tried to bury in a remote corner of my mind rushed into my thoughts.


    I found myself staring again at Carl Stuart''s lifeless eyes, eyes that could soon be mine.


    I felt my stomach churn.


    I ran away.


    <hr>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Ten minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom, a strong acidic taste still in my mouth, wiping tears from my eyes.


    "What the fuck is happening to me?"


    I had no choice but to fight, but my body didn''t seem to want to cooperate.


    It was almost time for evening classes. I couldn''t let Amy see me in that state.


    I returned to the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water. I looked in the mirror.


    "I''m a complete mess."


    The signs of sleep deprivation were evident under my eyes, still red from crying.


    I tried to smile.


    "Awful..."


    But I could only pretend. I had to appear as strong as ever.


    When Amy and I met, I tried to keep that fake smile as stable as possible. But from her look, I could tell she didn''t buy it.


    And this time, she pressed me:


    ?I saw you didn''t earn any points. Weren''t you supposed to duel someone this afternoon?? she asked, worried.


    ?Oh... you see, I''m feeling a bit sick. I must have eaten something bad at lunch. But there are still two days anyway,? I shamelessly lied.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Amy didn''t seem convinced: ?Lizzie, if there''s something wrong...? she began.


    ?No, no, seriously, everything''s fine, Amy. I just want to be at my 100% before challenging someone. You know it can be dangerous,? I interrupted her.


    I felt guilty about keeping everything hidden from her. But in this life-or-death situation, I didn''t want to appear weak in front of her. Giving her more worries would be cruel.


    No, this was a situation I had to solve on my own.


    "After class, I have to challenge someone," I thought.


    I just had to stop worrying so much. I was a powerful mage. It was unlikely that powers like Valentine''s were common. I would die anyway if I ended up last in the standings.


    But my self-convincing strategy failed miserably: at the end of that cursed day, I still had -2 points.


    "There are still two days..." I thought as I lay in bed.


    That night was, if possible, even worse than the previous one.


    In addition to the images already haunting me, a new realization tormented me:


    "I''m doomed."


    When the time came to challenge someone to a duel, fear would stop me.


    So, during that umpteenth sleepless night, a new emotion took hold of my mind:


    Resignation


    When, in the morning, the enchanted bed made me realize it was time to get up, I didn''t move.


    "What''s the point, after all?"


    Going to class to see Igor Valentine smile at me, ready to take more of my points... was that my new daily routine?


    I would never be able to defeat him. So what was the point of fighting? Surviving a few more weeks would only mean enduring more suffering. After all, being the first eliminated didn''t sound so bad...


    I wouldn''t have to see any of my classmates die.


    I wouldn''t have to see Amy die.


    I stayed under the covers, waiting.


    As I expected, after about twenty minutes, I heard a faint knock on the door.


    ?Lizzie, are you okay?? I heard Amy''s voice ask from outside the room.


    ?I''m still feeling a bit sick from yesterday. But don''t worry, I''ll join you later for class,? I replied.


    I knew she would never forgive me. But it was okay. She would stay here all day if I didn''t lie to her.


    I heard her hesitate in front of my door, but after a bit she seemed to decide to believe me.


    ?Okay, don''t be late!? she said to me, taking her leave.


    A part of me wanted to ask her to stay. I wanted to pour out all my fears and worries to her.


    But I remained silent.


    I had made my decision.


    I stayed on the bed, my knees drawn to my chest, trying to gather my resolve for what was going to come later.


    Several hours later, I heard knocking again.


    This time the knocks were loud and betrayed urgency.


    ?Lizzie?! Are you in there? Answer me!? I heard Amy shout desperately.


    ?Yes, I''m here,? I replied.


    ?Oh thank goodness! Since you didn''t come to class, I went to the infirmary, but you weren''t there... I was afraid something had happened to you. Are you ok? Did you faint? Can you walk?? she asked in a desperate tone.


    ?I''m fine, Amy,? I replied, calmly: there was no point lieing anymore.


    ?But then... why...? Don''t you remember that not going to class deducts 10 points from you?? she asked, her voice uncertain.


    ?I''ve decided that... it''s okay,?


    ?It''s okay? Wha--? You!? No!? she had caught on. ?YOU! How can you think of giving up like this?! You''re the strongest mage I''ve ever known! What''s the point of giving up when there are students like me...? Amy''s voice began to crack.


    ?I could survive this week, yes. But in the end, I stand no chance against people like Valentine. It would only delay the inevitable...? I replied, trying my hardest to sound rational.


    I would have loved to open that door and hug her and tell her I was sorry for tricking her. But if I did, I knew my resolve would break.


    ?What about me then?! Do you want to leave me here alone?? she tried to make me feel guilty.


    But I had already thought about it:


    ?If we survive together, Amy, one day I would be forced to kill you. I don''t want that to happen. I''d rather die first.?


    ?I-I... please, don''t do this to me... I''m sorry, I''m sorry! I saw you were acting weird since yesterday, b-but I didn''t dare say anything. You''ve always been so strong... I-I was scared. I didn''t know what to do...? Amy cried out in despair. ?But I... want to help you, tell me what led you to this stupid idea. Lizzie, you''re my best friend, please, I can''t lose you!? she pleaded.


    ?Thank you, Amy. But it''s okay. It''s better this way for both of us.?


    Tears were streaming down my face as well. If hell existed, I deserved to end up there for how I was treating my best friend. But I couldn''t falter.


    ?Lizzie, if you don''t open this door, I''ll blow it up!?


    Amy had had enough.


    But it wouldn''t have served any purpose.


    The door was enchanted to withstand the most powerful spells. I heard Amy casting numerous incantations, but the door didn''t budge.


    So, a torture lasting two hours began.


    After discovering that magic was useless, Amy started pounding on the door with increasing force. Then came tears, pleas, even insults. In the end, I heard her collapse on the floor, exhausted. Her subdued sobs were like daggers to the heart.


    When it was 4:00 p.m., all I could do was to tell her:


    ?It''s time for the afternoon classes, Amy, you have to go or you''ll lose points...?


    I heard Amy get up and walk away. I had expected her to resist. But in the end, it wouldn''t have been strange if she had started to hate me. I deserved it.


    I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Now all I had to do was to wait.


    My head felt strangely light. Perhaps my emotions had left with Amy.


    That''s how I slipped into a dreamless sleep.


    <hr>


    I was awakened by a soft knocking sound.


    I stared at the clock. It was 11 p.m.


    My last day would begin shortly.


    Knock knock


    I ignored the door. Amy was probably trying to change my mind one last time. It was better not to answer.


    After a few minutes, the knocking stopped.


    "I''m sorry, Amy..."


    I closed my eyes.


    BAM!


    I reopened them just in time to see the door of my room crash to the floor.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>

 12. Hope

    I saw a figure enter the room, still immersed in darkness.


    Instinctively, I grabbed the wand that I had placed on the bedside table. I might have given up, but I wouldn''t let myself be taken out like this, in my bed, without putting up a fight.


    However, before I could cast a spell, the room lit up. The intruder must have turned on the light with magic.


    I observed the person who had burst into my room, my mouth agape with surprise.


    ?Man, you look awful...? exclamed Sophia Thornton, looking at me like I was a some kind of disgusting bug she had found squashed under her boots.


    ?Y-you! What the fuck are you doing in my room?!?


    I was too bewildered to feel insulted at her comment. And I probably did look awful. Taking into account the mix of sleep deprivation and crying and the fact that I hadn''t showered that day, I musn''t have been very pleasing to the eyes.


    ?Believe me, I could think of about a thousand more enjoyable ways to spend my evening. Unfortunately, your friend has been tormenting me all day to come talk to you. I don''t know what she hopes I''ll achieve, but when she threatened to camp outside my door all night, I decided it was better to come and check on you,? she said, pointing at someone behind her.


    The shock of that sudden visit hadn''t made me notice Amy, who was currently standing in the doorway, now devoid of a door. She was busy staring at the floor, trying her best to avoid meeting my gaze.


    It wasn''t hard to understand why. After all I wouldn''t have known what to say to her either.


    ?So,? Sophia continued, ?could you explain to me what your brilliant plan is? Don''t tell me you''re so stupid as to think that the last-place finisher gets sent on vacation to some tropical island? That would be too much even for you...?


    Once again, I decided not to give in to provocation. I had to keep my emotions under control and try to appear as rational as possible.


    ?I simply realized what the best thing to do is,? I explained in a neutral tone, ?knowing that I have no chance of beating Valentine, being eliminated in the first round rather than trying to survive as long as possible, seeing many of my classmates die, is the most logical thing to do.?


    For once Sophia''s mocking smile faded, replaced by a serious expression.


    With a harsh voice, she replied, ?So it''s true then¡­ I thought there was something more to it, but then your friend was telling the truth...?


    For a few seconds, her eyes locked onto mine.


    I lowered my gaze, unable to stand her inquisitive gaze.


    When she spoke again, her tone was firm:


    ?Think you can fool me? Logic my ass... There''s nothing logical about giving up and accepting death. The truth is that you''re scared, right??


    ?I...? I couldn''t deny it.


    ?That''s fine. There''s nothing wrong in being afraid. In drastic situations like this, fear can help us avoid reckless choices. It''s an emotion that stems from our sense of self-preservation after all,? Sophia replied, interpreting my silence as agreement.


    ?But what you''re doing is letting fear consume you. From fear, you move to terror. Reason is thrown out the window, and you look for the easiest way out, in this case: giving up,? she continued.


    I could feel her stern gaze on me.


    ?So don''t try to justify it. You''re scared and you want to escape. It''s not strange for someone to react this way. But, I admit, from someone that talked big about herself, I expected something better...?


    That last sentence stirred something inside me. Perhaps it was the remnants of my pride, which I had thought was dead and buried. But now it gave me the necessary push to raise my eyes again and meet the gaze of that girl, who seemed to have a natural talent for getting on my nerves.


    ?So can you explain to me what the fuck I''m supposed to do?! It''s easy for you to talk! Not everyone can split a fireball in half...? I burst out.


    Seeing my reaction, Sophia''s mocking expression returned to her face.


    ?Unlike you, I don''t need to resort to tricks to win,? she taunted me in a strident voice, ?that was you, right? Were those just words??


    ?T-This is different!? I felt my ears burning from embaressment.


    It was what I had told her during our argument on the first day of school. I had wanted to act tough, and now I was paying the consequences.


    ?Against a power like Valentine''s...?


    ?Tell me, are you really sure you fully understand Valentine''s power? I remember how skeptical you were about my enchanted sword. Has fear clouded your mind so much?? Sophia interrupted me.


    ?Huh? What do you mean??


    Had I missed something? I had carefully observed the duel between Igor Valentine and Carl Stuart.


    I could still vividly see in my mind, in clear detail, poor Carl being decapitated by his own blood. Could I really have overlooked something?


    ?Moreover, don''t you understand that by doing this, you''re playing straight into Valentine''s hands?? Sophia continued, ?I''ve seen him challenge you to a duel twice. It''s clear he wanted to put pressure on you. Sure, he might have done it just because he''s a bloody sadist. But, in my opinion, he wants to get rid of you because he''s afraid of you.?


    ?A-Afraid of me...?? I repeated, astonished.


    Why would he be afraid of me? In a duel, he could decapitate me instantly like Carl, and I couldn''t do anything about it...


    ?Even if it''s as you say, what do you want me to do then?? I asked after a moment, ?Should I perhaps duel with him? If your reasoning is wrong, what do you plan to do? Will you bring flowers to my grave??


    Despite everything, I could feel my resolve wavering... Sophia, bursting into my room, had brought with her something I thought I had lost: hope.


    A chance, however small, that there was something I hadn''t considered.


    ?Oh, I can even give a speech at your funeral if you want,? Sophia replied, laughing, ?but no, for once you''re right, it doesn''t make sense to risk it. But why not duel some other student, not Valentine, and see how the situation evolves in the coming weeks??


    It made sense. Too much sense. But at those words, I felt the anxiety creeping back to knock on the doors of my mind. I remembered what I had felt when I had tried to duel the day before. As much as I could express good intentions here, safe in my room, I knew that when it came time to act, I would freeze up again.


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    I lowered my gaze again and expressed the doubts that plagued me.


    ?And what if, besides you and Valentine, other students have hidden powers? And what if the one I challenge can, I don''t know, kill me just by looking at me, stop time, or something like that...??


    I wanted Sophia, with her disdainful tone, to tell me to stop talking nonsense. But instead:


    ?Could be!? she replied immediately, ?I think many of us are gonna have some kind of special ability. The school must have selected people like Valentine for this specific reason.?


    ?So what''s the point of even trying?? I sighed.


    ?First of all, not everyone is as dumb as Valentine,? declared Sophia.


    ?Huh? What do you mean??


    ?Let me explain it so even your little brain can understand it. Imagine having a special power. Do you think it''s a good idea to reveal it to everyone in the first week?? said Sophia, ?It''s pretty much the same conversation I had with you on the first day. There''s no point in painting a target on your back. It''s better to keep your trump card hidden until there''s a real risk of being eliminated.?


    As usual, she was right, but why did she feel the need to slip in an insult at every possible chance?


    Anyway...


    ?And what if the one I challenge is a lunatic like Valentine?? I asked with a note of desperation in my voice. I felt like I was grasping for excuses.


    It burned me deeply to appear so weak in front of Sophia, but a part of me wanted her to reassure me.


    ?Then you just die. But you won''t know unless you try, the result will be the same if you don''t either way...? she replied nonchalantly


    I knew that, but still...


    I decided to completely drop my defenses and confess:


    ?I''ve already tried, but I couldn''t do it. It''s like my body refuses...?


    Sophia stared at me, for the first time I felt an hint genuine warmth in her gaze.


    ?Don''t try to do everything on your own then. If your body won''t move forward, bring someone with you who can give you a push. You happen to have a very convincing friend,? she said, pointing again towards Amy, behind her.


    I saw the latter quickly shift her gaze to the floor.


    "I don''t think she wants anything to do with me now though..."


    Seeing me hesitate, Sophia sighed and burst out:


    ?Listen, you still have a day. Tomorrow is Sunday. No classes. Valentine is still in detention and can''t leave his room. You have all the time to have all the duels you want in peace. As for the future...?


    For the first time, Sophia looked away. She seemed to be caught in an inner conflict.


    In the end, she seemed to make up her mind and said:


    ?Don''t get any strange ideas. I had already thought about it before coming here. I have a plan to get rid of Valentine. I don''t want to have a murderer in our class for the rest of the year.?


    "A plan?"


    Was it really possible? Was there a way to eliminate him outside of a duel?


    ?What do you m-?


    ?None of your business. If you want to find out, try to score points tomorrow.?


    Was she telling the truth?


    I couldn''t know. But at that moment, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.


    It was pathetic, I knew. I knew I was just leaning on Sophia. But for now, it was fine like this. I needed a crutch to lift myself up.


    ?Sophia, I... Thank you.?


    ?I''m not doing it for you!? she replied, turning away. ?And if you died, your friend wouldn''t leave me alone anymore...?


    She headed for the door-free exit.


    ?If there''s nothing else... I hope I didn''t waste my time.?


    And she disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.


    I couldn''t help but think that, despite her unpleasant attitude, she was actually a very good person. The fact that she had listened to Amy''s pleas for help even if she disliked me was a sign of that.


    Speaking of Amy...


    It was just me and her, the door lying on the floor between us. A tomb-like silence fell in the room.


    The tension was so palpable that the air felt heavy and hard to breathe.


    I decided to try and break the stalemate.


    Not knowing what to say, I started:


    ?Amy, I...?


    Amy snapped as if I had given her a signal.


    Before I could move, she reached me and raised her hand.


    Slap!


    I felt a sudden pain in my cheek. I touched it. It wasn''t a strong one, but it still hurt. I knew it was nothing, though, compared to what I had made my friend feel.


    Amy was finally looking at me, tears in her eyes and her hand still raised. If she wanted to give me more slaps, I would have accepted them. Ten, a hundred, a thousand. I would have deserved them.


    But instead, Amy threw herself against my chest. Sobbing desperately.


    I put a hand behind her neck, stroking her hair.


    ?I''m sorry...? I whispered.


    It was weak, but I couldn''t think of anything else to say to her.


    ?Why, why didn''t you tell me anything?!? Amy shouted through tears.


    ?I... I didn''t want to worry you. I wanted to appear strong. I didn''t want to disappoint you...?


    I knew how much Amy admired me. The idea of confessing my weaknesses to her felt wrong at the time. But now I knew, I had made the wrong choice...


    It was Amy herself who confirmed it:


    ?You''re an idiot. Whether you''re the strongest or not doesn''t matter. I''ll always be by your side anyway..?


    ?Amy, you''re right. I''ve been stupid... And thank you, without you, I would never have realized it...?


    Amy looked up from my chest. She was smiling through tears.


    ?Heh heh, I knew Sophia would convince you...?


    She got me as usual. That strange girl had the ability to ignite a fire inside me.


    Suddenly, though, the reality of what had happened in this room hit me.


    ?AAAAH? I screamed.


    Amy jumped, startled.


    "Perhaps I should really just die..."


    ?In what state did I show myself in?!? I yelled, punching the pillow.


    The idea that I had made Sophia feel pity for me to the point that she decided to save me, like a damsel in distress in need of a prince, reddened my cheeks.


    "Never again!"


    From now on, I would show her. From tomorrow, I wouldn''t allow her to look down on me anymore.

 13. Sophias plan

    My hand, clenched around the wand, was trembling again. But this time, another one covered it, squeezing it with affection. I shot a sideways glance at Amy, who was smiling at me. That smile acted like a charm, keeping the intrusive thoughts at bay as they tried to break into my conviction.


    I took a deep breath.


    I approached a boy who was chatting amiably with a couple of friends in the common room.


    ?Hey! Do you have a moment??


    I had selected him from the rankings with Amy''s help. He was positioned about halfway. Therefore, even if pressured, it was unlikely he would go to extremes just to win a duel.


    ?I''d like to challenge you to a duel...? I continued.


    ?Alright! Want to bet something?? the boy replied.


    ?No need.?


    I only cared about getting some points.


    I was at -24 currently. Dead last. The student before me was at -14. In theory, winning 6 duels would suffice. But I wanted to create a good safety cushion for myself. I didn''t want any surprise, like being overtaken at the last moment.


    ?Uhm, okay...? the boy responded after thinking for a moment, ?if you lose, you''ll have to challenge me again tomorrow...?


    It was a popular tactic to gain more points, but I had decided not to exploit it. I didn''t want to go too hard on the same person. Despite the situation I was in, I still wanted to retain some of my humanity.


    ?Deal,? I replied.


    As usual, the magical barrier formed around us. It would be my second duel. But this time, it would go very differently from the first. I was not going to pull my punches.


    3


    2


    I pointed my wand towards my opponent.


    I was ready.


    1


    As soon as the countdown ended, I appealed to the magical power swirling within me.


    ?Fireball!?


    A very basic spell. But the flame sphere I conjured had nothing to do with the ones I had seen cast before.


    I felt the temperature of the surrounding environment rise several degrees as the gigantic fireball roared forth toward my opponent.


    I had deliberately aimed for the side, towards the floor. Loading the spell with so much mana would make it decidedly dangerous if it hit a person head-on.


    The student I had challenged conjured a water shield as defense. However, when my spell collided with his, the shield evaporated instantly. The fireball reached its destination and a powerful explosion erupted at the point of impact.


    My opponent was lifted into the air and forcefully thrown against the magical barrier.


    I hurried over to check on his condition.


    He seemed unconscious. Perhaps I had overdone it a bit...


    But the duel was over. I had won with a single spell, as I had anticipated.


    Winning quickly would be the key to scoring many points in one day.


    After ensuring that the boy was taken to the infirmary, Amy and I went in search of a new victim.


    <hr>


    Elizabeth Belvoir 10


    I stared at my name, sighing with relief.


    The student who was last in the rankings, a dude called Jamey Porter, had slipped down to -18.


    It was 10 P.M. right now, and it was very unlikely that he would manage to score a comeback in just two hours.


    I was safe. And it had all been so damn easy.


    After the first three or four duels, word must have spread among my peers that dueling with me ensured a nice nap in the infirmary beds.


    Many of the students higher up in the rankings had therefore decided not to accept my challenge, opting to lose two points rather than receive a concussion.


    That''s how I managed to rack up points very quickly and effortlessly.


    ?See? You did it without any issues!? Amy said, raising her hand.


    I high-fived her. The truth was, without her support, I probably wouldn''t have managed to duel at all. I would have frozen up like two days ago.


    But now everything was okay.


    Yet I still couldn''t be happy about it.


    By saving myself, I had condemned one of my classmates.


    "But it can''t be helped."


    After talking to Sophia, I had made my decision. I would try to survive as long as possible. I would protect Amy and try to find a way to save us both.


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    But there was something that still troubled me.


    Tomorrow I was going to see him again. Valentine would challenge me to a duel and there was nothing I could do about it.


    I just had to believe in Sophia and her plan.


    <hr>


    When Amy and I arrived in class the next morning, we immediately noticed that a small crowd of students had gathered in front of the rankings. I glanced at the top.


    97 students remaining...


    "What!? Who died?"


    With my heart pounding, I shifted my gaze to the bottom of the rankings.


    Jaime Porter''s name had been crossed out with an X.


    "Has he been killed already?"


    Amy turned to a girl she knew in the group of students.


    ?Hey, do you know what happened??


    The girl, with a worried look, replied:


    ?Two of his friends went to knock on his door this morning. They wanted to see if he was okay, you know, since he was last place,? the girl paused for a moment and then continued with a trembling voice, ?no one answered, so they tried to open the door. It wasn''t locked, so they went in. Inside, there was nothing. Neither Jaime, nor his clothes, his things, nothing at all. It''s as if there had never been anyone in that room...?


    ?I see, thanks,? Amy turned, giving me a scared look.


    It was obvious. There was no point in deluding ourselves that he was somewhere in the school: they had made him disappear.


    Perhaps I would have preferred a proper execution in front of the whole class. It would have given a sense of finality to it.


    The idea that he had vanished into thin air, like he had been spirited away, sent shivers down my spine.


    "Oh, so it wasn''t you who kicked the bucket.?


    Lost in thought, I hadn''t noticed that Valentine had approached and was looking at the rankings over my shoulder. I jumped and instinctively grabbed my wand.


    The boy, as usual, was smirking.


    ?Why weren''t you in class on Saturday?? he asked, not at all intimidated, ?what''s wrong? Didn''t you want to see me? And here I thought we were friends...?


    Valentine took a step forward. I knew he would do it again. He would challenge me, and I would have to refuse.


    ?Why don''t you leave her alone?!?


    I turned to Amy, a mix of surprise and fear on my face. She was staring at him, fists clenched. She knew well that she couldn''t do anything, but she still stood up for me.


    ?Oh? And you are? Do you also have some points to spare with me?? Valentine asked, shifting his malignant gaze to her.


    Before Amy could respond, I stepped between her and Valentine.


    ?Don''t involve other people...?


    I couldn''t allow him to bully her. I knew Amy wanted to help me, but it didn''t make sense for both of us to lose points.


    ?I mean, she''s the one who interfered. But okay, I won''t involve her... As long as you accept my challenge!?


    "Asshole..."


    I hesitated.


    Yesterday''s victories had given me some confidence back. I thought about what Sophia had told me the day before.


    Could it be that I hadn''t truly understood Valentine''s power? What if he was weaker than I thought?


    Part of me wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.


    But I couldn''t risk it...


    ?I''m n-?


    Before I could finish speaking, a voice rang out loud and clear from the back of the class.


    ?Valentine, I challenge you to a duel.?


    A deathly silence fell over the class. We all stood frozen. Even Valentine seemed surprised for the first time. His malicious grin gave way to a bewildered expression.


    On my part, I felt blood rush to my head.


    Before Valentine could respond, I quickly walked over to the girl who had issued that challenge, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her out of the classroom, saying:


    ?Excuse us for a moment.?


    I expected Sophia to resist, but instead, she allowed herself to be led into the hallway.


    Once outside, I closed the classroom door.


    ?What the-?


    Before Sophia could finish, I pushed her against the wall.


    I was furious.


    ?Is this your fucking plan? Getting yourself killed?!? I yelled at her face.


    Sophia, back against the wall, seemed to stiffen in front of my anger and turned her face, avoiding my gaze.


    In response to her silence, I continued: ?So, have they eaten your tongue? Weren''t you the one who told me it''s pointless to take risks yesterday??


    Sophia seemed to mutter something.


    I didn''t understand why she was behaving like this, it wasn''t like her.


    ?What''s the matter? Speak up!? I said, slamming my hand against the wall. That gesture made Sophia startle, and she finally looked me straight in the eyes. Her usually pale cheeks were tinged with a slight blush.


    ?I said, I''m sure I''ll win...? she snapped with a venomous tone, ?and anyway... don''t you know of the concept of personal space...??


    ?Eh??


    Suddenly, I realized how close we were. I was so out of it that I hadn''t noticed that I was practically crushing Sophia against the wall. The distance between us was so small that the tips of our noses were about to touch.


    I jumped back as if I had been burned.


    ?Sorry...? I muttered.


    This time, I was the one that averted my gaze. The hallway was deserted. Luckily, no one had seen us or would think I was bullying her or something like that.


    ?I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have lost my temper like that,? I continued, ?but I don''t want you to risk your life to protect me... you''ve already done enough.?


    ?I already told you I''m not doing it for you!? Sophia replied, who by now seemed to have regained her usual composure, ?I don''t want to spend the whole year with someone like Valentine in class. Sooner or later, we''d end up with another dead body... Dueling with him is the fastest way to get rid of him.?


    ?But then was that ''plan'' thing just a lie??


    ?Well, if I had told you the truth, would you have listened? Just look at how you reacted right now.? Sophia replied with a half-smile.


    ?You tricked me...? I was annoyed, but I couldn''t deny she was right.


    I decided to move on. There was another thought bothering me.


    ?Get rid of him... Do you mean... You want to kill him??


    Sophia''s expression darkened.


    ?I''d like to avoid it, but after thinking about it for a long time, I don''t think there''s another way... I''m sure he''s not going to have the same scruples with me.?


    A part of me couldn''t accept that the girl in front of me was declaring herself ready to become a murderer.


    But I knew it was my remaining naivety speaking. I knew that sooner or later, I too would be faced with the same decision: survive or kill.


    It was inevitable, given the circumstances we were in.


    ?Are you absolutely sure you''ll win?? I asked finally.


    I was sure that no matter what I said, there would be no way to change her mind.


    ?Of course I will!?


    She almost sounded offended.


    But she had already lied to me once. Nonetheless I decided to trust her again.


    "Fool me twice..."


    But I guess she would''ve been the one to pay the price in this case. With her life.


    ?Good luck then...?


    Sophia walked past me, heading back to class.


    On impulse, I grabbed her wrist again.


    ?...??


    ?Don''t you dare die on me...?


    She simply freed herself from my grip and entered the classroom, giving me a thumbs up.

 14. A clash of words

    Sophia and Valentine took their positions in front of the lectern, ready to clash.


    The professor, who had arrived just a few moments earlier, had decided to postpone classes in favor of their duel. After all, the ultimate purpose of this school wasn''t to educate us...


    The barrier expanded, encompassing the two contenders.


    In the meantime, the entire class seemed to have almost forgotten how to breathe. The last duel we had witnessed in that classroom had seen Sophia triumph, much to everyone''s surprise. It was evident that everyone hoped today''s result would be the same.


    However, this time, Sophia''s challenger was of a much higher caliber compared to the now deceased Montague.


    Upon our return, Valentine seemed to have recovered from the initial surprise and had accepted the girl''s challenge with enthusiasm. Although Sophia also possessed an unusual power, it was clear that the boy was not intimidated in the least.


    The now familiar magical voice was almost at the end of the countdown.


    ...3


    2


    Strangely enough, neither of the two contenders assumed a fighting stance. As for Valentine, it was normal, after all he didn''t really need a weapon to fight.


    But even Sophia remained still, her sword still in its sheath.


    1


    Nothing happened. Sophia merely crossed her arms, a strange expression on her face.


    "What is she doing?"


    Even Valentine seemed caught off guard.


    ?What''s the matter? Was it all a bluff? You thought I wouldn''t accept and now you don''t know what to do?? he asked contemptuously, ?if you beg on your knees, maybe I''ll accept your surrender,? he continued, laughing.


    I saw some students shaking their heads in dismay.


    However, I was certain that there was no chance Sophia wanted to surrender. She had to have a plan.


    "What is she up to?"


    I watched that strange girl sizing up her enemy with an uninterested expression, as if the thought of dueling Valentine bored her.


    ?You know... perhaps you''re right. I''ve made a mistake in challenging you. Your power is so terrible that you could defeat me so easily. For fuck sake, you can just decapitate me with my own blood just like Stuart! What chances do I have against something like that? What was I thinking?!? declared Sophia in an over-emphatic dramatic tone, ?so what''s the point of fighting? Come on, get it over quickly.?


    "She''s provoking him."


    But for what purpose?


    Valentine merely stared at her. But he was no longer smiling.


    In response to his silence, Sophia prompted him:


    ?So? Is there an issue? Don''t you want to end the suffering of a poor little girl like me??


    "Man, her acting sucks."


    But it seems she was succeding at pissing off her opponent.


    ?What are you talking about?? replied Valentine, gritting his teeth, irritated. But after a moment, he seemed to compose himself and smiled again, ?I simply don''t want to finish you off without having a bit of fun first.?


    ?Oh?? Sophia smiled in return, a cold smile that didn''t reach her eyes, ?curious... You said almost the same thing to Carl Stuart. Before killing him, you let him punch you for quite a while. Are you perhaps a masochist? I''m not sure I want to encourage such urges...?


    I was following this verbal confrontation with the same attention I would have reserved for an actual fight.


    Sophia was trying to push Valentine to attack her, but Valentine was being strangely reluctant to do so.


    Based on what she had told me yesterday, I knew Sophia had serious doubts about the extent of Valentine''s power. After her last words, I began to understand why.


    Valentine could have defeated Carl Stuart instantly with his power.


    Why hadn''t he?


    Valentine had said he liked to teach his opponents a lesson and to defeat them when they believed they had won.


    But what if it was all just an act instead?


    What if he hadn''t killed Carl at the beginning of the fight because he couldn''t, just like he couldn''t do anything against Sophia right now?


    As to comfirm my theory, the girl continued to taunt Valentine:


    ?You know, your power is truly fucked up! You could kill someone by cutting a few veins in their brain. Sure, the blood sword was a fascinating idea, but imagine what an impression you would''ve made if your opponent had suddenly dropped dead! "Valentine can kill you just by looking at you." How cool is that??


    Valentine clenched his fists. He was visibly getting annoyed.


    ?Why do you care so much about how I use my power?? he replied, ?I just wanted to make a bit of a scene. Stuart was pretty much a walking dead man. I just played around ''cause I had already won from the start!?


    ?Well, I''m still waiting though... So far you haven''t done anything to me...?


    Faced again with Valentine''s silence, Sophia decided to abandon her friendly facade and burst out:


    ?Don''t think you can fool me like those other idiots. If you haven''t killed me already, it''s because you can''t.?


    After these words, she drew her sword, but she didn''t point it at Valentine. Instead, she ran it over the palm of her hand.


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    "What the...?"


    Crimson drops began to fall to the floor at Sophia''s feet.


    ?See? This is my blood. Go on, turn it into a sword or whatever. What''s wrong, too far away? Here, take it!?


    She waved her arm violently. Blood splattered onto the ground near Valentine.


    The latter could only clench his fists in evident frustration.


    After a few seconds, however, he regained his usual smirk once again and addressed Sophia in a disdainful tone:


    ?I guess you think you''re very clever, huh? Tell me, how did you figure it out??


    "What the fuck is going on?"


    Valentine, for some reason, hadn''t risen to Sophia''s challenge. Could it be that he actually couldn''t control the girl''s blood...?


    But if his control extended only to his own, then how did he decapitate Carl Stuart?


    Sophia provided me with the answer.


    ?The fact that you killed Stuart only after lightly slashing his neck made everything too suspicious. Why wait? The only reason is that you actually needed that wound to kill him. When your blade struck him, your blood got into the cut, mixing with his, and you used it to decapitate him from the inside. Control other people''s blood my ass. You just made everyone believe that your power was way scarier than it actually is.?


    A murmur of surprise spread through the classroom.


    Sophia''s hypothesis, as convoluted as it was, made sense. Valentine seemed to have complete control over his blood, enough to change its shape and consistency rapidly.


    It was very much possible that, when his crimson blade had scratched Carl Stuart''s neck, Valentine had liquefied part of it, mixing his blood with his victim''s. Once inside the wound, he could have transformed it back into a blade, tearing poor Carl''s neck off.


    But... wasn''t it all a bit too far-fetched?


    Could it be that Sophia had staked her life on what was a mere theory?


    Valentine seemed to think the same. He burst into a hearty laugh and asked:


    ?Hahaha, and you would have had the guts to challenge me ''cause of this crazy theory of yours??


    From his tone, however, it was clear that he found nothing amusing about it. It seemed that Sophia had hit the mark after all.


    ?Exactly.?


    The girl''s voice exuded confidence.


    ?I admit, I wasn''t sure I was right. But the odds were high. What convinced me is the fact that if you truly could control other people''s blood, you would have already killed us all.?


    Valentine seemed struck by this response.


    ?Mmmh, you''re quite right...?


    Strangely, despite his trick being uncovered, his smile widened.


    I had a bad feeling.


    ?You truly are amusing!? he complimented his adversary, ?congratulations, you got me. Unfortunately, you made a big mistake.?


    ?What would that be?? Sophia replied, completely unfazed.


    ?Well, you''ve discovered the limits of my power. Good for you. But you made a big mistake challenging me. If you had revealed my power to everyone else, perhaps you could have found someone actually capable of defeating me. But you... you don''t stand a chance!? Valentine explained triumphantly, ?from what I''ve seen, you handle yourself well with a sword. And your blade seems to be able to deflect magic. But, as you saw in my duel with dear Carl, fighting me in close combat is impossible. All it takes is one blow, and my blood will circulate in your veins. And then... you''ll be as good as dead.?


    After the initial enthusiasm, stemming from the discovery that his power wasn''t as frightening as I thought, Valentine''s words plunged me back into anxiety.


    He was right. His blood blade made him extremely dangerous to fight in close quarters. The ability of his sword to change consistency made it almost unblockable. Furthermore, he could quickly change its shape and length, making it difficult to judge distances.


    Valentine could be said to be Sophia''s worst possible opponent. Her ability to fend off spells would be useless against him and her fencing skills wouldn''t help much either, since Valentine was incredibly resilient to physical attacks.


    But alongside the anxiety, I also felt something else. I was... annoyed?


    Why had Sophia kept everything hidden from me during our conversation?


    Cunning as she was, she surely had made the same assessments as Valentine.


    If she had explained her hypothesis to me, I could have challenged him in her place. Unlike her, I could have kept my distance, bombarding him with all my magical power before he could attack me with his blood.


    Perhaps, after seeing my frail mental state, she thought I would back out at the last moment?


    Or maybe she didn''t trust my abilities?


    For some reason, both things stung deep.


    But for now, my concern for Sophia''s fate was more pressing.


    I stared at her.


    Valentine''s words seemed to have not even slightly shaken her determination.


    Sophia pointed her sword at her opponent.


    ?You''re right. If you manage to hit me, you''ll win,? she smiled, ?but I have no intention of letting you land a single blow.?


    The duel was finally about to begin.

 15. To the last drop of blood

    Valentine drew his sword and, as Sophia had done before, ran it over his palm. With a clatter, the steel blade fell to the ground, while a crimson one, created from his blood, emerged from the boy''s hand.


    Sophia stood still, waiting for her opponent to make his first move.


    It only took a moment for Valentine to start his assault. His thrust was deftly dodged with a sidestep. His blade, however, mutated after the failed strike. The blood came to life, taking the shape of an arrow and, flying off Valentine''s hand, swiftly darted towards Sophia''s side.


    But she was ready.


    With a backward leap, she moved out of the trajectory. The arrow missed its target, but before crashing into the magical barrier, it halted its course and reversed. With high speed, it headed back towards the girl. Meanwhile, Valentine also lunged towards Sophia, attempting to tackle her: a pincer attack.


    The class held its breath.


    But Sophia had no intention of losing so quickly.


    She quickly turned around and ran towards the blood arrow, dodging it by ducking, while simultaneously avoiding her opponent''s charge.


    Her movements betrayed great combat experience. But would it be enough to evade every single attack?


    Valentine continued to stay on the offensive. The arrow returned to his hand, this time transforming into a blood whip. Valentine wielded it fervently towards Sophia''s legs. She jumped to avoid it. Valentine, who must have anticipated that response, liquefied his blood again, which fell to the floor, forming a spiked trap. Sophia twisted her body and managed to leap backward again to avoid landing on it.


    Valentine''s attacks intensified, but Sophia''s physical prowess and reflexes managed to avoid the myriad ways his blood attempted to attack her.


    My cheeks were now marked by deep lines, where I had dug my nails in tension.


    How long would she be able to dodge?


    She had done an excellent job so far. The speed at which Valentine could control his blood seemed to have its limits, which Sophia was managing to exploit.


    But in the long run, a small mistake or the onset of fatigue could spell doom for her.


    Sophia herself couldn''t go on the offensive. Rushing against Valentine would expose her to an undodgeable attack.


    Her only chance was to win by attrition.


    Despite his power, it was unlikely that Valentine could keep large quantities of blood outside his body without consequences. If Sophia pushed him to use more and more blood, perhaps she had a chance.


    "What a shitty situation you have put yourself in!"


    If only she had talked to me instead of trying to be so mysterious.


    The fight continued for another ten minutes. As time passed, I could see Valentine''s attacks becoming slower. Sophia also seemed less agile than at the beginning, but she appeared less worn out than her opponent.


    Was there hope after all?


    ?You weren''t kidding... huh?? Valentine gasped. His face had become increasingly pale as the duel progressed.


    ?What''s wrong, not so full of yourself anymore?? Sophia replied, sizing him up from a safe distance.


    ?Well, I''m certainly impressed that you lasted this long. But I''ve figured out what you''re aiming for and it won''t work...?


    New blood gushed from the wound in his hand, his crimson blade elongated by several inches. By now, he must have extracted nearly two liters of blood from his body.


    ?Sure, I admit it''s not pleasant. But thanks to my power, I can survive with much less blood than a normal human.?


    Valentine''s attacks, though slower, gained considerable range and power. Sophia was slowly retreating, soon she would find herself backed against the wall due to the barrier.


    I wanted to close my eyes.


    But then it happened.


    Valentine''s blade swept across the arena, Sophia jumped to avoid it. With a triumphant expression, Valentine spat.


    "!"


    It was a blood sphere. The blade had lost its consistency on the floor. Valentine probably couldn''t control two separate masses of blood simultaneously.


    "He must have bitten his tongue and created a projectile with the blood that had thickened inside his mouth!"


    A cunning move. Sophia was in the air, unable to dodge.


    So she did the only thing she could. She parried with her sword.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.But it would be of no use. Valentine would just liquefy the projectile, bypassing her defense.


    It was the end.


    But it didn''t go that way.


    As if encountering an invisible force, the blood sphere split in two, passing by Sophia''s sides and harmlessly hitting the magical barrier.


    Murmurs of surprise swept through the audience once again.


    A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu you could say. The same thing had happened when Sophia had split the fireball in two.


    This time though, what she had cut wasn''t a spell.


    Even Valentine seemed stunned for a moment. Then he gathered his blood once more.


    ?So I wasn''t the only one hiding the limits of my power...?


    Sophia merely stared at him, awaiting the next attack.


    But Valentine knew that the tides of the duel had turned.


    If the boy had pretended to be more powerful, Sophia had managed to do the opposite. Everyone had thought that her sword only had the power to deflect spells, but now it was evident that there was more to it.


    I was certain that now thoughts similar to those that had tormented me after seeing his duel against Carl were forming in Valentine''s brain.


    What was Sophia actually capable of?


    And what if his blood was useless against her?


    Sophia took a step forward. Valentine reformed his crimson blade once again and launched another attack.


    But this time, the girl didn''t dodge. When the two blades, steel and blood, clashed, the latter broke in half. The blood fell lifeless to the ground.


    I could hear several students erupting in sighs of relief, laughing and cheering.


    It seemed that that sword had not only cut through the blood blade but had also slashed the veil of terror that Valentine had cast over our lives.


    The duel continued for a few more minutes. No matter what forms Valentine''s blood took, Sophia''s relentless sword managed to neutralize it.


    And then it was over.


    Valentine, his blood in the form of a spear, made a clumsy lunge. Sophia dodged to the side and, as easily as a knife cuts through butter, pierced him on the left side, straight to the heart.


    A roar of joy erupted in the classroom. Many students applauded. It was the end of Valentine''s reign of terror.


    But I didn''t join in. I was busy staring at Sophia.


    After piercing her opponent, she had suddenly jumped back, as if she had been burned.


    It was with horror that I saw Valentine remain standing, with a wicked grin on his face. Sophia''s blade, still impaled in his body, was now coated with his blood up to the hilt.


    Soon, the rest of the class realized that something terribly wrong was happening. The classroom fell into terrified silence.


    Coughing blood, Valentine spoke:


    ?Idiot. You had won but you messed up at the last second. Aiming for the heart against me, seriously? You should have aimed for the head dumbfuck! Now without your sword, you''re screwed.?


    My heart sank as I saw Sophia''s expression. I had hoped to see her calm as usual. I desperately wanted for all of this to still be part of her plan.


    But Sophia was biting her lip. She had been caught off guard.


    After all, what kind of human being would survive a blade through their heart? Probably only one.


    That monster who had complete control over his blood named Igor Valentine.


    The monster advanced. Blood flowed from the wound on his chest. It spread, covering his entire body like a horrific coat of armor.


    ?Now I just need to touch you...? he explained calmly, continuing to march towards his prey.


    Sophia retreated, but there was no way out.


    Soon, her back was pressed against the magical wall.


    It was what he was waiting for. Valentine, covered in his scarlet mantle, lunged at her.


    I stood up abruptly, my hand clenched around the wand. But unfortunately, there was nothing I could do except watch.


    Sophia reached out with an arm, as if to defend herself against the inevitable.


    Finally, the impact came.


    Horror-stricken screams erupted in the classroom.


    Like his blood projectile, Valentine''s two halves collided against the magical barrier.


    In between them, covered head to toe in the blood of her enemy, stood the victor of the duel:


    Sophia Thornton.

 16. Innate powers

    I didn''t know exactly what had brought me there, in front of Sophia''s room door.


    After the end of the duel, the girl had left the classroom, immersed in silence.


    The atmosphere couldn''t have been more different from when she had struck Valentine to the heart. No celebrations and compliments, just... fear.


    The leaderboard now read:


    96 students remaining.


    Carl Stuart''s murderer had been defeated. But now a new monster, if possible even more dangerous, had risen from its ashes.


    That was probably what the other students thought.


    Personally, I didn''t know what to think. On one hand, I couldn''t help but feel my stomach churn, thinking back on the gruesome state Sophia''s power had reduced Valentine''s body into. On the other, I felt gratitude and admiration towards her. After all, she had risked her life to save not only mine but everyone''s.


    She had also clearly intended to finish off Valentine with a clean hit to the heart. What happened after was not her fault.


    There was also something else driving me there: curiosity.


    As I had thought, the sword had nothing to do with her powers. I needed to know more. If there were other students among us who possessed those inexplicable powers, I needed to know more. My survival depended on it.


    So, when several students had asked to go to the infirmary, complaining of feeling sick due to the gory spectacle they had just witnessed, I tagged along.


    Finding where Sophia had gone was easy. All I had to do was follow the trail of blood she had left on the floor.


    I gathered my courage and knocked.


    After a moment, I heard Sophia''s muffled voice ask:


    ?Who is it??


    ?I-it''s me, Elizabeth. I would like to talk to you...?


    There was a moment of silence, then:


    ?Okay, come in, the door''s open. Give me five minutes. I''m washing all that blood off me.?


    Sophia''s voice betrayed irritation.


    For a moment I thought about running away, but then I decided to enter.


    Sophia''s room was pretty much identical to mine.


    But it kinda had a different feel to it. It was... empty? Aside from textbooks, scrolls of parchment, a pen and inkwell, there was practically nothing in there.


    No personal effects.


    I could hear the sound of running water through the bathroom door.


    I moved the chair from the desk and sat down, waiting.


    I began to try and think about how to start the conversation. So far, my encounters with Sophia had been anything but friendly.


    And now that I knew how powerful she was...


    I was almost thinking of slipping away with an excuse when I heard Sophia shout:


    ?I''m coming out. Turn around. If you peek, I''ll make sure you end up like Valentine.?


    ?Huh??


    Why was she treating me like a horny teenager?


    We were both girls, even if I had seen her coming out undressed from the bathroom, there would have been nothing strange about it.


    Nevertheless, I decided to obey. I really didn''t want to make her mad.


    The door opened, and I heard Sophia''s light footsteps enter the room and head towards the closet.


    Despite my previous thoughts, I couldn''t help but feel a certain nervousness.


    I kept staring at the wall for several endless minutes.


    ?Okay, you can turn around.?


    Sophia was sitting on the bed, her long black hair still wet. Accustomed to the impeccable form she had every day in class, seeing her like this, with her hair unkept and with her shirt untucked, was weird.


    ?So, what do you want?? Sophia burst out.


    I felt myself blush. It was the second time she had caught me staring at her.


    ?I, uhm, congratulations, you were amazing...?


    ?Thanks...? Sophia interrupted me, sarcastically.


    ?Uh, aren''t you happy you won??


    I thought she was irritated because I was bothering her, but maybe there was another reason.


    ?HAPPY?!? Sophia yelled.


    She turned and punched the pillow.


    It was incredible how the first impression I had of Sophia, the perfect and imperturbable ice queen, was being shattered more and more with each of our interactions.


    ?That motherfucker fooled me!? she muttered, pacing the room in long strides, ?who the fuck can survive with a sword stuck in their heart!?


    Hearing her cuss like that confirmed it. Despite her usual demeanor, she was actually a hot-head.


    But I was starting to understand why she was angry. She had probably planned to only show a fraction of her power during the duel. Valentine, however, had pushed her to reveal to the whole class the full extent of her abilities.


    Ignoring the protests of my survival instinct, I decided to reply:


    ?How was it again? Keeping a low profile? Those were your words, right??


    Sophia turned as red as a tomato:


    ?...! Very funny...?


    "Revenge! Sweet revenge!"


    I tried my best to stay serious:


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ?Why didn''t you tell me anything about what you had found out? I could have defeated him in your place if you did.?


    Sophia stared at me and replied with a note of regret in her voice: ?First of all, I wasn''t sure if my hypothesis was correct. I couldn''t make someone else risk their life just to confirm my theory, and then...? she clenched her fists, ?I wanted to test myself.?


    "Eh?"


    Testing herself?


    After all that talk about not taking risks?


    Was she just lying again? Maybe she just thought that I wasn''t strong enough to beat Valentine after all. She just didn''t want to tell it to my face.


    Weird, though. She usually didn''t mince words.


    ?Well, in hindsight, maybe I should have told you,? Sophia continued bitterly, ?now I''m the new public enemy number one. I''m surprised you''re here. Aren''t you afraid I''ll cut you in half??


    ?You would need to find someone else to torment then,? I joked.


    ?But I don''t think you''re like Valentine,? I continued in a softer tone, ?you''re not a monster like him. If you hadn''t done anything, he would have killed us all, sooner or later. And during the duel, he was the one trying to kill you first, you were just defending yourself!? I tried to console her.


    If I had learned something about that girl, it was that I shouldn''t rely on appearances. I was sure that, despite what she had told me before the duel, it hadn''t been easy for her to kill another human being.


    Sophia looked at me, surprised. She turned her face and whispered:


    ?Yeah, maybe you''re right.?


    She sat back on the bed. She seemed to have calmed down a bit.


    For a few minutes, we remained silent.


    Then Sophia spoke again:


    ?Come on. I know you want to ask me something.?


    I didn''t have to think about what she meant.


    ?Your power is...??


    ?I have no idea.?


    ?Huh??


    Sophia looked amused:


    ?I''m not trying to trick you this time. I really have no idea where it came from.?


    She began to speak:


    ?As you know, I have pretty much no magical power. I can barely light a match with my wand. That''s why I''ve always been passionate about swords since I was a child. If I couldn''t be a great wizard, I would be a great swordswoman, I thought,? Sophia''s gaze seemed nostalgic, ?I trained and trained. One day, while I was swinging blows against a target dummy, something changed.?


    Sophia''s tone of voice lowered, as if she were telling a secret.


    ?It''s as if something clicked in my brain. Suddenly, I realized that everything around me was held together by bonds. And those bonds were fragile. I cut that dummy in half with a single blow.?


    ?So you... can...??


    ?To simplify things a lot, yes, I can cut anything. Whether it''s a spell... or a person.?


    After these words, she grabbed a book from the desk. She delicately passed a finger over the cover. It split in half.


    I was astonished.


    Of course, I had already seen Sophia''s power in action. But seeing its effects at this distance...


    It looked like magic but there was no wand in sight and I felt no mana coming off of her.


    How was I ever going to beat her?


    ?I know what you''re thinking already,? Sophia said amusedly, ?my power has its limits, don''t worry. But I certainly won''t tell you what they are.?


    ?Don''t worry, I''ll find out on my own,? I replied.


    At the moment, however, there was another thing that troubled me.


    ?So, did this power come out of nowhere?? I asked.


    Sophia nodded:


    ?Yes, it appeared suddenly. And as you saw with Valentine, I''m not the only one who has one.?


    ?My power might not be anything compared to others,? she continued, furrowing her brow, ?who knows what kind of freaks that piece of shit of a headmaster has found.?


    It was clear now, the biggest threat to our survival would be other students with these powers.


    Between me and me, I decided to call them innate powers.


    After all, from what Sophia had told me, they were powers that appeared spontaneously, and were not the result of study or training.


    In this bad situation, however, there was a positive note: Sophia seemed like a decent person.


    Having such a strong girl on my side was reassuring.


    After everything that had happened, the bad blood that had arisen between us after our first meeting seemed like a distant memory now.


    Despite her a bad temper, I was beginning to appreciate her straightforwardness.


    "Maybe I should try again."


    ?Uhm, Sophia...?


    ?Yes??


    ?Would you like to be friends? It''s better to have some allies in this situation, right??


    I extended my hand.


    For a moment, I was sure she was going to take it.


    But then a shadow covered Sophia''s eyes. I could see a strange mix of sadness and determination in her gaze:


    ?No, I''m sorry.?


    ?Uhm... but why??


    ?Because one day we''ll be forced to kill each other. I don''t want to kill a friend.?

 17. Broken peace

    The following weeks went by with an unnatural sense of calm flowing through the school building.


    It was as if Valentine''s tragic end had made all my classmates fall in a collective catharsis.


    After witnessing such a gruesome end, it seemed like everyone just wanted one thing: to forget everything that happened.


    So the days flew by in a forced sense of normalcy.


    Every Monday, however, to remind us that it hadn''t all been just a bad dream, one of our comrades vanished into thin air.


    But even these disappearances, initially met with dismay, were now becoming part of our routine.


    Up to that point, the fight for survival hadn''t been particularly fierce. The eliminated students had been nothing more than sacrificial pawns, almost incapable of winning any duels.


    Had the school really selected them with the sole purpose of turning them into cannon fodder?


    If their plan was to desensitize us to the death of our classmates, well, perhaps they were already succeeding.


    However, I knew that things wouldn''t continue to go so smoothly forever.


    I was now aware that among us were people with special powers, and soon, once put under pressure, they wouldn''t hesitate to use them.


    For this reason, I had to act in advance.


    Instead of resting on my laurels, after Valentine''s defeat I continued to duel relentlessly, to the point of easily reaching the top position in the rankings.


    Collecting as many points as possible would make my life easier when the competition would inevitably become more fierce.


    However, I had a more important reason to exert myself: protecting Amy.


    I knew very well her low magic potential was going to paint a target on her back sooner rather than later.


    I needed to do something about it.


    For this reason, I had made an effort to ensure that my duels were seen by as many people as possible. I wanted to make it clear to everyone that I was not someone they wanted to mess with.


    I then made sure to spend as much time as possible with Amy.


    "If you mess with her, I''m going to make you pay."


    ,


    That was the message I wanted to send.


    And so far, my plan had worked: no one had dared to challenge her and for now, she was comfortably sitting around the middle of the rankings.


    To improve our chances of survival, I set another task for myself: observe our classmates to identify the most dangerous ones.


    Obviously I had no way to tell if behind an unassuming student lurked a terrifying innate power wielder. So I mainly focused on identifying the most skilled magic users, by spectating as many duels as possible.


    Between everyone else, one girl immediatly stood out to me.


    Her name was Celeste and she was the first daughter of Duke Fitzroy, a powerful lord said to be the King''s right-hand man.


    The fact that the offspring of such an influential noble had ended up in this deadly trap made no sense.


    Did the Sovereign really think it was a good idea to send the heir of his most powerfull ally into this death trap?


    Anyway, that girl was going to be a problem.


    I could clearly remember seeing her name right below mine, when the headmaster had ranked us by mana level on the first day.


    And, after witnessing some of her duels, she knew very well how to put all that mana to use.


    Unlike me, who loved to crush my opponents with sheer power, she seemed to favor a more tactical approach.


    When she challenged a boy particularly skilled in fire spells, Celeste Fitzroy conjured up a violent downpour that, if it hadn''t been for the magical barrier, would''ve probably flooded the entire dining hall.


    She then unleashed a lightning storm, electrocuting her helpless opponent. She protected herself by summoning a large dome of stone. Luckily the poor boy was only injured and recovered after a stay in the infirmary.


    Those spells were definitely advanced though, there was no doubt she would be a tough nut to crack.


    I hated fighting tricky opponents.


    To complicate matters, thanks to Amy I had learned that she was engaged to another very skilled student, a certain Philemon Hargrave.


    He was the son of an extremely wealthy marquess, so there was a high probability that it was an arranged marriage. That was often the case between nobles after all.


    But if the two actually got along, well, they could prove themselves to be a frightening couple.


    The boy seemed extremely skilled in defensive spells after all.


    However, those two weren''t even remotely to be the most dangerous individuals in the school.


    If I were to represent our class with a pyramid, at the top, as the apex predator, there would be her:


    Sophia.


    As said after their duel, she had taken Valentine''s place as public enemy number one in the eyes of all our classmates.


    During lessons and meals a small desert formed around her. When she walked through the corridors or entered the common room, other students would do everything in their power to avoid her,


    Like Valentine, she could have easily racked up points, as no one would have dared to accept a challenge from her.


    But I knew she wasn''t the type to take advantage of it. She was too proud.


    Seeing her so isolated, I couldn''t help but feel guilty about it. After all, even if she would''ve definetly denied it, it was at least partially my fault.


    If I hadn''t let Valentine''s intimidation tactics get to me, she wouldn''t have needed to step in to save me.


    However, whenever I thought about approaching her, something stopped me.


    It was because of the last words we had exchanged:


    "I don''t want to kill a friend."


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    I still hadn''t been able to find a good retort to that.


    After all, the idea that one day I would be forced to kill Amy often kept me awake at night.


    What was the point of forming new bonds with someone, if we were destined to kill eachother one day?


    "It''s better to avoid getting attached to Sophia," I had thought.


    However, the regret I felt seeing her ostracized by everyone was a sign that, maybe, it was too late after all.


    This internal conflict was tormenting me.


    I had talked about it with Amy several times.


    Lately, we had started to study together in her room a couple of times a week. The school lectures were getting quite complicated, and I wanted to help her as much as I could.


    Even though we didn''t have to worry about grades and exams, the spells we were being taught could one day end up saving her life.


    And the intimacy of her room allowed us to discuss whatever we wanted, away from prying ears.


    Unfortunately, even Amy didn''t know what to do regarding Sophia.


    ?Both options suck,? she had said bitterly, during one of our study sessions, ?if you leave things as they are, you''ll keep feeling terrible about it. But if you go against what she told you and try to approach her again, things will be harder when you''re opponents...?


    So I continued to be consumed by uncertainty about what to do.


    The days passed, and the distance between me and Sophia seemed insurmountable, to the point that I was starting to reminisce fondly about the days when all she did was tease and make fun of me.


    However, I wouldn''t have to wait long for our paths to cross again.


    <hr>


    It was a drizzly October morning . A light rain tapped on the windows of the school building.


    My gaze wandered into the leaden sky, filled with gray clouds. Usually staying inside in the warmth would have been perfect on such a day. But right now, I would have given anything to feel the cold autumn air prickle my skin.


    It had been over a month since we had been trapped in that golden prison called Duelcrest, the Royal Academy of Magic.


    From what we knew, only one of us would ever make it out of here alive.


    "I wonder if Sophia would be able to cut the entrance door in half..."


    She hadn''t hesitated with the door to my room, after all.


    But I wasn''t deluding myself. I wasn''t stupid enough to think there was only one door separating us from freedom, otherwise I would have personally tried to blow it up.


    After seeing what headmaster Skylark was capable of, who knows what kind of diabolical spells would have struck us if we had tried to escape...


    And anyway, I had nothing more to do with Sophia. It had been several weeks since we last spoke.


    As often happened in those days, my thoughts went back to her.


    With my head in the clouds, I traversed the school corridors, heading towards the dining hall.


    "Maybe today I could try to say hel¨CEH?!"


    Suddenly, I stepped on something that made me slip backward and fall to the floor.


    Luckily I managed to avoid hitting my head, catching myself at the last moment with my arms.


    I got up, rubbing my sore bottom. Two students went by me me, giggling.


    What a close call.


    "Elizabeth Belvoir, dead because she wasn''t watching where she was going."


    It would have been ironic if, in the midst of this deadly competition I was trapped in, I had lost my life in that way.


    But, what had I just stumbled upon?


    On the floor in front of me lay a female school uniform, complete with skirt and boots.


    "Who the hell left this stuff on the floor?"


    Had someone just suddenly decided to undress in the middle of the hallway?


    "Being locked up for a month could mess with your head I guess..."


    More likely though, it was some kind of prank. The school had provided us with several copies of the uniform after all. Someone must have thought it was funny to leave one lying around. But my backside wasn''t laughing.


    Cursing at the unknown person, I finally headed towards breakfast.


    <hr>


    ?Do you want me to ask around who did it? You could have really gotten hurt!?


    Amy and I were heading to class after eating. After seeing my pained expression when I sat at her table, I couldn''t help but tell her about my little mishap. Protective as she was, she took it too seriously.


    ?No, no, I really mean it, Amy. They definitely didn''t mean to¨C?


    ?AHH!?


    A piercing female scream interrupted me. It came from the direction of the classroom.


    Not for a second had I believed that the atmosphere of apparent calm that had characterized the last few weeks would last long. I had always been on alert, ready to pick up any signs that something was wrong. That scream was like a signal.


    Without hesitation, I began to run, my heart pounding in my chest. Wand in hand, I burst into the classroom, bracing myself for the worst.


    The scene I found, however, was different from what I expected. No blood. There wasn''t even any sign of a duel in progress. But, as it usually happened every Monday, a small crowd of students had gathered under the right wall of the classroom, where the leaderboard was magically inscribed.


    "But today is Wednesday..."


    I had a bad feeling.


    I could hear desperate sobs coming from that direction. I approached to see what was happening. Surrounded by other students, who were probably trying to calm her down, a petite girl with long curly hair was kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the wall. My gaze followed hers and I saw what I feared:


    91 students remaining


    It had started again.

 18. Unseen

    I heard someone approach behind me. It was Amy that finally caught up to me, out of breath.


    ?Lizzie, what''s... oh!?


    With a glance at the scoreboard, she quickly realized what was wrong.


    ?91!? Wasn''t it supposed to be 92?? she asked, her voice trembling.


    From her tone it was clear that she hoped to be contradicted.


    But there were no doubts. Another of our classmates had died. And this time, it wasn''t the school who killed them.


    As confirmation, among the ranks of the fallen, another name had appeared that wasn''t there before, crossed out as usual with a large X.


    Mary Stillwater


    I didn''t know her personally, but I remembered seeing her name about halfway up the leaderboard.


    But... who killed her? A new innate power wielder, or just a regular mage?


    And when? While coming to class I didn''t notice any commotion...


    As if reading my mind, Amy promptly approached the girl who continued to cry desperately. She helped her get up off the ground and embraced her, gently caressing her curly hair. After a bit the girl seemed to calm down. It was then that Amy asked her softly:


    ?Are you allright, Chloe? What happened...??


    Apparently, she knew her, at least by name.


    ?I... I DON''T KNOW!? the girl exclaimed, her voice still broken by tears, ?Yesterday when we went to bed everything was fine... This morning we were supposed to meet for breakfast but she didn''t show up... I thought she was just running late... But, but...?


    She started sobbing uncontrollably again. Amy gave me a worried look over her shoulder. It must have been awfull for that girl to come to class and find out that her friend was dead, just by looking at the leaderboard. But if she didn''t know what had happened...


    If Mary was still alive last night and we hadn''t seen anything wrong coming here...


    "That means she just died!"


    It was the only way this made any sense. Somewhere in the school, right a this moment, a killer was standing over Mary Stillwater''s corpse.


    I rushed out of the classroom, thinking about where to search first.


    But as soon as I stepped out of the door, someone grabbed my wrist, forcing me to stop.


    ?What...?!?


    I turned around to see who it was.


    To my surprise in front of me there was a visibly out of breath Sophia.


    For a moment, I stood there with my mouth open, like a fish out of water.


    These circumstances were certainly not the ones in which I thought we would get to talk again.


    Finally, I snapped to reality.


    ?What''s going on? Did you hear what happened??


    Sophia still didn''t let go of my wrist but she motioned for me to wait with her other hand. She leaned against the wall and slowly caught her breath.


    Finally she freed me and gasped:


    ?Y-you won''t find anything...?


    ?Uh?! What do you mean I won''t find anything??


    ?I''ve already looked everywhere in the school. I haven''t found... anything... no sign of a duel being fought... no body.?


    ?Wh- wh- what??


    There was something fundamently wrong in what she was telling me. Not that I was suspecting her but...


    ?She just died! How did you manage to search up the whole school in an instant? Can you teleport??


    Sophia looked slightly annoyed:


    ?Of course I can''t teleport... I checked the scoreboard 20 minutes ago. She was already dead.?


    ?Why were you in class 20 minutes ago??


    ?These days I usually wake up and get to class earlier... You know, I don''t want to scare people off their breakfast.?


    ?Oh...?


    "Now you''re making me feel guilty..."


    But that was not the issue!


    ?Wait... But how is it possible? 20 minutes ago, the corridors were filled with students waking up and going to the dining all! How did a duel to the death go unnoticed?!?


    ?Beats me...?


    ?Did she maybe duel someone in a very isolated place??


    Sophia looked at me impatiently again:


    ?I told you I already checked everywhere. And with everywhere I mean everywhere: the inner courtyard, the training room, her room, even the men''s bathrooms...?


    "Hopefully there was no one inside... Anyway... even her room, uh? She must have broke in by cutting down the door I guess."


    That ruled out the possibility of her dieing alone in her room, maybe from a sudden illness or worse, poison.


    ?Could it be... then... that she dueled in one of those spots and then the killer made her body disappear??


    ?Could be...? Sophia replied scratching her chin.


    After all, with magic, it wasn''t impossible. Vanishing spells were extremely complicated, but the murderer could''ve used much less orthodox methods. For example, incinerating the poor victim''s corpse. Then, it would be the magical field''s job to erase the traces. I clearly remembered Skylark saying that the spell would restore the duel''s area to its original state.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ?But there''s something that doesn''t add up,? said Sophia, biting her lip.


    ?What??


    ?Why duel in an isolated place first thing in the morning??


    ?Mmmh...?


    Sophia was right. Why would Mary have agreed to duel in such a spot? If someone had challenged her, it was probably while she was going to breakfast. If the killer had asked her to follow them to a deserted place, she would''ve certainly been suspicious.


    Was she forced? It was possible that she had lost a previous duel with her killer and had been made to follow his orders.


    But even in this case, who would have accepted to duel under the condition: "Meet me in this isolated place early in the morning."


    It would have been too obvious that your opponent had bad intentions.


    But then...


    A new hypothesis struck me.


    ?Sophia... What if... we are thinking about it all wrong??


    The girl stared at me, her forehead furrowed:


    ?What do you mean? ?


    ?We don''t even know when she was actually killed! Assuming you were the first to notice her death, that means she could''ve died at any time between that moment and when she was last seen alive by her friend!?


    Sophia remained doubtful:


    ?Are you suggesting she wasn''t killed this morning??


    ?Yeah, if it all happened during the night, that would also explain why nobody has seen anything!??


    ?But, there''s still the same issue! Why would she agree to duel in the middle of the night??


    But I had already thought about it. And I didn''t like the answer I had found at all.


    ?Maybe... because she wasn''t killed during a duel.?


    <hr>


    ?It''s going to be useless and you know it.?


    ?Trying doesn''t cost us anything. Come on, hurry up!?


    Sophia and I were climbing the staircase leading to the second floor of the Academy.


    I had tried several times to explore it, but every time I found two huge armored guards blocking my path. They were armed with glowing enchanted halberds. I definetly didn''t want to find out what those magical weapons did.


    But I was certain that beyond that point lay the teachers'' quarters, as I often saw them climbing the stairs after classes. With a bit of luck, today I would be able to discover what was hidden up there.


    I approached the guard post.


    ?Good morning, we need to speak with the headmaster,? I addressed one of the two soldiers in armor.


    The guard eyed me up and down before replying:


    ?The headmaster doesn''t receive students.?


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia giving me a look that seemed to say "I told you so."


    But I wouldn''t give up so easily.


    ?This is an urgent matter...?


    ?Professor Skylark is a very busy man.?


    ?...We have ground to believe someone is violating the school rules,? I insisted.


    To my surprise, the guard''s attitude changed. He gestured to his companion, who, after nodding, opened the entrance door to the second floor and went inside. After a few minutes, he returned and addressed me and Sophia:


    ?The headmaster is ready to see you. Follow me.?


    And so we did.


    As we walked behind the guard, I playfully elbowed Sophia.


    ?See?? I whispered her triumphantly.


    ?Don''t count your chickens before they hatch...? she hissed in response.


    Our journey into the mysterious second floor of the school, however, turned out to be rather unexciting. Just long corridors, similar to the ones we were used to. Since our guide was keeping a tight leash on us, we couldn''t ascertain if anything interesting was hidden behind the numerous closed doors we encountered.


    Finally, the guard stopped in front of one of them. After he knocked on it, I heard Professor Skylark''s voice faintly say:


    ?Let them in.?


    The headmaster''s office was exactly as his owner. Utterly boring looking.


    The floor was covered with an expensive-looking carpet. No trace of mysterious magical objects. There was only, on the back wall, a large cabinet stuffed with files full of documents.


    Who knew if the secrets of the Academy were all hidden in there... not that I would ever have a chance to snoop around.


    On the right side of the room was another door, which presumably led to Skylark''s bedroom.


    The latter was staring at us from behind a sturdy mahogany desk.


    ?Miss Belvoir. Miss Thornton. To what do I owe this visit??


    "The guard already told you..."


    And in any case, I didn''t quite know why, but I had the impression that nothing could happen in the school without him being aware of it.


    Nevertheless, since Sophia seemed absolutely unwilling to respond, I decided to do it myself:


    ?Professor. Violence against students is prohibited outside of duels, right??


    ?Correct. I hope you haven''t come here just for a refresher on the rules...? replied the headmaster, with a hint of a smile.


    "It''s not the time to joke around..."


    I decided to move on.


    ?No, we''re here because we suspect someone could be violating that rule.?


    I explained to the headmaster what had happened that morning and the hypothesis I had formulated about it.


    The elderly professor betrayed no surprise at my account. As I imagined, he must have already been informed of Mary Stillwater''s death.


    After I finished, Skylark seemed satisfied with my explanation.


    ?I think, given the circumstances, your hypothesis isn''t too far-fetched. From what you have told me it''s possible that Miss Stillwater was assaulted last night. You are quite sharp, Miss Belvoir.?


    Strangely, for once, I didn''t detect any sarcasm in the professor''s voice. But I hadn''t come up there to receive compliments.


    ?Thank you. Since you agree with me, this means you''ll do something about it, right??


    To my great surprise, the headmaster nodded:


    ?Of course. If it''s determined that someone has violated the rules, the culprit will be severely punished.?


    I let out an unexpected sigh of relief. I was already surprised that Skylark had agreed to see us. The fact that he would actually help us went beyond all my rosy expectations. With the school, for once, on our side, we could easily uncover the killer.


    However, my hopes were immediately shattered.


    ?Well, if there''s nothing else. Let me know when you have sufficient evidence of the rule violation and of who the culprit is.?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Well, you don''t want me to punish someone randomly, do you??


    ?Of course not,? I replied impatiently, now his games were dangerously close to making me lose my patience. But I knew I couldn''t afford to yell at Skylark.


    ?I meant, won''t your guards take care of finding out what happened? Why do I need to bring you the evidence??


    The professor adjusted his glasses and looked at me amused:


    ?Miss Belvoir, I think you''ve misunderstood. If you bring me evidence that someone has violated the rules, then I''ll make sure that they''re punished, but otherwise I have no interest in wasting my guards'' time. We''re a school after all, not a detective agency...?

 19. Unsaid words

    ?I hope you didn''t come here just for a refresher on the rules,? I repeated in a deep voice, mocking the old professor.


    ?What''s the point of your damn rules if you don''t do anything to enforce them!?


    In a fit of rage, I kicked a table. I regretted it immediately and started hopping around, holding my foot. I could see that Sophia was trying her best to suppress a laugh.


    After our futile visit to the headmaster, she and I had moved to the common room. It was deserted, our classmates were still in class. We were both going to be penalized but, after all, 10 points weren''t that big of a deal.


    Sophia slumped into an armchair, now laughing at loud, not being able to hold back anymore. I guess she needed to relieve tension a bit, as we just found out an unknown killer was lurking in the Academy.


    "Now that I think about it, I had never heard her laugh like this before."


    Usually I could feel a tinge of sarcasm but not this time. Her laugh was kinda... cute?


    That girly tone sure clashed with her standoffish nature.


    Once she had regained her composure, Sophia commented:


    ?I don''t think he cares much whether we obey the rules or not. It''s all a facade. In fact, he probably finds it impressive if someone manages to kill without getting caught. If he really wants to find the most capable fighter among us, why not value stealth...?


    I frowned in response.


    ?So, do you think he''s okay with leaving a murderer at large? What if they took us all out? He surely wouldn''t want such a vile mage to become the heir of Sir Aldric.?


    ?I doubt it would come to that. If their plan is to pick us off one by one without dueling, they''re probably not that powerful. Maybe Skylark just thinks finding them will be a fun pastime for us...? Sophia replied coldly, ?unless...?


    Sophia shook her head, as if she were dismissing a foolish idea.


    For a few minutes, we fell silent. I mentally tried to make sense of the information we had gathered so far.


    A girl, Mary Stillwater, was dead.


    We knew that the murder had taken place between last night and the time Sophia entered the classroom today.


    Since no one seemed to have noticed anything strange this morning, there were two possible explanations: either she had been killed in a secluded place or the murderer had struck last night when all the other students were asleep in their rooms.


    Either way, it was strange that Mary agreed to duel under such obviously suspicious conditions.


    This made me believe that she was not killed during a duel, but that she was attacked when she did not expect it, probably last night.


    But then, why was Mary out of bed? We needed to investigate to find out.


    "But where should we start?"


    I decided to ask Sophia and see if she had any ideas.


    ?What do you think we should do now??


    Sophia remained silent for a moment, lost in thought, but her answer wasn''t what I expected:


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Uh? What should we do to find the culprit, obviously.?


    ?Ah thank you... that''s not what I meant. I don''t see why we should do something about it together. Today I tagged along ''cause it was an emergency, but I already told you: I have no intention of cooperating with you.?


    ?Oh...?


    I had almost forgotten.


    For some reason spending time with her felt so natural that the whole month we spent ignoring each other didn''t even feel real right now.


    ?But... working together would surely be more efficient, right?? I tried to object.


    ?On the contrary, if we investigate on our own it''s less likely that we''ll make the same mistakes,? Sophia stopped me.


    ?But-?


    ?You''d only slow me down anyway, I''d rather do it alone,? she insisted.


    "That''s just unfair."


    My deductive skills could definetly help her in a case like this. But I guess she was just trying to push me away.


    ?Besides, are you sure you want to be around me? I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but I''m not among the most popular students...? Sophia''s tone was kinda melancholic.


    ?I don''t care what others think!? I burst out.


    ?I guess your personality gives it away...?


    ?Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult??


    ?Who knows...? replied Sophia with a faint smile.


    For a moment, I thought she would actually change her mind.


    But after what seemed like an internal conflict she said:


    ?I''ve already told you, Elizabeth... I don''t want to become your friend just to have to kill you later.?


    "Well, it''s too late for me, I already consider you a friend."


    That''s what I wanted to say. But the words just didn''t want to come out.


    It''s not like I minded if it sounded cringy. I was used to her teasing me anyway.


    No, I just... didn''t want to hear say it was all one sided.


    After all, why would that girl even want to be my friend?


    So far she had saved my life, defeated the enemy everyone feared and now endured loneliness without even complaining.


    Meanwhile, what had I achieved so far?


    At the first sign of difficulty, I had locked myself in my room trembling with fear.


    Sure, I was at the top of the rankings, but did it even matter? I got there by winning against students less skilled than me.


    Why would Sophia even want to hang out with me? Just to make fun of me?


    Faced with my silence, the girl got up.


    ?Let me know if you find out anything important, I''ll take care of catching the killer...? she whispered, passing by me.


    She left the room without looking back.


    After a few moments I started to feel incredibly frustrated with myself.


    "Why am I so useless?"


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    I had spent the last few weeks thinking about how to get close to Sophia again, and now that I had the opportunity, I had let my insecurity hold me back.


    In a fit of rage I kicked the table again.


    This time, I didn''t hear Sophia''s crystal-clear laughter in response.


    <hr>


    This time I was not going to give up.


    That was the decision I had made.


    If Sophia thought she could find the culprit on her own, I would beat her to it. I would show her what I was capable of. Maybe then she would reconsider her decision not to cooperate with me.


    On the one hand, my desire to be accepted by her was rather embarrassing. I didn''t even want to imagine how much she would tease me if she found out what was going on in my head.


    On the other, I couldn''t help but feel a small tinge of pride. This time I hadn''t let it get me down. I had quickly got up and got straight down to work.


    "I guess I should thank Valentine..."


    However, despite my good efforts, my attempts to find out something about Mary Stillwater''s murderer had so far been futile.


    First of all, I had sought Amy''s help.


    One of the most important lessons I had learnt so far was that it was perfectly fine to rely on others to compensate for my shortcomings.


    Amy, with her innate extroversion, had already managed to build a dense network of acquaintances. Even though her time at the Academy had been relatively short, she seemed to already know a good portion of the class.


    Her intentions, however, were not the purest.


    ?If you know your enemy and yourself, your victory is assured,? she recited when I asked her why she was making such an effort to socialize.


    Once again, I thanked the heavens that she was my friend.


    In any case, thanks to her efforts, I had managed to gather all the information about Mary Stillwater I could have wished for.


    I asked her to ask Chloe, the curly-haired girl we had seen crying in class, if she had noticed anything strange about Mary before her death. But nothing relevant came up.


    The victim seemed to be a completely normal girl. Apart from Chloe, she was friends with a couple of other students with whom she almost always hung out.


    Her magic power was average. The duels she had fought in were completely normal. No one had ever seen her fight with other students.


    In short, there was nothing to suggest that she had any enemies or that anyone had a specific reason for wanting her gone.


    Had the killer chosen his victim at random? Perhaps Mary had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps she had been out for a night walk and had stumbled upon her killer by chance.


    Unfortunately, having discovered nothing significant about the victim, I had no other solid leads to follow.


    First of all, I had no way of determining where and how the murder had occurred. I had scoured the Academy from top to bottom, but had found no clues to the location of the crime scene.


    The murderer must have covered his tracks well.


    Or maybe there were no tracks to be found in the first place.


    After all, I always had to consider that variable.


    Innate powers.


    I couldn''t rule out that they were also involved in this case. Maybe one of my classmates could make people disappear in the blink of an eye, like the school did every Sunday night....


    In any case, I could only wait for now. I had to hope that, if they struck again, the killer would make a misstep.


    Sophia must have come to the same conclusion.


    In the first days after Mary''s death, I had often seen her trying to get information from my classmates.


    I don''t know if she was very successful, those poor kids looked terrified....


    In the last few days, however, she had returned to her usual solitude.


    However, we wouldn''t have to wait long for the murderer to strike again. But the new murder would only complicate things.


    <hr>


    Ten days had passed since Mary Stillwater''s death.


    The atmosphere in the Academy had not deviated much from the unnatural calm that had characterised the last month.


    The way she had died was not much different from the weekly disappearances we had become accustomed to.


    As they say, "out of sight, out of mind".


    It was much easier to ignore someone''s death if it didn''t have the same macabre connotations that had characterised the end of Carl Stuart and Igor Valentine.


    It was a Saturday, the last class of the week was coming to an end. Tomorrow night one of us would disappear, just like Mary.


    But it was on that lazy afternoon at the end of October that the attention of the entire class was captured in a way that no lesson could ever hope to achieve.


    We all noticed it immediately.


    Perhaps because, during the teachers'' explanations, our gaze always returned to that wall, where our fate was decided in bright letters.


    Although we were in the middle of a lesson, the most important writing had changed once again.


    89 students remaining.


    Just a second ago it had said 90.


    At that precise moment, someone, somewhere in the school, had died.


    I heard the classroom door open and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia darting into the corridor.


    I decided not to follow her.


    As the class erupted in chaos, much to the teacher''s dismay, I knew there was something important to do: count.


    It was essential to ascertain how many people were absent.


    Among them, in addition to the victim, was the murderer.


    "This time you made a big mistake..."


    But inside me, something told me it wouldn''t be that easy.


    And as I approached the end of my count, the concern I had felt grew more and more pressing.


    "No... I must have miscounted..."


    I recounted, and recounted, and recounted.


    But it was useless...


    88 students.


    Adding Sophia, that just left the classrom, 89.


    The only person who, at the time of the new murder, hadn''t been in that class was the victim.

 20. Open room mistery

    "How is it possible?"


    If no one was missing then... it wasn''t a murder this time?


    I looked at the list of victims. A new name had been added to the ranks of the fallen:


    Frank Boyle.


    As usual I didn''t know him except by name. Fortunately in cases like this I could turn to Amy.


    She immediately told me that he was the son of a baronet. He was decent at magic and in the top thirty in the rankings.


    ?I''ll try and find out if his friends know anything about what happened...? Amy whispered, sliding away towards the desks at the front of the classroom. Chaos now reigned in the classroom as the teacher imperturbably continued the lesson.


    Amy came back to me shortly afterwards, looking worried.


    ?I asked a boy I know... apparently, Frank wasn''t feeling well. This morning he said not to wait for him for breakfast and that he was going to the infirmary.... What do you think happened to him??


    He wasn''t feeling well... Had he died from a sudden illness??


    "I should go to the infirmary later and check if he actually went there."


    There was also a much darker hypothesis about what had happened.


    "Suicide."


    It wouldn''t have been surprising if someone had cracked under the pressure we were under.


    Boyle could have lied about feeling ill so as not to worry his friends.... After all, I had done the same thing a few weeks ago.


    But the fact that he was one of the top students made suicide less likely than if he had been in danger of being eliminated.


    In any case, it seemed that Frank Boyle''s death had nothing to do with Mary Stillwater''s murder.


    After all, her killer was in the classroom with us; they couldn''t have killed him.


    Unless...


    No, it didn''t make sense.


    Mary Stillwater couldn''t have died of natural causes, otherwise we would have found her body.


    But then... why did I still feel so uneasy?


    This uncomfortable feeling was the reason why, at the end of the lesson, instead of going to the infirmary as I had originally planned, I asked Amy to go there for me.


    Then I walked in the opposite direction, towards the student dormitories.


    I wanted to check out his room. If Sophia hadn''t found his body in the infirmary, she would have gone straight there afterwards.


    After all, if he had really killed himself, that was the most likely place to find his corpse.


    In reality, I had a strong desire to meet that girl. Of course, I was determined to find the murderer myself, but perhaps I could tell if something was wrong just by looking at her expression.


    But I was not lucky. I arrived at my destination without meeting her.


    As I approached the room, I noticed that the door was still intact between its frames.


    "So Sophia hasn''t been here..."


    Was Boyle in the infirmary after all?


    But as I got closer I noticed that the door was slightly ajar.


    "Weird."


    The doors to our rooms were enchanted so that only the owner could open them. A security measure, the rules said.


    Sophia''s power was the only way I knew how to get around it.


    Which meant it was Frank Boyle who had left it open. Maybe he felt so sick that he ran out and forgot to close it?


    I put my hand on the door handle when I heard a noise coming from inside.


    Someone was in there. Obviously it couldn''t be the owner of the room. Maybe Sophia?


    I mustered my courage and opened the door.


    The girl in the room jumped in surprise. She was not who I thought she was. Her light blonde curls could not have been more different from Sophia''s raven black hair.


    I immediately recognised Celeste Fitzroy, one of the people I had identified as a possible rival among my classmates.


    The girl seemed to recover quickly from her surprise and gave me a polite smile.


    ?Ah, Elizabeth! You thought of coming here too, huh?? she asked amiably.


    ''Huh?''


    ?Um, have we talked before??


    Of course I knew who she was, but we had never spoken. Why was she talking to me as if we were friends?


    ?Oh, sorry! Since I''ve seen you checking out a lot of my duels, I thought we could skip the introductions! Anyway, nice to meet you, I''m Celeste!?


    She offered me her hand.


    "So she noticed me, I should''ve been more careful I guess..."


    I took it anyway: ?Nice to meet you, I''m Elizabeth.?


    ?Well, good thing you are here! I can''t wrap my head around this mess!? she said, after shaking my hand.


    "Mess?"


    I looked behind her.


    That sudden encounter hadn''t made me notice the complete chaos in Frank Boyle''s room.


    The desk, which all our rooms had, was on the floor. Various books were scattered around, covered with ink stains. Not far away a chair was broken and on it lay a crumpled man''s uniform.


    ?What the fuck happened here?!? I exclaimed.


    ?I have no idea!? Celeste replied energetically, although mine was more of a rhetorical question.


    ?But look closely here, this is the strangest thing!? she continued, motioning for me to approach the fallen desk.


    My gaze shifted to where the girl was pointing with her pale hand.


    Fresh blood.


    In a hurry, I bent down to look at the floor under the desk. There were traces of blood there too.


    ?The first thing I thought was that the poor guy fell, hit his head and kicked the bucket here... But-?


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    ?Where''s the body??


    ?Exactly, that''s the question!? Celeste chirped, ?he either survived the hit and ran out of the room on his own or someone moved him... Or maybe there''s a zombie running around the school!?


    ?But we were all in class!?


    ?Right... And I don''t think your friend Sophia moved it... so I guess he really ran to the infirmary but...?


    Not that me and Sophia could really be called friends, but how did this girl even know that we even talked to each other?


    I guess there was that time I dragged her out of the classroom. Anyway, Celeste seemed really sharp, as I thought, she was going to be a problem.


    But there were more pressing issues.


    Something still didn''t add up.


    ?The blood stains stop here...?


    ?You noticed too, uh?? Celeste patted me on the back, ?If someone had dragged his body around or if he had gotten up on his own, with a wound like that, he would have left quite a trail of blood behind... don''t you think??


    ?Right...?


    Everything pointed in one direction, Frank Boyle, after getting injured, had vanished into thin air.


    Just like Mary Stillwater.


    ?Celeste...? I started.


    ?Yes??


    ?Do you think Boyle was murdered-?


    ?By the same person who killed Mary! Great minds think alike!? she gloated.


    Her attitude could not have been more at odds with the words she was uttering.


    ?The fact that we''re facing a disappearing corpse makes me think so... But I guess you''re also asking yourself the same question, aren''t you??


    Celeste looked at me with a playful smile:


    ?How did they manage to kill him if they were in the classroom with us??


    She was right. Aside from the body disappearing, that was the main issue. All the other students were in the same place at the time of his death. However I looked at it, it seemed like an impossible murder.


    Unless...


    ?A remote murder...?? I whispered softly.


    ?Bingo!? Celeste exclaimed.


    ?But how...?


    ?Well, that''s the tough part... I don''t think I know of any spell capable of killing someone hundreds of meters away, through several walls... A trap, maybe? But then there''s the issue of the body still..?


    Maybe not a spell...


    But what about something else?


    I happened to know of something that transcended the rules that governed normal magic.


    "An innate power..."


    Of course I was not going to say anything about them to Celeste.


    After proposing some unlikely conjectures, the latter waved goodbye to me cheerfully:


    ?It was fun talking to you. We should have tea together sometime!?


    She was really nothing like I imagined her to be. Due to her high social status, I thought she would''ve been an even more arrogant version of Sophia.


    The truth couldn''t have been further from that. Although she exuded a certain air of elegance, typical of the high nobility, she seemed extremely sociable and down-to-earth.


    However, I found her cheerfulness kinda unsettling, given the situation we were in.


    "I should keep my eyes open around her..."


    But now I had much more important things to think about than an eccentric noble.


    I was certain that my deduction was correct. An innate power user had already killed two of my classmates and I had to stop them before they claimed a third victim.


    <hr>


    That night, the air was extremely cold. Winter was still far away, but the Academy must have been located in a particularly northern region. They could have extended the spell that kept the inner courtyard warm to the rest of the school!


    I crossed the dark corridors of the school, shivering. I was headed to Amy''s room. Today we had planned another of our study sessions.


    After my conversation with Celeste Fitzroy, I had met up with her and, as I suspected, she hadn''t found anything in the infirmary.


    Frank Boyle''s body was nowhere to be found.


    Amy''s room was on the opposite side of the dormitory from mine. Because I was so used to going there, I walked without looking ahead, lost in my thoughts. Maybe that''s why I didn''t notice someone lurking around the corner.


    It all happened in a flash.


    A blade was pressed against my throat.


    ?...!?


    I didn''t have time to scream. The blade lowered, and a hand covered my mouth.


    ?Don''t yell!? a irritated voice hissed.


    I recognized her pissed tone instantly.


    ?What the hell are you doing out of bed at this hour?? Sophia asked.


    From what little I could see of her face, she was quite annoyed.


    Finally, after my murmurs of protest, she understood that, if she wanted an answer, she would have to move her hand.


    ?...Ah... I could ask you the same thing!? I whispered.


    ?I''m patrolling the corridors...? Sophia replied, ?I don''t think I need to explain to you why.?


    ?So, you too realized...?


    For several minutes, we talked about what had happened that day.


    As I assumed, Sophia, after checking the infirmary, had immediately gone to Boyle''s room and found the door wide open. No trace of the body, neither there nor in the rest of the school. So, she had come to the same conclusion as me.


    ?From now on, I''ll be on patrol at night. I want to catch this power in action...? she explained.


    ?Isn''t it dangerous? You could be the one getting attacked, after all we don''t even know what kind of power it is. If you wander around alone at night like this, you could be the next victim!?


    ?I could say the same thing to you...?


    ?Touch¨¦...?


    I hadn''t thought about it. Perhaps from today we should forgo our nighttime study sessions.


    Exausted the main topic, a tense silence fell between us.


    ?Well, I''m going now...?


    ?Okay...?


    ?Sophia...?


    ?Yes...??


    ?Be careful.?


    ?You too.?


    We parted ways.


    She was working hard to find the killer. I needed to step it up.


    With those thoughts in my head, I reached Amy''s room.


    The door was half closed.


    Nothing strange. Amy usually took a nightly bath before our study sessions and made me wait in the room.


    She said it helped her understand what we studied better...


    My half-smile faded when, after entering the room, I found Amy''s body lying on the floor.

 21. The true nature of mana

    ?AMY?!?


    She was lying on the floor in front of me, belly down.


    Judging from the bathrobe she was wearing, she must have just come out of the bathroom. She was probably heading to the closet to grab a clean uniform, but she had never reached it.


    Normally I''d have thought she''d just tripped over her own feet, but it was clear at first glance that something was wrong.


    On her right leg shone an extremely bright light. I squinted, trying to figure out what was emitting it.


    With horror, I realized that the thing perched on Amy''s body was alive.


    About four inches long, two transparent wings, a pair of small glassy eyes, it allmost looked like a mosquito, but obviously it was way too big.


    I saw its legs moving erratically, scraping against Amy''s skin.


    It was like a signal.


    I finally managed to shake off the shock.


    I drew my wand and aimed it right at the creature:


    ?Freeze!?


    The bug immediately stopped moving and, immobilised, slid to the ground with a slight thud. As it detached itself from its victim, I caught a glimpse of some sort of proboscis coming out of Amy''s leg. Was this thing sucking her blood?


    I approched her, shouting her name.


    She didn''t react.


    "She must be unconscious... What did that thing do to her?!"


    I looked down at her leg, where it looked like she''d been bitten, but there was no sign of a sting.


    "Weird..."


    With trembling hands, I pointed the wand at her.


    At my command, Amy''s body lifted into the air. Slowly and with great care I guided her to her bed, turned her onto her back and gently laid her down.


    I quickly rushed to her side.


    ?What the...?!?


    Amy''s face was extremely pale, as if she had lost a lot of blood.


    But there was something much stranger and more worrying. Amy seemed strangely emaciated, as if she had lived in hardship for a long time.


    But that... couldn''t be possible. I saw her just a few hours ago and she was perfectly healthy!


    "What kind of bug could do something like this?!"


    To my immense relief, however, she seemed to be breathing. Carefully I placed two fingers on her wrist. Her heartbeat was faint. She needed immediate attention, whatever had happened to her.


    But before I could decide how to proceed, someone burst into the room in a hurry.


    ?What the fuck is going on in here?!?


    It was Sophia. My screams must have alerted her.


    Her gaze moved quickly around the room, shifting from Amy''s body, to the oversized bug on the floor, and finally to me.


    ?What are you waiting for?! Let''s get her to the infirmary, I''ll help you!?


    In a flash she was at my side, draping Amy''s arm over her shoulder. I nodded and did the same. But as we lifted her up, we couldn''t help but exchange a confused look.


    Amy''s body was extremely light. Too light.


    Even though she had a petite build, it wasn''t possible for her to weigh so little.


    But now wasn''t the time to think about that: the priority now was to get Amy to the infirmary as quickly as possible.


    We made our way through the dark hallways of the school, without speaking. We were on high alert. I feared that around every corner, we would find a swarm of those strange creatures ready to attack us.


    But luckily we managed to reach the infirmary without incident.


    I was about to open the door with my free hand when Sophia stopped me:


    ?Can you make it on your own from here??


    ?Mmmh, I think so...?


    Normally I would never have managed it, but Amy was so strangely light that I didn''t think I would have any issues carrying her alone.


    ?Okay, I''ll see you here in a bit.?


    Sophia dashed off.


    "Leaving me alone in this situation... I hope she has something very important to do to..."


    <hr>


    About half an hour later, I closed the door to the infirmary behind me.


    As she had told me before, Sophia was waiting for me outside, leaning against the wall. She seemed so lost in thought that the creak of the door made her jump.


    ?So?! How is she?? she asked immediately. Her tone betrayed concern.


    ?S-she''ll make it...? I replied, my voice choked with relief.


    I let myself slide down the wall with a sigh. Now that the adrenaline rush from the sudden crisis had worn off, I felt completely exhausted.


    Sophia sat down on the floor beside me.


    ?I-I... I''m sorry,? Sophia apologised, avoiding my gaze, ?if I hadn''t stopped you in the hallway, you could have intervened sooner and...?


    ?Don''t be ridiculous... how could you have known that something like this was going to happen? If you put it that way, then it''s my fault. If I hadn''t arranged to meet with her, she wouldn''t have left the door open and she wouldn''t have been attacked by that thing in the first place!?


    ?You couldn''t have known either...? replied Sophia, giving me a light nudge with her elbow. It must have been her way of comforting me.


    After a few seconds of silence, she asked:


    ?Have they told you what''s wrong with her? I didn''t pay much attention in the rush to get her here, but she didn''t seem to have any wounds. What the hell did that giant bug do to her??


    The answer was simple, yet terrifying. As I thought about what the healer had told me, I couldn''t help but shudder.


    If I hadn''t stopped it, that creature would''ve certainly killed Amy in a matter of seconds.


    ?It''s her mana... She barely has any left. That thing must''ve drained it.?


    I remembered the blinding light that seemed to be emanating from the creature''s belly. There was no doubt that the light was nothing but Amy''s mana, which the bug was feeding on.


    ?But she will recover, right?? Sophia asked, apprehensively.


    ?They told me she will. But it''ll take time. She''ll need several invigorating spells and to rest for at least two or three weeks.?


    Sophia seemed relieved. After a while, however, her face turned puzzled.


    ?But... really, the loss of mana affected her like that? She looked like she had been starving for months and weighed like a small child!"?


    ?Well, knowing the effects of mana deficiency, it seems logical, doesn''t it??


    For some reason, my words seemed to irritate her.


    ?Sorry, but I''m not very knowledgeable on the subject,? she burst out.


    ?Uh? Isn''t it like one of the first things they teach you in magic school?? I asked confused.


    ?I never went to one before I came here, ok?? she replied in an extremely annoyed tone, ?with the mana I have, it would''ve been useless anyway.?


    "Huh?"


    In the light of the torches I could see that her cheeks were tinted red, as if she was very ashamed of her words.


    I had never seen her react like that before.


    Did Sophia have a complex about her lack of magical power?


    But with that absurd ability she had, what did it matter? She didn''t need to cast spells to defeat practically anyone!


    Normally I would have teased her, but something told me that, in this case, Sophia would not take it as a joke...


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    For a moment, I thought about the best way to explain what I meant to her.


    ?Mhh... Ok. Imagine running and running, non-stop. What would happen if, even after exhausting all your energies, you didn''t stop??


    ?Well, I guess I would collapse to the ground or maybe faint...?


    ?Exactly! Regardless of your will, there would come a moment when your body would simply refuse to go on,? I explained, ?with mana it''s the same thing. If you use too much of it, it becomes difficult to cast spells. You feel exhausted just like after running too much. And if your mana levels are too low, your body can''t take it anymore and shuts down.?


    ?That''s why, under normal conditions, it''s almost impossible to completely run out mana,? I continued, ?if I tried to cast a spell that would bring it to critical levels, I would end up fainting. Think of it as a safety mechanism your body puts in place to prevent you from hurting yourself.?


    ?What about me then? With how little mana I have shouldn''t I be allways exhausted? Instead, I am much better athletically than someone like you who is full of mana.?


    ?Did you really have to add that last part? Anyway, I think it''s because your body is used to it. Your guard level is much lower than mine.?


    ?Allright. So, Amy...?


    ?Her mana now is well below that guard level, and this had direct effects on her body. It''s as if she started eroding all her energy reserves to keep herself alive until it reduced her to that state.?


    ?That''s terrible... but... why?? Sophia asked, still unconvinced, ?I''ve always seen mana as something that''s only useful for casting spells... Why should losing it cause all these problems??


    ?Mmmhh... here we enter a branch of magic that is still kind of hazy,? I replied, ?the one that seeks to give an answer to what mana actually is...?


    ?You see, if you were to cut me open with your sword right now, would you be able to find my mana?? I asked.


    ?The prospect is tempting, but no, I wouldn''t even know where to look, actually...? Sophia replied with a slight smile


    ?Idiot... Well, anyway, you''re not wrong. Despite all the studies that have been done, no one has been able to find out where mana is in our body. There''s no doubt that it''s within us, that we can feel it when we concentrate, and that mages can manipulate it... but we don''t know exactly where or what it is. In some cases, it can be observed outside the body, but apart from measuring its intensity, there doesn''t seem to be anything we can do with it. It''s odourless, tasteless and intangible. Just very bright...?


    ?Are you saying that... someone actually tried to eat it?!? Sophia asked in astonishment.


    ?I guess they were really desperate to discover anything of value,? I chuckled.


    ?So, in the end, no one has an answer to what it is??


    ?No, but there''s an interpretation that I think convinces me.?


    ?What would that be??


    ?If mana is so tied to our bodies and losing it causes them to deteriorate... maybe it''s nothing more than our life force in the end?


    Sophia stood in silence as she processed what I had told her.


    After a while, she slapped her forehead as if she had just realised something, making me jump out of my surprise.


    ?What would happen if your mana was completely drained??


    ?Like I said, it''s not something that usually happens... But you''d die for sure.?


    ?No I meant, what would happen to your body??


    ?To your body... Wait... you don''t mean...??


    I finally understood what she was getting at, but it was crazy!


    ?I mean, look at what happened to Amy even without it being completely drained! Her body lost a lot of mass, she probably weighs like 50 pounds right now! So what would''ve happened if the bug had actually been able to finish its meal??


    ?So you''re telling me that some kind of giant mosquito has been flying around the school all this time? And it ate up two of our classmates?!? I exclaimed.


    Saying those words out loud made everything even more absurd. But as bizarre as it was, it was the key to the puzzle.


    We hadn''t found any corpses, not because they had been hidden or destroyed, but because there had never been any in the first place.


    The victims had withered away from the absorption of their mana, leaving no trace.


    Amy''s condition was the proof we needed to discover the terrible fate that had befallen Mary Stillwater and Frank Boyle.


    But there was still something that didn''t add up.


    ?But... why didn''t Amy defend herself?? I asked, ?even though it was quite big, it''s still just a bug, even without a wand she could have likely shaken it off...?


    ?We should ask her when she wakes up, but I have an idea,? Sophia replied, ?you know, when a mosquito bites you, you usually don''t notice it right away, right??


    After seeing me nod, Sophia continued:


    ?It''s because their saliva has the power to reduce the pain caused by their bite... I wonder if that creature could do something similar, but instead of reducing pain, it has paralysing properties, so it can eat undisturbed.?


    ?You may not know much about mana, but when it comes to interesting facts about mosquitoes...? I teased her.


    ?I read a lot when I was little,? Sophia replied dismissively, ?there''s something that makes me think I''m right...?


    ?What would that be??


    ?The blood in Frank Boyle''s room.?


    I had almost forgotten about it.


    Although it stung its victims, the insect didn''t seem to cause wounds, so the presence of blood couldn''t be explained.


    ?I can''t be sure, of course, but I think it went like this,? Sophia began to explain, ?for some reason I''m still not sure of, Frank was alone in his room with the door open during class. The creature took advantage of this to enter and attack him. Frank was probably standing at the time. The sting paralysed him, causing him to fall forward and hit his head on the desk, causing him to bleed.?


    Sophia''s theory made sense, and also explained why the room was in the state it was. When he fell forward, he must have knocked over the desk, causing all that chaos.


    Poor guy...


    ?So the insect drained him of all his mana, he lost his life energy or whatever you said, and he left behind only his clothes on the floor...? Sophia concluded.


    ?Right! There was an uniform th-?


    Then I remembered a fact that had completely slipped my mind because of these strange murders. If only I had thought of it earlier...


    ?Sophia...?


    ?What''s wrong??


    I told her how, a few weeks earlier, I had stumbled across an abandoned uniform in the middle of a corridor.


    In another situation, I was sure Sophia would have laughed at me falling on my butt, but this time she didn''t.


    We both knew that what I had stumbled upon was the last remnant of Mary Stillwater.


    It was all the proof I needed to believe Sophia''s theory.


    In the end, though, I couldn''t help but feel a little relieved.


    ?At least this time it wasn''t one of our classmates but an animal,? I said with a sigh, ?we should go back to Skylark again, he''s the only one who can find out if there are any more of those things buzzing around...?


    Suddenly, Sophia''s face darkened.


    ?Ah... I had almost forgotten about it...?


    She seemed to be fiddling with something on her right. After a moment, she handed me what looked like some rugs.


    I recognized, by the color, the sheets that covered our beds.


    ?What are those?? I began asked her.


    ?You see, when you went in the infirmary, I went back to Amy''s room. I didn''t know how long your spell would last, so I thought it would be a good idea to trap the insect before it got free. I wrapped it in blankets to bring it here, but...? Sophia swallowed, ?when I was halfway there, I suddenly felt the bug moving again inside. After a bit though it suddenly stopped. When I carefully checked what was going on... it had vanished.?


    ?How is that possible??


    Did that strange creature also have the ability to teleport?!


    I couldn''t rule it out, but there was a much simpler explanation.


    ?Have you ever heard of some kind of giant mosquito capable of absorbing mana?? Sophia asked me.


    ?No, of course not.?


    It didn''t seem like something that could exist in nature.


    But then...?


    ?...A familiar!?


    Sophia nodded.


    ?That creature disappeared because whoever was controlling it, realising it was trapped, got rid of it.?


    A familiar was nothing more than a creature summoned through a spell. It wasn''t a flesh-and-blood animal, but its body took shape from the magical power of its owner. The summoner could then control it through a continuous flow of mana.


    That also explained why it didn''t seem to leave marks on its victims, it could probably just make itself incorporeal at will. Hell, it probably was able to go through walls. I guess it didn''t need the door to be opened to attack Amy after all.


    But...


    ?Could such a familiar... exist??


    Usually commonly summoned familiars were small creatures, mostly useful for sending messages or spying on someone. After all, summoning spells were quite advanced. Creating something with those mana-draining abilities would be an insane feat. Unless...


    ?An innate power...?


    ?That''s what I thought too,? Sophia nodded, ?whoever created that being is extremely dangerous. After all, if their familiars can absorb mana, there must be a reason.?


    Indeed... those creatures seemed to be able to store magical power in their bellies. Were they returning it to their summoner? And for what purpose?


    It couldn''t be anything good.


    ?Well, what I know is that I''m back to square one,? Sophia said, annoyed.


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Even though we now know what their power consists of, if the killer can just send these bugs around while sitting comfortably in class, how the hell am I supposed to catch them??


    ?Mmmh, maybe there''s a way,? I replied, scratching my chin.


    ?Eh? How??


    It was the first thing that came to mind when I thought about familiars.


    ?Well, I''m not sure if it''s going to work, since we''re most likely dealing with an anomalous power. But if it works similar to a familiar, it shouldn''t be too difficult to find out who controls it...?


    ?The fact that they made the bug disappear when they realized it was trapped,? I continued, ?indicates that it still maintains a connection with its creatures. So you can probably just follow the mana flow to trace back to the culprit.?


    ?Mmmh, follow the connection between the creature and its summoner, you say? How am I supposed to do that?? Sophia asked.


    ?Well, it''s simple. It''s a bit like following the course of a river. All you have to do is send a flow of mana yourself and make it follow the... Oh!?


    At my words, I saw Sophia''s expression change from curiosity to frustration. She would''ve never been able to do it alone. Her low mana level wouldn''t allow it.


    But then... she had no choice...


    It was with a strange sense of satisfaction that I watched Sophia''s inner conflict unfold before me. In the end, clenching her fists, she could do nothing but admit defeat.


    There was no other choice: if she wanted to find out who the killer was, she had no choice but to cooperate with me.


    ?... From tomorrow, after dinner, we''ll keep watch... together...? she finally told me.


    From her tone, it was as if uttering those words had caused her physical pain.


    For the second time tonight, I resisted the temptation to tease her.


    For a moment, I almost considered saying no to her. Before tonight, I had been determined to find the killer on my own, but after that piece of shit had hurt Amy, I was going to spare no effort to catch them.


    ?Alright. It''ll be a pleasure working with you,? I replied, smiling.


    ?Don''t get any funny ideas, it''s just out of necessity. And make sure you don''t slow me down...? Sophia said and turned on her heels.


    But before she disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, I was sure I saw the shadow of a smile shining on her face.

 22. Night walk

    ?I can''t take it anymore...?


    I buried my face into the blankets of the infirmary bed.


    Amy chuckled a bit, after all it was not the first time she''d heard me utter those words.


    I lifted my gaze and weakly smiled at her.


    It seemed like she was finally regaining her strength.


    Ten days had passed since she had been attacked and she had spent most of them lying on that bed, enveloped in the bluish light of an enchantment that slowly restored the mana that had been stolen from her.


    The treatment had shown immediate results and Amy''s condition was improving steadily. It seemed like the healers knew their stuff.


    It looked like she would soon be able to return to attend classes.


    Luckily, before being attacked, she had been in a fairly secure position in the rankings but, during her recovery, her lead over the lower positions had gotten thinner.


    "We''ll need to do something about it..."


    Dueling was prohibited in the infirmary. However, the recent events had made me realize how lax the Academy''s rules were.


    For this reason, I spent as much time as possible with her, to prevent any ill-intentioned person from taking advantage of her moment of weakness.


    Or at least, that was the main reason I was there. Lately most of my time in the infirmary was spent dozing off on the chair next to my friend''s bed.


    Amy turned serious and gave me a stern look:


    ?You''re exhausted, you two really should not overdo it. Why don''t you talk to her about it?? she reproached.


    ?No, no... it''s fine? I replied weakly, shaking my head.


    The reason for my recent lack of energy were the sleepless nights I spent with Sophia, patrolling the hallways of the school.


    After dinner, when all the students retired to their rooms, the two of us sneaked out, aided by the darkness, to ensure we caught the killer in the act. Our watch usually lasted until the early hours of the morning.


    This left me with only a few hours of sleep before classes began.


    Of course, with the points I had, I could''ve easily skipped them and used that time to rest.


    But now that Sophia had finally decided to cooperate with me, even if out of necessity, I had no intention of showing her any sign of weakness.


    "How weak! I let you tag along and you''re in this state for a little lack of sleep?"


    I could already imagine her spitting out those words while glaring at me with her air of superiority.


    That''s why I decided to put up with it without complaining.


    Of course, I would have endured everything much more willingly if we actually got anything out of it.


    I wasn''t surprised that, so far, our nightly patrols hadn''t yielded results. After the failed attack against Amy, it wasn''t strange that the killer was laying low.


    It would''ve probably taken some time before they regained the confidence to strike again.


    All we could do was wait, lurking in the shadows, without letting them suspect that we were hunting them.


    However, I had hoped that our temporary alliance would at least give me the opportunity to get to know Sophia a little bit better . But even in this case, no luck.


    Sophia had immediately forbidden me from approaching her during the day. According to her, it was necessary to keep our partnership secret.


    If we had suddenly started interacting, right after my best friend was attacked, the killer might have suspected that we were working together to catch them.


    Unfortunately, I hadn''t found a good way to contradict her.


    Even at night, I hadn''t been successful in improving our relationship. After all we couldn''t chat much when sneaking around the school or we would have alerted the culprit.


    Nevertheless, I had no intention of giving up.


    Amy seemed resigned at my refusal.


    ?Then try to get some sleep now at least, I''ll wake you up when it''s time for evening classes.?


    Although I was the visitor, I spent the rest of the afternoon dozing off while Amy watched over me.


    <hr>


    ?How is she??


    ?EEK?!?


    It had been a couple of hours since Sophia and I had been wandering around the school enveloped in darkness.


    Sophia allmost never spoke to me during our patrols so when she whispered right into my ear, I couldn''t help but let out a surprised squeal.


    Just like ten days ago, Sophia quickly covered my mouth with her hand.


    ?Are you crazy?!? she hissed, throwing an angry glare after releasing me.


    ?Sorry, you scared me...?


    ?So? How is Amy? I''ve noticed you spend a lot of time in the infirmary. Is everything okay??


    ?Yes, she''s much better. I think she could be out next week.?


    ?I looked at the leaderboard today. It looks like she''ll need to work hard to gain points once she gets out, so I was thinking...? she paused for a moment, ?how about you and I challenge her every day and we lose on purpose? That should get her back into a safe position quickly and we can affor-.. Why are you looking at me like that??


    Maybe I shouldn''t have been surprised, after all she had helped Amy before. But it was kinda strange that someone that prideful would be willing to lose a duel, even if on purpose.


    ?Are you still feeling guilty?? I asked her, ?I''ve already told you that-?


    ?I don''t care what you think,? Sophia snapped, turning her face away, ?I allways do what I think is right. See it as a way to repay the help you''re giving me. Then we''ll be even again.?


    Technically there was still the matter of her saving my life. But I decided not to insist.


    ?As you wish,? I replied, ?but don''t you think cooperating could be a good idea in the future too? As you can see, there are things that even you can''t do alone.?


    ?Mmpf...?


    ?Don''t "mmpf" me. Should I go to bed then? Are you going to follow that mana flow alone?? I teased her.


    Sophia turned her head away again.


    "Oh oh!"


    ?Maybe I should really go... Unless you can say ple-?


    I didn''t manage to finish the sentence.


    Sophia once again covered my mouth with her hand.


    That was kinda of an excessive reaction! I was just joking after all.


    But when I tried to express some muffled complaints, she put a finger in front of her mouth, ordering me to stay silent.


    After a moment, I understood why she had shushed me.


    In the deep silence enveloping the school, I clearly heard the sound of a door closing.


    Someone had left their room.


    At the moment, we were lurking in one of the west wing''s hallways, on the ground floor. The sound was close. It was undoubtedly a student.


    During all these days of waiting, no one had ever taken a nighttime stroll. After all, who would be so foolish to do so with a killer at large?


    If someone was out of bed, it was definetly suspicious.


    Sophia nodded to me and together we slipped along the wall until we could peek around the nearest corner.


    There was no doubt, the footsteps we heard were heading in our direction. From the noise, whoever it was didn''t seem to intend to be stealthy.


    ?It''s coming this way,? whispered Sophia, ?we can''t stay here, we should go ahead an-?


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    But I had an idea. Trailing them from behind would be much easier.


    I grabbed Sophia''s wrist and pulled her towards me.


    ?What are you d-?


    This time I was the one that covered her mouth. With my other hand, I drew my wand and aimed it at one of the closets decorating the corridor we were in.


    ?Duplicate,? I whispered, shifting the wand''s tip towards the ground at our feet. From nothingness, wooden walls formed around us, hiding us from view.


    Thanks to the darkness it was unlikely that someone would notice an extra closet.


    Sophia seemed to startle from surprise. I quickly let go of her, but despite that, we remained very close, enclosed in that narrow space.


    I could feel her breath tickling my neck.


    I was glad that in the dark I couldn''t really see her face. She was definetly mad at me for acting so impulsively.


    We could do nothing but wait, pressed against each other, until we heard the footsteps getting closer. We both held our breath as the mysterious person passed by the closet, unaware of our presence.


    Then the footsteps grew fainter. The student was heading towards the entrance.


    When we were sure they had gone far enough, we jumped out.


    ?Yep... you''re fucking crazy. But... good job I guess,? Sophia commented, panting slightly.


    It was rare to get a compliment from her.


    ?Thanks... but let''s hurry.?


    Quickly, but making sure not to make noise, we hurried towards our target.


    It was when we arrived at the entrance hall that, thanks to the torches illuminating it brightly, we could finally see who it was. He was a boy of medium height with a mane of light brown hair, neatly combed back. Since I couldn''t see his face, I wasn''t sure who he was, but he looked familiar...


    ?Isn''t that the dude that asked you out on the first day?,? Sophia whispered to me, in the light of the entrance I could see she was smirking.


    ?Oh...?


    Of course! I would''ve rather removed that memory. That noble guy had challenged me with the intention of making me his girlfriend. Was he callled like... Von...Something.


    I couldn''t remember.


    But his name wasn''t important. What the hell was he doing out of bed at this hour?


    He certainly wasn''t the killer, otherwise he wouldn''t have walked through the school with such nonchalance, without worrying about being discovered.


    We continued to tail him towards the east wing of the building. The boy didn''t seem to worry about being followed, but we still tried to make as little noise as possible. It was essential that, if the killer was lurking somewhere, they wouldn''t see us coming.


    Finally, we reached the classroom corridor.


    The boy stopped in front of the door to the inner courtyard and entered, closing it behind him.


    Training at night, perhaps? Unlikely.


    But this was a huge issue: now that there was a door separating us, we had no way of continuing to observe him. Opening it would''ve revealed our presence.


    I started thinking of a solution.


    I definetly wasn''t capable of making myself see through walls.


    I had recently read about a spell capable of making me intangible so I could pass through one, but I had never really tried it with more than my hand, so it would''ve been way too risky to use it in this situation.


    What if I got stuck in the middle of the wall? Sophia would''ve certainly gotten a kick out of it.


    I looked at her.


    She also seemed unsure of what to do. Her power wasn''t really usefull in a situation like this.


    ?Fuck!? she muttered, biting her lip.


    But after a moment, she seemed to make up her mind.


    ?We have to go in, quick!? she exclaimed, no longer bothering to keep her voice low. And in a flash, she dashed towards the inner courtyard.


    ?A-are y-you s-sure?? I gasped, panting behind her.


    ?If the killer is waiting for him in there, we can''t just stand here doing nothing!?


    When she reached the door, Sophia pushed it open with force.


    We were faced with a horrible scene.


    The boy''s body, illuminated by the unnatural light of the courtyard, lay sprawled on the ground. There was no trace left of the good-looking young man I remembered meeting. What we had in front of us resembled more of a skeleton.


    Not one, but two of those horrible bugs were feasting on what remained of that poor boy.


    Sophia, fast like lightning, drew her sword and lunged at one of those creatures, splitting it in half with a single strike. As its glowing abdomen was ripped open, the insect emitted a violent glare before suddenly vanishing.


    In the meantime, I drew my wand and froze the other creature with precision.


    Sophia hurried to the victim''s body.


    ?Just in time... He''s still alive. We need to get him to the infirmary right away. In the meantime, see if you can follow the mana flow of that thi-... Elizabeth?!?


    It was too late, I had already rushed out of the courtyard.


    I heard Sophia screaming my name behind me.


    "I hope you can forgive me..."


    I had thought about it many times during the sleepless nights we had spent together, but the scene I had just witnessed had finally led me to make that decision.


    I couldn''t allow Sophia to face the killer.


    Sure, it was stupid of me to worry about her.


    After all ,with a power so insane at her disposal she was unlikely to risk anything.


    However, her duel with Valentine had shown me that she could also misjudge things.


    What if she made a mistake? Maybe the killer had some tricks up their sleeve or would set us up. And then... everything would happen so quickly. The little mana she had would be drained in a matter of seconds and her life would vanish in the blink of an eye.


    That power was pretty much the perfect weapon against someone with very low magic power like Sophia.


    But I wouldn''t give them a chance to use it against her. This time I would protect her, whether she wanted it or not.


    I ran through the school corridors, following the mana flow I had felt linking the familiar to its creator. It was coming from the west wing.


    Was the killer safe in their room?


    "In that case, I''ll have to go back to Sophia to make her break down the door," I thought, biting my lip.


    But it wasn''t the case.


    The flow led me to a corridor full of rooms, but it didn''t seem to come from any of them. I had to stop my chase.


    A dead end. In front of me was a solid wall.


    "Fuck!"


    There was no doubt, whoever was controlling those creatures was behind it. I felt the wall with my hands. It wasn''t an illusion, it was perfectly firm.


    Was there a secret passage somewhere?


    I could already feel the mana flow fading away, soon the killer''s traces would disappear.


    I had to act now.


    "Should I try to blow it up?"


    I would have preferred to catch the murderer by surprise. There was also the possibility that the wall was protected by a spell, like the doors to our rooms.


    I took a deep breath, preparing for the worst.


    I decided to take the risk. I drew my wand and aimed it at myself.


    ?Phase shift,? I whispered.


    I shuddered.


    It was as if my body had been immersed in icy water. I looked at my hands: they had a pearly color, almost transparent.


    The spell had worked.


    I didn''t have time to waste.


    With all determination I could muster, I walked towards the wall and, without looking back, I went through it.

 23. A ruthless killer

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I closed my eyes as I began to move through the solid stone wall.


    This kind of spell required the utmost concentration.


    I had to make sure that there was a constant flow of mana through every inch of my body. If I made a single mistake and any part of me became solid again...


    I didn''t even want to think about what would happen...


    Fortunately, after only a few seconds, I felt my nose coming out of the wall, in a new room.


    I jumped forward, trying to get my whole body through as quickly as possible, as I could already feel myself losing control of the spell.


    But just as I thought I had succeeded, something pulled me back, causing me to fall forward.


    <div>


    "Fuck!"


    I cushioned the fall with my hands.


    So much for catching the killer off guard. With the noise I had just made, they had surely already noticed me.


    I finally opened my eyes.


    But of course that wasn''t possible. Even if I had stepped out into the courtyard, it was still night.


    No, the light that had just blinded me didn''t come from the sun, but from two glass balls resting on a table. A bright, shapeless mass swirled inside.


    "Mana."


    And the one who had stolen this mana from their victims was there, just a few steps away from me.


    But the blinding light prevented me from distinguishing their features.


    The figure raised an arm in my direction. Three shadows rose into the air and zoomed towards me. Even with my impaired vision, I knew immediately what they were.


    I tried to get up quickly, but I felt something still hold me to the wall.


    I used one arm to lift myself a little off the ground and aimed the other, armed with my wand, at my attackers.


    At my command, a river of flame roared in front of me, forming a barrier that instantly incinerated the three bugs.


    I immediately looked behind me to see what was preventing me from moving.


    In another situation, I would have burst out laughing.


    The back of my skirt was still stuck in the wall. My spell must''ve stopped working before it went all the way through.


    I pulled at it with all my strength until it tore off.


    "So much for a heroic entrance..."


    Well, all things considered, it could''ve been worse. That could have been my leg.


    "Anyway, at the moment I have bigger problems than a torn skirt."


    Finally, my eyes adjusted to the unnatural brightness of the room.


    Beyond the thick veil of smoke caused by my spell, I could finally make out my opponent.


    They were shorter than me and seemed to have very long hair. From the shape of her body and her uniform, I quickly realised that she was a girl.


    As the cloud of smoke dissipated, my mouth fell open in an expression somewhere between astonishment and horror.


    It didn''t make sense.


    After all, her tear-streaked face and desperate screams as she mourned the loss of her friend were etched in my mind.


    A friend who, I now knew, she had killed herself.


    "Have I got the wrong person?"


    No. Although I didn''t know her personally, her distinctive brown curls were unmistakable. I clearly remembered Amy stroking them as she tried to comfort her, unaware that she was holding a murderer in her arms.


    That girl was Chloe, the best friend of Mary Stillwater, the first victim.


    ?You... but... why??


    The girl just looked at me coldly.


    "She doesn''t seem to be inclined to talk..."


    I had no other choice. The fact that I had just seen her summon those insects in front of me left no room for misunderstanding.


    She was the culprit Sophia and I were looking for.


    I pointed the wand at her and shouted:


    ?Fireball!?


    As usual, I put a large amount of mana into the spell.


    I aimed at the ground beneath her, as I didn''t want to hit her head-on, but rather knock her out.


    If possible, I wanted to catch her alive.


    Predictably, Chloe was thrown backwards and crashed into the wall.


    But immediately four insects flew towards me.


    "She must have summoned them just before I attacked."


    The creatures split up and attacked me from both sides.


    ?You still haven''t realized it''s pointless?? I shouted, unsure if my interlocutor was still conscious.


    Effortlessly, I summoned another whirl of flames. The insects fell to the ground incinerated.


    As before, I had to wait for the thick cloud of black smoke to dissipate before I could assess my opponent''s condition.


    "Huh?"


    Chloe stood up, seemingly unharmed.


    "How is that possible?"


    She had been thrown against the wall at high speed, it was impossible for her not to have been hurt.


    Had she used those bugs as a distraction to heal herself?


    I raised the wand again:


    ?Fireball!?


    This time the girl was ready:


    ?Mana shield!?


    My fireball fizzled out in mid-air before reaching its target.


    "Mana shield?!"


    It was rare to see this kind of defensive spell used.


    From my first days at magic school, I was taught that to defend against an elemental spell, you should use a spell of the opposite element.


    For example, the most common response to a fireball was to cast a water shield.


    The reason for this was simple: it was very efficient. It used less mana than the attacker''s spell.


    The spell Chloe had just used, Mana Shield, was the opposite. It completely nullified a spell by suffocating it with the caster''s mana, but since it didn''t have an elemental advantage, it was terribly inefficient.


    The only good thing about it was that it did not require careful tuning.


    An elemental shield had to be cast with the exact power needed to counter the opponent''s attack. Meanwhile, a mana shield would simply cancel the spell by draining the caster''s magic power directly.


    It was a sort of brute force approach.


    Could this girl really afford to be so liberal with her mana?


    Sure, it might have worked against someone else, but against me?


    I knew for sure, thanks to the first day''s evaluation, that she couldn''t have more mana than me.


    Were her tactics related to her power? I had to find out.


    I continued my attack, casting spell after spell. One by one they were neutralised.


    But I continued to attack relentlessly.


    I could see my opponent beginning to gasp for breath, growing more and more tired.


    After a few minutes I decided to stop.


    "If I keep pushing her like this, it could end badly."


    Sure, it would have been ironic if she ran out of mana and got a fireball in the face, but I really didn''t want to kill her.


    ?Do you really want to continue? By now you must have realized you can''t win like this.?


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I knew it might be risky, but I wanted answers. I was unlikely to get them after handing her over to the headmaster.


    I used the short break to look around.


    The room we were in was bare. Apart from the table on which the two mana vessels and other empty glass spheres rested, there was a bookshelf on the right wall, full of ancient looking books.


    There were no doors or windows.


    Obviously, it wasn''t possible that the only way into this room was the one I''d used. There had to be a secret entrance.


    Had Chloe discovered it by accident?


    But a more sinister question haunted me.


    Why did this room even exist?


    Once I was out of here, I would have to investigate it. Perhaps it wasn''t the only secret hidden within the walls of the Academy.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my opponent make a sudden movement.


    "You''d like that..."


    During the brief respite I had granted her, I had never let my guard down.


    I gave her my full attention again.


    Although she still looked exhausted, she seemed to have regained at least some of her energy. She had one arm outstretched in front of her.


    "What the...?"


    Something was moving under her skin, as if it were trapped and trying to escape. The mass grew rapidly and its movements became more and more erratic until something surfaced.


    "Ew..."


    With a mixture of amazement and disgust, I watched as a huge insect emerged from Chloe''s arm and took flight.


    Finally, I had a chance to see her power in action. Of course, I would have preferred to remain in ignorance.


    The way she created those strange familiars was as anomalous as Sophia and I had imagined. Instead of summoning them with a simple spell, she seemed to bring them to life inside her body.


    However, Chloe''s arm was intact, there was no wound where the bug had come out.


    I remembered that even when Amy had been attacked, I had found no marks on her body.


    This confirmed my theory that those beings were made entirely of mana and could simply pass through things.


    I aimed my wand to kill the creature before it had a chance to attack me. But just as my fire dart was about to incinerate it, Chloe cast a spell as well.


    ?Mana shield!?


    This time, however, her wand was aimed not in front of her, but at the insect. Before it reached its target, my attack collided with the mana barrier and vanished into thin air. Chloe''s familiar darted towards me, still enveloped by her shield spell.


    "Fuck!"


    I couldn''t let that creature sting me. If Sophia was right, it would paralyse me.


    I had to stop it.


    I prepared to cast a much more powerful spell than the ones I had used so far.


    "I''ll completely demolish that barrier."


    But I hesitated.


    That shield was sustained by my opponent''s mana. If she had tried to absorb all my firepower without deactivating the spell, she would have ended up like her victims.


    Was I ready to kill her?


    "No..."


    I shifted my aim to the side, towards the bookshelf.


    Throwing books left and right, I sent it flying at high speed towards the opposite wall, overwhelming the insect and crushing it against the wall.


    "Mmph."


    I couldn''t help but smile, pleased that I''d thought of the idea so quickly.


    Chloe''s barrier was excellent for neutralising spells, but completely useless against physical attacks.


    It had been a risky thought. Knowing that the insects could make themselves intangible, I had feared that the bookcase would simply pass through it.


    But since my previous spells had been effective, there had to be a catch to their power.


    I turned my attention back to my opponent, and from the expression on her face, she looked very frustrated.


    Before she tried to attack me again, I decided to try again to get her to talk:


    ?I advise you to stop. You should be the first to know what happens if you exhaust your magical power. If you surrender, it will be easier for both of us...?


    ?Surrender??


    For the first time, Chloe responded to me. Her tone was cold.


    ?Do you really think that after everything I''ve done to survive, I''m just going to give up? I know very well that even if you don''t kill me, the headmaster will want my head.?


    ?You should have thought about that before killing two people...?


    Chloe threw me a dirty look:


    ?Do you have the nerve to blame me? It''s the damn school that put us in this situation. I had no choice but to do what I did...?


    "Mmmh."


    Based on her crimes, I had expected to face another crazy murderer like Valentine. Were things different this time?


    But even if the school was ultimately to blame, she had done something I could never forgive her for.


    ?Suppose that in this situation killing is justified, you still deceived a poor girl, pretended to be her friend, and then stabbed her in the back!?


    ?I DIDN''T PRETEND TO BE ANYTHING!?


    My accusation seemed to make her lose control.


    It took her a moment to compose herself again, then, staring at the ground at her feet, she continued:


    ?I didn''t pretend... Mary really was my friend... We''ve known each other since we were kids, I... I cared about her.?


    ?But then... how could you?? I asked.


    ?If not me, then who?! Did you want to be the one to kill her?? Chloe looked up, her eyes on fire, ?or maybe you wanted someone to defile her body like what happened to Stuart?! EH?!?


    I was starting to understand what was going on in that girl''s head, and I didn''t like it at all.


    "Did this situation drive her crazy?"


    ?Instead, with my power. It''s like falling asleep.... That night she was waiting for me in the hallway outside her room, as I had told her. I hit her from behind... she didn''t even realize what was happening.?


    So that''s why Mary Stillwater was out of bed in the middle of the night. She was there because someone she deeply trusted had asked her to be. Someone who would take that trust and stomp on it.


    ?It''s better this way. She didn''t suffer. I would have had to kill her in the end anyway... So she helped me, yes helped me start...?


    Chloe''s words trailed off into an incomprehensible ramble.


    Even if a part of me felt pity for her, I could never accept what she said.


    ?You''re wrong!?


    ?Uh?? Chloe looked at me bewildered.


    ?If you were really her friend, you would have done everything to protect her! You would have tried to survive with her for as long as possible! And in the end, maybe you would have even sacrificed yourself for her!?


    I could see Amy''s smiling face in front of me while I was saying those words.


    Chloe''s expression quickly changed from astonishment to anger, to hatred.


    ?You''re the last one that should preach that to me! Didn''t you use your friend or am I wrong? You sent her to snoop around and look how that turned out!?


    "Uh?"


    ?So that''s why you attacked her??


    When I asked Amy to look into Mary Stillwater, she may have asked questions that put Chloe on alert.


    ?Exactly, all because of you!? the latter replied maliciously.


    She was trying to make me feel guilty. But she wasn''t going to succeed.


    ?If I asked Amy for help, it''s because I trust her. Precisely because we''re friends, we support each other, it''s something you could never understand!? I replied, ?And now, thanks to her, you''re trapped. If you hadn''t tried to get rid of her, I would never have found out what your power was.!?


    ?Tsk...?


    She probably regretted trying to silence Amy. If she hadn''t made that miscalculation, I would still be in the dark.


    I decided to put pressure on her.


    ?Well, you messed up. What were you afraid Amy would find out? Your relationship with Boyle, your next victim??


    I had thought about it after I found out the circumstances of Mary''s death.


    Why was Frank Boyle in his room in the middle of class?


    Was he also waiting for someone he trusted?


    My intuition was confirmed by Chloe''s words:


    ?That creep thought he could take advantage of me.... After Mary''s death, he started talking to me often under the pretext of consoling me,? she said contemptuously, ?who knows what he expected when I told him I wanted to talk to him in his room that morning...?


    I could not know what Boyle''s true intentions were, but no one deserved to die the way he did...


    ?What about the dude you tried to kill tonight??


    ?Who, Von Bitten? It was easy with him, you know how he was always looking for a suitable companion for his social status?? Chloe replied with a smirk, ?All I had to do was propose a date night and he immediately took the bait.?


    I had heard enough.


    Initially, from her words, I had thought that girl was also a victim, forced to kill because of the circumstances we were in.


    But now I was sure of it. The school had only brought out Chloe''s true nature: that of a ruthless killer.


    Now I could proceed without hesitation.


    However, my opponent seemed to sense that the time for words was over.


    Four insects took flight from behind her back. She must have created them stealthily while we were talking.


    But now that I knew how to bypass her magical defenses, her familiars were no longer a threat.


    I quickly aimed my wand to my left, towards the remains of the wardrobe . Four wooden splinters intercepted the flying insects, piercing them lethally.


    Since she used her own mana to give life to those beings, soon she would no longer be able to summon them.


    I looked at her. She seemed to be barely standing.


    But...


    "What the fuck?!"


    Two strange bumps were forming on her left arm. They were much longer than those caused by the birth of her familiars. They stretched and stretched, forming what looked like two fleshy tubes. They touched the ground and, as if endowed with a life of their own, began to crawl towards the table, a short distance away.


    I had not yet seen all that her power could do after all...


    I didn''t know what she hoped to achieve, but I didn''t intend to find out.


    As before, I took control of two wooden splinters and sent them towards those strange fleshy tubes, intending to sever them.


    But before they could reach their destination, Chloe lunged into their path.


    Blood splattered on the floor. The two splinters had pierced the girl''s chest, penetrating deeply.


    "Is she fucking crazy?!"


    With a groan of pain, Chloe pulled the two projectiles from her body. This only amplified the loss of blood from her wounds.


    I had to refrain from rushing forward to help her. I knew I couldn''t let my guard down, but if I didn''t get her quickly to the infirmary, she would bleed to death.


    But when Chloe looked up, she was smiling.


    ?I hoped I wouldn''t have to spend everything I had gathered so far, but it seems I have no other choice.?


    I looked behind her. The two appendages had reached their destination. Their tips seemed to have connected to the two glass spheres resting on the table.


    The glow swirling within them suddenly seemed to intensify. And then...


    The tubes began to move and shake uncontrollably as light began to be drained into them and flow toward their creator.


    With horror, I saw the color return to Chloe''s cheeks. Her breathing became more controlled. Her wounds closed.


    Now I knew that our battle was not over but, on the contrary, it had just begun.

 24. Trump card

    "She¡¯s absorbing mana..."


    There was no other way to explain her sudden revitalization.


    If getting our mana drained could cause deterioration in our bodies, the opposite must''ve been true as well.


    Those new familiars she summoned were draining the magical power stored in those vessels, feeding it directly to their owners.


    "Then could her power be...?"


    Mana manipulation.


    Her control over magical power was so strong that she could shape it, giving birth to those strange creatures.


    The fact that she also seemed capable of absorbing other''s people mana into her body, only made that theory more likely to be true.


    ?What''s wrong? Too scared to move??


    My opponent''s taunting words brought me back down to earth.


    Scared?


    Certainly, things would get much more difficult now.


    If before I was sure of winning in a battle of attrition because of my ample mana reserves, now I was certain of the opposite.


    The spells I had cast so far, especially the complex magic I had used to enter the room, had already considerably depleted my magical power.


    On the contrary, not only did my opponent seem to have fully restored her mana, but from the glow that still illuminated the inside of the two glass spheres it seemed that she might be able to do so again.


    But no, the feeling I was experiencing at the moment wasn''t fear. But...


    Excitement?


    So far, both outside and inside the Academy, I had never found myself at a disadvantage in a confrontation.


    Of course, there was the whole situation with Valentine, but at the time I had perceived the challenge as so impossible that we never got to duel.


    In this case, now that my back was against the wall, forced to fight an opponent fully intent on killing me, things were different.


    I knew I could win.


    Finally, I could prove that my mana wasn''t the only thing that made me an exceptional mage.


    ?Scared?? I finally replied, ?don''t make me laugh. I just couldn''t get over how disgusting your power is...?


    The way those strange appendages were attached to the glass spheres, rhythmically pumping the mana inside them, as some kind of blood-sucking parasite, genuinely gave me the creeps.


    But this horrible sight raised another question in me:


    ?If this was how you wanted to use that mana, why didn''t you just absorb it all earlier??


    If I had really intended to kill her and had not restrained myself, she would never have had the opportunity to exploit this side of her power.


    Chloe seemed irritated at my question.


    ?Do you take me for a fool? If I could, of course I would have. Holding more mana than usual in one''s body is dangerous.?


    The girl lifted her shirt slightly. Thanks to the light emitted by the two mana orbs, I could see an ugly scar on her left side.


    ?As you can see, it tends to want to come out,? she said bitterly, ?and even if I managed to control it, I couldn''t handle the headaches."?


    ?Headaches??


    ?That''s right. It''s like the mana I absorb knows it''s not mine and rebels. Even now it''s making noise,? she said, touching her temple, ?and that''s why...?


    ¡°Mana has a will of its own?¡±


    Unfortunately, I did not have time to internalize that incredible revelation.


    A huge fireball, larger than the one I had previously cast, flew towards me.


    ?Water shield!?


    Without hesitation, I summoned a water shield to protect myself.


    The fireball went out a few inches from my face.


    I felt waves of scorching steam scalding my skin.


    "Just in time..."


    But Chloe was not going to give me a break.


    ?Fireball!?


    ?Water shield!?


    The result was the same as the previous exchange.


    But Chloe continued her assault.


    One after another, her spells clashed against my defenses, being neutralized.


    The situation had practically reversed: now she was the one trying to attack me with sheer brute force, while I was forced to defend myself.


    However, I knew I couldn''t hold out forever, I would now run out of mana before her.


    It wasn''t pleasant to see my own methods used against me.


    I had to think of a way out.


    I remembered how Celeste had easily neutralized fire spells by summoning a hurricane...


    But I quickly discarded the idea. I would have consumed too much magic power for such a spell, and Chloe could have simply switched elements.


    Not to mention the risk of both of us drowning, given how small this room was.


    The last fireball went out inches from my chest, incinerating part of my uniform.


    I was trying to limit the mana used by my defensive spells. I had to act fast or sooner or later I would misjudge and take a fireball to the face.


    "Think, Elizabeth, think..."


    I had to beat someone with more magical power than me...


    I thought back to all the duels I had witnessed, looking for ideas.


    I immediately focused on one in particular.


    After all, it was the first one I had witnessed. In that duel, Sophia had shown me that mana was not so important here.


    Unlike her, though, I had no innate power with which to surprise my opponent...


    Surprise my opponent...


    "It could work!"


    The idea was stupid and I would undoubtedly have to risk my life, but what alternative did I have?


    I just had to recreate the right conditions.


    I waited for the arrival of yet another fireball.


    This time, however, the shield I cast was much stronger and neutralized Chloe''s spell in an instant.


    I immediately seized this small opening to go on the offensive:


    ?Glacial spike!?


    A huge ice spike crystallized in mid-air before zooming away at high speed.


    But my target wasn''t Chloe.


    The projectile I launched headed towards one of the two glass spheres.


    It was pointless to cause direct damage to that girl, given the healing abilities of the mana she was absorbing.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itNo, it was better to aim directly at the source of her power.


    But my opponent was not taken by surprise. She must have sensed that I would attempt such a thing.


    ?Mana shield.?


    The ice spear dissolved in midair.


    Too bad, I hoped she would try a fire shield for once: the ice I had created was unlikely to melt completely.


    But I didn''t relent, I knew I couldn''t give her any respite or she would start attacking me again.


    After all, I already knew how to bypass her magical defenses.


    ?Levitate!?


    This time, the target of my spell wasn''t the two glass spheres, but the table they were resting on.


    Before Chloe could react, it was thrown high up towards the ceiling.


    The two spheres collided against the wall with a clang, and along with a shower of wooden fragments, they began to descend towards the floor.


    But before they could touch it, Chloe''s two appendages rose up, holding the two spheres mid-air.


    Despite the impact, they seemed completely intact.


    ?Eh eh, just as expected. You thought it would be so easy to break them?? Chloe teased me.


    ?Wanna test that??


    With a wave of my wand, the remnants of the table and bookcase came together, fusing into a compact wooden sphere. I directed it toward one of the two mana containers. The two spheres collided and wood flew everywhere.


    I did not give up, reformed my weapon and prepared to continue my attack.


    ?That''s enough!?


    As I expected, Chloe had no intention of finding out whether her glass orbs were really indestructible.


    ?Firestorm!? the girl roared.


    This time, a river of flames came towards me.


    ?Water cannon!?


    A thunderous jet of water erupted from my wand, colliding with the fire. Jets of hot steam erupted where the two spells clashed, canceling each other out.


    It was the end.


    We were both stuck in this exchange of magic. But I was the one who would come out defeated. My mana would be exhausted before hers, and at that moment I would be consumed by flames.


    That was exactly what I wanted.


    I needed a situation like this. That was why I had threatened to directly destroy the source of her strength. Chloe''s reaction would have been the most obvious: to attack me with more force than before so as not to take any chances.


    I extended my left hand, free from the wand, in front of me.


    It was time to use my trump card.


    It was nothing special, especially compared to innate powers such as those of Sophia, Valentine, or even Chloe herself. I wasn''t the only one with such an ability.


    But it was a rare enough skill that I hoped my opponent had not considered it.


    I took a deep breath.


    I could clearly feel the mana stirring within me.


    I followed the flow leading to my wand, where my magical power fed the jet of water I had conjured.


    I gritted my teeth.


    "Come on, Elizabeth, you can do it."


    I was concentrating so hard that I felt like my head might explode at any moment.


    But finally, I felt I had succeeded.


    A small trickle of mana had branched off from the main stream, heading towards my left arm.


    Now I just had to amplify it.


    ¡°Almost there!"


    The second flow became as large as the first. It was time to choose how to use it. Casting spells without a wand was very difficult. I had to use a simple one.


    "NOW!"


    ?Levitate!?


    The wooden sphere I had created earlier flew up. At the same time, water continued to erupt from the tip of my wand.


    In the light emitted by the flames, I saw Chloe widen her eyes in amazement.


    As I imagined, she didn''t expect it.


    Controlling two spells at the same time was something that only the most experienced mages could do. The fact that I could do it at my age betrayed the fact that in addition to having a lot of mana, I was also extremely skilled at controlling it.


    The ball began to advance toward its target. This time it wasn''t the glass orbs, but Chloe herself.


    The wooden globe struck her in the side at high speed, knocking her away.


    The burst of flames flickered, being quickly consumed by my jet of water which rushed towards my opponent.


    But...


    ?Mana shield!?


    Again, in midair, Chloe managed to block my spell before it reached her.


    Just as I imagined.


    It was too late.


    By the time Chloe''s attack stopped, I had sprinted in her direction.


    By the time she hit the ground, I was already there, ready, with my sword just millimeters from her neck.


    It was the first time I had unsheathed it outside of training.


    Anyone who saw me practicing with it would never have guessed that I would use it to win a duel.


    "I''ll have to thank Sophia later."


    The idea of cornering my opponent with the sword had come to me remembering her duel after all.


    The double spell had just given me the opening I needed.


    ?Drop the wand or I''ll blow your head off,? I threatened Chloe.


    "Will she call my bluff?"


    To my relief, however, after giving me a look mixed with pain and hatred, the girl obeyed, tossing her wand away.


    She had been hit squarely in the side, probably had broken a few ribs.


    But I didn''t let my guard down. I hadn''t forgotten about her familiars.


    ?Now raise your arms up high, no sudden movements,? I ordered.


    After a moment of hesitation, Chloe complied.


    ?Okay, now hands to the wall and disconnect those tubes from the spheres.?


    I watched her comply with my request with some disgust as the fleshy appendages retracted into her arm.


    "Ok... so what now?"


    I had to somehow find a way to take her to the headmaster, but I still had no idea how to get out of that strange room with no doors.


    I certainly couldn''t start feeling every inch of the wall looking for the exit.


    I tried to ask her:


    ?Tell me where the exit is now.?


    Surprisingly she replied.


    ?There''s a secret passage.?


    "As I expected."


    ?You have to tell-?


    Suddenly, I felt an electric current run through my body, starting from my left leg.


    I fell forward, crashing to the floor at Chloe''s feet. I hit my nose on the hard stone, but strangely, I felt no pain. In fact, I felt nothing at all... as if every area of my body had suddenly lost sensation.


    I tried to get up, but with horror, I realized that none of my limbs seemed to want to respond.


    My first thought was that I had been stung by one of Chloe''s familiars.


    But how was that possible? I had made sure she didn''t move an inch.


    ?Idiot...?


    My body was turned onto its back. I saw Chloe move the foot that she had used to turn me over and give me a mocking smile.


    It seemed that at least I could still move my eyes.


    That''s when I understood what had happened.


    A fleshy appendage, identical to the ones she had used to connect to the mana receptacles, extended from the palm of Chloe''s hand. Following the path of the tube, I saw that it was connected to the sole of one of my boots.


    It seemed that even those things could sting.


    When I had made her put her hand against the wall, she must have popped it out without being seen. She had run it through the wall and then under the floor to reach my foot.


    She got me.


    I had miscalculated.


    I had overlooked the fact that those appendages could also pass through walls.


    A deadly mistake.


    ?You had pretty much won! You should have finished me off, now see where your ego leads you.?


    I began to feel a terrible sucking sensation.


    "Strange, I thought I had lost all feeling."


    I quickly realized that the sensation was coming from within me. It was my mana being drained by that appendage.


    ¡°So this is how it ends, huh?"


    Ego? Perhaps.


    But in the end, what I had lacked was the determination needed to kill my opponent.


    If I didn''t want to give up my humanity, did it make sense to continue fighting in this competition after all?


    Maybe it was bett-


    "What the fuck am I thinking!"


    After all the effort I had put into defeating my opponent, did I really want to give up?


    I had already given up once, I wouldn''t do it again.


    But was there something I could do to free myself?


    I couldn''t even move a finger.


    I watched Chloe create another tube and connect it to one of the glass spheres.


    Bright vortices began to flow inside it.


    "My mana."


    The mana passed through the tube connected to my foot, ascended to Chloe''s body and, through the new appendage, reached the globe where it would be stored for future use. My mana would help her continue her killing spree.


    "Fuck me"


    I tried to concentrate and maintain control of my magical power.


    But it was useless. I couldn''t hold onto it and slowly it was being taken away from me.


    Slowly...


    "!"


    Why didn''t she just drain it all at once?


    Suddenly, I remembered Chloe''s scar on her side, caused by holding too much mana in her body.


    Could that be the key?


    It was a big risk: if it didn''t work, I would only hasten my departure.


    But what choice did I have?


    I gathered as much mana as possible. But this time, instead of trying to resist the suction, I pushed in the same direction, releasing my magical power from my body with all my strength.


    I saw a blinding light come up the tube at great speed, reaching Chloe''s body before she could react.


    ?Uh?!?


    A small trickle of blood ran from one of her nostrils. She wiped it away and seemed to observe the stain on her finger with a puzzled expression before slumping forward, unconscious.


    My plan had worked.


    But with despair, I realized that the creature she had created to absorb my mana didn''t seem to care.


    Despite its creator being unconscious, it continued its work, sucking away what little remained of my magical power.


    Slowly, my consciousness faded, slipping into darkness.

 25. Turning point

    White.


    Was this the afterlife?


    But it just took the time for my eyes to adjust to the light again to realize that what I was looking at was no otherworldly sky but just plain white stone.


    "Unfamiliar ceiling..."


    I quickly realized I was lying in a bed.


    But where exactly and how had I gotten here?


    Before I could look around, something large obscured my vision and I felt something heavy press against my chest.


    "Ugh!"


    ?Lizzie!! How are you feeling? They said everything was fine, but you wouldn''t wake up! Does anything hurt??


    I lowered my gaze to find myself facing a very worried Amy, dressed in her pajamas.


    I looked around.


    As I should have guessed, I was lying on a bed in the infirmary.


    The afterlife could wait after all.


    ?I''m fine, I''m fine. But...?


    ?Something''s wrong?? Should I call the healer??


    ?No, it''s just... I can''t breathe.?


    Amy, in her haste to check my condition, was almost crushing me on the bed.


    ?Oh, I''m so sorry!?


    Amy jumped back, releasing me immediately, and went to sit on a chair next to my bed.


    ?But, do you really feel okay?? she asked again, casting an inquiring glance at me.


    ?Yeah...?


    It was the truth. I felt terribly tired, but except for the lack of energy, everything seemed fine.


    I looked down anxiously.


    I expected to see my arms reduced to two twigs from the mana absorption I had suffered. Instead, they were completely normal.


    Whoever had rescued me must have done so not long after I had passed out.


    Chloe''s creation had not succeeded in draining my life force. But it had come very close.


    ?Chloe!? I exclaimed suddenly, startling Amy.


    I looked around. Only one other bed in the infirmary was occupied. Not by Chloe, though, but by Von Bitten: the poor boy was surrounded by a bluish aura, a sign of the spell that had helped Amy recover.


    ?Amy, w-what happened to Chloe?? I asked.


    Deep down, I already knew the answer.


    My fears were confirmed by the expression on her face, before she even spoke.


    ?She... didn''t make it...?


    I let myself sink into the pillow. Honestly, I didn''t know how to feel. What could''ve I done differently? I had only defended myself.


    Maybe I had even done too much to avoid killing her.


    However, the idea of having caused the death of another human being was not something I could accept so easily.


    ?Lizzie... you couldn''t have done anything else. She almost killed you!? Amy tried to console me.


    ?I know... thank you.?


    So, this emptiness was what Sophia had felt after killing Valentine, huh?


    Could this be a symptom that my humanity was beginning to fade?


    Sophia...


    "Oh fuck!"


    ?Amy, how did I get here??


    "Uh..."


    Amy seemed to hesitate for a moment.


    ?Sophia brought you here... She said she found you in a secret room or something.?


    ?Where is she now??


    ?She rushed out as soon as she heard you were okay. Sh-she said she''d be back soon...?


    For some reason, Amy seemed to shiver as she spoke those last words.


    "I have a bad feeling about this"


    I tried to get up quickly to sit on the bed, but my arms gave up under my weight. The mana draining had not been without consequences after all.


    ?Amy, help me up, we need to go-?


    But I never got to finish the sentence.


    The infirmary door opened violently and Sophia walked in.


    I didn''t even have to look at her face.


    The way she walked in told me all I needed to know.


    She was furious.


    The confrontation with Chloe had almost made me forget.


    While she was dealing with Von Bitten, I had left her alone to deal with the killer.


    I had practically risked undermining all her efforts to find the culprit. Not only that, but I had forced her to save my life for the second time.


    After she had finally agreed to cooperate, I had betrayed her trust...


    I stood frozen as Sophia approached my bed.


    When she was a few steps away from me, I saw her raise an arm.


    I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact.


    But the slap I was expecting never came.


    Instead, I felt myself being lifted by the collar of my shirt.


    ?Y-YOU, HUGE... F-FUCKING IDIOT! WHAT THE FUCK WHERE YOU THINKING?!?


    Sophia''s voice trembled with anger.


    I opened my eyes just wide enough to catch a glimpse of her reddened face, just inches from mine.


    I lowered my eyes to focus on her hand, which was gripping me so tightly it was hard to breathe. I didn''t have the courage to point it out. Or to look her in the eye.


    But Sophia seemed to realise on her own that the position she had forced me into was causing me pain and loosened her grip slightly.


    ?Well!? Do you think you can get away with keeping quiet? The healer has already told me that you''re not in such bad shape. So, speak up. What the hell were you thinking?!?


    Her voice had lowered, but I could still feel the fury simmering behind her words.


    She deserved an answer.


    The problem was, I didn''t want to give it to her. It would only fuel the hatred she surely felt towards me now.


    I couldn''t tell her that her low mana level had worried me for her, and I had tried to protect her.


    I had already noticed how her inability to use magic weighed on her. There seemed to be a certain insecurity behind her great pride.


    If I let her think that I looked down on her, she would never forgive me.


    But I didn''t want to lie either...


    Then an idea came to me.


    I could tell her another reason that, although not the main one, had still prompted me to act on my own.


    But it was... so embarrassing ...


    I took a deep breath. In the end, this was my punishment.


    ?I... wanted... to show you that I''m worthy of you.?


    ?Uh?!?


    Sophia let slip an exclamation of surprise. That corny sentence was certainly not the response she had expected.


    "Kill me now..."


    ?After you had to save me from Valentine, I was afraid that you would see me as weak. I wanted to show you that I wasn''t, that I could fight too. And...? I hesitated for a moment, ?I just wanted you to accept me... but I guess I only made things worse. I''m useless. You had to save me again...?


    It was the truth. I had confessed everything I had been feeling these past weeks.


    "I sacrificed my pride for you! Now forgive me please..." I thought.


    To my surprise, my words seemed to affect Sophia.


    Her grip loosened even more, but she still didn''t let go of me. I felt her hand, still on my chest, tremble slightly.


    When she spoke, it seemed as if every trace of anger had vanished from her voice, replaced by a note of regret.


    ?Did you really... risk your life over something so... stupid??


    She didn''t wait for my answer. She continued bitterly:


    ?Can you tell me why you think so highly of me? From the first day we spoke, I''ve done nothing but try to push you away. Is it only because you think I saved you? I already told you that I would have confronted Valentine no matter what. Why do you keep trying to get close to me when all I do is tease and belittle you? Shouldn''t you hate me??


    Of course I didn''t. I knew from the start that Sophia was trying to put a barrier around herself to prevent us both getting hurt in the future. But I still couldn''t help but admire her and want to know more about her. And, to be honest, I had begun to find our constant bickering very amusing.


    ?Sophia, no! I do-?


    But before I could express my feelings, Sophia interrupted me.


    ?But I guess this is my punishment for being so insincere with you. So listen carefully, because I''m only going to say this once,? she paused briefly, taking a deep breath as if preparing for a difficult test, ?I never once thought you were useless. From the first time we spoke, I was interested in you. You saw through my tricks and had the balls to confront me. Honestly, it was kind of cool. As for Valentine, it''s admirable how quickly you got back on your feet and how you''ve never wavered since. You had a moment of weakness but you got over it, that''s what''s important...?


    I could hardly believe my ears. I never thought she would say those words to me. I didn''t know what to say... Had I been projecting my insecurities onto her?


    Sophia continued:


    ?And to tell you the truth ... when we started working together to find the killer, I felt ... relieved to have someone like you by my side. So stop saying nonsense like "being worthy of you." It''s embarrassing and... I think you are already... fine as it is...?


    Sophia sighed, and her tone softened.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ?There, you forced me to be honest for once. So, please... never do something like this again.?


    For the first time since she had entered the room, I looked up to meet her gaze.


    Only then did I realise how stupid I had been.


    Sophia''s beautiful face was marked by deep circles under her eyes, a sign of many sleepless nights.


    I had complained so often about how tired I was after our nightly patrols, never thinking for a moment that my companion was suffering the same in silence.


    Her emerald eyes were tired and red, as if she had been crying recently.


    Her mouth was twisted into a sad smile.


    For the first time I saw the real Sophia. The Sophia I had tried so hard not to see.


    I had put her on such a pedestal that I didn''t want to admit that underneath that cold, proud mask was a girl my age, with her weaknesses. I had seen the signs, but I had deliberately ignored the cracks in the perfect image of Sophia I had created in my mind.


    Why had I done this?


    Perhaps it was because I was hoping that in this situation there was an invincible warrior among us, devoid of emotion, ready to rescue us from the terrible, deadly game the Academy had trapped us in. I wanted to rely on her, who would never succumb to the horrors we were about to face.


    But that was not reality.


    Sophia''s feelings were written all over her face.


    She was worried about me, and I had treated her like an emotionless machine.


    I couldn''t resist.


    In a move worthy of Amy, I clung to Sophia and hugged her tightly.


    ?What the hell?! Let me go!?


    She weakly tried to wriggle free. If she had wanted to, she could have easily freed herself, given the state I was in, but she didn''t.


    That was the last straw.


    It was as if all my bottled up emotions came to the surface.


    I burst into tears on her shoulder.


    ?I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry! I promise I will never do this again. I will never leave you alone from now on. And don''t think for a second that I hate you! I admire you so much and all I want is to be close to you. So please forgive me, please forgive me...?


    I was like a river bursting through its banks.


    I could feel Sophia stiffen. It was clear that she did not know how to deal with the situation. After a while she began to shyly pat me on the shoulder.


    I heard Amy giggling. I had almost forgotten that she had witnessed the whole scene. I''m sure she enjoyed it... ....


    After a few minutes we separated, unable to look each other in the eye.


    It seemed that the invisible barrier Sophia had tried to put between us had finally fallen, now that we could finally be honest with each other.


    It was Amy who broke the silence.


    ?Ehm ehmh! Now that you two have made up, I think it''s time to get down to business...?


    ?Get down to business?? Sophia asked, confused.


    ?Sophia, I''d like to propose that you ally with me and Lizzie for the future.?


    "Oh, she''s going to strike, now that she''s seen her weaknesses."


    Maybe Amy was actually the scariest person in this room after all.


    But Sophia was quick to refuse:


    ?No, I''ve already talked to Elizabeth, I''ve already told her th-?


    ?Yes, yes, I''ve heard it all. "I don''t want to kill a friend," right??


    Sophia shot me a venomous glare.


    I gave her an apologetic smile. She couldn''t blame me for discussing these things with my best friend.


    Sophia sighed and replied:


    ?Exactly. Th-that''s what I think.?


    The hesitation in her voice made me think that she, too, realized that Amy''s trap was about to close on her.


    ?Oh? It seemed to me that you were pretty mad at Lizzie for risking her life, weren''t you?? Amy started with a smirk, ?Shouldn''t you have been glad to have one less opponent? Unless... you really care about Lizzie deep down? Oh, what was it again -- ah yes "I felt relieved to have someone like you by my side."?


    Sophia blushed furiously:


    ?I-I, I-I don''t...?


    ?So I''d say it''s a little too late: you''re already friends.?


    There was no way out. Sophia was like a mouse cornered by a hungry tiger.


    I decided to intervene:


    ?It''s okay, Sophia,? I declared, smiling, ?I''ve decided. I have no intention of letting either of you die.?


    Both Sophia and Amy looked at me dumbfounded.


    ?You got it right. I don''t want us to ally to defeat our classmates, but to defeat the Academy.?


    ?You... can''t really think that? Haven''t you seen how powerful Skylark is? And who knows what else the school is hiding to keep us trapped...? Sophia objected


    ?Alone, you''re right, I could never do it. But that''s exactly why I need the two of you. I''m sure that together we''ll find a way. Are you in??


    I deep down knew it was foolish to think that. But I just didn''t want to give up hope.


    Amy looked at me beaming:


    ?Of course!?


    We both looked at Sophia.


    Eventually, under the weight of our gaze, she capitulated.


    ?Fuck it... okay. You win!? she huffed.


    But she smiled. That was the end of her fierce resistance. In the end, she was just waiting for me to convince her.


    ?Hooray!? we exclaimed in unison.


    I had finally done it. Our duo had become a trio. From now on, I would also have the opportunity to get to know Sophia better. Now that I had finally seen her as she really was, I wanted to know everything about her.


    Why was she so strong and yet somewhat insecure? She had helped me to overcome my problems, so I wanted to do the same for her.


    We remained silent for a while.


    ?What do you think? Should give our newfound alliance a name?? I said after a while.


    ?If you start suggesting cringy shit like that, I swear I''ll leave!? Sophia snapped immediately.


    We burst out laughing. My worries now seemed so far away.


    But it was Sophia who brought me back to earth.


    ?Since we''ve decided to cooperate... I think it''s best that you see this,? she said, handing me a small scroll. Amy walked over to read it with me.


    "Behind the closet, you will find a passage to a secret room. Inside, we have prepared mana containers perfect for experimenting with your power. We have also made available to you extensive literature that may be of great help to you in fully understanding your potential. Make good use of it"


    ?Wh-what is this?!?


    ?I found it on Chloe''s desk. Luckily, I went to check there immediately, or they would have made it disappear. As the note says, there''s a secret passage behind the closet in her room.?


    ?But to know about something like that... it''s a message from the school!?


    There was no doubt about it. The school had assigned Chloe her room and provided her with her own secret lab. But...why? Why this favoritism? The whole thing stunk.


    ?I checked the books mentioned in the message. They''re all about mana, its manipulation and control.?


    "Books about mana..."


    It was very disturbing. The school must have had a special interest in Chloe''s power. If they were interested in mana experiments ... there couldn''t have been anything good behind it.


    Speaking of which...


    "Mana has a will of its own."


    I remembered the incredible revelation Chloe had casually made to me during our fight.


    "Sadly I''m never going to be able to ask her more about it... I should talk to Sophia and Amy about it later..."


    ?Do you think we should report this?? asked Amy.


    ?And to whom? It''s obvious that Skylark is aware of it, even if he didn''t write her that letter himself. No... better keep it to ourselves. I''m sure it''s important...? replied Sophia.


    We remained silent again, reflecting on what we had discovered.


    It was Sophia who talked again:


    ?Well, I''m going to bed,? she got up, ?it''s been a long time since I had a good night''s sleep. Maybe I''ll skip class tomorrow...?


    But there was one last thing I wanted to know.


    ?Sophia... How did you find me so quickly? Or rather, how did you even know there was a secret room, and I was inside it??


    For some reason, this made her burst out laughing. She reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like a piece of black fabric.


    With horror I quickly realized that it was the back of my skirt.


    ?You see, when I was searching for you, I found this piece of cloth sticking out of a wall. I immediately thought it was strange, so I used my sword to check what was behind it and lo and behold I found you!?


    A large grin appeared on her face.


    ?D-did you see m-my...?? I stuttered.


    ?I must say... you certainly have a... peculiar... fashion sense, Lizzie.?


    "Scratch everything, I fucking hate this girl!"

 26. A moments respite

    My stay in the infirmary lasted another two days. Although I had emerged relatively unscathed from my confrontation with Chloe, I was still completely exhausted.


    I therefore decided to rest some more so that I could regain my energies and be discharged together with Amy.


    I expected the healers to do everything they could to throw me back into the fray, but in this case they were strangely understanding.


    As for the reason, well, I had an idea.


    The day after I was admitted to the infirmary, Sophia had come to see us again.


    She had told us that she had been summoned by Skylark, who had asked for information about the circumstances of Chloe''s death.


    But, according to Sophia, it was just a facade: the headmaster knew very well what had happened.


    In any case, violence between students was, at least on paper, forbidden outside of duels.


    Despite this, I would not be punished for killing Chloe, it would have been considered self-defense.


    Sophia had then sarcastically thanked me on behalf of the headmaster for stopping the killer.


    Thanks to that message she had found, we knew full well that it was only a front.


    Behind the trail of death left by that girl was none other than the Academy and Skylark itself. They had used her for purposes that were not yet clear to me.


    But of one thing I was almost certain: the headmaster was aware that we had read that incriminating message.


    Evidence? None, just my intuition.


    Perhaps that was why the healers had been so lenient toward me: Skylark wanted to keep me quiet by giving me what I wanted.


    Despite the total control the old wizard seemed to exert over the Academy, it was unlikely that he wished his complicity in the recent murders to be made known.


    Even though we were trapped in this perverse game, the Academy still presented itself as a champion of rules and impartiality. The fact that a student had been helped to kill went against this notion.


    It would have been the perfect spark to fuel a student revolt.


    But not now, of course. It would have been suicide.


    No, we would have to do a lot of work before attempting such a thing. For the time being, I would stay put, just as Skylark wanted.


    But my revenge, sooner or later, would come.


    <hr>


    As Amy and I walked through the school hallways, heading to class, I could not ignore the stares that many of my classmates were giving me.


    I even saw some whispering among themselves as I passed.


    I had expected this. From what Sophia had told me, the teachers had decided to inform the class about the circumstances behind Chloe''s death.


    "To avoid panic and let us focus on the duels," they had said.


    In any case, now everyone knew that it was me who had killed her.


    But something felt off.


    I was sure that I would be treated as an outcast, just like Sophia. After all, I was now a murderer like her.


    But at that moment, the atmosphere around me was not one of fear but... admiration?


    My impression proved correct. I was soon stopped by a girl I had never spoken to, who asked me how I was doing and thanked me profusely for defeating the killer who had murdered Mary Stillwater. And she wasn''t the only one: before reaching the classroom, I was stopped several times by classmates who wanted to congratulate me.


    "Hypocrites."


    Why were they treating me like this when they had made Sophia''s life hell?


    We had done the exact same thing.


    We had both taken a human life to protect the entire class.


    If nothing else, she had done more for us. Valentine, unlike Chloe who acted in the shadows, had created a real reign of terror.


    I was very well aware of that.


    It was so unfair.


    All because she had been forced to finish Valentine in front of the whole class in that gruesome way.


    As they say, ¡°Out of sight, out of mind....¡±


    It must also be said that perhaps the other classmates felt more comfortable considering me a hero rather than a murderer.


    The fact that I was a wizard like them and did not display an absurd power like Sophia''s was more reassuring.


    "A hero, uh? Lucky me they didn''t see my entrance in Chloe''s lab."


    Well, if they wanted to get into my good graces, I had every intention of making their lives as difficult as possible.


    As soon as I entered the classroom, I immediately headed for the last row before anyone else could stop me.


    Sophia was sitting there, completely isolated from everyone, at the end of the bench.


    Usually, now that there were many empty seats, a small desert formed around her.


    But that was no longer going to be the case.


    Immersed in a book, Sophia hadn''t noticed my presence.


    I tapped her shoulder, startling her.


    ?Huh!??


    ?Good morning to you too. Make room, please.?


    ?What the hell are you talking about??


    ?What do you think? I want to sit next to you.?


    Sophia seemed surprised at first, but she quickly recovered.


    Lowering her voice to a whisper she said:


    ?Get away! It''s still better if we keep our cooperation a secre-?


    ?Don''t even think about it. Now move, I''m not going to stand around for the whole class.?


    I wasn''t going to let her slip away.


    By now I knew who was hiding behind her mask.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.I was determined not to leave her alone again.


    ?Well, good luck then, I''m not moving from here.?


    "Stubborn as ever."


    I could just go around and sit next to her anyway, but I didn''t want to give her that satisfaction.


    ?If you don''t make room right away...?


    ?What, you want to force me?? Sophia replied, giving me a playful look of defiance.


    "I missed a little arguing like this..."


    But this time I was going to win.


    I raised my voice a little:


    ?Oh, Sophia! I still have to thank you for what you told me in the infirmary the other day. What was it? Ah yes: ¡°Elizabeth, you are the most beautiful, brave and intelligent girl I have ev-¡±?


    Blushing furiously, Sophia grabbed the sleeve of my shirt with such force that she almost tore it off and almost knocked me against the bench.


    Quickly she moved to the right, allowing Amy and me to sit down.


    ?You little shit... after making me say those things, you want to shame me even more? And by the way, I never said anything about you being beautiful!? she whispered sullenly.


    ?Oh? Are you sure? I''m sure I''ve heard you say you can''t sleep at night from thinking about me. Right, Amy??


    Amy giggled in response.


    ?Please, not you as well....? Sophia intervened exasperatedly.


    But I was sure I saw the corners of her mouth twitch into a smile.


    ¡°From now on, I hope we will have many moments like these....¡±


    Our heated exchange had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the class, but no one now seemed inclined to approach me.


    As I imagined, Sophia''s presence was a good deterrent...


    But I had no intention of using her as a shield against unwanted attention; rather, I wanted to do the opposite.


    Perhaps by interacting with her, I would make everyone realize that after all, she was just a normal girl who need not be feared.


    Sophia soon noticed the attention our classmates seemed to be giving us.


    After all, they usually went out of their way not to look at her.


    ?Oh, have you become a celebrity too? Is that why you sat next to me? Do you want to form a club or something??


    ?Sounds like fun. But no, unlike you they don''t seem to hate me after all. I just wanted to keep you company. After all the compliments you gave me I didn''t feel like leaving you alone.?


    ?I fucking hate you... Amy how did you put up with her all this time??


    Amy chuckled:


    ?Honestly, I''ve never seen her act like this except with you. You obviously have something that awakens this side of her.?


    ?What sin I have committed in my past life to deserve this...?


    All three of us burst out laughing.


    As I tried to compose myself, I noticed that a girl had broken away from a large group of students and was coming in our direction.


    I immediately recognized Celeste Fitzroy''s showy blond ringlets.


    ?Elizabeth, it''s good to see you among us again! When I didn''t see you in class two days ago, I feared the worst!?


    If she was genuinely worried, she didn''t show it: her face was as usual lit by a bright smile.


    ?Oh... Thank you, Celeste. I was fine, I just needed to rest a little more.?


    ?So it was that Chloe, huh? I wouldn''t have guessed that. Good job finding out and taking care of her. I guess it wasn''t easy, but in my opinion you did the right thing. She almost killed four people.?


    "Not that I had a choice..."


    But I guess it was nice by Celeste trying to cheer me up.


    She was a little odd but she didn''t seem to be a bad person.


    ?Oh and you must be Amy, right? It''s good to see that you''ve recovered too! Nice to meet you, I''m Celeste.?


    Amy seemed surprised that one of the most popular students knew her name, but she shook the hand Celeste enthusiastically held out to her.


    Then, to my surprise, Celeste also approached Sophia and, still holding out her hand, said:


    ?Nice to meet you too, I''m Celeste!?


    I heard a murmur spread through the classroom.


    The fact that someone as influential as Celeste had approached public enemy number one so casually confirmed once again how unusual that girl was.


    "Now please, don''t screw this up!"


    It was a great opportunity to set things right.


    Sophia looked at the offered hand with a doubtful expression and after a moment gave me a sideways glance.


    I nodded.


    ¡°TAKE IT!¡± I thought, hoping that my silent cry might reach her.


    ?Nice to meet you.?


    "You''re supposed to also say your name..."


    But at least she didn''t slap her hand away.


    ?Great!? exclaimed Celeste, heedless of Sophia''s lukewarm reaction.


    Then she leaned against the desk, lowering her voice slightly.


    ?How about that tea, Elizabeth? In my room, after classes,? she asked.


    ?Uhm, sure...?


    That invitation was so sudden that I accepted without thinking.


    ?Delightful! See you later!?


    Celeste returned to her friends after giving me a wink.


    ?She''s a strange one. What does she want from you?? Sophia asked me with a suspicious expression.


    "Look who''s talking..."


    ?I have no idea. She''s a bit odd, but... she seems like an okay person. Did you see how she shook your hand without any issues??


    ?If you say so, just be careful what you say to her,? Sophia commented without changing her expression.


    For some reason, she gave me the cold shoulder for the rest of the morning.

 27. Suspicion

    A few hours later I was standing in front of the door to Celeste''s room. I still had no idea what she wanted from me.


    Maybe she hoped that I would tell her how Chloe committed those impossible murders.


    I would have to be really careful with what I said to her.


    I didn''t need Sophia''s warning to understand that I couldn''t really trust Celeste.


    "Well, here goes nothing."


    I knocked.


    ?Come on in, the door is open!? the cheerful voice of Celeste answered immediately.


    When I made my entrance into her room I was immediately stunned.


    For a moment I thought I had passed through a portal that had transported me back in time to my old bedroom.


    Aldric''s attractive face stared back at me from the numerous portraits with which Celeste had adorned the walls of her room. I recognized several that I myself owned.


    And that frame on her bedside table... That was the picture I had made so many sacrifices to obtain!


    Celeste, who was waiting for me sitting at a small table, giggled.


    ?You''re not the first one to give me this reaction. I know it''s a bit over the top... My friends say I''m obsessed...?


    I was certainly surprised, but not for the reasons she thought.


    After all, my old room was even worse. The only thing it lacked was an Aldric shrine.


    No, what had surprised me was the fact that Celeste was also a fan of his.


    From what I knew Aldric was not well regarded among the noble class. The fact that the most powerful wizard in the kingdom was a commoner without a drop of noble blood had turned many aristocrats'' noses up.


    That Duke Fitzroy''s daughter was an admirer of his showed for the umpteenth time how strange this girl was. Perhaps today I would have a chance to understand why.


    ?It''s not excessive at all! I was just amazed because I''m a big fan too.?


    ?Oh girl, sit down, sit down! We''ve already found something we can chat about for hours! No one I know here likes Aldric...?


    That was what I expected. After all, the girls who gravitated around her were all from noble families.


    I approached the small table and took a seat opposite Celeste. The latter placed a steaming cup of tea in front of me.


    ?How come you have these things in your room? I mean the coffee table and the tea?? I asked her.


    Our rooms were all identical after all. And food and drink, outside of water, were provided to us from the magic table in the dining room.


    ?Oh this one? Magic! I duplicated the desk and changed its shape a bit,? Celeste replied nonchalantly, ?as for the mugs and tea leaves, they are from my collection that I brought with me. I don''t sleep at night thinking that sooner or later I will run out of them. Duplicating them causes them to lose their flavor, as you well know.?


    "I don''t think I''d ever put running out tea among my main concerns in this situation."


    Nevertheless, I sipped it with pleasure. It was delicious.


    ?So...? began Celeste.


    There it was, after those pleasantries it was time to get down to business.


    She was going to tell me what she invited me here.


    ?Aldric!?


    Celeste began to sing his praises.


    At first I was taken aback.


    "Does she just want to chat after all?"


    Soon, however, as a die-hard fan, I couldn''t help but join her.


    We ended up talking about him for several minutes.


    ?... And you don''t know how much I cried when Father told me I couldn''t marry him!?


    "Oh, so she''s one of those....".


    Celeste seemed to sense what was going through my mind.


    ?Hey, it''s not what you think! Don''t you take me for some skank! Sure, he''s handsome, tall, muscular.... But I''m interested in what''s in his head! Think of how many spells he could teach me.?


    ?Mmmh...?


    She had a point. However, I did not know whether, despite my admiration for him, I would want to marry Sir Aldric. Maybe I was a bit idealistic, but I thought marriage was a step to take only with those you loved.


    And by the way...


    ?Aren''t you engaged??


    ?Oh yes, with Phil,? Celeste nodded, ?I was supposed to get married in a year, but well now I don''t know if it will happen.?


    Thanks to Amy, I knew that by "Phil" she was referring to Philemon Hargrave, son of a powerful marquis of the northern regions.


    ?Well, wouldn''t he be upset hearing that you would like to marry someone else??


    ?Nah, I don''t think he would care that much, after all it is an arranged marriage,? Celeste pushed the thought away with a wave of her hand.


    ?Oh...I''m sorry.?


    ?Don''t worry about it. That''s the way it is between nobles. And, honestly, I don''t mind too much. Philemon is a good guy and we''re friends. Imagine if I''d been saddled with an old man like my cousin!? smiled Celeste, ?what about you? You''re so cute, you''re bound to have a boyfriend!?


    "Is this what they call girls-talk?"


    Things were going much differently from what I expected.


    ?Me? Never had one.?


    "Not that I haven''t been hit on."


    After all, I had been challenged for that reason the first day I had arrived here. Even in my old town there had been no shortage of suitors, but I had turned them all down.


    I wasn''t closed to the idea of dating, but, so far, no guy had ever caught my attention.


    ?Well, you have all the time in the world. And with your pretty face you''ll be spoiled for choice,? Celeste winked at me, ?but make sure you stay away from Aldric. If I can''t have him, then no one will!?


    We both burst out laughing.


    After a moment, however, I became serious again. Something had occurred to me. Celeste was the perfect person to talk to about this.


    ?Celeste, do you think that Aldric, when he was at the Academy, was in the same situation as us??


    For once the girl''s expression became serious.


    Without her usual smile, she looked almost like a different person.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ?You thought about it too, huh? I don''t see any other alternative. The situation we''re in perfectly explains why he''s the only one who graduated in his class. All his classmates have disappeared into thin air.?


    ?But then... Why didn''t Aldric say anything when he got out??


    ?Yes that''s the problem, the most obvious explanation is that he wants to cover it up. He doesn''t want to let it be known that he killed his classmates to become what he is.?


    The smile returned to her face.


    ?But I refuse to think that! That''s why I have two other hypotheses.?


    ?Tell me, tell me.?


    I wanted nothing more than for her to give me a reason to believe that my idol was not a coward or, worse, a ruthless murderer.


    ?Number one! Unfortunately, he may just not remember anything. No one has any memory of his classmates. It is evident that there is a powerful spell behind this. The school may simply have erased his memories. Of course, doing such a thing to someone as strong as Aldric must not have been easy, but they might have tricked him.?


    ?Number two! And my favorite,? Celeste continued energetically, ?Aldric is waiting for the right opportunity to reveal everything. The king supports the work of the Academy, doesn''t he? Even someone like Aldric can''t go against the Sovereign like it''s nothing. But one day, when the time is right, he will strike. He will reveal the crimes of the crown, unleashing an unprecedented revolution!?


    After uttering these words, she stood up abruptly and, putting one foot on the chair, pointed forward as if she were giving the charge to an invisible army.


    The daughter of a duke was the last person I would have expected to cheer for a revolution.


    But infected by her enthusiasm, I could not help but rise from my chair and imitate her gesture.


    ?Unprecedented!?


    We both burst out laughing.


    "I kinda like this girl..."


    But there was something still bothering me about her.


    So when we sat down again, I decided to ask her:


    ?Celeste, can I ask you a personal question??


    ?Shoot!?


    ?How can you always be so... happy? You know, with what is going on...?


    Celeste''s kind brown eyes lit up with astonishment.


    ?I''m sure you''re not the first one to wonder about it... but no one has ever asked me directly.?


    She paused.


    ?Um, see, you''ll probably think I''m crazy, but I''m kinda glad to be here.?


    "Huh?"


    ?Before I came to the Academy, my life was so boring. Lectures and etiquette classes, parties upon parties. Not to mention all the visits from other nobles where I had to stand in a corner and look pretty,? Celeste told me with a sigh.


    ?Here, however, I can finally devote myself to my greatest passion: magic. Of course the whole "whoever is last in the rankings dies" part is not nice, but honestly, I''ve never felt so alive...?


    Maybe she was a little crazy. But I understood her a little bit.


    If not for the deadly competition we were trapped in, these days would probably have been the happiest of my life.


    That was also why I was determined to make the Academy pay for what they had stolen from me.


    Celeste and I continued to chat for another hour. By now I understood that there was no ulterior motive behind her invitation, she just wanted to spend time with me.


    Apart from Amy, I had never felt so comfortable with a girl my age. With Sophia after all, my conversations were anything but relaxed.


    So I decided to take advantage of this newfound friendship. Celeste was the perfect person for what I had in mind.


    ?Say Celeste... Would you like to spar with me sometime??


    ?Oh?? the girl immediately seemed excited by the idea.


    ?You see, my fight with Chloe made me realize that I can''t always rely on brute force. I need to learn new spells and ways to use them in battle. And you...?


    ?Oh, my friend, we''re going to have so much fun together!? said Celeste, putting a hand on my shoulder, her eyes twinkling, ?but don''t expect me to go easy on you just because it''s training.?


    After a few minutes we finally said goodbye, with a promise to meet on the weekend.


    I walked through the corridors of the school headed for my room.


    I was still thinking about Celeste, which is why, for the second time, I did not notice that around a corner someone was waiting for me, lurking.


    ?You sure took your time in there...?


    ?EHH?!? I screeched.


    Of course it was her!


    ?Will you stop ambushing me!? Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?? I scolded Sophia, ?and what the hell are you doing here? Are you stalking me?!?


    ?No...I was just a little worried. What did she want??


    I relaxed. Sure she had given me a scare, but she seemed to mean well.


    ?Nothing much, we just chatted...?


    ?Just chatted...? Sophia gave me a suspicious look, ?I told you to be careful about her.?


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ?Why this animosity toward Celeste? I know she''s an high ranking noble, but she seems really nice...?


    ?You said it... What is someone so influential doing in here? Do you think the king could really have sent his right-hand man''s daughter here to die??


    I had already thought of something like that, but what other alternatives were there?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Haven''t you thought that the Academy might have a mole among the students? To nip any attempts at rebellion in the bud... Fitzroy seems like the perfect person for something like that. This is probably why she is trying to approach you.?


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    She could have been right. It was not impossible that among the students there was someone on the Academy side. That way Skylark could have had a spy among us.


    And certainly someone whose father was particularly close to the Sovereign would have been the ideal infiltrator. But...


    ?The first part of what you said may be true, but I''m sure it''s not Celeste. You don''t know her, she''s different from all the other nobles. And anyway, we haven''t talked about anything important...?


    Of course there was the possibility that she was a very good actress and had deceived me, but I could not imagine that there was any trace of malice behind that perpetually cheerful face.


    ?If you say so... I warned you... do whatever you want,? Sophia huffed.


    ¡°...¡±


    A thought flashed through my mind.


    "Could it be that..."


    ?You''re not jealous, are you?? I asked amusedly, giving her a playful nudge.


    ?Jealous? Of what?? blurted Sophia, shocked by my accusation.


    I put my arm around her shoulders:


    ?Don''t worry, we can spend all the time you want together! Now that I''m done with Celeste, you can have me all to yourself!?


    ?You idiot! Let me go!?


    Bickering as usual, we headed together to the common room.


    In the recesses of my mind, however, Sophia''s warning continued to ring loud and clear.

 28. A problematic present

    The next two months were the most carefree I had experienced so far at the Academy.


    Now, besides Amy, I had two other girls I could call friends.


    The first was Sophia.


    After her initial reluctance, it had become a habit for us to attend classes together. From there we had moved on to eating together at the same table and chatting often in the common room.


    This had led to some unexpected changes.


    First of all, the aura of terror that surrounded her seemed to have weakened. Sure, no one still dared to speak to her, but at least she was no longer avoided like the plague in the hallways and other students no longer seemed to regard the seats near her as gallows.


    Sophia herself had changed a bit. She smiled much more often and in general seemed to have softened a bit.


    Not that she and I had stopped arguing at every opportunity, but maybe that was just the way our relationship worked.


    Unfortunately, I had not yet been able to find out more about her. I had tried to steer the conversation in that direction, but she had always been evasive to my questions. But perhaps in time she would begin to open up a little more.


    Also added to this new routine were training sessions with my second new friend: Celeste.


    I had made an excellent choice in asking for her help.


    As I had noticed from observing her duels, she was an extremely capable mage, so much so that if we seriously challenged each other, I wasn''t sure who would win.


    From the standpoint of pure magical power I had the advantage, but Celeste seemed much more accustomed to duels and had even better mana control than I did.


    Thanks to her, I had already learned many new spells to add to my arsenal.


    When I asked her if she really didn''t mind helping a possible future opponent, she replied:


    ?Then it will be more fun to defeat you!?


    Typical Celeste.


    Sometimes her fianc¨¦, Philemon, would also join us.


    He seemed like a serious, taciturn guy but, despite what Celeste had told me, the two of them seemed quite close.


    Perhaps sometimes it was true that opposites attract.


    He had helped us train by summoning numerous elemental shields, on which we could test our most powerful spells.


    <div>


    <div>


    Some evenings Amy would also come to visit us. In those cases, Celeste and I would make an effort to teach her some tricks.


    Presently she was safely back in the middle of the rankings.


    Both Sophia and I would challenge her every day and then yield, ensuring her a steady amount of points.


    Now that both me and her were close to Amy, no one dared to challenge her.


    But we knew that this method would not work forever. When the number of students decreased, she would inevitably be in danger.


    So it was important that she improved her dueling skills as much as possible.


    Speaking of Sophia, unlike Amy, she had never come to train with us.


    I was sure that, despite what I had told her, she still suspected Celeste.


    In any case, those happy days only made my blood boil. My life would have been perfect at that time if not for the deadly game we were trapped in. Reminding us every day was the leaderboard, which now read:


    80 students remaining


    Twenty students had already died, and the number would increase week by week. My days of peace were numbered. I had to find a way out before it was too late.


    <hr>


    December 18th was supposed to be just another day.


    As usual in the morning I met with Amy and Sophia and we had breakfast together. Then we went to class, sitting in the last rows chatting while waiting for the usual teacher.


    But he did not show up.


    In his place entered Professor Skylark.


    I had not seen the old headmaster since he had received me in his office with Sophia. He was probably always holed up in his office on the second floor.


    After all, he didn''t teach and the professors didn''t eat with us students.


    Silence immediately fell in the classroom.


    We all knew that if the headmaster was here, there could be nothing good behind it.


    Skylark waited for the last latecomers to take their seats and addressed the class.


    ?Good morning. Have no fear, the reason I have come to speak to you is quite pleasant.?


    ¡°I''ll believe it when I see it.¡±


    ?As you know, in a week''s time the Wintermoon Festival will be held,? the headmaster exclaimed.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Of course I remembered, it was one of the most important holidays after all.


    But did Skylark seriously expect us to celebrate?


    After all, even if we were in the mood, during the Wintermoon Festival it was customary to exchange gifts.


    But of course here there wasn''t even a store where we could buy them.


    Maybe he wanted us to make our own with magic?


    No, as always when Skylark is involved, there was definitely something unpleasant coming our way.


    ?That''s why the Academy decided to give you a present.?


    The entire class shuddered.


    "What the hell does he have in mind?"


    ?Oh, don''t worry, it''s nothing terrible,? commented Skylark, smiling scornfully under his mustache, ?after all, it''s nothing different from what you''ve done so far. The present we want to give you is a duel: the best you''ve ever had!?


    A murmur spread among the students, it was clear that we were all wondering what he meant.


    ?What I mean is very simple. These past three months, the other professors and I have been carefully observing your abilities. More or less, we now have a good idea of what you are capable of doing and how you fight. We have therefore selected your ideal opponent from among all the other students. In a week''s time you will compete in an exciting duel, in which you will have to give your all to win. Since this is a special occasion, the winner will receive 50 points, while the loser will receive no penalty. Consider this an opportunity to show your classmates what you are capable of. As I said, it is a present. No tricks behind it.?


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    Oddly enough, it didn''t seem too bad. Sure, there was the possibility of facing someone with an innate power, but it was unlikely that someone would reveal their cards just for 50 points.


    But I had a bad feeling.


    ?Well, it''s time to find out who you will have to challenge.?


    The headmaster clapped his hands. The leaderboard on the right side of the room changed. The names of the survivors were shuffled to form 40 pairs. I quickly searched for my name. But in my heart I already knew who I would be dueling against. So, without any surprise, but with resignation, I went to read:


    Elizabeth Belvoir vs Sophia Thornton.


    "Of fucking course!"


    It was so obvious. That Skylark bastard wouldn''t have it otherwise.


    But after an initial hint of nervousness, I could not help but feel excited.


    I had been thinking in my head for a long time about how a duel between Sophia and me might go. In a week I would have the answer.


    I cast a sideways glance at my opponent.


    Sophia''s face betrayed no emotion. I was sure she had expected to face me, too.


    I returned my gaze to the leaderboard. Celeste was going to face Philemon. Now that would have been an interesting confrontation. As for Amy...


    ?Owen Finch?! But he''s like twenty positions ahead of me! I have no chance of winning!? she exclaimed beside me.


    ?Mmmh, if they chose him as their opponent, there must be a reason... Anyway you can count on me! If you want to try to win, I will help you find a strategy.?


    Facing a student in the top 30 could be a good test for the training she had done with me and Celeste.


    After waiting for the class to return to silence, Skylark spoke again.


    ?Very well, that''s all. Be sure to prepare yourselves properly. For the occasion, you will compete in a special arena. I expect you''ll give me and your classmates a performance worthy of the Academy. Good luck!?


    With these words, he left the room, giving way to our usual teacher, who immediately began the lesson.


    But probably no one listened to a word that day. We were all thinking about the duel we would face in a week''s time.


    I couldn''t help but cast more glances at Sophia, whose expression remained undisturbed.


    I decided to talk to her before lunch.


    I wanted to know what was going through her mind....


    <hr>


    At the end of the morning lectures, as we were leaving the classroom, I turned to Sophia:


    ?Can we talk??


    She merely nodded in response.


    "What''s up with her?"


    ?I''ll wait for you at the usual table,? said Amy, heading for the dining room with the rest of the students.


    I waited for the rest of my classmates to leave so that Sophia and I were the only ones left in the room.


    ?Well?? I asked her.


    ?Well what?? she retorted, raising an eyebrow.


    "Why does it always have to be so difficult with her..."


    ?I''m talking about the duel, of course,? I replied, rolling my eyes.


    ?What do you want me to say? It''s a waste of time. It''s not even worth thinking about for 50 points.?


    It was perfectly logical reasoning, as usual. After all, Sophia and I could earn those points in a couple of days.


    ?So what would you like to do? From the way Skylark talked about it, it doesn''t sound like we can refuse to duel.?


    ?One of us can just surrender as soon as the duel begins,? Sophia replied nonchalantly.


    Once again, she was right. In doing so, our "fight" would last only a few seconds.


    But there was something I wanted to clarify.


    ?Okay, so you will be the one to surrender, since you suggested it??


    For the first time, Sophia''s seraphic mask seemed to tremble.


    I had hit the nail on the head.


    ?Why? Do you care about those measly 50 points??


    ?Not particularly. I was just saying, after all, it''s the same thing, isn''t it??


    Silence.


    "I knew it."


    Despite her sacrificing herself every day for Amy''s sake, I was sure Sophia hated losing. Especially against me.


    ?So?? I pressed her, ?you said it yourself: it''s not worth fighting. So you''ll surrender as soon as the duel starts, right??


    Finally Sophia dropped her mask:


    ?I don''t see why I should be the one doing it. In a real duel, I would win for sure! It''s more fair for you to yield instead!? she exclaimed, coming out into the open.


    I had expected these words but I could not help but feel a certain irritation growing inside me.


    ?Ah, is that how you see it? Of course you have no problem showing how arrogant you are!?


    ?What can I say, it''s the truth!? replied Sophia, annoyed, ?but if you have to make such a fuss, fine, I''ll yield.?


    But the damage was already done.


    ?So the things you told me in the infirmary were all bullshit??


    By now my voice was trembling with anger.


    Thanks to her I had overcome my insecurities, but that was why I now felt insulted by her words.


    Of course, there was no doubt that she would have a distinct advantage over me due to her power, but the fact that she was so confident of winning did not sit well with me.


    Although we had become friends, I still considered her a rival, but clearly it was not the same for her.


    For her part, Sophia seemed surprised by my reaction and quickly replied:


    ?That''s not true! I... I really meant the things I said to you. But no matter how skillful you are, a mere mage can do nothing against my innate power and you know it!?


    But by now, it was like pouring fuel on a fire.


    ?OH! A mere mage, huh? Is that what you think of me?!?


    I wasn''t sure what was making me so angry. I knew that deep down Sophia was just telling the truth.


    The latter seemed to panic even more when she saw that her words had had the opposite effect to the one she had hoped for.


    ?No! That''s not what I meant! I didn''t mean to belittle your abilities, I''m serious... It''s like you know... rock, paper, scissors! No matter how hard you try, rock will never beat paper. My power is just the perfect weapon against magic.?


    But I didn''t want to listen to reason.


    ?Do you really think you are invincible? I''ll show you what happens when someone takes magic lightly!?


    By now Sophia did not know what else to say: her expression was somewhere between confusion and regret. It was clear that she wished she could take back everything she had said so far.


    ?Why are you making a scene over a stupid duel!? Elizabeth!??


    But I had already spun on my heels.


    I left the room, ignoring Sophia who was calling my name, exasperated.


    Soon, as I ran to the west wing, guilt began to set in. After all, I was sure she had no intention of hurting me with her words.


    By behaving this way, I risked undoing all the progress we had made in our relationship.


    But nevertheless, I did not turn back.


    Despite everything, I could not forgive her.


    I understood why I had become so angry.


    I could not bear that for her a duel between us was stupid, while for me it was the most special one I could ever fight.


    And I was going to prove it to her.


    She would probably still beat me, but I would make her sweat bullets before she did.


    For this reason, as soon as I arrived in the cafeteria, I did not go to the usual table, where Amy was waiting for me.


    My gaze instead wandered among my classmates until I spotted those flashy blond curls.


    ?Oh Elizabeth, good morning... Oh??


    I grabbed Celeste by the wrist and, nodding apologetically to the girls sitting at her table, dragged her out of the room.


    ?To what do I owe this kidnapping?? Celeste asked smiling, not at all upset.


    ?I''m very sorry but I need your help. In a week I HAVE to defeat Sophia!?

 29. Determination

    Over the next seven days, my routine underwent another drastic change.


    After our fight, my relationship with Sophia seemed to have frozen.


    It was kinda strange, if anyone had been watching us from a distance, they wouldn''t have noticed anything wrong.


    After all, we continued to sit close to each other as if nothing had happened, and when we spoke it was in a subdued way.


    But that was the problem. We usually fought like cats and dogs.


    It would have been obvious to anyone who knew us that something was wrong.


    Amy had noticed immediately, that very evening.


    She had taken me aside and asked me if anything had happened between Sophia and me.


    I had told her everything, shrinking in shame under her stern gaze, like that of a mother fed up with her daughters'' silly quarrels.


    ?How old are you two again? I thought after what happened in the infirmary you had finally learned the importance of communicating honestly with each other??


    ?This time it''s mostly my fault. I know Sophia didn''t mean anything by it. But I can''t stand the fact that she doesn''t take a duel between us seriously...?


    ?Then why don''t you just tell her??


    ?I will, but first I want to show her what I''m capable of. Only then will she understand...?


    ?Do what you want...?


    The disappointment in Amy''s voice was like a stab wound. Since that evening, she had also begun to treat me with a certain coldness.


    But even though I felt guilty, I was determined to persevere.


    Luckily, I had a very enthusiastic accomplice.


    Celeste''s eyes had lit up with a light of their own when I had explained my intentions.


    From then on, our weekly meetings became daily ones.


    At the first of these, we decided on a strategy. The idea was mine.


    After all, I had begun to formulate a plan ever since I had discovered what Sophia''s innate power was:


    "Cut through anything, be it an object, a spell or a person."


    The key to defeating her was, in theory, very simple: I had to circumvent her power.


    How? Well, even though she had said "anything", there were definitely limits.


    Both in terms of what she could cut and how much she could cut.


    The problem was how to exploit those weaknesses. I needed to find the right weapon.


    And that''s where Celeste came in.


    Her passion for magic made her the perfect person to help me find the right spell to carry out my plan.


    Fortunately, it didn''t take long.


    The day after the event was announced, Celeste knocked on my door.


    In her wake, floating lazily in the air, was a pile of grimoires almost as tall as she was.


    Apparently, her collection of magical texts rivalled that of Aldric-themed merchandise.


    ?How the hell did you manage to bring all this stuff with you?? I asked in astonishment.


    ?Ever heard of a bottomless suitcase??


    Did such a thing really exist? An item with such an enchantment must have cost a fortune.


    "Damn nobles..."


    So we began to leaf through those volumes in search of inspiration.


    A few hours later, while reading through one of them, my eyes fell on a very strange spell.


    ?Celeste! Come here!?


    My friend lifted her nose from another book and reached over my shoulder to read its effects.


    She quickly began to giggle.


    ?Oh, oh! You''re really mean! That''s a low blow to use on someone like her!?


    She was right. I doubted I would find anything better in that pile of books. It was perfect, but...


    ?It looks really complicated... To expand my mana that much... Do you think I could do it??


    ?Well, there is only one way to find out. You have until the 25th to learn how to use it. Better start practising after dinner! We''ll make it!?


    Despite Celeste''s encouraging words, I was still doubtful. There was another problem.


    ?But even if I could use this spell... Sure, it would catch her by surprise, but it wouldn''t be enough to defeat her. She would never give up for so little...?


    ?Mmmh, you''re not entirely wrong... If you could master it in time, maybe you could cast it with enough power to incapacitate her instantly... But I think it would be dangerous...?


    Celeste began to walk thoughtfully around the room. After a few minutes, an idea came to her.


    ?Liz, have you ever heard of double casting??


    I knew exactly what she was talking about. In magic jargon, double casting meant using two spells at once.


    The technique I had used to defeat Chloe, my trump card.


    The time had come to decide if I really trusted Celeste. Revealing all my abilities to her was necessary if I wanted her help.


    But if one day we were pitted against each other, I would lose the chance to catch her off guard.


    Celeste seemed to sense the reason for my hesitation.


    She pulled out her wand and levitated one of the grimoires on the desk. Then she pointed a finger of her free hand at another book, which began to orbit around the first.


    She winked at me.


    I should''ve guessed that she too was capable of something like that.


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


    Seeing that she trusted me encouraged me to do the same. After all, if I was to have any hope of defeating Sophia, I had to pull out all the stops.


    I had no reason to hide that ability now if I was going to show it during the duel.


    ?Yes, I made use of it in the past. But only with simple spells...?


    ?Sometimes the simplest spells are the most dangerous!? Celeste replied mysteriously.


    "What does she have in mind?"


    ?But even if I found a simple spell that could defeat Sophia, I don''t think I could use it with the other one... It''s too difficult!?


    ?Do you want to win or not??


    ?Of course I do!?


    ?Then I don''t want to hear you say the words "too difficult" again. Screw classes, let''s start now!?


    Celeste grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me out of the room and into the inner courtyard.


    From then on, I spent every possible moment training.


    I often came so close to running out of mana that Celeste had to help me back to my room.


    But slowly I began to see encouraging results.


    It was then that I asked Celeste for another favour.


    ?Celeste, would you mind helping Amy prepare for the duel? If I offered to do it myself... I think she would refuse at the moment...?


    ?Roger that! If it helps you concentrate.?


    That girl was tireless.


    ?Celeste, why are you so enthusiastic about helping me defeat Sophia??


    Could it be that the animosity Sophia seemed to feel towards her was mutual?


    But the reason was something else.


    ?It is very simple. I want to prove that pure magic is more than capable of triumphing over a strange power like hers. And, of course, because we are friends and you asked me to help you. So make her bleed!?


    I wasn''t sure if that strange, magic-obsessed noblewoman was an angel or a demon.


    <hr>


    I put my wand back in its sheat.


    I had done all I could. If I continued to train, I would risk not having enough mana for the next day.


    It was the eve of Wintermoon and my duel against Sophia.


    I was in the magic training room.


    As the event drew nearer, the courtyard had become increasingly crowded with other students.


    I didn''t want anyone spying on my strategy.


    Besides, I always lost track of time in there because of the spell that kept the courtyard permanently lit by an artificial sun.


    I left the room with a yawn.


    It was better to go to bed early. Tomorrow I would need all the energy I could get.


    As I walked through the school corridors to my room, I passed many of my classmates.


    It seemed that I wasn''t the only one who wanted to sneak in a last training session. Those 50 points, so insignificant to me, were certainly appealing to the lower-ranking students.


    As I rounded the corner, I noticed Sophia''s slender figure in front of me.


    "What is she doing out at this hour?"


    Was she training too? Nah...


    In the past few days, the rift between us had not healed. We continued to treat each other with that unnatural cold courtesy.


    "But tomorrow, I''ll set things right."


    At least I hoped so...


    Driven by a sudden impulse, I quickened my pace and caught up with her.


    ?Hey...? I greeted her.


    ?Oh... hi.?


    ?Even you out of bed, huh??


    ?Yeah...?


    "Why is it so hard..."


    We walked in silence to her room. Without looking at me, she said goodbye:


    ?See you tomorrow.?


    She opened the door but, before she could enter, I grabbed her wrist and stopped her.


    We stood there for a moment, motionless.


    ?Look into my eyes!? I burst out.


    Sophia turned, surprised. Perhaps it was the first time our eyes had met in a week.


    ?Tomorrow... I need to talk to you. But first, face me with everything you''ve got!? I shouted at her.


    Sophia''s expression was inscrutable.


    ?Are you sure? Is this what you want??


    ?Idiot! It''s what I wanted all along!?


    ?I hope you won''t regret it. If that''s all... Good night.?


    ?Good night!?


    I let go of her arm and turned on my heels.


    ?I hope you won''t regret it,? I mimicked her, talking to myself.


    This last exchange only strengthened my resolve.


    I would show her what I was made of.


    <hr>


    The next morning, as soon as I got up, I was shaking with excitement.


    After my fight with Chloe, I realised that maybe I was nothing more than an adrenaline junkie.


    I wanted to experience the thrill of facing an opponent stronger than me again.


    "I''m playing into Skylark''s hands..."


    Perhaps the purpose of this deadly game was to awaken such emotions in us...


    Arriving in the dining hall, I grabbed breakfast from the magic circle and went to my usual table, where I found Amy waiting for me.


    No sign of Sophia.


    ?Hey Amy, are you ready??


    ?Mmh yeah...?


    Her hands were shaking too.


    "I can''t take it anymore..."


    I would deal with Sophia later, but there was no reason not to make peace with Amy now.


    ?Listen Amy, I know I''m acting like a child. But it''s important to me. I promise I''ll make things right. And from now on I''ll try to be more reasonable. So please start smiling at me like you used to!?


    Amy''s expression quivered and after a moment... I was attacked with one of her usual rib crushing hugs.


    ?Lizzie! Help, I''m sooooo nervous!?


    And just like that, things were back to normal in an instant. If only it were that easy with Sophia.


    When she let me go, I smiled at her.


    ?I missed you, Amy!?


    ?Me too!? she replied, returning to her seat.


    ?Tell me, did Celeste help you come up with a strategy??


    ?Yes! She said she asked around about how Finch duels... So it should work... But I''m sure I''ll mess something up, you know how I am!?


    ?You won''t! I know you won''t! You''ve improved so much, soon you won''t even need the points we give you!?


    ?What are you talking about... And you... Are you ready??


    ?Yes,? I replied determinedly, ?I''m not sure if I''ll win, but... I''ve done my best. Whatever happens, I''ll make her understand that she can''t afford to underestimate me.?


    We continued chatting for the rest of breakfast. Then we got up, ready to head to the classroom.


    When we approached the entrance, we noticed in the distance that a large group of students had gathered.


    ?What''s going on?? Amy asked worriedly.


    I couldn''t blame her, the last time we''d seen a scene like this there had been a death.


    But as we got closer, we immediately understood why there was such a crowd: Skylark''s presence.


    "Why is he here?"


    But then I noticed something strange. Behind the headmaster, at the top of the marble staircase, where once there had been a solid stone wall, there was now a large door engraved with the symbol of the Academy.


    It was then that the old professor''s words came to mind:


    "For the occasion, you will duel in a special arena."


    It was probably behind that wall.


    Perhaps I would have been more surprised if I had not already discovered the existence of secret rooms in the school.


    Amy and I joined our classmates.


    Looking around, I caught Celeste''s eye as she greeted me cheerfully with a wave and a wink.


    I also saw Sophia, at the edge of the group, with her usual bored expression.


    "I''ll erase that soon!"


    We waited for the rest of the class for about ten minutes and then, at the headmaster''s urging, we climbed the stairs.


    As soon as Skylark put a hand on the engraved door, it swung open.


    When I managed to catch a glimpse of what was inside, I was stunned.


    "And this would be the special arena?"


    The room was empty and seemed barely big enough to hold all 81 of us.


    Did he want us to watch the duel from the stairs?


    No, there was something strange about this empty room.


    The headmaster entered and motioned for us to follow. When we were all inside, the door closed behind us.


    Skylark clapped his hands and a glowing circle of magic appeared on the floor.


    "What the hell?"


    But before anyone could utter a gasp of surprise, the circle went out.


    ?This is it,? Skylark said, heading for the door.


    As it opened, light flooded the room.


    ?But it''s... the sun!?


    Amy exclaimed beside me in amazement. She was clearly expecting some kind of trick.


    But no, as soon as we stepped out of the room we realised it was all real.


    We were on the roof of the Academy.

 30. Winners and losers

    It was the first time in three months that we could enjoy the sunlight without it being blocked by the windows of the Academy.


    But I soon realised that something was wrong. It was way too warm to be in the middle of winter and I couldn''t even feel a breeze blowing!


    Perhaps this was also an elaborate illusion after all?


    Skylark seemed to have noticed the confusion in my eyes and that of my classmates and explained with amusement:


    ?Did you really think we would take you out here without any precautions? A barrier, very similar to the one that regulates duels, surrounds the entire Academy, so don''t even think about levitating off the roof!?


    "Piece of human garbage..."


    The fact that he had taken us up there was just a reminder of the fact that we were nothing more than birds in a cage, completely at his mercy.


    But of course, the headmaster''s sadism wasn''t the only reason we were on the roof.


    A huge arena had been set up in the large open space, complete with stands.


    Some seats were already taken. Amongst the familiar faces of the various professors of the Academy, I immediately noticed an unfamiliar, extravagantly dressed person.


    ?That''s the King''s Advisor,? Celeste whispered in my ear.


    "The King''s Advisor..."


    Not that I thought Skylark had lied to us, after all he would have no reason to, but to see tangible proof that the Crown was on the side of the Academy was disheartening to say the least.


    The people who had trapped us here would never be brought to justice.


    Not only that, but even if we had managed to escape, our lives would not have been easy: the King would have considered us an inconvenience and probably even hunted us down to cover everything up.


    "I''ll think about that when we''re actually out of here..."


    But why was that man here anyway? Could Skylark have organised this event just for him?


    If the purpose of this sick game was to create a powerful mage like Aldric, maybe the Sovereign wanted to know how much progress the Academy had made in that direction.


    In other words, he wanted to know how his new weapon was coming along.


    But would the last survivor really agree to serve their captors?


    I remembered the conversation I had with Celeste about Aldric. Perhaps he really didn''t remember anything about his time here after all.


    Skylark''s voice brought me back to Earth as he ordered us to take our seats in the grandstand.


    We could only obey.


    I sat between Amy, who was still trembling with nervousness, and Celeste, who as usual seemed to have no care in the world.


    The headmaster took the highest chair and addressed everyone.


    ?Welcome to the main stage of the Academy! This is the first time here for our students and hopefully won''t be the last. If you''re lucky enough to make it to the end, this is where you''ll fight your final duels. But there is still a long way to go. Today, focus on doing your best and honouring both the Academy and the occasion we are celebrating!?


    The other professors gave a muted applause. Of course, none of the students did the same.


    ?Now, before we begin, a small announcement. Since you are currently an odd number, the student who was paired with the one who left us this Sunday will automatically receive the promised 50 points.?


    I saw a boy below me cheering.


    It was a bit distasteful, but I couldn''t blame him. If he was up against the bottom of the table, he probably wasn''t very good. Those points would save his life for a few weeks.


    ?And now, without further ado, let the event begin!?


    The first two students were called up.


    Once out of the stands, they stood facing each other in the large arena.


    Without waiting for them to speak, the usual magical barrier enveloped them. As I suspected, we had no choice: we had to fight.


    After a few seconds, the battle began. And it was... quite boring.


    Nothing extraordinary.


    The two contenders were in good positions in the rankings, so they didn''t put much effort into it.


    Ten more duels of varying intensity followed.


    Some, especially those between students with fewer points, were more fiercely fought, while others ended with the immediate surrender of one of the contenders, just as Sophia would have wanted.


    Finally, it was the turn of one of us: Amy.


    I gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder as she stood up, with the same enthusiasm as if she were going to a funeral.


    Celeste, on the other hand, shouted at her:


    ?Take care!?


    Amy replied with a strange sound. Perhaps she was afraid she would vomit if she opened her mouth.


    Slowly, my best friend descended into the arena, where she found an opponent who could not have been more different from her.


    Owen Finch was a tall, muscular man. He reminded me very much of the late Carl Stuart.


    He had a scabbard strapped to his back from which he drew a greatsword almost as tall as Amy.


    ?That guy''s a battlemage, not something you see every day,? Celeste commented next to me.


    By ''battlemage'' she meant a fighter who preferred melee combat, combining their skill with the blade with enhancement and strengthening spells.


    Celeste was right: it was rare for someone to choose that style.


    After all, mages usually preferred to fight at a distance. But for that very reason, it could prove to be a surprisingly effective strategy.


    When not expected, being attacked by an opponent with superhuman speed could lead to a quick defeat. Such an ultra-offensive strategy was ideal for challenging an inexperienced mage without giving them time to think.


    I couldn''t help but be a little worried. That guy looked like he could break Amy in two with his bare hands.


    ?Everything will be fine. Amy has worked just as hard as you have,? Celeste said confidently.


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    The countdown began.


    Amy drew her wand and took her position.


    Finch did the same, but pointed it at himself and muttered something. His body began to glow from the effects of his spells. Then he did the same with the sword, which also glowed with a bluish light.


    I had no idea what enhancements he had used, it was a branch of magic I was unfamiliar with.


    Amy seemed to have calmed down, I could see the determination in her face.


    As the duel started, Finch immediately charged forward, lightning fast thanks to the spells he had used on himself.


    But before he could reach her, Amy whispered something. A thick mist quickly spread around her, obscuring the entire arena.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Ah, I should have known that Celeste would decide to make her fight like this..."


    Normally, Amy wouldn''t stand a chance in a duel against such an opponent. The spells needed to overcome a battlemage''s enchantments were beyond her reach.


    But with a little trickery she could maybe turn the situation around.


    Unfortunately, this spell had the side effect of preventing me from seeing what the hell was going on. I strained my ears, but the chatter of my companions made it useless.


    After a while, Owen Finch shouted:


    ?Windstream!?


    The mist Amy had created soon cleared and I could see what had happened.


    Finch was kneeling, his broadsword on the ground at his feet. He was clutching his ankle, a pained expression on his face.


    I understood immediately why.


    Where Amy had stood at the start of the duel, there was now a small stone spike. Finch must have stumbled over it in his reckless charge.


    The girl was now on the other side of the arena, a safe distance away.


    "Come on, girl!"


    But it wasn''t going to be easy.


    Amy began to bombard her opponent with a barrage of fireballs, but they didn''t even seem to tickle him.


    Finch got to his feet, picked up his weapon and charged again.


    But before he could reach Amy, something unexpected happened. Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet lit up and a powerful explosion sent him tumbling.


    "A magic seal!"


    Seals were a special type of magic. By drawing precise shapes, it was possible to inscribe a spell on a surface and then activate it at a later time.


    The table in the dining room and the teleportation that had taken us to the roof were examples of this.


    The advantages were many. First of all they could be used repeatedly as long as there was a source of mana to draw from.


    They were also ideal for casting more complex spells, as they could be drawn at leisure. However, the time it took to create them made them difficult to use in a duel.


    The opponent would not just stand by and watch.


    "But if they can''t see..."


    The wall of fog had given Amy the cover she needed. When Finch stood up, he was probably thinking the same thing as me:


    "I wonder how many seals Amy managed to draw...".


    ?Am I a genius or not?? Celeste chirped, pleased with herself.


    She really was. Now that the arena had become a minefield, Finch could no longer attack at will. The spells in the seals were far more dangerous than the ones Amy used to attack him directly.


    The boy seemed to realise this and, after sheathing his sword, began to counterattack with his own spells.


    The duel had turned into a normal battle between mages.


    But... still, Amy had no chance.


    Finch''s defensive enhancements made him practically immune to her attacks. At this rate, she would run out of mana before she could defeat him.


    "There must be something else going on..."


    She had forced his opponent to change his approach, but what was the point if the result was the same?


    I soon had the answer.


    After blocking one of Finch''s fireballs, Amy shouted:


    ?Rain of fire!?


    A barrage of fiery projectiles began pelting the area where her opponent stood. Predictably, he summoned a dome of water to protect himself.


    ?NOW!? Celeste shouted as she leapt to her feet.


    Amy, continuing to summon the rain of fire, immediately drew her sword and hurled it at Finch.


    "What the...?!"


    As the weapon hit the ground, a magical seal began to glow. And it wasn''t the only one.


    Two, three, no... four seals, connected by a bright line, lit up around Finch! And then...


    With a deafening roar, lightning descended from the sky. As it passed through the dome of water, the electrical discharge increased in intensity, electrocuting the poor boy.


    Amy rushed to his side to check on his condition.


    He certainly wouldn''t get up for a while. If it weren''t for his magical defences, he would have been fried.


    She had won.


    As I jumped up and down to applaud Amy''s victory, I couldn''t help but whisper in Celeste''s ear:


    ?And you have the nerve to say I''m mean??


    The girl giggled wickedly.


    When Amy returned to the stands, visibly exhausted but with a huge smile on her face, I immediately hugged her.


    ?You were amazing!?


    ?But it''s all thanks to Celeste!?


    ?That''s not true. She may have planned the strategy, but you executed it perfectly. Drawing all those seals in such a short time and making sure he stopped right there.... I''m proud of you!?


    ?I agree wholeheartedly!? Celeste echoed, giving her an enthusiastic high five.


    Enthusiasm that quickly disappeared a few minutes later when it was her turn to fight.


    ?I hate dueling Phil!? she muttered as she walked down the stairs to the arena.


    It didn''t take me long to understand why.


    If Celeste''s fighting style was cunning and creative, Phil''s was the opposite, rigorous and by the book.


    Each of Celeste''s attacks was relentlessly neutralised by his elemental shields.


    Soon the girl seemed to lose her patience and began to use doublecasting, attacking Phil with combinations of spells. But it was not enough, for her fianc¨¦ also adopted this approach, defending himself with barrier pairs.


    I could understand why Celeste found this suffocating ultrar-defensive strategy frustrating, but I couldn''t help but be fascinated by this duel.


    "This is a fight between two mages who know what they are doing..."


    Unfortunately, it did not last long. After one of her attacks failed for the umpteenth time against Phil''s impenetrable defences, a visibly annoyed Celeste put her wand back in its sheat and announced her surrender.


    ?I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!? the girl exclaimed as she sat down next to me.


    I never imagined she would react like this, like a child throwing a tantrum over the theft of her favourite toy.


    ?It''s always the same! Shields over shields over shields and never anything interesting... What pleasure does it give him to fight a duel like this?? she asked pouting.


    ?Well, if we ever face each other, I know what to do now!? I teased her.


    ?Don''t even try it... Anyway, I would have won if I really wanted to, I just didn''t feel like standing there for twenty minutes being bored!?


    ?If you say so...?


    ?And what exactly do you mean by that??


    I continued to tease her for a bit.


    In reality, I was just trying to distract myself. Soon it would be my turn to duel.


    Now that that moment was approaching, I began to feel a little anxious.


    <hr>


    And so the moment arrived.


    Leaving Celeste and Amy''s words of encouragement behind me, I walked down the stairs.


    Sophia was already there, waiting for me.


    Deep down, I had been waiting for this.


    She and I.


    We would face each other for the first time.


    The slender black-haired girl in front of me was impassive as she unsheathed her sword.


    I wondered what was going through her mind. Perhaps she still didn''t take me seriously.


    But I would soon change her mind.


    I pulled out my wand and gave her a defiant smile.


    As the countdown was about to end, I took a deep breath. I tapped into the mana bubbling inside me.


    I concentrated, ready to cast the spell I had worked so hard to learn...


    ...3


    2


    1


    Our first duel had begun.


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 31. Under a blazing sky

    Before Sophia could take a single step towards me, I made my move:


    ?Gravity Surge!?


    Pushed down by an invisible force, my opponent immediately fell to her knees.


    I saw her arms shaking as she fought desperately not to be crushed to the ground.


    I knew from the start that pinning Sophia down was the first step to defeating her.


    Although she was almost invincible in close combat, she was completely powerless at a distance.


    But I knew it would not be easy to keep her at bay. With her power, any attempt to stop her advance with barriers or bindings would fail.


    So when I read the effects of this spell in Celeste''s grimoire, I knew I had hit the nail on the head.


    After all, gravity was not something that Sophia could simply cut through. That was why I had worked so hard all week to be able to cast this spell.


    It was complex and required great concentration as I had to spread my mana evenly over the ground and then amplify the gravity in the area.


    A small instability in my mana flow would have ruined everything.


    But I had succeeded and it was having the desired effect. Despite Sophia''s fierce resistance, her face was getting closer and closer to the ground.


    Was that really enough to win?


    Of course not, Sophia would never give up at the first sign of trouble.


    ?AAAH!?


    With a scream, she managed to lift herself up just enough to drive her sword into the ground and, leaning on it, stood up, her legs still trembling from the immense effort.


    With difficulty, she managed to raise her face and for the first time since the duel began, our eyes met.


    Just what I wanted to see!


    The serene calm that had characterised Sophia''s face for the past few days had been swept away by a raging storm. It was as if a blazing inferno had melted the icy surface covering her face, revealing a pure, unbridled rage beneath.


    But I wasn''t going to stop there. It was only the beginning.


    I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.


    "It''s time for phase two."


    This was the moment of truth. If it had been difficult to cast the Gravity Surge correctly, things were about to get even more complicated.


    With extreme caution, I directed a stream of mana to my left hand and, raising it to the sky, shouted:


    ?Icicle Crush!?


    A storm of small icicles began to rain down on the area where Sophia was standing.


    It was an extremely basic spell: it simply froze the water vapour in the air to create a hailstorm of projectiles.


    A weak fire shield would have been enough to defend against such an attack.


    But the girl in front of me was completely defenceless against it.


    Not only was she incapable of casting any spells, but the ice spikes were too numerous to be cut down by her power.


    Sophia struggled to raise her free arm to protect her face. The spikes that hit her there seemed to meet an invisible force and melt instantly.


    But for every spike that was intercepted, others struck her in other parts of her body, causing many small wounds...


    Pinned to the ground, there was nothing Sophia could do to escape the relentless ice storm.


    Except surrender.


    But I knew Sophia would never do that.


    Even as drops of her blood began to stain the floor at her feet, the girl stood her ground, still putting up a fierce resistance.


    But she was still human.


    Soon the force pushing her down became unbearable for her limbs, now torn by dozens of cuts.


    Sophia fell back to her knees, holding onto her sword with both hands as the rain of ice began to fall on her back.


    "How long do you intend to resist...?"


    I wanted to win, but seeing her reduced to this state certainly did not please me.


    But, biting my lip, I decided not to stop.


    Having asked Sophia to fight with all her might, I could not back down now. It was my way of showing the respect I had for her.


    Perhaps I knew deep down that the fight could not end like this. The duel I had waited so long for would not end with a helpless Sophia kneeling at my feet.


    This girl had always managed to shatter my expectations.


    I concentrated on her, ready to react to any sudden movement.


    Her face was obscured by her long black hair, spread out in front of her like a curtain.


    That was when it happened.


    Suddenly I felt my right foot sink into the ground.


    "What the...?!"


    Lowering my eyes, I saw something unimaginable. From her sword, still stuck in the floor, a crack had extended all the way underneath me.


    I lost my balance and started to fall backwards.


    In that moment of surprise, I felt the flow of mana I had fought so hard to keep stable tremble. It was enough for me to lose control of my gravity spell.


    That had probably been my opponent''s goal all along.


    Cutting through solid ground like that, her power was simply absurd!


    "Fuck!"


    But when I saw Sophia running towards me, no longer held back by the gravitational field, a smile spread across my face.


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    "I''m sorry, Celeste... After all the effort you made to help me... I''d rather fight my own way in the end!"


    ?Typhoon!?


    Before I could hit the ground, I used my wand to summon a powerful gust of wind. Sophia stopped her charge and defended herself by grabbing her sword with both hands.


    But it was not my intention to attack her.


    The power of the spell was so great that it sent me flying backwards, putting distance between me and her.


    Before I could crash into the magic barrier, I used another spell with my other hand to stop my flight.


    But Sophia had no intention of giving me time to think.


    Blocking the wind with her sword, she dodged to the left and took off after me.


    Now that my strategy had failed, I had to fight on the fly.


    ?Earth Spikes!?


    Huge pointy spikes of rock began to form in front of my opponent, who managed to avoid them by zigzagging.


    "Not so fast!"


    I cast the spell again, taking Sophia''s movements into account.


    This time a row of spikes appeared where she had just stepped. With a twist of her body, she managed to avoid being impaled, but was caught between them.


    Before she could use her power to free herself, I shouted:


    ?Eruption!?


    A brilliant red light illuminated the ground at Sophia''s feet, and less than a second later, a gigantic pillar of fire exploded, reaching into the sky.


    But when the flames died down, Sophia, her uniform blackened and the tips of her hair scorched, was still standing, her sword pointed at the ground.


    She seemed to have escaped the worst of the damage, and after cutting through the stone spikes with a single slash, she resumed her relentless charge.


    But I did not give up. Perhaps I could borrow a leaf from her book.


    ?Fissure!?


    I pointed my wand at the ground and a huge crack quickly formed, running through the arena and threatening to swallow Sophia into the abyss.


    But the girl was ready and jumped nimbly to the right.


    That was what I wanted.


    I slammed my left hand down on the floor and yelled ?Earth spikes!? again.


    This time my opponent was in the air and could not dodge: her only chance was to use her power to cut the spikes that were about to stab her.


    And so she did.


    But now my wand was free to strike her.


    ?Fireball!? I shouted, casting the spell as fast as I could before Sophia could react.


    The fireball hit the girl in the chest and sent her flying, landing a few feet away.


    Sophia lay motionless on the ground.


    "Did I... did I win?"


    I started to take a step towards her, but stopped in my tracks.


    Sophia pulled herself up with shaking hands.


    She was in a horrible state: her body was covered in wounds, her uniform was torn and scorched in several places, and now a large burn had appeared on her chest.


    It was clear that she could barely stand.


    ?Do you hate the idea of losing to me that much?? I shouted despite myself. Her resilience was unbelievable.


    I didn''t expect her to answer. Instead...


    ?It''s not that!? Sophia exclaimed in a pained voice, ?you''re the one who told me to face you with all my might.... I won''t give up as long as I have an ounce of strength left!?


    At these words, the girl pushed back her long black hair. The same defiant expression that had animated mine now adorned her face.


    "I almost had to kill you to make you take me seriously, huh?"


    But I couldn''t help smiling.


    ?Very well. That means I''ll have to crush you completely. It''s about time for you to find out just how terrifying my magic can be!?


    It was time to end this.


    Sophia threw herself at me again, sword in hand.


    I pointed my wand at the ground.


    ?Field of Frost!?


    The entire arena instantly froze. Sophia almost lost her balance, but by sinking her blade into the ground, she managed not to fall.


    Ice began to rise up to her ankles, momentarily trapping her. I knew I did not have much time to act.


    I had decided how to defeat her.


    "If you are determined to face me with all your might, then I will do the same."


    I would hit her with the strongest spell at my disposal. Normally, I would never have thought of using it against a human.


    But if anyone could survive such a thing, it was Sophia.


    I called upon almost all the mana I had left in my body.


    ?Try to cut this, Sophia! Meteor!? I shouted, pointing my wand at the sky.


    A huge ball of flaming stone formed about forty feet above the arena.


    It was so large that it blocked out the sun.


    Before it could begin its descent, I quickly summoned a powerful barrier of water around me.


    I was sure Sophia would try to break that spell as well, but what she hadn''t counted on was the explosion that would follow. I would definitely have to rush her to the infirmary.


    Sophia didn''t even have time to look up before the meteor began its descent, picking up speed.


    It was a moment.


    Sophia pulled her sword from the ground and threw it into the sky without hesitation.


    "WHAT?!"


    Her thin blade disappeared from view like a pin thrown into a volcano and then...


    The sky exploded.


    "You got to to be fucking kidding me¡­ OH SHIT!"


    Caught up in this sudden display of pyrotechnics, I had lost sight of my opponent, who, having freed herself from the ice trapping her legs, was rapidly sliding towards me.


    I quickly pointed my wand in her direction.


    But it was too late: deftly dodging the chunks of stone that were falling from the sky, Sophia stepped in front of me and with one sweep of her hand swept my arm away, causing my spell to miss its target.


    Suddenly I felt a sharp pain as Sophia punched me in the stomach with all the strength she had left.


    I felt myself slip backwards through the ice beneath my feet.


    But before I could fall, a hand behind my back supported me.


    I was faced with a breathtaking view.


    Under a blazing sky, Sophia looked at me with a smile, resting a finger on my neck.


    ?I yield...?


    I had lost the battle, but I had won something far more important.

 32. Heart to heart

    An hour later, I walked into the infirmary a little nervous. Sophia was sitting on one of the beds. She seemed to have made a full recovery.


    Once again I was amazed at the abilities of the Academy''s healers. When I brought her there, she looked like she was going to faint at any moment.


    ?Hey, I brought you a clean uniform...? I said as I approached her.


    ?Oh, thank you.?


    Sophia took the clothes I handed her and closed the curtains around the bed.


    She opened them a few minutes later and what I saw almost made me burst out laughing.


    "That''s what I was worried about..."


    Unable to enter her room, I had taken one of my spare uniforms from the wardrobe. Although we were about the same height, Sophia was very thin and... well, flat.


    That''s why my shirt looked comically large on her.


    ?Is something wrong?? she asked, giving me a dirty look.


    ?No, nothing! Umh, can I sit next to you??


    ?Ok...? Sophia replied, moving slightly to the side to make room for me.


    I sat down next to her on the bed.


    Thanks to the duel, things seemed to be going in the right direction, but we still needed to talk and sort things out.


    "Where to start..."


    But before I could find the right words, Sophia broke the silence.


    ?I''m sorry.?


    "Huh?"


    Sophia continued, her face turned away to avoid my gaze:


    ?I... I had no idea that this duel was so important to you. I shouldn''t have said those things to you. I was insensitive. In the end, you were right, it was far from a trivial duel.?


    ?I''m sorry too,? I replied immediately. ?Instead of explaining how I felt, I shouted at you and made a mess for no reason. We''re friends and I should have been honest with you instead of freaking out.... I''m sorry.?


    ?It''s fine...?


    We remained silent for a few minutes. Despite having apologised, I felt that the tension between us had not completely dissipated.


    ?Sophia... you''re mad at me, aren''t you? The duel was great, but like you said, it was pointless. After all the stuff you told me about not attracting attention... I pushed you to fight for no reason. I even showed some tactics that could be used against you.?


    ?I''m not angry.?


    But by now I had known that strange girl for three months. From her tone, I could tell she wasn''t telling the truth.


    Gently, I took her by the chin and turned her face, forcing her to look me in the eye.


    ?If you''re not angry, why are you pouting then? You know... sometimes you act like a child, it''s kind of adorable!?


    Sophia blushed furiously, broke free from my grasp and, pinching my cheek, she burst out:


    ?You know, sometimes you act like a pain in the ass, it''s kind of unbearable!?


    Perhaps it was the tension that had built up that day, but those words caused me to burst out laughing uncontrollably.


    Soon Sophia joined in and our hysterical laughter filled the infirmary, drawing disapproving looks from the healers.


    As I wiped the tears from my eyes, I couldn''t help but think how beautiful Sophia was when she laughed. If only she did it more often....


    It took us a good five minutes to compose ourselves.


    ?So was I right?? I asked her.


    ?No, no, I''m not mad at you, really. I''m more angry with myself, really. I... I thought I was over it by now.... But obviously I''m not.?


    ?Over it? What are you talking about??


    I had never seen that girl look so vulnerable.


    ?See... when I told you that my power was perfect for fighting magic... it was more for convincing myself. I wanted it to be true,? Sophia replied almost in a whisper.


    ?But it is true! You beat me, didn''t you? You were right!?


    Sophia shook her head.


    ?I wasn''t. When you pinned me down with that spell, I realised there will always be something I haven''t accounted for. Magic is so... unpredictable. Sure, I managed to free myself this time. But, correct me if I''m wrong, did you learn that spell just to defeat me, didn''t you??


    I could only nod.


    ?See? Imagine if you had had more than a week to prepare. And even after that, when your strategy failed, you still almost beat me. You really are amazing. Anyway, thank you. You made me realise that I still have a long way to go if I want to win against magic...?


    Her tone was bitter.


    Despite her last words, it was clear that she had not taken it well. But for what reason?


    ?Sophia, why do you seem to hate magic so much? I understand that not being able to use it isn''t ideal, but your innate power shouldn''t make you regret it, should it??


    Sophia seemed to think for a moment before answering.


    ?It''s a long and boring story. It''s not important, really...?


    As usual, when I asked her about herself, she tried to evade the question. But this time I wasn''t going to give in.


    ?I want to hear it anyway. Sophia, we''re friends, but I know almost nothing about you. I want to know you better!?


    Surprised, Sophia stared at me for a few seconds.


    Then she nodded.


    ?Alright... But not here.?


    The girl stood up abruptly, took my hand and led me out of the infirmary.


    ?Hey! Easy!?


    She pulled me with such force that I was afraid she would rip my arm off.


    ?Sorry... I''m a bit nervous...?


    It wasn''t like her to be so open about her feelings.


    I sighed and let her lead me into her room.


    I concentrated on Sophia''s hand. There was very little feminine about it. It was hard and rough and I could feel calluses, probably from spending so much time wielding a sword.


    Still, there was something reassuring about her firm grip. As she dragged me along, I couldn''t help but think that I wouldn''t have minded following her anywhere.


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    When we finally reached our destination and Sophia let go, my hand hurt a little.


    As she sat down on the bed, the girl looked at me nervously.


    ?Are you sure you want to hear this story??


    ?Why all this reluctance? Are you a secret agent for the king or something??


    ?No, it''s just that...For some reason you seem to have a lot of admiration for me, but when you hear what I have to say... you''ll probably realise how lame I am...?


    "Huh?"


    ?My dear, just two hours ago I watched you smash my Meteor in half.There is no way in the world I could consider you lame!?


    Sophia huffed.


    ?Very well...?


    She took a deep breath and began:


    ?My father is the Lord of a small town in the western regions...?


    ?WHAT!? You''re a noble??


    ?Technically, yes...But we''re just baronets. I don''t think anyone cares about the "noble house of Thornton". And anyway... you''ll see, but don''t interrupt me, it''s hard enough to talk about it...?


    ?Sorry, go on.?


    I was very surprised. On the one hand, Sophia seemed to take care of her appearance. But her attitude was nothing like the nobles I was used to seeing.


    With Celeste, for example, although she was extremely atypical, you could tell from the way she walked that she came from an aristocratic background.


    Sophia continued:


    ?I was a bit frail as a child and spent a lot of time reading in the palace library. But that was fine with me. To be honest, I don''t remember much about that time, but I''m sure I was happy.?


    The girl smiled for a moment, but the smile faded immediately.


    ?But it didn''t last long. When I grew up, things got bad. Until then, I had never shown the slightest inclination towards magic but my parents were understanding. After all, it is not unusual for mana to develop suddenly when you get older. But when I turned fourteen and still couldn''t levitate a feather, well, they gave up hope. When it came time for the mana measuring ritual, things got much worse.?


    ?They tried to get a strange arcanist to examine me. They even made me drink various strange potions. But there was no way.


    It was clear that they thought it impossible that someone like me could be their daughter... Meanwhile, I tried day and night to cast a single spell... but nothing. It was clear that I was defective.?


    ?Don''t say that...?


    But Sophia continued.


    ?That was when I first picked up a sword... Honestly, I don''t even remember how it happened. But if magic was completely foreign to me, the sword was like an extension of my arm. It was so natural. I soon became very, very good at it, so much so that I could easily defeat even the city guards.?


    Sophia''s face darkened.


    ?Stupid as I was, I decided to show my parents what I could do. Sure, I couldn''t cast spells, but I was a sword prodigy. I wanted to hear them say that I was worth something too. I will never forget the look of disgust on my father''s face. He told me plainly: I was the ruin of his family. The "noble house of Thornton" would die with me, no nobleman would want to marry someone as lacking in magic as I was.


    Despite my best efforts, I was nothing but a disgrace to my parents. I could no longer bear to be in their sight, I fled the palace that very evening...?


    Tears were now streaming down my face. I wanted to embrace her, but I decided to let her finish.


    ?I ended up in the capital. When I escaped, I took all my belongings with me. I made a lot of money selling them. I went to an alchemist and used everything I had to buy transfiguration potions. I used them to take the form of an older boy and enlisted in the royal army under a false name. I stayed there for two years, until my innate power manifested itself.?


    That explained a lot. That was why she was not as graceful as other nobles. She had lived as a soldier for two years!


    ?Then I returned home,? Sophia continued, ?I thought that now that I had this incredible power, my parents would be proud of me.?


    A bitter smile formed on Sophia''s lips.


    ?A freak. That''s what they called me...?


    ?That''s... horrible...? I murmured between sobs.


    Sophia smiled at me.


    ?It''s okay. From that moment on, I made up my mind. I would prove to the world that magic was no match for my power. From then on, I would cut through every spell...?


    She finished:


    ?That is all. I told you... I''m lame. Even though I know I shouldn''t let what my parents said affect me... I still haven''t gotten over it. After all this time, I''m still letting them influence me.?


    Now that she had finished, I could no longer hold back. I got up from the chair and threw myself on top of her, wrapping my arms around her and dropping her onto the bed. I began to sob into her chest.


    ?Elizabeth!? For fuck''s sake, you''re such a crybaby!?


    But she surrendered to my embrace, gently stroking my hair.


    ?I''m sorry, it''s just... so unfair. How could they treat you like this? How could they not see what an extraordinary person you are!?


    ?What are you talking about...?


    Maybe her modesty wasn''t so false after all, after being shunned for most of her life, she desperately needed validation.


    If that was what she wanted, I was the perfect person to give it to her.


    ?I''m telling the truth, you''re amazing!


    Despite everything you have been through, you have had the strength to react. Damn it, you pretended to be a boy and joined the army, you''re crazy! And now, come on, how can you even think of being lame? You''re the coolest girl I know.


    Ever since I saw you duel for the first time, I can''t stop looking at you. You''re so strong and brave, and the way you fight is the most beautiful thing I''ve ever seen. And then, when you burst through the door to save me.... What I want to say is... your idiot parents may think you are a disgrace, but I... I''m proud to be your friend.


    And if anyone ever dares to insult you like that from now on, I will blow them away, as you know I can do!?


    ?Elizabeth...?


    Sophia remained silent. I felt her hand tremble on my back.


    ?Thank you. I... now that you know everything, you''ll understand that before you, I never... I mean... you''re the first friend I''ve ever had. I don''t really know how to behave around you. Even if we end up fighting sometimes, like this time, I hope... you still want to stay by my side.?


    ?We''re in the same boat... sometimes I don''t know how to behave with you either.?


    Although I also had Amy and Celeste as friends, my relationship with Sophia was definitely different.


    It was like...


    "No... what am I thinking..."


    ?Sophia...?


    ?Yes??


    ?I will always be by your side. I will witness every effort you make to reach your goal... But I''m sorry.?


    ?Sorry for what??


    Using my arms for support, I lifted myself up and hovered over her, my eyes locked with hers.


    ?I have no intention of letting you win. One day I will show you a spell you cannot cut through. Until then, I want you to watch me.?


    Sophia looked at me.


    And I looked at her.


    For some reason, my heart was beating so fast that I was afraid it would burst out of my chest.


    And then...


    My hand slipped.


    ?Ow!? we both shouted in unison as our heads collided.


    ?You''re an idiot!? Sophia scolded me, massaging her forehead.


    ?Sorry, my mana is low...?


    ?Then go and rest!?


    ?Okay, Mum!?


    I got out of bed and opened the door to the room, but before I could leave...


    ?Don''t worry... I only have eyes for you...?


    Instinctively, I covered the ear where Sophia had just whispered those words.


    But before I could turn around, she pushed me out of the room and slammed the door.


    <hr>


    Ten minutes later, I was literally brutalising my pillow.


    "I WANT TO DIE! KILL ME NOW!"


    Perhaps Sophia had another innate power: the ability to make me say terribly embarrassing things.


    "One day I''ll show you a spell you can''t break. Until then, I want you to watch me."


    I buried my flaming face in the blankets.


    She wasn''t playing around either though.


    "I only have eyes for you..."


    If someone this morning had told me that Sophia would say those words to me, I would have thought they were crazy.


    But I had seen a new side of her.


    Sure, the girl thought her story would ruin the image I had of her.


    But in truth, my respect for Sophia had only grown. As a friend, I wanted to give her all the affection her stupid parents hadn''t given her.


    As a friend...


    I only have eyes for you...


    No... it couldn''t be.


    Sophia had told me clearly that she wasn''t sure how to act around me. She probably just said the first words that came to mind.


    Words that now echoed in my ears and made me blush furiously.


    "Friends... huh?"


    Exhausted, I slipped into a peaceful sleep, cradled by the precious memories I had created that day.

 33. Plans and complications

    If I had hoped that the duel between me and Sophia would bring things back to the way they were before, I soon realised that I was wrong.


    But perhaps it was for the best.


    After the palpable awkwardness that marked the days following our reconciliation, we both seemed to have tacitly agreed to return to our usual ways with each other. Hiding behind our teasing and playful banter was much easier than expressing our feelings as we had done in Sophia''s room.


    But it was still obvious that our relationship had changed somewhat.


    If before it had seemed that Sophia could barely tolerate my company, she now sought it out herself.


    Like a personal bodyguard, I found her outside my room every morning, ready to accompany me to breakfast.


    When I had asked her the reason behind this new routine, she had replied:


    ?Your fault. Thanks to our duel, you have, if possible, put us even more in the spotlight. Now everyone knows that if they want to win, they have to find a way to take us out. We have to expect that sooner or later someone will target us... Better to stay together as much as possible.?


    As usual, what she said made perfect sense, but I couldn''t help thinking that there were ulterior motives for this sudden decision.


    Other subtle changes in her demeanour only fueled my suspicions.


    Sophia''s mellowing process, which had begun in recent months, seemed to have made great strides.


    Her tongue remained as sharp as ever when she found an opportunity to tease me, but now there was no shortage of occasions when she seemed to express her affection for me in a somewhat awkward way.


    She also no longer seemed to shy away from physical contact. In the past, she''d squirm furiously at the slightest touch, almost like a wild cat. Now she seemed to accept it calmly, even if she still didn''t feel like reciprocating.


    It would take time.


    Now that I knew how much she had been through, I did not find it strange that she was not used to normal friendship.


    For my part, I tried my best to make her feel as comfortable and accepted as she had never felt before.


    I was happy that she was finally opening up to me in this way.


    But in spite of everything, something strange was going on.


    Maybe it was me who felt uncomfortable around her?


    When I talked to her, or even worse, when we were very close, I felt a certain nervousness that hadn''t been there before. It was a feeling I had never experienced in the company of Amy or Celeste. It was as if there was something unresolved and unspoken between us.


    Lately, I often found myself staring at her intently, trying to figure out what the problem was. I often ended up meeting her gaze.


    Did she also sense that something was wrong?


    I wasn''t completely clueless.


    I had an idea of what the problem was, but I didn''t like it. It would have made everything so incredibly difficult.


    For now, I just wanted to be Sophia''s best friend and help her slowly heal the wounds of her past.


    These changes had certainly not gone unnoticed by Amy, but this time she hadn''t come to me to ask about them.


    Not that I would ever tell her what had happened in Sophia''s room, not even under torture.


    It was enough for me to see the amused looks she gave us from time to time.


    She did not seem to be the same person as before either. The duel with Finch seemed to have stirred something in her. She was now spending a lot of time sparring with Celeste and had decided not to take any more points from Sophia and me.


    When I had asked her why, she had replied:


    ?I want to get stronger and not be a burden to you Lizzie! It won''t be easy because of my mana, but I also want to be useful when the time comes! I''m sorry to spend less time with you, but come on, at least now you have Sophia to keep you company!?


    She had winked at me.


    I had decided to ignore that last comment:


    ?You''ve always been useful, Amy. If we tracked down Chloe, it''s also thanks to you!?


    But I was still glad that she had gained such determination after her duel.


    As for Celeste, we had returned to training together only at weekends.


    I had feared that she would be angry with me for losing, given the effort she had put into helping me.


    But that girl seemed to have a natural talent for seeing the glass half full. At least when it didn''t involve a duel with Philemon.


    ?Don''t worry about it! You did your best,? she had replied to my apology, ?and that meteor? So cool! You have to teach me how that spell works. Anyway, now that you know how Sophia can react to your moves, you''ll win next time for sure!?


    Those training sessions were the only time Sophia didn''t follow me around like a shadow. The animosity she felt towards Celeste did not seem to have diminished, on the contrary. She probably suspected, with good reason, that my training partner was behind the strategy I had used against her.


    Despite these changes, life at the Academy continued peacefully for another month.


    Now the leaderboard read:


    74 students remaining.


    A quarter of the students had already died. At this rate, we would not even last the two years stipulated in the letter of admission.


    If I did not want these happy times with Sophia, Amy and Celeste to end tragically and prematurely, I had to stop waiting idly.


    It was time to act.


    <hr>


    It was the first Sunday in February.


    I was sitting on the bed in my room, waiting for Sophia and Amy.


    I had decided to have a meeting of sorts to assess things. Looking at the rankings had sent me into a bit of a panic. Perhaps I''d been too complacent and hadn''t realised how quickly time was passing.


    Ideally, I would have liked Celeste to be here as well: she would have been a great help. But I was sure Sophia would not have liked that.


    The black-haired girl was the first to arrive.


    The first time she had entered my room, she had done so by breaking down the door. This time she just knocked.


    ?Have a seat!? I invited her.


    I had taken my inspiration from Celeste and used a duplication spell to create a small table and a few extra chairs.


    Still, Sophia sat down on the bed next to me.


    ?Oh!?


    As if shocked, I jumped up and sat down on one of the chairs.


    ?What''s wrong with you?? Sophia asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ?Oh, nothing... you know, for an official meeting of our... alliance... better do things properly!? I muttered quickly.


    "I should have asked Amy to meet in her room..."


    Finding myself there, alone in the room with Sophia, had immediately brought back to my mind what had happened a month ago.


    ?Here I am!? exclaimed Amy as she entered.


    She paused for a moment, her eyes darting between Sophia and me.


    Then she turned:


    ?Sorry for the intrusion!?


    ?Where do you think you''re going?? I snapped, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and dragging her towards a chair.


    Sophia continued to look at us, increasingly confused:


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    ?What the hell is wrong with you two today??


    But she also got up and sat down at the table.


    With difficulty I composed myself.


    ?Well, I called you here to talk about important things,? I stared at my two friends.


    ?I want to decide on a plan of action to escape from here!?


    ?I thought we had decided to wait and see how the situation develops... At the moment I don''t see how we can escape,? Sophia replied quickly.


    ?That was the idea, but... I''m afraid things are going to fall apart soon. We have already lost 26 people in five months, six more than expected. If our numbers continue to dwindle, our classmates will become more and more desperate and there will surely be more deaths...You told me so yourself, Sophia. When the competition gets tougher, we''ll see a lot more innate powers in action! We have to act before it''s too late...?


    ?You have a point...?


    ?Can I say something?? said Amy, raising her hand as if we were in class.


    ?Of course you can!?


    ?I''ve been thinking... doesn''t the whole thing seem strange? I mean, the Academy chose 100 students, and by eliminating one person a week, set the duration of the competition at two years. But by allowing us to kill each other in duels, it only shortens that time. And then there''s the Chloe thing. They''ve practically encouraged her to kill. It''s like they''re really trying to get it over with as quickly as possible!?


    ?Right...?


    ?But then why didn''t they just choose fewer students!!!? exclaimed Amy, ?think of all the poor kids who have died so far, or even me... It''s obvious I wouldn''t stand a chance against you or Sophia!?


    It wasn''t the first time I''d thought about this. I had theories about it, but nothing concrete.


    Why had the school brought these sacrificial lambs here?


    Why were they allowing, even encouraging, us to kill each other?


    There was something terrible behind it, I was sure. But I had no intention of finding out.


    ?I don''t have any answers, Amy. What I do know is that we need to leave as soon as possible, before the Academy comes up with something new. Sophia...?


    ?Yes??


    ?I think your power is the key to getting out of here...?


    ?I can understand why you would think that, but I don''t think it will be that easy.?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Normally, my innate power would be ideal for destroying the barriers around the Academy. But think about it! If I''m here, it''s because of my power! Obviously, they must have taken that into account when they designed the school''s defences.?


    Shit... she was right.


    ?But can they really have countermeasures against you...??


    ?You of all people are asking me that? In our duel, you exposed some of my weaknesses,? Sophia blurted out.


    ?Sorry...?


    Her expression softened.


    ?I didn''t mean it was your fault. I meant that if you guessed my weaknesses, Skylark must have done the same. I''m sure the moment I tried to break the barrier around the school, I''d be instantly vaporised!?


    ?So no dice!? I sighed with a defeated expression.


    ?Not really... if we knew exactly what the Academy''s defences consisted of, maybe we could find a weak point where my power could strike without repercussions.?


    "A weak point...!"


    ?Of course! How could I not have thought of that before!? I exclaimed, jumping to my feet and causing Amy and Sophia to gasp in surprise.


    ?The barriers around the duels and the one around the academy, as well as the whole automatic scoring system, must have a source of mana to draw from!?


    ?What do you mean?? asked Sophia.


    ?Such powerful spells cannot just be cast once and run forever! They have to be constantly powered!?


    ?You mean someone keeps it all going with their mana? It must be Skylark.?


    ?Maybe...?


    The old wizard was so powerful that he could cast spells without a wand or an incantation. If we had to eliminate him to break down the Academy''s defences, the road was definitely uphill....


    ?It''s possible it''s him... but there could also be an external source.?


    A distant image came into my mind.


    ?Chloe!? I exclaimed, startling both Sophia and Amy.


    ?Chloe? What does she have to do with this now??


    ?Remember what I told you about our fight? She had collected the mana she stole from her victims in special glass spheres,? I began to explain excitedly, ?since it was the school that provided them, maybe they have more hidden somewhere, full of mana to power the barriers! Maybe that''s why they were interested in her innate power: they hoped it would allow them to store mana more easily. If that''s the case, all we have to do is find this "power core" and destroy it to bring down the Academy''s defences!?


    Sophia though did not seem to share my enthusiasm.


    ?You may be right... But we''re back to square one. If something like that existed in the school, it would be hidden and extremely well protected. Assuming we could locate it, destroying it would be no easier than taking out Skylark.?


    ?At least it''s something to start with...?


    ?Don''t get me wrong, I think it''s a good idea to talk about these things... But we have to be careful. I don''t think Skylark would have a problem taking us out if he suspected we were trying to escape. Maybe he would have done it already, if it wasn''t for the fact that he considers us to be the most promising candidates for victory.?


    She was right, but that didn''t stop me from sulking:


    ?Excuse me for trying to find a way to get us out of here alive...?


    Instead of the prickly reaction I was expecting, Sophia put her hand on mine and squeezed it lightly:


    ?I didn''t mean to belittle your efforts, really... It''s just that... I''m afraid of what might happen if you act recklessly. But I will do my best to protect you,? she murmured without looking at me.


    I felt myself blushing.


    This new way of hers was much, much worse than her usual teasing.


    ?Sorry... you''re right. I''ll try to investigate without drawing attention to myself. I promise I''ll be careful...?


    I moved my hand away from hers under the pretense of pulling my chair closer to the table.


    ?Um, but let''s assume that something like that exists, or even if we decided to confront Skylark directly... I think we''d still need other allies. At least to create a diversion or something!?


    I quickly changed the subject.


    The first name that popped into my head was Celeste. Having her on our side would have been incredibly useful. But I would never have dared to suggest it in front of Sophia.


    To my surprise, it was Amy who objected to my idea. The girl hadn''t spoken for a long time and, knowing her, she had probably enjoyed the scene between Sophia and me in silence....


    ?I don''t think it''s a good idea to involve other people, Lizzie... At least not right now. It''s too risky.?


    ?What for? Don''t you think they also want to get out of here??


    ?Of course I do! But consider the situation: if you and Sophia suddenly decided to turn against the Academy, do you think anyone would help you? No, no one would risk dying for nothing. In fact, I think they would be happy to see you both killed by Skylark. It would be a win-win situation. Either you miraculously free everyone, or two of their most formidable opponents are eliminated...?


    I couldn''t argue with that. But.


    ?That means I have to show everyone that it is possible to win against the Academy!?


    So that first meeting ended with very little in the way of substance, but plenty of good intentions.


    I would find a way to keep my promise:


    I would not let Amy or Sophia die.


    <hr>


    Two days later, it was clear that our fears were justified. The school seemed to be doing everything it could to create chaos in our school life.


    As our trio entered the classroom that morning, our attention was drawn to a large group of students gathered in front of the classroom right wall.


    This d¨¦j¨¤ vu made my blood run cold.


    But when I looked up, I saw that at least this time it was not a sudden murder. The number of victims was the same as the day before.


    Pushing through the crowd, we managed to catch a glimpse of what had caused the commotion: what appeared to be a parchment scroll was pinned to the wall.


    As I read its contents, I could not help but shudder.


    "Registration is now open for the duel doubles tournament. It will take place in three weeks'' time. You can register with one of your classmates and take part in a series of duels together.


    The winning pair will receive a prize of 1000 points each."


    "1000 points!?"


    At the moment, yours truly, at the top of the leaderboard, had 644.


    Simply put, that was a number that would put anyone comfortably in first place.


    A number worth killing for.

 34. Powerless

    ?1000 points!? Amy exclaimed as she sat down next to me, ?what the hell are they thinking??


    ?They must have realised that 50 wasn''t enough to make things interesting,? I replied, scratching my chin.


    ?Ok, but why not 100, 200 or something? 1000 is just absurd!?


    ?I think that''s the point. It''s such a high number that whoever wins will hardly have to worry about dueling ever again. It''s a prize that everyone would covet.?


    ?But isn''t it dangerous? Having so many points is like asking to be killed!?


    ?Maybe that''s what Skylark wants, to wreak havoc...?


    The reason still wasn''t clear to me.


    Had he sensed that we were trying to escape and was doing everything to keep us busy?


    But if that was the case, why was it not compulsory to take part in the event?


    "So many questions..."


    I turned to Sophia, who had been silent since we had read the notice.


    The girl caught my eye and exclaimed dryly:


    ?No!?


    ?No what??


    ?I''m not going to take part in this stupid tournament with you!?


    ''UH?!''


    I couldn''t help but feel a little offended.


    ?Who do you think I am? Do you really think I''m so stupid th-??


    ?Yes.?


    ?Wow, you didn''t even let me finish my sentence...? I commented as Amy burst out laughing.


    Sophia''s lips curled into a mocking smile:


    ?Ok, maybe you''re not that stupid, but you''ve certainly shown me how reckless you are lately!?


    ?You''re still implying that I''m stupid!?


    ?Who? Me?!? Sophia replied in a tone that was not at all convincing.


    Well, I couldn''t argue with her, but in this case my thirst for adrenaline wasn''t enough to make me jump into an obvious death trap.


    "But if you''re going to tease me like this..."


    ?You''re right! Since you won''t join me, I''ll have to find another partner. Maybe I''ll ask Celeste, I''m sure I could beat anyone with her!?


    ?Great idea! I''ll cheer for you!? Amy chirped, guessing my intentions.


    But instead of the annoyed reaction I was expecting, a broad, unsettling smile lit up Sophia''s face.


    She placed a hand on my thigh and whispered:


    ?I wonder if they would let you compete without legs...?


    I jumped to my feet, shaking.


    Sophia continued to stare at me, smiling menacingly. Her expression made my skin crawl.


    ?I was only joking!?


    I was forced to surrender.


    I had suffered defeat after defeat against her lately.


    Maybe I shouldn''t have wished for Sophia to get used to the physical contact between us...


    In any case, even if I wanted to ask her, I was sure that even Celeste would never want to take part in such a dangerous tournament.


    <hr>


    ?Please, please, please!?


    I was completely wrong.


    The first thing Celeste did the following Saturday was to ask me to be her partner for the tournament.


    I knew she was a bit of a nutcase, but I had obviously underestimated the lengths to which she would go to get a thrill.


    ?For the umpteenth time, no!?


    Celeste continued to plead, looking at me with puppy eyes:


    ?Just think how many super dangerous powers we''re going to be up against!?


    ?That''s exactly the problem!?


    ?Come on! If we join forces, our magic can never lose!?


    There was a part of me that wanted nothing more than to take her up on her offer. A series of high-stakes duels was an extremely exciting prospect.


    But I couldn''t risk it. I had a promise to keep.


    Besides, Sophia would probably kill me before I had a chance to fight in a single duel.


    ?I''m sorry Celeste, I would love to fight at your side, but in this case it''s too risky,? I replied in a firm tone.


    At these words, the girl finally seemed to resign herself.


    ?Well...? she mumbled sadly, ?I guess I''ll have to ask Phil to sign up with me.?


    She didn''t seem very enthusiastic about the prospect, after all their last duel had shown me how much she despised her fianc¨¦''s fighting style.


    ?Do you really think he would accept? He just doesn''t seem the type.?


    Celeste''s pout vanished, giving way to an amused grin.


    ?Normally, I would think that he would never take part in something like this. But if I''m the one asking him...?


    Maybe I still didn''t fully understand how the relationship between the two of them worked. But I was sure that if Celeste was my girlfriend, I would do anything to keep her happy.


    She could be a colossal pain in the ass when she wanted to be.


    We practised for a few more hours and then said goodbye to each other.


    There was still some time before dinner, so I headed for my room.


    Crossing the hallways of the school without Sophia at my side had become a rare occasion.


    In this solitude, my mind couldn''t help but wander, imagining the mind-boggling strategies that two mages capable of double casting could use in a duel.


    The mere thought of the combinations of spells we could have unleashed on our opponents was enough to make me regret having refused Celeste.


    ?Maybe I''m a nutcase too...?


    If only death wasn''t lurking around every corner of the Academy, I could have had so much fun!


    But I couldn''t give in to temptation, I would only be playing into Skylark''s hands for the umpteenth time.


    I arrived at my room to find something strange waiting for me.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.There was a letter on the floor outside the door.


    Whoever had left it there had probably tried to slide it into the room, but the protective spell had blocked it.


    I picked up the piece of parchment, wondering who had sent it.


    Was it a threatening note from Sophia? Perhaps she feared Celeste would convince me to partecipate.


    "Girl of little faith!"


    But as soon as I read the words on the parchment, my smile disappeared and my blood froze.


    "We have kidnapped your friend. If you don''t want her to be killed, come to the classroom alone. Don''t try anything, don''t take any detours, we''ll be watching you."


    I immediately turned and looked around.


    A couple of students were walking down the corridor, chatting happily. No one else was there.


    Was it a bluff?


    I couldn''t be sure, maybe someone was spying on me through a spell, a familiar, or worse, an innate power.


    The fact that they had struck today, when for once I was not in Sophia''s company, meant that they had been watching me for a long time, studying my habits.


    I remembered the words of warning the girl had spoken to me a few weeks ago:


    "We have to expect that sooner or later someone will target us..."


    It hadn''t taken long. And they had done it by going after someone I cared about.


    "A friend..."


    Obviously it wasn''t possible that someone had managed to kidnap Sophia, and I''d just parted ways with Celeste a few minutes before.


    "That just leaves... Amy!"


    I had to stop myself from running towards the classroom.


    With trembling hands, I crumpled up the letter and shoved it into my pocket, my mind working frantically to decide what to do.


    It was clearly a trap.


    If I did what they wanted, I would undoubtedly be in danger.


    They were only trying to intimidate me. After all, what would they have achieved by killing Amy?


    Maybe it was all a lie. Maybe Amy was safe in her room, unharmed.


    The most rational thing to do was to find Sophia and Celeste and come up with a plan of action.


    But...


    What if it wasn''t all a lie?


    What if someone was really spying on me right now?


    I''d already met two homicidal maniacs in the last few months.


    The possibility that Amy''s life depended on my actions was not something I could simply ignore.


    At that moment, the images of her lifeless body after being attacked by Chloe''s familiars came back to me.


    I made my decision.


    "Sorry Sophia, I really am hopeless..." I thought as I ran towards the classroom.


    I knew I was being impulsive again. But I would rather risk my own life than that of my dear friend.


    Breathless, I reached my destination. The corridor was deserted. Probably all my classmates were on the other side of the school, ready for dinner.


    I put my ear to the door. Silence.


    ?Mana shield,? I whispered, creating a magical barrier around me.


    I was sure I would be attacked as soon as I crossed the entrance of the classroom. But I plucked up courage, I had no choice.


    I opened the door. The classroom was completely dark.


    I entered with my wand in my trembling hand.


    Strangely, nothing happened.


    Could it have been a sick joke?


    But in the darkness of the classroom, a male voice spoke.


    ?Up here.?


    I looked up at the back rows and my heart skipped a beat.


    A tall boy had his arm around a petite girl''s neck. Even without light, I knew it was Amy.


    ?Don''t move or I''ll cut your friend''s throat open,? the boy said.


    Suddenly the chandelier above us lit up, illuminating the room.


    I immediately recognised Amy''s abductor.


    Owen Finch was holding the poor girl''s mouth shut with one hand, while the other held a sharp dagger to her throat. Amy''s eyes were frightened and full of tears.


    ?You bastard! Let go of her right now!?


    Did he want revenge because my friend had humiliated him in the duel? But what did I have to do with it?


    ?Stay calm. If you follow my instructions, no one will get hurt,? the boy replied in a neutral tone.


    ?How dare you ask me to stay calm when you''re threatening to kill my friend? If you were a man, you would let her go immediately and come after me!?


    Finch seemed in no mood to give in to my provocation.


    He continued to hold the dagger at Amy''s throat.


    ?Lower your wand and don''t make any sudden moves. I promise to release your friend if you cooperate.?


    Amy began to struggle and moan in desperation, but the boy''s grip was too strong for her to break free.


    I had no choice but to obey.


    ?So? What do you want from me?? I asked.


    ?Very simple... I want you to agree to a duel with me.?


    I was at a loss.


    "Duel with him?"


    From what I had seen from his confrontation with Amy, I would have no difficulty in defeating him.


    If the girl had to use a special strategy to defeat his battle mage abilities, I wouldn''t need to. The spells at my disposal would have easily penetrated his defences.


    The only explanation was that he had an innate power that he had kept hidden and that he wanted to use to kill me.


    But then... why kidnap Amy? If he had casually challenged me, I would probably have accepted the challenge without suspecting anything...


    "..!"


    There could only be one reason.


    ?What are your conditions for the duel??


    That was the only reason I would have refused to fight: suspicious conditions.


    My intuition turned out to be correct:


    ?If I win the duel, you will have to register for the tournament.?


    "HUH?!"


    What was his intention?


    If I were to enter the tournament, what would he gain?


    If he was truly capable of defeating me, he could have easily killed me during this duel...


    But if he had gone as far as kidnapping Amy... There was something behind it.


    Of course, under normal circumstances, I would have refused his challenge, but now...


    Seeing my hesitation, Finch pressed me:


    ?So? Don''t you care what happens to your friend??


    I paused for a moment to think.


    ?You''re bluffing. If you killed her, you''d be breaking the rules and Skylark would take you out,? I tried.


    But Owen Finch''s calm expression did not falter:


    ?I have nothing to lose.?


    At these words, the boy pressed the knife harder against the girl''s neck, wounding her and causing a small trickle of blood to gush out. Amy''s muffled groans made my decision very easy.


    ?All right, I accept the challenge. If I win, you''ll never come near Amy again.?


    Immediately, the magical barrier formed around us. Amy, freed from Finch''s grip, was pushed to the outside of it.


    ?LIZZIE NO!? she screamed desperately, pounding her fists against the magic shield.


    ?Don''t worry, I have no intention of losing!? I tried to reassure her.


    But I wasn''t that confident. If Finch had decided to challenge me, he must have had something in mind.


    ?Lizzie, I''m sorry... it''s all my fault!?


    ?Never mind now Amy, go and find Sophia quick!?


    ?I CAN''T LEAVE YOU HERE ALONE WITH HIM!?


    ?It''s ok, really. I''m going to win. And if that was his condition for the duel, I doubt he wants to kill me.?


    ?I...?


    But she finally listened to me and ran out of the room.


    Meanwhile, the countdown was almost over.


    "I must win in one move!"


    If this boy was going to unleash some strange innate power against me, I wasn''t going to give him the opportunity.


    After what he''d done to Amy, I wasn''t going to go easy on him.


    3


    2


    I concentrated an enormous amount of mana into my wand.


    1


    ?METEOR!?


    ...


    But nothing happened.


    "What the hell?"


    Maybe the tension had played a trick on me.


    This spell was definitely not easy to cast.


    I concentrated again


    ?Fireball!?


    Nothing happened.


    ''Why is my wand playing tricks on me now?"


    I redirected the flow of mana to my free hand.


    ?Icicle Crush!?


    No dice.


    It was as if my mana was trapped inside my body and couldn''t get out.


    In the face of my futile attempts to cast spells, Owen Finch had stood still and watched me, not moving.


    ?I think you understand by now... If you give up, things will be easier for both of us.?


    "Shit..."


    I couldn''t have met a worse opponent.


    What prevented me from using magic was undoubtedly his innate power.


    In front of him, I was just a helpless little girl... ....


    ?Surrender... I won''t even think about it!? I replied gritting my teeth.


    I drew my sword. I knew it would all be in vain, but I would do my best. I wanted to hold out at least until Sophia arrived. Maybe she could give me some ideas on how to defeat him.


    Finch''s face showed no emotion as he pulled his broadsword from its sheath.


    "This looks bad..."


    I still had the mana shield around me that I had casted before entering the room, but it would be useless in close combat.


    I did my best to position my sword as best I could while the boy lunged at me with his huge blade.


    Our weapons collided and mine flew away.


    ?AAAAH!? I screamed in pain. The impact had been terrible for my wrists.


    I was now completely exposed.


    "I''m dead..."


    It was all over.


    Perhaps the boy had set that condition just to give me a false sense of security.


    But Finch did not strike me with his broadsword. He dropped his blade to the ground and landed a hook right in my face. I fell to the ground.


    After a few seconds, groggy from the blow to the head, I began to struggle to get up.


    ?Well? Please surrender, I take no pleasure in hurting you.?


    I spat blood onto the floor. Some of my teeth rolled to the ground.


    ?I-I''ll n-never s-surrender!? I muttered.


    My resistance was futile, but I wasn''t going to give him the satisfaction.


    The boy seemed to resign himself, and after a moment he delivered a violent kick to my ribs.


    The pain bent me in two and I curled up on the floor.


    "I''m just useless without magic, aren''t I?"


    I could barely form those thoughts.


    Meanwhile, Finch had moved over me.


    He grabbed my arm and put it behind my back.


    "What is h-"


    I started to feel a terrible pain.


    ?AAAAAAAH!?


    Finch bent my arm with such force that I was sure it would break at any moment.


    "I GIVE UP, I GIVE UP!"


    But all that seemed to come out of my mouth were screams of agony.


    And then there was a snap, and the pain was so great that I just stopped thinking.

 35. Resolve

    White.


    "A familiar ceiling..."


    I was lying on an infirmary bed again.


    "If it happens again, the healers will probably start charging me rent."


    Still a little groggy, I noticed someone holding my hand.


    "Amy... after I told her everything would be fine... she must have been worried sick... ...."


    But when I looked down, I found myself face to face with Sophia.


    She was sitting on a chair next to my bed, staring at me intently.


    ?Good morning sleepyhead, how are you feeling?? she asked me calmly.


    But I could see scratches on her cheek where she had probably dug her nails in out of worry.


    ?Umh, everything seems fine...?


    I lifted my right arm, the one that Finch had broken. It seemed to have been fixed perfectly.


    I felt my jaw and then ran a finger over my teeth. They''d been reattached.


    ?And Amy? How is she?!?


    Sophia put her finger to her lips, signalling me not to raise my voice too much.


    Then she pointed to the bed to my right. Amy was lying on it, seemingly asleep.


    ?When we found you in the classroom... well, it wasn''t a pretty sight. I think she''s in shock, the healers gave her a potion to calm her down...? Sophia explained to me in a bitter tone.


    ?Amy...?


    Once again I had almost got myself killed. Could it be that I hadn''t learned anything from the whole thing with Chloe?


    I lowered my eyes, unable to hold Sophia''s gaze.


    But she pressed me:


    ?Elizabeth, I need you to tell me exactly what happened. All Amy managed to tell me was that she was attacked by Finch and that you fought a duel with him to save her... But how did that bastard reduce you to that state??


    Sophia''s hand gripped mine even tighter.


    ?Believe me, I had to stop myself from going after him.?


    I sensed a blind rage lurking behind her calm tone.


    I knew she would be angry with me again, but I owed her an explanation.


    So I told her everything, from the threatening letter I had received to the bitter defeat I had suffered at Finch''s hands.


    As I explained the wager the boy had placed on the duel, Sophia got up from her chair and began pacing in front of my bed.


    In the end, all I could do was apologise:


    ?I''m sorry, after all the warnings you gave me, I acted impulsively again and...?


    As I said this, Sophia approached me again, reaching out an arm and...


    This time, instead of lifting me up by my collar, she lightly caressed my right cheek.


    ?I don''t like how much you make me worry all the time... but the fact that you''re willing to do anything to save the people you care about... I... can''t say I hate that part of you,? Sophia said, looking straight into my eyes.


    ?Sophia...?


    The girl returned to her seat.


    ?In this case I can''t blame you for acting this way. If it had been you who had been kidnapped maybe I would have done the same.?


    ?Did you have to ruin everything by adding "maybe"?? I turned my face away, pouting jokingly.


    ?You know, my life would be a lot easier if you just disappeared!?


    ?And here I thought you were finally fixing that awful personality of yours...? I giggled.


    Sophia smiled at me:


    ?Do you feel better now??


    ?Yes... thank you.?


    The girl turned serious again.


    ?Anyway, I think I should be the one to apologise. I think this whole thing is my fault.?


    ?Your fault??


    ?Think about it for a moment. Do you really think that you and Amy were his targets? If so, he had plenty of time to kill you both. No... everything he did was for the purpose of getting you into the tournament. For what reason??


    I hadn''t had much time to think about it, but that wager seemed strange indeed. What interest did Finch have in having me enter the tournament?


    Maybe he wanted me to fight someone. But who? And for what purpose?"


    Faced with my silence, Sophia gave me a hint:


    ?Think about what kind of tournament we are talking about.?


    ?We are going to fight in pairs...! He wants to duel against my partner, who would be...?


    ?Me,? Sophia concluded coldly for me.


    She stood up and started to pace across the infirmary again, agitated.


    ?The message he was trying to send me came through loud and clear. He took you hostage, just like Amy. If I don''t sign up with you, he is going to kill you.?


    ?But how do you know you''re his real target? For all he knows, I could ask Celeste to fight with me instead.?


    ?His innate power. You two cannot defeat him. I, on the other hand... he doesn''t stand a chance against me.?


    ?But then what''s the point of...!?


    I stopped in mid-sentence.


    I understood.


    It was a 2vs2 tournament after all.


    Finch wasn''t going to fight alone either. He had an accomplice. An accomplice who...


    ?Another innate power!?


    ?That''s right, Finch has allied himself with someone who has the power to defeat me. His plan is to force me to fight that person.


    He must see this tournament as his only chance to eliminate me. After all, his power is perfect against mages, but against me? I am the biggest obstacle for him.?


    I remembered the boy saying that he had nothing to lose. Indeed, as long as Sophia was alive, he had no hope of winning, despite his incredible innate power.


    But there was still something I didn''t understand.


    ?If there really was this person, let''s call them X, why did they need to put this convoluted plan into action? If X has an innate power capable of defeating you, they could have simply challenged you to a duel! Or if they were afraid that you wouldn''t accept, they could have just kidnapped me instead of Amy. Why do they have to fight you in the tournament??


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


    Sophia frowned.


    ?You''re right... I''m not sure. I think the reason is X''s power... maybe he needs two people to activate it or something like that.?


    ?But if that were the case... Isn''t it all too convenient? Someone has a power that only works in a 2vs2 duel, and the school just happens to organise a doubles tournament?!?


    ?Yeah... the whole thing really stinks...?


    I knew what she was thinking. Was the Academy behind this?


    Sophia approached a window and turned her back to me.


    ?Anyway... it''s all my fault. I knew that being near you would put you in danger. When I think of what that bastard did to you... There''s only one thing I can do now...?


    "No..."


    I knew what she would do. After all the progress we had made, she would have pulled away again to protect me.


    But when Sophia turned, she had a determined smile on her face:


    ?I will fight by your side and together we will make everyone realise that no innate power can stand against us!?


    My mouth dropped open in surprise.


    ?Don''t look at me like that. I know it''s selfish of me, but I still want to be by your side in the future, even if I''m only causing you trouble...?


    ?Sophia!?


    I jumped out of bed and threw myself into her arms.


    ?One of these days you''re going to break my ribs! And don''t shout like that, you''ll wake Amy!?


    But she held me tightly.


    ?Are you sure? It''s a trap! We don''t even know what other power we''re up against!? I asked her as we parted.


    ?What can I say... lately I''ve been hanging out with a girl who''s a really bad influence on me!?


    I don''t know if it was my fault... but she really had changed.


    I sat down on the bed.


    The despair and helplessness I had felt at the end of the duel with Finch had been washed away. With Sophia by my side, there was no way I was going to lose.


    ?So, what do you think we should do now??


    Sophia''s smile widened.


    I knew that expression.


    ?I''m afraid you''ll have to cancel your plans with your friend Celeste. From tomorrow I will be your personal trainer. We have a lot of work to do!?


    "Oh no."


    That ominous smile made me realise that I had three hellish weeks ahead of me.


    <hr>


    ?Get up!?


    ?I beg you! I can''t take it anymore!?


    ?I''m sure Finch will stop for sure if you beg him!?


    ?You are heartless!?


    A week had passed. Since then, Sophia had given me no rest. Immediately after lunch she would drag me into the courtyard and I would be forced to run laps under her watchful gaze.


    ?We don''t have time for you to build muscles, but we can at least work on your stamina,? she had told me.


    Reluctantly, I had to say that this training regimen was already paying off. If I had been close to throwing up in the early days, I was now starting to get by, even if I did arrive at the afternoon classes completely exhausted.


    But that wasn''t all. The evenings were dedicated to sword training.


    ?If I have to fight X alone, you''ll at least have to last a few minutes against Finch.?


    That had been the reason she had given me.


    But in this case, her teachings did not have the desired effect.


    I struggled to get up again.


    My legs begged for mercy.


    ?Can''t you at least go a little easier on me?!?


    ?Elizabeth, for the umpteenth time, what have I told you about greatswords??


    ?Their strength lies in their mass and momentum, as well as their range. To fight Finch, I will have to concentrate on keeping my distance and dodging, looking for an opening,? I recited mechanically.


    ?Exactly, so how can you complain about so little? If I used a greatsword, it would be much worse! If I don''t use that much power, you''ll never learn!?


    ?Alright...?


    I couldn''t help it, I was so bad at it. But I couldn''t complain all the time, Sophia was doing her best to increase our chances of winning.


    ?Come on, one more time!?


    I took the stance she had taught me again, but Sophia sighed immediately.


    ?You''re still doing it wrong!?


    The girl walked behind me.


    ?Like this!?


    She slid her arms under mine and, grabbing my hands, adjusted the way I held the sword.


    "This position..."


    ?Holding the sword so close to you is exactly what you need to avoid... Are you listening to me??


    ?Ah... yes...?


    "There''s really something wrong with me..."


    Sophia''s face was over my shoulder, inches from mine.


    ?...so when he comes near you... Come on, at least pretend to listen to me! Look. I''m tr- oh...!?


    Sophia suddenly pulled away from me. Perhaps she had realised how close we were.


    "Wait a minute... this is the right opportunity. Payback time!"


    ?What''s wrong, Sophia? Didn''t you want to show me something??


    ?Um, I was saying, when he gets close, you have to stretch...?


    ?I didn''t quite understand... Can you show me how to do it like you did before??


    ?You''re doing it on purpose...?


    I took a step towards her.


    ?Why are you embarrassed? Weren''t you the one who said you wanted to be close to me??


    Sophia''s pale cheeks turned red.


    ?I didn''t mean it like that...?


    ?Oh come on, we''re friends! What''s the harm in a little skinship!?


    I took another step.


    ?Get away from me! Why are you moving your hands like that??


    I ran after her.


    ?You''re a liar! You said you could hardly move!?


    ?For some reason I had a sudden burst of energy!?


    Eventually we both ended up on the ground, exhausted.


    "I wish these moments could last forever..."


    But if I wanted that, I would have had to work much harder. In a few weeks'' time, we would have another face-to-face encounter with death.


    ?How is Amy?? asked Sophia suddenly.


    All the happiness I felt vanished in an instant, replaced by guilt.


    I had gotten carried away.


    While I was here having fun with Sophia, there was another friend of mine who was suffering.


    ?She''s not well... she''s hardly eating...?


    Amy had been in the same state for the last week.


    At first I thought it was the shock of being kidnapped, but it wasn''t. There was something else.


    She seemed to have fallen into deep depression.


    The time she didn''t spend in class she spent in her room, lying on her bed. She wouldn''t even come out to eat, so much so that I had started bringing her half of my meals, but she barely touched them.


    The conversation we had when she woke up in the infirmary still haunted me.


    ?I''m sorry. I was a fool to think I was worth anything. All that time I spent training... it''s useless for a nobody like me. All I do is cause you trouble and be a burden, Lizzie, perhaps it would be better if I were eliminated.?


    What struck me was the lack of despair in her words. What I had heard was more of a quiet resignation.


    The resignation of someone who had given everything to achieve a goal and still failed.


    My attempts to reason with her had been in vain.


    ?Amy, I wouldn''t be here without you! Remember what happened that first week!?


    ?But you''re so strong now, Lizzie! You don''t need me anymore...? she had replied.


    ?I''m just like you. They used me to get to Sophia. They treated us both like hostages! We have to show them that it''s not like that!? I had tried to encourage her.


    ?I''m not as strong as you, Lizzie, and... I''m tired,? she had replied.


    I had tried and tried, but no matter how much I told her how important she was to me, my words would not reach her.


    Perhaps that terrible sense of hopelessness was what she herself had felt towards me that first week.


    But this time not even Sophia could help her. For the first time I had even seen a discouraged Celeste after she had tried to talk to her.


    I no longer knew what to do.


    I spent the time when I wasn''t training with her, in the darkness of her room, hoping that my silent presence would bring her some comfort.


    There was only one solution I could think of.


    "I have to get her out of here."


    Amy wasn''t like me or Sophia or Celeste. We were all, in our own way, weird and messed up girls.


    But Amy wasn''t. She was a normal, kind girl. A pure, carefree soul.


    A girl like that shouldn''t have anything to do with this whole situation.


    It was normal for such a delicate flower to wilt in the oppressive atmosphere of this deadly game.


    The fact that she had endured for so long without bending was a sign of the great strength that lay within her.


    But now that it was no longer enough, I would be her strength.


    ?Sophia...?


    ?Yes??


    ?Let''s continue training!?


    "I''ll win and bring Amy home."

 36. Jealousy

    As class drew to a close, I began to feel a little nervous.


    Today, a week before the start of the tournament, the brackets would be made public. In short, we would find out who Finch''s mysterious accomplice was.


    My sword training was finally starting to pay off, but my survival depended on one thing: what other innate power we would be up against.


    Whatever it was, it would most likely target Sophia while Finch dealt with me. Despite my best efforts, I had no chance against someone like him without my magic.


    Therefore, it was imperative that Sophia get rid of our opponent as quickly as possible, so that she could come to my aid.


    I had hoped we would get some clues today.


    But my hopes were quickly shattered.


    At the end of the lesson, the right wall of the classroom lit up and a tournament table appeared right next to the leaderboard.


    I quickly studied its structure.


    "Single elimination, huh?"


    It looked like the number of participants would be 32 students, for a total of 16 pairs.


    "A little less than half of us..."


    I stared at the name next to Finch''s.


    ?Miles Foster...?


    ?I thought it would go like this...? commented Sophia, next to me, scrolling down a piece of parchment.


    We had spent a lot of time over the past two weeks analysing the abilities of all our fellow survivors and then making a list of our observations.


    ?Normally, this would have been the perfect job for Amy...?


    Foster was an unassuming mage, hovering near the bottom of the rankings. Apparently we''d watched him duel, but I couldn''t even remember what he looked like.


    But as Sophia had said, there was nothing strange about him.


    If his power was only effective in a 2v2 duel, it was only natural that he had no reason to use it until now.


    I studied the bracket of the tournament once again.


    ?It looks like we are going to play them in the semi-finals. We could try to watch their other duels to find out something...?


    ?I doubt it''ll help us much...? Sophia replied, ?if they''re not up against any other innate powers, Finch will be able to bring them forward safely on his own. By the way, we should be careful as well.?


    I looked at the names of the opponents we would face before Finch and Foster. They were all students far down in the rankings. That was to be expected. My classmates most at risk of being eliminated were naturally the ones most likely to be tempted to try their hardest in this tournament.


    Normally, I would be confident that we would win easily, but I couldn''t rule out the possibility that some of my other opponents might also have innate powers.


    While I was thinking, someone approached my side.


    ?We''ll meet in the final, huh??


    Celeste had an excited smile on her face.


    From the corner of my eye I saw Sophia stiffen.


    "Ahhh, some things never change..."


    I looked at the other side of the tournament board. Celeste and Philemon were there.


    To be honest, the thought of us facing each other hadn''t even crossed my mind, I was too focused on the duel with Finch to think about it.


    Celeste seemed to notice my lack of enthusiasm and threw an arm over my shoulders.


    ?Chin up! I''m sure you''ll kick his ass! Besides, if he doesn''t let you use any spells, you''ll have all your mana ready for the final against me!?


    I sighed:?I really wish I had your optimism...?


    Suddenly I felt a tug on my wrist.


    ?It''s lunchtime, let''s go!? blurted Sophia before she started to drag me out of the classroom.


    As I was being carried away, I saw Celeste giggling.


    Once outside the classroom, I turned to my captor:


    ?You can let me go now... I don''t want to break the same arm twice in three weeks!?


    ?Sorry.?


    ?That''s all right, let''s go eat.?


    By now I had given up trying to change her mind about Celeste. We walked silently into the great hall and, after grabbing our trays, sat down at a small table.


    Our meals of late had been rather sombre. They were the times when we missed Amy the most as she usually led the conversation.


    As always she had disappeared as soon as the lesson was over.


    I separated half my lunch from the rest. I was going to try and take it to her room as soon as I''d finished eating. I had asked the teachers to let me take an extra portion for her, but they wouldn''t let me.


    ?Come on, have some of mine.?


    ?Huh??


    I looked up. Sophia had turned her tray towards me.


    It wasn''t the first time in the past few weeks that she''d offered to share some of her food with me, but I''d always refused.


    Despite being so slim, this girl ate like a horse. Unlike me, she probably needed all those calories...


    ?No, thank you. Don''t worry...?


    ?I insist. You need the energy this week.?


    ?Well, when you put it like that...?


    I was about to reach for the plate of potato croquettes she was offering when an idea struck me.


    "Operation revenge, part two."


    ?Hey, why don''t you feed me??


    ?HUH?!?


    Sophia gave me a look somewhere between shocked and concerned. Maybe she thought I had hit my head when I got up this morning.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ?Why would I do that!??


    ?Well, a few minutes ago you were acting like a possessive girlfriend. I thought you wanted to play the part...?


    The girl blushed furiously.


    ?T-that''s not why I did it! I told you, I don''t trust that girl! You shouldn''t either!?


    ?You don''t have to justify yourself! Honestly, I''m flattered!?


    I gave her a mocking smile.


    "Another victory! I''m making a comeback."


    But Sophia''s expression changed.


    ?If you want to play dirty like that... okay, come on, open your mouth!?


    She picked up a croquette with her fork and raised it in front of me, smiling ominously.


    ?HUH?! I was only joking!?


    ?I said open your mouth!?


    I couldn''t help but obey.


    I closed my eyes as my cheeks caught fire.


    "This is so... embarrassing."


    ?That''s good! Just like that.?


    And then...


    Sophia shoved the croquette straight down my throat.


    ?W-were you trying to kill me?? I muttered a few minutes later, when I had recovered.


    ?Unfortunately, I seem to have failed. Would you like me to continue??


    ?No, thank you.?


    "Operation failed. Total defeat."


    We continued to eat in silence. But after a while I decided to ask her:


    ?Seriously though... what do you have against Celeste? I get that you don''t trust her, but to react like that... it''s not like you.?


    Sophia stared at me for a moment, as if in thought. Then she answered me bluntly:


    ?I can''t stand her.?


    ?Huh? But you don''t even know her!?


    ?I know, it''s not that I don''t like her personally. It''s more... what she represents...?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Charming, graceful, brilliant, with a lot of mana and skilled with magic... I''m sure my parents would have given an arm to have a daughter like her...?


    ?Oh...?


    Now that I knew her past, I could understand her very well.


    Celeste was practically her opposite extreme: a true magical prodigy. But not only that, she was also extremely intelligent and definitely good-looking. To the aristocracy, she was perfection itself.


    "At least until she opens her mouth..."


    ?Are you envious of her?? I asked her without malice.


    ?Envious... I don''t know. More like I don''t want to lose to someone like her...?


    ?Well, you''ll get a chance to challenge her if we make it to the final.?


    It would be hard. Celeste had probably already thought of a strategy against Sophia, probably using Gravity Surge. As for us, we couldn''t afford to think about any other duels than the one against Finch and Foster.


    ?But you know what? I really like Celeste. She''s fun to hang out with, and she''s one of the most skilled mages I''ve ever met. But... I find you much more interesting than her.?


    Sophia''s eyes widened:


    ?Interesting? What do you mean??


    I stood up and took the tray:


    ?Who knows...?


    I walked towards Amy''s room, leaving a rather confused Sophia behind.


    <hr>


    ?I think we are done for today!?


    ?But we just started!?


    Sophia looked at me and smiled amusedly.


    It was the afternoon before the fateful day. In less than 24 hours, the tournament would begin.


    ?Are you the same Elizabeth I trained the first few days? We did all we could. We''d better get some rest and be fit for tomorrow.?


    ?As you wish, Coach!?


    I dropped down onto the green grass.


    Sophia sat down at my side.


    ?Of course, if I had thought of that little trick earlier... I wouldn''t have had to go to so much trouble - OW!?


    Sophia hit me lightly on the head with her fist and looked at me angrily:


    ?You know very well that your crazy idea won''t be enough to beat Finch! Make sure you don''t do anything stupid, I won''t forgive you this time!?


    ?I know, I know! I was just trying to play it down. It''s just... I''m a bit nervous.?


    It was the first time I had ever felt so worried.


    I remembered the helplessness I had felt the last time I had faced Finch. Could I really keep him at bay without using spells?


    Sophia''s expression softened and this time she patted my head, ruffling my hair.


    ?Take it easy... you''ve been a good student. Besides, I''ll be by your side.?


    ?Um...?


    I relaxed and leaned on her shoulder.


    Sophia looked surprised, but let me.


    ?You know, most of the time you are really annoying... but you can also be surprisingly nice.?


    ?Thank you,? Sophia replied sarcastically.


    ?I like both sides of you...?


    ?Even at a time like this, you don''t miss a chance to tease me, do you??


    "I''m serious though..."


    We stayed like this, in silence, for a while before we said goodbye.


    But I had no intention of resting. I had something I wanted to do.


    <hr>


    A few minutes later I knocked on Amy''s door.


    ?Amy, it''s me, I need to talk to you.?


    It was a scene that had repeated itself many times in those weeks. I put my hand on the doorknob. The door was open, as usual.


    ?Amy, I''m coming in.?


    The room was dark. Amy was under the covers but I was sure she wasn''t asleep.


    I sat down on the floor with my back against the side of the bed.


    ?Tomorrow is tournament day, Amy. I''d like you to come and watch me fight.?


    No answer. But I had expected it, I didn''t want to give up so easily.


    ?I''ll ramble a bit. Tell me if I''m disturbing you.?


    I cleared my throat.


    ?When we were in our little town... How the hell did you put up with me? I was so arrogant...


    I thought I was such a hotshot and was so overbearing that it''s no wonder everyone avoided me. You, on the other hand, have always been my friend.


    To be honest, I never appreciated you as much as I should have. Sometimes I thought you were a bit too pushy and frankly I couldn''t stand you calling me Lizzie, even when I told you to stop.?


    I smiled. It seemed like a lifetime ago.


    ?Then we got here and I realised how stupid I had been. The first week was enough to realise how unimpressive I was. But even then, when I had lost all self-confidence, you were there by my side. You pushed me to recover, you held my hand when I wanted to run away, and if I''m still here now... it''s because of you.?


    ?You''ve been so important to me, Amy,? I continued, ?you''ve always reminded me that there is a normal world outside this prison that we can come back to.


    You''ve always brought me back down to earth when I''ve been acting like an idiot. I need you. Even tomorrow! I want to know that there is someone in the audience who will always be on my side.?


    ?On your side??


    Amy''s voice was raspy. She hadn''t spoken for a long time.


    ?Is that why you need me? To stand there and watch you from a distance without being able to do anything?! You''re basically confirming the fact that I''m useless.?


    ?YOU ARE NOT USELESS!?


    I snapped to my feet.


    ?...?


    ?You are not useless,? I repeated, ?Amy, your worth does not depend on how good you are at fighting. This damn school tries so hard to make us think that way, but it''s not true. I know it sounds strange coming from me, but there are so many other ways a person can distinguish themselves. Magic or strange powers are not the only things that matter. You possess so many qualities you don''t even know you have!?


    ?But I''m weak...?


    ?Yes, you are weak. You''re so weak that if it weren''t for me, you would probably have been eliminated long ago. But that''s OK! I know I did a bad job with Finch, but let me protect you! I''ll try to do better. In return, you will continue to support me as you always have. Seeing you smile like you always do is one of the reasons I fight!?


    Amy moved under the covers. For a moment I thought she was going to run into my arms, as she always did.


    But when she spoke again, her tone was still bitter.


    ?You don''t really need me. You''re just saying all this things just to make me feel better. You already have Sophia, who can support you much better than I ever could.?


    "Is she jealous...?"


    ?That is not true. Our relationship is totally different. I... I really enjoy being with Sophia. I have so much fun talking to her. But... when we''re together lately... it''s like my heart never stops racing. Maybe it''s because she makes me angry so often. But with you... with you I''m always at ease. If Sophia is a storm, you''re a gentle breeze. When I am feeling down you always manage to cheer me up, when I make a mistake you are always ready to forgive me and help me put things right, you are ready to listen to any nonsense I say... you are my best friend. I need you.?


    But once again my efforts seemed to have no effect. Amy remained under the covers, silent.


    "I tried..."


    I headed for the door.


    ?I''m sorry...?


    ?Amy??


    ?I just can''t be the old Amy that you need anymore. But... I''ll be at the tournament tomorrow.?


    ?I... thank you.?


    That was enough.


    I knew words wouldn''t be enough to pull her out of the abyss she seemed to have sunk into.


    But maybe, one step at a time, I could help her rise to the surface.

 37. The curtain closes

    It was the big day.


    All the nervousness I had felt the day before had apparently increased tenfold during the night.


    ?Calm down. Eat something,? Sophia urged me.


    But the cup of coffee she was holding was wobbling dangerously, threatening to topple over at any moment.


    "So you too are capable of being afraid..."


    I remembered a phrase she had said to me long ago, when I had given up:


    "There is nothing wrong in being afraid. In drastic situations like this, fear can help us avoid reckless choices. It''s an emotion that stems from our sense of self-preservation".


    "Well, at the moment, the only choice I want to make is to lock myself in my room like I did back then...."


    But I knew that wasn''t possible.


    When Sophia and I had communicated our participation in the tournament, the professor we had spoken to had been very clear: once we had signed up, we could not withdraw.


    I slapped my face with both hands.


    Sophia winced and actually spilled her coffee.


    As she cursed at me and wiped the table with napkins, I shoved a slice of jam sandwich into my mouth.


    "I''m going to make Finch pay for reducing Amy to that state!"


    She hadn''t come to breakfast today either.


    I hoped she would be true to her word and come and watch me fight later. Of course, I wouldn''t have blamed her if she didn''t feel up to it.


    "If I los-."


    I slapped myself again. More coffee spilled on the table.


    ?WILL YOU PLEASE STOP!? Sophia cried in exasperation.


    ?Sorry...?


    I replaced her now almost empty cup with mine.


    "I don''t think I need caffeine..."


    The hall began to empty.


    Today''s classes had been cancelled in favour of the tournament. Although attendance was not compulsory, there was no doubt that there would still be a lot of spectators.


    It was clear to everyone that this wasn''t going to be a peaceful day like the one at the end of December. With 1,000 points up for grabs, things were bound to get ugly.


    How ugly? Well...


    I hadn''t dared speak to her about it, but I was certain that Sophia intended to kill Finch.


    If it hadn''t been for the rules of the Academy, she probably would have done so as soon as she''d seen the state he''d reduced me to.


    While the boy was definitely too dangerous to be allowed to hang around the school, I really didn''t like the idea of Sophia being the one to kill him.


    "I don''t want things to go the way they did with Valentine..."


    But was I really ready to get my hands dirty in her place?


    When I caused Chloe''s death, I hadn''t really meant to kill her...


    ?Let''s go, come on!? exclaimed Sophia as she got to her feet.


    ?Ok...?


    I followed her out of the hall.


    The tournament would be held in the magic training room this time. We would have two duels in the morning and the semi-finals in the afternoon, after lunch.


    If we survived our encounter with Finch and Foster, the final would take place after dinner.


    "I''m sure Celeste and Philemon will be there waiting for us..."


    This was another reason why we couldn''t afford to lose.


    If Sophia and I failed, it would mean the end for them as well. Brilliant as she was, Celeste didn''t stand a chance against Finch without an innate power at her side.


    "Unless she''s hiding something too..."


    ?Will you hurry up? We''re going to be late,? Sophia urged me.


    I was so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn''t noticed I''d fallen behind.


    I pulled up next to her and gave her a look.


    "She''s a bundle of nerves."


    Driven by a sudden impulse, I grabbed her hand and intertwined it with mine.


    ?Huh??


    ?Does it bother you??


    Sophia just shook her head and squeezed my hand tightly.


    "Whatever happens, we''ll face it together."


    <hr>


    The target dummy area of the magic training room had been set up with numerous benches for the occasion.


    As Sophia and I took our seats in the packed classroom, I looked around. It seemed that almost the whole school was there.


    Celeste waved energetically when I met her gaze, while Philemon, sitting at her side, merely nodded at me.


    Finch sat in the front row with his back to me. Next to him sat an emaciated boy who looked as concerned as I did. Miles Foster didn''t look too happy to be there.


    "Amy... she''s not here. Perhaps she hasn''t arrived yet..."


    But when Skylark, the last to enter the classroom, closed the door behind him, my best friend was still nowhere to be seen.


    "I kind of expected it..."


    Finding herself so close to Finch was not going to be easy for her.


    ?Very well!? the Headmaster exclaimed.


    He clapped his hands and a large ornate chair appeared in front of the duel area.


    Before sitting down, the old professor addressed everyone present:


    ?You are probably wondering why I have organised this event so soon after the last event. You will soon understand why,? he paused for a moment, ?but not today. For now, let''s enjoy this little tournament. I would like to remind all participants that 1,000 points are at stake. Do your best.?


    Skylark''s tone was uncharacteristically flat.


    Sophia and I had theorised that this tournament was a trap designed to get us into a fight with Finch and Foster. Was there more to it?


    But why did the Headmaster seem so unenthusiastic?


    I had no time to think about it.


    ?Let''s start with Celeste Fitzroy and Philemon Hargrave against Juniper Adler and Gabriel Sinclair!?


    The tournament had already started.


    Celeste trotted into the training area, Philemon following lazily behind.


    Their two opponents seemed much more concerned.


    The two couples lined up on opposite sides of the arena.


    The barrier formed immediately and the countdown began.


    ...3


    2


    1


    ?  Lightning bolt  !?


    As soon as the metallic voice sounded that last number, Celeste went on the attack with an electric spell, her speciality.


    The bolt was aimed at the boy, Gabriel Sinclair, and reached its target in less than a second.


    A body fell to the ground. But it was not the boy''s.


    Or rather, it was not the original.


    A copy of Gabriel Sinclair had appeared in front of him at the last moment and absorbed the blow. Had I blinked, I would have missed it.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.With muffled pops, other doubles soon began to form around the boy.


    At the same time, the girl at his side opened her mouth and began to sing a melody.


    "What the hell?"


    Sinclair''s copies began to glow with a faint yellowish light.


    "She''s buffing them!"


    I had never doubted Sophia''s assumption that there were many innate power users hidden among us. But to see two others reveal themselves in the same duel....


    "How many are there..."


    Something told me that they wouldn''t be the only ones we''d see in the tournament. Those 1,000 points were very tempting.


    Gabriel''s clones had grown to about twenty. Half of them drew their swords, while the rest pointed their wands at Celeste.


    ?Fireball!? they shouted in unison as their allies charged at their opponents with superhuman speed.


    ?This is madness... But it won''t work against those two!?


    ?Water dome.?


    Philemon waved his wand, creating a huge barrier of water around him and his companion.


    The ten fireballs extinguished themselves on it.


    But the dome was of no use against the onslaught of the other copies. They crossed the water shield unharmed and rushed towards Celeste.


    ?Storm nova!?


    "A classic..."


    This combo was Celeste''s favourite after all.


    Her attackers fell to the ground, electrocuted, while Philemon defended himself with a stone shield against the blast.


    But there was no time to rest.


    A new barrage of fireballs was already on its way.


    "Casting so many spells effortlessly... does the girl''s song have something to do with it?"


    The song had no words, but I could tell by its tone that it was trying to send a message of encouragement and hope.


    "Reinvigoration?"


    My suspicion was soon confirmed.


    As Philemon neutralised the new barrage of attacks, the copies Celeste had knocked down were already rising again.


    ?Watch out!? I shouted.


    But the girl had already noticed.


    ?Tornado!?


    Before they could get back on their feet, a powerful gust of wind blew the clones away and they crashed into the barrier that marked the duel area.


    Philemon again protected himself with his usual shield.


    "If she can fight like this, it''s because she trusts him..."


    The two engaged nobles had not exchanged words yet, but despite facing two innate powers, they reacted in a calm and coordinated manner.


    ?Thunder!?


    Celeste''s target this time was Juniper Adler. But before the giant thunderbolt descended upon her, the wand wielding clones shouted.


    ?Stone shield!?


    The electrical discharge shattered against the defensive spell.


    Adler continued to chant. Soon, the clones that had been blown away rose again.


    "What a nasty combination..."


    Sinclair''s copies seemed rather weak individually, but they were numerous, and as long as they were healed and strengthened by Adler''s melody, they would continue to attack.


    ?She should just blow up the whole arena!? I commented.


    If she just went scorched earth, sooner or later she would hit the original Sinclair, or at least pierce the opponent''s defences and knock Adler out.


    Sophia looked at me amused:


    ?I wonder why I had no doubt that would be your approach. But I think I understand why Fitzroy wants to avoid it... She has to preserve her mana.?


    She was right. This would not be the only duel my friend would face today. Although there would be a break, it would not be enough time for her to recover all her mana. She couldn''t afford to go all out in the first round of the tournament.


    ?Hmmm...?


    Meanwhile, the duel seemed to have come to a standstill. Like a chess game heading for a stalemate, the same moves were being repeated.


    Celeste had to find a solution quickly.


    And so she did.


    Another burst of fire hit the water shield as the other copies prepared to attack again, when the girl pointed her wand at her mouth.


    ?Amplify!?


    "Huh? What''s that spell for?"


    I soon had my answer.


    A terrible scream filled the room, forcing us to cover our ears.


    Even the clones stopped moving for a moment, stunned.


    Celeste was screaming at the top of her lungs, her voice magically amplified.


    ?WHAT THE HELL IS SHE THINKING?? I shouted as I desperately put my fingers in my ears.


    But I soon realised. The glowing aura that had previously surrounded her opponent had vanished!


    "Of course!"


    That strange power didn''t seem to be working like a normal enhancement spell.


    Now they could no longer hear the song because of the tremendous noise Celeste was making, its beneficial effect had ceased.


    Philemon immediately took matters into his own hands:


    ?Air bubble.?


    A swirling barrier swelled up around him and Celeste and began to push away the clones armed with swords.


    The wand-wielding copies began to unleash air currents of their own, trying to resist. But the power of their spells seemed to have diminished considerably.


    Soon, both the many Sinclairs and Adler found themselves with their backs against the barrier, dangerously close to being crushed.


    They seemed to be trying to shout something, but Celeste''s deafening screech made it impossible to make out the words.


    But as the copies vanished one by one, and the real Sinclair fell to his knees with his ally, their intentions were clear for all to see.


    Philemon broke the spell and nudged his fianc¨¦e on the shoulder. It still took a few seconds for the girl to stop screaming.


    ?The winners are Fitzroy and Hargrave!? announced Skylark as the pair returned to their seats.


    Celeste winked at me as she sat down.


    "I bet she had a great time busting our ears..."


    ?And now Owen Finch and Miles Foster will be fighting Cedric Monroe and Isla Harper.?


    The smile on my face faded instantly.


    Finch stood up and walked towards the arena with determined steps, Foster following a few steps behind him. Unlike his accomplice, he didn''t look very enthusiastic.


    "Can this guy really beat Sophia?"


    There was undoubtedly something strange about this guy.


    But I doubted that we would find out in this first duel.


    "Unless their opponents also have innate powers..."


    The two pairs of challengers took their positions. As the barrier rose, Finch drew his greatsword with a blank expression.


    I couldn''t help but shudder.


    Soon I would be face to face with that long blade.


    I found myself praying to all the gods whose names I knew that Monroe and Harper were secretly the most powerful users of innate powers in the school.


    I didn''t care if they were going to be my opponents, at least I could use my magic against them...


    But my hopes were soon shattered.


    As soon as the countdown ended, my two poor classmates exchanged a confused look that soon gave way to panic.


    Perhaps it was the same look I had when I was unable to cast magic in my duel with Finch.


    The latter now advanced towards his opponents, brandishing his weapon.


    Foster, for his part, had retreated to the edge of the arena. He did not even have his wand in his hand. He knew it would be useless.


    I quickly drew mine and concentrated. I managed to release my mana smoothly and the tip glowed.


    "It seems his power, however it works, has a limited range..."


    Of course, now I had no way to test if the arena was big enough to go outside of it.


    ?We surrender!?


    "Well, that didn''t take long..."


    I sympathised, I would have wanted to do the same.


    But the barrier remained and Finch continued to advance calmly.


    ?NO!? I shouted, jumping to my feet.


    Many students around me looked at me in surprise, unaware of the tragedy that was about to unfold before their eyes.


    But I knew what was happening. The rules spoke clearly:


    ¡°The duel ends if one of the parties is unable to fight or accepts the surrender of the other."


    The key word here was "accepts".


    From the first week I had understood that the school rules had to be taken literally.


    In this case Finch had no intention of accepting the surrender of his opponents so the duel would continue.


    It was not the first time this had happened. Carl Stuart shortly before dying at Valentine''s hands had surrendered.


    But many probably hadn''t even realised it, because of the truculent show they had witnessed shortly afterwards.


    A show that was about to repeat itself.


    Sophia grabbed me by the wrist, forcing me to sit down again.


    She was biting her nails.


    ?But why?! I understand if he wants to kill the two of us! But why kill two defenceless students!?? I asked her.


    Despite the fact that I hated him with all my heart for what he had done to Amy, Finch hadn''t come across to me as a bloodthirsty monster like Valentine. In fact, he had almost seemed sorry he had to hurt me.


    ?He wants to win. Every student he kills is one less week he''ll spend here. Now that he has decided to show everyone his power, he''s going all in. It no longer makes sense for him to back down, killing at every opportunity is the most logical choice.?


    I knew that the last few months of peace with my friends had lulled me into a false sense of security.


    But despite this realisation, I was not ready for what was to come.


    Perhaps I had hoped that the days would continue to pass in the same way.


    But Sophia was right. The cold logic that ruled the Academy was pushing us in only one direction: towards killing each other.


    When Cedric Monroe''s body fell to the ground, lacerated by Finch''s greatsword, the curtain closed on the illusion I had been living in. The happy moments spent with Sophia, Amy and Celeste were drowned in the pool of blood that began to spread across the arena.


    Screams of horror began to rise from the crowd and all hell let loose.


    Many leapt to their feet and fled the hall, while the bravest made their way to just outside the barrier, but of course they were powerless to intervene.


    Calm and seraphic, Skylark watched the spectacle.


    What had happened with Carl Stuart''s death was being repeated before my eyes.


    But this time it was not over yet.


    Finch turned to Isla Harper, his next victim.


    The girl tried desperately to escape her executioner, but was not quick enough. The greatsword caught her leg, causing her to fall forward.


    The poor girl tried to crawl away, and when she reached the barrier, she began to beat against it with her fists.


    But her pleas were in vain.


    Finch was soon on top of her, the greatsword pointing at her neck and the same cold expression on his face that he had maintained all this time.


    The cold steel blade fell and another life was taken.


    It would not be the last on this day.

 38. Alone

    We watched, horrified, as two guards carried the bodies of the two defeated students out of the classroom.


    ?I wonder what will happen to them...?


    They would probably be taken to the same place as our missing comrades.


    Was there a huge graveyard somewhere in the school?


    I doubted it.


    "What''s the point of having a grave if no one will ever visit it?"


    I knew full well that dying at the Academy would consign our existence to oblivion.


    After the chaos of the duel, a tomb-like silence fell over the class as Finch and Foster resumed their seats.


    And as if nothing had happened, the tournament resumed.


    I paid little attention to the next two duels, whose winners would face Celeste and Finch''s groups.


    My mind was busy trying to contain an old monster that had just awoken.


    ?Elizabeth Belvoir and Sophia Thornton versus Elias Mercer and Finnian Burke.?


    It was our turn.


    ?Let''s go,? Sophia said in a dry tone as she stood up.


    I nodded. But when I tried to follow her, as I had feared, my legs seemed to refuse to move.


    "Not again... Not now."


    Sophia turned and looked at me.


    ?Elizabeth, are you all right?? she asked in a worried tone.


    I finally managed to stand up.


    ?I can''t be a burden to her...?


    I thought I was over it by now.


    I had hoped that the many duels and the confrontation with Chloe had hardened me, that I had become strong, as Amy had said.


    But the scene I had witnessed a few minutes earlier seemed to have reawakened an enemy I thought I had vanquished long ago.


    That shadow had been lurking in the recesses of my mind, waiting for a moment of weakness, ready to try and suffocate me again.


    That spectacle of death had given it the perfect opportunity.


    My breathing became heavy as I walked towards the arena.


    Out of the corner of my eye I saw Finch, back in the front row, staring at me with the same blank expression he had when he killed that poor girl.


    "Soon it will be my turn..."


    ?Elizabeth... Elizabeth!?


    I had stopped again.


    Sophia squeezed my face between her hands, her emerald eyes fixed on mine.


    ?Just think about this duel for now, ok? Take a deep breath. You''ll be fine, I''m here with you!?


    The sudden contact snapped me out of the trance I had fallen into.


    "Everything''s going to be fine, Sophia is here with me."


    I couldn''t afford to waver now, my life wasn''t the only one at stake.


    I followed Sophia into the arena. In front of us stood our two challengers, Mercer and Burke.


    We had done thorough research on all the participants in the tournament, but of course I had no way of knowing if they too were hiding an innate power.


    I pulled out my wand as the voice began the countdown. I tried to take more deep breaths to calm myself.


    "Everything''s going to be fine, Sophia is here with me." I repeated in my head like a mantra.


    3


    2


    1


    ?Gravity Surge!?


    Burke''s spell affected Sophia when she was halfway to reach him.


    "But how...?! He''s so far down the rankings...!"


    I watched in horror as Sophia tried to lift herself off the ground.


    "I have to help her!"


    I prepared to hit Burke with a spell to free her.


    ?WATCH OUT!?


    Sophia''s scream made me jump backwards.


    My uniform suddenly tore and I felt a stab of pain in my stomach.


    Instinctively, I gripped my wand tighter:


    ?Fire Whirl!?


    A tornado of flames erupted around me.


    I lowered my eyes. Something had cut me lightly in the stomach.


    "Mercer... where is he?"


    Focused as I was on Burke and Sophia, I had not paid attention to our other opponent, who seemed to have disappeared.


    "Invisibility..."


    I immediately turned my hand to Sophia.


    ?Fire Whirl!?


    A slightly weaker flame shield surrounded her. Since she couldn''t move, I had to protect both of us.


    ?Water Stream!?


    A jet of water seemed to come out of nowhere, extinguishing the weak flame shield I had been using to protect my friend.


    "Gotcha!"


    ?Fireball!?


    Having stopped feeding the fire vortex around me, I aimed for the point of origin of the spell. A small crater formed in the ground. But I had no way of knowing if I had hit him.


    To be on the safe side, I reactivated our defences.


    Sophia meanwhile had managed to get to her feet and was slowly walking towards Burke.


    ?Lightning Bolt!?


    "I missed!"


    The new spell was aimed at Sophia, but the girl easily defended herself with her sword. More electric bolts began to rain down on her, coming from various points in the arena.


    "He''s running around to avoid being hit by me..."


    I could have defended Sophia with a stone shield, but it would only have hindered her movement.


    I could have used a Mana Shield, but it would have consumed too many resources...


    "I can''t go for an area attack either or I''m going to hit Sophia... of course!"


    I deactivated the defences around me again.


    ?Downpour!?


    A light rain broke out in the arena.


    It was a spell I had learned from Celeste. I had cast it rather weakly so as not to waste any magic power.


    But it would have been enough to...see a silhouette in the rain, running towards me at great speed!


    "Shit I need to reactiv-"


    But it only took a moment...


    ?AAAAAAAH!?


    Mercer suddenly reappeared, screaming in pain and clutching his bleeding stump as his sword-arm fell to the ground with a thud and a clang.


    Sophia was beside him, her blade smeared with the boy''s blood.


    She had broken free of Burke''s spell.


    I didn''t even have time to notice it that the girl was already close to the boy, who fell backwards.


    ?I surrender!? he muttered quickly.


    ?The winners are Belvoir and Thornton!?


    I remained motionless as two guards lifted Mercer from the floor and a third picked up his arm.


    I stared at Sophia as she wiped her sword on her skirt.


    "Unlike me... she had no hesitation..."


    ?Let''s go to the infirmary as well.?


    "Oh..."


    The cut Mercer had given me was so superficial that I didn''t even remember it.


    Of course, if Sophia hadn''t screamed...


    ?I''m fine... We should look at the oth-?


    ?No.?


    And she dragged me away as usual.


    When we got to the infirmary, she stood in the doorway, waiting for me to get patched up.


    I sat in a chair while one of the healers pointed his wand at my wound.


    Mercer was unconscious on a bed nearby with no less than three healers at his bedside. Reattaching all the nerves in one arm couldn''t have been easy...


    On the contrary, it only took a few seconds to close my cut.


    ?All good??


    ?All good.?


    Sophia seemed to be deep in thought. She and I walked silently towards the classroom.


    "We have to watch our next opponents'' duel."


    But before we reached our destination, Sophia stopped me and took my hand.


    ?Huh??


    ?Come with me.?


    I could do nothing but follow her to our new destination: the inner courtyard.


    The familiar sunny lawn was obviously deserted.


    ?Sophia, shouldn''t w-?


    ?Sit down.?


    ?Okay, okay...?


    "She''s mad at me..."


    After putting her life on the line by signing up with me for the tournament and working so hard to train me, my behaviour in the first duel had threatened to ruin everything.


    When I saw her trapped by that spell, I lost my mind....


    And even after that, my strategy had definitely been very sloppy and careless.


    Sophia sat down on the grass in front of me.


    ?Look... I''m sorry. I don''t know what came over me... And if the others know that they have to use that spell against you, it''s my fau-?


    ?Why do you always think I''m angry? Who the hell do you take me for...?? Sophia interrupted again with a sigh.


    ?Well, you don''t let me talk... and you just cut someone''s arm off,? I replied with a nervous chuckle.


    ?I guess you have a point...?


    Sophia''s mouth curled into a bitter smile.


    ?Sorry, I already told you that I don''t really know how to deal with you sometimes... I... I''m worried about you. I tried to calm you down before the duel, but it doesn''t seem to have worked.?


    I could feel Sophia''s affection for me in those awkward words. I had to be honest with her.


    ?Sophia... I''m scared... so, so scared. I thought I had become stronger since the whole Valentine thing. But when I saw those two boys being killed like that, like animals for slaughter... It''s like... I was back in that moment in my room when you had to save me.?


    ?You have become stronger,? Sophia replied emphatically, ?did you or did you not risk death to catch Chloe? It''s only natural that the sight of that massacre unsettled you.?


    ?I... I had a conviction then that... I can''t find now... I feel like I''m standing on the edge of a cliff.?


    ?Alright... but like back then with Valentine, I''m here, ready to protect you. Isn''t that enough for you??


    Sophia tried to change approach and gave me an almost hopeful look.


    "You''re finally admitting that you acted to protect me that time..."


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    I wanted to tell her yes.


    It would have been the equivalent of taking back all my good intentions. I had sworn to myself that I would no longer allow Sophia to treat me like a damsel in distress.


    But the prospect of entrusting myself to a fearless warrior was terribly tempting.


    But this time there was a blemish on this perfect scenario.


    ?But... what if you can''t save me??


    ?Huh??


    I was so happy to have met Sophia and become her friend. But the time we had spent together had shattered the perfect image I once had of her.


    Sophia was human like me, she was not infallible, she could make mistakes.


    Sometimes she could be as reckless as me, if not more so, and her power was not without its weaknesses.


    ?Even in the previous duel... you were trapped, weren''t you??


    ?But I freed myself, didn''t I??


    ?That guy was pretty weak. He didn''t have the same control over the spell that I had...?


    ?But I beat you too!?


    ?But are you so sure that you can defeat someone with an innate power perfect against you?"


    "What am I doing...?"


    After Sophia had opened up to me about her insecurities, after all the praise I had given her... now that she was offering me her help, I was trying hard to belittle her abilities.


    But to my surprise, Sophia just smiled.


    ?Looks like I''ll have to do more to impress you, eh? Don''t worry, I''m used to it!?


    ?No! Sophia, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to...?


    But she put a hand on my shoulder and shook her head:


    ?Don''t worry, I know you''re not yourself right now. And anyway... I''ll make you eat those words.?


    She stood up and offered me her hand.


    ?Let''s go back. I will do everything in my power to get us out of this tournament alive.?


    "She''s so strong..."


    This morning she had seemed almost more nervous than I was, but now her face was completely calm.


    I was sure that the fear she had felt had not simply vanished into thin air. But unlike me, she was not overwhelmed by it, she had conquered it.


    I took her hand.


    ?Everything in your power... How about a hug??


    ?Huh??


    ?You want to back out? Maybe it''s too hard for you, I''m usually the one who hugs you!?


    ?What the hell has hugging you got to do with ensuring our survival??


    But regardless, Sophia huffed and slipped her arms awkwardly under mine.


    ?Why do I even bother... you''re already back to your usual annoying self.?


    I surrendered to her embrace and rested my head on her shoulder.


    I could not tell her the truth this time.


    This conversation had only made me realise how weak I still was compared to her.


    But in her own way, Sophia had tried so hard to comfort me that I couldn''t let her efforts seem futile.


    "One day... if we survive... I hope to be as strong as you."


    <hr>


    We made a small detour to change our clothes.


    When we returned to the classroom, two duels had already been fought and one was about to end.


    "Our opponents have already duelled."


    I took my seat as Skylark announced the winners and called for Celeste and Philemon to fight again.


    This time, however, their duel was much less exciting than the previous one.


    Perhaps their opponents had no innate powers, or perhaps they had been discouraged by the show of strength they had given in their first clash.


    Just two minutes later, the headmaster announced:


    ?Fitzroy and Hargrave are through to the semi-finals. You may go and rest, your next duel will be in two hours, after lunch.?


    Philemon left the classroom immediately, while Celeste approached me and asked the boy sitting next to me to make way for her.


    ?Easy peasy!? she chirped as she sat down.


    ?Miss perfection as usual...? I replied.


    I expected a playful retort, but the girl put her hand on my knee.


    ?Liz, are you all right??


    I looked at her, that worried look was completely out of place on her face.


    "I even made her worry..."


    But, after all, she had been my sparring partner for a long time. She must have known right away that something was wrong from the way I had fought in the previous duel.


    ?I feel better now after a walk.?


    It was clear that Celeste was not at all convinced by this lie.


    ?Come on... you''re the best mage I know! And that''s high praise coming from me.?


    "She''s even worse than Sophia at trying to cheer me up."


    But I couldn''t help but appreciate her good intentions.


    "I really have to pull myself together."


    ?Well, I''m going to sit over there... before someone cuts off my arm too!? Celeste said as she stood up, giving me one of her usual winks.


    I quickly turned to Sophia. Strangely, she seemed calm.


    "The situation is really bad if Celeste doesn''t get a reaction from her..."


    Skylark''s voice brought me back to cold reality.


    ?Owen Finch and Miles Foster versus Jonas Ashford and Lila Benett.?


    I lowered my eyes, not even wanting to look at his face.


    But soon Skylark spoke again.


    ?Jonas Ashford and Lila Benett!?


    "What... oh."


    It was obvious...


    I was not the only one who wanted nothing more than to escape.


    There followed ten minutes of complete silence in the classroom.


    Then the door swung open. The two fugitives were dragged into the arena by two guards, screaming and begging for mercy.


    It was as if they were two animals who knew they were on their way to the slaughterhouse.


    I felt a hand at the back of my neck. Sophia pulled me to her and pressed my face into her shoulder.


    ?Don''t look...? she whispered in my ear.


    I obeyed without shame. But the sounds I heard in those minutes left no room for imagination.


    I stood like that, in the dark, waiting.


    ?Elizabeth Belvoir and Sophia Thornton versus Aurora Hayes and Freya Lawson.?


    Without speaking, I followed Sophia into the arena, my eyes fixed on her back.


    But before we started, the girl turned around.


    ?Stand back and defend yourself if you are attacked. Let me show you what I can do when I go all out!?


    I just nodded. After what had just happened, it was just so much easier to let her take care of things.


    ...3


    2


    1


    ?Gravit-?


    But before the girl could finish the now familiar incantation, Sophia threw her sword at her. The weapon failed to hit its target, merely clinking at Aurora Hayes'' feet.


    But that moment of distraction was enough for Sophia to cover most of the arena.


    The girl seemed to panic:


    ?Fireball!?


    But Sophia split the spell in two with her left hand, while her right came down in an arc against the girl''s shoulder.


    ?AAAH!?


    A deep gash tore through the girl''s uniform and skin as she fell forward.


    Meanwhile, her companion had not moved a step. She had joined hands and a strange light shone from them.


    But whatever she was trying to do, it was useless.


    After striking Hayes, Sophia had picked up her sword in a single motion.


    The girl darted across the floor and chopped off Lawson''s foot with a slash, sending her sprawling on the floor with a scream of pain.


    ?Belvoir and Thornton through to the semi-finals!?


    The duel could not have lasted more than 20 seconds.


    Maybe it was the first time I saw the Sophia that all my comrades were afraid of. But in this case, what I felt was hope.


    "Maybe... maybe I can just rely on her after all..."


    <hr>


    The next few hours passed in a kind of trance. As we ate, I vaguely heard Sophia comment:


    ?We were set up after all... Finch got to slaughter poor defenceless students while we had to fight people against innate powers.?


    ?Uh uh.?


    After a while, Sophia gave up trying to distract me.


    The minutes passed quickly, just when I would have preferred time to slow down. As the time for the duel approached, things were only getting worse in my head.


    The words of Sophia and Celeste were now distant echoes. I fell into an almost catatonic state.


    I didn''t even go to Celeste''s duel. It would have made it all more real.


    Finally, the moment had come.


    Like a little dog on a leash, I let Sophia lead me to the classroom.


    As in the first week, my pride seemed to have died. But I had no room in my head to feel pathetic.


    But we were about to cross the door of the classroom when a familiar voice called my name.


    ?Lizzie.?


    ?Amy??


    It was really her.


    I had felt something move inside me when she called my name, but...


    ?Life isn''t that easy.?


    Part of me hoped that seeing her in front of me would chase away all those thoughts, just like it had some time ago.


    But it wasn''t enough.


    And the one in front of me was not the same Amy as before.


    ?I... didn''t feel up to it this morning,? she said quietly.


    ?I see...?


    "There''s no point."


    If yesterday I had hoped that her presence here would serve as a morale booster for both of us, now I only feared that it would push her further into despair.


    Sophia entered the classroom, probably to give us some privacy.


    But I immediately tried to follow her. I didn''t want Amy to see me in this state for another minute.


    But...


    ?Lizzie...?


    ?Yes??


    ?Remember the promise you made to Sophia and me. Please, you must win...?


    I could see tears forming in her eyes.


    ?Okay.?


    I left her behind.


    She wanted to motivate me in spite of everything, but...


    "Making promises is so easy... keeping them is another story."


    Like a condemned man I crossed the classroom.


    Sophia was already in position, as were our two opponents. I fixed my eyes on her, my last hope, as I reached the duel area.


    ?Perfect! We can begin!? Skylark proclaimed.


    Out of the corner of my eye I saw the barrier swell.


    ?Don''t worry... as we discussed, keep your distance from Finch and leave everything to me!?


    ?Everything''s going to be fine, Sophia is here with me...?


    ...3


    ?Everything''s going to be fine, Sophia is here with me...?


    2


    ?Everything''s going to be fine, Sophia is here with me...?


    1


    Sophia did not move.


    "..."


    I approached her. She looked as if she had been petrified.


    But... I could see her pupils flashing between me and something in front of her.


    For the first time, I looked at our opponents.


    Miles Foster was staring at me with a terrified expression frozen on his face. He was completely still, just like Sophia.


    "So... this is his innate power... To completely immobilise himself and his opponent."


    But there was someone else here, besides me, who was able to move.


    Owen Finch was walking towards me with slow steps.


    Why should he hurry?


    I was completely alone, face to face with death.

 39. My first death

    There was no more room in my mind for coherent thoughts.


    What was happening right now was exactly what the shadow inside me had been whispering all day:


    "Sophia can''t protect you, you''re going to die and there''s nothing you can do about it!"


    ?No...?


    I took a step back. Finch moved forward.


    "It''s useless... there''s no escape."


    ?NO!?


    Another step backwards, and another... Soon my back was against the barrier.


    "You will die pleading in vain like that girl."


    ?NOOO!?


    As I watched my executioner approach, I struck the barrier several times with my fist.


    Nothing.


    I let myself slide to the floor. I opened my mouth:


    ?P-please, I don''t want to die... Mum, Dad, someone! S-save me!?


    But nobody came.


    I didn''t even know if Finch had heard those pathetic words between my sobs.


    But it didn''t matter. That was my surrender.


    That shadow, called the Fear of Death, had achieved its ultimate victory.


    All my hopes, dreams and desires were swallowed up in a black abyss. The only thing left to do was to wait for Finch to plunge his sword into my flesh.


    "I hope it doesn''t hurt too much..."


    But the boy stopped, as if in deep thought.


    "..."


    Finch shifted his gaze to the montionless Sophia.


    "No..."


    A step. Then another.


    "No."


    I struggled to my feet, my legs shaking.


    Finch was only a few feet away from Sophia now.


    He seemed to be on high alert because if the girl suddenly broke free, she would kill him instantly.


    But if she couldn''t...


    "NO!"


    In the dark pit that had become my mind, a glimmer of light appeared.


    It was a memory, faint but incredibly important:


    Three girls in a room.


    A new bond formed, sealed by a silly, childish and perhaps unattainable promise.


    "I have no intention of letting either of you die."


    I drew my sword.


    "You know that''s useless..."


    But this time the whisper seemed distant, insignificant.


    This was not the first time I had faced death alone.


    It had been the case when I had decided to face Chloe, leaving Sophia behind. It had been the same when I had received the threatening letter and accepted Finch''s duel to free Amy.


    In those cases I had not wavered. In fact, I had almost felt a thrill of excitement at finding myself in danger.


    But why? Why had I pushed forward without thinking of my own survival?


    Was it possible that I was not afraid in those cases? No.


    The shadow that was now trying to suffocate me had never gone away, it had always been there, I just hadn''t had the time to look at it.


    I was focused on something far more important:


    Protecting my friends.


    Perhaps that was the secret of the strength Sophia had shown today.


    If she had faced death without hesitation, it was to protect me.


    But why? Were we noble heroines of justice, ready to sacrifice everything to protect others? No...


    At least I wasn''t.


    Behind the determination with which I now approached Finch, there could not have been more selfish motives.


    "I will not allow anyone, not even death, to take Sophia from me!"


    "If you can''t save yourself, you can''t save her!"


    But by now that voice was barely a wheeze.


    I had realised. If there was a shadow hidden inside me, it was because something was projecting it.


    "I want to live... but living in a world without my friends... it''s not even worth it!"


    Finch looked at me as I stood between him and his prey. For the first time, there was a hint of surprise on his face.


    Surely he hadn''t expected me to confront him directly after the pathetic display I''d given him at the start of the duel.


    I took a deep breath and assumed the stance Sophia had tried so hard to get into my head.


    There was no doubt, the fear had not disappeared. But now my mind was free of hesitation.


    "Thank you, Amy, for reminding me of what really matters. Now let this weak, cowardly little girl show you that her promises were not just words."


    It was Finch who started with a direct blow to my shoulder, but it was a move I had seen many times in the past weeks.


    This time, instead of trying to parry as I had in our first encounter, I took a step back, barely deflecting his blade with mine.


    Greatswords were not the big, heavy slabs of metal I had always imagined them to be. But that didn''t make them any less dangerous. Quite the opposite.


    Their length, combined with their surprising speed and the swordsman''s strength, could produce devastating blows.


    That was why I couldn''t give Finch a chance to overpower me.


    "Keep your distance and look for an opening."


    Those were the words Sophia had been trying to drum into my head for the past three weeks.


    "Easier said than done..." I thought, biting my lip as I dodged three linked attacks from Finch.


    I was not naive. Just because I had stopped hesitating, my victory had not suddenly become more likely.


    I''d done my best to absorb everything Sophia had taught me, but three weeks wasn''t enough time to close the gap between me and Finch. The guy was a battlemage, he probably had years of sword training behind him.


    "An opening... I don''t see any..."


    Finch raised his blade over his head. I prepared to dodge backwards, but the boy took a step forward before launching his attack.


    "Shit..."


    The cold steel blade reached just above my knee, causing a small cut. I had avoided the worst by inches.


    "I can''t go on like this for long..."


    There was only one way to win: I had to free Sophia.


    But how?


    "Maybe..."


    I tried a lunge for Finch''s legs. The boy was expecting it and lowered his greatsword.


    I leapt backwards.


    "Nothing."


    I had taken the opportunity to get between Foster and Sophia. I''d thought maybe it was the eye contact that kept his innate power active, but that didn''t seem to be the case.


    "Then... there''s only one way."


    I had to eliminate him.


    I swallowed. Was I really ready to take another human''s life with my sword?


    "..."


    That wasn''t the main issue at the moment.


    If I had thrown myself at Foster, I would have left Sophia defenceless....


    Finch was watching me... was he thinking the same thing?


    But...


    "SHIT!"


    Finch suddenly sprinted towards Sophia.


    Unlike me, he had no intention of protecting his ally. After all, once Sophia was killed, he wouldn''t need Foster anymore.


    I had no choice.


    When Finch''s blade fell on the helpless girl, mine was ready to intercept it.


    A blow like that would have snapped my wrists and torn through my torso.


    But it didn''t.


    "There goes my gambit... Sophia was right after all," I sighed.


    We were so close I could see Finch''s pupils dilate in surprise. I could guess what he was thinking:


    "How can this little girl parry my blow so effortlessly?"


    Soon he had the answer.


    The surface of my sword began to crack and a blue glow began to shine beneath it.


    ?A weapon enchantment,? the boy whispered.


    ?Correct.?


    Thinking back to our duel, I had noticed an important detail.


    When we had clashed in the classroom, the mana shield I had cast before entering was still active.


    This meant that while its power would prevent me from casting spells, it would not disable those that were already active.


    ?More than magic nullification, I think its power is something like mana-release suppression,? I had explained to Sophia.


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    From that moment, I had started looking for a way to exploit this weakness in his innate power.


    At first I looked into buffing spells, but I soon realised that they would not work.


    Perhaps due to my inexperience in that branch of magic, I had found their duration far too short to make good use of them.


    If I had cast one before the duel, it would have worn off after about thirty seconds and I wouldn''t have had the chance to cast it again.


    Of course, if I could have defeated Finch quickly, that would have been enough. But the tests against Sophia had made me realise that a little more strength and agility wasn''t enough to win against an experienced fighter.


    So I had looked elsewhere until, thinking back on my previous experiences, I had come up with an idea.


    An enchanted sword. That was how Sophia had tried to hide her innate power at the beginning of the school year.


    I had immediately noticed that it was much easier to enchant an inanimate object than a human being.


    Besides, a well-performed weapon enchantment would last much longer, at least until the sword had taken too many blows.


    I soon decided which one I would use.


    "The strength of greatswords lies in the size of the blade and the momentum it can generate."


    "So if I could negate that momentum..." I had thought.


    Shock Absorption was the enchantment I had chosen.


    Right now, with Finch trying to crush me with all his might, I was having no trouble bearing the weight of his blade on mine.


    But this idea wouldn''t have helped much without an additional trick.


    "An enchantment always leaves a mark on the blade..."


    Finch would have been on alert if he had seen my sword glowing unnaturally.


    But I had found a solution. I had used magic to create a thin sheet of steel to wrap around the real blade.


    But all this work...


    "It''s useless..."


    Sure, I had managed to defend Sophia from Finch''s attack, but now that I had laid all my cards on the table, I had nothing left to surprise my opponent with.


    The original purpose of this trick was to buy me valuable time while Sophia defeated Foster. But that wasn''t possible now...


    Finch slid his greatsword away and tried to hit my legs with a slash.


    I lowered the blade and parried again.


    I gritted my teeth.


    "Now I''m at a dead end!"


    I couldn''t move or Finch would hit Sophia. I could defend against his attacks as long as the enchantment on the sword held, but if I misjudged and gave him an opening...


    "If I knew it was going to go this way, I would have used a different enchantment!"


    While it was great for defence, it was completely useless for attack.


    Finch continued his attack without a break.


    My arms were starting to hurt. Even though I didn''t have to use my strenght to block his sword, the weight of my weapon was beginning to take its toll on my untrained body.


    "Think, Elizabeth..."


    But as I desperately searched for a solution, Finch raised his greatsword over his head again.


    "I need to parry it!"


    But as I raised my blade, a very powerful blow struck my exposed stomach.


    Finch''s kick sent me flying backwards, knocking Sophia to the ground with me like a ragdoll.


    I got up from her. My eyes met hers. She was still conscious, fortunately she had not hit her head on the floor.


    But she was looking at something behind me...


    I turned and, holding my sword in one hand, parried Finch''s greatsword at the last second.


    I watched in horror as the blue glow of enchantment flickered.


    "I''m running out of time."


    I saw Finch''s eyes light up with realisation. He understood that his victory was at hand.


    I saw his arms swell as the boy put all his strength into his sword, giving everything he had to break my spell.


    Everything he had...


    "An opening..."


    My free hand sought Sophia''s and...


    ?AAAAAAH!?


    With all the strength I had left in my body, I plunged my friend''s sword into Finch''s leg.


    The boy screamed in pain and the force with which he was pressing his blade against mine decreased considerably.


    I released the hilt of Sophia''s sword, still embedded in my opponent''s thigh, and gripped my own with both hands, deflecting his greatsword.


    I thrust through his defenceless left side, using the full weight of my body to drive my sword into him.


    Finch was knocked backwards and I fell on top of him. I could feel his warm blood soaking my hands.


    But the boy was still conscious and had no intention of giving up.


    I felt a sharp pain in my ribs as his fist slammed into my right side. The blow caused me to slip away from him.


    My blade was now embedded in his body as well. Finch and I exchanged a look and then...


    I sprinted towards Foster. But...


    An iron grip tightened around my ankle, causing me to fall forward.


    "FUCK!"


    Even with two swords in his body, he was still so much stronger than me.


    I kicked desperately, screaming in pain as Finch twisted my ankle so hard I feared my foot would come off.


    I looked back. Aside from the pain, something else was animating the boy''s face, which had been so unfazed.


    A primal feeling I knew well...


    Fear.


    He held me as if I were the last thing holding him to life.


    "I''m sorry... but I''m going to have to break your lifeline."


    I put all my strength into my free foot and kicked him right in the nose.


    His grip loosened. I was free.


    Biting my tongue to ignore the stabbing pain in my ankle, I ran towards Foster.


    But... I no longer had my sword.


    "..."


    I pulled out the only weapon I had left, that useless piece of wood.


    With an inhuman scream, I threw myself at Miles Foster and thrust my wand into his eye with such force that it knocked him over.


    Suddenly the boy''s motionless body came to life and he began to writhe and scream beneath me.


    I had no pity for him.


    If that was not enough to stop his power, I was determined to drive the piece of wood deep enough to reach his brain.


    But as my victim muttered incoherent pleas, a shadow fell over me.


    "Shit... Finch!"


    The boy''s greatsword came down on me.


    But that was not the only thing.


    Half of his body, from the waist up, fell forward as well.


    Behind him stood the grim reaper known as Sophia, one of her hands stained red with Finch''s blood.


    ?Move, Elizabeth,? the girl ordered, her eyes fixated on Foster, that was still screaming in pain under me.


    ?No.?


    I got up and bent over Finch''s corpse, drawing my sword from his side.


    I turned.


    ?NOOO! PLEASE! I DIDN''T WANT TO HELP HIM, HE... MADE ME DO IT!?


    "This is probably the spectacle I offered Finch at the beginning of the duel, huh?" I thought coldly, looking at my victim. My wand was still stuck into his bloody eye socket.


    Was he lying? I didn''t care.


    From now on, I was not going to let Sophia be the only one to get her hands dirty.


    If anything stood in our way of getting home, I would eliminate it.


    "A noble hero of justice?" I thought as my blade landed on Foster''s neck.


    "No... if it is necessary to protect them, I will become a merciless villain."


    Another life ended. The sixth on this cursed day.


    But maybe it was the seventh.


    I could feel that the Elizabeth who had entered that arena was also dead.


    A different person would come out.


    A person who, in exchange for determination, had sacrificed something that would never come back.

 40. A confession

    As the healer pointed his wand at my sprained ankle, my eyes met those of Sophia, who was waiting for me at the infirmary door.


    "She almost seems to want to incinerate me with her gaze..."


    She had not spoken to me since we had left the classroom.


    "How bold of her to tell me I''m wrong to think she''s always angry when she acts like this."


    But for once I was sure that wasn''t the case.


    I could see a small bleeding wound on her lips and at that moment she was clenching her fists so hard that her arms were shaking.


    It was as if she was doing everything in her power to stop herself from doing something. I wanted to get to the bottom of it.


    So as we walked silently towards the great hall to eat, it was me who stopped her this time.


    ?What is it??


    ?Come with me.?


    I grabbed her wrist and led her towards the courtyard.


    ?Why are w-?


    ?Sit down.?


    Sophia frowned.


    ?Are you trying to get back at me for how I treated you earlier or something??


    ?No,? I replied as I took a seat on the grass, ?quite the opposite. I want to repay you. It''s clear that something is wrong with you... I''m here to listen if you want to talk about it.?


    Hearing these words, something trembled in Sophia''s expression and then...


    ?OW! What are you doing... Sophia?!?


    The girl had literally thrown herself at me, sending me sprawling.


    Sophia pressed her face into my chest and squeezed me tightly. I could feel her hands on my back, clinging to my shirt. Her grip was so tight, as if she was afraid I would vanish into thin air if she let go.


    I soon realised she was crying.


    ?Sophia...?


    She spoke between sobs, her voice muffled from being pressed so tightly against me:


    ?I-if you try to look me in the face... or y-you laugh... I will never forgive you...?


    I ran a hand through her hair.


    ?It''s ok, it''s all over... You can vent all you want.?


    Now that the crisis had passed, it seemed that all the emotions Sophia had kept bottled up to appear strong in front of me were coming out.


    Her crying just got louder.


    ?I was so scared... I couldn''t move a muscle and... and at one point I could only see you out of the corner of my eye... it was horrible!?


    Many would have found it strange that this slender little girl crying in despair was the same person who had fought brutally in the tournament not long before.


    For my part, I was just happy that Sophia finally trusted me enough to show me this side of her.


    "I wonder what Sophia would be like now if she had had a normal upbringing..."


    She probably would have been a normal girl who didn''t mind showing her true feelings.


    "But then... maybe she wouldn''t be the Sophia I like so much."


    But that wouldn''t have stopped me from beating up her parents if I got out of here alive.


    We stayed like this for a few minutes.


    Gradually, Sophia''s crying became less and less, until it disappeared altogether.


    It was then that I rose up and slowly pulled away from her.


    ?I said I wouldn''t forgive you!? Sophia muttered, avoiding my gaze.


    "It''s not my fault that you''re so cute..." I thought as I wiped a tear from under one of her eyes.


    She probably would have killed me if I had dared to say those words.


    As I looked at her flushed face, my heart began to speed up alarmingly.


    "Again... there really is something wrong with me..."


    ?...that''s why I''m sorry...are you listening?? Sophia blurted, bringing me back to reality.


    ?Umh... sorry...?


    Sophia sighed:


    ?I said I''m sorry! I promised to protect you, but when you really needed me, I was completely useless.?


    ?It''s fine!?


    ?Fine my ass!?


    That fleeting moment of weakness seemed like a distant memory now that Sophia''s face was alive with anger.


    ?I fucking hate... being powerless! I''ve fought every day since I was fourteen to be stronger... To be so... unable to do anything, I find it... unbearable. If you hadn''t protected me...?


    ?I''ll do it again!?


    ?Huh??


    ?I''ll protect you as many times as it takes... If I was able to fight Finch, it''s because of that. The fear of death is nothing compared to the fear of losing you!?


    All anger seemed to vanish from Sophia''s face in an instant, replaced by a stunned expression.


    I giggled:


    ?Does the thought bother you so much? You''ve saved me so many times... even today, in a way. Let me do the same for you!?


    Sophia seemed to be about to say something, but was interrupted by the door to the courtyard opening.


    ?Amy?!?


    It was indeed her.


    The girl''s eyes darted between Sophia and me.


    ?I... didn''t see you at dinner... so I thought I''d find you here. But if it''s a bad time, I can wait for you.?


    I ran to her and hugged her.


    "I wonder what the hell she thinks we''re doing..."


    At that thought, my heart started racing again.


    "There really is something very wrong with me..."


    Amy returned the squeeze weakly.


    At least it was progress.


    ?Sorry Amy... after all I said to you yesterday... I didn''t give you a good show today...?


    "I sound just like Sophia..."


    But Amy shook her head:


    ?You were amazing and... you were a bit scary at the end.?


    "Oh..."


    During the fight I hadn''t thought for a second about the consequences of my actions.


    "Maybe this time I''ll really become a pariah like Sophia..."


    ?Amy, I have decided not to hesitate any longer. If it means saving you, Sophia or even Celeste, I won''t make any more excuses.


    I understand if you don''t want to be around a selfish person like me anymore... but I will continue to protect you from a distance!?


    Amy stared at me.


    ?You''ve changed, Lizzie... but so have I, so... we can both start afresh, don''t you think??


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ?Amy!?


    A shy smile lit up the girl''s face.


    ?You know... seeing you be so pathetic at first, but then get back up and win without using magic... it made me think that maybe one day I could do something like that too.?


    ?Did you have to say that first part out loud??


    We both burst out laughing.


    Maybe... in spite of all the changes, things could at least be a bit like they were before.


    ?Now you two better come to dinner. You don''t want to duel on an empty stomach!?


    "Oh... shit."


    I''m sure Celeste would be furious with me if she found out that I had completely forgotten about our duel.


    <hr>


    I was nervous again. But for completely different reasons than before.


    Celeste smiled at me brightly as the countdown began.


    I was terrified of losing.


    But not because of the idea of giving up the 1,000 points at stake, or even because of pride.


    I was frankly too physically and emotionally exhausted to think of such things.


    No... what worried me was how Sophia would react if we lost.


    Not only was she was already upset about being useless in the previous duel, but this was Celeste we were talking about. If she lost to her... I shuddered.


    Her words to me earlier, when I had pointed out that we had no strategy for this fight, had only made the situation worse:


    ?Don''t worry, after the duel with Finch I''m in the mood to beat them up. We''ll crush ''em!?


    But I wasn''t at all sure.


    ...3


    2


    1


    As in a previous duel, Sophia threw her sword forward in an attempt to distract Celeste. But of course the girl expected it, and without flinching, she shouted:


    ?Gravity Surge!?


    "Oh fuck!"


    The spell was so powerful that Sophia was crushed with such force that her cheek touched the ground.


    It seemed that Celeste had become much more proficient at this spell than I was.


    "She''s probably been practising for the last three weeks..."


    I pointed my wand at her without hesitation. But the spell I cast was immediately intercepted by Philemon.


    "Damn..."


    I feared this would happen. Celeste would hold Sophia down while Philemon took care of keeping me in check.


    I had hoped the girl would choose a more entertaining strategy. But it was clear that she was determined to win.


    I began to hurl my entire arsenal of spells at Philemon, doublecasting them. But it was useless, the boy was an impenetrable wall.


    "Now I''m beginning to understand why Celeste hates to duel against this guy."


    Meanwhile, Celeste had started bombarding Sophia with small stone projectiles.


    "Things look bad..."


    The fireball I had thrown hit Philemon''s water shield, who then summoned a stone one to neutralise the following electric dart.


    "I have to go all out..."


    I pointed my wand in the air:


    ?Meteor!?


    "Let''s see if you can deflect this!"


    But the boy pointed his wand at Sophia.


    ?Gravity Surge.?


    "HUH?"


    ?Meteor!? shouted Celeste.


    "Shit!"


    They had swapped roles.


    My meteor collided with Celeste''s and exploded above the arena.


    "I shouldn''t have taught her this spell!"


    We both had to summon a dome of water to protect ourselves from the falling fiery fragments.


    Meanwhile, Sophia had managed to get up on her knees, probably thanks to the fact that Philemon''s spell was weaker than Celeste''s.


    She was in a pitiful state...


    Suddenly, cracks began to appear in the ground where her sword was embedded.


    But as they reached Philemon, Celeste shouted:


    ?Levitate!?


    The boy floated in the air for a moment before landing safely, the gravity spell still active.


    I tried to take the opportunity to hit her with a spell, but Philemon used doublecast to create a shield.


    I had seen enough.


    "I know you will hate me for this..."


    ?I surrender!? I shouted, holstering my wand.


    These two had prepared a countermeasure to any action we might take. If we had continued to fight, I might have been able to find a hole in their defences. But I had no intention of watching Sophia being tortured any longer.


    Philemon released the spell but remained visibly wary.


    Sophia turned to look at me with her mouth open. But it was only for a moment. Her expression quickly changed to one of contempt as she dropped her sword to the ground.


    ?The winners are Fitzroy and Hargrave!?


    <hr>


    ?Will you stop acting like this? You know very well that I am right.?


    ?And you, for the umpteenth time, will you stop following me??


    Perhaps it was fate that every time we seemed to be getting closer, something would happen to drive us apart again.


    It was late at night now. Sophia and I were alone in a deserted corridor. I had waited outside the infirmary door for a long time for her to be treated. When I had tried to enter with her, she had made such a scene that the healers had forced me out.


    ?Not until you start talking sense!?


    ?We have nothing to say to each other!?


    Luckily we were still a long way from the west wing or I was sure we would have woken someone with our screams.


    ?Tell me, what the hell was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to wait until you were in a pool of blood??


    ?No one gave you the right to decide for me!?


    ?It''s not my fault that you''re so damn stubborn! If I hadn''t yielded, you would have continued until you got yourself killed!?


    ?All you had to do was mind your own business and keep fighting. We could have won!?


    ?Oh, and how, pray tell??


    ?I... would have found a way... I certainly didn''t need your help.?


    Blood rushed to my head.


    ?Oh, like you didn''t need my help against Finch!??


    Sophia turned even redder with anger.


    ?You have the nerve to speak when I had to drag you around on a leash all day!?


    She turned on her heel to leave.


    "It''s happening again... no, it''s worse this time."


    Sophia was behaving irrationally, just as I had not long ago. But her insecurities had a much deeper and more traumatic origin than mine. Had I let her go now...the rift between us might never have closed again.


    If I had learned one lesson from what had happened today, it was that I had to keep the promises I made.


    "I promise you that I will make things right. And from now on I will try to be more reasonable."


    I sighed and took a deep breath.


    I chased Sophia and grabbed her wrist.


    ?If you don''t let me go right now, I''m going to cut your arm off.?


    Maybe in her state of mind she really would have done it.


    But I didn''t let go.


    ?I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have said those things to you. And I know you''re sorry for what you said to me. I don''t want it to be like December. Let''s talk about it... please.?


    Sophia stood motionless for a few moments.


    ?Alright...?


    We sat side by side on the floor, our backs against the wall.


    ?I... I was really afraid you would get yourself killed. I know how important it was for you to win... but I couldn''t bear to see you in that state. I''m sorry.?


    ?I know. I know you''re right... I''m a hypocrite. I''m acting like a kid, exactly like you did in December...?


    ?That''s OK...you put up with my tantrums and I''m more than willing to put up with yours. But... I don''t want you to look at me the way you did in the arena...?


    ?I... I''m sorry. It''s just... it hurts. Losing to her... was absolutely something I didn''t want to happen.?


    ?For... what you explained to me, right? I don''t think you have to take it so hard... We gave everything to win against Finch and we didn''t have time to think about a strategy against Celeste - I''m sure no one will ever think you''re weak after the way you fought today. One day you''ll fight her again and win, I know you can do it!?


    ?I... thank you, but... it''s not just that. I know the conditions of the duel were against me, but... I really wanted to continue being unbeatable.?


    I sighed:


    ?My girl, forgive me for saying this. I understand that your parents were idiots and put strange ideas into your head. But why the hell should you be invincible? You have an incredible power, but at the end of the day you''re just a girl like the rest of us, not some kind of legendary hero.?


    ?That''s the problem... I don''t want to be just another girl...?


    I looked at her confused.


    She turned her face away.


    ?What do you mean??


    ?It doesn''t matter...?


    ?If it made you lose your head like this, I''d say it matters!?


    ?I... don''t want to talk about it. It''s... embarrassing.?


    "Now she''s pissing me off again."


    I reached out and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, forcing her to face me.


    ?Does this particular position remind you of anything?? I asked her as she lowered her eyes, ?You have made me say so many embarrassing things back then that you have no right to remain silent now!?


    Sophia just looked down.


    ?You know, I didn''t tell you the whole truth back then. I was afraid of your terrible temper. I was afraid that you would hate me forever if I told you that I didn''t want you to fight Chloe because of your mana. I was afraid you''d think I underestimated you. Maybe I was right... look how you''re reacting now.?


    Sophia finally looked into my eyes.


    ?You lied to me...?


    ?Yes... but I want to stop lying. From now on I will only be honest with you... so tell me what the hell is going on!?


    Sophia seemed to think for a moment.


    And then:


    ?I... I didn''t want to lose in front of you... to her on top of it.?


    ?Huh?!? I loosened my grip.


    ?I... all the compliments you always gave me, the fact that you said you admired me... it actually made me so happy... I know it''s pathetic, maybe it''s my self-esteem... but I can''t bear to look weak in front of you.?


    ?Weak...? How could I ever think you''re weak??


    ?OK, let me put it another way.... I want to be the strongest because... I want you to have eyes only for me.?


    By now my hands, still holding her, were limp.


    "Me and her... we''re not so different after all..."


    ?You''re such an idiot!?


    ?You make me say this stuff and then you call me an idiot?? blurted out Sophia.


    ?Yes, because you don''t understand...?


    ?Understand what??


    I put my arms around her neck and whispered softly into her ear:


    ?At first I was interested in you because of your power. That''s why I approached you. But it''s been a while, hasn''t it? We''ve gotten closer and then drifted apart before getting closer again, but we''ve gotten to know each other anyway.?


    I paused for a moment.


    ?You are so much more than your power, Sophia. There are so many more sides to you than just the invincible warrior. And I like them all.


    I like when you think of the nastiest ways of teasing me.


    I like the way your cheeks blush so easily when you feel embarrassed.


    I like the way you are so brave despite your weaknesses.


    I like how you always manage to make sense of the most complicated situations.


    I like how, despite all the injustices you have suffered, you have remained extremely kind.


    I even like the fact that sometimes you act like a little girl, like in this case.


    Even if your power disappeared and you became the weakest in this academy, you would still be the most special person to me!?


    After these words, I retreated.


    However, as I pulled away from the embrace, without thinking, my lips kissed her cheek lightly .


    I felt her body suddenly stiffen.


    I jumped to my feet as if I''d been shocked.


    ?Well, think about what I said! Good night!?


    I ran away, leaving her there, petrified.


    I ran and ran, never stopping. When I reached my room, I slammed the door behind me.


    Maybe I was hoping to shut out the thought that was haunting me.


    I let myself slide to the floor.


    ?That... that was practically a... confession of l-?


    I refused to say that word.


    But it was useless. I could no longer run away from the truth I had discovered a while ago, but I had done my best not to look at.


    "It had to be now that I told her that I want to be honest with her..."


    How could I resolve this situation?


    Perhaps the first step was to accept it.


    ?It was... a confession of love. I am in love with her.?

 41. Heaven and Hell

    ?AAAAH!?


    I threw myself onto the bed, unable to bear the storm of emotions caused by the words I had just uttered.


    I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself.


    ?Love...?


    Now that the word was out of my mouth, I had to face reality.


    The first step was indeed to accept my feelings.


    But I had to be absolutely sure of one thing before I could decide how to proceed.


    "Am I really sure that what I''m feeling is love?


    After all, I''d never felt anything like this before, I was completely inexperienced.


    I had always turned down any advances without a second thought, so I had never even been on a date with anyone.


    The only other person that came to mind when I heard the word love was Sir Aldric. But just as I told Celeste, I wasn''t sure how I felt about him.


    "Can I call what I feel for him love?"


    I admired him so much. He was like a beacon of light to me. His story had made me realise that even an ordinary girl like me, living in a small town in the middle of nowhere, could aspire to great things in life. But...


    "What I admire is just an image of him. I don''t even know him!"


    Also, my feelings towards the one who had been my idol were mixed at the moment because of his past in the Academy.


    But in any case, even if I could call it love, it definetly wasn''t the romantic kind.


    As for Sophia on the other hand...


    I swallowed.


    "Let''s change the approach, better to go by elimination."


    Could what I felt for Sophia be just a very deep friendship? I had more experience of that.


    "Amy..."


    The friendship with her had only grown closer since we were locked in here. But...


    "It''s completely different from the way I feel about Sophia..."


    I had thought about this many times.


    I always felt comfortable with Amy, we could talk about anything, and she meant a lot to me. One of my biggest wishes was for her to be the happy, carefree girl she used to be. With Sophia, on the other hand.


    "I''m not sure I feel comfortable with her."


    Every moment we spent together was incredibly precious, but ....


    "It''s like I want something more..."


    And I certainly wasn''t ready to talk to her about everything with her. These hidden feelings were proof of that.


    Of course I wanted her to be happy, but...


    "I want her to be happy, but I want her to be happy by my side."


    If that wasn''t already overwhelming proof, there was something else.


    I felt my cheeks burn as my thoughts went in that direction.


    "Physical attraction..."


    With Amy there was never a shortage of opportunities for physical contact.


    She was an affectionate girl. But her hugs and caresses had never had the same effect on me as when I touched Sophia.


    Suddenly a scene came back to me.


    Sophia and I, on the bed in her room. Her flushed face inches from mine as we looked into each other''s eyes.


    "What would I do now in that situation?"


    It was too much.


    It was like my body was on fire and my breathing became heavy.


    It took me more than ten minutes to calm down.


    "I''m lucky Sophia''s power isn''t mind reading, she''d think I''m a creep!" I thought, panting.


    There was only one last question now:


    "Is it just a fleeting crush?"


    But this time the answer was even simpler:


    "No".


    The way my thoughts kept returning to her, the fact that I would do anything to make her happy, to be by her side, and that I wanted her to be mine and mine alone.


    "That... is just love."


    Now, having looked inside myself, I couldn''t help but accept it.


    I was in love with Sophia. I wanted us to be together, not as friends, but as a couple.


    And to do that... there were several obstacles I had to overcome.


    First, there was the elephant in the room:


    "We''re both girls..."


    I wasn''t too surprised about finally discovering that this was my sexual orientation.


    After all, it explained why I had never felt any interest in my various suitors.


    Maybe if I had lived in a bigger city and known more people I would have found out sooner.


    In the end, I didn''t find it all that shocking. Maybe it was because I''d never given love any weight before this moment, but I wasn''t as deeply shocked as I probably should have been.


    And I also really didn''t care what anyone else thought.


    Here in the Academy, people had other things to think about. If we got out alive, I didn''t think we''d have had any problems.


    These kinds of relationships were certainly not common, but they were usually accepted, or at least ignored, by ordinary people.


    For the nobility, well, it was a different story. For the aristocracy, marriages of convenience and ensuring heirs for their dynasties were extremely important. For this reason, same-sex relationships were frowned upon.


    But Sophia, despite her aristocratic background, would certainly not have given such a thing any importance.


    No, the problem was something else.


    "Does she... like girls too?"


    That would have been a very fortunate coincidence. After all, she was the first person I fell in love with.


    And than the main issue:


    "How does Sophia see me?"


    I had no idea.


    On the one hand, all the signals she had given me lately made me hope that she reciprocated my feelings.


    "I want you to have eyes only for me..."


    A sentence like that... What other explanation could there be?


    Unlike in her room, when she''d whispered in my ear, this time I was sure she wasn''t joking.


    But there was one thing I had to consider:


    "This is Sophia we''re talking about..."


    It was clear that the way she had been treated in the past, that girl had a great lack of affection. And now maybe she wanted me, her first friend, to give her my full attention.


    "But the kind of attention I''d like to give her right now... it''s not that pure," I thought.


    In the end, there was only one way I could be sure.


    "I have to talk to her..."


    This time I would have to tell her clearly how I felt, without mincing words, to avoid misunderstandings. But...


    "What if she doesn''t want anything to do with me after that?"


    Maybe she would feel betrayed and think I had ulterior motives for being around her.


    ?WHY IS EVERYTHING SO DIFFICULT??


    I knew that facing the truth would only make things more difficult. But now I couldn''t go back, or every moment I spent with Sophia, pretending to be her friend, would be a lie from now on.


    But there was yet another problem:


    "In a situation like this... can I really allow myself to think about such things?"


    It would be extremely cruel if Sophia and I got together and then I left her alone again, losing my life in this perverse game.


    In the end, all these thoughts did not lead me to a concrete decision.


    Fortunately, the many physical and emotional strains of that day soon allowed me to slip into the peace of sleep.


    <hr>


    The next morning I was so deep in my own thoughts that I almost struggled to put on my uniform.


    Beyond my future plans, there was now a more pressing matter:


    "How do I deal with her today?"


    Last night I''d practically run away after kissing her on the cheek, so I didn''t know how Sophia had reacted once she''d recovered from the surprise.


    "I bet she''ll try to avoid me today... should I go look for her?"


    But how would I have reacted to seeing her after finally accepting that I was in love?


    I sighed as I opened the door to my room.


    "It seems I can''t get a moment''s peace these days."


    I was definitely right.


    Sophia was already there, waiting for me, leaning against the wall.


    "HUH?!"


    My heart began to beat wildly as soon as our eyes met.


    The girl raised a hand to greet me, but I immediately turned and slammed the door behind me.


    "WHAT AM I DOING?!"


    The panic I felt at this moment was much sweeter than the day before, but no less intense.


    I gasped as Sophia began to knock loudly:


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    ?Elizabeth, open this door immediately or I will break it down.?


    I had no choice but to obey.


    I found myself face to face with her. Sophia had a look on her face that was somewhere between amused and exasperated.


    ?Looks like you and I are taking turns acting like little girls, huh??


    ?Heheh yeah...?


    "This situation... oh no..."


    I found myself backing away as Sophia made her way into my room. As the door closed behind her, I realised I was in trouble.


    "I... we''re alone... in my room where... last night..."


    As Sophia sat down on my bed and motioned for me to sit next to her, it was as if any vestige of sanity had flown away.


    "I''m in heaven... or maybe hell!"


    My heart seemed to have soared so high that my throat hurt.


    Finally, a little groggy from the force of those emotions, I accepted my sentence and sat down next to her.


    ?Don''t be so nervous,? Sophia began, ?I understand, I didn''t really know how to deal with it last night either, but... we have to talk about it. You said it yourself, we need to be honest with each other.?


    "If I were honest with you right now..."


    Finally, thanks to her words, I was able to calm down a little. Sophia usually had so much trouble expressing her feelings. The fact that she had come to talk to me, instead of avoiding me as I had thought... I couldn''t respond to her efforts in such a pathetic way.


    ?Ok, let''s talk about it.?


    But my decision was immediately put to the test.


    Sophia put an arm over my shoulders and pulled me towards her.


    ?W-what a-are you doing?!?


    I tried to wriggle out as Sophia held me back, forcing me to rest my head on her lap.


    ?Calm down! I know what I just said... but I really don''t want you looking at my face right now. Last time you cheated, so... this time I will force you to look away.?


    I stopped struggling against her grip. It would have been useless anyway, she was much stronger than me.


    I stayed still as Sophia began to speak again, stroking my hair.


    ?I... Thank you for what you told me yesterday. I honestly don''t think I''ve ever been so happy over just words...?


    ?Sophia...?


    I tried to look up, but the girl covered my eyes with her hand.


    ?But I didn''t think it was fair to leave you alone to say how you really feel about me, so...?


    She paused a little.


    ?You''re the most important person to me. And I don''t just mean in the Academy. I mean in the whole world.


    Every second I spend with you... I feel like I''m doing something I shouldn''t be doing. I didn''t think I had a right to be this happy, I thought my life would be a constant, desperate search for a place where I could feel comfortable with myself. The fact that I found it so quickly...?


    ?But don''t think that any person who accepted me for who I am would be okay with me,? she went on, ?it has to be you...?


    She remained silent. She was waiting for me to answer.


    Maybe... maybe this was the right time.


    But now that she had opened her heart to me, I was too afraid of ruining everything.


    ?Sophia... what am I to you??


    I wanted to test the waters.


    ?I just told you... you are the most important person to me...?


    "This answer doesn''t help me understand what''s going on in your head..."


    I sighed.


    ?The same goes for me...?


    ?Thank you... it means everything to me.?


    Sophia''s hands moved, but before I could look up, the girl bent down to place her lips on my cheek.


    They were extremely soft. Knowing her, it was the first time she had ever done anything like that.


    ?You thought I''d let you get away with it, didn''t you??


    "If I''m meant to die in this damn school, this is the perfect time."


    Maybe I really was in heaven.


    <hr>


    But I soon had to change my mind.


    The next two days were torture for me.


    It had started as soon as we had left my room to go for breakfast.


    Sophia had grabbed my hand.


    ?Um... what are you doing??


    ?What''s the big deal? We did it the other day... And I saw that it''s quite common between friends...?


    I let her guide me, resisting the temptation to shout:


    "YOU DON''T INTERTWINE FINGERS LIKE THAT BETWEEN FRIENDS!"


    But that wasn''t the end of it. It was clear that our recent conversations had been a catalyst for Sophia to get even closer to me. She seemed to want physical contact all the time and followed me everywhere like a shadow.


    When I had asked her for an explanation, she had been uncharacteristically direct:


    ?I have decided to train more seriously. I cannot allow myself to be knocked out by a single spell. I must find a way to overcome this weakness. But I don''t want to neglect you either... I want to spend every free moment with you.?


    Part of me thought she really had learned to read minds and was doing this to drive me mad. The other part had gone mad already from how sweet and cute she was.


    "If this goes on... I''m going to explode."


    But I wasn''t the only one who had noticed these changes.


    Amy had stopped locking herself in her room and started hanging out with us again.


    I knew she would soon ask me for an explanation.


    But the way she did it, while Sophia was busy training, was not what I expected.


    That evening, my best friend dragged me into her room and, looking at me with an irritated expression, asked:


    ?I understand that you have only recently got together... but could you please try to behave normally in my presence? I feel like the third wheel around you damned lovebirds!?


    My mouth dropped open in surprise.


    "HUH?


    ?Got t-together? W-we didn''t do anything like that!?


    Amy arched an eyebrow and looked at me with a smug look on her face:


    ?Do you really think you can keep a secret from me? I was sure you''d do something like this when I wasn''t around. Even before the Finch thing, I tried to leave you alone as much as possible to try and get you together. I don''t know why you''re so afraid to talk to me about it, but at least try to be a bit more discreet...?


    ?I-I don''t... do we look like that??


    ?What do you think?... if Sophia gets any closer to you, she''ll end up sitting on your lap in class and you... the way you look at her... You should control yourself a bit, Lizzie. I feel like I''m looking at something I shouldn''t!?


    I blushed furiously as Amy giggled.


    "This... this is why this is the one thing I don''t want to talk to you about..."


    But... maybe it was a good idea to tell her after all. Surely she could give me some advice on what to do.


    So I told her everything. Her smug smile disappeared and she rolled her eyes more and more at my words, so much so that I wouldn''t have been surprised if her pupils had disappeared inside her head.


    ?Really?! You just realised that now??


    ?I... is that so strange? I had my suspicions for a few weeks, but... we''re both girls?


    ?A few weeks? My girl, you''ve done nothing but stare at her since the first time you spoke. It was obvious you liked her from the start, at least physically.?


    ?Oh¡­?


    ?As for being in love with her... It probably started that day in your room. And then that day in the infirmary... I felt like I was watching husband and wife fight and make up. Or maybe I should say wife and wife in this case...?


    ?Maybe... maybe you''re right...?


    ?So??


    ?So, what??


    ?What are you going to do??


    ?I don''t know... it''s all so difficult. Do you think she feels the same??


    ?Unfortunately, I don''t know her as well as I know you. I think so, but the only way to find out for sure is to ask her!?


    ?But... Sophia has had such a hard life and she finally has me as a friend to support her. I don''t want her to feel betrayed by me...?


    ?I think you''re just making excuses! You can support her even more by being her girlfriend!?


    ?But if I''m her first friend... she has even less experience than me in this kind of thing... what if I scare her off and she doesn''t want...?


    ?Don''t infantilise her!? blurted out Amy, ?she may be inexperienced but she''s not stupid. She is the same age as us and can make up her own mind. Even if she doesn''t return your feelings, she cares enough about you to want to continue to be your friend, I''m sure!?


    Amy destroyed all my objections one by one without a moment''s hesitation.


    ?But do I really have the right to ask her to be with me in a situation like this? We could die at any moment...?


    Amy cupped my face in her hands.


    She had definitely grown colder lately, but in the smile she gave me I could feel the warmth of her old self:


    ?Precisely because our lives could end at any moment, we have to make sure we enjoy every happy moment we can.?


    I had made up my mind.

 42. Fateful meeting

    "That''s easier said than done..." I thought for the umpteenth time three days later.


    Sophia''s shoulder leaned against mine as we sat on one of the small sofas in the common room.


    She was absorbed in a book. Seeing her face out of the corner of my eye was enough to make my heart skip a beat.


    I sighed.


    Ever since my last conversation with Amy, I had been looking for a good opportunity to confess my feelings for her. A real confession this time, one that left no room for misunderstandings.


    But...


    On the night of the tournament, I had spoken out of the blue, without even thinking about what I was saying. This time was different, I was afraid I wouldn''t find the right words.


    I already knew what Amy would say to me:


    "You''re still making excuses! You just need to say ''I love you''!"


    And she would have been right.


    "But I''m still scared..."


    During those days, the sweet torment that Sophia had put me through had continued.


    She almost seemed like a different person. She was always devious when it came to teasing me, but the happy, carefree smile on her face when she was in my company was something I had never seen before.


    "Was Sophia like this all the time before the trauma she suffered at the hands of her parents?"


    It was possible, but something didn''t add up.


    "Has no one ever shown this poor girl any real affection?"


    Of course, being a noble and in poor health as a child, she probably didn''t have many opportunities to make friends with girls or boys her own age.


    But was it really possible that there was no one at all with whom she had formed a bond? Perhaps a cousin, another relative or maybe a maid?


    Surely not everyone would have given her ineptitude with magic the same weight as her idiotic parents.


    "Perhaps she has removed any positive experiences from her memory..."


    I wanted to ask her, but I didn''t want to remind her of that painful time in her life.


    "But now she has me... another reason to hurry and confess."


    But it wasn''t the only one.


    Ever since the day after the tournament, when I thought back to the words Skylark had spoken before it began, I had begun to have a bad feeling.


    I was sure that something was going on behind the scenes at the Academy, and yesterday I had confirmation.


    "That reminds me..."


    ?Sophia!?


    ?Um?? she said, looking up from her book.


    ?I asked Celeste if she had also seen those people come into the school.?


    It had happened the afternoon before.


    As we walked through the corridors, we had seen a small group of students gathered outside one of the windows. Intrigued, we had approached to see what they were looking at.


    Three people, dressed in sumptuous clothes, were approaching the main door of the school. I had recognised one of them immediately: the king''s adviser, who had watched our duels in December.


    We had rushed to the entrance and were just in time to see the trio climbing the stairs to the second floor of the school.


    ?What did she say? Did she recognise the other two??


    Sophia this time didn''t even blink when she heard the name of her arch-rival.


    "She''s really changed, hasn''t she?"


    ?Yes... she said that the chubbier one is the king''s treasurer while the taller one is the supreme commander of the army.?


    Sophia snapped to her feet.


    ?And you''re telling me this now??


    ?Sorry... I... it kinda slipped my mind.?


    "Love is going to my head."


    Sophia huffed, but her expression softened.


    ?You''re such a klutz!? she exclaimed as she returned to her seat and ruffled my hair.


    ?What do you think they wanted from Skylark??


    ?I''m not sure... it must be something important. Aside from the king himself, those are the biggest players in the kingdom.?


    She was right.


    An Academy like this would certainly need an incredible amount of money to function. Perhaps the treasurer wanted to talk to Skylark about it?


    But what did the Supreme Commander have to do with it? Perhaps it had something to do with the Academy''s ultimate goal.


    "A mage as powerful as Aldric... a weapon for the army."


    ?Sophia... since Skylark didn''t want to organise that tournament... maybe those three are the ones who forced him to!?


    The girl looked at me deep in thought as she bit her fingernail:


    ?You could be right, but... why? If it was supposed to be another exhibition, why didn''t anyone come to watch this time??


    ?I have no idea...?


    We spent the rest of the evening speculating without finding a solution to this dilemma.


    "Another day goes by without me having achieved anything..." I thought as I went to bed a few hours later, "perhaps tomorrow I will find the opportunity and the courage needed."


    <hr>


    When I woke up the next morning, it was not peacefully, alerted as usual by the slight vibration of the enchanted bed on which I slept.


    Someone was speaking to me.


    I sat up in bed, my heart beating wildly, my right hand reaching for my wand on the bedside table. But I soon realised that I was alone in my room.


    "A dream?"


    But soon the voice spoke again.


    "All students are hereby ordered to remain in their rooms. The corridors will be monitored. Any student caught violating this order will be severely punished."


    It was the same magical voice that spoke before the duels.


    "What the hell is going on?"


    I approached the door.


    "It didn''t say anything about peeking out!"


    But as soon as I put my hand on the doorknob, I discovered that the entrance to my room had been sealed.


    "..."


    This had never happened before.


    Something was happening out there. Something Skylark didn''t want us to see.


    "Something to do with those three guys?"


    But he hadn''t locked us up like this the last time they''d been here.


    Unfortunately, I had no way of finding out.


    The barrier that protected our rooms was impervious to any magic. I couldn''t even try to slip something through the crack under the door.


    The spell I had used to get through the wall and into the secret laboratory was also out of the question. When I had tried to experiment with it, I had felt deep pain in my finger, and when I had pulled it out, I had found the tip badly burned.


    Unless there were other special innate powers that could achieve the same, Sophia was the only one who could have escaped that situation.


    "Please... stay put."


    She would be in big trouble if she broke down the door to her room and got caught.


    An hour later, when I was finally free to leave my room, I ran towards hers.


    We met halfway and I immediately hugged her:


    ?I was afraid you were going to do something stupid!?


    ?I''m not you... But I thought about it.?


    ?I knew it.?


    We began a full search of the whole school, but nothing seemed to have changed.


    ?What do you think happened??


    ?We have no way of knowing. One thing''s for sure, if they didn''t want us to see it, it''s not pleasant.?


    <hr>


    Another week of classes came to an end.


    "And I still haven''t confessed my feelings to her."


    Those ominous signs did not bode well for us: I had to hurry.


    I looked at the leaderboard:


    64 students remaining


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    "Time seems to be flying by these days."


    The number of students who had died was now dangerously close to the number of survivors.


    "And it''s only March..."


    The six deaths that had occurred during the tournament represented a month and a half to be subtracted from our remaining time at the Academy.


    Thinking about it, I had formed a hypothesis about what those influential people who had visited the school wanted from Skylark.


    "Were they pressuring him to speed things up?"


    But what was the hurry? No one could have come to rescue us. And they certainly wouldn''t have expected us to rebel with all those powerful spells around us to keep us locked up.


    Adding to the mystery was the hour we had been locked in our rooms.


    What had happened at school that Skylark didn''t want us to see?


    "Like Sophia said, something tells me it would be better if I didn''t find out..."


    But just then, as if by a twist of fate, as the professor who had finished the lesson left the classroom, the Headmaster entered it.


    The students, who had already stood up, immediately returned to their seats.


    Skylark''s eyes looked at each of us. Just like the last time I had seen him, there seemed to be no trace of the usual mocking sneer under his moustache.


    ?Very well, I see you are all here. This will make things easier.?


    His tone was solemn, I was sure that this time we would not get away with a ''fun'' event like the December duels.


    ?About a week ago, during the tournament, I mentioned that you would soon find out why the Academy had started to organise events on a regular basis. That time has come.?


    "So soon..."


    I stiffened. I knew we would find out what was going on sooner or later, but I had hoped we would have at least two or three weeks of peace.


    ?The smartest among you will have put two and two together by now and figured out what''s going on.?


    He paused for a moment, the whole class hanging on his every word.


    ?As you may have guessed, the events I have organised recently have been the result of external pressure. As much as I am your Headmaster, I also have people to whom I am accountable.?


    "So it''s true..."


    Although those three people were so powerful, there was only one person I could imagine who could bend Skylark to his will: the King.


    Could it be that he was the one who had visited the Academy two days ago, and that we had been confined to our rooms as a security measure?


    But why pressure Skylark? Was my theory correct?


    I had a really bad feeling.


    I was obviously not alone: Sophia had put her hand on my knee and was squeezing it.


    I covered it with mine, trying to give myself courage.


    ?Unfortunately, my attempts to appease these outside influences have been unsuccessful,? Skylark said coldly, ?I understand their concerns, but I have always believed that in order to achieve good results in anything, it is good to take the necessary time. Time we alas no longer have.?


    These last words gave me goose bumps.


    I saw some students in the rows in front of me whispering to each other with a hopeful look in their eyes. Perhaps they hoped that what Skylark had just said was a sign of our imminent freedom.


    But I was not so naive.


    "It means he''ll have to speed things up, so... reduce our numbers."


    I swallowed. When the Headmaster spoke again, my fears were confirmed:


    ?But don''t worry. There is still some time before the deadline I was given. Therefore, only some of you will have to leave us today.?


    A deafening silence fell over the classroom. Now everyone had understood.


    Only one question remained.


    "How many of us have to die?"


    Like condemned men, we awaited our sentence.


    ?At the end of this day, only 25 of you will remain in the Academy.?


    Time seemed to freeze. Perhaps even the laws of physics refused to accept the words the Headmaster had just spoken.


    I could tell from his tone that there would be a massacre within these walls today.


    But... 39 dead...


    That was more than half of us.


    As time began to tick again in the classroom and chaos broke out among my classmates, I could only ask myself the same question for the umpteenth time:


    "Why?"


    What was the point of this damned deadly game?


    If it was really about finding Sir Aldric''s successor, why did we have to die? And now, why the sudden rush...?


    "Something must have happened outside the Academy..."


    Meanwhile, panic reigned. Some students seemed to be in a catatonic state, while others were crying in despair. Some even tried to get up and confront the headmaster. But after a few of them were sent crashing into the wall by a simple snap of his fingers, they seemed to give up.


    The old mage''s typical sneer had reappeared on his face.


    "You old sadistic bastard..."


    I had no doubt. If Skylark was irritated, it wasn''t because he didn''t want to see us die, but because he would have less time to use us as toys.


    The headmaster spoke again, his voice magically amplified to overpower the commotion:


    ?Do not worry. I will not be the one to choose who the 25 survivors will be. It will all depend on you. After all, meritocracy is one of the Academy''s founding values!?


    "As if... You are the same guy who played favourites to help a murderer and organised a tournament in the perfect way to get Sophia and me killed".


    ?As you leave this classroom, you will notice that something has changed in the school building. The second floor of the Academy is now open to all of you. The same goes for the magic seal that leads to the roof. All this has been done to increase the space available to you.?


    "Does he mean...?!"


    ?Tonight, from 9pm sharp, all the rules of the Academy will be temporarily suspended. You will be able to do whatever you see fit to survive without consequence. This "special state" will continue until there are 25 of you left.?


    The implication was clear:


    "He wants us to kill each other..."


    But something didn''t add up.


    It was Sophia who expressed my doubts. She stood up from the bench and gave the headmaster a contemptuous look. Looking at her face, I saw that there was no trace of the carefree girl I had met last week. Like a knight who had donned her armour, Sophia had already returned to her role as an unyielding warrior.


    ?What do you have in mind? You can''t really believe that we''re going to kill each other just because you tell us to.?


    ?Perceptive as always, Miss Thornton,? Skylark commented, ?as you can imagine, I have prepared an incentive for you to take your fate into your own hands.?


    The headmaster approached the lectern and continued:


    ?On the first day of the school year, I told you that there would be no exams here at Duelcrest Academy. It is not my choice, but I am forced to take those words back. What awaits you will be nothing more than an examination to assess how far you have come since you entered the Academy. And like any exam, you will be judged by an examiner.?


    The Headmaster snapped his fingers and a bright pattern suddenly appeared in the floor in front of the desk.


    ?A seal?! How long has it been there??


    ?I''m afraid you will be judged rather harshly. This particular examiner has definitely been unstable lately. But don''t worry, we have ways to control them, once your number reaches 25, they will withdraw.?


    ?Is he planning to unleash some kind of magical beast in the school??


    The headmaster clapped his hands and the magic seal glowed brighter. With a rumble, something materialised.


    A figure had appeared before us. It was surrounded by a semi-transparent barrier, its surface crisscrossed by what looked like rushing streams of mana. I had never seen such a spell before.


    "It''s like... a cage?"


    But there was no strange magical creature inside, as I had imagined.


    No... this figure was definitely disproportionate to a normal human, but it still didn''t look like a beast.


    "A troll maybe...? No... it has clothes on and it has long hair. Trolls don''t have hair as far as I know."


    The figure sat motionless on the ground, its long black hair covering its face.


    It was wearing a long black robe that was far too small for it, and it was torn in several places.


    I noticed that some kind of dark mist seemed to be hovering around it.


    "What the hell is that?"


    Suddenly the creature moved and raised its head.


    My eyes stared into his.


    His cold black eyes, like a bottomless abyss.


    His messy, greasy black hair like filthy rags.


    His powerful shoulders and inhuman muscles that made him resemble a man-hunting beast rather than a wizard.


    For the first time, as I gazed upon Sir Aldric, my idol, my heart was filled not with hope and admiration but with pure unspeakable dread.

 43. Two loves

    "..."


    I froze for a moment.


    "This... is so cruel..."


    From the front rows, a girl stood up and shouted:


    ?NO!?


    It took me a moment to realise it was Celeste. I had never heard such dismay in her voice before.


    My heart was filled with a mixture of anger and sadness, but unlike her, I was not surprised.


    A part of me had always known that reality could not be so convenient, so I never really believed the optimistic theories my friend had shared with me.


    No, in my heart I knew that my idol''s past cast an ominous shadow. I had also thought that sooner or later we would meet him, and it would not be a pleasant encounter.


    "But... not like this! What the hell happened to him?"


    The attractive man whose face I had gazed upon time and again in photographs no longer existed.


    I had not been so wrong in my initial prediction after all: the figure in the cage looked very much like a wild beast.


    There seemed to be no sanity left in his eyes. His face was marred by several scars and swellings, his body seemed deformed in several places.


    "Has the Aldric I admired never really existed? Is this... thing... the human weapon created by the Academy years ago?"


    No... that was not possible. After all, he was a celebrity, he had been seen in public several times and numerous accounts had been published by his fellow adventurers, recounting his exploits in the campaign against the Demon King.


    But an unsettling thought crept into my mind:


    "What if it was all a big lie?"


    Maybe the handsome young man I knew was just a body double. The stories could have been nothing more than fiction.


    Perhaps the vaguely human-looking creature now in front of me was the one that had actually defeated the Demon King.


    "What the hell did they do to him to bring him to such a state?"


    That sinister glow surrounding him surely had something to do with it.


    "Skylark said he has ways to control him."


    I didn''t know of any spells that could achieve complete mind control , but of course I couldn''t be sure that the Academy hadn''t invented one and kept it hidden.


    "But this thing doesn''t even seem to have a mind in the first place."


    I looked into Aldric''s dull eyes again.


    Meanwhile, the Headmaster spoke again:


    ?Our alumnus, Sir Aldric, will be released from the barrier half an hour after the start of the event. If you don''t want to get your hands dirty, he''ll take care of it. I think that''s about it, all I can say to you now is... good luck!?


    Skylark left the classroom, leaving us alone with Aldric, who remained motionless in his barrier, staring into nowhere.


    He didn''t look like he could even hurt a fly but something told me it wasn''t all a bluff.


    If this Aldric was the real deal and had even a fraction of the power described in the countless books I had read about him, we were doomed.


    I bit my lip.


    "We have to find a way to avoid him..."


    I doubted even Sophia would be able to do anything against him.


    A hand rested on my thigh again, but this time it was Amy''s.


    My friend seemed to be shaking with fear, but when she spoke it was to express her concern for me:


    ?Lizzie, are you ok?!?


    ?Um, yeah...?


    After the initial terror I had felt, staring into those dead eyes, I seemed to have calmed down quickly.


    Sure, I was scared of what was going to happen to us, but I hadn''t lost my mind.


    "I guess I should thank Finch if I meet him in the afterlife..."


    I would have done anything to protect Amy and Sophia, even if it meant facing my idol.


    "My idol... my guiding light..."


    Maybe that was what Amy was worried about.


    "Shouldn''t I be... more... shocked?"


    Aldric had been everything to me in the past. His story had shown me the path I wanted to take in my future by making me realise that I could aspire to something other than the boredom of my small town, and as such had given my life meaning. And for that...


    "I should be devastated..."


    Even if Aldric''s entire story was not complete fiction, its triumphant conclusion was a lie.


    His strength had only led him to become a human weapon in the hands of the Crown, so much for the hero of the common people.


    "But why... am I so calm?"


    ?Let''s go! We have to come up with a plan.?


    I followed Sophia and Amy, my mind still trying to come up with an answer to that question.


    <hr>


    ?I think the best thing to do is to stay as far away from Aldric as possible and wait for this to blow over. Fighting is risky, we could be targeted by several groups of students.


    Elizabeth, you wouldn''t happen to know any magic that would allow us to monitor Aldric, would you?... Elizabeth, are you listening?!?


    ?Um... yes, sorry...?


    We had moved to Amy''s room, the closest to the classroom, to plan a strategy. But while Sophia and Amy were talking, my thoughts had returned to that question.


    ?This is no time to have your head in the clouds!? Sophia blurted out.


    But she quickly seemed to regret that rash reaction and put a hand on my shoulder and said:


    ?I''m sorry... I know it can''t be easy to see the person you were inspired by reduced to that state. But you said it yourself, last time, after the tournament... we can''t afford to hesitate.?


    "Maybe she thinks I''m getting cold feet like last time..."


    But it was the opposite that had confused me.


    But she was right, this was not the time to think about it.


    ?Don''t apologise, you''re right. Unfortunately, I don''t think there''s anything I can do to keep an eye on him. The only thing I can think of is to summon a familiar, but I never learned how to do that.?


    ?I see...?


    ?We could ask Celeste to come with us. Maybe she knows how to do it...? Amy tried with a hint of a voice.


    ?No,? Sophia replied quickly.


    "So she hasn''t quite got over it," I thought.


    But Sophia immediately noticed the smirk I gave her.


    ?It''s not what you think. I just want to avoid being in too big of a group. If our strategy is to hide and avoid confrontation, it''s better to be fewer in number to attract less attention.?


    "If you say so..."


    But I quickly became serious again.


    "Avoid confrontation... But what will we do if we are forced to face Aldric?"


    Running was probably the best idea.


    "But, not considering his magic power, if he moves those inhuman muscles we have no chance of escaping him."


    I looked at my two friends: Sophia was deep in thought again, Amy seemed to have calmed down for a moment, but I could still see her hands trembling on her lap.


    "If it''s necessary... I''ll at least try to slow him down."


    To be honest, I wasn''t sure if my spells would have any effect against such an opponent, but every second could be precious.


    "I don''t want to die, but if it means protecting these two..."


    Losing my life to Aldric would have been ironic.


    "If it wasn''t for him, I wouldn''t have fought so hard to get stronger and I might not even be here. He basically made me what I am."


    ?OH!?


    I had finally understood.


    My exclamation made both Amy and Sophia jump in surprise. I looked into Sophia''s eyes.


    "So that''s why..."


    But what should I do now? Telling her everything, would have been incredibly cruel to her if I had lost my life within a few hours.


    "But... it''s a precious moment I want to live before the end."


    I took a deep breath.


    ?Sophia... I need to talk to you.?


    ?Okay... does it have something do with why you just gave me a heart attack??


    ?Sort of...?


    ?So? Spit it out.?


    I looked at Amy, who nodded:


    ?I meant in private.?


    Sophia frowned:


    ?In private? What''s the matter with you? It''s almost as if you haven''t realised what''s going to be in store for us in a few hours!?


    ?I... that''s exactly why I need to talk to you now... I may never get another chance.?


    ?We still have some time. Go! I''ll wait for you here,? Amy interjected.


    Sophia still didn''t look convinced, but when I grabbed her hand, she let herself be led out of the room without resistance.


    "Where to?...!"


    As luck would have it, we had the perfect spot available.


    When we reached the roof, it was deserted, just as I had imagined.


    "It''s practically impossible to hide up here and there''s only one way out... This place will not be very popular today..."


    There were only three hours left before the battle and the sun was beginning to set.


    I let go of Sophia and approached the edge of the roof, holding out my hand. As I expected, it was stopped by an unseen force.


    "Freedom is so close... and yet so far away."


    ?How about we try to destroy this barrier and jump??


    Sophia huffed as she approached:


    ?I told you... if it were that easy, Skylark would have to be an idiot. I don''t know about you, but I''m not keen on exploding right now.?


    ?Maybe he''s counting on us not to call his bluff.?


    ?He may be, but I''m not going to risk it... while there''s still hope,? Sophia commented, ?so what do you have to tell me that''s so important? Are you sure it can''t wait until after the battle??


    ?I''ve read enough books to know that saying "I have something to tell you after the battle" would be akin to a death sentence!?


    This remark finally seemed to crack the seriousness Sophia had maintained since Skylark''s announcement. She smiled at me and remained silent, waiting.


    Strangely, the words came out easily:


    ?You know... I''ve been thinking, I''ve never told you much about my past. But it''s not like there''s much to say about it. When I was a little kid, everything was fine, but as soon as I got a little older, I began to feel that the small town I lived in was a prison. Every day was the same, passing slowly without anything interesting happening.


    The only moments of excitement were when a few traders arrived from the capital, bringing with them tales of the exploits of the most powerful wizards in the kingdom. But, soon, even these moments began to turn bitter.?


    My gaze wandered off into the distant clouds.


    ?My dream was to free myself from the shackles that kept me anchored to that boring mundanity. But those stories made me realise that my wish was unlikely to come true. After all, all those famous heroes I heard about belonged to the nobility, so what could an ordinary girl born in the middle of nowhere like me do? But that childish dream stayed with me, unbroken.?


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I smiled faintly.


    ?And that''s when Aldric came into the picture. The brightest star in the whole magical firmament. And he came from humble beginnings, just like me!


    Suddenly, my dream didn''t seem so unattainable, and thanks to him, I really started to believe in it.


    You know, I''ve been thinking lately... maybe Aldric was my first love after all. I don''t mean I loved the man himself, but what he represented for me.


    If love is the feeling that gives meaning to our lives, then for me he was exactly that. He was the light that guided me towards my goal: to push myself beyond my limits, to grow stronger until I could break free from the cage in which I was imprisoned, to fly away towards a future full of glory and adventure.


    It''s what has driven my life for so long... what has brought me this far. It is ironic that this path has only led me to another cage. Just like him.? I said as my hand touched the barrier again.


    ?Elizabeth...?


    I gestured with my hand to stop her:


    ?It''s ok, really! I realised it just some minutes ago,? I told her calmly, ?you see, when I saw him in that state I felt fear, anger and sadness but... not despair. That''s why I was confused... to be confronted with the proof that everything I believed in was a mere illusion should have destroyed me. But... it didn''t.?


    I paused a little, looking at the dying sun.


    ?The truth is that I had already left Aldric and what he represented to me behind. Don''t get me wrong, even if the man I admired may have never actually existed, I am still grateful to him for the influence he had on me, even though he brought me to this damn school. Without him, I wouldn''t be the same person I am.?


    "If I hadn''t come here, I wouldn''t have met Sophia after all... maybe I''m crazy like Celeste."


    I giggled, as Sophia looked at me confused.


    ?You see, it''s also because of your past that I realised it. The obsession with being stronger can itself be a chain if it is driven by the wrong reasons.


    In the end all I was trying to do by chasing Aldric was to try to hide my insecurities, it was because I wasn''t happy with who I was. I think the same applies to you, you are not chasing Aldric, but you want to get accepted by your parents.


    But going on this way... we will never be happy, because the strength we gain will never be enough if we don''t accept ourselves and our weaknesses first.


    I know you don''t like her, but look at Celeste: if she''s always so stupidly happy when she fights or trains it''s because she''s just doing it for fun!?


    Sophia still looked confused. It was clear she didn''t understand where the hell I was going with this.


    "The time has come..."


    ?You see... what I want to say is that if I wasn''t so shocked to see my dreams crumbling before me, it''s because since we''ve come here I''ve found new ones.


    I still want to get stronger, but not to become a hero or anything like that. No... I want to have the strength to break this cage that keeps us trapped, so that I can finally be free.


    I still don''t know what I want to do with my life, but instead of accepting the grim fate that awaits us here, I want to create a new path that belongs to me alone, without chasing anyone.


    And I want to do it together with you.?


    Sophia''s confused expression changed to one of surprise. But I wasn''t finished, this time I would leave no room for misunderstandings.


    I took her hands in mine and smiled at her:


    ?In the end, you could say that I have forgotten my first love because I have found another, one that is much closer to my heart. You! I love you, Sophia!?


    Her eyes widened even more. Her hands trembled in mine, but I squeezed them tighter.


    At my silence, Sophia began to stammer:


    ?I-I, a-as I told you the other day... you are the most important person to me, I also consider you my most important friend...?


    Whether she really misunderstood or was just trying to play dumb wasn''t important, I wasn''t going to let her. I wanted an answer, even if it wasn''t the one I desired.


    ?When I say I love you, I don''t mean as a friend. I want us to be more than that.


    I know we''re both girls and you might think it''s weird... but I want us to be a couple, with all that that entails.


    I''ve asked you this before, but this time I want a straight answer: what am I to you, Sophia?


    If you want us to remain friends, nothing will change. It will make me sad for a while, but I will accept it,? I interrupted her.


    At my words, the remnants of Sophia''s composure seemed to shatter into many small pieces. Her face turned so red that for a moment I feared she would evaporate before my eyes.


    Her lips trembled as if she were about to burst into tears.


    "I kinda feel guilty..."


    Having your best friend suddenly confess her love to you just a couple of hours before a deadly battle was not an easy situation to be in, especially for someone like her who struggled to express her feelings.


    But, to my surprise, the girl took a deep breath and when she spoke, her voice was firm again:


    ?I... I want to give you an answer, Elizabeth. But I''m really confused... I don''t want to hurt you because I don''t really understand how I feel...?


    I smiled at her. Sophia was taking this seriously, that was enough for now. I couldn''t really push her any further.


    ?I feel you. Before I confessed my feelings to you, I had to think about it a lot. I am sorry for putting you in such a difficult situation all of a sudden. Think about it and let me know...?


    A part of me couldn''t help but feel disappointed as I left her hands.


    "Maybe I was hoping for a scenario like "I''ve loved you all this time too!" or something like that..."


    But as soon as I let go, it was Sophia who grabbed me.


    ?You didn''t understand me, idiot. You said it... this might be the last chance we get. So if you want an answer... explain to me what love is, Elizabeth.?


    ?HUH?!?


    My face caught fire at that extremely embarrassing question. She too was, if possible, even redder than before. Together we could have heated a room.


    ?Um... okay.?


    I thought back to the questions I had asked myself a few nights before.


    ?I... my heart beats wildly when I''m with you, I often can''t think straight, and when I''m away from you... my thoughts always come back to you...?


    ?The same goes for me,? Sophia replied without hesitation.


    "..."


    ?I want you to be happy, I want to help you overcome your past traumas. I want to protect you and let you escape from this academy. I want to be always by your side and... I want no one to be there but me.?


    ?From what you''ve told me, it sounds like you''re much more at peace with yourself than I am... but otherwise, yes. I''m fine with Amy being around you, but... not... other people.?


    "Then she was really just jealous of Celeste after all..."


    ?Um and... I don''t think this is a temporary thing... I''ve been thinking about it for a long time. Loves can end, I know... but I want to believe that ours can last until the day I die!?


    ?If what I feel for you is love... I don''t want it to end.?


    There was one last thing that would undoubtedly mark the kind of relationship we would have in the future.


    "But telling her..."


    I swallowed and steeled myself.


    ?I... I think you are beautiful. From the first moment your face captivated me... but since you''ve started smiling more, I find you irresistible. I... want to hug you... k-kiss you and... do... o-other things.?


    "Please don''t ask me what I mean by that..."


    But Sophia had only needed to hear the word ''kiss'' to go into obvious panic. When she had calmed down, the look she gave me made my heart melt:


    ?I... you must have noticed... lately I feel like I want to be as close to you as possible. When I hold your hand... it gives me a strange... pleasant feeling.?


    "AAAAH! She''s so pure!"


    I was a pervert compared to her.


    But that was all I had...


    Sophia seemed to understand too. Finally, looking into my eyes, she said:


    ?I love you, Elizabeth. I don''t really care if people may find it weird. If it''s me you want... I''ll be your girlfriend. I will cause you as much trouble as usual, but I hope we can be happy together.?


    ?Sophia!?


    I hugged her with such strenght that I lifted her up in the air.


    "I guess all that training was useful after all."


    ?You don''t have to be so uptight... we''re a couple! You can let yourself go!? I said to her.


    ?I''M SO HAPPY I COULD DIE RIGHT NOW!? she shouted into my ear, deafening me.


    I looked at her, tears streaming down her face. It was the second time I had seen her cry, but this time it was from happiness.


    ?Don''t do that, please...? I replied.


    My face was wet with tears too.


    One or maybe both of us might lose our lives soon, but I was happy that I had created this extremely bright moment. It would have shed light even in the impenetrable darkness of death.


    After a while, we parted.


    ?But about what you said... I don''t really know how to behave. I have just learned to be a friend and now I have found myself a girlfriend...?


    ?I''m no expert myself... but I know where we can start.?


    As I brought my face closer to hers, I saw Sophia''s eyes widen before I closed mine.


    Our lips touched for the first time.


    For a moment, I truly felt like my heart was flying away, free of all thoughts and worries.


    The Academy, Skylark, Aldric and our likely tragic end all seemed so distant and insignificant.


    It was just me and her.


    But like everything else, this perfect moment came to an end.


    "If I want to win a future where I can feel like this forever... I''ll have to fight."


    ?That... was... amazing...? Sophia whispered.


    I wanted to remember our first kiss forever.


    But at Sophia''s words, an evil thought crossed my mind. I brought my face close to hers again.


    This time Sophia closed her eyes and offered me her lips in anticipation.


    But instead of kissing her, I stuck the tip of my index finger into her mouth.


    "I''m such an idiot..."


    Sophia opened her eyes wide and looked at me, bewildered.


    ?What the fuck...?!?


    ?Unsatisfied? You''ve been putting me through hell for the past week, touching and hugging me all the time.?


    ?How is it my fault that you waited until the last moment to talk to me? You''re a huge idiot!?


    ?Sorry... you''re right. It''s just that... my girlfriend is so cute that I couldn''t resist bullying her a little!? and I ran off in the direction of the magic seal, giggling.


    ?Cute?!? exclaimed Sophia, chasing after me.


    After all, if I had wanted a relationship made up only of tender moments, I would not have fallen in love with this girl.


    I was looking forward to making new, precious memories with her.


    But I had to overcome a huge obstacle.


    The battle for our future was about to begin.

 44. Prime candidate

    When Sophia and I returned to her room, hand in hand, Amy greeted us with the biggest smug look I had ever seen on her face.


    "If this is the price I have to pay for successfully confessing, all things considered, I''m fine with it."


    After a few moments of awkwardness, it was Sophia who spoke, after a few blatantly fake coughs.


    ?Okay... um... we''ve still got some time, we should take a look at the second floor before 9pm. We didn''t get a chance to look around last time, maybe there''s a good place to hide up there.?


    ?Shall I come with you? Or would you two rather be alone a bit more?? asked Amy, still grinning.


    It seemed that the fact that my confession had been successful had lessened the nervousness she had felt earlier.


    The same was true for me. I felt like I could have done anything right now.


    Chuckling at Sophia''s obvious panic, I replied:


    ?There''ll be time for our first date later! For now, let''s concentrate on staying alive, all three of us.?


    I stood and opened the door as Sophia whispered:


    ?Date...??


    "She''s so cute!"


    But as we walked through the school corridors towards the second floor, that light atmosphere began to fade.


    In fact, I couldn''t help but notice that some of the classmates we passed were looking in our direction with fear.


    "Sophia and I have killed before... and the second person I''ve killed was also begging for mercy. Maybe they think we''ll come after them once the fight starts."


    Indeed, using only cold logic, that would have been the best way to ensure our survival: to kill the 39 necessary students as soon as possible, before Aldric was freed from the barrier.


    But...


    "That duel changed me... but I didn''t become a monster..."


    If someone had tried to attack us though, I would have had no qualms about getting my hands dirty again.


    We climbed the steps of the entrance hall and reached our destination.


    ?Since we''re still safe for now, let''s split up,? Sophia said, ?let''s see if we can find something that can help us.?


    Amy and I nodded and headed off in opposite directions.


    I started to walk the corridors of the second floor alone. As I had noticed last time, the layout seemed to be identical to the west wing I was familiar with.


    I opened the first door in front of me to take a look.


    ?As I thought... these are the professors'' quarters.?


    I entered the small study and hurried to the bookshelf. It was full of old tomes about magic, nothing of interest.


    Then I had an idea:


    ?Skylark''s office!?


    I started running, trying to remember where it was in these corridors that all looked the same.


    "There was a cabinet full of documents in his room! I Maybe he left some clues!"


    I recognised one of the paintings I had seen last time, I was on the right track. But as I turned the corner, I bumped into someone.


    ?Ouch!... I''m sorry... oh Philemon!?


    The boy nodded at me. There was an unusual look of concern on his normally imperturbable face.


    ?What''s wrong?? I asked, ?Has something happened? Where is Celeste??


    The boy pointed to the last door in the corridor:


    ?I don''t know what''s got into her... I''ve never seen her like this.?


    "Oh..."


    I''d almost forgotten her reaction in class at the sight of Aldric.


    "Nice friend I am..."


    I headed for the door, which happened to be the one to Skylark''s office.


    ?Excuse me...?


    The study was exactly as I remembered it, except that it seemed to have been completely emptied. There were no papers on the desk and the cabinet was completely empty.


    "I should have guessed..."


    It had been pretty stupid of me to think Skylark would leave anything useful behind.


    Celeste was sitting on the floor in the corner. She was sobbing and holding what looked like a piece of parchment.


    ?Celeste?! What''s wrong??


    The girl looked up, her usual sophisticated make-up smudged with tears.


    ?Liz! I... this is so cruel!?


    I approached her and put my arm around her back. My friend rested her head on my shoulder and continued to sob.


    I held her close and waited for her to calm down.


    Finally, with a sigh, Celeste handed me the paper she had been clutching.


    ?Look!?


    ?What... what the hell?!?


    Aldric''s handsome face smiled at me from a picture. It was a younger version of the wizard I knew well, and had nothing to do with the creature I had seen a few hours ago.


    Next to the image were words written in an elegant handwriting that I remembered from my letter of acceptance: Skylark''s.


    Name: Aldric Highfield


    Status: Commoner


    Rank: Prime Candidate


    Special ability: xxxx


    Description: xxxx


    Evaluation: Combined with his incredible special ability, the subject has an outstanding mana capacity and great control over it.


    These characteristics make him one of the most interesting prospects for the purposes of the project. We recommend using the subject''s emotional weakness as a vehicle for his development.


    Some sections of the document appeared to have been deleted.


    "Prime candidate... project... development."


    As I imagined it, there was nothing natural about the state Aldric was in.


    "After this battle is over, I must shed light on all this."


    There was also another piece of information that could not be overlooked, one that would be much more relevant in the short term:


    "Special ability... he has an innate power."


    Now that I had read it, it seemed almost obvious to me that Aldric possessed one. Skylark obviously had no intention of revealing which one it was. That''s probably why he deleted that part.


    ?Celeste, where did you find this document??


    ?It was lying on the desk.?


    ?So Skylark wanted us to see it...?


    What for? Knowing him, it couldn''t have been good.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ?How could they have reduced him to that state... He was my hero and now... he almost looks like a monster!? Celeste complained.


    ?I understand, I was shocked too.?


    ?I wouldn''t say that, you seem pretty calm!?


    There was no time to explain why:


    ?Anyway... this document, can I keep it??


    ?Go ahead, but... do you think this project they''re talking about is what''s waiting for whoever wins between us? Will we end up being monsters like Aldric??


    Celeste had exactly the reaction I should have had. Seeing her certainties crumble before her eyes had shattered her eternal optimism.


    I took her face in my hands, as Sophia had done to me when I had felt hopeless.


    ?It doesn''t matter right now, Celeste. Just think about the fight ahead, ok? Just take deep breaths.?


    ?Okay...?


    ?And if that''s the case... we have to make them pay. Not just for what they''re trying to do to us, but for what they did to our idol.?


    ?You''re right... thank you Liz.?


    But as we exchanged these words, I heard a noise behind me.


    I turned around and...


    "I''m dead!"


    I immediately let go of Celeste''s cheeks as if they were boiling hot.


    But to my surprise, Sophia seemed completely calm.


    ?I finally found you!?


    ?Um, I was looking for clues and I...?


    ?Explain it to me on the way, there''s something you need to see!?


    ?Ok...?


    But before I could move, Sophia approached Celeste with a strange expression on her face.


    ?Um... Fitzroy... would you like to join us for the battle??


    ?HUH?!?


    Both Celeste and I let out an exclamation of surprise in unison, looking at Sophia as if she were an alien.


    "What the fuck?"


    Celeste was the first to recover and finally managed to put on her usual smile:


    ?Thanks for the offer... but it''s probably not a good idea. Phil and I have too many points after that tournament, I''m sure someone will come and try to take us out. With just two of us it will be harder to find us... but I really appreciate the offer!?


    ?I see... Let''s go, Elizabeth.?


    I followed her with my mouth open as Celeste waved at me.


    Once we were in the corridor, I asked quickly:


    ?Um, who are you? And what have you done with my girlfriend??


    ?Very funny...?


    ?No, seriously... I thought you said it was better to be in small groups and... it''s Celeste.?


    ?I spoke to her fianc¨¦ to ask him if he knew where you were... he told me you were trying to comfort her about what happened to Aldric. So... I thought... it would make you happy if I asked her.?


    ?Huh?!?


    ?I thought it would be a good time to bury the hatchet...?


    I grabbed her arm, giggling.


    ?What is it??


    ?Nothing... I love you!?


    ?Yeah, yeah... whatever...? but she blushed again, ?but if I see you touching her like that again, I''ll cut your hands off!?


    ?Roger!? I replied, bursting out laughing.


    ?Anyway, what did you want to show me??


    I got serious again and showed her the piece of parchment.


    I saw Sophia''s brow furrow, but after a while she sighed:


    ?This confirms the nature of what I found.?


    ?What...??


    ?Here.?


    Sophia pointed to the open door to her right.


    The room I entered was much larger than the offices I had visited so far. It was...


    ?A classroom?!?


    The structure of the room mirrored that of the lecture hall where we usually had classes, though considerably smaller.


    "Why is there a classroom up here?"


    There were numerous rows of raised seats that allowed one to observe...


    ?What the hell is that??


    It was no ordinary lectern. On the table was a strange glass contraption. Numerous glass spheres were connected by a series of intricate tubes. I had no idea what it was for. By its side were strange devices of various shapes. I approached and noticed that Amy was also here, looking through a large bookcase on the left side of the classroom.


    ?What the hell is this stuff??


    ?I was hoping you could tell me.?


    ?I''ve never seen anything like this before,? I replied lifting what looked like an oversized syringe with a strangely shaped needle.


    ?One thing''s for sure, someone has been studying something up here.?


    I shuddered.


    "Project... candidate... development..."


    ?Sophia... do you think this whole thing is a...?


    ?An experiment. More specifically, a human experiment, the first product of which is Sir Aldric.?


    As soon as Sophia uttered those words, a clear, loud voice rang through the room:


    ?15 minutes to the start of the event.?


    ?SHIT!? Sophia cursed, ?I bet that was his intention in bringing us up here. He wanted to waste our time and try and scare us!?


    ?It''s ok... we''ll be fine. I thought about it and... I think it''s better to stay in the corridors of the west wing. Unlike the second floor, we know the layout well. When the battle starts, I bet all the doors will open and we can use the rooms for cover if we are attacked.?


    ?Good idea... let''s go!? exclaimed Sophia nodding, ?Amy??


    ?Wait a minute... look at this!?


    The girl placed a large volume on one of the tables.


    I read the title:


    Advanced Magic Theory


    "Doesn''t sound like something I''d read before going to bed..."


    But then my eyes fell further down.


    Written by Evander Skylark


    "A book written by Skylark?"


    Come to think of it, there wasn''t anything strange about it. As much as I hated him, he certainly knew his stuff... actually, it was strange that I had never seen any of his publications until now.


    But then Amy turned to the first page, and as I read the book''s preface, I understood where she was going with this


    Evander Skylark is the most famous researcher of the nature of magic. His discoveries have catapulted the magical world several years forward.


    ?HUH?! The most famous researcher...?! But I had never heard of him before I came here!?


    It seemed that the deeper one dug into what the Academy was hiding, the more disturbing details came to the surface.


    ?Damn it... we''ll deal with this later!? blurted Sophia, ?Let''s go!?


    We hurried towards the exit and down the stairs. The atmosphere in the school had become even more sombre. There were only a few students left. The others must have been in position, ready to fight.


    We arrived outside Sophia''s room, at the far end of the west wing.


    Her owner was biting her fingernail. It seemed that our trip to the second floor had not helped her nerves at all.


    ?Are you all right, Sophia??


    ?What do you think??


    ?Sorry, stupid question.?


    Sophia met my eyes.


    ?If we face Aldric... don''t do anything dumb.?


    "She is on to me."


    ?Don''t you remember what I promised you? I have no intention of lettin-?


    ?Your promise doesn''t say anything about yourself,? Sophia interrupted, grabbing my wrist, ?don''t do anything stupid... please.?


    ?Aye aye!? I tried to joke, but Sophia''s grip tightened.


    It was then that the voice uttered the fateful words:


    ?Let the event begin.?


    Immediately I felt a chill, as if I had passed through a veil of icy water, and then... chaos broke out.


    In the distance, towards the common room, we could hear a cacophony of shouts and explosions.


    It seemed that no one had any intention of waiting for Aldric to begin his hunt.


    ?Incoming!? shouted Sophia as she stepped in front of me.


    The fireball that had been thrown from around the corner hit her sword and disappeared.


    ?Already?!?


    I pointed my wand in that direction and returned fire. The explosion that resulted from my spell swept away a large part of the floor. Without any intention of finding out if I had hit our mysterious attacker, I ran after Sophia and Amy, who had already headed in the opposite direction.


    Suddenly, however, I noticed a sudden movement coming from one of the rooms ahead of us to our right.


    ?STOP!? I shouted.


    My two friends stopped just in time. A gigantic spike of rock erupted from the door and crashed into the opposite wall.


    I didn''t have time to breathe a sigh of relief as the ceiling started to shake above us.


    "Shit, they want to crush us!"


    Like the trap of an old dungeon, the stone ceiling over us began to fall at an alarming rate.


    ?Let''s go back!?


    But as soon as I turned my head, I saw three figures in the distance coming towards us.


    "It''s like Sophia said, they''re coming for us..."


    The latter destroyed the spike of rock blocking our path, allowing us to move forward. I began to bombard our pursuers with spells, pointing my wand behind my shoulder.


    The stone spikes attacks from the rooms were relentless, but thanks to Sophia''s power we were able to continue without any problems.


    ?Soon we will reach the corridor leading to the entrance hall,? I said running to her side, ?do you think we should go there??


    ?Too risky! Let''s keep going around in a circle! We might lose them!?


    But as we rounded the corner we were confronted with an alarming sight. The two walls of the corridor in front of us were closing in like the fangs of a giant beast, blocking our way.


    ?Dammit! We can''t go through here, we have to turn back! It would take too much time to cut through all this stuff,? Sophia shouted.


    ?I''ve got an idea!? I grabbed her and Amy and pulled them into the next room.


    ?The spell protecting the rooms has been lifted, we can proceed by destroying the walls between them!?


    ?Good idea... but it seems we can''t escape this guy wherever we go. His power to control stone has an absurd radius if he''s one of those behind us. Let''s go through the rooms and try to catch him from behind!?


    Sophia began to make her way from room to room, tearing through the walls as if they were made of paper. Meanwhile, Amy and I kept an eye on the corridor from the doors, trying to see where our pursuers were.


    ?They seem to have disappeared... but they were right behind us a few minutes ago!?


    We decided to stop for a moment, to catch our breath.


    ?That was close...? Sophia sighed.


    Amy looked breathless. Unlike me, she hadn''t been trained by an iron sergeant.


    But the pause didn''t last long. The voice spoke again:


    ?15 minutes to the release of the examiner, 50 students remaining.?


    Barely fifteen minutes had passed and 14 people had died. But an unpleasant voice in my head thought:


    "I was hoping for more..."


    And then, as if by divine retribution, the world turned upside down.


    Amy, Sophia and I found ourselves pressed against the ceiling... and the floor began to shake.

 45. Melody of the end

    ¡°Shit!¡±


    I tried with all my might to pull my hand away from the ceiling, but the force crushing me against it was far too strong.


    "It almost feels like... the effect of Gravity Surge but in reverse!"


    Meanwhile, the stone floor beneath us began to swell, as if a huge leak underneath it was trying to rise to the surface.


    "Think Elizabeth... think...!"


    Luckily my wand was still in my right hand.


    "If it''s like that spell, then..."


    ?Gravity surge!?


    My spell countered the force pulling us towards the ceiling and we descended, remaining suspended in mid-air.


    ?Let''s go!?


    I increased the gravity in the room even more and managed to make us touch the ground. The floor was now full of cracks and I almost tripped over one.


    We immediately sprinted towards the right wall of the room. Sophia cleared a path for us with her sword and we barely made it through the hole when the floor behind us lifted completely and crashed violently into the ceiling. For good measure, we ran through a few more rooms before stopping.


    ?Th-that... w-was way too close,? I said, panting.


    A moment''s hesitation and we would have turned to mush.


    ?What the hell is going on? Every bloody student seems to know that spell by now. I thought it was hard to cast,? Sophia blurted out, panting as well.


    ?I don''t think it was Gravity Surge this time. As the name implies, the spell works by increasing the force of gravity. In this case it was reversed, like it was pushing us off the ground!?


    ?We don''t have time for a physics lesson! Are you saying it''s another innate power??


    ?Probably... but you''re right, we don''t have time. We have to face them, we can''t keep running away.?


    ?But we don''t even know where they are!?


    ?I have an idea.?


    Even if we were talking about innate powers and not spells, their range could not be infinite.


    Besides, if they had targeted the very room we were in, it meant they were keeping an eye on us.


    "So..."


    I placed my hand on one of the walls of the room and concentrated, expanding my mana. The flow I created passed through the stone without any difficulty.


    I tried to keep the feeling I was experiencing in my mind.


    "Okay...and now..."


    Careful not to be seen from outside the room, I approached the open door and barely leaned out, pointing my wand towards the corridor.


    The flow of mana I generated this time was much more powerful and I tried to spread it as far as I could, probing both sides of the hallway.


    After a few seconds, I felt my mana collide with something of a different consistency than mere stone.


    "Gotcha!"


    Coming out into the open, I pointed my wand at a specific section of the wall and shouted:


    ?Flare!?


    The surface of the wall exploded, revealing an empty space behind it from which two figures tumbled down onto the floor.


    Despite the cloud of dust created by my spell, I saw that they were already getting up.


    Sophia jumped out of the room and rushed towards them.


    ?Amy, wait here!?


    I didn''t wait for her answer and ran in that direction as well.


    Sophia was almost on top of her when she was thrown backwards and slammed into the opposite wall. A stone spike began to form in the ceiling above her.


    ?Fireball!? I shouted, aiming halfway between our two opponents, a short red-haired boy and a girl with long brown hair.


    The ground rose in front of them, forming a barrier that blocked my spell.


    Out of the corner of my eye I saw that the stone spike above Sophia had stopped moving.


    "It seems that whoever controls stone between them cannot activate their power in two spots at once."


    We were halfway down the corridor.


    Our two attackers had separated after my spell, the girl was on my left, one hand outstretched in front of her in Sophia''s direction, her wand in the other.


    "She must be the one pinning her to the wall... As I thought it has nothing to do with gravity."


    I threw a Fireball in her direction with my left hand, while attacking the boy on my right with my wand:


    "Water cannon!"


    A powerful jet of water roared in his direction, but the ground rose in front of him, shielding him.


    "Unless they are trying to trick me, he must be the stone-shaper."


    Meanwhile, the girl had blocked my spell with a water shield and was slowly approaching Sophia.


    The latter seemed to be doing everything she could to resist the invisible force holding her against the wall.


    A vein pulsed in her temple and I could see tears of frustration in her eyes. Lately it seemed she was destined to be powerless in any confrontation we had...


    "But I will protect her."


    I continued to throw fire darts at the female student, trying to stop her from moving, while amplifying the water jet as much as I could.


    The stone barrier protecting the boy began to crack, but I soon realised it was useless. Every time it came close to breaking, other stone would rise to reinforce it.


    "Fuck... of course we have to fight this guy in a fucking stone building!"


    The guy had an almost infinite supply of materials for his power.


    Suddenly I saw something moving down the corridor to my right.


    ?Fireball!?


    I was just in time to summon a water shield to block the attack coming from around the corner.


    My heart sank.


    "How could I forget... There were three of them following us!"


    More spells were being cast from around the corner, forcing me to doublecast to defend myself while maintaining Water Cannon active.


    Now that she no longer had to fend off my attacks, I saw the girl on my left point her wand at Sophia, now completely helpless, her trembling hands still anchored to the wall, making it impossible for her to deflect the spell.


    ?Fireball!?


    ?Water shield!?


    The spell vanished before it reached her.


    "... Amy!"


    My friend was leaning out of the door of a room further down the corridor, her wand pointed at the girl holding Sophia down.


    "Good thing she didn''t listen to me... I''ll have to apologise to her later!"


    But we hadn''t won yet; even if Amy had taken my place to protect Sophia, I still had to find a way to get rid of the opponent in front of me.


    As if he had read my mind, the boy suddenly jumped to his right.


    "FUCK!"


    My Water Cannon finally managed to pierce his stone shield, but crashed into the wall, missing the boy. The stone spike that had formed in the ceiling above Sophia began to shake again.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Meanwhile, a Fireball was whizzing towards me from around the corner.


    I only had a second to think.


    Completely ignoring the attack that was about to hit me, I focused everything I had into a single spell.


    ?Water Cannon!? I shouted again.


    The red-haired boy in front of me tried to protect himself by raising the floor as a shield again.


    This time though, since I was no longer splitting my mana, the jet of water was so powerful that it instantly shattered the barrier.


    The boy was lifted and sent crashing into the wall behind him, sliding to the floor unconscious, leaving behind a trail of blood.


    ?Water sh-?


    But it was too late.


    I had just time to catch sight of a blinding light to my right. I heard a deafening boom as I was sent flying.


    ?ELIZABETH!?


    Sophia''s scream seemed to come from very far away. My ears were ringing and the right side of my body felt like it was on fire.


    I steeled myself and tried to stand, but my legs didn''t seem to want to move.


    I managed to lift my head, which was still spinning.


    The explosion had sent me flying next to Sophia, who was looking at me with a terrified expression.


    "It''s ok... now that the stone shaper is out of the game, we can win without a problem - OH NO!"


    I had just realised that I was no longer holding my wand.


    "It must have slipped out of my hand when I was hit by the Fireball!"


    I looked up to see the brown-haired girl pointing her wand at me:


    ?Fireball!?


    I raised my hand and shouted again:


    ?Water shield!?


    My wandless barrier was just enough to negate the spell.


    But another one came my way immediately.


    ?Water shield!?


    This time it was Amy who protected me.


    "But... this situation... we''re screwed!"


    Meanwhile, our two opponents were approaching.


    The girl was slowly walking towards Sophia, while our other mysterious enemy had finally made himself visible. A thin boy was now running down the corridor in our direction, continuing to cast spells.


    "I don''t have the strength to stop a physical attack right now, if they reach us, we really are screwed!"


    It was a hopeless situation.


    There was only one thing that could save us. And just then a voice echoed out:


    ?The examiner is now in action, 37 students remaining...?


    "It''s over... still 12 more people to go before this massacre is over."


    I tried desperately to doublecast some offensive spells to stop the girl who was inexorably approaching Sophia.


    She stopped to defend herself. But it was no use... her ally was now only a few metres away.


    I saw him draw his sword, raise it above his head...


    As the boy passed the door to a nearby room, something lit up.


    "What...?"


    An explosion suddenly went off, hitting our opponent and sending him flying legs first.


    ?Fireball!?


    I heard Amy yell behind me.


    The brown-haired girl conjured up a shield. But I didn''t miss my chance.


    ?Lightning Bolt!?


    My weak electric jolt seemed to do little damage to her.


    The girl, seemingly impatient, drew her sword and threw herself at me, her hand still pointing at Sophia...


    Sophia, however, seemed to have finally managed to pull an arm away from the wall and was holding it in front of her, as if in some strange meditation position.


    Even as the steel blade fell upon me, I couldn''t take my eyes off my girlfriend.


    Her expression was calm and focused.


    And suddenly her hand came down and...


    She disappeared.


    It only took the blink of an eye.


    Sophia was no longer pinned to the wall.


    She was behind my attacker, her hand protruding from her chest.


    The hot blood of our opponent poured over me as her now lifeless body slid over me.


    Soon, however, her corpse was lifted and I found myself face to face with Sophia and Amy, who were looking at me worriedly.


    ?Lizzie! My goodness, your side!?


    I lowered my eyes, only to raise them again in disgust at the sight of the blisters that had formed on my skin.


    ?Let''s get you to a bed,? Sophia said.


    ?NO!? I yelled, ?help me get up, Aldric has started to move... we have to get away from him.?


    ?But...?


    ?No buts, it hurts like hell, but I''ll survive.?


    I bit my tongue as my two friends grabbed my arms.


    But suddenly I felt the person supporting me on my right loosen her grip.


    ?Huh? Sophia? SOPHIA?!?


    I saw her fall backwards, but I didn''t have the strength to support her. We both fell, but luckily Amy managed to support us at the last moment, preventing us from hitting our heads.


    ?SOPHIA?! What''s wrong?!?


    I put my hand to her cheek. Her face was extremely pale. The girl opened her eyes weakly and looked at me as if to apologise:


    ?It... it seems my body didn''t like the way I used my pow-?


    Her voice was cut off by a loud coughing fit.


    I watched in horror as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.


    ''...''


    My head began to spin and I felt a growing sense of nausea.


    "This is a nightmare... it must be a nightmare."


    A hand rested on my shoulder, gently pushing me away.


    Amy slipped an arm around Sophia''s back and lifted her up with great difficulty.


    ?Amy...?


    ?I''m sorry but you''re going to have to get up on your own Lizzie, I''m not strong enough to lift both of you...?


    I nodded.


    The pain was so bad I wanted to scream, but eventually I stood up, my legs shaking.


    ?Come on, let''s get her to the bed... right now all we can do is hope that no one comes through here before the end,? Amy said, taking charge.


    Slowly, supporting a now unconscious Sophia, she made her way to the nearest door.


    I limped after her.


    As I recovered my wand from the ground, my gaze stopped on our third opponent, who had been hit by an explosion whose cause I didn''t know.


    ?Amy... that guy... was it you who...?


    ?Ugh... yes, when you told me to stay put, I took the opportunity to place magic seals in the doors to the rooms I could reach thanks to the gaps Sophia had created,? Amy replied, laying the


    latter down on the bed, ?I thought it would be useful if someone else came to attack us.?


    ?You''re brilliant... sorry I treated you like you were useless... you saved us both.?


    Amy huffed:


    ?What are you talking about... it''s because you forced me to stay hidden that I was able to help you. You know, Celeste once told me: "People like you can''t win in an honourable duel, the only way to fight is to play dirty".?


    Amy sat down in a chair, exhausted.


    With all the strength I had in my legs, I approached Sophia''s bedside.


    ?I think she''s just fainted,? Amy said.


    Indeed, her pulse seemed normal and her breathing was regular.


    "What the hell did you do Sophia... After you told me not to do anything stupid!"


    I ran a hand through her hair.


    Maybe that was the first moment I really realised that Sophia wasn''t actually immortal.


    "Please... if there is any kind of god out there... let this battle end quickly..."


    The minutes passed.


    An explosion in the distance.


    Screams.


    Every moment I prayed it would be the end of this nerve-wracking wait.


    But the magical voice did not speak.


    On the contrary, a particularly close explosion sent my heart into my throat.


    I approached the door with trembling steps.


    I saw a shadow stretching across the corridor.


    "N-no no no... why... WHY?!"


    A towering figure entered my vision.


    Its black robe was stained red with its victims'' blood.


    I pressed myself against the wall before he could notice me.


    But the thud of his heavy footsteps was a melody that sounded the end of the sweet dream I had been living these past weeks.


    No god would come to save us.

 46. Nevermore

    My eyes moved quickly from Amy, catching her breath in the chair, to Sophia, still unconscious on the bed.


    There was no time to think.


    "If I do nothing and Aldric finds us... we will all die!"


    I pointed my wand at my injured side.


    Healing spells were something I had always been bad at but, by imitating the movements I had seen the healers do in the infirmary, I managed to ease the pain a little.


    "It should at least allow me to keep going for a while."


    I turned to Amy and whispered, trying to keep a firm tone:


    ?Amy, Aldric is coming. I need you to stay here and protect Sophia, okay??


    I saw her eyes widen as she understood the meaning of my words.


    ?L-?


    Before she could scream, I lunged at her, my body screaming for mercy from the pain in my side, despite my healing spell.


    I covered her mouth with my hand. I couldn''t let Aldric hear us.


    ?We don''t have time, Amy, he''s on his way! I will try to lure him away and keep him occupied until the event is over... If we wait here, we risk all three of us dying! You were great before, but now it is time for me to keep my promise.?


    Her eyes were filled with tears, but she nodded weakly.


    ?Thank you... thank you for always being my friend, despite everything,? I sighed, caressing her cheek.


    Without giving her time to respond, I quickly moved close to Sophia and kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear:


    ?I''m sorry... your girlfriend never learns.?


    I approached the door and, leaning out slightly, peered into the hallway.


    Aldric was about ten metres from me, intent on looking into one of the rooms to our left.


    "Time to see if the stories about him are true."


    I stepped out into the open, closing the door behind me and pointing my wand at Aldric:


    ?Fireball!?


    My voice caught his attention and, a moment before his figure was engulfed in the flames of my spell, I saw his vacant eyes shift to mine.


    "He didn''t even try to defend himself."


    Suddenly, I saw something shimmer in the midst of the cloud of smoke created by my spell.


    Instinctively, I jumped to the side. A flash of light blinded me and I felt a wave of heat scalding my legs.


    "What the... hell..."


    When I regained my sight, I noticed that the spot on the ground where I had been standing had opened up into a large crater.


    But it didn''t look like the result of an ordinary explosion.


    No... it looked as if the stone had been completely vaporised at the point of impact, while below and around it the ground had melted and turned to magma.


    "This... must be his signature spell!"


    It had no name. After all, a mage like Aldric had no need for incantations and no one else would ever be able to cast such magic.


    There were several theories as to how it worked. Only one thing was certain: the result.


    A beam so high in temperature that it could melt any material and penetrate any defence. A spell capable of defeating the Demon King in a single blow.


    "So... at least some of the stories were true..."


    By now the smoke had cleared. As I expected, Aldric was completely unharmed.


    "His clothes don''t look burned either... maybe he had an active barrier protecting him? Or perhaps..."


    But my former idol had no intention of letting me think.


    His right hand, pointed at me, shimmered again.


    ?Typhoon!?


    I unleashed a powerful blast of wind at Aldric, trying to knock him off balance while using the recoil of the spell to widen the distance between us.


    I was thrown backwards, and this time, squinting, I could see my opponent''s spell at work.


    A beam of pure light shot out of his hand and, in an instant, a large section of the ground disappeared as if it had never existed.


    "Without a wand..."


    My spell, on the other hand, didn''t even seem to have ruffled his hair.


    "Either he has an innate power similar to Finch''s, or he has an active barrier... but can he really cast such powerful spells while splitting his mana?"


    I landed at the end of the corridor, cushioned the fall with another spell, and turned the corner.


    "If he fights like this... I have a chance."


    But out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked like a bolt of black lightning behind me.


    "What...!"


    I threw myself to the ground as a beam of light passed over me. I patted my hair, which seemed to be on fire.


    But as I desperately tried to stand up, I felt an iron grip tighten around my neck.


    ?AAAAAAH!?


    I screamed in pain as I felt my vertebrae creak eerily.


    Suddenly I was lifted off the ground until I was inches from his face. As I had noticed a few hours earlier, there seemed to be no sense in his eyes.


    But I only had a second to formulate the thought.


    Suddenly I heard them:


    Desperate screams.


    A cacophony of pain.


    I realised that both my attacker and I were enveloped in what seemed to be a thick, dark mist.


    I felt my stomach turn.


    It was as if Aldric, by grabbing me, had lowered me into a dark swamp whose foul waters were trying to make their way through every orifice of my body.


    As I stared into his eyes, I felt that even my sanity was about to be drowned in that deep abyss of despair.


    Aldric raised his other hand and placed it in front of my face.


    A blinding light shone.


    ?P-phase shift!?


    Aldric''s grip closed completely, passing through my neck.


    ?Speed!?


    I immediately cast one of the buffs I had learnt and made my escape as the entire right wall of the corridor vaporised.


    "He really is a... monster!"


    I glanced over my shoulder.


    Aldric had both hands outstretched in front of him.


    "NO WAY! But he can''t have an active barrier now!"


    ?METEOR!?


    I immediately cast the spell, only to dodge to the left and hurl myself into one of the rooms.


    I rolled on the floor as an inferno of light flashed behind me.


    "Two of those spells at once... and what the hell was that?!"


    Those screams and that atmosphere I felt... it was like a circle of damned souls swirling around him.


    But there was no time to breathe.


    Using one of the openings Sophia had created earlier, I immediately moved into the next room.


    Through the door I could see the devastation Aldric had caused in the corridor, it was almost as if he had turned into the inside of a volcano.


    I kept moving, staying alert.


    "Have I lost him?"


    Caw


    "What?"


    I turned around. A raven was staring at me with its gleaming black eyes, perched on the desk in the room I was in.


    "Wha... shit, a familiar!"


    I didn''t have time to cast a spell at the creature before the towering figure of Aldric appeared outside the door.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Don''t tell me he can teleport!"


    ?Phase shift!? I shouted again, hurling myself through the back wall.


    I burst into a new room and immediately deactivated the spell.


    I felt like I was going to faint.


    "I''m running out of mana..."


    But before I could take another step, the wall behind me exploded and the resulting blast of air threw me forward and out of the room.


    I landed on the floor.


    As I struggled to get up, I saw a crater to my right.


    "Shit, I''m back here... close to the room where Amy and Sophia are hiding!"


    I turned around. As inexorable as death, Aldric''s figure emerged from the cloud of dust.


    "How long until the end...''"


    But now that there were few students left and Aldric was focused on me, it was normal that the pace of the slaughter had slowed down.


    I saw Aldric''s hands glow in a familiar way.


    ?Typhoon!?


    Again I used a gust of wind to dodge the two deadly beams coming my way.


    If I was still alive, I had to thank the fact that Aldric did not fight with finesse and technique, but only with sheer brute force.


    Had he used his incredible magic more cleverly, there would have been no hope for me.


    It was as if I was being chased by a ferocious animal, incredibly stronger than me, but not very smart.


    "But he still managed to summon a familiar... maybe deep down, the wizard he once was still exists," I thought as I landed a few metres away.


    Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aldric appear in the middle of the corridor, leaving a smoldering trail on what was left of the floor.


    "It''s not that he''s teleporting... he''s so fast I can''t see his movements!"


    I didn''t have time to realise that Aldric was already standing in front of me, his hand glowing.


    There wasn''t even a scratch or a tear in his black robe, my Meteor hadn''t even scratched him.


    "When spells don''t work..."


    I dodged to the right just in time and threw myself against the wall. I drew my sword in one fluid motion.


    ?Boost Sharpness!?


    My blade glowed with blue light as I brought it down on Aldric''s outstretched arm.


    The metal melted like snow in the sun and I found myself with only the hilt in my hand.


    I let out a hysterical laugh.


    ?Ahahahahahahah-?


    Aldric''s foot reached my left side.


    I felt some of my ribs crack as I was thrown violently against the wall.


    Fortunately, my head did not hit the hard stone, but when my burnt side was crushed, the pain was so great that I thought I would go mad.


    I collapsed to the floor. Every inch of my body seemed to be begging me to end its suffering. Perhaps it was a wish that would soon be granted.


    Aldric towered over me.


    Barely lifting my head, I saw myself once more in his dull eyes.


    The oppressive mist hovered around us, enveloping us in an intimate, mortal embrace.


    "It almost looks like... mana..."


    A blinding light flashed in front of me.


    "So... this is how it ends... killed by the person I admired so much. Poetic."


    The light grew stronger, but not from Aldric''s hand, but... from above.


    ?Stone shield!?


    The ceiling exploded, releasing a shower of rocks. Aldric''s figure disappeared beneath them.


    I tried to shield my head, but saw a stone dome floating above my head, protecting me.


    Someone grabbed my hand and pulled me with great force. I quickly aimed the wand at my broken ribs, the pain barely subsided.


    With all the will I had left, I allowed my rescuer to help me to my feet.


    ?Lizzie! We need to move!?


    I nodded, and after casting "Speed" on both of us, we began to run.


    ?Amy... how...??


    ?Like before... when I saw you and Aldric were no longer in the corridor, I traced seals on the ceiling... I thought I''d activate them in case someone came to attack me and Sophia... but when I saw what was happening...?


    ?Amy¡­?


    ?I''m sorry... I know you told me to stay there and protect Sophia but... How could I watch you die!? Anyway, I don''t think anyone''s going in that room... and Aldric...?


    I glanced over my shoulder...


    The monster had already surfaced, moving the large chunks of stone that had buried him as if they were feathers. I saw his eyes fixed on me again.


    By now he had chosen me as his prey.


    ?Don''t you dare apologise, Amy... this is the second time you''ve saved my life today.?


    ?And I hope to do it a third time... I''ve got an idea!?


    ?Nothing will work Amy... Aldric... he''s invincible, he''s a real monster.?


    ?That''s why we''re not going to fight him... we''re going to trap him!?


    In the meantime, we had broken into the entrance hall. The scene I was confronted with made me want to vomit.


    The white marble floor, now riddled with craters, was littered with charred corpses.


    I could see an expression of pure horror frozen on the faces of some of them. Others were just a mess of burnt flesh with no recognisable features.


    ?Up the stairs,? Amy said.


    ?What''s your plan...??


    ?The magic seal that gives access to the roof! If we send Aldric up there and then destroy it, he''ll be trapped!?


    ?Destroy it? How are y-?


    ?We don''t have time! Will you just do what I say for once in your life, Lizzie?


    I''ve spat blood to learn all I can about these damned seals, because apparently it''s the only thing I''m good at! You said it, I saved your neck twice today. So stop doubting me and do what I tell you,? Amy interrupted me with a determined look on her face.


    I looked at her with my mouth hanging open. But I quickly collected myself and nodded.


    "In my eagerness to keep my promise, I did nothing but treat her like a burden today... when in the end she proved to be much more steel-hearted than I am."


    ?What do you want me to do, Amy??


    ?Just lure Aldric in there,? she said pointing to the room with the magic circle, ?I''ll take care of the rest...?


    Lure him... well, that wasn''t hard. After all, he seemed to have a soft spot for me. Soon he would be here.


    "But he''s so fast, if I enter that room I risk him grabbing me and I''d be stuck on the roof with him too..."


    So fast...


    "...!"


    It would have been comical if it had worked.


    But it was all I could think of.


    ?Here he comes, Lizzie!?


    ?Get down, he might throw one of his beams!?


    Amy obeyed.


    I positioned myself in front of the door that led to the magic circle.


    Aldric was staring at me from under the stairs.


    "In a few seconds..."


    Aldric disappeared from my view.


    ?Frost field!? I shouted as I dodged out of the way.


    The ground around me turned to ice.


    Suddenly, a thud echoed through the room behind me.


    ?AMY NOW!?


    Unable to stop his momentum on the slippery floor, Aldric had landed in there.


    A bright light shone beneath him and he disappeared from my sight.


    Amy was ready.


    She slashed the air with her wand and a line was drawn on the floor. The magic seal shone once more before fading away.


    ?We...?


    ?We got him!?


    My legs gave out and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.


    ?IT''S OVER!?


    Amy smiled at me, but soon her expression turned serious again.


    ?It''s not over yet Lizzie, let''s get back to Sophia,? she walked over to me and put an arm around my waist, ?come on, I''ll give you a hand...?


    ?Amy... thank you. It''s all thanks to you, you''ve been amazing... I''m sorry for the way I treated you,? I whispered to her as she helped me to my feet.


    ?Don''t worry, you''re the one who kept that monster at bay the whole time. I would never have made it out alive. Also sorry for lashing out at you...?


    ?But I would have died in the end... you saved my life...?


    Amy huffed, but I saw her smile.


    ?You know... all this time I thought I would spend my life chasing after you... but today I almost feel like I got to walk beside you for once!? she said as we descended the stairs.


    I stared at her, trying to look away from the bodies of Aldric''s victims.


    "This smile... it''s the old Amy''s smile."


    I used the last of my strenght to hug her tightly.


    ?Lizzie?! This is not the moment!?


    ?I''m sorry... I''ll never leave you behind again...?


    ?From tomorrow it''s going to get even harder you know...?


    ?Don''t worry... we''ll get home soon... Toget-.?


    Caw


    A mournful cry interrupted me.


    Caw


    I looked up.


    A black bird was circling above our heads.


    ?...?


    ?What''s a raven doing in here??


    An explosion in the distance.


    The whole building seemed to shake.


    ?AMY! WE MUST RUN-?


    The ceiling above us collapsed and in a shower of stones, a black figure descended upon us like an angel of death.


    The impact of his landing knocked us backwards, creating a huge crack in the already devastated floor of the entrance hall.


    "... this can''t be happening."


    In a flash, Aldric was in front of me. I felt his foot slam into my femur.


    ?AAAAH!?


    I was sent backwards. My leg bent unnaturally.


    Aldric never took his eyes off me as he advanced.


    But before he could reach me, someone was standing in front of me.


    "NO..."


    ?AMY, NO, GET AWAY, IT''S ME HE WANTS!?


    But Aldric was on her.


    The spell Amy had cast died harmlessly before it reached him, and the man lifted the tiny girl by the neck.


    ?NOOO!?


    I began to cast spells at his legs, but nothing seemed to work. By now I had used up almost all my reserves of mana.


    ?NOOOO!?


    I crawled desperately along the floor, sobbing and screaming. I reached Aldric''s legs and reached out a hand.


    An unseen force prevented me from touching him and burned my hands.


    ?AAAAAH!?


    I slumped to the ground, pounding my fists on the floor.


    Finally I looked up.


    Aldric was holding a hand in front of Amy''s face.


    It was glowing.


    But the girl wasn''t looking at him...


    Her gaze was fixed on me, a pained smile on her mouth.


    ?PLEASE, I BEG YOU, DON''T DO THIS!?


    A flash of light.


    That smile lit up like a star in a dark night.


    And then it faded... never to shine again.


    ?NOOOOOOOOOOO!?


    I let go completely, closing my eyes and pressing my face to the floor.


    Nothing made sense anymore.


    I felt a faint thud.


    It was probably what was left of Amy falling to the floor.


    Footsteps.


    A bright light piercing the darkness even though my eyes were closed.


    "We''ll be together again, Amy... side by side..." I thought.


    I felt a hand grab me and pull me violently away.


    ?Elizabeth...?


    I opened my eyes wide.


    ?S-...?


    I didn''t even have the strength to speak.


    Sophia laid me down against the wall. She was still pale, but her hands seemed steady as she drew her sword.


    "No... I can''t lose her too."


    But my body refused to move.


    Sophia lunged at Aldric, who had remained motionless.


    Her blade fell on him and... an explosion sent her far away.


    "NO!"


    Sophia landed on the ground.


    Aldric took a step towards her.


    "No... don''t take her from me too..."


    But something was off.


    For the first time, Aldric''s eyes were no longer on me, but on Sophia.


    The wizard stopped suddenly and put a hand to his head.


    The ominous aura that seemed to be hovering around him grew stronger. Aldric opened his mouth and a wail seemed to come from it.


    For the first time, something lit up in his eyes... what seemed like a small, insignificant flicker in a bottomless pit.


    A glimmer of consciousness.


    My mind cleared for a moment.


    I grabbed my wand.


    "What can I do... spells don''t work on him..."


    But as I looked at him, my eyes fell to his feet.


    I saw a beam of light coming from a crack in the floor, illuminating his boots.


    "... Is there something under the floor?"


    There was no time for questions.


    ?FLARE!?


    I aimed at the crack, using every last bit of mana I had left.


    The crack widened, the floor collapsed and Aldric''s figure disappeared from my sight.


    Soon I felt my consciousness begin to leave me.


    But not before I heard a voice,


    ?25 students remaining... the event is over.?


    Fate could be unfair.


    It was too late.


    My promise had been broken.


    A star in my sky had gone out forever.


    I would never hear her call me Lizzie again.


    We would never go home together.


    And I would never see her smile again.

 47. Memories of You

    Knock knock


    A persistent knocking sound woke me from my sleep.


    "Again..."


    I wiped the tears from my eyes and lay back in bed.


    "I must have dreamed that scene again."


    It had been two, no, maybe three days since the end of the battle.


    When I had recovered from fainting, I had found myself in one of the beds in the infirmary. Sophia was asleep, her head resting on my bed and her hand entwined with mine.


    I had freed myself from her grasp without waking her up and had slipped out to come here, to my room, which I had never left.


    Sophia had come looking for me shortly afterwards, but since the protection spells had been reactivated, she had been faced with a locked door.


    Of course, thanks to her power she could have entered anyway, but so far she had chosen not to. She probably wanted to give me time to process what had happened.


    My stomach rumbled for the umpteenth time. I hadn''t eaten since that cursed day.


    Knock knock


    I continued to ignore the knocking.


    Apart from Sophia, Celeste had also visited me several times, but I had not opened the door to her either.


    Nothing made sense anymore.


    Slowly withering away seemed the best way to spend my last days at the Academy.


    "My life would have ended here, in this room, the first week, if it hadn''t been for Amy. If she hadn''t convinced Sophia to help me... I would never have been saved."


    But now there was nothing Sophia could do. The hope she had instilled in me was now dead and buried.


    In the end, the decision I had made that September morning was the right one: there was no point in continuing to fight.


    Neither she nor I would be able to do anything against him.


    "Aldric..."


    I replayed the scene in my mind for the umpteenth time: an inhuman figure who, without a moment''s hesitation, extinguished the existence of a tiny, smiling girl.


    I ran to the bathroom.


    This too was a scene that had repeated itself over and over again.


    As I had not eaten, what I threw up was just stomach acid. It was ironic to think that his face would elicit this reaction from me.


    I laughed hysterically as I thought about the speech I had given to Sophia.


    "My new dreams, huh?"


    No... there was no such thing. My old dream had returned, transformed into a nightmare from which there was no escape.


    Just as there was no escape from this academy.


    If we tried to run away, I was sure they would use Aldric as a hound to catch us.


    This condemned us to the only possible fate. We were to duel until only two students remained.


    If it had been me and Sophia, one of us would have had to kill the other.


    "I thought we had made so much progress... that we had become stronger... but in the end, we were both right from the beginning."


    "I don''t want to kill a friend..."


    She was right.


    And now that we were even closer, it would be even more painful.


    I had seen my best friend die before my eyes. Soon the same could have happened to the woman I loved.


    This was the ending that had been written for us, and all our actions up to this point had simply followed the script that had been given to us.


    "We should never have got closer to one another..."


    I lay in bed and soon slipped into a restless sleep, amidst nightmares filled with flashes of light and cawing ravens.


    <hr>


    ?Elizabeth... I''m coming in.?


    The time had come. I knew that Sophia wouldn''t wait forever.


    "She must be very worried about me."


    I had thought and thought about how to talk to her, but in the end...


    "I don''t have the strength to do anything but ignore her. I''ve done nothing but stay in bed... but I''m so tired..."


    I saw the tip of her sword slip between the door and its frame.


    I turned to the other side of the bed, facing the wall.


    I heard Sophia''s light footsteps enter the room, accompanied by a faint clinking sound.


    ?Elizabeth... I brought you some food,? she said softly.


    At my silence, I heard Sophia approach. The bed sank as she sat on its edge.


    ?You haven''t eaten in two days... please... at least a few bites.?


    I continued to stare at the wall, ignoring her.


    ?Elizabeth... I understand...?


    ?You don''t understand a damn thing.?


    The words came out of my mouth without me even noticing.


    There was a moment of silence.


    ?You''re right... I''m sorry. I don''t know how you feel, but... I want to do what I can to help you.?


    ?I don''t need help... I just want you to leave me alone.?


    I felt anger boiling inside me. For some reason it was unbearable to hear Sophia talk to me like this,


    I had decided to ignore her but part of me seemed to want nothing more than to shout at her.


    But Sophia did not let those words stop her:


    ?I can''t... I can''t leave you alone like this... I can''t leave you until you''ve eaten something.?


    I took a deep breath and tried to compose myself.


    For some reason I felt I was on the verge of losing control.


    ?I''m sure Amy wouldn''t...?


    The tray she was holding smashed against the wall, spilling its content.


    I saw her eyes widen in surprise as we finally faced each other.


    ?Elizabeth... what...??


    ?Don''t you dare finish that sentence. Amy''s dead... you can''t speak for her!?


    ?I... I''m sorry, I didn''t mean...?


    ?What do you know about what Amy would have wanted... you barely knew her... you don''t even seem to care that she''s gone!?


    ?What?! NO! Why are you saying this... she was the only other friend I had besides you... I''ve been doing nothing but crying for two days now.... But now... I''m worried about you!?


    But her words were like a distant echo. Only a cacophony of hatred and anger rumbled through my mind.


    ?I bet you''re happy about all this, aren''t you? Now you can have me all to yourself! Is that why you''re here? Are you lonely because I''m the only person who can stand you?? I shouted at her.


    Sophia seemed to have no idea how to react to those words.


    ?Elizabeth... w-what are you talking about... please, calm down! Come to your senses!?


    ?CALM DOWN!?!?


    I threw myself at her in a fit of rage. We both rolled off the bed onto the floor.


    Soon I was on top of her, grabbing her shirt with both hands and starting to shake her.


    ?My best friend died in front of me and you have the nerve to tell me to calm down!??


    ?I... don''t... I''m sorry...? Sophia mumbled.


    ?I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry! Is that all you can say?!? I let her go and looked down at her, ?you''re completely useless!?


    ?... useless?? Sophia repeated weakly, looking into my eyes.


    ?Useless. While I was fighting until I was almost killed, you were taking a nap. In the end it was Amy who saved me... she sacrificed herself for me!?


    Tears began to fall from Sophia''s eyes. I could see on her face the pain that my words were causing her. I was hitting her where it hurt the most.


    But the whole scene was obscured by a deep mist that did not want me to stop, in fact it seemed to relish the idea of continuing to torment her.


    ?You''re only good at talking and posturing... but when I need you, you''re never there. And to think I once admired a nobody like you...?


    Sophia bit her lip so hard it started bleeding, but she stayed silent.


    ?So?! Have you nothing to say? You know I''m right and you don''t know how to defend yourself? Does it hurt to hear the truth?!?


    At these words, however, Sophia smiled at me through her tears.


    ?It hurts... but if taking it out on me makes you feel a little better... I''ll take whatever mean thing you want to say to me.?


    Suddenly I was beside myself with rage.


    I raised a fist, ready to bring it down on her flushed face.


    Sophia closed her eyes and waited.


    ?Get up and leave.?


    My fist had closed with such force that my nails had penetrated my palms.


    But the anger was so great that I didn''t even want to hit her.


    I felt a deep nausea and my breathing had become difficult. It was as if my emotions were going into overload.


    Sophia opened her eyes, surprised at my change of tone.


    ?Elizabeth??


    I stood up and turned my back on her.


    ?Go away... I never want to see you again.?


    ?I don''t...?


    ?GO AWAY!?


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ?No.?


    I felt Sophia''s arms wrap around me as the girl hugged me from behind.


    ?LET ME GO!?


    I started to struggle.


    ?I won''t let you go... I will hold you for as long as it takes,? Sophia whispered into my ear.


    I began to struggle harder, going feral.


    I elbowed her several times, even head-butted her.


    I scratched her hands, which were clenched at my sides.


    I insulted her and tried to hurt her in every way I could.


    But Sophia would not let me go.


    I began to hyperventilate.


    Sophia held me tighter.


    And then I started to cry... louder and louder.


    Sophia pulled me in so I could lean against her.


    Finally I fell silent, drained of all emotion, and all my strength seemed to leave me.


    Sophia supported me as I slowly collapsed to my knees on the floor.


    ?Why...??


    ?Because I love you.?


    ?...even though I said those terrible things to you...?


    ?...it really hurt me...it''s true. But I think you''re hurting a lot more than I am. Right now I just want to support you as much as I can.?


    ?..stop...stop being so nice to me...I can''t take it. I don''t deserve it...?


    ?That''s why you broke down, isn''t it? You feel guilty... what you can''t stand is the fact that you''re still alive.?


    I thought I had run out of tears, but they soon returned to wet my face.


    ?I promised her, Sophia... I promised you... I''m a liar. All the terrible things I said to you... I was just passing my guilt on to you.?


    I threw myself on her chest.


    ?I''m useless. The only thing I can do is talk. "I won''t let either of you die." What a joke I am... In the end, when the time came, I couldn''t do anything.?


    ?The same goes for me... in the end, what you told me wasn''t a lie. We let Amy die when we should have protected her. It is a guilt we will have to carry, Elizabeth. But it is a burden we can bear together.?


    ?I... I... I can''t. I can''t take it anymore.?


    I felt Sophia''s hands grab my shoulders, forcing me to turn around. Her eyes were red from crying, but she had a firm expression on her face.


    ?You can''t give up. Remember what happened the first week? Remember who did everything to keep you from throwing in the towel? And who gave her life for you?!?


    I tried to wriggle out again, as if escaping her grasp would erase the meaning of those words, but Sophia wouldn''t let me go.


    ?I can''t do this! I have no right to live after I let her die! I can''t go on with the scene of her death forever engraved in my mind!?


    Sophia hugged me tighter.


    ?You can''t let the memory of your best friend become something that haunts you. Hit me if you want, but I have to tell you... do you really think Amy would have wanted you to be in pain every time you think about her??


    ?I...?


    ?For all we know, you may be the only person who remembers her when this is over. That''s another reason why you can''t give up. Before you were my girlfriend, you were my best friend.


    The time we spent together is the most precious to me. To think that the memory of those moments could be lost forever... I can''t accept that. And I''m sure Amy wouldn''t want all the time you spent together to be swallowed up by this damn school either.


    You have to live, for her too. It will hurt and it will be painful. But you must take the Amy you knew with you from now on.?


    "She''s right.... If I die... maybe no one will remember her. It would be so sad... She was so kind and so brave...  I can''t let her be forgotten."


    ?Tell me about her,? Sophia said suddenly.


    ?What...??


    ?You said it before, I didn''t know her well. I know it will be painful, but tell me all about her. I didn''t spend much time with her... but she was a wonderful person and I want to help you keep the memories you have of her alive.?


    ''...''


    I started to talk.


    Amy and I had known each other since we were very young.


    From what my parents had told me, we had played together a lot as babies.


    But as I got older, even though Amy had always adored me, I tried more and more to keep her at a distance. I found her far too overbearing.


    When we had started magic school together, I had thought our paths would part once and for all.


    Amy had quickly become extremely popular and well-liked, while I had quickly become isolated due to my arrogance and cockiness.


    But Amy had not let that happen.


    Despite everything, she had always made time for me.


    Despite her friends'' attempts to dissuade her, she had never left me alone.


    While our classmates went off to have fun in the streets of the city, she was more than happy to sit next to me and read magic books that she probably didn''t really care about.


    ?And I... never appreciated her enough for what she did for me!? I sobbed as Sophia ran her hand through my hair.


    Years had passed but our relationship had never changed.


    Whenever I tried to push her away, Amy always came back to me, without complaining, never asking for anything in return.


    But one day the time had come when we had to say goodbye.


    I remembered as if it were yesterday the day we had graduated. She had embraced me through tears, despite my remonstrances:


    ?You''ll be off somewhere doing great things Lizzie! Remember old Amy when you become a great mage! I''ll always be rooting for you.?


    But fate had soon reunited us.


    In the Academy.


    It was thanks to her that I had made it this far. To her incredible and unconditional affection for me.


    Together we had laughed and cried. We had fought and we had been reunited.


    She had suffered, but she had risen stronger than before.


    And in the end she had left me... smiling.


    ?AMY!? I yelled through my tears, ?I will miss you... but I will never forget you.?


    ?I will remember her... together with you,? Sophia whispered softly, also crying.


    We remained silent for several minutes, hugging each other, remembering our friend.


    Finally I spoke:


    ?What are we going to do, Sophia? I really don''t want it to happen, but if we go on like this... one of us is going to die. And the other... might turn into a monster like Aldric.?


    ?It''s possible that''s the fate that awaits us...?


    ?But then...?


    ?But even if our fate is already written... our actions from now until the end, we are the ones who decide them! And I... I want to keep fighting. I want to fight for a future where I can live with you!?


    ?Even if...?


    ?Even if it''s pointless. At least I want to enjoy the time I have left with the one I love,? Sophia finished the sentence for me, pulling away from the embrace and smiling.


    "...!"


    Suddenly Amy''s voice echoed in my head:


    "Precisely because our lives could end at any moment, we have to make sure we enjoy every happy moment we can."


    "When I falter... in the end you are the one who brings me back to the right path..."


    ?I will fight. Until the end.?


    Sophia''s eyes widened at the sudden change in my tone, but then her expression became serious again.


    ?I have no intention of giving up. This time I will make you a promise. I will get us both out of this school alive!?


    ?Sophia, you don''t...?


    ?Yes. You said it... when you need me, I''m never there. I will make it up to you. If fate has shackled us to certain death, I will cut those chains!?


    "..."


    ?I''m not sure if that sounded cool or... very lame.?


    ?Hey! It took me a long time to come up with that line!?


    We both burst out laughing.


    But suddenly I couldn''t help but notice the scratches on her hands.


    ?Sophia... I''m sorry. I don''t know what...?


    ?It''s ok,? she interrupted me, ?you had a breakdown. Given the circumstances... maybe I should have handled it differently... but the important thing is that you''re better.?


    ?Sophia... thank you.?


    ?You''re welcome. Now you must eat something. I''ll see if I can find someone who hasn''t eaten yet and ask them nicely for some food...?


    "She''s going to extort it..." I thought as Sophia disappeared down the corridor.


    I pulled out my wand and cleaned up the mess I had made by throwing the tray on the floor.


    "Once again I gave in to the pressure... Amy, I really wish I had your strength."


    I had decided to keep her alive in me. I wanted to use her as an example to move forward.


    Sophia returned shortly afterwards with an irritated expression on her face.


    ?I only found a piece of bread...?


    ?That''s fine...?


    ?Eat slowly, your stomach is not used to it anymore...?


    I obeyed under her stern gaze.


    ?Sophia, what''s hap-?


    ?Not now. For today, rest and keep your head clear. We''ll talk about it tomorrow. Anyway, classes are cancelled for this week and there won''t be an elimination on Sunday, so don''t worry.?


    ?Okay...?


    Sophia smiled and ruffled my hair:


    ?I''m glad you''re feeling better...?


    ?Thanks to you and... Amy.?


    ?I think it''s more thanks to her... I don''t think my words would have reached you otherwise. Now come on, get some sleep. We''ll talk more tomorrow.?


    But as she turned to leave, I grabbed her sleeve.


    ?Sophia...?


    ?Yes??


    ?I can''t sleep well... could you stay here with me... tonight??


    Sophia was silent for a moment, then answered:


    ?All right. Let me get some blankets and I can sleep on the cha-?


    ?No... come into bed with me and hold me like you did before.?


    Another pause, a longer one.


    Then Sophia sighed:


    ?I can''t seem to be able to say no to you anymore... I''ll get my pajamas.?


    Sophia hurried out without showing her face.


    Strangely enough, I was not nervous.


    There was no ulterior motive behind my request. I just wanted to feel her close to me.


    I prepared the bed and when Sophia arrived I made sure I was lying down with my face to the wall so as not to embarrass her.


    ?I''ll turn off the light...? Sophia murmured.


    I felt the bed lower again as the girl climbed onto it.


    Her arms embraced me.


    ?Is this what you want me to do??


    ?Come closer...?


    ?... ok.?


    I felt her chest move closer to my back, but it wasn''t enough.


    I was the one who came closer, pressing my body against hers.


    ?This...?


    ?Does it bother you??


    ?... no.?


    ?Sophia??


    ?What is it??


    ?Good night... and thank you again.?


    ?Good night Elizabeth.?


    I woke up several times that night. But lulled by the warmth of Sophia''s body and her rhythmic breathing I always managed to get back to sleep quickly.


    I dreamt of Amy again, but this time it was me and her, back in our old town and we were both smiling.


    <hr>


    The magic bed woke me. I immediately realised that Sophia was no longer beside me.


    I stood up abruptly:


    ?Sophia!?


    My heart was pounding.


    ?I''m here, sleepyhead.?


    Sophia was sitting at the small table in my room, fully dressed.


    I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ?Don''t worry... I have no intention of disappearing. You''ll have to put up with me till the end.?


    ?What have I done to deserve this??


    ?I can think of lots of things.?


    ?Anyway... why do you have two trays??


    ?Well, one is my breakfast and the other is yours...?


    ?Mine? But you couldn''t get it for me...?


    ?Someone kindly gave it to us!?


    ?SOPHIA! You can''t go around terrorising people for food like that!?


    ?Oh, what a shame... and I was going to serve you breakfast in bed...?


    ?I guess I could look the other way for once...?


    ?Idiot.?


    Sophia approached with the tray.


    "It''s almost like... we''re a married couple."


    ?What is that face??


    ?Nothing...?


    It was then that I made a drastic decision.


    "I don''t even know if a priest would be willing to bless us, but... if we get out of here... I''m going to propose to her."


    ?Here, eat it all.?


    ?My arms hurt...?


    ?Don''t you remember what happened last time??


    ?Come on... feed me for real this time! You said you couldn''t say no to me anymore.?


    ?... what am I going to do with you??


    But as she knelt down by my bed, I quickly grabbed her chin and suddenly kissed her.


    ?... what?!?


    ?Thanks for the meal!? I said as I watched Sophia blush furiously.


    From now on I would live every moment as if it were my last.


    "I will have many new things to tell you when we meet again... Amy."

 48. Desire

    The fork clanked as Sophia set it down on the plate, sighing.


    ?Please... never ever ask me to do a thing like this again...?


    After swallowing the last bite of my breakfast, I began to giggle.


    In the time we had spent together lately I had realized something:


    "I love seeing her embarrassed."


    Maybe it was because in our first encounters she had always been so serious and cold, this easily flustered side of her was one of my favorite things about Sophia.


    "She''s so adorable... she makes me want to mess with her."


    I watched as she sat down at my small table, preparing to eat her breakfast.


    "What else could I do..."


    It was at that moment that I realized something.


    "We are all alone... in my room."


    If we didn''t count yesterday, this was the first time we had been in such a situation since we had become a couple.


    "Two lovers... in one room... we even slept in the same bed!"


    Suddenly it was as if the temperature around me had risen several degrees.


    Like the first time we spoke, in the great hall, my gaze was drawn to Sophia''s face as she was intent on eating.


    Her long eyelashes, her sharp emerald eyes, her pale cheeks without any imperfection, her sweet rosy lips marked by a small wound where she had bitten them yesterday, her slender neck that...


    I leapt out of bed like a spring.


    Sophia was startled by the sudden movement:


    ?What the hell...?!?


    ?I''m going to take a shower!?


    "A cold one..."


    ?Um... okay??


    I fled into the bathroom, slamming the door and leaving a very confused Sophia behind.


    "Again... I guess this is my punishment for trying to embarrass her."


    I took off my pyjamas and let the cold water wash over me, shivering.


    "What the hell is wrong with me... a little more and I would have jumped on her."


    Were my emotions still unstable after what happened yesterday? That could have been the reason, but perhaps...


    "First the thought of marrying her and now this... it''s like I''m trying to rush our relationship..."


    But who could blame me? After all, we were at the mercy of Skylark and his damn Academy. Our lives could end today...


    "But I can''t risk ruining everything by doing things too quickly."


    Sophia seemed to panic over a simple kiss... if I forced her hand too much, I might have scared her away.


    "She seems to like it very much when I kiss her though."


    How would she have reacted if I had tried to do something... else?


    "I think... she would let me..."


    She was the one who had said it herself yesterday: she found it hard to say no to me. Although she acted tough, when it came to me she was a bit of a pushover.


    "But that''s another reason why I can''t... I don''t want to force her to do something she doesn''t feel comfortable with."


    In my mind, however, flashed a vivid image of Sophia''s flushed face. She was underneath me, biting her lip as she usually did when she was trying to control herself.


    I let out a small whimper as I clung to my knees in the shower.


    ?I don''t want to die... before I have an experience like that... But how can I tell if she''s really okay with it??


    Asking her out of the blue would definitely not have been romantic.


    I would have preferred it to be more spontaneous.


    "But... is Sophia really attracted to me in that way?"


    I remembered Sophia''s words to me when I had confessed my physical attraction to her:


    "I... you must have noticed... lately I feel like I want to be as close to you as possible. When I hold your hand... it gives me a strange... pleasant feeling".


    "She just said she liked being close to me... she didn''t say she found me attractive..."


    On second thought, although I had repeatedly told her I thought she was cute, she had never commented on my physical appearance.


    "Maybe she doesn''t like me that way...!"


    I relaxed.


    "I''m behaving as usual... I''m creating a thousand problems for nothing. I always have to remember what I decided yesterday... I owe it to Amy."


    I felt a wave of melancholy.


    "She would have had so much fun seeing Sophia and me in such a situation..."


    But it was just one more reason not to waver.


    "But how do I deal with something like this..."


    I had to find a way to be more intimate with her.


    "I need to be more proactive... but without overdoing it. But... I''m not at all capable of seducing someone... she would never take me seriously".


    But maybe that was the point.


    Maybe I just had to keep treating it as a game.


    After all, part of me still wanted to make her pay for what she had put me through the week before.


    "I''m going to push all her buttons and eventually make her lose her head over me," I thought as I dried myself.


    Having put on my pyjamas, I returned to my room with a renewed sense of determination.


    Sophia had finished her meal and seemed to be deep in thought.


    ?The bathroom is free if you want to use it,? I said.


    ?Huh? I already showered in my room.?


    ?How early did you wake up??


    ?Very early. It''s a habit I picked up in the army.?


    ?Oh... one day you''ll have to tell me all about it...?


    ?If you really want to... but it''s a pretty boring story. Ever since the Demon King was defeated, the army has mostly been dealing with small gangs of criminals. Other realms would never think about attacking ours.?


    ?I still want to hear it... anyway, I''ll put on my uniform now and we can go and look around the school... you have a lot to tell me, I assume...?


    Sophia nodded:


    ?That''s right but... it''s better if we talk in here. The school is full of guards right now. Maybe they''re afraid of a breach in the defences after all the devastation Aldric has caused. Everything is still kinda in ruins.?


    ?All right, but I still don''t want to stay dressed like this all day...?


    "Let''s see how she reacts..."


    I approached the wardrobe, my heart pounding.


    But before I could unbutton my pyjamas, I heard Sophia standing up behind me.


    ?Where are you going??


    ?There''s something I need to do... I''ll be right back.?


    ?Look, I really don''t mind you watching me change,? I said in a mischievous tone.


    Sophia''s pale cheeks immediately turned red:


    ?Y-you... what the hell is wrong with you!??


    ?What''s wrong with you! You''re my girlfriend... there''s no need to be embarassed about something like this.?


    ?I... idiot. That''s... not... I really have to do something anyway!?


    ?...liar.?


    ?Whatever.?


    Sophia ran off before I could tease her any further.


    "Mmmh, I guess I''ll take that as a win..."


    After changing, I sat on the bed with my back against the pillow, hugging my knees.


    There were so many things I wanted to ask Sophia. From why she had suddenly fainted to what had happened after I had lost consciousness.


    Luckily, I didn''t have to wait long.


    After about ten minutes, I heard my door creak slightly.


    "She''s checking to see if I''ve changed..." I thought with a chuckle as I saw Sophia peeking through the gap she had made.


    Sophia walked in as if nothing had happened and sat down in one of the chairs.


    ?So...? she began.


    But I wasn''t going to cut her any slack today.


    ?Why don''t you come closer??


    ?Huh?? Sophia exclaimed, looking at me confused.


    ?Here on the bed... with me.?


    Her reaction to my words was exactly what I expected.


    ?This again? What is wrong with you today? First you want me to feed you your breakfast, then th-that other clothes thing, and now... this. Look, we''ve got serious things to talk about, this is no time for jokes,? Sophia scolded me, trying to regain her composure.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ?I''ll take it seriously. But while we''re talking... can''t we be closer? We''re a couple and the time we can spend together like this may not be much... what''s wrong with me wanting to be close to my girlfriend? Until the other day you were the one clinging to me... what''s the problem now?? I countered.


    ?I-I...? Sophia''s anger immediately faded as she hesitated to answer my questions, ?since we''re... a couple now... I''m a bit nervous. Last night... I was afraid I wouldn''t get any sleep.?


    "As I thought... I was right to hold back earlier."


    Sophia was truly a delicate flower beyond all the walls she had built.


    I didn''t want to go back on my decision, but... I would try to treat her as gently as possible.


    ?Don''t worry... it''s normal to be nervous. But if you keep trying to stay at a distance... things will never get better. Yesterday you hugged me without a problem, right??


    ?That... was because I felt you needed it and I wanted to help you...?


    ?Well Sophia, your girlfriend is really needy... so I will always want you to be close to me.?


    Sophia looked at me for a moment and then...


    The bed barely lowered as she sat on the very edge.


    I couldn''t help giggling:


    ?You know I don''t have an contagious disease, right??


    Sophia sighed:


    ?Where am I supposed to sit then??


    I patted on the part of the mattress between my legs.


    ?...Elizabeth... you are truly sadistic... Do you get so much pleasure from torturing me??


    Sophia looked at me with a mixture of embarrassment and resignation.


    ?Yes! But that''s not the point. Yesterday... you helped me so much.Today, let me spoil you a little...?


    ?Spoil me? What do you mean??


    ?Only one way to find out!?


    Sighing, Sophia raised the white flag. Doing her best not to look at me, and with a thousand hesitations, she sat down between my legs.


    When I saw how stiff she was and how far her back was bent forward, I couldn''t help but giggle again.


    ?Come here!?


    I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her towards me, pressing her back against my stomach.


    Surprised, Sophia began to wriggle like a fish out of water.


    ?Lean on me,? I whispered into her ear, trying to calm her.


    Eventually, as I gently stroked her hair, her resistance began to fade.


    ?You''re really unfair...?


    ?If you don''t like it... I don''t want to force you.?


    ?No. I-I... like it.?


    Finally some honesty.


    I waited a few minutes for Sophia to feel completely at ease. But maybe I was just hoping my heart would stop beating so fast.


    "Maybe I''m the one being dishonest... if she was the one teasing me like this, I''d probably go crazy."


    ?So let''s start from the beginning...? I began, doing my best to keep a straight face, ?why did you suddenly faint after we defeated those three students??


    ?Y-you remember what I told you before I blacked out?? Sophia replied, her tone still not firm.


    ?Something about your body not appreciating how you used your power... but that''s what I''m asking, how the hell did you use your power? One second you were pinned against the wall and then... it''s like you teleported behind the girl!?


    ?Well... that''s basically it.?


    ?THAT''S BASICALLY IT?!? I repeated loudly, stunned.


    ?Don''t shout so close to my ear!?


    ?I''m sorry... but what the hell? Since when can you teleport??


    ?I told you I was looking for a way to get rid of my weakness for that fucking gravity spell, right? Well, this is the answer I found... if my power is useless from a distance... I''ll just have to cut that too.?


    ?W-what you''re saying doesn''t make any sense at all!? I replied, struggling to find the words, ?h-how the hell do you cut something like "distance"??


    ?I''ve already told you how my power works, haven''t I? When I concentrate, I can see the weakest points in the bonds that bind the matter around us. Be it solid or ethereal like mana. Now... my idea was: what if the fabric of space around us also had a weak point??


    ?How would you even think of something like that??


    ?You see, I was kind of desperate ok? But I couldn''t find anything at first. I spent so much time looking into the void, searching for a single tear that would prove that what I was looking for really existed... but nothing. I concentrated so hard I was afraid my head would explode, but... nothing...?


    ?But then... how...??


    ?I''m not done talking,? Sophia said, reaching back and slapping me lightly on the cheek, ?when I was pinned against the wall, helpless as usual... I actually thought about giving up for a moment.?


    ?Sophia...?


    ?But I didn''t! When I saw you were in danger... I tried to break away from the wall with every fibre of my being and... I saw it... a fracture in reality hovering in front of me. When I managed to move my hand... I opened it instantly and in a flash... I was exactly where I wanted to be.?


    ?Incredible...?


    ?Perhaps if I succeeded... it''s because every part of me wanted to reach you.?


    I hugged her tightly:


    ?Sophia... I''m sorry for what I said to you yesterday. I know I wasn''t myself... but I can''t bear to have treated you like that...?


    ?Well... you said you wanted to spoil me to make up for it...?


    ?Your every wish is an order!? I replied and resumed caressing her head.


    ?Anyway... it doesn''t seem to be something I can use in battle from now on. My body didn''t take it well at all... When I woke up, I could hardly breathe.


    From what the healers told me... my lungs weren''t in good shape. I think moving through space like that puts a lot of pressure on the body, like diving too deep in the ocean.?


    ?That''s terrible... but still... you came to save me from Aldric. You''re really great... I don''t deserve a girl like you!?


    ?I''m glad we agree for once,? Sophia joked. But I could hear the smugness in her voice.


    I remembered her words.


    "I don''t want to appear weak in front of you..."


    ?Sophia...?


    ?Um...?


    ?You''re the best.?


    ?Thank you.?


    We were silent for a few minutes before Sophia continued her story.


    ?When Aldric threw me against the wall, I thought it was over for us... I had no strength left to move a finger. But thanks to you... we got out alive. You may not be the best... but you''re pretty amazing too.?


    ?Thanks, but... Aldric stopped suddenly... it was as if he was losing control, or maybe... regaining it. For a moment I thought I saw a light in his eyes.?


    ?I saw it too, but I have no idea what it was... maybe the method Skylark uses to control him was malfunctioning...?


    "It could have been that..."


    I remembered the aura of fear I had felt when standing next to Aldric.


    "What kind of experiment had they done to him..."


    But these thoughts were quickly dispelled. Now that I could finally think rationally, there was something else very important that had just come to my mind.


    ?Sophia... what the hell is under the entrance hall? I saw light coming from a crack in the floor. When I broke it, Aldric fell down as if there was a void beneath us.?


    ?I knew you would ask. Unfortunately, I can''t give you an exact answer. When you smashed the floor, the room was flooded with a blinding light coming from down there... Before I could investigate, the voice spoke, ending the event, and guards arrived to take us to the infirmary.?


    ?Guards? And where did they come from??


    ?They came down from the second floor...?


    ?But we looked everywhere on that floor and no one was there before the start of the battle.


    ?I don''t know what to tell you. I ran back to see if I could find out anything, but... the floor had already been repaired and it was full of guards.?


    ?Already repaired? But you said the rest of the school is still in ruins!?


    ?That''s strange, isn''t it? It''s as if they wanted to hide what''s down there. They were in a hurry...?


    "Something they want to hide... something extremely bright... MANA!"


    ?It really exists! It must be the core that powers the Academy''s defences!?


    ?Very, very likely.?


    ?But then...?


    I tried to stand up, but Sophia stopped me, pressing her body against mine.


    ?Calm down... there''s nothing we can do at the moment, the barrier protecting that floor is quite a problem. Apparently it has several layers, and if we destroy one of them... there won''t even be a pile of ashes left of us...?


    "If they want to protect that place so badly... the barrier had to be up even during the battle. Did Aldric destroy such a defensive spell just by landing on it? He really is a complete monster!"


    But there was something else that didn''t add up.


    ?Wait... How do you know there''s a barrier??


    Sophia seemed reluctant to answer.


    ?I... I asked your friend Fitzroy... if she could check it out...?


    ?HUH?!?


    ?You were locked in your room... it was urgent and I didn''t know who else to turn to...?


    ?Sophia... you...?


    ?As much as I don''t like her, I have to admit that she is very capable... Anyway, we''ll see her soon, when I left earlier it was to talk to her... she''s waiting for us in her room later.?


    ?Oh? Already familiar enough to go to her room?? I teased her.


    ?Shut up...? she paused a bit, ?I... I think we''ll need allies if we want to get out of here...?


    ?Excuse me? When I suggested it, you agreed with Amy that it was not a good idea.?


    ?The situation has changed. Now that Aldric has turned up like this... I think everyone has realised that there won''t be a happy ending for whoever wins this competition.?


    "She''s right... fighting amongst ourselves is useless if our destiny is to become monsters without intellect..."


    ?What about the "mole" thing? Don''t you think there''s a risk of being betrayed??


    ?I can''t rule it out... but at this point, with so little time left... we can''t let it stop us.?


    ?I understand. If you think it''s the best thing to do... I trust your judgement.?


    ?Thank you. From what Fitzroy has told me, she already has some ideas about who might be willing to cooperate...?


    ?Oh... you two work so well together... I''m almost jealous.?


    ?Idiot.?


    ?What about you? Not jealous this time? Aren''t you afraid that Celeste will try to steal me away? You know her marriage is just an arranged one? Maybe she too has fallen prey to my charm,? I joked.


    ?I trust you... and in that case I''ll just have to make her understand...?


    Surprised by her serious tone, I asked:


    ?Understand what??


    Sophia turned around. Her face was completely red, but she had a determined expression.


    ?That you are mine.?


    The last coherent thought I managed to formulate before Sophia started kissing me for the first time was:


    "And you claim that I''m the unfair one..."

 49. Resistance

    It took me a while to compose myself after that sudden attack.


    ?I didn''t think you could be so... assertive...? I said as Sophia got out of bed.


    ?Did you think I was going to let you off the hook? Consider this payback for everything you''ve put me through today,? she sneered back.


    ?...Do you really think something like this will make me stop? If this is the punishment... it just encourages me to act like this more often.?


    ?You are you always like this...? Sophia huffed.


    "But now that I know that she''s at least comfortable with kissing me... maybe I should push more in that direction..."


    Maybe the next step could have been that kind of kiss...


    The urges I had felt an hour earlier were dangerously close to awakening again. Thankfully, Sophia came to my rescue this time, bringing me back down to earth with her voice.


    ?Let''s go for a walk... we can stop by your friend''s room and see if she''s already talked to the people she had in mind,? she said, heading for the door.


    ?Ok...?


    I started to follow her, but when I was almost at the door I hesitated for a moment.


    "Seeing that battlefield again..."


    ?Elizabeth... I''m here with you.?


    Sophia had turned back and she offered me her hand.


    I took it, our fingers intertwined, and at her side I walked out of my room after two days.


    Around us was still the devastation of the battle two days before.


    The white marble floor was riddled with craters. The ceiling also looked unsafe, with many little rubble fragments falling from it. To be on the safe side, I conjured a barrier of stone to keep the debris from falling on our heads.


    Many of the walls were still shattered, revealing to our eyes rooms that no one would ever return to.


    Nearly 40 people had died in the space of a few hours. That number was so high that I struggled to make sense of it.


    But it wasn''t over yet, there were still 24 lives on their way to certain death.


    I began to walk more determinedly, and Sophia matched my pace.


    "We have to stop this massacre... by any means necessary."


    We arrived outside Celeste''s room without meeting a soul. With classes cancelled and the school in such a state, the other survivors were probably all holed up in their rooms.


    "With all the people who died... it''s likely that most of the students lost someone dear to them, just like me."


    As we approached the door to Celeste''s room, I heard several voices coming from inside, which faded as soon as Sophia knocked.


    ?Who is it?? a cheerful voice asked.


    "From her tone, it sounds like she''s fully recovered from the shocked state she was in the last time I saw her... I guess that''s to be expected from her."


    ?It''s me and... Elizabeth,?  Sophia replied.


    There was a sound of running footsteps and the door swung open.


    I barely had time to catch a glimpse of several people sitting around a table before I was enveloped in a rib-breaking hug.


    ?LIZ! How are you feeling? You had me so worried...? Celeste exclaimed as she kicked the door shut behind her with the back of her foot.


    ?I''m... a bit better. Sorry for ignoring you when you came to see me.?


    ?That''s all right, the important thing is that you''ve recovered,? Celeste said as she pulled away from the hug.


    A sad expression had crept onto her face. She took my hands in hers and said:


    ?Liz... I''m so so sorry. When I found out... I... if only I had helped her more when I trained her...?


    I shook my head:


    ?It wouldn''t have changed anything... not against him.?


    ?Celeste...? I paused, trying to hold back the tears that seemed to want to fall again, ?thank you. From me and... Amy... thanks to the seals you taught her, she saved our lives. And she went out like a true hero.?


    ?Liz... I see,? Celeste replied with a bitter smile, ?all she talked about when she was practising was wanting to be useful to you, that''s why she tried so hard. If she was able to protect you in the end... she must have been really happy.?


    I just nodded in response, afraid that if I opened my mouth I would start sobbing again.


    ?But it was also for her sake that I asked Sophie to bring you here! It is time to begin our resistance,? Celeste exclaimed after a few moments of silence.


    ?Resistance?.... SOPHIE?!?


    I wasn''t the only one who had this reaction.


    Sophia had so far stood aside without interfering, but at those words she shouted:


    ?I told you not to call me that!?


    ?You''re right, sorry... As I told Sophie, I have found a few people who are already determined to rebel against Skylark... I called them here to introduce them to you and to take stock of the situation.?


    ?You little...?


    That was the straw that broke the camel''s back.


    The expression on Sophia''s face made me burst out laughing, while at the same time tears began to roll down my cheeks.


    "This kind of relationship between them... it reminds me of the one Amy and I had a long time ago..."


    Both Celeste and Sophia turned to look at me in confusion, but when they realised I was crying, they came closer to comfort me.


    ?Elizabeth... are you all right??


    ?Yes... s-sorry...? I struggled to answer, ?I''m not quite right in the head yet...?


    After waiting for me to calm down, Celeste opened the door to her room and invited us in.


    The small table that usually furnished her room had been replaced by a much longer one, with four people sitting around it.


    Philemon nodded to me in greeting. The last time I had seen him he had seemed a little panicked, but now his usual stoic expression had returned to his face.


    "I think Celeste is the only one who can get any kind of emotion out of this guy."


    At his side sat a frail-looking tiny girl. I remembered seeing her several times hanging around Celeste.


    The latter followed my gaze and hurriedly introduced her to us:


    ?This is Penny! A dear friend of mine! Penny, well, I guess I don''t need to introduce them!?


    The girl held out her hand to me and murmured:


    ?Penelope Pembroke.?


    "She doesn''t seem at all thrilled to be here... has Celeste roped her in? I guess if the rest of her group of friends died in the battle... she has no choice," I thought as I introduced myself in turn.


    As the girl and Sophia also shook hands, Celeste placed hers on the shoulder of one of her other two guests.


    He was a tall, attractive boy with a square jaw and two bright blue eyes.


    "This guy''s face looks almost like a statue... he must be pretty popular with girls."


    The fact that I could barely remember seeing his face among all the other students was just another confirmation of the fact that I had no interest in boys.


    ?This is Will. We happened to fight side by side during the battle and he was a great help to Philemon and me!?


    Unlike Penny, the boy seemed extremely excited to make my acquaintance.


    He shook my hand vigorously and exclaimed:


    ?I am Wilhelm Langley, but feel free to call me Will, like Celeste. I am really glad to finally having an opportunity to meet you. I''ve been wanting to introduce myself for a long time but never got the chance!?


    ?Um, nice to meet you... how come you wanted to talk to me?? I asked, taken aback by his enthusiasm.


    "Is he... hitting on me?"


    ?You''re a commoner right? So am I! The fact that you are the most powerful mage in here is incredible. And the way you handled that duel in the last tournament... such determination! Not to mention how you solved the mystery of the disappearances at the beginning of the year! You can consider me a big fan of yours!?


    ?Oh... thanks.?


    I wasn''t used to this kind of attention. The period after defeating Chloe I had become somewhat popular for a bit, but it hadn''t lasted long. And after the tournament I was sure people had started to fear me.


    "I guess I should be happy if the opinion about Sophia and me is changing again... especially for her."


    But when Will shifted his gaze to my girlfriend, I saw no trace of the excitement she had shown in getting to know me.


    He shook her hand dejectedly with a cold stare.


    "...What kind of treatment is this?"


    After everything that had happened, were there still people with the nerves to shun Sophia for her actions?


    "This guy... I don''t like him at all."


    ?And last, but not by importance,? Celeste exclaimed cheerfully, ?we have Nicky! In this case, she was the one who approached me with the intention of cooperating, so I thought I''d invite her today.?


    My gaze shifted to a girl with fluent ginger hair. Perhaps it was because of that eye-catching colour that I was more familiar with who she was, despite the fact that we had never spoken.


    "Nicole Winslow... she''s always been in the top 10 in the leaderboard since week one... she must be one tough girl."


    Nicole gave me a calm smile as she shook my hand and introduced herself.


    My eyes immediately focused on hers. They were green like Sophia''s, though a lighter shade. But colour was the only similarity.


    If my girlfriend always seemed to want to pierce through me with her gaze, Nicole''s seemed to exude a certain soothing air.


    "I''m really... into girls."


    Just as this thought crossed my mind, Sophia coughed slightly. Maybe the handshake was lasting too long for her liking.


    "Always so jealous..."


    But my mood, which had been sullied by Wilhelm''s behavior towards Sophia, improved a little.


    "Her being so possessive of me... feels kind of nice."


    ?Well!? exclaimed Celeste after she had introduced everyone, ?Sophie, Liz, take a sit. We have a lot to discuss.?


    Out of the corner of my eye I saw the resigned look on Sophia''s face as she sat down at the table. I did the same and sat down next to her, giggling.


    ?So... I think we''re all on the same page here. We can''t go on like this and wait for this competition to end...? Celeste began.


    ?I agree,? Wilhelm interrupted her, ?the way our lives are being treated in this academy is unforgivable. All the magical blood that has been spilled... we cannot allow this injustice to continue!?


    ?Injustice or not, I don''t really care... I''m not that noble, I just don''t intend to die here,? Nicole interjected with a faint smile, ?1/25 are not odds I intend to bet on!?


    Wilhelm seemed to want to say something in response, but Celeste took the floor again.


    ?I think both your reasons are valid. But there is a third one that undoubtedly points the way forward... Liz, did you bring the sheet??


    ?Sheet??


    But before Celeste could answer me, Sophia pulled a piece of parchment from her pocket.


    ?It was on your desk,? she said as she placed it in the middle of the table.


    ?Oh!?


    It was the file with all the information on Aldric that Celeste had given me before the battle.


    Nicole was the first to grab it.


    I saw her brow furrow more and more as she scrolled through the document, but in the end she nodded.


    ?It''s a lot to take in, but... I suspected something like this.?


    When it was Willhelm''s turn, he clenched his fists with such force that I feared he would break the paper.


    ?Playing with people''s lives like this... bastards,? he blurted out angrily.


    Penny, on the other hand, barely seemed to take a glance of what was written in the sheet.


    ?As you can see, even if one of us made it to the end, there would be no happy ending for them,? Celeste continued, ?this competition was never meant to find a mage as strong as Aldric, but... to create one!?


    ?But... how is it possible to reduce a human to that state? The file says: "It is recommended to use the emotional weakness of the subject as a vehicle for his development." But can that really be all there is to it?? asked Nicole.


    It was Sophia who answered her:


    ?Of course not. I think psychological torture is far from the worst he has been subjected to. On the second floor we found some kind of laboratory... I think there is no doubt that we are facing some kind of human experiment... for which we are the lab rats.?


    ?Lab rats!?? repeated Wilhelm, slamming his fist down on the table.


    ?There''s one thing I still don''t understand...? I spoke up, voicing a doubt I''d had since the first week, ?It says on the paper that Aldric was the "prime candidate". The other people who were with him... what role did they play??


    "What would that line say for another student? "Sacrifice?" But... why?"


    ?Perhaps the answer is simply in the "exploiting emotional weakness" part. Seeing so many people die around you it''s bound break a normal person...? Nicole replied, scratching her chin.


    "Is that really the only reason...?"


    ?Anyway... what we know is that Aldric was somehow turned into some kind of human weapon,? Celeste continued, ?but there''s another thing that Philemon made me think about, and it makes the whole situation even worse. Can you explain it to them as well??


    Philemon nodded and said in his deep voice:


    ?If Aldric really is the result of an experiment, it''s probably a failed one.?


    ?A failed experiment?!? I shouted, jumping up from my chair, ?how could he be a failed experiment? Maybe, being on the second floor, you haven''t seen him in action... but what''s written about him in the books... doesn''t even come close to reality. That... thing... is invincible. It could probably win a war all by itself. This Aldric is a monster.?


    ?I don''t mean in terms of its power,? Philemon replied unperturbed, ?as you said, they''ve managed to create an extremely powerful weapon. But remember what Skylark said before he showed it to us: "This particular examiner is definitely unstable lately".?


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ?You mean...??


    ?They''re losing control of him or something like that,? Philemon concluded for me, ?it would explain why Aldric appeared in public before and did not look like that. His current condition is something unforeseen that has rendered him unfit for his purpose.?


    I remembered how Aldric had stopped just before attacking Sophia, apparently in pain.


    "What he''s saying... makes sense. So perhaps his condition is slowly deteriorating. But..."


    It was Nicole who voiced my objections:


    ?But the Aldric we all know so well could have just been a fake. And Skylark seemed confident that he could still control him anyway! Isn''t your theory a bit too flimsy??


    ?You''re right, but there is one more thing we have to consider,? Celeste replied, ?why was Skylark put under pressure to finish things faster? While the old geezer is confident... someone else is not. Someone wants to have a new toy ready as soon as possible in case Aldric stops working properly.?


    It was just like her to say those terrible words in that cheerful tone.


    "So not only is the winner destined to become a weapon. But they will probably be conscious at first, albeit on a leash. In time, however, they will feel their minds slowly fading away... Celeste is right, it''s even worse than I thought."


    Wilhem seemed to be thinking something along the same lines:


    ?Who the hell would think of doing this to a human being?? he blurted out, slamming his fist down on the table again.


    ?Skylark,? Sophia replied immediately, ?he''s the mastermind behind all this. If there was any doubt... we can be sure of that now.?


    She told the others about the book we had found in the lab, in which Skylark was described as "the greatest researcher into the nature of magic".


    ?What? That is absolutely not true! The greatest researcher in that field is widely considered to be Thaddeus Ravenscroft! He has written practically half of the existing literature on the subject!? exclaimed Celeste, pointing a finger towards the pile of grimoires stacked in the corner of her room.


    ?That could just be a pen name for Skylark,? Wilhelm suggested, but the girl shook her head.


    ?No, I met Ravencroft before he died a few years ago...?


    "Celeste is the one who knows the most about this kind of stuff between us... if she never heard of Skylark before coming here..."


    ?He might have... erased his existence from our memories...? I murmured.


    ?What!??


    ?That''s not possible Liz,? Celeste said, ?a memory spell that could affect everyone in the realm... such a thing would be insane. And what would be the point anyway...?


    ?To work undisturbed on something extraordinarily unethical. I... I think I have an idea how he might have done it,? I said, ?it would finally make sense...?


    ?It''s not that we have forgotten him...,? I continued, ?he has erased his existence from history...?


    I saw the confused looks of my companions staring at me.


    But Celeste slammed her hand down on the table:


    ?You mean... he didn''t erase anyone''s memory, but... he used a spell on himself to erase the memories that everyone else in the world has of him??


    ?A spell... or something else.?


    "An innate power."


    ?So... that''s why no one remembers Aldric''s classmates...? Nicole said, expressing the thought that was probably going through everyone''s mind.


    I had always thought that the idea of hundreds, if not thousands, of people all having been subjected to memory spells, was a bit far-fetched.


    This new hypothesis of mine explained everything: their family and friends had not forgotten them, it was the memory of them that had been destroyed.


    ?It''s as if they never existed...? muttered Penny, speaking for the first time.


    We all went silent for a long time. It was Celeste, as usual, who spoke again:


    ?What we discussed today has only made me more determined. I think the same goes for you, right? Well, next time we meet we''ll talk about how to get out of here. Thanks to Sophie, I already have some ideas. In the meantime, try to find some new recruits. Let''s start our resistance!?


    ?May I say something?? asked Wilhelm.


    ?Go ahead.?


    ?I think we should concentrate on recruiting the ordinary mages who are still alive. With all these strange powers causing havoc around the school, they will be the most willing to cooperate.?


    "..."


    ?Are you saying that people with special powers can''t be make good allies??


    The hostility in my voice was obvious. But Wilhelm didn''t seem to notice:


    ?I think they can''t be trusted. You may have noticed, but all the assassins that have haunted this school... people like Valentine and Finch, they all had these abnormal powers. Even the current devastation in the school is largely due to people like that.?


    ?And tell me, how the hell would you know who has a power and who does not? For all we know, you could have one too!?


    ?Me? I could never be that kind of-?


    The fact that he had glanced sideways at Sophia as he started speaking made my blood boil.


    I jumped to my feet and drew my wand.


    ?Are you sure you want to finish that sentence?!? I interrupted him.


    But before I could do anything, a fist slammed down on the table with such force that it shook.


    ?TIME OUT!? shouted Celeste, ?I understand your concerns, Will, but given the gravity of the situation, we must accept all the help we can get. And Sophie, who is here with us, is someone I trust completely!?


    My friend''s tone was as light as ever, but I could tell she would not accept any objections.


    ?I... I understand. I apologise, I didn''t mean to offend you,? Wilhelm said, turning to me, obviously surprised by my reaction.


    ?I''m not the one you should be apologising to,? I replied coldly.


    I grabbed Sophia''s hand, who looked at me with a stunned expression, and after getting her to stand up, I headed for the door.


    ?I''ll see you monday evening, ok?? I heard Celeste say behind me.


    I left the room without answering.


    ?Calm down Elizabeth!? Sophia said as I dragged her through the corridors.


    ?I fucking hate that guy!? I blurted, stopping and slamming my hand against a wall.


    ?No need to get so upset about this... I''m used to it.?


    ?It''s because you''re used to it that I am so angry! It''s so fucking unfair!?


    ?Put yourself in his place... he''s not that wrong. Most of the problems we''ve been going through these past few months are due to innate powers.?


    ?Don''t you dare try to justify him! How dare he treat you like that... I''m going to fucking kill him!!?


    Sophia took my arm and pulled me into an hug.


    ?Calm down, come on... I''m glad you want to defend me, I really am, but it''s not worth it.?


    ?Sophia...? I muttered, leaning on her shoulder, ?maybe it''s better if we work alone after all...?


    She huffed.


    ?Come on... you''re the one who had the idea and... I have to admit that Fitzroy is right. We do need all the help we can get...?


    ?But... this is so unfair. Why do you always get treated like this...?


    ?Story of my life.?


    I stroked her hair gently.


    ?How can that idiot say he''s my fan... I''m a murderer too. I even took the life of someone who begged for mercy...?


    ?Maybe it''s all about first impressions.?


    ?First impressions??


    ?Well, I, unlike you, have this strange mysterious power. And I guess I can look a bit scary. Maybe I just fit the role of the villain in people''s eyes, while you... with blonde hair, blue eyes and being so pretty... you look more like an heroic protagonist, it''s just easier to root for you, I guess...?


    I felt all the anger in my body deflate like a balloon.


    "D-did she just...?"


    ?C-can you say that last part again??


    ?I said you look more li-?


    ?No, the one before that!?


    ?What-oh!?


    Silence.


    ?Nope! Now you have to say it again!?


    ?I said you are... pretty.?


    "I''m so shallow... it only takes this much to make me happy! SHE FINDS ME PRETTY... all the doubts of this morning were nonsense!"


    ?Let''s go to my room!?


    ?You''re such an idiot...?


    Hand in hand we walked silently through the corridors of the school.


    But when we were almost at our destination, Sophia spoke again, in a strangely hesitant tone.


    ?Elizabeth... do you ever think... about the people you killed??


    "Why this question all of a sudden?"


    ?Uhm... not really. Or I guess not anymore. I was a bit shaken after what happened with Chloe. But after the tournament I guess I just accepted the fact that it was necessary. What about you??


    ?I dream about them... a lot. Valentine, Finch and... the girl from the other day.?


    I turned to look at her, she was biting her lip.


    ?Sophia... are you having trouble sleeping??


    ?...yes.?


    "So that''s the real reason why she wakes up so early..."


    ?Do you want to... sleep with me again??


    ?I...?


    I stopped, holding her hand.


    ?Elizabeth??


    ?I want to support you... as you have done for me. This... is the kind of relationship I want to build between us. One where we can help each other everytime is needed.?


    ?I... okay... thank you,? Sophia said, nodding.


    ?You''re welcome. If you need anything, don''t be afraid to ask directly. I told you, you don''t have to hold back when you''re with me,? I whispered, running a finger over the cut on her lip.


    ?You know it''s hard for me... but all right. I''m just going to pop up to my room to get something.?


    ?Perfect... so I have time to go back and punch that piece of shit in the face!?


    ?Elizabeth...?


    ?Just kidding, just kidding... I''ll wait for you in my room!?


    <hr>


    We spent the rest of the day in my room talking about this and that, only going out to grab something to eat.


    I shared with her stories about my time at magic school, while she reciprocated by telling me about her adventures in the army.


    Adventures which, as she had told me this morning, were nothing special.


    "But if the army has nothing to do... why the hell does the king need someone like Aldric so much..."


    Still, that peaceful day seemed to fly by. Soon it was time to go to bed.


    ?I''m going to the bathroom to change,? Sophia announced, pulling a pyjama out of the bag she had brought with her.


    As she opened it, I peered inside.


    It wasn''t the only thing she''d brought.


    ?Sophia??


    ?Um?? she replied from the bathroom.


    ?Are you... staying here again tomorrow??


    Sophia didn''t answer, but when she came out I could see she was as red as a tomato.


    ?I... you said yourself that you wanted to spend as much time together as possible!?


    ?Oh, that''s totally fine with me! I was just surprised!?


    I started unbuttoning my shirt.


    ?Hey! What are you doing!?!? shouted Sophia turning around.


    ?Well it''s my room!? I said approaching her giggling.


    ?And anyway... if you want to go on sleeping together every day... I hope you find a way out soon.?


    ?Huh??


    ?You see, I can''t stand the heat, so... in the summer I sleep without clothes,? I whispered the last words into her ear.


    ?You... I changed my mind... I''m going back to my room.?


    ?Just kidding!? I giggled as I slipped into my pyjamas.


    When I was finished, I touched Sophia''s shoulder.


    ?I''m done now, go lie down first this time!?


    ?Huh??


    ?Trust me.?


    Sophia obeyed and after turning off the light I joined her on the bed.


    This time it was me who hugged her from behind, pulling her against my chest.


    "She''s so stiff."


    ?Relax a bit!? I said, poking her side with my index finger.


    ?Hey! Don''t touch me like that!? she shouted, twitching.


    "Is she ticklish there? I kind of want to test it... but she''ll probably kick me out of the bed if I do."


    Instead, I just held her tighter.


    ?Are you comfortable like this??


    ?Yes, but... your hand is...?


    ?Oh, sorry, I didn''t notice.?


    ?What do you mean you didn''t notice??


    ?I mean, it''s not like there''s a lot t- OUCH!?


    Sophia had pinched my thigh.


    ?I guess that was a bit insensitive of me, sorry.?


    ?I hate you.?


    ?Don''t say that, you''ll hurt my feelings.?


    ?Good.?


    ?Look, I''ll do something nice to make you forgive me.?


    I lifted my head and, after moving closer to her, I placed my lips on the side of her neck.


    ?EEEK!?


    Sophia nearly jumped out of bed with a shriek.


    ?Ahahahah! Your reaction is even better than I thought!?


    ?I... don''t even know what to say anymore¡­ and you have the nerves to tell me to trust you¡­?


    I felt Sophia shift in the bed.


    "Did I go too far with the teasing?"


    But my girlfriend did not get up. Instead, she pushed me gently onto my back.


    ?Sophia, what are you...??


    ?This way you can''t attack me from behind,? she whispered as she rested her head on my chest and snuggled up against my body.


    "I don''t think my heart can take this..."


    But I steeled myself. I couldn''t let her win now.


    ?But I can attack you like this!? I said, kissing her forehead as I slid an arm under her to embrace her.


    ?This kind of attack... isn''t so bad...?


    ?You didn''t like the one on your neck??


    ?I... it made me feel a bit weird.?


    ?Weird in a good way or...?


    ?No comment¡­?


    Sophia put an arm around my chest and placed her hand on my left side, just above my heart.


    Then with a sigh she said:


    ?Sorry Elizabeth, I''m not much fun, am I??


    ?Huh? What do you mean? Spending time with you is when I have the most fun!?


    ?That... makes me happy. But that''s not what I meant. I''m sure you''d like to do the kind of things... that a couple would do. But I don''t think I''m capable of that. I feel so out of my depth in this kind of situation.?


    "So... she saw right through me."


    Amy was right, as usual. Sophia might be inexperienced, but she was neither stupid nor oblivious.


    ?Sophia, we became a couple 3 days ago. I''m the one who should apologise for trying to rush things. It''s just that we might have so little time left... it made me kind of impatient. Thank you for putting up with my silly requests and all the teasing today.?


    ?Are you... sure you are okay with this? If you want, we could...?


    But I could feel both her voice and her body shaking as she tried to speak.


    ?No,? I interrupted her, ?I love the way our relationship works right now. I think we should just let things happen naturally. Our time may be limited, but we are bound to get even closer than we are now and then... I think it will all feel right.?


    ?I... thank you. I love you.?


    ?I love you too. But don''t think I''m going to stop messing with you just because I''m saying these things.?


    ?I wouldn''t expect anything less from you... good night, Elizabeth.?


    ?Good night, Sophia.?


    In a few days our battle would start again, but for now my only wish was to enjoy that soothing and tender embrace.


    Just a little longer.

 50. A new trial

    Over the next few days, we simply found comfort in each other''s company.


    The pain I still felt over Amy''s death, the weaknesses Sophia was hiding, were easier to bear when we could lean on each other.


    And with every moment we spent together, I could feel our relationship growing and becoming more intimate.


    Just looking at her face still unleashed a torrent of emotions in me. But in the midst of that storm, a quiet oasis had now opened up.


    I knew there was a place in this world I could always return to. I now had someone who, despite my many faults, would always accept me and forgive all my idiotic actions.


    I could see the same realisation in Sophia''s eyes. At last she no longer had to hide. When she was with me, the barriers she had erected fell away, allowing me to see the sweet girl she could be.


    And as our emotional distance shrank, so did our physical one.


    Gradually I could feel Sophia''s body relax to my touch. And soon she was the one who began to seek it, as she had done when we were not yet a couple.


    Now that Sophia was more comfortable, I could see that she was actually a very affectionate girl.


    The way she was always looking for opportunities to lean on me for cuddles made my heart flutter.


    "If she starts to be more assertive, as I know she can be... I''ll lose my mind."


    Although Sophia could be extremely decisive, she had so far been content to let me lead the way in developing our relationship.


    If she had started to take the reins... it would have been the end of me.


    "She would have me wrapped around her finger..."


    But maybe part of me wanted it to happen.


    A back-and-forth battle for control was, to be honest, an exciting prospect.


    Unfortunately, the time that seemed to have frozen after the battle had started ticking again. Every time we went out to eat, we could see the school being hastily repaired from the damage caused by the battle.


    Soon this moment of peace came to an end and by the following Monday we were back to the grim reality.


    <hr>


    The atmosphere in the classroom could not have been more different from the first day I entered it.


    The excited buzz of a hundred young lives had given way to a deathly silence, broken only by a few hushed whispers.


    The leaderboard on the right wall was a graveyard of erased names. My eyes fell on one of them:


    Amy Thomson


    Perhaps sensing where my gaze had wandered, Sophia covered my hand with hers and squeezed it tightly.


    I gave her a grateful smile before turning back to look at the wall.


    Celeste was currently in the lead, with Philemon directly below her in second place.


    The prize from the tournament had catapulted them to around 800 points above the third step of the podium, which was occupied by me.


    It seemed like an insurmountable gap to make up with regular duels, when it came down to it, there was only one way for me to win.


    Perhaps that was the point of that outrageous points reward.


    In any case, I had no intention of waiting until the end of the competition. I would never have tried to kill two of my friends.


    For what purpose, anyway? To become a human weapon?


    Below me in the rankings, at a good distance, was Nicole. Sophia was only ten points below.


    I couldn''t help but feel irritated again as I stared at Wilhelm''s name in the middle of the leaderboard.


    Finally, Penny was in 23rd place.


    We have to help her... if we all give her a few points, we shouldn''t have any trouble making sure she survives the next few weeks.


    I''ll bring it up later, at the meeting.


    Although I had initially considered leaving the alliance because of that idiot''s behaviour, Sophia had finally persuaded me to stay.


    Suddenly, while I was still staring intently at the scoreboard, someone called my name.


    ?Liz! Sophie! Good morning! Can you make room for us??


    I turned to see the beaming smile of Celeste, with Philemon and Penny in her wake, her mood seemingly no better than the last time we had seen each other.


    ?Celeste! Of course, sit down! Sophia, move a little to the right.?


    My girlfriend looked decidedly unenthusiastic, but obeyed with a snort.


    Celeste usually sat in the front rows, surrounded by her many friends. Friends of which Penny seemed to be the only one left.


    ?Liz Liz, you are coming this evening, aren''t you??


    "Liz Liz? She''s getting even sillier than usual. Is this her way of coping with what has happened lately?"


    ?Yes, I''ll be there, don''t worry.?


    ?Great... don''t take what Will said too personally. I don''t know him well, but I''m sure he''s not a bad person. During the battle upstairs, we had four special power users on our heels.


    If he hadn''t come to our aid, it would have been too much even for Philemon and me!?


    ?I see... but even if he has a bone to pick with some people with powers, he really shouldn''t take it out on innocent people!?


    ?I don''t think I really qualify as an innocent person, Elizabeth...? Sophia interjected.


    I ignored her.


    ?If he makes comments like that again...?


    ?No. You are not going to do anything. I''ll deal with it,? Celeste interrupted me in a firm tone, ?I made this alliance and I''ll be calling the shots. I won''t allow anything more than a friendly squabble, understood??


    "She manages to go from ''Liz Liz'' to this behaviour in seconds... I wonder who the real Celeste is?"


    She had always been so cheerful that I had never thought she might have a hidden side like Sophia.


    "Anyway... I''m glad someone as charismatic as her is still around. An alliance needs a strong and steadfast leader, and I''m sure I''m not that."


    If it had been up to me, we would have been fighting from the first meeting.


    ?Alright...?


    Celeste''s face instantly relaxed, as if the stern expression she''d just had had been a mirage:


    ?Perfect. Don''t get me wrong, I don''t want to be a dictator. If you have any complaints or suggestions, let me know. I just want to avoid any discord floating around from the start... remember, we only have one enemy, and that''s the Academy.?


    ?You''re right.?


    ?And anyway, Sophie doesn''t strike me as someone who needs to be defended!?


    ?Sometimes I wish someone would defend me from your idiocy...? Sophia replied immediately, making me burst out laughing.


    ?That''s mean! Liz, did she tell you how she approached me after the battle??


    ?One more word and the fight between Wilhelm and Elizabeth will be the last of your problems!?


    ?Come with me... But why?... I''m in need of your abilities,? Celeste recited, alternating a deep, dramatic voice with a high-pitched one. ?Of course, my captain, I''ll follow you to hell and back!?


    ?I''m sorry Elizabeth, I think I''ll be disqualified for killing a person.?


    My stomach hurt from laughing.


    "These two together... they''re hilarious."


    But this moment of fun was short-lived.


    Skylark walked into the classroom and all the noise stopped.


    Like a vulture, his presence could now only be associated with death and suffering.


    ?Ah. Makes quite an impression, seeing all these empty seats, doesn''t it??


    I didn''t think that even if I lived forever I would ever find someone I could hate more than this man.


    ?Congratulations on getting through the fight. You should be proud, especially those who came face to face with our old student,? his eyes fixed on me, ?I think not everyone was so lucky.?


    I felt my blood boil, but two hands grabbed both my arms.


    ?Calm down Elizabeth, that''s what he wants,? Sophia said, biting her lip, to my right.


    ?We''ll make him pay,? Celeste whispered to my left.


    I took a deep breath and shot a venomous glance at the headmaster, who smiled mockingly at me from under his moustache.


    "One day... I''m going to kill you."


    ?But enough of dredging up the past, you 25 have earned a chance to live into the future. The road will not be easy. As you know, the Academy will resume business as usual as of today.


    Mr Paulson, I hope for your sake you will get to work,? Skylark said, reading the name of the student in last place from the leaderboard.


    Now that there were so few students, it would become increasingly difficult to climb up from the bottom.


    Since you could only challenge someone once a day, the amount of points you could make up was limited.


    Furthermore, the battle had obviously claimed more victims among the weaker students. Those who remained alive were now tough opponents, and it was difficult to win against them.


    Every point was important.


    "In such a situation... someone is bound to go off the deep end."


    The coming months would be much more eventful than the previous ones, I was sure.


    As if he had read my thoughts, Skylark went on:


    ?But with so few of you... things could get boring, don''t you think? Miss Fitzroy and Mr Hargrave could take a holiday and still be in the lead.?


    "It was you who gave them such a high number of points.."


    ?That''s why I have some fun pastimes in mind to make things more interesting.?


    In the past, there would have been a concerned buzz about the class, but no one spoke up.


    By now we were used to Skylark''s little games and just wanted him to tell us what horrible torture he had in mind for us.


    ?Not much enthusiasm, eh? Don''t worry, this time it won''t be a challenge between you students, it will be about cooperation. After all, a good mage must also be able to work with his allies.?


    Once again, no one responded. We knew there had to be a catch as usual.


    ?In a week, when your numbers are even again, you will be divided into pairs, but not to challenge each other as in December, but to pass a trial together. I hope it will be an opportunity to make new friends. See you next Monday, good luck.?


    My mind began to process what he had said.


    What purpose could such a test serve? Working together was a natural thing when you were in danger.


    "I bet this ''trial'' will test the trust between us."


    It was the most logical conclusion. Now that there were so few of us left, Skylark probably wanted to spread discord among us to prevent alliances from forming.


    "...what a coincidence... I don''t like this one bit. From the sound of it... I won''t be paired with Sophia this time."


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    I spent the rest of the lesson imagining trials, each worse than the last.


    <hr>


    The atmosphere in Celeste''s room was tense. The words with which I had left last time still hung in the air.


    Wilhelm, for his part, had greeted me without a fuss. I had reciprocated coldly.


    "I won''t make a scene again... but they can''t force me to make friends with him."


    Maybe it was immature of me, but I wasn''t going to bury the hatchet until he apologised, not to me, but to Sophia.


    Celeste, however, didn''t seem to mind the mood around her table and started talking excitedly:


    ?Ok guys. After the introductory meeting last time... today it''s time to roll up our sleeves. You saw it today, Skylark won''t give us a break. He will be in our way right to the end. Every week we have left is precious.?


    ?Last time you said you had an idea how to escape, right?? asked Nicole.


    ?That''s right! But first I want to remind you that not a word of what I''m about to tell you must leave this room. If you find another potential ally before you reveal anything to them, you must bring them here first so we can make sure we can trust them.?


    ?Do you really think that someone could sell us out to Skylark?? asked Wilhelm.


    "...naive."


    It was Sophia who answered.


    ?There could be a mole among the students, someone who has been on Skylark''s side from the beginning.?


    ?It''s like Sophie says. I don''t think any of the students would have any reason to cooperate with him, given what awaits us at the end of the competition. But if there is someone among us who is not a real student...?


    ?And even if that person came last in the rankings, they wouldn''t risk anything. They would vanish into thin air like the others, but they wouldn''t be killed,? I added.


    ?It could be one of us,? Nicole commented casually.


    The atmosphere became tense again at these words.


    ?Nicky! I know you have a bizarre sense of humour, but don''t spoil the mood like this!? exclaimed Celeste.


    ?Sorry, sorry... I just wanted to bring it up because I''m sure it''s crossed someone''s mind. If we start suspecting each other, we won''t get anywhere. In the end, all we can do is move on and hope that we are all on the same side in this room.?


    ?Very good, that''s what I wanted to say! Now, let''s get down to business,? Celeste said,?Liz, could you tell everyone what your hypothesis is about the Academy''s defences??


    ?I... sure,? I replied, surprised to be called on.


    "Sophia must have told her when she got her to examine the barrier."


    I explained what I had long since theorised: the barriers around the Academy had to be maintained by an incredible amount of mana.


    So there had to be a source of it. Sure, it could have been Skylark, given how powerful he was.


    But there could also have been a huge reserve of mana hidden somewhere in the Academy.


    ?And thanks to the battle... we have discovered that this second hypothesis is most likely the correct one, this ''core'' does exist,? he concluded.


    ?And where would that be?? asked Willhelm.


    I waited for Celeste to answer him.


    ?Under our feet. Or to be more precise, under the entrance hall!?


    ?How did you find that out?? asked Nicole.


    ?At the end of the battle, Elizabeth broke part of the floor. Under it I saw a blinding white light... typical of mana. It was like a little sun.?


    ?What are we waiting for, then? If we tell everyone and cooperate, we''ll only have to break the ground again and destroy this core to escape!? shouted Willhelm.


    I hated that he had the same reaction as me.


    ?Unfortunately, it won''t be that easy. The floor of that part of the school is protected by a series of extremely powerful barriers. Not only that, but it''s full of seals between them, so if one of the barriers is destroyed, all hell will break loose,? Celeste said, trying to calm him down.


    ?But then how did Liz get the floor to collapse?? asked Nicole.


    ?Aldric,? I replied, ?his body seems to be completely immune to magic, when he hit the ground he must have deactivated the barriers.?


    ?And you fought someone like that? Incredible,? Willhelm commented impressed.


    "Flattery will get you nowhere," I thought as I ignored him.


    ?As you can imagine, even if we knew where he was, we couldn''t gently ask Aldric to deactivate the defences again.?


    ?The fact that you have that cheerful tone... there is another entrance, isn''t there?? Nicole asked amusedly.


    ?Bingo! Think about it, a place like that has to be maintained somehow... mana has to be recharged from time to time. Surely smashing the floor is not the only way to get there.?


    ?A secret passage...? I commented quietly.


    ?And Sophie happened to see something interesting.?


    Sophia nodded:


    ?At the end of the battle, I saw guards coming down from the second floor, when only students were supposed to be up there.?


    ?So in short, the place where the guards and teachers hid during the battle is right there, under the entrance hall, an underground part of the school. And the way to get there is on the second floor.? Celeste replied.


    ?That ... that''s not a good thing, is it?? I asked, ?We don''t normally have access to the second floor.?


    ?Exactly!? replied Celeste, smiling, ?but that just means we have to find our own way in.?


    ?And let me guess, you''ve already found it... ? I replied, it was just like her to keep us on our toes to show off her brains.


    ?Uh uh! After Sophie put the bug in my ear, I began to examine all the barriers in the school and, as luck would have it, I found a fatal flaw! There''s one particular spot that''s not very well protected!?


    A place in the school that is not protected, where could it be? By exclusion...!


    "Of course, remember how Amy stopped Aldric!"


    ?The ceiling!?


    ?You and I are always on the same page, Liz! That''s right, the barriers on the ceiling are quite soft. After all, unlike the outer walls that prevent our escape, there''s not much reason to defend them.


    I guess they cut corners so as not to use too much mana!?


    ?So we''re supposed to break through the ceiling and get to the second floor like that?? Nicole giggled amused, ?Imagine us showing up in Skylark''s bathroom while he''s taking a shower!?


    ?The fact that he would kill us then would be liberating, I don''t think I could go on living after seeing something like that!? I added, bursting out laughing.


    "I like Nicole, she seems cool. As for the others..."


    Apart from my personal vendetta against Willhelm, I didn''t really dislike anyone, but...


    "I know Philemon would chime in if necessary... but Penny has said almost nothing in our two encounters."


    Her eyes were fixed on the table.


    "Poor girl... Celeste shouldn''t have dragged her into this or... no, maybe she wants to try to help her."


    ?Of course, we can''t do something like that without arranging everything perfectly first! We should find a good time to make sure we don''t get caught.


    I think it''s best to do a first reconnaissance mission and then, when we find the secret passage, we''ll all go together,? Celeste continued.


    ?A good time... will have to be when Skylark and the professors are all down here...? I commented, scratching my chin.


    ?Exactly. We just have to pray that the opportunity comes soon. If not, we''ll have to risk it. Besides, there''s another reason why I want to go to the second floor.?


    ?What would that be??


    ?Aldric''s file... if he has one, don''t you think there are others?? asked Celeste.


    ?That''s right...? replied Sophia, ?it is possible that there is a file with all the data of the participants. If we could find it, it could help us not only in the duels, but also in finding a possible mole.?


    ?Exactly, Sophie!? said Celeste, clapping her hands, but getting only a glare in return.


    We talked about our goal for a while before Celeste said:


    ?Perfect! Now we have something to work on. Let''s get together in a week. We''ll have to talk about how to deal with the Skylark''s test when we find out what it is!?


    We all nodded, except Penny.


    That reminded me of something.


    ?I was thinking... since Penny is low in the rankings, maybe we could help her get some points.?


    The girl looked up for the first time in the meeting.


    ?I... there''s no need. Don''t worry about me...?


    That expression... I think it''s the same expression I had the day after the battle...


    ?You can go,? Celeste interjected, ?Penny, stay and let''s talk a bit!?


    I decided to listen to her and left the room with Sophia.


    ?You''re worried about her, aren''t you?? she asked as we walked through the corridors.


    ?Yes... I know what it''s like to lose someone and if you hadn''t helped me... I don''t know what would have happened.?


    Sophia smiled sweetly at me:


    ?Leave it to Celeste, she knows her better than you and has a way with words. You''ll see that she can handle it.?


    ?I don''t know... Celeste isn''t really good at comforting people... wait a minute... Celeste? You''ve always called her by her last name!?


    ?Oh...?


    Sophia looked away.


    ?Oh, you two are getting so chummy! Do you like the way she calls you Sophie?? I poked her.


    ?I... just thought I could try... to make a friend by myself this time.?


    It was definitely not the answer I was expecting. But it made me very happy.


    ?Go for it!? I told her.


    ?Huh? I thought you''d tease me endlessly about it,? Sophia looked at me surprised.


    ?Maybe normally I would... but I am just very, very happy that you are opening up like this, so I want to encourage you.?


    ?Elizabeth... thank you,? Sophia said, smiling.


    ?You''re welcome...?


    "It''s going to be kinda strange to not have her all for myself though... wait... I sound just like her now!"


    We were silent for a while until Sophia spoke again.


    ?Speaking of names... should we change the way we refer to each other??


    ?Uh? What do you mean??


    ?I... don''t couples usually call each other in some... special way...??


    I looked at her, stunned.


    ?Sophia, do you want us to switch to pet names??


    ?I... I don''t know... I was just thinking about it...?


    ?How about I call you Sophie from now on??


    ?Forget I said anything.?


    I burst out laughing.


    It was kind of sweet of her to suggest something like that, but...


    ?Honestly, I''d find it kind of embarrassing to call you something like ''darling'' or ''honey'' out of the blue.?


    ?I... agree.?


    ?And I also love your name. I think it means something like ''wisdom'' in the old runes, right??


    ?Yes... what about you? Do you want me to call you something else??


    ?No...?


    I blushed.


    "Should I tell her?... Oh fuck it!"


    ?No, nobody usually calls me by my full name because it''s so long and the way you say it... it''s kind of hot.?


    ?HOT?! What do you mean hot?!? asked Sophia, stunned.


    ?I reserve the right to remain silent.?


    I thought that was it, but after a bit Sophia leaned on my shoulder.


    ?Elizabeth...? she whispered in my ear.


    ?EEEK!?


    For a moment I thought I was going to jump in the air and hit my head on the ceiling.


    ?You..?


    ?Just as I thought, your ears are your weak point, huh? I remember whispering in your ear after our duel...?


    ?Oh... is that so? I also happen to know where to hit!?


    ?UH?! What?! Ahahahah!?


    I shoved her against the wall as my fingers attacked her sides.


    ?Elizabeth, stop it!?


    But her laughter was too sweet. And I wasn''t done yet, I could tell from her tone that she didn''t really want me to.


    Just like I had done a few nights before, I went for her neck.


    ?Elizabeth!??


    As my lips touched her, Sophia tried to wriggle away, but my hands closed around her wrists, holding them still.


    I could feel her body shaking against mine, but this time it wasn''t fear...


    ?Elizabeth, STOP IT!?


    Her tone suddenly became firm. I let her go immediately.


    "Oh no... did I misread the situation?"


    ?Sophia, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to...?


    ?That''s not the problem, idiot!?


    I followed her gaze and found myself face to face with an uncharacteristically embarrassed Celeste.


    ?Oh...?


    "Right... we''re in the middle of a corridor."


    ?Liz, Sophie... you two... I kind of suspected something, since you''re always holding hands, but... you''re already doing... this kind of stuff!??


    I felt my cheeks burning.


    I didn''t mind Celeste finding out we were a couple. I knew her character well by now. She wouldn''t have a problem with our relationship, even if she was a noble.


    But the way she found out...


    "She''ll think I''m a pervert!"


    I literally had Sophia up against the wall...


    Sophia... oh no...


    My girlfriend had turned purple.


    ?That¡¯s¡­ quite the relationship you two have¡­ eh eh¡­? Celeste said in a hesitant voice.


    Even she, who was difficult to intimidate, seemed to understand that she had to tread a fine line.


    ?Um... yeah, me and Sophia are a couple... we got together the same day of the battle. Sorry I didn''t tell you, it kind of slipped my mind.?


    I said, trying to salvage the situation.


    ?Oh, don''t worry! Congratulations! Now I understand why you''ve never had a boyfriend before, heh heh!?


    ?What do you want?? said Sophia in a mechanical tone.


    ?Oh, right, I just wanted to find you to talk about Penny. I''m sorry she reacted like that to your kind offer. I honestly don''t know what to do... as you may have guessed, our group of friends has been wiped out. I thought her joining us would give her some hope again... but that doesn''t seem to be the case.?


    The embarrassment I felt was washed away by those words.


    ?I... understand. I was in a similar situation... if it wasn''t for Sophia, I don''t know if I would have ever left my room again.?


    ?Unfortunately, I don''t have the deep relationship with her that you two have... But I would still like to help her,? Celeste said.


    ?Mmmh, that''s tough. I''ll see what I can do.?


    ?Thanks Liz... and sorry to... interrupt," Celeste said as she turned on her heel, ?by the way, I never expected to hear those sounds coming out of your mouth Sophie!?


    ?YOU!?


    Sophia started to run after her, but the girl had cast a spell on herself and was fleeing at the speed of light.


    I stood alone in the corridor, bent over with laughter.


    <hr>


    It was the moment of truth: Skylark had just entered the classroom.


    ?Very well, as I told you last week, the time has come to announce a new event!? announced the old professor.


    ?As I told you, this will not be a duel. You and your comrade will have to cooperate to pass a trial. I want to emphasise that this is a challenge in which you will have to prove that you can count on each other.? he said.


    "What a bunch of nonsense... what is he getting at?"


    ?For this reason... if your comrade loses his life, so will you.?


    "Oh... I can see where this is going."


    ?Well, time to find out the person whose fate will be entwined with yours.?


    As had happened a few months earlier, the leaderboard rearranged itself and the names of the 24 survivors were divided into 12 pairs.


    I was right, this time I would not fight alongside Sophia:


    Elizabeth Belvoir and Penelope Pembroke

 51. Declarations of War

    When I saw Penny''s name next to mine, I could only think:


    "This is... very bad."


    I glanced left to the end of the bench where the girl was sitting.


    Her eyes were fixed on the table, as usual. I wasn''t sure if she had even looked at the pairings.


    Over the past week, I had done my best to keep my promise to Celeste to try and help Penny but I hadn''t managed to get anything done.


    The fact that I had finally found some people here at the Academy who enjoyed my company had made me forget how bad I was at making new friends.


    I had even gone so far as to ask Penny to join me for lunch, but the conversation between us had never started, even though we were sitting at the same table.


    But the fact that we did not know each other well was not the problem. No, it was her state of mind.


    I knew the look that girl had permanently etched on her face. It was not simple sadness or despair. It was the quiet resignation of someone who had lost all hope and was only waiting for her predetermined end to come. It was a feeling I had faced twice before, but my best friend and girlfriend had managed to pull me away from it.


    But Penny no longer had anyone in the school with whom she shared such a close relationship.


    As my eyes returned to the leaderboard, another, less pleasant thought crossed my mind:


    "Of all the people I had to get paired with... why her?!"


    Of course, I was going to do everything I could to protect her... not that I had a choice.


    But as my eyes fell on two other names, I realised that luck had absolutely nothing to do with the partner I had been assigned.


    Sophia Thornton and Wilhelm Langley.


    "...so this is the game he''s playing."


    This new event was, as usual, just an excuse for Skylark to get in the way of me and Sophia.


    This time, however, the subtext was even more nefarious than usual.


    Not only had he assigned us undesirable companions, but they were also the very people we had just formed an alliance with.


    An alliance Skylark was determined to break.


    "How does he know everything? There''s only one possibility, isn''t it?"


    ?Calm down Elizabeth...? whispered Sophia to my right.


    After a few deep breaths, I followed her advice.


    Celeste was sitting to my left, and if I''d started ranting about a possible traitor in our ranks, I was sure she wouldn''t have liked it.


    As I was looking at her, Celeste whispered:


    "How lucky..."


    Following her gaze I immediately understood the meaning behind those words.


    Celeste Fitzroy and Philemon Hargrave


    It was yet another pairing internal to our alliance but, in this case, Celeste had being assigned her perfect pattern.


    "Luck... again, I don''t think that''s the case."


    It couldn''t have been a coincidence.


    Even in the last doubles tournament, Celeste had gotten a favourable draw by avoiding Finch, who she''d have risked her life against.


    And now this.


    "It''s as if Skylark doesn''t want to put her in danger..."


    I remembered Sophia''s words of warning to me from a long time ago:


    "What is someone so influential doing in here? Do you think the king could really have sent his right-hand man''s daughter here to die??"


    I shook my head.


    "This is exactly what Skylark wants."


    I trusted Celeste.


    The despair I had seen on her face when she had discovered Aldric''s fate could not be just an act. And so far she had always done everything she could to help me.


    "Besides, she herself is the one who created the alliance, what sense would it make to do so only to destroy it immediately..."


    But if I trusted her, and consequently Philemon, I could not say the same for the other three members.


    "Even though I like her, I don''t really know Nicole... she''s the only one who''s paired with someone outside the alliance," I thought as I looked at the leaderboard again.


    Her parten was a student in the lower parts of the rankings. She was not getting a favorable treatement like Celeste.


    "Penny and Langley are undoubtedly the most suspicious, and they happen to be the ones paired with Sophia and me... What if one of them fakes their death during the test to eliminate one of us..."


    It was pointless, these thoughts would get me nowhere. I had no choice but to play the hand I was dealt.


    ?The test will take place in two days, today''s and tomorrow''s classes will be cancelled to give you time to prepare. Good luck!? Skylark said before leaving the classroom.


    As the students stood up, probably to confer with their assigned partners, a hand closed tightly on my wrist.


    Before I could turn around, Sophia began to drag me out of the classroom.


    "Ah, like old times... it''s been a while."


    By the time we reached my room, I was out of breath and my wrist was screaming for mercy.


    As soon as we entered, Sophia started pacing up and down, biting her lip as usual.


    ?And you told me to calm down!? I tried to joke.


    ?I''m very worried,? Sophia blurted out without looking at me.


    ?I feel you, I would be worried too if I was paired up with an idiot like Wilhelm,? I tried again to lighten the mood, to no avail.


    ?It''s you I''m worried about! Even though he doesn''t like me, I don''t think Wilhelm is going to sacrifice his life to take me out... but... Penelope...? Sophia muttered and turned to me.


    Looking at her face, I realised the situation was serious.


    The only time I had seen her so out of it was after our duel with Finch and Foster. Her lips were trembling and she seemed on the verge of tears.


    ?I know... I will do my best to protect her. You know I''m strong, I should have no problem keeping her safe until the end of the trial,? I tried to reassure her, but it was clear from my voice that I wasn''t all that confident.


    ?What if you can''t? What if the trial forces you to act separately?? replied Sophia, voicing my doubts.


    ?Well... Skylark said it would be a test based on cooperation, it wouldn''t make sense to separate us!?


    But I knew that argument didn''t hold water.


    Skylark had repeatedly acted in underhanded ways to put us on the spot. He could have twisted his own words again if it suited him.


    ?You can''t trust anything that bastard says!? Sophia said, ?no, we have to do something before the time of the trial comes.?


    Sophia resumed her restless march. After a few moments she muttered:


    ?I see no other way, we must put Celeste''s plan into action tomorrow.?


    It wasn''t like her to suggest such a risky thing, but I understood her reaction perfectly.


    Sophia hated feeling powerless and there was nothing she could do to help me in this particular ordeal.


    ?You know it''s a bad idea. Tomorrow, with classes cancelled, the second floor will be swarming with professors.?


    ?MIGHT AS WELL RISK IT!? Sophia shouted, completely losing control, ?rather than let you take part in that stupid trial. I''d rather risk everything. I... can''t lose you.?


    ?Don''t be like this... more than anything, I need your cool thinking right now,? I whispered as I pulled her close to me.


    Sophia buried herself in my chest, hiding her face from my gaze.


    ?How can you be so calm...? she murmured in a choked voice.


    ?I think the part of me that was afraid to die never left the arena where we fought Finch. I''m still afraid... but like you, I''m afraid of losing the person I love. But I know how strong you are and I know you will get through this.?


    ?I... I have faith in your abilities too. It''s just... Penny...?


    ?I know... I''ll see if I can talk to her later. Maybe the prospect of a life or death situation will be enough to shake her out of the state she''s in right now!?


    I was by no means convinced of that, but at the moment my priority was to calm my girlfriend.


    I caressed her hair for several minutes before asking her:


    ?Have you calmed down a bit??


    ?Yes, but... can we stay like this for a little while longer?? replied Sophia, her face still pressed against my chest.


    ?Sure... as long as you want.?


    The fact that she could ask me such a thing without hesitation was proof of how far our relationship had come.


    But when, a few minutes later, Sophia broke away from me and ran to the bathroom, I realised that we could still improve.


    The wet patches on my shirt were proof that there was something she still didn''t want me to see.


    "I''ll survive... I''ll do whatever it takes to come back to her," I thought, clenching my fists.


    <hr>


    When she came out of the bathroom, her eyes still red, Sophia sat down on the bed next to me.


    ?Are you feeling better??


    ?Yes... thank you.?


    I wanted to tell her that she didn''t need to be ashamed to cry in front of me, but I didn''t want to embarrass her any further. So I decided to change the subject.


    ?The plan, the alliance... it doesn''t make sense anymore, don''t you think??


    ?Why do you say that? I thought you agreed it was the only way to go.?


    ?I thought so, but... now it is certain that we have a traitor in our ranks. These pairings can''t just be a coincidence.?


    Sophia sighed:


    ?I know it doesn''t look good. But maybe there is another explanation for what has happened. Or at least I want to believe that there is.?


    ?But what are the alternatives?? I asked, surprised.


    I hadn''t expected Sophia to be so trusting. But, after all, the alliance was the only thing giving us hope at the moment... if there was even the slightest chance that the mole wasn''t among us, I would have clung to it too.


    ?Skylark knows the alliance exists and who its members are, but... it wasn''t necessarily one of us who told him. We were careless, Elizabeth... a guard could have seen us entering Celeste''s room.


    After all, the school was swarming with them until recently. Seven people in one room is bound to be suspicious.?


    ?It could be as you say, but... if that''s the case, they could also have listened to what we were saying and know all about our plan to escape!?


    ?I don''t think that''s possible. The spell that protects our rooms prevents that. It also shields against possible divination spells, from what Celeste told me.?


    ?I see... but it''s a spell from the school, Skylark could have deactivated it to allow snooping!?


    ?I thought so too. But Celeste also put a barrier around her room to warn her of such intrusions.?


    ?I didn''t know about that... you two are getting really intimate, aren''t you?? I tried to tease her, but it was obvious that Sophia wasn''t in the mood, so immediately stopped.


    ?I know we can''t be sure that''s what happened... but I still want to believe in our comrades. That''s all I can do,? Sophia said.


    ?All right. I don''t know if I can trust them completely, but I trust you unconditionally,? I told her with a smile.


    ?Speaking of the alliance... we''ll have to talk to them about these things later.?


    ?You''re right, but until then...? I pulled her to me and kissed her cheek, ?let''s relax a bit, I can see you''re still nervous.?


    ?I¡­ thank you.?


    <hr>


    When we knocked on Celeste''s door, we were very late.


    Due to the nervousness of finding out who our partner was, neither of us had slept very well the night before. So while we were spending the time after lunch cuddling, we had fallen asleep together.


    The owner of the room replied with her usual "Come in!", but I knew from her tone that something was wrong. As soon as I opened the door, it was not difficult to see what the problem was.


    Nicole, Philemon and Celeste were the only ones in the room.


    ?Uhm... sorry we''re late!? I exclaimed.


    ?No worries, have a seat! I think Penny and Will might have had a few setbacks too,? Celeste said.


    But it was obvious from her tone that she wasn''t holding out much hope. She probably thought we wouldn''t show up either.


    The minutes passed but there was no sign of the two absentees.


    ?I don''t think they''re coming, Celeste,? Nicole whispered cautiously.


    Celeste did not even turn to look at her. For the last few minutes she had been staring at the door, her fingers crossed in front of her eyes.


    But suddenly she sprang to her feet and slammed her hand on the table, startling us all.


    ?So that old bastard thinks it takes so little to mess with us!?


    A smile had returned to Celeste''s face. But it was not one of her usual ones. It wasn''t bright or easygoing, it was a sharp, cold one that didn''t extend to her sweet brown eyes. It kinda reminded me of Skylark''s.


    ?Well, I think he''s succeeding. Both Wilhelm and Penny probably think there''s a traitor in our midst... and I can''t say I blame them,? I commented.


    I knew that wasn''t what Celeste wanted to hear right now, but I wasn''t going to be a yes-woman just because it was easier.


    ?I''m not mad at them... I''m angry at Skylark,? Celeste said, nodding, ?he may have won the first round, but it''s not going to go his way. Let''s go!? she blurted out, heading for the door.


    ?Let''s go? Where to?? asked Nicole.


    ?To get our comrades back!? exclaimed Celeste in a firm voice.


    ?Wait a minute... if there''s no traitor, this situation happened because we were careless and exposed ourselves when we came here. We shouldn''t be giving out information that Skylark...? began Sophia.


    ?It doesn''t matter. He already knows everything. And if it pleases him, he can take what I''m about to do as my personal declaration of war on him,? Celeste interrupted her, the smile spreading to her eyes.


    "She really is a born leader..." I thought as I followed her through the corridors of the west wing.


    The fact that someone like her was in this school was truly incredible. She could have been an important asset to the King in more ways than just being a human weapon.


    "Why is she here... and why does Skylark favour her so much..."


    There was one thing that could explain everything: the words we had found in Aldric''s file.


    "Prime candidate... what if she''s the one?"


    In that case, the fact that the Academy was doing everything it could to keep her alive would have made sense but...


    "Her intellect is her most powerful weapon. If she is destined to lose it... her magical power is not so out of the ordinary. Unless..."


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    An innate power.


    I wouldn''t have blamed her if she''d kept one hidden all this time. In fact, I hoped she had.


    Celeste''s pace was so determined that we reached Wilhelm''s room in no time.


    The girl immediately began to knock violently. If it hadn''t been for the protection spell, I was afraid she would have kicked the door down.


    ?What the hell?? we heard Wilhelm''s voice from inside.


    ?Will, get your ass out here!?


    "Usually she''s so polite... like Sophia, this situation has made her completely snap. Or... maybe this is how she really is."


    The boy could only obey. Perhaps he too had realised that Celeste would continue to pound the door with her fists into the night if he didn''t.


    When he found us all outside his door, Wilhelm seemed surprised to see us there.


    ?I...? he started, but Celeste immediately cut him off:


    ?Why didn''t you come to the meeting? If there was a problem, you could have told me at least.?


    ?I... I''m sorry. I would have come to talk to you later...I had to think,? Wilhelm replied, composing himself, ?I have decided to leave your alliance.?


    The tension was palpable before Celeste replied.


    ?I understand. I would like you to reconsider. If you want to leave because you think there''s a mole between us, I can''t blame you. But there''s a simpler explanation for why Skylark found out about us.?


    ?It''s not because of that. The risk is high, but I think cooperation is still the best way to ensure our survival,? Wilhelm replied.


    ?Then... why do you want to leave??


    The boy seemed to hesitate, but the quick look he gave me told me all I needed to know.


    At this point, his words were just a formality.


    ?I... think cooperating is the best course of action. But there are people with whom I do not wish to associate with. Being allied with you has brought that particular pairing to me, and I cannot accept it.?


    Before I could take a step or open my mouth, Celeste stretched out an arm and placed it between Wilhelm and me.


    ?I thought we agreed we needed all the help we could get,? Celeste replied.


    ?I know you''re right, but... I just can''t stand this. You know very well, the only reason we fought together during the battle is because my best friend was killed by one of those damn powers...?


    "So that''s why... I kinda expected something like that. But Sophia... Sophia has nothing to do with it."


    I made to open my mouth again, but this time it was Sophia herself who interrupted me.


    ?You don''t have to like me,? my girlfriend blurted out, moving closer to him.


    The boy looked away, as if he saw something that disgusted him, but that did not stop her from continuing.


    ?I think you have every right to hate me actually. I''m not going to stand here and tell you that I''m a helpless innocent girl and that it''s unfair of you to put the blame on me. But from what you said, you know very well how much it hurts to lose someone dear. It happened to me during the battle... and I can''t let it happen again.?


    "Sophia..."


    ?The person that matters most to me is here at this school. I''d give anything to get out of here alive with her. Working with someone who despises me is no problem. In two days, I''ll do whatever it takes to keep you from dying, whether you like it or not. You, on the other hand... do you want your hatred for me to ruin your chances of getting out of here alive??


    Perhaps for the first time, the boy looked her in the face.


    ?I... I have to think about it,? he mumbled after a moment, clearly struck by Sophia''s words


    ?You know where to find me,? Celeste said before Wilhelm shut the door on us.


    Immediately afterwards she patted my girlfriend''s shoulder.


    ?My girl, those strange sounds from the other day weren''t the only thing I didn''t expect to come out of your mouth. You can be quite convincing!?


    The memory of that particular encounter with Celeste made Sophia and me blush in unison.


    ?Well, let''s go to Penny now,? Celeste said.


    "I... I don''t think acting like this it''s going to work out with her."


    Indeed, when we arrived outside her room and Celeste began her attack, no one responded.


    "This is bad... Celeste could actually ask Sophia to break the door down right now... and she might actually do it".


    That approach had worked for me in the past, but that was probably only because I had always been attracted to Sophia. If she did something like that now, Penny would probably be terrified.


    "After seeing how Sophia handled the situation with Wilhelm...I want to try it too."


    ?Celeste... can I be the one to deal with Penny? I''ll find a way to talk to her tomorrow and convince her to come back to us.?


    The girl arched an eyebrow at me, but when she saw my determined expression, she nodded.


    ?Alright! We''ll just have to wait then... damn I got all worked up for nothing. I guess we can say goodbye here for now.?


    ?Can I talk to you first, Celeste?? I asked, glancing at Sophia who nodded at me.


    ?Sure thing! ? the girl exclaimed energetically.


    And so, after saying goodbye to the others, we headed for her room.


    ?Brings back memories, doesn''t it?? said Celeste, handing me a cup of tea, ?remember the tea party when we first became friends? Actually, it''s been a while since we''ve hung out here alone!?


    "Come to think of it... I''ve been neglecting her a bit lately."


    ?Yeah... we should start training together again!?


    But Celeste, probably sensing what I was thinking, smiled at me and said,


    ?Don''t worry... you''ve been enjoying your newlywed life with Sophia, haven''t you??


    "Why does she have to phrase it like this? I guess I do want to marry her in the future..."


    ?Somehow, yeah... it all happened so fast, it still doesn''t really feel real. To think that I could be so happy even in this hellhole...?


    ?I should have realised it sooner... now I understand why she always looked at me so glumly!? Celeste chuckled.


    ?Yeah... I''m kind of surprised that you two are getting along right now... you know, from what you just said and the fact that you''re complete opposites.?


    ?I mean, aren''t you opposites too? And from what I saw, you girls are getting along really well!?


    "We''re actually quite similar... we''re both two girls who like to talk big even though we''re an insecure mess on the inside..."


    But I didn''t want to reveal that side of Sophia without her permission, so I just nodded.


    ?Have you had sex yet?? Celeste asked suddenly, making me spit out my tea on the table.


    ?Celeste!?


    ?Sorry! I was just curious how it went!?


    ?You could have asked in a less... direct way!?


    ?You may have noticed, but I''ve kind of stopped trying to keep up appearances lately... now that I don''t have that huge crowd of people buzzing around me there''s no real reason for it. So, did you do it??


    ?No...? I replied blushing, ?we haven''t even kissed properly yet...?


    ?WHAT?!?


    For a moment I thought Amy''s spirit had descended to possess Celeste. She would have reacted the same way.


    ?You''re doing that kind of stuff in the corridors and you didn''t even kiss each other??


    "This is so humiliating... why are we even talking about this?"


    ?We kissed, just not... you know. And what you saw...It was kind of a in the moment thing!?


    ?Well, I''m not going to judge... as long as you''re managing to have fun in this place, I guess you can do whatever you girls like...? Celeste sighed.


    I took the opportunity to steer the conversation back in the direction I wanted.


    ?Celeste, could you tell me what you know about Penny? So that I may have a better chance of helping her tomorrow??


    But my friend gave me a sad smile.


    ?The truth is... I can''t really tell you anything of value. I vaguely remember her being the daughter of a provincial baronet... honestly, if it wasn''t for the education I was given... I probably wouldn''t even remember her name.?


    I looked at her, stunned:


    ?Wasn''t she one of your friends??


    ?Yes... but let''s just say it was a bit of a stretch to call them friends. They were just people who orbited around me due to my social status. If you had studied in a bigger city you wouldn''t be so surprised. It often happens to high ranking nobles like myself.?


    Celeste''s tone was wistful.


    ?We didn''t spend a lot of time together, Liz... but I think that, apart from Philemon, you are the person who knows me best.?


    "...I don''t even know who the real you is..."


    But this was just another reminder that being a high-ranking noble was not the key to happiness.


    All her life, Celeste had probably had to watch out for people who pretended to be friends, but were only out to take advantage of her.


    ?I don''t really know you well, Celeste. You''re always super cheerful, but sometimes I think it''s just an act and you''re really just a cold calculating person on the inside. You act proper most of the time, but you can also be so tone-deaf... and when you were angry today, you were kind of scary... but I really like you. You are a lot of fun and I really respect you as a mage.?


    I decided that telling her the truth was the best thing to do.


    After all, it was the one thing she never got to hear from her fake friends.


    It was Celeste''s turn to be astonished.


    ?You... don''t mince your words, do you? But maybe that''s why I consider you a dear friend. A real one,? she said with a half-smile,


    ?So... which parts of what I told you make up the real you??


    ?How about... all of them?? Celeste replied in a mysterious tone.


    We burst out laughing.


    ?But I''m sorry Liz, I really don''t know how I can help you with Penny...?


    ?I''ll... think of something. But while we are asking tough questions... Celeste, why do you think Skylark is protecting you??


    This time Celeste did not seem surprised by the question. Her expression was one of gratitude instead.


    The fact that I had asked her directly was proof of the trust I had in her after all.


    ?I don''t really know... but I have a theory!?


    ?A theory??


    ?Yes... I think... Father might know about all of this and he''s propping me up...?


    ?Propping you up...!? But if you win, you''ll just become a weapon! You''ll pretty much die anyway in a sense!?


    But Celeste shook her head:


    ?You don''t understand Liz. For Father to have a Fitzroy become the new Sir Aldric would be a huge honour. It would bring even more fame to our household... something far more important than my life.?


    "Maybe she and Sophia do have something in common after all..."


    <hr>


    After what seemed like hours, the door to Penny''s room finally opened.


    I had woken up at the crack of dawn that morning and, after giving Sophia a kiss, I had made my way to my waiting place in the corridor.


    I waited for the girl to come out of her room and see me before I said hello.


    It was imperative that I didn''t startle her.


    ?Hey Penny, good morning!?


    ?Oh... g-good morning...? the girl said, barely looking at me.


    "Things are already not looking too hot..."


    But I wasn''t going to give up.


    ?Don''t worry, I''m not here to yell at you or anything. I just want to talk... could you listen to me for a while?? I asked her in a soft but firm tone.


    ?I... ok,? Penny replied.


    She didn''t seem particularly enthusiastic about the prospect, but the fact that she had agreed was a small victory.


    We traversed the school together and we reached the dining hall without meeting a soul. There were only 24 students left after all and it was also very early.


    Penny was probably hoping to eat undisturbed without running into Celeste.


    After taking our trays, we sat down at one of the many empty tables.


    "Where to start..."


    ?Why didn''t you come to the meeting yesterday? Is it because you think there is a traitor in our midst?? I asked, trying not to sound like I was accusing her.


    The girl was silent for a few seconds and then said:


    ?I don''t know... but it doesn''t matter. The headmaster... he sees everything anyway. Whatever plan we try to make... it won''t work...?


    "As I thought... she has lost all hope..."


    ?I don''t think everything always goes his way. You know, he''s tried to kill me several times since I''ve been here... but he hasn''t succeeded yet!?


    Only silence from Penny. But then...


    ?You''re here because you''re my partner, aren''t you? I''m sorry, I know I''m going to be a nuisance.?


    I knew it wouldn''t help to deny it. But what else could I do?


    "Amy... what would you do in this situation? I... I''m not good with words..."


    I thought back to all the situations I had been in over the past few months. I had often caused so much trouble with my big mouth.


    But in the end things had always worked out. Why? Perhaps it was because I had told the truth in the end.


    ?Our lives are intertwined, Penny and I... I don''t want to die. What I want is for you to do your best to survive. I don''t know you well, it''s true, and to be honest I don''t care much about you but, even though I''m speaking mainly out of self-interest, I still don''t want to see you dead.?


    Penny''s eyes remained fixed on her toast, but my brutally honest words still seemed to have struck a chord.


    ?Dying... that''s what''s coming for me in the end anyway... why should I resist??


    "Those words... I said pretty much the same thing to Sophia the first week."


    ?I thought the same thing a long time ago. But I''m still here! I''m still fighting, and I believe that if we work together, we can win.?


    For the first time, Penny looked up, but she did not have the reassured expression I had hoped to see: her face was alive with anger.


    ?You are just like Celeste. Let me guess, you''re going to promise you are not going to let me die now, right? Because that''s what she told all my friends, and guess how that ended,? the girl blurted out.


    "Celeste... you loud-mouthed idiot..."


    But I had no right to criticise her.


    ?I can''t promise you anything. You see, I lost my best friend in the battle. I promised her I would bring her home... I don''t think I''m ever going to be able forgive myself for not keeping my word. But... I''m not going to sit here and feel sorry for myself. I will continue to fight to survive and carry this sin with me forever... It''s my way to make it up to her.?


    Penny''s anger seemed to subside:


    ?I''m sorry you lost your friend...? she whispered, lowering her eyes.


    ?It''s all right. I didn''t tell you that to make you feel pity for me... you''ve lost a lot of important people too, haven''t you? I''m sorry as well.?


    ?I... we weren''t really that close. But... even so... I still really miss them,? the girl murmured.


    ?We have to survive for them as well.?


    ?I... don''t know...?


    It was obvious that it would not be easy to change her mind, but I could now see cracks in her conviction now.


    ?As I said, I can''t promise anything... but at least let me show you what I can do to help you. Tomorrow I''ll make you understand that we have a chance to win and escape from this place,? I tried to encourage her again.


    ?I''m not that strong... I don''t really have anything to look forward to. You have that girl, don''t you? That''s why you want to live so badly...?


    "Is it that obvious?"


    ?That''s right... I have someone to come back to.?


    ?I... don''t have anyone like that...?


    "..."


    ?I... maybe I can help you with that... I can only have one girlfriend, but I have lots of room for new friends! I know this sounds really fake coming from me, since I said I don''t really care about you. But... that can change. I''ve made friends with people I never thought I''d get on with.?


    "What am I saying..."


    ?You know, there''s a person that always tells me that I''m extremely obnoxious and people usually find me unpleasant. I''m a commoner too, by the way... but if you want to hang out... I''m here.?


    Unexpectedly, after those ramblings, Penny''s eyes finally met mine. Something had lit up in those dull eyes.


    "Maybe it really was that simple... After all, the survival instinct is something natural in us humans..."


    Maybe Penny just needed something to hold on to. It wouldn''t have worked with everyone, but... for a girl who probably only made friends because of her aristocratic upbringing, a real friendship might have been the way out.


    ?I... if you''d have me...?


    <hr>


    ?Man, I''m exhausted,? I thought as I walked back to my room.


    It was almost time for dinner. I had spent the whole day with Penny, trying to get to know her.


    From the first moment, I realised we didn''t have much in common.


    Penny''s interests were pretty typical for a girl our age: pretty clothes, the latest gossip about the royal heirs, and the popular steamy romance novels that were all the rage these days.


    A magic nerd like me really didn''t have much to say about any of that.


    But as it turned out, Penny was actually a very talkative person, and she seemed grateful that I was willing to listen to her ramblings.


    She also seemed very interested in my relationship with Sophia, so we had talked about it a bit.


    "Maybe the fact that nobles don''t like people like me is just a stereotype, or maybe it''s just the older generations that have a problem with it... but actually it''s probably just wrong of me to make assumptions about people based on their status..."


    After all, the friends I had made so far in the Academy were all nobles... and it looked like I was about to get make another one.


    "It might be nice to talk to someone who isn''t a weirdo like Sophia and Celeste once in a while... but I guess birds of a feather flock together!" I thought, smiling as my girlfriend rushed over to greet me.


    ?How did it go?? Sophia asked worriedly.


    "Having her here, welcoming me into my room like this... it really feels like she''s my wife!"


    ?SUCCESS!? I shouted as I hugged her, ?I can''t believe I actually got through her!?


    ?I knew you could do it!?


    ?Did you??


    ?You can actually be... very convincing when you want to be...?


    "Is she thinking about my confession to her?"


    ?Well, I''m going to take a shower before dinner. Being social is actually very exhausting... go without me if you''re hungry, I''ll join you later!?


    ?I''ll... wait for you,? Sophia said with a strange look on her face.


    "I guess she was really worried... she probably still is... after all, it''s not like I''m out of the woods yet. Even if Penny''s feeling a bit better... I still don''t know if she''ll be able to help as much tomorrow..." I thought as I undressed and stepped under the hot water.


    I finished my shower quickly and, after drying my hair and dressing, returned to the room.


    I didn''t want to keep Sophia waiting after I had spent the whole day outside.


    ?Sophia I¡¯m ready! Lets g-? I started, but my voice faded into nothingness.


    Sophia was lying on the bed, staring at me, her face flushed.


    My eyes fell on her bare legs.


    "This is¡­ a rare sight¡­"


    She usually even slept in her thigh highs. When I had asked her why, she had said it was because of the cold.


    But I suspected she was not telling the truth.


    I was convinced that she was just being self-conscious. After all, because of her training, her legs were very different from those of an average girl.


    But from what little I could see between her skirt and her socks, I found them extremely attractive.


    I had even told her that, but she had quickly shut me down... or so I thought.


    ?Is this supposed to be my reward for working hard today?? I asked her, giggling, ?if so, I''m really grateful!?


    But Sophia''s expression remained serious.


    ?Elizabeth... do you want to... do it??


    I knew from her tone that I didn''t need to ask what she meant.


    I stood there dazed for a moment.


    "Does she...really want to?...This is so sudden...but she''s the one asking, so..."


    I approached her, my heart pounding and my mind clouded with desire.


    I climbed onto the bed and crawled towards her.


    I felt Sophia tremble as one of my hands rested on her thigh.


    Slowly, I moved closer and closer, until I was on top of her. I could feel her torso rise and fall under my body, her breathing heavy.


    Standing on my knees, one hand still feeling her leg while the other went to the collar of her shirt.


    One button.


    Two buttons.


    I could see her collarbone now. I couldn''t resist running my index finger along it, making Sophia shiver at the contact.


    My eyes moved to her face.


    "This expression..."


    Sophia''s face was turned to the right, her eyes closed and narrowed as she was biting her lip.


    ¡°Is this¡­ really alright?¡±


    Slowly, through the lust that besieged my mind, doubts began to creep in.


    "Is this really how our first time is supposed to go? Me treating her like a doll¡­ she¡¯s not even looking at me¡­¡±


    I deflated like a balloon, my fingers inert on the third button of her shirt.


    "She''s the one who asked me to do it, but... it doesn''t really feel right. She probably decided to try because we might die tomorrow, but... she''s not really ready for it."


    Sophia was an adult, as Amy had told me some time ago, I didn''t need to infantilise her,


    But both she and I were completely inexperienced in this area. Rushing things could have ruined something magical.


    I saw Sophia barely open her eyes, probably wondering why I had stopped.


    "If I don''t do something... she might think it''s her fault..."


    It was then that the natural course of action occurred to me.


    After all, like Celeste had told me yesterday:


    "You are doing that kinda stuff in the corridors and didn¡¯t even kiss each other?"


    ?Sophia...? I whispered softly.


    The girl finally opened her eyes and they fixed on mine.


    ?I¡¯m gonna kiss you now.?


    I lowered my head and our lips met.


    Slowly I opened mine.


    I began to gently caress her lower lip with my tongue where it was wounded.


    I felt Sophia gasp in surprise as she opened her mouth slightly.


    As I began the deep kiss, she shivered beneath me.


    The first contact was fleeting, just as it had been that day in the dinner hall.


    Sophia fled from me, withdrawing into herself.


    I waited patiently for her to approach me again.


    It was an embrace that began awkwardly and tentatively, but slowly gave way to overflowing passion.


    Sophia''s arms tightened around me, pulling me close.


    "This is how it should be... this is how I want our first time to be... I want her to want me as much as I do... I want us to do it together!" I thought before my mind clouded over again.


    In the end, I was lying happily in silence on Sophia''s chest.


    ?That was... very different from the other times...? Sophia whispered.


    ?In a good or bad way??


    ?In a... very good way.?


    ?Sophia??


    ?Uhm??


    ?If I survive tomorrow... I want us to go all the way next time...?


    Sophia stiffened, but then said:


    ?Why wait? Didn''t I give you permission??


    "If I have learned anything today, it is that sometimes being honest is the easiest thing to do."


    ?Sophia... I don''t want to do everything myself... I know as much about this kind of stuff as you do. What if I hurt you or you don''t like it? I don''t want to mess it up.


    I don''t want to take the lead in something like this¡­ I think, since we''re both inexperienced, it''s something we should share together!?


    Sophia was silent for a moment before answering.


    ?Is that why you stopped? I... I''m sorry. I thought I was ready, but when you started... I... I realised I didn''t know what to do.?


    ?Don''t worry... I have no idea what to do either. But that''s why we have to experiment together.


    It''ll be super awkward, we''ll probably make a mess and even hurt each other... but as long as we do it together, I think it''ll be fun anyway.?


    ?I... you''re right. I''m sorry to put all the burden on you... it''s just strange to me that you''ve never done this before. You seem much more confident...?


    ?If I''m confident, it''s because I find you irresistible.?


    ?I... also...?


    ?I''ll make sure you think the same about me when I come back alive tomorrow!? I said, looking up to meet her gaze.


    ?Why are you making it sound like a threat??


    Before I started kissing her again, I said: ?I don''t know. I guess you could consider this my personal declaration of war on you!?

 52. Facade

    I could not sleep.


    I snuggled closer to Sophia, hoping that the feeling of her presence against my body would be enough to calm me down.


    After our first making out session, we had eaten a quick dinner, avoiding eye contact out of embarrassment.


    We had definitely gotten carried away. As Sophia had said, those kisses were very different from the ones we were used to exchange.


    Back in my room, we had decided to go straight to bed to be at our best the next morning.


    This time it was my turn to sleep with my head on her chest. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement between us to take turns on who got pampered each night.


    But even the sound of Sophia''s rhythmic heartbeat didn''t seem to be enough to dispel the thoughts that were plaguing me.


    Gradually, the excitement I had felt earlier had faded and given way to a question.


    "Why am I behaving like this?"


    If someone, a short time ago, had told me that my first relationship would turn out this way, I would have thought they were crazy.


    The fact that I had only recently discovered my sexual orientation was an indicator of how little weight I had given to such things before.


    But it made the fact that I was behaving like a teenager in the middle of a hormonal crisis even stranger.


    "Aren''t we getting too intimate too soon? Especially since it''s the first relationship for both of us."


    Then the idea from a week ago came back to me:


    "I''m rushing things because we might die soon and we don''t have much time".


    But it wasn''t just that.


    The thing was... there wasn''t much else we could do except talk and touch each other! Being locked up in this damn school really limited our activities.


    "We never even went out on a proper date..."


    After all, we had been in the Academy for so long that every room now reminded me that I was imprisoned in a gilded cage.


    "I wonder what our relationship would be like if we were out of here... in my home town, free to do whatever we wanted."


    So my mind began to wander.


    I had never been interested in clothes, apart from my particular fascination with school uniforms.


    But going shopping with Sophia... that would have been so much fun.


    I would have made her try on all the girliest clothes and enjoyed her embarrassed expression in all its glory.


    Afterwards, now that the weather was warming up, we could have gone for some ice cream, forgetting all about the nutritional values that the Academy seemed to be so concerned about.


    I would have licked Sophia''s, embarrassing her once more, only to kiss her when she asked to taste mine.


    We would have walked hand in hand through the streets of the city, attracting many stares that we would never have noticed, too busy enjoying each other''s company.


    Then we would have gone to the nearby forest to play in the river and when we got tired I would have rested on her lap, content to just look at the person I loved.


    Every day would have been happy and peaceful, and if we ever got bored we could have traveled!


    We could have gone up north, where Sophia was born. I knew the mountains up there were really impressive, if we were feeling adventurous, we could have climbed one!


    Or maybe it was better to go south, to see the ocean, beyond which no one knew what lay.


    And when we were satisfied... we could have settled down. We would have found a willing priest and got married.


    I knew Sophia wouldn''t have anyone to invite, but I was sure my parents would have been over the moon.


    Sure, they would have been surprised that it was a girl, but the fact that I had finally found someone willing to put up with me would make them happy.


    And then... we would''ve bought a house, far away from the city. That way I could have experimented with my favourite spells without becoming a public enemy.


    Sophia would have come home from work to find half the garden burnt to the ground and given me a look somewhere between amused and annoyed.


    And one day... maybe... we could have adopted a child.


    "Poor creature... I really don''t think I could ever be a good mother... and Sophia...well..."


    But there would have been no problems. Our child would''ve always had Amy, like a kind and wise aunt, to explain to them how to deal with their two dysfunctional mothers...


    Tears were now welling up in my eyes. I put my hand over my mouth, trying not to sob and wake Sophia.


    Amy was gone.


    And all the other things I had imagined would never happen either. They were like lines on a bucket list that I would never be able to cross off.


    "By now the tears must have reached Sophia''s pyjamas. I just hope they are going to dry before morning. Your girlfriend is such a hypocrite..."


    For the past three days I had done my best to appear strong in front of her, ignoring a voice inside me that whispered:


    "I... don''t want to die."


    I hadn''t lied to her, it wasn''t fear I felt.


    Tomorrow, when the time came, I would have fought without hesitation.


    No... what I felt was pure and simple despair.


    The very thing I was trying to get Penny away from today, was actually eating me from within, like a silent but ravenous beast.


    I had done my best to ignore it, to maintain a carefree facade, but now, as time slowly ticked towards yet another life-or-death situation, its fangs were biting into my heart, tearing it to shreds.


    I knew that even if I survived this ordeal, there would soon be another, and then another... until the end came.


    "How much longer must I endure this torture? Why can''t we be happy... why us?"


    Those were questions I could not answer. The only thing I could do was to keep fighting... to try to survive one more moment so I could spend it with Sophia.


    We had only one hope: Celeste''s plan.


    But the truth was, it was just a tiny glimmer in a dark abyss. I didn''t know if Celeste herself really believed it could work.


    After all, even if we had found a way into the underground structure beneath the Academy and destroyed the mana core that held the barriers in place, we were still in the middle of nowhere.


    And Skylark had an unstoppable hound to put on our trail. One that would never rest.


    But even if this was what I really thought, I would never admitted it. I would not have given voice to the doubts Sophia must have had. I would have cried in silence, showing her the stronger side of me.


    "To lean on her shoulder, now that I''ve seen how fragile she can be... I can''t bring myself to do it. I really am a terrible hypocrite, Sophia."


    The image of her face buried in my chest, unable to move for fear of losing me... was something I didn''t want to see again.


    As my mind continued to be plagued by the inner struggle between being honest and making sure my girlfriend was as happy as possible, Sophia''s hand tightened on my shoulder.


    "Did I wake her up?"


    ?''zabeth...? Sophia mumbled, moving a little under me. It was clear she was still fast asleep.


    "Is she... dreaming about me?" I thought, my heart suddenly becoming lighter.


    My hand moved to her cheek, caressing it gently.


    "Our time together may be a fleeting dream, but... my love for you is as real as it can be. Even if I die and leave you alone... it will never fade."


    <hr>


    "I have a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu."


    Sophia''s coffee was threatening to flood the table again.


    ?You know... maybe you should switch to plain water today.?


    ?It''s not my fault the damn table gave me coffee!? exclaimed Sophia, clutching the edge of the table with one hand to keep it from shaking.


    ?You don''t have to drink it...?


    But I leaned close to her and kissed her on the cheek.


    I wasn''t too worried about her nervousness. I knew that Sophia had a switch in her: she looked panicky now, but when the test started she would turns steedfast.


    But even though she was extremely cute when she was nervous like that...


    "She''s making me nervous!" I thought, moving my chair close to hers and kissing her cheek for a second time.


    But while I was trying to calm her down, a small group of people approached our table.


    ?You two are as close as ever, you lovebirds!? exclaimed Celeste happily as she sat down at the table.


    ?Good morning!? exclaimed Nicole, looking at us amused.


    ?G-good morning...? Penny barely muttered.


    It seemed our breakfast was going to be more lively than usual today.


    "But... this isn''t the ideal time..."


    But as she pulled away from me, Sophia greeted the newcomers with a seraphic "good morning" before resuming sipping her coffee, her hands now firm.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Look at you... just to keep up appearances you can calm down so quickly!" I thought, giggling.


    ?So you really took the whole "declaration of war" thing seriously, I guess...? I said to Celeste before biting into my toast.


    ?I have no idea what you''re talking about. I just wanted some quality time between us girls!?


    "Yeah, sure... I bet she wants us to spend more time together just to piss off Skylark. From how relieved she seems not to be the centre of a big group anymore... I don''t think Celeste is actually as sociable as she seems."


    ?So... are you two really a couple?? asked Nicole, intrigued.


    ?Yes...? I said, blushing slightly. I wasn''t used to being the centre of attention for something like this.


    ?Wow... didn''t you two used to hate each other? I remember the scene you had here on the first day.?


    "It seems like an eternity ago. She has a very good memory."


    ?I didn''t really hate her, I just found her extremely annoying... which I still do sometimes,? Sophia replied with a grin.


    "Oh oh, is that the way you want to put it?"


    ?Oh, you see, I didn''t really get to know the real Sophia back then. She is actually so cute and sweet. You should see the way she looks at me when she wants me to kiss her... how could I resist someone so adorable!?


    ?That''s exactly what I''m talking about!? she blurted out, blushing furiously.


    Me and the others burst out laughing, attracting the attention of the few students still in the dining hall. My smile soon faded, however, when I saw someone approaching our table.


    ?Good morning,? Wilhelm said softly.


    ?Oh hi Will, sorry but this table is for girls only today,? Celeste said, noticing my expression.


    ?I''m just here for a quick word,? the boy said unperturbed, ?about what we talked about two days ago... I have decided to continue with you.?


    "Sophia''s words seem to have had an effect on him... I still don''t like him, but the fact that he''s not blinded by hate means he might not be so bad after all..." I thought as Celeste clapped her hands happily.


    ?And Thornton... try not to get me killed today,? he said, turning away.


    "Never mind, I fucking hate him."


    ?If he gives you any trouble, I''ll be the one to kill him!? I said to Sophia, once he was far away.


    ?Oh, look! The protective girlfriend act from last time!? exclaimed Nicole.


    ?They are so cute...? commented Penny in a low voice.


    "Is this... what it''s like to have a group of friends? If only... if only she was still here..." I thought as it was Sophia''s turn to laugh at me.


    As always, my thoughts went back to Amy. Sadly, I knew I''d probably never be able to enjoy a happy moment without that bitter aftertaste ever again.


    But maybe that was a good thing...


    "I will always carry her with me, through every moment of what is left of my life."


    While the other girls chatted, I ate my breakfast in silence. Sophia seemed to sense that something was wrong and slipped a hand under the table, resting it on my knee as she usually did.


    "Don''t worry... I won''t falter."


    And I didn''t.


    A few minutes later, I walked into the classroom with a steady step. Skylark was already there, waiting for us.


    ?Very well! I hope the little break I gave you has not left you too groggy. Today you will need all your skills if you are to pass this test. Now, pair up with your partners!?


    Before I went looking for Penny, I pulled Sophia to me.


    I quickly pecked her lips and whispered:


    ?Everything''s going to be fine, don''t worry... just focus on surviving, ok??


    Sophia''s eyes were filled with worry, but the girl nodded.


    ?I trust you, Elizabeth. I will be as strong as you are.?


    I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell her that I wasn''t strong at all, that I had cried so many tears last night because I didn''t want to be separated from her.


    But I didn''t.


    I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile before I turned around and made my way over to Penny.


    ?Liz... I''m sorry,? the girl said quietly.


    ?For what? He was never going to let me partner with Sophia in this test anyway. At least my partner is someone I like! Imagine if I had been paired with Wilhelm instead!?


    Penny giggled at my words.


    "I''m such a bad person... she trusts me after what I told her yesterday. But now I''m lying to her, just like Celeste."


    I liked Penny, that much was true. But in a life-or-death situation, I would have chosen Wilhelm in my sleep, no matter how much I hated him.


    "But at least that means she''s not paired with Sophia... man, I''m terrible..."


    I pushed the guilt back into me. I would have done anything to survive. Keeping Penny''s spirits up was necessary, even if I had to lie to do it.


    Skylark''s eyes scanned the 12 pairs of students who had lined up in front of him.


    ?Perfect... we can start!?


    The headmaster clapped his hands, and the floor beneath us lit up.


    "Another seal?!" I had time to think before my vision was obscured and the ground disappeared beneath my feet.


    It was immediately clear to me what had happened: this time the seal was not meant to teleport someone into the classroom, but to take us students somewhere else.


    I stumbled as I emerged into a new environment, still plunged into darkness.


    "Where... has it taken us?" I thought, placing a hand on the ground.


    Obviously it wasn''t the wood of the classroom, but it didn''t feel like the smooth marble floors of the corridors I was familiar with either.


    No, what I felt were cold stone bricks, rough and uneven.


    The atmosphere that pervaded this mysterious place was very different from school. The air was heavy and dusty, as if it had been trapped in the room for a long time.


    ?Liz? Are you in here??


    Penny''s squeaky voice resounded in the darkness.


    ?Yeah, I''m here!?


    It was clear from the way our voices echoed that we were in a rather small and bare room.


    Then suddenly there was light. My eyes took a moment to adjust before I finally realised where I was.


    There wasn''t much to see. Penny and I were in a bare stone room, lit by several torches placed at regular intervals along the walls.


    In front of us was a door, also made of stone, which seemed to be the only way out.


    "Where the hell has the seal taken us? Could this be a secret room like Chloe''s lab?"


    I soon had my answer. Skylark''s voice echoed around me, coming out of nowhere.


    ?Everyone seems to have reached their destination without any problems. The test can now begin. You are now deep below the school. You may be surprised to learn that the Academy was built over an ancient dungeon. Don''t worry, there are no ancient curses here. It has been completely cleared out and turned into a testing facility.?


    "I''d rather deal with ancient curses than anything Skylark has prepared for us today..."


    But a dungeon...


    Normally, I would have been very excited at the prospect of exploring one.


    These ancient vaults left behind by long lost civilisations were a treasure trove for adventurers. Enchanted weapons, powerful artefacts and riches, all protected by devious traps and intricate puzzles. Little old me would have done anything to get in here. But now... I just wanted to get out as soon as possible.


    ?Having said that, you may find the experience very similar to that of a real dungeon. Many trials await you that will test your ability to cooperate. Remember, if your companion dies before you reach the last room, you will join them in death. Oh, and one last thing...?


    "Here it comes..."


    ?As we don''t have all the time in the world, the last couple to complete the dungeon will be eliminated. Think of it as an incentive to be quick and decisive. Good luck!?


    "Of fucking course..."


    As if it wasn''t bad enough to have to go through whatever atrocities we were about to face, we also had to be faster than the others.


    Penny looked at me anxiously:


    ?Liz... I...?


    ?It''s ok, we''ll make it, let''s go!? I said, pointing to the stone door that was shaking violently and disappearing into the ground.


    "Hopefully it''s not too long of a dungeon or mana might become a problem..."


    That was my biggest fear. If I gave it my all, I was confident that I would be able to handle whatever Skylark threw at us. However, fatigue could quickly become a problem if the tests were designed to be completed with two people and Penny didn''t pull her weight.


    "No use worrying about it now!"


    I grabbed Penny''s wrist and walked towards the dark hole the stone door had left.


    ?Light,? I whispered, making the tip of my wand glow brightly.


    The corridor ahead was narrow, and particles of dust were falling from the ceiling.


    ?I have to be careful, there could be traps.?


    I expanded my mana, trying to keep it as thin as possible, and inspected the floor ahead of us.


    "Just as I thought... a pressure plate, such a classic..."


    ?Penny be careful, watch where I walk and only put your feet where I do!?


    ?Alright!?


    The pressure plate was not the only thing I had found. Barriers protected both side walls.


    "So you can''t break through them I guess... unless you''re Sophia... I hope she doesn''t try anything stupid, if she breaks the wrong wall, the whole dungeon could come crashing down!"


    Slowly, dodging more plates and a few trip wires, we made our way into the corridor. And as we did, the darkness in front of us began to fade.


    ?Look, there seems to be a new room ahead,? Penny whispered.


    ?Yes, let''s be careful, who knows what awaits us there...?


    I squinted my eyes, trying to see what lay ahead in the new room.


    I could see a stone door in the distance, just like the one before.


    "Let''s hope we haven''t entered some sort of looping illusion..."


    But as we exited the corridor, I saw that this was not the case: the new room was decidedly different.


    At the four corners of the room, invisible from the narrow corridor, were four statues. One depicted what appeared to be a large, menacing looking giant. In the opposite corner was a dragon, its open jaws filled with roaring flames. The other corners were occupied by a graceful angelic figure and what looked like a whale.


    "Mmmh..."


    It was obvious what these statues represented: the elements, earth, fire, air and water.


    "For once Skylark wasn''t lying, this really does feel like a real dungeon," I thought as I looked at the inscription above the door that read "Harmony".


    The solution to this riddle seemed simple.


    "If I cast the proper elemental spell on the statues it will probably activate them... and if we activate them all at once, the door will probably open."


    There was just one small issue...


    "If I need to keep the spell active... this not going to work out. I can only cast two spells at once and there are 4 statues."


    My eyes rested on Penny.


    "Oh, so this is the game we are playing... ".


    I suddenly realised that this test was going to be way harder than I thought.

 53. Elemental troubles

    Deep in thought, I began to circle the room.


    "I wonder if these riddles are the same for all pairs."


    A puzzle that required two people capable of doublecasting... I doubted that many people besides Celeste and Philemon would be able to solve it easily.


    "Sophia... I hope she got another enigma to deal with. I doubt Skylark would let her just cut the exit door open."


    But as worried as I was about her, it was better to concentrate on my own problems.


    "Sophia''s so smart... she''ll find a way around it."


    ?Penny... are you able to doublecast? Just a tiny little spell would do...? I asked, already knowing the answer in my heart.


    ?No... I''m sorry,? Penny replied gloomily.


    ?I see... don''t worry. I''ll think of another way.?


    "Well... what now? Wait, maybe the solution is much simpler and I''m just overthinking it."


    I was a bit wary of randomly activating the statues. Dungeons were known to employ traps to prevent people from trying to solve puzzles by randomly trying solutions.


    But time was ticking and we couldn''t afford to spend too much of it on the first, and possibly easiest, trial.


    ?Get behind me, Penny. I''ll try and open the door.?


    Once the girl had complied, I pointed my wand at the dragon statue.


    ?Fireball!?


    As my spell collided with it, the dragon''s dull eyes lit up with a red glow and...


    ?Water shield!?


    My water barrier barely made it in time to save us from the huge jet of flame that had erupted from the statue''s jaws.


    We began to cough from all the smoke caused by that sudden attack. Fortunately, the passage we had come through was still open, and, as the smoke dissipated, the air soon became a little more breathable. Meanwhile, the dragon had reverted to being nothing more than an inanimate statue.


    "As I thought... just hitting it with the right element won''t keep it active forever."


    This was not the only problem though. It seemed that if you activated a statue something dangerous would happen.


    "This is very bad..."


    At the moment, the maximum number of statues we could activate at once was three.


    "And that would leave us with no way to deal with what happens when we do... Maybe if I go for the fish statue the room will start to fill up with water..."


    I was at a loss.


    "If only I could cast 3 spells at once, but no way that''s... wait a minute..."


    Suddenly, thinking about the possibility of triplecasting, something had come to mind.


    "Aldric... is that how he did it?"


    Over the past few weeks I had done my best not to think too much about my battle with him, if I could even call that one-sided beating a battle.


    But now I had just realised something.


    "The way he was able to use two spells at once... while at the same time being completely immune to my attacks... what if he was triplecasting a barrier from the start? That would explain a lot... But this... won''t get me anywhere. Even if triplecasting is theoretically possible, I definitely don''t have time to learn how to do it right now!


    I can barely handle doublecasting. There must be an easier way to deal with this puzzle. It''s the first one after all."


    ?Liz... I''m sorry I haven''t been much help,? Penny said sadly, looking at me as I pushed my brains out.


    ?It''s ok, I''ll find a way out.?


    Then it came to me.


    "The only way to solve this puzzle with 3 spells is to activate two statues with a single one."


    But that was easier said than done. Spells that used more than one element at a time were not common, but they did exist.


    Casting them, however, was another matter. They required an incredible amount of control to shape mana into two different forms. And they were usually way too destructive.


    I happened to know one but...


    "Meteor... my strongest spell uses both fire and earth, but if I use it in this small room..."


    Then, looking at the big fish''s stony scales, the solution came to me.


    "It''s very risky but we have to try."


    ?Penny, I need you to cast Wind Stream at the angel statue when I tell you, ok??


    The girl nodded:


    ?I can do that much.?


    ?The timing is going to be tight, we''ve got to jump through the door as soon as it opens. Now get back behind me.?


    I positioned myself near the exit, on the side with the big fish statue.


    ?Alright... I''m going to count to three.?


    Timing the spells would be the challenge.


    Meteor had a slight delay before impact and I needed to cast it on the giant, while charging it with enough power to hit the dragon with its fiery shockwave.


    "I hope the Earth statue''s effect isn''t too bad... we''ll have to endure it for a split second at least."


    ?3.?


    ?2... Meteor!?


    A flaming boulder appeared on the ceiling, starting its descent onto the stone giant..."


    ?1! Water Shield!?


    ?Wind Stream!?


    As the meteor reached its target, an explosion of fire erupted from it. My water barrier was just in time to protect us from it, while its edge touched the fish statue, soaking it.


    Luckily, both the dragon and the angel statue that Penny had cast her own spell on began to glow at the same time.


    ?Got it!?


    As the door disappeared behind us, I threw myself backwards, grabbing Penny by the shoulder and dragging her with me.


    But before I could make it all the way across the exit, rock spikes erupted beneath us.


    "Shit!"


    Before we hit the ground I felt a sharp pain near my ankle.


    ?Penny, are you all right?? I asked as I tried to stand up, but my leg gave up immediately.


    ?Yes, thankfully I... oh my goodness Liz!?


    ?I-I''m fine...? I said, biting my tongue as I teared up in pain.


    A stone spike had reached my lower leg, where there was now a deep, bleeding gash.


    ?What do you mean "you''re fine"?!?


    Penny moved to my side and, after forcefully tearing a piece of cloth from her skirt, began to press it over the wound.


    ?Ouch!?


    ?Sorry, but we need to stop the bleeding! I need to press really hard.?


    "She acted really quickly..." I thought, gritting my teeth, "she didn''t seem the type to keep her cool in a situation like this."


    After a bit, the bleeding seemed to stop.


    ?Mmmh, if we leave it like this in the open, with all this dust around, you could get an infection...?


    ?Wait, let me try something...?


    As I had done during the battle, I passed my wand over the wound.


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


    The wound slowly closed. When the incantation was over, I watched the result of the spell with disappointment.


    "Man¡­ I just can¡¯t get how healing spells work."


    The wound was far from healed, but at least it didn''t look like it would begin to bleed again if I moved.


    ?Woah, you can even cast this kind of spells!? exclaimed Penny in amazement.


    ?Sort of... I''m very bad at them... I don''t really understand how mana interacts with our bodies. I''m terrible at buffing spells for the same reason.?


    ?If you call this being bad at it...? Penny said with a bitter smile, ?you know... I actually wanted to be a healer, but I can barely deal with a small scratch.?


    It was not very surprising. Talented healers were actually very rare among mages. That was one of the reasons why I had been amazed at how many extremely good ones there were at the Academy.


    ?How about becoming a doctor then? We had a very good one in my little town. He treated everything even without magic!? I said, as I used a water spell to clean the dried blood from the wound.


    Penny shook her head.


    ?My parents would never let me do that. Honestly, even being a healer was a bit of a long shot. But at least that job has some kind of prestige... but a normal doctor? No chance. I was supposed to get married after I finished school anyway...?


    "The more I learn about the life of nobility, the more I''m glad to be a commoner... but now is not the time to think about this kind of stuff. We took far too long in the very first room... we need to get a move on."


    ?Let''s get on with it,? I said, getting up again. But as I put my foot on the floor, a new tinge of pain assaulted me.


    ?Does it still hurt?? Penny asked worriedly.


    ?Yeah... and I can''t really move my foot at all for some reason...?


    ?Oh... seeing were the wound is, your tendon may had been damaged.?


    ?Oh... is that bad?? I asked. Before getting into the Academy I had zero experience with injuries after all.


    ?Of course it''s bad! Your foot is probably going to start to swell soon..."


    ?You sure know a lot about this stuff... or maybe I''m just ignorant.?


    "The way she talked about it, it didn''t sound like it was very important to her... but I bet she put a lot of effort into trying to become a healer. I hope one day she will succeed. But first I have to get her out of here alive."


    ?Fixing a tendon is definitely beyond the reach of my healing spells. I seem to be able to walk anyway. So let''s just keep going, slowly but surely.?


    ?Doesn''t it hurt?? asked Penny, biting her lip.


    ?Don''t worry, I endured worse. It will be fine,? I said, trying to cheer her up, while trying my best to not scream in pain.


    "I just hope that the other tests won''t require me to run or we are doomed."


    We slowly made our way through the new corridor. I continued to scan our path with my mana, allowing us to avoid the new traps the dungeon had in store for us.


    Soon the darkness around us began to lift once more.


    "It seems like the second trial is upon us."


    The room we entered was much larger than the previous two, but just as bare, appearing to be a large, circular arena.


    "I don''t think we''re going to be dealing with statues this time. It looks like we''ll have to fight something."


    But I was not entirely right. Soon something began to rise from the floor in the centre of the room.


    A large stone golem stood before us, its featureless head almost touching the high ceiling.


    "This is where having Sophia with me would make things extremely easy... my spells aren''t going to make a dent in this thing, are they?"


    But I decided to try anyway:


    ?Flare!? I shouted, aiming for the construct''s head.


    ?Fireball!? Penny shouted from my side.


    But none of our spells seemed to have the slightest effect on the creature. With surprising speed for its size, the faceless being launched itself at me.


    I tried to dodge, but the wound on my leg made me stumble immediately.


    ?Stone Shield!? I shouted before the golem''s fist slammed into me.


    The barrier cracked, but seemed to withstand the blow.


    ?Penny, cast a water spell!? I shouted.


    ?Ok! Water Cannon!?


    The jet of water she conjured was not very strong, but it would do the trick. As soon as it reached my barrier, I made it disappear, so it could reach the golem.


    ?Blizzard!?


    Icy winds began to blow on the construct. The water that covered it began to freeze instantly.


    "Of course, this will only slow it down, but... it will buy me time. If magic doesn''t work..."


    After smashing the floor with a spell, I began to condense the debris into a solid stone sphere.


    "Time to give you a taste of your own medicine!"


    Before the creature could free itself from its icy prison, I began to pummel its limbs with the sphere I had created. Soon the golem fell forward, stripped of its legs and arms.


    It did not take long to shatter what was left of it.


    ?Nice teamwork, Penny!?


    ?You could have just doublecasted...?


    It was true, but I wanted to let her do something and feel useful.


    But our troubles weren''t over.


    "Of course, this way way too easy..."


    A fire had broken out in the center of the arena.


    "Looks like this is another elemental themed trial," I thought, looking at the new fiery foe that was starting to blaze before us.


    ?Keep casting water spells, Penny! Water Cannon!?


    Our jets of water collided with the fire elemental, but it didn''t seem to work out the way I thought it would: our spells had evaporated without reaching their target.


    "That''s just crazy... but wait... it''s getting so hot in here..."


    Before I even noticed, sweat was dripping from my temples. The creature seemed immobile and didn''t look like it was about to attack, but the temperature in the room was rising drastically.


    "Shit... it wants to boil us alive."


    I walked over to Penny and pulled her close to me.


    ?L-liz... w-what?? she said, panting.


    ?B-blizzard!? I shouted again, pointing my wand at us.


    My spell gave us a moment''s relief. But soon the heat began to rise again.


    "Shit... a fire so hot... water doesn''t work on it... how do I deal with it..."


    It was hard to even breathe with how hot the room had become.


    "Breathe... of course!"


    ?Stone Barrier!?


    Walls of stone closed around the elemental, hiding it from our sight.


    "I just have to suffocate it"


    But I soon realised that it would not be so easy.


    "No way... it can melt even solid stone... but then I just have to..."


    ?Stone Barrier!?


    I continued to replenish the barrier with new stone for what seemed an eternity. Penny joined in as well, doing her best to help me.


    Finally, the stone stopped melting and, as I hesitantly lowered the barriers, only ashes remained on the ground.


    "Phew... It took a while, but we are okay... I wasted way too much mana though. Hopefully this is the last one..."


    But as I thought that, something dark seemed to appear in the centre of the arena. But after a split second, it was gone.


    "Did I imagine that? No, I clearly saw something."


    I looked around carefully until I saw it: something was moving in Penny''s shadow.


    ?Penny, look out!?


    I tried to sprint towards her to push her away, but this time I landed directly on the ground.


    "This fucking wound!"


    But there was no time to get mad about it: Penny was being lifted up by a huge claw of shadow that gripped her neck tightly.


    My heart stopped for a moment and a scene I had done my best to keep locked away in the deepest recesses of my mind came back to me.


    "Amy... no..."


    ?L-liz...?


    Penny''s choked voice brought me back to reality.


    ?Light!?


    A beam of light struck the claw, causing it to retreat instantly.


    "Oh, that was easy...!"


    The claw instantly sprouted from my shadow. I was just in time to cast a beam of light from my hand before it grabbed me.


    A frenzied series of attacks began. The creature tried to jump out of every dark corner of the room, and I kept directing my beam of light to stop it.


    "This is going nowhere..."


    I could''ve conjured a much stronger light, but that would''ve drained my mana even more.


    "A shadow creature... of course!"


    ?Typhoon!?


    Before the creature could attack again, I directed a very strong current of air towards the torches that illuminated the room, plunging it into complete darkness.


    "In total darkness¡­ there are no shadows," I thought, pleased with my intuition, as I heard the exit door shake and open.


    ?All clear!? I said cheerfully, using my wand to make light.


    Penny was still on the floor, massaging her throat.


    ?Liz¡­ thank you for saving me...?


    ?No worries, I mean¡­ I¡¯m also saving myself!?


    But this cheerful attitude was just another facade.


    "My mana... does not look good... suppressing that fire elemental has really drained me. If this is not over soon, we might actually die here".


    I held out my hand to Penny, who took it with a grateful expression. The image that the shadow creature''s attack had conjured up in my mind was still etched in my retinas.


    "I won¡¯t let it happen again¡­" I thought, as I helped her to her feet.


    It was time to move on through another narrow corridor.


    ?How long can this go on¡­? I sighed.


    ?Liz... you''re tired, aren''t you?? asked Penny.


    ?No, don''t worry... I''m just a bit bored of going through the same layout over and over again. That shitty old man could''ve found us a more exciting dungeon!?


    ?Liz... stop lying to me, please,? Penny blurted out after a moment of silence.


    ?...?


    For my part, I could only remain silent.


    "Crap... I''ve been found out... am I that bad at lying? I''m pretty sure Sophia bought my act..."


    But that thought just suddenly made all the guilt I had suppressed come back.


    "What am I doing... I thought I''d learned my lesson about being honest with people since I confessed to Sophia, but now I''m back to hiding my true thoughts.


    Sophia... after I told you I wanted a relationship where we could lean on each other. If I get out of here, I need to apologize to you. And I need to do the same with Penny too..."


    ?I know I don''t have any right to be angry with you, since you''re pretty much having to carry me around this place, but... stop it, please. You have been off since this morning. You''re clearly trying to encourage me, but while I''m weak, I''m not stupid, Liz.?


    ?I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want you to lose hope and give up¡­? I said, lowering my eyes.


    ?I¡¯m not going to,? Penny said firmly, ?I have a friend I want to spend more time with outside here. She has been the first person to be sincere with me in a long time. So don¡¯t start doing like the others, okay, Liz??


    ?Penny¡­?


    "The way she can be so decisive even though she¡¯s very weak¡­ she kinda reminds me of her. So... I should be honest with her. She can take it.¡±


    ?All right, I''m sorry. I was just trying to act tough... I''m really spent. My leg hurts like hell and my mana reserves are not looking good.?


    ?Well... now I don''t know if I did the right thing in asking you to tell the truth,? Penny said with a nervous chuckle, ?I''ll try my best to help you in the next trial though.?


    ?Let''s hope this dungeon is almost over. I should be able to handle at least one more room. Look, the darkness is beginning to lift, the next trial must be close.?


    The new room we entered was virtually identical to the previous one, this time though a shapeless, silvery mass awaited us in the centre of the large circular arena.


    ¡°A slime maybe?¡±


    But the blob soon began to change, taking on a new form.


    "Oh¡­ fuck."


    A girl with silver skin stared at me. Though her eyes were colourless, I could easily see in my mind the emerald pools I so loved to lose myself in.


    The perfect copy of my girlfriend, Sophia Thornton, unsheathed her blade.


    "If this thing can actually copy her innate power... we are completely fucked."


    One thing was certain, I knew that I would enjoy this duel against her much less than the previous one.

 54. Inner Fire

    There was no time to think.


    If there was any chance that this creature possessed Sophia''s innate power, as well as her appearance, there was only one course of action I could take.


    "I can¡¯t let it move!"


    ?Gravity Surge!? I shouted, trying to concentrate despite the pain in my leg.


    Sophia''s copy was instantly forced to its knees by my spell.


    "I kinda feel bad using this spell on her, even if it''s just a copy... this thing really looks identical to Sophia, except for this strange silver colour. I wonder what kind of creature it is..."


    I was aware of the existence of a magical creature, the Mimic, capable of assuming human form. However, they were rather weak monsters that used trickery to lure unwary adventurers into their traps.


    "But this thing has silver skin, so it''s not really trying to disguise itself. Maybe it''s some kind of rare Mimic that the Academy found in this place..."


    Whatever it was, one thing was for sure, I had to get rid of it as soon as possible. Concentrating even more, I split my mana and shouted:


    <u>?</u>Help me attack it, Penny! Icycle Crush!?


    Gravity Surge was an extremely taxing spell to cast with my mana reserves already almost depleted. There was no time to waste.


    I watched with trepidation as my icycles and the fireball Penny had launched reached our enemy. With horror I saw most of my projectiles shatter against the creature''s sword, as if they had slammed against an invisible barrier.


    "It actually has Sophia''s power... that''s just crazy."


    But I did not lose heart. Just as in my duel with the real Sophia, my opponent was unable to intercept all of my attacks. I could clearly see my icycles connecting with its exposed shoulders.


    "I just have to keep this up and... hope."


    There was something that could make this challenge completely impossible for us: Sophia''s newfound ability to teleport.


    But she had only managed to use it once so far, and it had almost killed her.


    "Maybe if this... Mimic, or whatever it is, tries to use it, it''ll take itself out."


    But I didn''t want to find out:


    ?Switch to a multi-projectile spell, Penny!?


    ?Alright!? she said, ?Icycle Crush!?


    Together, our spells kept Sophia''s copy under heavy bombardment. To my relief, it stood still to take all the blows.


    There was only one problem:


    "Are we... damaging it at all?"


    While I could clearly see that our spells were hitting it, I could see no marks on the creature''s silvery skin, not even tears in its uniform. A normal human''s body would have been covered in wounds after such an attack.


    "Is this thing made of steel or something? This is bad... I can''t keep it immobilised forever."


    I was about to ask Penny to try attacking it with her sword when something seemed to change: the features of Sophia''s copy began to lose definition.


    I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched the creature lose consistency and begin to melt like a snowman on a sunny day. I still kept Gravity Rush active, just in case it was some kind of fake-out.


    Soon, however, there was nothing left of the strange Mimic but a puddle of silvery goo that began to drip through the cracks between the uneven bricks of the dungeon.


    It was at this point that I deactivated my spell, still wary.


    "That was easy¡­ way too easy."


    Meanwhile, Penny had run to my side:


    ?Are you okay, Liz??


    ?Yeah... I still have some mana left to keep going.?


    ?Wow, I didn''t think you''d win so easily against a copy of Sophia. Your duel in December was insane...?


    ?You gave me a hand, it would''ve taken way too long with just one Icicle Crush and besides... the real Sophia would be furious with me if I was beaten by this cheap imitation!? I exclaimed as I watched what was left of the creature disappear.


    The Mimic may have copied her looks and power, but without my girlfriend''s sharp mind and unwavering determination, it couldn''t hold a candle to the real thing.


    "How did it even copy her... if its ability works like a mimic, it would''ve had to touch her. Is her path through the dungeons close to mine? Maybe this thing slipped through a crack to-!"


    Instinctively, at these thoughts, my eyes fell to the ground. Then I saw it: a silver flash.


    I immediately grabbed Penny''s arm and shouted:


    ?Typhoon!?


    The strong gust of air was barely in time to throw us backwards before a huge impact hit the spot on the floor where we had just been standing.


    Had it been a tiny bit faster, I would have missed it. The silvery blob had leapt from the space between the dungeon bricks and, returning to Sophia''s form, had attempted to strike us down with its sword.


    "It may not have Sophia''s intelligence, but it''s not a mindless creature..." I thought, as Penny helped me to my feet.


    Before I could even think of casting Gravity Surge again, the Mimic lunged at us at high speed.


    ?Typhoon!? I shouted, using the spell to send us far away again.


    My earlier assessment could not have been more wrong.


    "This thing¡­ it¡¯s even stronger than Sophia! And if I cast Gravity Surge again... I''ll just faint!"


    Not only did it possess Sophia''s incredibly dangerous innate power but, unlike her, it also seemed to have superhuman strength and endurance.


    I continued to use the momentum of Typhoon''s currents to dodge its attacks as my panic grew.


    "How can I defeat something like this? I doubt I could do anything even if my mana was full! This is just... wait..."


    It was simply impossible. It didn''t make any sense: if the Academy had such creatures under its control, what was the point of this competition?


    "They could just create an army of super Sophias and conquer the whole world with it!"


    There had to be a trick, and I had to find it quickly. Every gust of wind I summoned to dodge the Mimic''s attacks was bringing me closer to the point of no return.


    "Think, Elizabeth... there must be a catch... there must be something you overlooked!"


    As I flew through the arena, Penny still clinging to me, my eyes fell on the small crater left by the Mimic''s previous attack. Fragments of stone had flown all around the point of impact.


    "Wait a second..."


    I stretched my left hand towards the pieces of stone and made them converge into a small compact sphere, as I had done in the previous trial.


    "Time to see if my hunch is correct..."


    I waited for the Mimic to launch itself into yet another lunge and, after using the wind to take us far away, I directed the sphere at it.


    My opponent noticed it and extended his free arm to parry the blow. The sphere shattered against the creature''s hard body, leaving a small mark.


    "So that''s how it is..."


    The fact that my blow had actually connected and that the projectile hadn''t been cut in half before it could do any damage, meant only one thing: this creature didn''t actually possess Sophia''s power.


    "I was just tricked into believing that it did... it probably just has an active barrier to protect its sword from weak spells..."


    What had tipped me off was the crater on the floor. Sophia''s power would''ve left a clean, straight cut on the stone blocks, whereas the Mimic had completely destroyed them with brute force.


    Perhaps calling it a Mimic was not entirely appropriate. This thing was probably some other creature that Skylark had managed to give Sophia''s appearance just to mess with me.


    "And the bastard succeeded..."


    But even if I had realised that... things did not look good.


    "Even if it can''t actually cut through spells, it seems to be extremely resistant to them. And looking at where my stone sphere hit it, physical attacks are not that effective either... I would use too much mana fighting it like I did with the golem."


    I couldn''t afford to use heavy magic on it either, or I would have risked passing out without even knowing if I had won or not.


    "But I can¡¯t keep dodging his attacks forever like this either¡­" I thought, as another slash from the Mimic missed us by inches.


    But when it did, I noticed something.


    "That was... pretty sloppy."


    That sword move lacked the finesse I was used to seeing in my girlfriend''s fighting style. It was a powerful strike, but awkward and clumsy.


    "She would have cut us down already. Of course... this thing... it''s not really Sophia. It doesn''t have her skill with the blade. But then..."


    After landing softly on the opposite side of the arena I let Penny go.


    ?Liz, what...??


    ?I''m going to fight it, get away and stay as far as possible from us,? I said, drawing my sword.


    ?But...?


    ?No buts,? I cut her off, running my wand over my blade and reciting: ?Shock Absorption.?


    My sword began to glow with blue light, as it had in the duel with Finch, and as the Mimic launched another attack, I stood still, ready to take the hit.


    I parried the blow effortlessly and countered with a lunge at its shoulder. The tip of my sword connected, but failed to pierce the creature''s metallic skin. The mimic chose to strike downwards in retaliation, but I simply intercepted it, keeping as much distance as possible to avoid a possible kick.


    "Seems like defending myself will be easy..." I thought as I sidestepped a lunge and and hit the Mimic in the neck, "but I can''t hurt it either. Maybe if I change the enchantment to a more offensive one, I might be able to, but if I don''t kill it in one blow, it will just cut through my guard with sheer force..."


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The Mimic turned and threw a slash at my left side. I tried to dodge again, but my foot didn''t move.


    ?Shit!? I cursed as I managed to parry the blow just in time.


    That was another problem. The injured tendon wouldn''t have allowed me to make any quick movements, which further limited my combat options.


    I parried a blow aimed at my legs. I was right: the Mimic''s skill with the sword was even worse than mine before Sophia had trained me.


    "But as usual, I''m at a standstill. Why can''t I ever win decisively in situations like this... if only I had an innate power I could use," I thought, my panic rising again.


    The clock was ticking, and if we didn''t win quickly, we''d be eliminated for being the last pair left in the dungeon.


    ?Penny, try hitting it with something!? I shouted, desperate for a solution.


    The girl had run to the other side of the arena as I had told her.


    ?Fireball!? she shouted, aiming for the Mimic''s back.


    But the creature sensed the incoming attack and dodged to the right.


    ?Water Shield!? I shouted, intercepting the spell.


    "This is not going to work!"


    But as the smoke from the spell dissipated, I realised then that I had made a terrible mistake. One I had made before.


    "Why am I so stupid?!" I thought as I watched Sophia''s copy run towards Penny.


    With my wound, there was no way I could catch up.


    ?FUCK! PENNY RUN!?


    The girl obeyed with a terrified look on her face, casting spells at the Mimic who was inexorably moving towards her. Soon it would catch up with her and...


    "NOT AGAIN! I will not let it happen again... not in front of my eyes."


    ?Typhoon!? I shouted, putting so much power into the spell that I threw myself at Penny with incredible speed.


    Sophia''s copy was now a step away from her, ready to drop the sword on her back. There was no time to control my momentum.


    I breathed a sigh of relief as my hand touched Penny''s back, pushing her forward, out of danger''s way.


    "This time... I was able to reach her..."


    But then....


    ?AAAAAAH!?


    I was suddenly hit by the worst pain I had ever experienced. Worse than the beating I had taken at the hands of Finch, worse than the injuries I had suffered in the fight with Aldric.


    My mind almost shut down and I barely felt myself hit the hard stone wall of the dungeon. I could barely breathe as I tried to stand. As soon as I tried to open my mouth, a terrible nausea hit me and made me vomit.


    Through what seemed like a thick red fog, I managed to see it: a bleeding stump where my left hand used to be.


    The pain got a little bit better, probably thanks to the shock and I was able to see something else: immersed into a pool of my blood, on the dungeon''s floor, my severed hand.


    In front of it, the one who had cut it, who was approaching me.


    I parried its blow at the last second and my weapon''s enchantment flickered.


    It was the second time that day that I had experienced d¨¦j¨¤ vu. This time it was not Finch who was trying to kill me, but a creature with the semblance of the person I loved.


    I watched the empty eyes of the Mimic with a faint smile as the deep sorrow I had been hiding inside me seeped into my heart.


    "I''m sorry, Sophia. It seems I will have to leave with you alone after all..."


    But behind my attacker, through the light haze that clouded my vision, I saw someone move.


    Penny was charging at the enemy, her sword ready for a lunge. But it would have been useless...


    ?B-boost s-sharpness,? I barely managed to say, pointing the bleeding stump in that direction.


    Penny''s blade glowed red just before it connected with the creature''s back.


    The girl screamed and put all her strength into the blow. It went in. I saw the tip of the sword protrude from the monster''s chest. But the creature didn''t even flinch.


    In one swift motion, it used its free hand to deliver a powerful blow to Penny, sending her flying. Her sword fell to the ground, leaving a small hole where it had struck the mimic.


    That hole was the key. But all I felt was pain, could I really cast a spell?


    Pain, so much pain. It filled everything.


    It burned, as if a fire had broken out inside me, threatening to consume everything I was.


    But was it really the pain that fed this unbridled flame? No... it was something else.


    But then... what was the core of that raging inferno? I could feel it... it was... Me.


    My whole being was on fire. I was burning with a single desire:


    "I want to live... so I can be between her arms again..."


    It was a desire so intense that if it had been unleashed, it wouldn''t have stopped at burning my body, it would have reduced everything before me to ashes.


    "To stay with her... I''d let the whole world burn."


    And so... I decided to let it burn.


    Taking advantage of the my enemy''s distraction, I let go of my sword and pointed my only hand at the hole penny had created for me.


    But maybe... it wasn''t even necessary. The beam of pure light that came out of my hand had no need for such a thing.


    In what was left of my consciousness, I knew it wouldn''t have left a trace of anything it came in contact with. Just like when he had used it.


    My enemy was instantly vaporised before my eyes, just before they stopped working.


    <hr>


    I felt something cold and wet touching my forehead. At the same time, pain began to torture my arm again.


    "Am I dead?"


    I tried to open my mouth, but the nausea hit me again. At the same time I heard someone calling desperately for me:


    ?Liz! Open your eyes, I beg you!?


    And so, with great difficulty, I did. In front of me I found Penny in an obvious state of panic.


    ?Liz, thank goodness¡­?


    I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but I felt too weak to even do that. The wet cloth that had been placed on my forehead fell into my lap.


    I was sitting on the floor, my back against the dungeon''s wall. My eyes dropped to my left arm. The stump was now bandaged with a piece of bloody cloth.


    My eyes went back to Penny, she had torn off the right sleeve of her shirt.


    ?I''ve managed to stop the blood loss, but you''ve still lost a lot of it... we need to get you to a healer as soon as possible!? she exclaimed.


    I followed her eyes to my upper arm. A tie was wrapped around it, with a piece of wood protruding from it. I recognised my wand, Penny had used it as a windlass to tighten the makeshift torniquette.


    ?I only had that on my hand, sorry... I''m going to help you get up, I know it hurts a lot but we have to move or you''re going to die!?


    As she said that, she moved close to me and put my arm over her shoulder.


    ?P-penny...? I tried to speak through my sour throat.


    ?Don''t talk...?


    ?I-I''m o-okay...? I managed to say as I got back on my feet.


    ?How do you even have the guts to say that?? she said.


    As my mind slowly adjusted to the terrible pain, I could feel my thoughts beginning to form again.


    My eyes swept the room. A huge steaming rift ran through it: the stone blocks that formed the floor of the dungeon had melted and turned into hot magma. I had seen something like this before, though I would have preferred to forget it.


    "I managed to use the same spell as Aldric... how did I do that?"


    All I remembered was the burning desire to survive that had taken over at the moment when the Mimic was about to kill me.


    "I¡¯ll think about it later¡­"


    ?Penny...? I said as the girl helped me take my first uncertain steps towards the now open exit of the room, ?I''m sorry.?


    ?Sorry? Sorry for what?? she asked, looking ahead.


    ?I could have hit you and killed you with that beam...?


    ?Oh that... what was that spell anyway??


    ?I... don''t really know...?


    ?I see... shut up now. If you faint again, we are doomed. I tried to move you before, but you are way too heavy for me!? she blurted out.


    But there was more I needed to tell her.


    ?I''m also sorry for the way I treated you.?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?I made you go far from the fight, thinking you would be in the way. But I only put you in danger and in the end you saved me...?


    ?What are you talking about? You are the one who killed that thing. And you even lost your hand trying to save me...?


    But I barely listened to her. I could feel anger and disappointment rising along with the pain, all of it directed at myself.


    ?Sophia is right about calling me an idiot every time... I made the exact same mistake during the last battle. I left my best firend behind and she saved me in the end... I''m just incapable of learning, it seems...?


    ?I don''t know about that, but... it seems to me that you like to take everything on yourself,? Penny said, poking her head into the dark corridor in front of us ?isn''t that why you lied to me before? You should rely on others a bit more, Liz.?


    "I thought I had learned that, but... I guess I can''t change who I am. I''m still trying to be the hero I wanted to be when I was little... even though I thought I had given that up."


    ?Take this with your... only hand, please. I have no idea how you can even talk with that wound, but it looks like you can manage to carry this while I make some light,? Penny said, handing me what looked like a wet bundle of cloth.


    I recognised her corset, which she was no longer wearing.


    ?What is...??


    ?There''s your severed hand in there. I conjured some ice to try and preserve it. If we get out of here quickly, they might be able to reattach it.?


    ?Penny... you''re a lot smarter than I thought...? I said, taking it.


    The girl frowned at me as she lit her wand.


    ?I thought you were joking yesterday but... you really are a bit unpleasant.?


    ?Oh... sorry... I can''t really think straight,? I said, as Penny started to support me again and we started to walk down the corridor.


    ?It''s okay, I''d rather you behave like this than like before... Let''s go slowly, I''m not as good as you at spotting traps.?


    We continued down the corridor in silence.


    I knew it would''ve been best not to distract her, but the pain in my arm was so bad that I was afraid I''d go mad if I didn''t keep my mind occupied.


    ?Thanks Amy... you really saved me. I really should stop looking down on people, shouldn''t I??


    ?Amy...? I''m Penny, Liz...?


    ?Oh...?


    My dizzy mind had automatically uttered that familiar name... but that was because:


    ?You kinda remind me of her... my friend who died in the battle. You may be weak, but you are very clever and brave in the face of danger...?


    ?I see... but... I am my own person, Liz. Sorry... but I''m not your dead friend.?


    I wanted to tell her that wasn''t what I meant, but... she was right.


    I had just realised it. When I had moved to save her from the Mimic, I hadn''t even thought about the fact that it would have been useless if I had lost my life in the process.


    The only thing on my mind was something else: the desire to atone for the sin that still weighed on my heart. I just wanted to ease the pain I still felt for letting Amy die before my eyes.


    Penny was right, I was projecting my lost friend into her as a mean for redemption. I... just missed her so much.


    ?I... understand. In the end, I''m just a very selfish girl, Penny... but... will you still want to be my friend, even though you realised how unpleasant I am?? I asked weakly.


    ?I''m starting to realise that your girlfriend is right. You are a royal pain in the ass. But... I still really like you. Now shut the hell up!?


    "I''m also starting to realise that she''s nothing like I thought. She seemed so meek... but she actually has an attitude. Maybe we can really be friends now..." I thought as I let her lead me.


    It wasn''t long before light shone again in the darkness of the dungeon. We rounded a corner and came to a large archway.


    On it, in glowing letters, was written: "The Last Room".


    "That''s pretty on the nose..."


    The writing was clearly the work of the Academy, not an old message left by the original creators of the dungeon.


    "The fact that they want us to know that it''s the last room... there can''t be anything good behind it."


    They probably wanted to give us a little hope before crushing us with one last impossible test.


    "But... I want to believe that Penny can solve whatever they throw at us. I won''t be able to help her much in this state."


    As we got closer, I saw that the last room was fortunately not an arena like the last two we had passed through. It was a small room like the first one we had entered on our adventure through the dungeon. Apart from the solid stone door sealing the exit, the only thing of note was a pedestal in the centre of the room. With Penny''s help, I got close to it.


    On top of it was a hole in the shape of a human hand.


    ?Wait, don''t touch it,? I warned Penny before she could even make a move towards it.


    There was no telling what would happen if she did. My eyes scanned the rest of the room, looking for some kind of clue.


    That''s when I saw it: small engraving on the base of the pedestal, spelling out a terrible phrase.


    "Only those who sacrifice something can go on."


    Then it hit me. The words Skylark had spoken to us at the beginning of the dungeon echoed through my mind, even louder than the song of pain that was now playing inside it:


    "Remember, if your partner dies before you reach the last room, you''ll join them in death."


    As usual, there was a terrible meaning behind those words.


    "Before you reach the last room..."


    I shot a sideways glance at Penny. The girl still hadn''t realised: we were never meant to get out of this place alive together.

 55. Sacrifices

    As Penny continued to examine the room, a terrible thought ran through my mind:


    "I just need to get her to touch the pedestal and I can get out of here..."


    My partner did not seem to have noticed the inscription, if I had urged her to put her hand in the hole, I was sure she would have listened to me.


    "If I do that¡­ I¡¯ll go back to Sophia¡­ Sophia¡­"


    If the final test was the same for everyone... how would she get through it? I was sure that Wilhelm would never let her deceive him. With how much he despised her, he would never trust her. Sophia''s only chance of getting out of this kind of room was to force him to put his hand on the pedestal.


    "But that''s the same as her killing him, this test... will make her kill again!"


    I kept my eyes on Penny.


    Was I ready to sacrifice my new friend''s life to get out of here? Right after she had saved my life with her quick thinking?


    "I¡­ don¡¯t know what to do."


    After my duel with Finch and Foster, I thought I had left behind every shred of humanity.


    But now, faced with the possibility of condemning to certain death the girl to whom I had given back the will to live... I couldn''t make up my mind.


    "Maybe¡­ maybe I¡¯m overthinking again like the last trial. Maybe there¡¯s a trick to this one as well."


    Did Skylark really want to wipe out half the students in one fell swoop? I could not rule it out, but...


    "Why am I with Penny? Knowing how sadistic he is, he would have paired me with Sophia if this was the last test... oh!"


    This thought reminded me that Celeste was paired with Philemon.


    "Is Philemon ready to sacrifice himself for her?"


    If he wasn''t... Celeste would have been in danger and that would have gone against my theory that she was being protected by Skylark.


    ?Only those that sacrifice something can go further.? Penny murmured.


    While I was thinking, she had found the small inscription.


    My chance to trick her into sacrificing herself was gone. But... I was kind of glad.


    "If it''s about going back to Sophia... I wonder if I would have done it."


    ?What do you think Liz?? asked Penny, ?there''s nothing in this room apart from this writing.?


    ?I... give me a minute to think.?


    She still hadn''t realised the grim truth or maybe she didn''t want to say it out loud.


    "A way out... my only clue is this sentence... wait... it says sacrifice something, not someone!"


    As for what it wanted from us...


    "Could it be that we actually got extremely lucky?"


    ?Penny, help me get my hand out of here!?


    It would have been a surprising coincidence... but the shape on the pedestal pointed in that direction.


    ?Your hand?! Why would - oh!?


    ?This room is asking us to sacrifice something. Perhaps the pedestal will cut off our hand if we place it on it. Luckily, we happen to have one already... at hand,? I joked, trying to lighten the desperate situation we were in.


    ?How can you even joke about something like this...? Penny huffed, ?but why would Skylark want us to sacrifice a hand??


    It was a good question. Mutilating his future weapon was obviously not ideal, but perhaps the hand would be sent immediately to the Academy''s infirmary, ready to be reattached by the healers. It was flimsy, but...


    "It''s a hope to hold on to."


    ?I don''t know, maybe they want to see how brave we are or some bullshit like that... so let''s try!?


    ?Are you sure? You could lose your hand forever!?


    "I''d rather lose my hand than sacrifice you..."


    ?Yes, it''s all right. We have to get out of here quickly, I feel like I''m going to faint again any minute.?


    Finally convinced, Penny grabbed the bundle out of my hands and opened it. The girl immediately looked away in horror.


    ?It¡¯s better if you levitate it on top of the pedestal, so you don¡¯t risk touching it by mistake¡­?


    ?This is so messed up... but I guess we have no choice,? Penny blurted out.


    It really was messed up. Seeing my severed hand slowly rise into the air was extremely gross. I probably would have thrown up again if I hadn''t been concentrating on what would happen when it landed on the hole in the pedestal.


    "Please... let this work..."


    After a disgusting plap, the hand finally reached its destination. I waited eagerly for something to happen, my heart pounding furiously in my chest.


    One second, two seconds... ten seconds. The solid stone door that sealed the exit stood still.


    In silence, Penny put the hand back in the bundle and, after making sure it was cooled by the ice, looked at me.


    ?What now? Should I try to touch it? I don''t see any other way out...?


    "No... it can''t be..."


    But it was useless. I had to accept the truth: there was no trick this time.


    My solution didn''t work. The pedestal probably had some way of detecting if the hand was attached to a living body. Maybe it could sense if mana was flowing, just like the device we had used on the first day at the Academy to decide the provisional rankings.


    "So... there is only one way out. And... if I want to see Sophia again..."


    I swallowed my saliva and... nodded.


    Penny turned and extended her hand towards the pedestal. I could see the hesitation in her movements. It was clear that she suspected something, but she was trusting me.


    Only a few inches separated me from freedom and the arms of the person I loved.


    But...


    ?Liz... what are you doing?? Penny said, looking at my hand that had gripped her wrist.


    ?Penny... don''t touch it,? I said in a firm voice, ?I''m pretty sure if you do you won''t be able to leave this room.?


    Penny looked at me without a trace of surprise.


    ?So you think so too...?


    ?Yes... I wanted to tell you, but... I kind of hesitated, I''m sorry. But... why were you going to touch it then?? I asked.


    ?I... if only one of us is going to get out of here alive... it should be you.?


    I looked at her with my mouth hanging open:


    ?You were going to sacrifice yourself without saying anything??


    ?I don''t think you have any right to be angry with me for hiding things,? she said.


    ?But this... you are going to die, Penny!? I exclaimed.


    ?I am... but what''s the alternative? Do you want to die??


    Penny looked me straight in the eye, a stern expression on her face.


    ?I...?


    I could not say anything. The answer was obvious in my heart.


    The steaming rift I had left in the previous room was proof of it. As were the intrusive thoughts that had assailed me moments before.


    But... was I willing to see another person die in front of me in order to save myself?


    "Maybe... maybe I am."


    How could I leave Sophia alone?


    I was the only person who had ever given her any affection. Without me... what would become of her?


    The normal life I had dreamed of for us would never come. She would probably let herself die within the walls of the Academy, alone, without a shred of hope left...


    ?As I imagined,? Penny said, reading the answer on my face, ?you have someone important to return to. Now let''s do it. There''s not time to waste.?


    Her hand rested on mine, gently pulling it away from her arm.


    ?Thank you Liz, I would never have made it this far without you. You''ve given me hope again and now I can leave you with a smile on my face,? Penny said, giving me a big smile.


    A smile... like the one Amy had given me before she left me.


    ?Wind Stream,? I said, extending my hand towards her.


    I saw Penny''s eyes widen as she was blown away by my spell and landed on the ground not far away.


    ?LIZ?!'' the girl screamed, but before she could get up I had already placed one hand on the pedestal.


    The sensation I felt was exactly the same as the one I had felt on the first day, during the mana assessment. It was as if my whole self was being sucked inside the pedestal. Instinctively I tried to lift my hand, but it did not move. At the same moment, the exit door began to shake, confirming that the test had been passed.


    "So this really was the solution..."


    Half of me had hoped it might be some kind of twisted joke. That I''d be set free after proving my courage.


    But now, with my hand completely glued to the cold stone of the pedestal, I was sure this was not the case.


    I could feel my mana being probed by an invisible force. If I miraculously managed to free my hand, I was sure that the exit would close immediately.


    ?LIZ WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?? screamed Penny, beside herself.


    ?I''m sorry... I couldn''t let it happen again in front of me. I refuse to let another one of my friends die.?


    But as I said those words, I realised that I had begun to tremble. The reality of what I had just done was only just dawning on me.


    Penny grabbed my shirt and said:


    ?Are you some kind of fucking hero? I never asked you to save me!?


    ?I... y-you have n-no right to be angry with me. You were sacrificing yourself, I''m just doing the same? I replied in a shaky voice, lowering my eyes.


    ?Unlike me you have someone that is waiting for you!? yelled Penny.


    "Sophia¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­"


    ?If I''d let you die here... the person who came out wouldn''t be the Elizabeth Sophia fell in love with. She knows I''m willing to sacrifice myself for the people I care about...? I replied, trying to pull myself together.


    Penny grabbed my chin and forced me to look into her eyes.


    ?Then why are you crying?? she asked.


    ?I''m not...?


    But the tears were falling and I didn''t even have a way to wipe them off.


    Penny''s expression softened a little.


    ?You really are a piece of work... you don''t care enough about me to give up on life. I mean, why would you? We barely know each other.?


    ?I...?


    I couldn''t argue with her. The reason I''d put my hand on the pedestal wasn''t to save her.


    ?I''m sorry, but I''ve told you before. I''m not your dead friend, Liz. And giving your life for me won''t bring her back...?


    ?I know, but... this... this is my way of atoning for letting her die...?


    Penny''s face hardened again:


    ?What about me? Should I leave you here to die so you can feel good about yourself? You are the one who gave me the strength to look forward again, Liz. Did you stop for a second to think how I would feel about this??


    ?I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t¡­ but now you should go or-? I muttered, but Penny interrupted me.


    ?Of course you didn''t. That''s because you''re just a selfish little girl who likes to play hero. You don''t think about how your actions make other people feel,? she blurted out mercilessly.


    To think that the girl I had just sacrificed myself for would talk to me like this. But I couldn''t say anything because I knew she was right.


    When I had put my hand on that pedestal, I wasn''t thinking about Penny. I was thinking of myself: I did not want to face that terrible survivor''s guilt again.


    Nor had I thought about how Sophia would feel when she finally discovered that I had been hiding my worries from her. I had tried to run away from the problem, I had bottled everything up so as not to have to face the consequences of an inconvenient truth.


    Penny was right, behind a facade of selflessness I had always acted on impulse plenty of times, without thinking of the consequences. And I had often hurt other people and myself. And now... I had done it for the last time.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.This realisation hit me so hard that I began to sob uncontrollably.


    ?Sophia¡­ I-I don¡¯t want to d-die! I want to go back to h-her.?


    Penny pulled me into a hug.


    ?So much for showing me we had a chance to escape...? she whispered, throwing back the words I had said to her the day before.


    ?You''re so mean...? I sobbed.


    ?I am. I guess that''s what you get when you sacrifice yourself for someone you barely know!?


    The way Penny was reacting to the situation was strange, almost as if she didn''t realise I was about to die so she could leave the room.


    But, somehow, the fact that she wasn''t crying desperately like me made me feel a bit better.


    ?Penny... p-please, tell Sophia that I love her so much,? I said, sniffing.


    There was a moment of silence.


    ?I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not going to do that.?


    "Uh?"


    Penny pulled away from the embrace and looked me in the eyes:


    ?I''m going to stay here with you until the end.?


    Astonished, I opened my eyes wide, still filled with tears.


    ?What?!?


    ?You have been selfish, so I will do the same. I refuse to leave you here to die alone.?


    I looked at her horrified.


    ?Are you really going to let me die for nothing??


    I could barely breathe because I could tell she meant it. After all, she had already accepted to die a few minutes earlier.


    Penny smiled at me:


    ?Yes. I won''t leave my first friend behind.?


    "She lost her mind... and I feel I''m about to do the same..."


    ?Penny! Please go, I beg you... I feel like I''m going to pass out any second... if you don''t go now, you''re really going to be stuck here. Please do this for me... you have to tell Sophia my last words...? I cried in despair.


    But the girl didn''t move.


    ?You made your choice, ignoring my feelings. Now I''m making mine.?


    As I looked at her serene expression, I felt what was left of my mind leave my body.


    I tried to cast a spell to push her out of the room, but suddenly I realised I couldn''t. The magical force inside the pillar was preventing me from using my mana.


    It was then that reality dawned on me. I was about to die... for no reason. I began to struggle, trying to free my hand.


    ?LET ME GO! LET ME GO!? I screamed with what little strength I had left.


    ?Liz...?


    Penny put her hand on my shoulder. I tried to wriggle out of her grip, but even that was impossible, so...


    ?Cut it off...? I murmured.


    ?What are you-?


    ?CUT THIS FUCKING HAND OFF! YOU WANT TO DIE?! GO AHEAD, I DON''T CARE! I WANT TO LIVE! CUT IT OFF!?


    Penny pulled me into a hug from behind.


    ?I can¡¯t do that Liz. If I do you¡¯ll die anyway. You have already lost way too much blood.?


    ?I DON¡¯T CARE, LET ME GO!?


    But I had no strength left in my body. I slipped to the floor, my hand still stuck to the pedestal.


    Penny''s grip on me tightened and she whispered:


    ?I''m sorry Liz. I really can''t let you die alone in this cold place. You may not have had the purest of intentions... but you gave your life for me anyway. Thank you. I''ll be with you till the end.?


    I didn''t want any of that... I felt like I wanted nothing more than to escape from her grip. In that moment she really was the person I hated the most in the world. But...


    ?Penny...? I had no energy left to be angry with her, the only thing left inside me was a wasteland of despair, ?I don''t want to die...?


    ?It''s okay... cry as much as you want. It''s just you and me here.?


    The girl put her hand on mine.


    I immediately felt something change.


    "What?"


    The magical force that had been emanating from the pedestal had suddenly stopped.


    "...no way..."


    I felt Penny gasp as my hand moved beneath hers. She pulled away, allowing me to lift it. My eyes immediately went to the door: it was still open.


    "..."


    Penny helped me to my feet. Without a word, as if we both thought that a sound would shatter this illusion of hope, we walked towards the exit.


    It was only when we had passed it that I was able to breathe again.


    ?This... why...?? asked Penny.


    ?I... think it''s because we were both willing to sacrifice ourselves. It was, after all, a test of cooperation...? I said, as we walked down the new corridor.


    ?But the inscription... we didn''t really sacrifice anything to progress in the end...?


    "I''m pretty sure I lost part of my sanity."


    ?I... I think the answer was ''the will to live''. That''s what we gave up.?


    ?That''s so messed up.?


    ?I guess.?


    I really didn''t know how to behave around her now. Part of me really wanted to never see her again. What had just happened in that room was something I never wanted to think about again.


    But now really wasn''t the moment to decide something like that... there was something else much more pressing on my mind.


    "Sophia... is she all right? There''s no way that Wilhelm would agree to sacrifice himself for her... Sophia, please be safe..."


    I tried to pick up the pace, but my injury and fatigue prevented me from doing so. All I could do was let Penny guide me until we reached a dead end.


    "No please¡­ no more¡­"


    But it only took a moment for the floor beneath us to light up.


    Just as at the beginning of this ordeal, the world was plunged into a darkness that Penny''s illuminated wand could not penetrate.


    The earth disappeared from beneath my feet and I fell forward. When my one hand touched the ground, it was no longer made of stone, but of shiny wooden planks.


    I looked up.


    It was hard to see because of the sudden light blinding me but, among the many figures in front of me, my eyes were instantly fixed on one.


    I didn''t need to take a good look at her features, it was as if I was magnetically drawn to her.


    ?ELIZABETH!?


    There was a mixture of relief, horror and concern in that cry. But to me it was like the sweetest melody I had ever heard.


    Sophia was still alive, nothing else mattered. As I sank into unconsciousness, I felt her arms wrap around me and I could only think:


    "I''m glad I''m stilll alive..."


    <hr>


    When my eyes opened, I knew immediately where I was.


    "It''s been a while," I thought as I looked up at the white ceiling of the infirmary.


    I clenched my right hand, expecting to squeeze Sophia''s.


    "Weird¡­" I thought as I looked down at the empty chair beside my bed.


    ?I see you are awake.?


    That voice immediately made my blood boil.


    I looked around. The infirmary was completely empty, except for a figure staring out of the window.


    ?You... why are you here? Where is Sophia?? I said, giving him a hateful look.


    ?Calm down, Miss Belvoir. Your friends are waiting outside. I have only asked them to leave temporarily so that we can talk in private,? Professor Skylark replied, turning to give me one of his usual irritating smirks.


    ?Talk? About what??


    As much as I wanted to see Sophia right away, the idea that Skylark wanted to talk to me alone was something I couldn''t ignore.


    "Is this about... that spell?"


    ?First of all, how is your hand? The Academy prides itself on the skill of its healers. I assume there are no problems with it.?


    My abrupt awakening had completely taken my mind off what had happened in the dungeon.


    My eyes immediately went to my left arm. It was covered in bandages, but I could clearly see that my hand was back in place. I tried to close my fingers, but I couldn''t.


    ?Don''t worry, from what the healers have told me, it''s been immobilised as a precaution. Recently reattached nerves can be surprisingly fragile,? Skylark said as he approached my bed.


    ?Why are you talking to me like this? Do you really think I''m buying the concerned teacher act?? I asked contemptuously.


    ?Oh, it''s not an act. I''m just making sure my assets are properly maintained,? Skylark said coldly.


    ?Interesting to hear you say that after what you just put us through,? I replied, throwing daggers at him with my eyes.


    ?Oh, I see you didn''t like this last little test,? grinned the old mage


    ?What was the point of the last trial anyway?? I asked.


    As much as I hated that man, this was a rare occasion when I could try to get some information out of him.


    ?Oh, you could see it as a test of character. Both solutions to it were valid. A strong mage should be able to convince and inspire their peers in a difficult situation. And if that fails... have the strength to make them bend to their will,? Skylark said.


    ?I don''t think I did any of that...? I muttered, remembering what had happened in that room.


    "I don''t think I''ll ever be able to look at Penny the same way..."


    ?Well, you must have impressed Miss Pembroke with your character if she was willing to die with you. Anyway, like every test in this Academy, it was designed to push you to your limit so that you might go beyond it,? said Skylark, looking at me amused.


    ?Why? If you intend to turn the last one standing into a monster like Aldric... why are you trying to make us stronger now, when you can do that with whatever magic you used on him?? I asked.


    ?Magic... I see you are still far from the truth, Miss Belvoir. As for your question... you should already know the answer from what happened during your fight with my little pet.?


    "So I was right... he knows what happened..."


    There was no need to hide it then.


    ?That... was that an innate power? Is that why you push us to the brink? To try and make us develop such abilities?? I asked.


    ?Innate power... I see. That''s what you call them? Skylark said, as his smile widened, ?but I''m afraid you''re wrong. As much as you are pushed to the edge, an innate power is not something you can develop. It''s something you''ve always had inside you. It just needs the right opportunity to come out.?


    ?That''s just semantics,? I blurted out, irritated, ?so you are creating an opportunity for an innate power to reveal itself??


    ?Again, you are not entirely correct. After all, what you did in that room can''t really be called an innate power. It is something that technically everyone has the potential to do after all. But it''s only the second time I''ve seen it happen,? the professor said, returning near the window.


    ?Aldric. It''s the spell Aldric can use, I know that much. Why would I be able to use it as well all of a sudden??


    ?A spell. Again, you get close to the right answer, but still miss it, Miss Belvoir,? Skylark said.


    "Not a spell... not an innate power. Then what was it?"


    At my silence, Skylark added:


    ?You should know, just by looking at it.?


    "Just by looking at it... it was a bright, pure white light..."


    ?Mana...?


    ?Exactly. As you surely know, every spell is cast by refining mana. You skipped that step. You simply expelled raw mana and unleashed its unfiltered power on your opponent.?


    "Was that really just mana... so much power..."


    ?How did I...?


    ?You wanted something with every part of yourself.?


    ?Why would that make me do something like shoot a giant death ray?? I asked, furrowing my brow.


    ?I''m afraid I can''t answer that question. That''s not why I''m here. I came mainly to give you a warning as your professor.?


    ?A warning??


    ?Never use that power again,? Skylark said, for once without a trace of a smile.


    "Huh? I suddenly have a power that could actually help us fight him. There''s no fucking way I''m not going to use it again."


    ?I see... you are afraid. I have seen the devastation Aldric can cause with this... ability. Now I can literally vaporise you whenever I want. You might as well release us now,? I replied, giving him a defiant look.


    I was bluffing. At the moment I was struggling to even lift a little finger. But even if I had been at full strength... I had no idea how I had managed to expel raw mana from my body. Skylark, however, could not know that.


    But the old professor didn''t seem at all intimidated by my threat. In fact, he began to cackle:


    ?Miss Belvoir, if you think that something like that will be able to defeat me... you are sorely mistaken,? Skylark said, wiping his glasses.


    ?You''re just putting up a front,? I retorted piquantly.


    ?You are free to think what you want. But tell me... did I ever lie to you students?? said the Headmaster.


    ?...?


    My hatred for this person was so strong that I felt it could burn me from within, but... I couldn''t contradict him.


    He had hidden things, he had used his words to deceive us, but in the end... I didn''t feel that he had ever lied outright. Even in this last test, he had told us the truth. It really was a test of cooperation and trust.


    Skylark continued:


    ?I''m saying this for your own good. I don''t want a promising prospect to come any closer to killing herself.?


    For some reason, his words filled me with a sense of dread.


    ?Killing¡­ myself??


    ?You see. Unlike what happens when you use your mana to cast spells, when you use it directly to launch an attack like that... things get very dangerous. The mana that has left your body... will never return after all.?


    ?Wh-what??


    ?Don''t worry. I don''t think using it once will do much damage. After all, you have an extraordinary mana capacity. But if you start using that power liberally... you won''t last long.?


    The professor walked over to my bedside table and grabbed the water jug that was on it.


    ?Imagine this is your mana. This is what happens when you cast a spell.?


    Skylark poured some of the contents of the jug into a glass.


    ?After a while, things go back to normal...?


    The professor poured the water back into the jug.


    ?But if you insist on using that attack...?


    Skylark snapped his wrinkled fingers and the top half of the jar shattered, spilling water onto the floor.


    I swallowed. He couldn''t have been any clearer.


    ?And when that happens, you probably won''t even notice. After all, what is left of the jug is still filled to the brim... but one day...?


    The jug vanished into thin air.


    I remained silent.


    The emotions I had felt during the final test came back to me.


    I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff. My mortality had never been more apparent.


    I could feel my time ticking away. And now... I had the chance to move the hands of that clock forward to gain a power that could help us escape from here...


    "I... need to talk to someone about this."


    It was too much. After what I had been through, my mind was not ready to deal with something like this.


    I didn''t know if I would ever want to talk to Penny again... but I would take her words to heart.


    "I''m going to rely on Sophia for this... I can''t keep bottling things up."


    I watched as the headmaster placed a new jug on my bedside table and wiped the floor with another snap of his fingers.


    ?I hope I''ve made myself clear... Unlike them, I always thought you were one of the most promising candidates. It would be a shame to see your potential wasted in unnecessary acts of rebellion. Your fate is already sealed, Miss Belvoir.?


    ?Them? Who are you-?


    ?I look forward to you finding out, Miss Belvoir,? the Headmaster said, heading for the exit.


    ?You... is that why you left the Aldric sheet for us to find?? I asked.


    ?Yes. But let me give you some more advice. If you think that finding out the truth will help you, you are once again sorely mistaken.?


    Those ominous words gave me goose bumps, but before the Headmaster left I had one last question I wanted to ask him.


    ?Why are you doing this? Is it for money, power, or are you just a sadistic bastard?? I shouted after him.


    The Headmaster chuckled:


    ?When you are as old as I am, Miss Belvoir, money and power begin to lose their meaning. Yes, I enjoy watching you struggle, but that''s not why I designed this experiment. Like any researcher, there''s only one thing I long for: an answer.?

 56. Heartfelt apologies

    The door had barely closed behind Skylark before a human tornado burst into the infirmary.


    At that moment, all the worries and questions raised by my conversation with the Headmaster were swept away. I vaguely heard a voice screaming in anger not to run inside the infirmary as the outlines of the world began to blur.


    Now it was just me and her.


    Sophia''s uniform was torn and blackened in several places. Her hair, usually perfectly smooth and neatly combed, was all messed up, as if she had been running her hands through it again and again to keep them busy. Her pretty face was distorted by concern and fear.


    But it didn''t matter. When I looked into her eyes, I knew I would never see anything more beautiful in my life.


    The tears I had tried so hard not to shed in her presence over the past week began to flow mercilessly.


    Sophia stopped at the foot of my bed. I could see that her hands were trembling. It was clear that she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around my neck, but she didn''t want to risk hurting me.


    ?I-it''s okay, I''m fine...? I managed to say between sobs, ?y-you can hug me... no... you have to hug me.?


    At those words, I saw every shred of composure leave Sophia''s face. But it was only for a moment, for I was instantly locked into a painful embrace.


    A pleasant kind of pain, one I would not mind enduring for the rest of my life.


    ?Elizabeth...?


    ?Sophia...?


    No more words were needed.


    The memory of the moment when I thought I would never feel the warmth of her body pressed against me again intensified my crying tenfold.


    But now... all was well. Maybe only for a short while, but it didn''t matter, I was back where I belonged.


    I clung to her with the only hand I could move. The fire that had threatened to burn me from within during the last ordeal was now a calm and reassuring flame.


    "Is love supposed to be so overwhelming?"


    I had no idea. Perhaps the intensity of this feeling was due to the dramatic situation in which we had found ourselves.


    In a landscape of death, it was a glimpse of serenity in which we had found refuge. But... I was sure it was not all there was to it.


    No matter under what circumstances Sophia and I had met, I was sure we''d always fall in love.


    So when Sophia pulled away from me, all I could do was whisper in her ear:


    ?I love you so much. I missed you.?


    It probably had only been a few hours since we''d said goodbye, but to me it felt like an eternity.


    ?Me too...? Sophia replied with a slight smile.


    However, it soon gave way to a worried expression as my girlfriend''s eyes moved to my bandaged arm.


    ?Is your hand...??


    ?It''s fine. I can''t move it yet, but I''m sure it''ll be fine. They''ve reattached whole limbs before, a hand is child''s play for them.?


    ?You scared the hell out of us, you know that??


    It was not Sophia who had said those words.I had been so focused on her that I had not noticed several other people entering the infirmary.


    Celeste approached my bed, put her hand on my knee and said:


    ?I''m really glad you''re alive, Liz!?


    ?Thank you, so am I!? I said, wiping away my tears and smiling at her.


    She was in much better shape than Sophia, but I could see that she was still pretty shaken up.


    There were two other visitors behind her. Philemon looked like he had done nothing more than take a walk in the park. He nodded at me as usual. Wilhelm, on the other hand, seemed to have lost every ounce of the cockiness that characterised him.


    ?Glad you''re all right,? the boy murmured, looking down at the ground.


    "What the hell did Sophia do to him? Well, I''m glad she didn''t have to kill him at least."


    Seeing him like that, I didn''t feel like replying as sharply as I usually would have and just thanked him.


    "Where''s Penny and... Nicole, is she ok?"


    But before I could ask that question out loud, I felt a hand close on mine. My eyes returned to Sophia.


    ?Are you sure you''re all right? Does anything hurt?? she asked, her inquisitive eyes scanning every inch of my body. Her initial state of concern did not seem to have subsided.


    "Do I look that bad?" I thought as I intertwined my fingers with hers and squeezed her hand in return.


    ?I''m fine, I''m fine. I just feel really tired,? I replied, trying to sound as cheerful as my energies would allow.


    ?But...?


    ?She''s fine! Come on, sit down and get back to your usual frigid self,? Celeste exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to sit in the chair next to my bed.


    Despite her words, she continued to rub her shoulders, trying to calm her down. But I could see that her hands were shaking a little as she did so.


    "Seems like Sophia has suddenly become the most honest with her own feelings..."


    ?You know, I thought she was going to tear down the door when the old man made us go out,? Celeste said.


    ?I wanted to. But I knew she would get mad at me,? Sophia said as she tried to shake Celeste off.


    ?What the hell happened to you, by the way? You were in a terrible state, you looked more dead than alive!? my friend exclaimed, moving away from Sophia to sit on the edge of my bed.


    ?Didn''t Penny tell you? Where is she anyway? And Nicole... is she all right??


    I saw Celeste and Sophia exchange a look that did not bode well.


    "What...? It can''t be..."


    ?Penny was here until a little while ago. As soon as she heard you were going to recover, she went to her room saying she needed to rest. She didn''t tell us much except that you lost your hand trying to save her,? Celeste said, after nodding to Sophia.


    "Penny... I''m glad she didn''t say anything about the beam or what happened in the final chamber... I want to be the one to tell Sophia."


    ?And Nicole, is she... dead??


    Celeste shook her head:


    ?No, no, I''m sorry, I should have said that at the beginning and not made you worry. But... she''s kind of out of it at the moment. You see... the last trial didn''t go well for her.?


    ?Oh... so she...?


    ?From what she managed to tell us... her partner tried to force her to put her hand on the pedestal, so she had to... well, you know,? Celeste concluded.


    ?I see...?


    That was not very surprising, after all, as Skylark had said, both solutions to the puzzle were accepted. And as I had personally experienced, the one that required to sacrifice someone was the easier one to find.


    ?How many people died?? I asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.


    It was Sophia who answered me, squeezing my hand harder:


    ?Eight students. You and Penny were the last to get out alive.?


    Eight students... in just one day.


    Suddenly I felt the urge to puke. We were only 16 now. The time we had to get out of here had been shortened yet again.


    "But to be the last ones to get out alive... no wonder Sophia and Celeste were so worried about me. If the other couple got out faster than me and Penny..."


    ?I''m sorry...? I murmured.


    ?Why are you apologizing? You did everything you could to survive, didn''t you? You kept your word,? Sophia said.


    "But... I almost didn''t... I lost my mind and I came so close to leaving you alone."


    I was going to tell her. I would have confessed everything to her when we had a bit of privacy.


    ?But at least everyone from our group came out alive!? I tried to lighten up the mood that I had created with my question.


    But Celeste looked at me uncharacteristically gloomily.


    ?That''s true, but... Liz...?


    ?We said we''d tell her when she felt better,? Sophia interrupted her.


    ?Tell me what? What is going on?? I asked.


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


    Sophia''s lip twitched but she didn''t answer.


    "It''s super hypocritical of me... unlike me, she''s just trying to protect me, but I need to know..."


    ?Please, Sophia...?


    ?Penny... she''s last place now. If we group up and give her points, we might be able to keep her alive for another week or two, but... after that, the gap is far too big.?


    ?I... see...?


    I let myself sink into the bed.


    "Penny..."


    Even now I didn''t know what to think of her.


    On the one hand, I could only be grateful that she had saved my life with her medical expertise and quick thinking. She had even gone so far as to sacrifice herself for me.


    But the fact that she had come so close to making me throw my life away for nothing... how could I accept that?


    "But even so... I definetly don''t want her to die. I..."


    ?We have to do something!? I shouted, standing up and leaning against the backrest.


    ?That''s right! But you are not going anywhere right now!? Celeste said, finally smiling again, grabbing my legs to make sure I didn''t try to get out of bed.


    ?So, what happened in the dungeon?? she continued, clearly trying to change the subject.


    ?Oh... well...?


    I began to tell her what had happened during the first trial. Celeste looked at me in approval as I explained how I had solved it.


    ?That''s a clever way to do it... I wish it had been as exciting for me and Philemon. But doublelcasting made it so easy.?


    "I''d rather give away all the excitement I''ll ever feel than experience something like that again."


    ?What about you, Sophia?? I asked, intrigued, ?how did you get out of it??


    ?Our trial was a bit different. There were statues, but our room was much bigger than yours. At first I thought of the same solution as you and that Skylark just wanted me to die there, so... I tried to cut the door open.?


    I sighed. It was just like Sophia to do something crazy like that. She was usually calm and rational, but sometimes she could be even more impulsive than me.


    "Maybe I''m the one who infected her."


    ?And let me guess... it didn''t work?? I asked.


    ?Nope. The door had a strange spell on it. It kept rebuilding itself faster than I could cut it.?


    ?So? What did you do??


    ?I just tried to brute force it. I had Wilhelm try to activate the statues one by one. When he did, we were joined by some less than pleasant guests. A wyrm, a mountain giant, a merfolk and a harpy, in that order.?


    ?And you fought those things??


    ?Yes... it was fine, although the wyrm roasted me a bit... its fire was too hot, even if it didn''t hit me directly.? she said, nonchalantly pointing at her burnt uniform.


    ?Luckily Wilhelm is pretty good with healing spells.?


    I glanced at the boy, but he looked away immediately.


    "What did she do to him? Maybe when he saw how she defeated all those horrible creatures, he realised how scary she can be and that it''s better not to mess with her."


    I continued my story.


    I couldn''t help but blush as Sophia checked my leg to see if it had healed. As her cold fingers grazed my ankle, I tried my best to keep my composure and continued talking.


    Apparently the second test had been the same for everyone, and no one had had much trouble with it. When it came to describing my encounter with Sophia''s copy and how I had defeated her, I stopped.


    "I... want to talk to Sophia about it before I tell Celeste and the others. A power that feeds on my life force... that is not something I should reveal lightly."


    ?For the third test, I fought what looked like a mimic-? I began.


    ?Only one? We fought 4 of them! They looked just like the guys who chased us during the battle... and they had some kind of enchantment on them to simulate their innate powers!? Celeste interrupted me.


    Sophia tapped her head lightly with her fist:


    ?Shut up and let her talk!?


    ?Sorry!?


    ?It''s fine. I¡­ fought a copy of Sophia,? I continued.


    My girlfriend''s eyes opened wide.


    ?What about you? Did you fight me?? I asked her.


    ?No... we fought a copy of Celeste and Philemon...? she said, almost regretfully.


    "Why does she look sad... did she want to beat me up? And why do I feel jealous all of a sudden?"


    Trying to shake off that nonsensical feeling, I went on.


    When it came to the part where I lost my hand, Sophia almost destroyed my healthy one by how strong her grip got.


    ?I''m sorry...? she mumbled.


    ?For what? It''s not like it was the real you. Anyway...? I paused a little, ?the mimic was about to kill me when Penny went and stabbed it from behind. I used a weapon enchantment to make sure her sword could pierce it and... I cast a Flare directly into the hole she left, causing it to explode.?


    I hated that I had to lie and that I would have to do it again soon.


    ?Woah, you must have nerves of steel to do something like that after having just been mutilated,? Celeste commented, impressed.


    Then it was time for the final test. There was no way I was going to tell everyone here what really happened.


    ?As for the sacrifice test. I realised that there was no way Skylark would just kill half the students. There had to be a trick. So we tried several things until we found the solution,? I concluded, trying my best not to give the impression that I was making things up.


    ?I see... I was a bit worried when we got there. Philemon, luckily, kept his cool and found the solution very quickly,? Celeste said.


    "Figures... there''s really nothing that can make that guy lose his temper."


    But it wasn''t those two that I was curious about. Looking back at Wilhelm, I saw that his eyes were fixed on Sophia.


    "Maybe he doesn''t want her to say what happened."


    As if to confirm what I was thinking, the boy took a step forward as my girlfriend started to speak.


    ?I...? he began.


    And then...


    ?I''m sorry for my behaviour,? Wilhelm said, bowing so much that his head almost touched the ground.


    I looked at him with my mouth hanging open, but then:


    ?I told you, I''m not the one you sh-? I tried to say.


    ?I apologise to both of you!? Wilhelm cut me off, ?I know it might seem insincere after Thornton saved me several times during the test... but believe me, I''m really sorry.?


    Sophia huffed:


    ?I told you, there''s no need for this stuff...?


    ?Oh no, there is a need!? I exclaimed.


    ?Elizabeth...?


    ?So what made you change your mind?? I asked.


    Wilhelm lifted his head and looked at me with a solemn expression.


    ?She fought so hard during the trials, even risking her life for me. But when we got to the end, I was sure she would just force me to sacrifice myself, since she''s much stronger than me, but...?


    ?I said I''d never be able to look you in the eye if I did that,? Sophia finished for him, ?you''re the one who told me I wasn''t a bad person... that I only killed in self-defence. I wanted to be true to those words. I want to be the person you think I am.?


    "I don''t deserve her..."


    Unlike me, she only had thought of me in that room. Her words were sincere, unlike the ones I had said to Penny.


    I lowered my eyes, unable to bear her smile, as Wilhelm resumed speaking:


    ?As I said, I''m sorry. It was wrong of me to associate Thornton with the people who killed my friend. Now I''m sure she only did what she had to do to survive. You were right, and I hope you''ll forgive me.?


    I looked up to see the outstretched hand Wilhelm was holding out towards me. I grabbed it without hesitation.


    ?I am sorry too. I know very well what it is like to lose someone you care about and how it can cloud your judgement. You made a mistake, but I also overreacted.?


    Celeste clapped her hands in glee.


    ?Look at them! They grow up so fast!? she exclaimed, ?now we can really call our little group a true alliance. Speaking of which...?


    I knew what she was going to ask.


    ?What did that piece of shit want with you??


    ?I...?


    "I''m so tired of lying."


    ?I need to think about it a bit more before I tell you. Is that okay??


    Celeste gave a sympathetic nod:


    ?Of course, you must be tired. Come on, boys, let''s let her rest. We need to think about how to deal with Penny''s situation.?


    Celeste stood up and pushed Philemon and Wilhelm out of the room, giving me one of her usual winks.


    Sophia and I were left alone in the infirmary, along with a healer who was rummaging through one of the potion shelves. I didn''t know what time it was, but from the orange glow coming through the windows, it was probably late evening.


    ?I was really worried... Elizabeth,? Sophia murmured, breaking the silence that had fallen between us, ?I know you told me everything would be fine... but those minutes waiting for you to return from the dungeon...  I felt like the world was going to end for me. I''m really weak, aren''t I? I''m sorry that you had to see me in such a sorry state this past week.?


    My feelings of guilt became so intense that I felt my tears well up again. I released my hand from her grip and touched her cheek and our eyes met.


    ?Unlike me... you really are a wonderful person, Sophia. And you are not weak, you are much stronger than before. The fact that you can finally show what you really feel without fear of being judged by others... that''s true strength. I really don''t deserve you, I''m a terrible girlfriend.?


    ?What are you talking about?? she said, covering my hand with hers.


    ?I''ve lied to you. I hid things from you. I told you I wanted a relationship where we could trust and support each other and then I kept stuff from you instead. As usual, I''m just a big mouthed idiot,? I said, lowering my gaze.


    ?I thought I should be the one to take the initiative in our relationship. I thought that since you were so inexperienced in dealing with other people, that I would have to guide you. That I had to be strong for you so that you could rely on me. But in the end... in a short time you have become much more mature than me. You can wear your heart on your sleeve, while I can''t even tell you what I really think. And that''s not all. I did something terrible in that dungeon, something I am very ashamed of. I''m pathetic, Sophia, I don''t deserve to have someone like you by my side.?


    There was a moment of silence. Then Sophia put her other hand on my cheek and forced me to lift my face.


    Her eyes were as deep and captivating as ever. Inside them I could see a glimmer of irritation but also her overflowing affection for me.


    ?You''re doing it again. You never learn, do you??


    ?What-?


    ?You are always like this, Elizabeth. You always end up making a mess out of nothing and then you start apologising and mumbling about what you did wrong. You always make things so complicated for no reason. Let me guess, now you''re going to say you''re going to change and never do something like that ever again??


    ?Sophia, I...?


    My  girlfriend squeezed my cheeks.


    ?Oww!?


    ?It''s okay. You''ll tell me all about it, maybe I''ll get angry and then I''ll forgive you. Isn''t that what always happens??


    ?But... will you really always forgive me? Will I ever learn, Sophia??


    Sophia let go of my cheeks as her face came closer to mine.


    ?I don''t know... but you have taught me so much, Elizabeth. You have taught me that I can be happy with who I really am. So I don''t mind teaching you as well, however many times it takes.


    You may be an idiot, but you are my idiot and I love you more than anything. So stop saying stupid things and open your mouth.?


    ?Uh-!??


    But she had already closed my lips with hers. It was Sophia who led the kiss this time.


    I was feeling embarrassed and ashamed. I wanted to disappear. Her kindness and forgiveness were too much for me.


    But she wouldn''t let me get away. She pursued me until I accepted her embrace. How could I refuse? It hurt, but it was also too sweet not to lose myself in it.


    ?Thank you, Sophia and I''m sorry. I really am,? I said, after our lips parted.


    ?We''ll see. As your first act of penance, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to sleep alone tonight. That healer is already glaring at us.?


    ?Alright¡­ I¡¯ll miss you though,? I said, looking at her going for the door.


    It was going to be a cold and lonely night.


    ?Shut up and go to sleep. Trying to sweet-talk me is not going to save you. Just so you know, a trial awaits you when you get out of here. You''ll have to tell me your deepest secrets,? she said with a mischievous smile.


    ?Will I go to prison?? I chuckled.


    ?Oh... I have a much worse punishment in mind for you...?


    A shiver ran down my spine. I could see a glimmer of the old Sophia in her expression. The one who never missed an opportunity to torment me.


    Or maybe that was just a part of her, ready to surface when needed.


    "There is so much I have yet to discover about my girlfriend. She''s just so amazing... If only we had more time..."


    I was sure of one thing: I would have endured any punishment if it meant I could keep seeing her smile.

 57. Three lies and a punishment

    Being left alone with my own thoughts could have already been an exemplary punishment. Fortunately, I was so exhausted that it didn''t take long for me to fall into a deep sleep. When I woke up the next morning, Sophia was already sitting next to my bed.


    ?You know, you are much cuter when you sleep,? she said with a grin.


    ?Good morning to you too. Let me guess, is it because I''m not talking?? I asked after yawning and stretching the only arm I could move.


    ?I see you are aware,? she chuckled.


    ?I don¡¯t know if I missed this side of yours¡­? but I couldn¡¯t help but smile back.


    I had my suspicions as to why she was behaving this way. This mischievous act was much easier for me to deal with than her pitying me. She was probably trying to make me laugh and keep the atmosphere light.


    ?Have you eaten yet?? I asked, as one of the healers left the tray with my breakfast on my bedside table.


    ?Yes, I... got up earlier than usual today,? she said, looking away.


    "She didn''t want to leave me alone... I really don''t deserve her."


    I looked down at the food on my side and then back at her.


    "Can I be so greedy? After what I''ve done, I don''t think I have the right to ask her to..."


    But Sophia had already moved to take the tray.


    ?Sophia, are you...??


    My girlfriend sighed:


    ?It''s written all over your face. It''s alright, at least this time there''s a good reason for it,? she said, slicing a sausage and jabbing it with the fork.


    ?Thank you, you are the best!?


    ?Yes, yes, now open your mouth,? she said in an annoyed tone. But I could already see her cheeks turning pink.


    This was the third time she was feeding me.


    "Maybe I should try to do it for her once. She''ll hate it... but it''ll be a lot of fun."


    While I was slowly eating my breakfast with Sophia''s help, I saw a head peeping through the infirmary door.


    ?Oh, there you are!? exclaimed Nicole as she made her entrance.


    ?Nicole!? I exclaimed in surprise.


    From the way Celeste had talked about her, I had not expected to see her so soon, and especially not in such a good mood.


    ?Sorry to interrupt! You look like you''re having a great time,? she said with a chuckle, looking at Sophia, whose arm was now frozen halfway between the tray and my mouth.


    ?S-she can''t really eat well with just one hand!? she said before shoving the fork into my mouth.


    "Is she trying to kill me again?!"


    But I decided not to complain. Nicole giggled and sat on the edge of the bed.


    ?Looks like I''ve got nothing to worry about. You look fine already. Is it the power of love?? she asked me.


    ?Eh eh, I guess... but I could say the same about you. Celeste told me what happened... are you all right??


    Nicole seemed surprised by my question. After a moment she looked me straight in the eye.


    ?Oh... yeah, I''m fine. I just... if only I knew there was another way out.?


    Looking into her light green eyes, it was clear that she was extremely sad about what had happened... how could I have thought she was all right? Had I suddenly become terrible at reading people''s emotions? Or maybe Nicole was very good at hiding what she was really feeling.


    ?Elizabeth?? I faintly heard Sophia call out to me.


    I turned to see her looking at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ?What''s going on? You suddenly froze,? she asked.


    ?I... nothing. Sorry... I''m probably still tired.?


    ?When are you getting out, by the way?? asked Nicole, getting up from the bed.


    ?I¡­ forgot to ask.?


    With everything that had happened, it really went over my head.


    "I hope it won''t be too long..."


    ?I''ll ask for you then!?


    And she went to the back of the infirmary to see the healer.


    ?She''s pretty chipper for someone who looked so broken yesterday,? Sophia commented, looking at her back.


    ?She''s clearly just hiding it, can''t you tell??


    ?Maybe you''re right...? Sophia said, still not looking very convinced.


    Nicole came back a few minutes later.


    ?You''re going to have to stay here tonight, I''m afraid. Tomorrow morning they''ll break the spell that''s binding your hand and you''ll be free to go!?


    ?Oh...?


    It seemed I was in for a boring day.


    ?Do you want me to stay here with you?? asked Sophia, noticing the darkening of my expression.


    I really wanted to say yes, but...


    ?It''s all right. It''s better if you go and meet the others... you need to sort out Penny''s situation,? I said reluctantly.


    ?I knew you would say that,? she sighed, looking at me worriedly, ?I brought you some books to pass the time. Try not to think too much and stay calm. When you''re out of here tomorrow, we''ll talk about everything, okay??


    ?Don''t worry, I''ll be fine!?


    I gave her a big smile. I had already read the books she had put on my bedside table, but I had no intention of telling her.


    ?I''ll just spend time thinking about you...? I muttered, looking at her back as she and Nicole left the infirmary.


    Sophia gave me one last look before closing the door behind her.


    "I''m really becoming dependent on her, I feel..."


    But I didn''t think that was necessarily a bad thing. Of course, if I suddenly couldn''t function without her, it would have become a problem. But that wasn''t the case now.


    "If I can be alone now... even with the mess I have in my head, it''s because I know she''ll be back for me. If it wasn''t for her, I''d probably have given up by now".


    No matter how many mistakes I made in the future, Sophia would always be there for me. She would always scold me when I was wrong and comfort me when I was sad. The only thing that could stop that was...


    "Not now... tomorrow. I''ll talk to her about it," I shook my head, trying to keep my thoughts from going to that dark place.


    It would be a long day, but I''d get through it.


    <hr>


    I wasn''t alone anymore.


    That was the realisation that boring day brought me. And it wasn''t just because of Sophia.


    Celeste and Philemon came to see me twice, once at lunchtime with my girlfriend and once late in the evening, just after classes had finished. Nicole came back in the middle of the afternoon, saying she had skipped class to keep me company. It was actually the first time we had talked alone.


    I felt a little guilty, thinking that she had not been affected by what had happened to her during the sacrifice trial. I could see the pain in her eyes as she told me what had happened. I did my best to comfort her. After all, as I had told Sophia in the past, it was the school''s fault for putting her in such a situation.


    Even Wilhelm came to visit me. There was still a little awkwardness between us, but I''m sure it would have passed in time.


    "Maybe we could even be friends," I thought as he began to comment on the book I was lazily leafing through when he arrived. As it turned out, he was as much of a magic nerd as I was.


    But there was something that kept nagging at me: Penny had not come to see me. At first I had felt relieved, because I really wouldn''t have known what to say to her.


    But as time went on, I couldn''t help but worry. Seeing herself at the bottom of the rankings could have put her in a bad place mentally again.


    So, when Sophia came to help me with dinner, I asked her right away:


    ?How''s Penny??


    My girlfriend patted me on the head and ruffled my hair.


    ?I told you not to worry too much! She''s fine, don''t worry. We helped her get some points again today... she''ll make it through this week.?


    I felt an instant relief, but I knew it was only a momentary feeling. With so few people left alive, the points gap was now a very big problem. The limit on daily duels limited how much you could catch up in the rankings.


    ?But... how is she actually feeling??


    ?She actually seems very calm considering the situation she is in. She really is a different person compared to a few days ago. You really had quite an influence on her,? she replied with a smile.


    "I see..."


    ?Then why hasn''t she come to see me??


    I knew I wasn''t making sense. I had hoped not to see her for a while, but now I couldn''t help but feel uneasy about it.


    ?Something has happened between you two, hasn''t it? You told me you did something you regret in the dungeon... are these two things connected?? she asked, studying my expression.


    She really could see right through me lately.


    ?I''ll tell you tomorrow.?


    ?Of course you will. I''ll pick you up in the morning. We''ll skip class for your trial,? she said in a threatening tone.


    She was still trying to be funny, I was sure of it. But I couldn''t help feeling a little shiver down my spine again.


    <hr>


    I looked at my fingers as I slowly flexed them.


    "Good as new it seems."


    With a satisfied look, the healer at my side began to remove the bandages covering my arm.


    ?You really need a shower...? Sophia commented with a grimace.


    ?That''s not a nice thing to say to your girlfriend!?


    But she was definetly right. I''d tried my best to wash up in the infirmary bathroom, but it was kinda hard with only one working hand.


    "Maybe I should''ve asked her to help me with that too... That would''ve probably gotten me a death sentence," I thought with a chuckle.


    ?Try not to move it too much,? the healer warned me after he had finished freeing my arm.


    I felt a little dizzy as I got out of bed, but Sophia was already at my side, ready to support me. As we walked slowly towards my room, I began to feel nervous. I knew Sophia would have forgiven me, but...


    "Giving voice to the feelings I''m hiding inside me... can I really do that?"


    I quickly glance at Sophia.


    "I can... she''s the only one who can help me."


    We didn''t meet anyone before we reached our destination. The others were probably having breakfast and the school was even emptier than the last time I walked its corridors.


    ?You know, a lot of my stuff has been locked up in your room all this time,? Sophia said after I opened the door.


    ?Our room, you mean,? I giggled, grabbing a clean uniform from the closet.


    ?Idiot... go take a shower and then it''s time to talk.?


    And so I did. I couldn''t help but shiver as the water hit my left arm. It was probably because it had been bandaged so tightly just 5 minutes before.


    "Healing magic is really incredible. I should try to study it again... maybe Celeste can give me a hand."


    In the back of my mind I could feel the bad thoughts stirring, as if they were itching to be unleashed into words. But I did my best to ignore them.


    When I came out of the bathroom, feeling very refreshed, I found Sophia waiting for me, sitting at the table. Her fingers were joined just below her eyes.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "This almost feels like a real trial..."


    ?Sit down.?


    ?Yes... Your Honour.?


    I took a seat right in front of her. Part of me wanted to ask her if we could get into bed, as I had really missed cuddling with her during my stay in the infirmary. But I knew this was going to be a serious conversation, I had to put my neediness aside. Sophia, as usual, probably guessed what was going through my mind. She reached out an arm and put her hand over mine.


    I intertwined my fingers with hers and gave her a grateful look.


    ?So... tell me everything.? Sophia said, looking me straight in the eye.


    I had tried not to think about this moment of truth so much that I had no real idea how to begin. There were 3 lies I had to come clean about. Of these, even those it was probably the most important, the easier want to talk about was:


    ?You know what I said about how I beat your copy... that was a lie. I wanted to talk to you about it because it''s also connected to what Skylark wanted from me.?


    ?I see. What really happened in there??


    ?I''m... still not sure how I managed it. When I was about to be killed... I felt something inside me. Like a fire trying desperately to get out. At that moment, I shot a beam of light from my hand. It vaporised half the room along with the mimic. It was insane but somehow it really just felt like something natural to me.?


    ?Innate, perhaps?? asked Sophia, raising an eyebrow.


    ?That''s what I thought at first. But the strange thing is that it looked identical to the spell Aldric used during the battle. And then... Skylark told me what it actually was...?


    I paused for a moment. I could see that Sophia really wanted me to hurry up and not leave her hanging, but she didn''t speak out.


    ?It was my mana, he said. My pure, raw mana. I couldn''t believe it when he told me... that mana could cause so much destruction. But I think he was telling the truth.?


    ?I don''t really trust Skylark, but if you say so... why did you hide it yeasterday though? It sounds like something that could help us get out of here,? she asked.


    ?Do you remember what happened with Chloe? The effects of mana loss on humans?? I asked.


    I was talking about it in such a roundabout way. It was just that saying it directly would''ve made everything so much scarier.


    ?Of course I do... wait... you don''t mean...!??


    I could immediately see concern appear on Sophia''s face.


    ?The mana I shot out is apparently never coming back. So if I keep using this power... I''ll end up disappearing just like Mary Stillwater and Frank Boyle...?


    Sophia jumped to her feet and rushed to my side. She put her hands on my shoulders, as if to make sure I was still there.


    ?Are you alright?! Did your mana already¡­??


    ?I''m fine, don''t worry,? I reassured her, ?I have so much mana that using it once barely made a dent in it, from what Skylark said.?


    ?I... see...? Sophia said, returning to her seat.


    ?You made the right decision not to tell the others... this is something we need to tread carefully. Are you sure Skylark was telling the truth? Maybe he''s afraid of you now.?


    ?I thought the same thing, but he didn''t seem intimidated at all... of course he could be bluffing, but... again, I think he was telling the truth.?


    Sophia nodded and was silent for a few moments. Then she looked at me intensely and said:


    ?Alright. Elizabeth... promise me you''ll never use this power again.?


    "I should have known she''d react like this."


    ?Even if it could help us escape? I have so much mana that using it a few times shouldn''t put me in any danger. If I can master it, I might be able to-?


    ?No, it''s too risky. You might lose control and end up losing all your mana at once. You won''t use it, okay? And you won''t tell Celeste about it. I don''t want her trying to make plans around it,?Sophia cut me off in a stern tone.


    "She''s being unreasonable, Celeste wouldn''t want me to die... of course I would prefer not to risk it either, but..."


    ?What if I''m about to die anyway? In that case, this power could save me!?


    ?That''s...?


    Sophia averted her eyes. It was clear that she couldn''t find a logical answer to that. This time it was me who reached out to cover her hand with mine.


    ?I don''t want to leave you alone Sophia, but this could be our trump card to turn the situation around!?


    ?NO!? yelled Sophia, jumping to her feet again. But then she seemed to calm down immediately.


    ?Sorry. I told you that I would listen to you and help you... now it seems like the opposite is happening...?


    ?It''s okay! I''m glad you care enough about me to even look away from a chance to escape,? I said, trying to give her a reassuring smile.


    ?Of course I want to get out... but I want to get out with you. Freedom doesn''t mean anything to me if I have to lose you to get it!? she exclaimed, clenching her fists.


    ?Sophia...?


    I took her hands in mine.


    ?Alright. Let''s do it like this... I''ll keep it hidden from everyone else... but you''ll help me look into it and understand how it works. I swear I''ll only use it as a last resort, okay??


    Sophia stood there for a second, her lips trembling. But finally she nodded:


    ?All right. But as soon as I feel it''s getting dangerous, you''ll stop, okay??


    ?Of course. I''m not too keen on learning how to use it either... I got really nervous when Skylark told me. That''s why I wanted to talk to you about it!?


    ?And I probably just made things worse,? Sophia sighed, ?see? you just make things so complicated! You already knew what the best thing to do was!?


    ?That''s only because talking to you helps me calm down and see things clearly... Your Honour,? I tried to lighten the mood.


    ?Well, if this was supposed to be your first crime, I think you are acquitted,? she said with a smile.


    "This part wasn''t the one I was worried about..."


    ?So you have more to tell me, right??


    ?I... this was not the only lie I told about what happened in the dungeon. I also lied about the last trial.?


    ?You''re about to tell me the reason why things are not good between you and Penny, right??


    ?Yes...?


    I wavered but Sophia urged me on:


    ?Go on, Elizabeth... it''ll feel better if you tell me.?


    ?I... know. It''s just hard... you see, I really wanted to get back to you. I think that''s why I was able to manifest that power, but... in the last trial... Penny wanted to sacrifice herself for me. But before she could do that... my body moved on its own.?


    ?Typical...? Sophia sighed, ?do you think I''d get angry about that? I told you before, I don''t like how much you make me worry. But I still can''t hate the part of you that''s willing to do anything to save the people you care about.?


    But I shook my head.


    ?It''s not that, Sophia. I wasn''t thinking about saving Penny. I was... thinking about Amy.?


    Sophia''s smile faded.


    ?Amy... oh Elizabeth...?


    Sophia came to my side again. This time she took me in her arms.


    ?Isn''t this a breach of court protocol?? I said as I felt tears well up in my eyes.


    ?Don''t try to joke and avoid the subject. How long have you been bottling things up? You''re still feeling guilty, aren''t you??


    I couldn''t resist anymore. I grabbed her shirt and started to sob.


    ?I-I can''t Sophia... I still see it... the moment she was killed. That smile just haunts me. I know Amy would hate me thinking this stuff... but it''s just too much. I know I couldn''t do anything, but... I can''t.?


    ?I know, I''m sorry. I really am. I shouldn''t have left you alone with these thoughts. I should have continued to talk to you about her after that day,? she said, stroking my hair.


    ?I''m just an idiot... I know nothing will bring her back, but I still almost lost my life for nothing... I almost left you alone.?


    ?What do you mean, for nothing?" asked Sophia confused, ?you would''ve saved Penny''s life!?


    ?Penny... wanted to stay with me... even though she could leave,? I said, sniffing.


    ?So that''s why...?


    ?I completely lost my mind, Sophia. I told her I didn''t care if she died. I feel so ashamed of how I behaved... But she almost made me throw my life away... can you imagine if I really died??


    ?But you are alive now,? Sophia said, pulling away from me and wiping a tear from my cheek.


    ?But...?


    ?No buts. You clearly care for her, Elizabeth. And since you''re not dead, you can go and try to make up. And even if you don''t want to talk to her anymore, it will at least give you some peace of mind. I refuse to believe that you only jumped in because of Amy. I know what kind of heroic idiot you can be.?


    ?I¡­ okay.?


    She was right. I couldn''t simply leave things as they were now.


    ?About Amy...This Academy has made death feel far too cheap, so much so that we may forget that grief is a normal human emotion. But you can''t let it destroy you from the inside.


    I can''t really do much for you... I''m just your stupid girlfriend. This is such a big deal, I really don''t know how to deal with it. What I do know though... is that you are keeping things bottled up inside you. You need to stop, or you''ll explode like you did in the dungeon. Just talk to me about it, Elizabeth. They will not be pleasant conversations... but we must have them.?


    Again, she was right. After the big breakdown I had in this room, I had never really mentioned the pain and guilt I was feeling.


    "But now I know... not looking at them doesn''t make those bad feelings go away. They will resurface at the worst possible moment and threaten to eat you alive."


    So it was time. I had to tell her. I could tell that I was already feeling a little better by letting things out.


    So now I had to look into the eyes of the big monster that was hiding inside me.


    ?Sophia... I''m not well.?


    ?I can see that... again, I''m sorry. I should''ve asked you how you were feeling,? she said, pulling me into another hug.


    By now, what was supposed to be my trial had turned into her comforting me.


    ?It''s not your fault. I told you I was fine, that I wasn''t afraid... and it was partly true... I didn''t freeze like I used to, but still... I feel so bad right now, Sophia. I love being with you... but I can''t help having so many bad thoughts, even now. They are like shadows that hide behind every happy moment.?


    ?Elizabeth... what''s wrong? Tell me, please.?


    It was surprisingly simple.


    ?I don''t want to die, Sophia. But I can hear the clock ticking in my ears. I can feel it... it''s getting closer. And I don''t want to go. There are so much things I want to do with you... but I''ll never get to. All my life I have searched for the place where I belong. And now I''ve found it, it''s here between your arms. But I will be torn away from you so soon... It doesn''t matter who''ll be the one to die first... it''ll be so painful anyway.?


    ?Elizabeth, there is...?


    ?I know what you are about to say, Sophia. That there is still hope. But I don''t believe that. I didn''t want to say it out loud because you seemed so determined, but I don''t think Celeste''s plan will work.?


    ?If it doesn''t, I''ll find another one!?


    ?Sophia...?


    ?It''s okay if you don''t believe me. It''s perfectly reasonable. And it''s normal for you to feel this way in this situation. I should''ve realised sooner. I''m very sorry, I''m the bad girlfriend here,? she said, pulling away a little to look me in the eyes.


    ?Sophia... that''s not true. You can''t read minds. I insisted that you shouldn''t be afraid to tell me how you feel. And look what I did... I''m the one to blame.?


    ?Maybe you are right...? she said after thinking for a moment, ?then we are both to blame. But you... you make things oh so complicated. It sounds like you really want me to put you on trial.?


    ?Huh?!?


    ?Elizabeth, I told you... what you are feeling is perfectly normal. We are in this hellscape of a school where 84 people died. How could you not feel hopeless??


    ?But I hid it from you!?


    ?You did. Just as I have hidden things from you in the past. Elizabeth, who do you think you are??


    ?What are you-?


    ?Just like you told me once: you''re just a girl like the rest of us, not some kind of legendary hero.?


    ?Do you remember everything people tell you or something??


    ?If it''s something you said, yes. What I meant is: don''t be so hard on yourself. You are going to make so many mistakes, you are going to feel weak and hopeless a lot of times. The important thing is that you are willing to try again and change. The fact that you are willing to tell me the truth means that you are already on the right track.?


    ?But... how can I endure this pain??


    ?You''ve done it so far, haven''t you? You are way stronger than you think, Elizabeth. Crying doesn''t mean you''re weak. I have learnt that now.


    I, on the other hand, will do whatever I can to help you. I''m just a normal girl like you, but I''ll do my best for my girlfriend. In a way, I feel a bit like you. The thought of losing you is so painful... but we can''t give in. I''ll find a way to ease your pain, I promise. Just give me some time. So now, please... let it all out.?


    ?I... what??


    ?Cry! Scream if you must. I''ll stay here with you, maybe even join you. Let''s look at the ugliest side of each other. This way... next time you''ll be able to tell me right away.?


    ?Sophia...?


    I felt the tears start to flow again. At this rate, I would probably have turned into a shell of a human being from dehydration. But it didn''t matter.


    Soon, in between my sobs, I began to tell her everything.


    How I wanted to go on stupid dates with her, how much I missed Amy, how much I hated Skylark, how much I cried at night when I thought about leaving her alone. Soon I turned into a bumbling mess. And so did she. She began to cry in a dignified way, but soon I could see her eyes growing swollen and red. She told me how insecure she still felt. How she wanted to do so much more with me, but didn''t feel capable of it. How much she hated her parents but still wanted their approval somehow. Soon we were clinging to each other. And then, as we kissed, the streams of our tears became one.


    ?That was... something...? I said at the end, completely exhausted.


    ?It really was... but it helped me understand you a little better.?


    ?You''re still beautiful, even when you cry. Why did you try to hide in the past??


    ?Shut up,? she said, sitting on the bed.


    I could feel a hint of awkwardness between us, but my head felt so much lighter than usual.


    I knew those dark thoughts would come back to haunt me, but for now I was so emotionally exhausted that I had no energy to dwell on them.


    I looked at Sophia. She smiled softly at me.


    "She really has so much patience to put up with me... is it bad that I want her to spoil me today? I''m so greedy."


    But before that...


    ?So... what''s the verdict??


    ?Verdict? Elizabeth...? Sophia sighed, ?the whole trial thing was just a funny thing to get you talking, idiot. And anyway, I told you. I think you just made a big deal out of nothing.?


    ?Way to belittle my inner anguish!? I joked.


    ?You know that''s not what I mean.?


    ?So... no punishment??


    ?Why do you sound so unhappy??


    ?I...?


    Maybe I''d gone completely mad after all that crying, but I couldn''t help but be a little disattisfied that she hadn''t followed through on what she''d told me in the infirmary. For the third time that day, Sophia seemed to read my mind.


    ?You''re impossible, Elizabeth... we''ve just had this deep emotional moment and you''re already thinking perverted things...?


    ?What are you talking about?! Maybe you''re the one with a naughty mind!?


    ?Oh... I see... that''s how you want to put it. Well, my naughty mind just thought of the perfect punishment for you. But don''t you dare tell me to stop.?


    With those words, Sophia shifted on the bed and placed the pillow on the backrest. Sitting down against it, she spread her legs and tapped the space of the mattress between them.


    ¡°This is¡­ i see¡­"


    I laughed as I saw her blush furiously.


    ?Is this supposed to be a ''punishment''?? I said, sitting between her legs, ?feels more like a reward to me! Besides, you''re kind of bad at this... you shouldn''t be so embarrassed when you''re the one doing this stuff.?


    ?Shut up... you''ll stop being cocky soon enough,? she said, pulling me towards her.


    "It feels really nice to be the receiving end of this..." I thought, letting myself fall against her body.


    As soon as I did, Sophia wrapped her left arm around my torso, holding me in an iron grip.


    ?What are you...?!?


    ?Caught you!?


    I tried to wriggle out, but it was impossible. She was so much stronger than me that she could even hold me still with one arm.


    ?Don¡¯t even try to escape. You heard the healer, don¡¯t move your arm so much.?


    ?But... W-what are you doing??


    I couldn''t help but feel nervous when I heard her ominous tone.


    ?Testing something...?


    ?Testing something??


    I didn''t like the sound of that.


    ?You know... Celeste told me you can be surprisingly bashful when you get pushed in the right spots...?


    Suddenly I felt a chill as I heard that name.


    ?Celeste?! Did she put you up to this??


    ?Maybe... so let''s see how you like this... I know where to hit, Elizabeth.?


    Sophia whispered my name directly into my right ear. I couldn''t help but let out a little squeal.


    ?So you can make those sounds too... I wonder what else you are hiding.?


    As I felt her warm breath on the outside of my ear, I realised I was in real trouble.


    ?Sophia?! Let me go, please¡­?


    ?Oh no no no, you are the one who wanted this, remember? I also told you not to tell me to stop.?


    ?I...?


    But I couldn''t even begin to speak. I could feel Sophia''s right hand move to my side. I knew what was coming.


    "This is very, very, very bad!"


    The worst part of the situation was that I couldn''t even use my hands to cover my mouth. So when Sophia''s finger slowly traced the edge of my ear, I made an extremely embarrassing noise.


    ?It really is your weak spot, isn''t it? You sound very cute.?


    "Celeste unleashed a monster on me... and I can''t handle it!"


    Sophia continued to enjoy torturing me for what seemed like an eternity. I was afraid I was going to have a heart attack.


    ?Please Sophia... no more...? I whimpered weakly.


    ?Alright, alright!?


    I felt her grip loosen and I I breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Finally... mercy!"


    But I was just about to get up...


    NOM


    As her lips closed on my ear, I jerked so violently that I head-butted her.


    ?OUCH!? Sophia screamed.


    ?WHAT THE FUCK!?? I shouted, rolling out of bed.


    We looked at each other, and after a moment of silence, burst out laughing together.


    ?You''re not fair...? I said, after slowly coming to my senses, ?you yelled at me for a tiny kiss on the neck and then you go for something like that!?


    ?Consider it payback for all the times you did stuff like that to me...? she grinned.


    ?Again, you shouldn''t be so red in the face when you say things like this...?


    ?Excuse me?... I could literally cook on your forehead right now.?


    ?Bully...? I said, climbing onto the bed and curling up against her body.


    ?Coming for round two??


    ?My ears are off limits from now on... I didn''t know you had it in you to be so bold.?


    ?Celeste told me to start fighting back a bit, so I can get more comfortable with this sort of thing...?


    ?Oh... you two are having girl talk... I''m kind of jealous.?


    ?Idiot... Elizabeth... are you feeling a bit happier??


    ?I... yeah, but... it''ll come back.?


    ?It will... but maybe... Elizabeth??


    ?Yes??


    ?Talk to Penny tomorrow.?


    ?I will.?


    ?And Sunday... go out with me. It will be our first date.?

 58. Dark thoughts

    Like the day before the trial, I was waiting outside Penny''s room. I wasn''t sure if she''d try to avoid me. And I wasn''t about to find out. I was determined to honour the commitment I had made to Sophia.


    My girlfriend had practically forced me to spend the previous day in her company, without so much as letting my nose out of my room. She had even gone so far as to give me half her meals to keep me in there.


    "She said she was joking, but in the end she really put me in jail for a day..." I sighed.


    It was clear she was really worried about me. She probably wanted to make sure I was alright before allowing me back to go back to the usual school routine.


    "I can understand why¡­"


    Even at this moment, my mind was dangerously close to going into a dark place. Coming face to face with death had definitely fucked me up for good. But at least now I had something to look forward to to keep my thoughts from going in bad directions.


    "A date..."


    What did Sophia have in mind? A date in this place... what were we even going to do? We already spent most of our time together, what could we do to make it different? I couldn''t wait to find out. But first...


    "What am I going to say to her?"


    I didn''t have time to think about it. I saw the door to Penny''s room open. The girl looked surprised for a second when she saw me.


    ?H-hey...? I greeted her awkwardly.


    ?Do you have a habit of ambushing people or something?? she asked with a weak smile.


    "I think I asked Sophia something like that once..."


    But I was also surprised. I hadn''t expected Penny to be so relaxed in my presence.


    ?Sorry!? I replied, not really knowing how to respond.


    ?I assume you want to talk. Come in,? Penny said as she walked back into the room.


    I followed her inside. Obviously her room was pretty much identical to all the others I had visited so far. Unlike mine and Celeste''s, it didn''t have any extra furniture.


    My eyes immediately went to her desk. On it was a large book, half open. On the pages were some bloody looking pictures.


    ?Oh... sorry! I was reading it before bed and forgot to close it,? Penny apologised, following my shocked gaze.


    "What the..."


    But when she closed the book and I saw the title, I understood.


    ?An anatomy book?? I asked, sitting on the chair while Penny took her place on the bed.


    ?Yeah... what happened the other day kind of rekindled my interest in this sort of things.?


    "I''m glad I wasn''t chopped up for nothing, I guess," I thought with a smile.


    Oddly enough, I felt much more relaxed than I thought I would.


    ?So... I didn''t really expect you to come here...? Penny said after a second of silence.


    ?And I didn''t expect you to greet me like this... I thought you didn''t want to see me since you didn''t come to visit me in the infirmary.?


    ?Oh, I''m sorry... I wanted to, but I thought it would be awkward.?


    ?I... you thought well.?


    Maybe this time I had learned my lesson.


    ?At first I really didn''t want to see you. But when you didn''t come, I got worried...?


    ?About the points,? Penny sighed concluding for me, ?of course, I should have thought you would feel that way... I''m fine Liz, you don''t need to worry about me. I know where that feeling is coming from anyway.?


    I lowered my eyes.


    ?I want to talk about it. What happened in the dungeon. I don''t know if we can clear things up, but if we just leave things like this, I''ll keep thinking about it.?


    Penny chuckled at that.


    ?What?? I asked, surprised by her reaction.


    ?Sorry, I just thought your girlfriend must have really scolded you... since you''re finally being so open.?


    ?...Kind of. Part of me wishes she''d yelled at me... sometimes it''s harder when people are nice. It makes you feel a lot more guilty.?


    ?All right, let''s talk then. But if you''re hoping for me to apologise, I''m already telling you I won''t,? Penny said.


    ?That''s not a very amicable way to start a conversation,? I replied, raising an eyebrow.


    ?I don''t care. Have you thought about what I said? About me not being your dead friend??


    I thought it was just a spur of the moment thing in the dungeon, but she really didn''t mince her words.


    "I was wrong, her true character is nothing like Amy''s... She somehow reminds me... of how I used to be."


    Unlike me, Penny had been forced to pretend to be someone she was not in order to fit into a very judgmental aristocratic society.And from what she had told me, she had never had a close friend.


    Now that she was comfortable with me, she seemed to have let herself go completely, not even thinking that her words might have hurt me.


    "But I don''t really mind."


    ?I know you are not her. I still haven''t gotten over her death and bottling it up made me do something reckless. I''m sorry I put you in a difficult situation.?


    Penny seemed surprised that, unlike her, I was willing to apologise.


    ?But I still can''t agree with what you did afterwards. First of all, even if you think I don''t, I still care about you. Maybe not enough to sacrifice my life for you, but I still do. Why would you throw your life away like that??


    Penny was silent for a few seconds.


    ?So you think I have a death wish or something?? she asked in a low voice.


    ?It looked that way to me. Weren''t you ready to give up a short while ago??


    ?That was before you talked to me... Do you think I would spend time reading an anatomy book before going to bed if I didn''t have at least a little bit of hope for the future? You were the one who told me I should try to become a doctor...?


    I looked at her in astonishment.


    "She took that seriously... but then..."


    ?Liz... from the way you reacted back there, it seems to me that you are really afraid of dying...? she said to my silence.


    ?I... that''s not really the case. I just can''t stand the fact that my time is being cut short. There''s so much I want to do before I die, and it just makes me so sad when I think about it. The fact that I''m locked up here... not being able to live a normal life. I guess it''s my punishment for wanting to escape my old boring town.?


    Penny huffed and shook her head:


    ?You know, I thought you were really cool when you approached me before the test. But I can''t really stand how much you''re self-pitying and moping around. The world is not out to get you, you know? There were 99 other people in this school besides you. And outside of here, there are a lot of people living miserable lives. So stop acting like a tragic hero. You are not the only one who was dealt a bad hand.?


    Those rash words left me speechless for a moment.


    ?I thought you were very nice back then... but you are kind of an asshole,? I replied impulsively.


    After looking into each other''s eyes, we both suddenly burst out laughing and the atmosphere became a little lighter.


    ?But let''s see, throwing my life away...? Penny said after turning serious again, ?I hadn''t really thought about it that way. You see, unlike you I''m not so desperate to keep living. There are some things I value more than my life. That''s why I was able to put it at risk, deliberately and not instinctively like you did.?


    ?Things you value more than life...?


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ?Can''t you think of anything??


    ?Sophia. If it was to protect her, I''ll definetly put my life on the line,? I replied immediately.


    ?Of course you would. And you are my Sophia, Liz,? Penny said.


    I looked at her with my eyes wide open.


    ?Penny... I''m... sorry. I don''t...?


    But Penny immediately cut me off, shaking her head:


    ?That''s not what I meant. I''m sorry, I should have said it better. I''m not into girls,? she explained quickly. But I could see that she was holding back from laughing.


    "She really is an asshole... I bet she phrased it that way on purpose."


    ?What I meant was that I really care about you. I know we only started talking recently, but you inspired me and I really admire you. The thought of letting you die there alone was too much for me.?


    ?I inspired you? You just said I''m uncool!? I exclaimed, confused.


    ?You are... but you are also very cool.?


    ?That doesn''t make sense!? I retorted piquantly.


    ?You should see yourself fighting with your wand in your hand then. How can you face danger with such confidence? If I actually fancied girls, I''d definitely have fallen for you,? she said with a smile.


    I looked at her with my mouth half open, feeling myself blush.


    "Why am I so easily flustered by this sort of thing?"


    ?Even then... I could understand you wanting to sacrifice yourself for me at the start. But later? When I had already put my hand on the pedestal? I would have died anyway. Was it really worth it just to stand there and make my death meaningless?? I asked after composing myself.


    ?For me it was. You see... if I''d walked out of there and left you to die alone... I''d have regretted it every second of what was left of my life. And that''s... not really what I would call "being alive".?


    I could understand regret... but I still couldn''t accept her reasoning.


    ?Penny... this isn''t right. You know very well the regret that fills my heart... but I still want to live. And so should you. Your life is the most important thing you have. You can''t just throw it away!? I declared with conviction.


    ?That''s how you feel... I have a different view than you. Is that a deal breaker?? she replied after a moment''s thought.


    ?I don''t... know.?


    ?In the end, everyone gives their life a different meaning and decides what is worth dying for. Can you really be sure that you have the right answer to this question, Liz... what does it mean to be alive? Since you are afraid of dying, you must have given it a lot of thought.?


    ?I told you I''m not afraid!? I said. But then I fell silent.


    Being with Sophia and doing lots of fun things together... that''s what I wanted for my life. I just wanted... happiness. That was the meaning of life for me. And I desperately wanted a future where I could live happily every single day. I couldn''t die before then.


    But... could I really say that Penny was definitely wrong? If Sophia was dying, would I have stayed with her, even if it meant losing my life for nothing? I couldn''t really answer that. I loved her so much, but I also knew that she''d be just as angry as I was with Penny if I''d tried to do something like that. If not worse.


    ?II''m looking forward to seeing if you can teach me another way of thinking...? Penny said after a while.


    ?Penny, you mean... you still want to be friends?? I asked.


    ?Of course I do. I always wanted that from the start. What do you want??


    ?I...?


    The answer was already there.


    ?I do. I can''t tell you that you''re wrong. But I still don''t like the way you think, so I have to change it.?


    Penny grinned in response:


    ?I can''t wait for you to do that...? she said, but then her face darkened, ?at least that''s what I''d like to say... but I don''t really have much time left.?


    ?Penny... so you''re scared too.?


    I stood up and moved closer to her.


    ?Of course I am. But I''m not going to do stupid things like you,? she replied as I put an arm over her shoulders.


    ?Why do you have to be such a jerk, even when I''m trying to comfort you??


    When I hugged her, she stiffened a little before reciprocating.


    ?You know, I wish I had met you earlier...? Penny said.


    ?Me too... sometimes I think how much fun it would''ve been if Duelcrest was a normal academy.?


    ?It would have been nice... we could have had a lot of fun with the others.?


    We stayed like that for a while. Penny was right about one thing: I was definitely not the only one who had been dealt a bad hand.


    <hr>


    After dueling Penny twice and conceding both times, I left the room and headed for the classroom. I had to see things for myself. Once inside, I approached the leaderboard with trepidation.


    Penelope Pembroke 268


    Below her:


    Martin Gobbles 246


    But that wasn''t the problem. The student above her was a good 60 points ahead, and then...


    "No..."


    A gap of another 300 points. That was more than we could gather in two weeks. If Penny didn''t win points outside of the ones we were giving her...


    But it didn''t stop there. My eyes fell on the 12th place in the ranking.


    Wilhelm Langely 670


    The student above him already had a 80 points lead on him.


    ¡°And he¡¯s also sharing his points with Penny¡­¡±


    Things were looking very bleak for our alliance.


    "We have to do something... and fast!" I thought as I walked into the dining hall.


    Sophia was already there. She hadn''t touched her breakfast yet, probably waiting for me to start.


    ?How did it go?? she asked, ?by the looks of it... not well.?


    ?Oh... no, we made up... at least I think we did. It got kind of philosophical...?


    ?Philosophical?? asked Sophia, frowning as she started to sip her coffee.


    ?Like... what is the meaning of life?? I asked.


    ?Ah yes, a perfectly easy question to ask when I''m having my morning coffee,? huffed Sophia.


    ?I told you it was philosophical.?


    ?I don''t really care enough to think of an answer,? she said after a while.


    ?What??


    ?Why does it have to be complicated? Does our life have to have a deep meaning? I''m happy when I''m with you, that''s enough for me.?


    ?That''s kind of my answer too. Only a bit more crude.?


    ?Well... maybe you can think about it more after Sunday.?


    ?You still haven''t told me what we''re going to do!? I puffed my cheeks and started to spread jam on my toast.


    ?And I won''t,? she replied, ?why did you look out of it when you got here, anyway??


    Seeing her had almost made me forget.


    ?That''s... I was looking at the points. Sophia, We have to do something!? I blurted out, moving the toast away from my mouth as my appetite waned.


    ?Unfortunately, I think we can only wait, Elizabeth...? she said, forcing my hand back to my mouth, ?eat and try not to think about it.?


    ?But... how can I...??


    ?Do you remember what happened when they announced the last test? How I wanted to do something immediately and you told me to think rationally? The same goes for you. We have a plan, but we have to find the condition to make it happen.?


    ?And if that condition never happens??


    ?Then we''ll have to risk it. But for now, be patient,? Sophia said in a stern tone.


    ?Sophia...?


    A very evil thought had crossed my mind. But I didn''t want to hide anymore.


    ?What if... we start targeting the dude that is above Penny??


    Sophia looked at me with a serious expression.


    ?Thank you for not bottling this stuff up... do you really want to do that Elizabeth??


    ?I... don''t know. Isn''t giving Penny points kind of the same thing? We are still sentencing someone to death!?


    ?Logically, yes... but... just think how Penny would feel if we started doing something like that. It could also have some bad consequences. The other students might start targeting us in retaliation, afraid of us ganging up on them. They could challenge Penny and make her go down this week.?


    I couldn''t argue with her. Becoming villains would have had some nefarious consequences. After all, playing Skylark''s game was exactly what the Academy wanted.


    ?You are right... I hadn''t thought of that. I feel really bad for thinking something like this, but...?


    ?You want to protect a friend, I know. But see, talking about it made things easy! Thanks for trusting me. Now start eating, or I''ll shove that toast down your throat.?


    After making sure that I had resumed my breakfast, she continued:


    ?I''m going to spend a little less time with you in the next few days. Try to hang out with Penny, okay??


    ?Less time with me? But... why?? I asked, looking at her in bewilderment. That was definetly something that I didn''t need with the state of mind I was in.


    ?Trust me, it will be worth it. I hate to do it too. But I have some surprises to plan for you. I want to help you Elizabeth, I want to show you that you can be happy,? she said, grabbing my hands.


    ?Alright... I''ll try my best. Is this why you insisted on spending the whole day together yesterday??


    ?Guilty as charged,? she said with a smile, ?don''t worry, I''m still sleeping in your room.?


    ?Our room!?


    <hr>


    The next few days were definitely not good for my mood. But I endured them. I missed spending all day with Sophia, but Penny probably needed me more at the moment. Now that her mask was off, she was a lot more annoying to be around, but also a lot more fun. Nicole seemed to think so too, because she started hanging out with us too. For the rest of the week, our trio spent the afternoons together. I was not used to this kind of friendship. It was a lot less intimate than what I had with Sophia and Amy, but still pleasant.


    In the evening my girlfriend came back to my room. As far as I could tell, she was spending a lot of time in Celeste''s room, plotting who knows what. As the days went by, I became more and more curious and excited about what was going to happen. But there were always nasty whispers in the shadows:


    "Why should you get excited about a date? It''ll come and go... just like your life soon."


    I really thought I was going to go mad or do something crazy. I really hoped that Sophia would be able to help me like she said she would.


    In the end. I made it. Saturday night, as I cuddled up to her body, my heart was filled with conflicting emotions.


    ?Sophia... save me,? I murmured just before I fell into a restless sleep.

 59. Stop the world from moving on

    When I woke up I suddenly felt that something was wrong. As my hand touched the cold mattress by my side, my heart immediately dropped.


    ?Sophia...?


    I sat on the bed and turned on the light with my wand. As I did so, I noticed a piece of parchment on the pillow pressed against mine. I immediately picked it up to read it:


    "Don''t worry, idiot. I''m not abandoning you or something. I''m just getting things ready for our date. Be a good kid and get some breakfast. I''ll see you soon.


    Love you."


    "Who does she think I am?"


    But I couldn''t help but get giddy reading those last two words written in Sophia''s spidery handwriting. I got up quickly and took a shower.


    "I do miss the morning cuddles though..." I thought as I enjoyed the hot water washing over me, "maybe I really am a big baby!"


    But as I put on a clean uniform, I started to feel even more excited and nervous than the night before.


    "What''s going on... we''ve pretty much lived together since we became a couple. It''s not like today is going to be any different just because she said it was a date."


    But I couldn''t help it. As I passed in front of the mirror, I stopped and started to do my best to rein in my hair.


    "If I had it long like Sophia, I could try a fancy style... I wonder if she would like it if I let it grow."


    It had always been so unruly that I never bothered to try. Just looking at how long it took Sophia to brush hers made me not want to consider the idea.


    "I''d like to brush her hair sometime... she''s always refused so far. Maybe she thinks I''ll ruin it."


    In the end, there was not much I could do. But as I was about to leave something occurred to me. I quickly searched through Sophia''s side of the drawer until I found a hair clip. I tucked my hair back, exposing my forehead a little more than usual.


    "I don''t know if this looks good or not... but it''s a date... I don''t want to just go out as usual. She''s obviously put a lot of effort into it."


    For good measure, I loosened my tie and unbuttoned my shirt. But then I quickly reversed my decision.


    "I look like a sleazy person... calm down... What would Amy say? ''Lizzie. You''re overthinking as usual...'' I wish she was here to give me some tips... but right now she''s probably yelling at me not to think about her right before my first date."


    For once I could smile about it. Talking to Sophia had really made a difference. Amy had to become a guardian angel for me, not some kind of haunting ghost.


    "Although she could''ve easily played the part when she was angry."


    I left the room with a small chuckle.


    I had woken up before the usual time, so when I arrived in the dining hall it was completely deserted. I quickly grabbed my food and began a solitary breakfast.


    I was halfway through my toast when I caught a glimpse of someone poking their head in.


    "Was that Sophia? Mmmh..."


    I was pretty sure that was the case, but I decided to pretend I hadn''t seen her.


    "Maybe she wants to surprise me when I get out of here... I don''t want to spoil her fun."


    But I couldn''t help devouring my breakfast and almost choking on it. After coughing and drinking a lot of water, I tentatively made my way out of the dining hall.


    I looked ahead, left and right, but there was no sign of Sophia.


    "Where is-"


    ?H-hey!?


    That sudden greeting almost gave me a heart attack.


    ?EEEK!? I turned, my heart pounding, ?What the hell ar-...?


    I immediately fell silent. Sophia was pressed against the wall, as if she wanted to fuse with it and disappear. Her face was flushed and turned away from me.


    "What..."


    I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water.


    Sophia''s hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her bangs had been pushed to the side by an expensive looking hairpin. And that was not all, she looked like she was wearing make-up. It was very light, but it was enough to accentuate her deep eyes and slightly colour her pale cheeks.


    ?I knew it... I look weird, don''t I?? Sophia said, confronted by my silence.


    That finally brought me back down to earth. I quickly approached her and stroked her cheek.


    ?What are you talking about, you''re beautiful. Gorgeous. Exceptionally attractive. Sublime. Irresistible...?


    ?I''ve got you, I''ve got you, you can stop!? said Sophia quickly, apparently unable to withstand this shower of compliments, ?Thank you! You look very cute too!?


    ?Just cute?? I said, pouting, but I couldn''t really get over how beautiful she was.


    I jumped as Sophia took my head in her hands.


    ?Extremely cute,? she whispered before kissing the exposed part of my forehead.


    I thought smoke was going to come out of my ears as she pulled away from me. I could faintly smell some cologne on her.


    ?Looks like you dressed up a bit too,? Sophia commented with an uncharacteristically acute giggle.


    ?Oh this...? I put my hand over the spot she had just kissed, ?This is nothing compared to what you did... you really went all out,? I said as I continued to stare at her. I really couldn''t get enough of her face.


    ?Don''t get used to it. It was a pain... but Celeste really insisted...? she said.


    ?I guess I''ll have to forgive her for teaching you that naughty stuff now!?


    ?I think you''ll have to thank her by the end of the day,? Sophia said with a grin.


    ?What do you mean?? I asked.


    Celeste had definitely helped her set this whole thing up. But what did she have in mind?


    ?You''ll see... shall we go??she said in a mysterious tone, offering me her hand.


    ?Sure...?


    For some reason, taking it and locking fingers with her felt very different than usual.


    "Why do I feel so shy? It''s just... the usual, isn''t it?" I thought.


    But when Sophia came close enough for our shoulders to touch, my mind went blank. I turned to look at her and saw that she was as flustered as I was.


    "Why are we acting like this..."


    Maybe... maybe it was because our relationship had progressed so quickly that we had missed a crucial step in it. It somehow felt like we were back at square one, when we had just started being a couple, even though we had gone much further than holding hand by now.


    ?S-so... where are we going?? I asked, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.


    ?To class,? Sophia replied.


    ?To class?! On a Sunday?? I asked in surprise.


    ?Yes. No one will bother us there.?


    ?No one will bother us...?


    My mind immediately conjured up a wild image: Sophia, lying on the lectern and...


    I felt her hand pinch my cheek.


    ?I know what you''re thinking. You''re such a fucking idiot!? Sophia sighed.


    ?What is it with you and reading my mind lately,? I chuckled.


    ?When you spend so much time with someone as stupid as you, you end up figuring out their excidinly simple thought patterns,? she spat out.


    ?...Ouch! That''s a burn worthy of the good old Sophia!?


    ?I''m glad I haven''t lost my touch,? she said with a smile.


    And with that, we were back to our usual routine. Awkwardness couldn''t last long between us. We had become far too comfortable with each other.


    ?Let''s go inside,? Sophia said and opened the door.


    I followed her and turned on the light with my wand. Sophia went to our usual places.


    ?What are we doing here?? I asked as I slid onto the bench to sit close to her.


    ?I thought we could read this together.?


    She took a book from under the desk.


    ?What? Read together?? I glanced at the volume she was holding.


    ?Mastering Pyromancy: An In-Depth Study of Fire Incantations... Sophia, what is this??


    ?I borrowed it from Celeste. She thought you might like it,? she said, opening it to the first page.


    ?But... why would you want to read something like this with me?? I asked.


    I could think of a reason, but... it would have been so boring for her. Could this really be called a date?


    ?It won''t be boring. Don''t worry...? she said with a smile.


    ?Can you stop doing this? You are starting to freak me out!? I exclaimed, but I couldn''t help smiling, ?Are you sure though??


    ?I''m sure. You''ll have to explain it to me though, because I really don''t understand this sort of stuff. I just want you to share with me something that you enjoy. Don''t worry, I''ve got lots more stuff planned for later.?


    I could feel my eyes welling up with tears from the huge wave of affection that was rising inside me. So I moved closer to her until our shoulders touched again, and began to read at her side.


    It was certainly exciting to share something you liked with other people. But that excitement could easily turn into disappointment if the other person looked like they didn''t care at all.


    But it didn''t go that way. It was obvious to me that Sophia couldn''t give a damn about fire magic, but she listened attentively and even asked questions.


    "If this date was her way of making me fall even more in love with her, she''s already succeeding."


    Soon, however, my mind began to drift away from the book and concentrate on something else. We were so close that the scent of the perfume she wore had enveloped me. And as Sophia bent over the book to read a rather complicated term, her new hairstyle gave me a perfect view of her exposed nape.


    ?Is there something written behind my neck too??


    I was immediately brought back down to earth.


    ?I have been discovered.?


    I said, unable to deny the evidence.


    Sophia sighed:


    ?I guess this wasn''t such a good idea... I had to think a bit about the box since we''re stuck in here,? she muttered, looking down.


    "I''m such an idiot..."


    I quickly grabbed her chin to make sure she was looking straight at me.


    ?No, please don''t say that! I love this, I really do. You taking the time to learn a little bit of my passion for magic... it''s so sweet. It''s just that you''re so beautiful that it''s really hard for me not to look at you.?


    Sophia immediately blushed, but looked at me with a defiant expression.


    ?I see... you''re getting distracted... how about this then!??


    Sophia kissed me with such force that she made me audibly gasp.


    "When did she get so good at this?" I thought, closing my eyes.


    But it was over in an instant.


    ?What?!? I asked, dumbfounded.


    ?If you want the rest you better concentrate on reading,? she smirked, wiping her lips.


    ?How am I supposed to concentrate after that?! but if you want to play this game¡­?


    I moved even closer to her, so much that my leg got on top of hers.


    ?What are you¡­?!? Sophia exclaimed, while I put an arm over shoulder and brought her body against mine, ?How are we even supposed to read like this!??


    But after she sighed again, we resumed reading together, squashed together like sardines.


    <hr>


    ?That was the most uncomfortable reading session I have ever had,? Sophia said as we walked out of the classroom.


    ?It was fun though. Thank you!? I chuckled.


    ?It was... but now it''s my turn!? she said with an ominous tone.


    ?Your turn??


    As Sophia opened the door to the courtyard, I immediately understood what she meant. The swords I saw resting in a corner only confirmed it.


    ?It''s been a while, hasn''t it?? said Sophia, tossing one to my feet.


    ?I don''t know if I''ve missed this...? I said, grabbing the sword and unsheathing it.


    ?Oh... sorry...? Sophia said immediately, lowering her eyes again.


    "Why does she keep doing this... and she says I''m being hard on myself. She had to organise a date in this hellhole... I''m loving this."


    ?I''m just messing with you Sophia... we just did something I like, it''s totally fine to do something you enjoy now. It''s our date, we should both have fun,? I said, moving closer to her and patting her head, ?and I like sparring with you, by the way. Just don''t hit me too hard!?


    ?Oh, you know I will!? she replied, her spirits rising instantly.


    If fighting her copy had made me feel good about my progress as a swordswoman, sparring against the real thing made me understand what my true level was.


    Sophia could have fought with a blindfold on and I wouldn''t have been able to land a single blow. I couldn''t help but stare at her ponytail going left and right as she danced around me, playing like a cat with a mouse.


    ?Remember to look at the sword and my feet, not my face,? Sophia admonished me, smacking my stomach lightly with the width of her sword.


    ?I''m finding it... hard to do!? I shouted, lunging forward, only for her to dodge and smack me in the bottom.


    ?Hey!? I complained, stepping back, ?that''s sexual harassment!?


    ?I don''t want to hear that from the creepy girl who stares at my neck while I''m reading!?


    ?That''s different!?


    ?How about this... land a hit and I''ll let you kiss it,? Sophia taunted me with a smirk.


    ?So cocky...?


    But I immediately went on the offensive with newfound determination. My blows were easily dodged or parried... but I had something in mind. I made sure to keep her as close as possible, and just as she parried my blow:


    ?Gravity surge!? I shouted, drawing my wand with my left hand.


    ?WHAT?!? cried Sophia, dropping to her knees.


    But my sword was already resting on her shoulder. I released the spell, grinning at her.


    ?You... cheater!? Sophia blurted out, red in the face.


    ?You didn''t say anything about me not being able to use spells.?


    ?I... you... fine!? Sophia muttered, clenching her fists.


    Much to my surprise, my girlfriend loosened her tie and, after unbuttoning her collar, shifted her shirt so that one side of her neck was completely exposed.


    ?Just because today is a special occasion...? she said with a meek look in her eyes.


    For a second I thought I was going to die on the spot. She was just too cute for this world. But this was an opportunity I couldn''t waste.


    I moved closer to her and put my hands on her shoulders. I slowly tilted my head. I could feel Sophia shiver as my breath tickled her skin.


    A few seconds later I was on the floor, massaging my butt after Sophia had violently pushed me away from her and onto the ground.


    ?W-what the hell did you just do to me?!? she shouted in disbelief, touching the spot where I had just left a hickey on her skin.


    ?Um... marked you as mine?? I replied with what I hoped was an apologetic smile.


    ?YOU DID WHAT!? I told you you could kiss it... now... what am I going to do? This is too close to my face! I can''t hide this! Am I going to have to stay locked in our room until it disappears?? she wailed, desperately trying to look at the spot on her neck and failing miserably.


    ?Ah, you finally called it our room!?


    ?Idiot... she''s going to tease me endlessly about this...? she said, looking defeated.


    ?Oh... Celeste... yes, it''s going to hurt. You have my sympathy... wait, why are you looking at me like that?!?


    Sophia''s eyes were locked on mine. Before I could do anything she had me pinned to the ground, holding my wrists tightly.


    ?What are you doing?! Not my ears, please!? I begged immediately, remembering the torture I had endured a few days ago.


    ?Ears... that sounds fun. But no... I''m just making sure you''re really sympathetic about this!?


    My mind went blank as Sophia made me suffer what I had inflicted on her earlier.


    ?There... now we are even!? she said, standing up and giving me a nasty look. After a second, she headed for the door.


    ?Sophia!? I said, getting up quickly.


    "Did I go too far?"


    ?Relax, idiot...? she said, turning to smile at me, ?I''m just going to get our lunch. I''m not mad.?


    ?Are you telling the truth?? I asked, batting my eyelashes jokingly.


    ?What am I going to do with you??


    Sophia shook her head before giving me a quick kiss.


    ?That''s it??


    ?You''ll have to wait a while for the rest.?


    After watching her walk out the door, I rolled onto my back on the grass. My hand went to the spot where Sophia had left her mark. It still itched, but I was really glad it was there.


    Today had really been a fantastic day and it was not over yet.


    But it would be. I felt a tear trickle into my eye.


    "Even now... I just can''t help it, can I?"


    I did my best not to cry. I would have told Sophia about it... but first I wanted to enjoy everything she had planned for me.


    "I just want this day to never end..."


    <hr>


    When Sophia returned about ten minutes later, I was able to greet her with a smile.


    Our lunch turned out to be a collection of sandwiches that she had made by taking various dishes and sticking them into bread. Apparently our friends had donated some of their food to give us some variety. It wasn''t the prettiest lunch, but it was different enough to make me feel very happy.


    ?This really feels like a romantic picnic!? I giggled as Sophia laid a tablecloth on the grass.


    We didn''t talk much as we ate, just enjoying each other''s company. This courtyard was probably one of my favourite places in this hell of a school. Sure, the perpetually sunny weather made it feel very fake, but I still had a lot of good moments here, training with both my girlfriend and Celeste.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    As we finished eating, I slowly let myself go and laid my head in Sophia''s lap. She didn''t complain and started to brush my hair.


    ?Let''s take turns, okay?? I said, closing my eyes a little.


    ?It''s okay... we have some free time. You can even take a nap if you want!? she said, taking a strand of my hair and rolling it around her finger.


    ?I love you Sophia. Thank you for doing this for me... I can''t wait to see what else you have in mind.?


    ?You''ll see. I have something very special ready for you. But first... is it a problem if we stay with the others for a while?? she asked.


    ?The others?? I repeated in surprise.


    ?I know a date should be something we do alone, but... I kind of needed help for something I think you''ll enjoy... even if it''s going to be hell for me.?


    ?That sounds very interesting!? I said, immediately feeling completely awake even in this relaxed position.


    ?Of course...? Sophia sighed, ?but I''m going to have my share of fun as well! Anyway, let''s stay here alone for a while first.?


    ?This really feels more like my birthday than a date!? I exclaimed happily, turning around to put my face between her tights.


    ?Don''t move like that!? but she just let me have my way again, ?When is your actual birthday by the way? I just realised I never asked you.?


    ?It''s in June, on the 13th. I kinda forgot, too. I never thought to celebrate it... you know, since we are here. But today you show me that we probably should.?


    ?So you are actually older than me... I was born in August.?


    ?Oh! That''s perfect then!? I got up from her lap, ?Time for me to dote on this little girl!? I giggled and patted my thighs.


    ?It''s only a two month difference,? she muttered, but accepted my offer anyway.


    ?You''re as stiff as ever... relax Sophia, I won''t do anything funny, I promise,? I said, stroking her cheek.


    ?I don''t really know if I should believe you... but that''s not the issue. I still can''t help feeling a bit nervous, but... I''m getting better, aren''t I?? she asked as she relaxed her muscles a bit more.


    ?You are. You''re doing great, I''m proud of you, Sophia.?


    ?Thank you...? she said, closing her eyes.


    It didn''t take long for her to fall asleep.


    "She probably didn''t sleep at all last night... the make up hides it really well. Celeste really is a master at these things," I thought, smiling at Sophia''s serene expression.


    We stayed like that for who knows how long. My legs felt a bit uncomfortable, but I didn''t dare wake her up. When she did, she got very flustered.


    ?Why didn''t you wake me up? How much did I sleep??


    ?I have no idea. I just enjoyed looking at your sleeping face!? I chuckled.


    ?Creepy... but thanks. I think we should go now. I have no idea how late it is. Celeste will eat us alive if we don''t show up.?


    <hr>


    As it turned ou we were just in time for...


    ?A tea party?? I repeated the answer Sophia had given me when I asked her what we were doing.


    ?A special one. You''ll see.?


    Celeste opened the door as soon as we knocked.


    ?Here they are!? she said, looking at us with a grin.


    Inevitably, her eyes found their way to our necks.


    ?Oh... you naughty girls!? she giggled.


    Sophia''s grip on my hand suddenly became very painful.


    ?Stop gloating and let us in!? she blurted out.


    ?Sure, sure, just hold back a bit now, okay? I''m still innocent and pure!?


    ?Sure, and I''m Skylark''s biggest fan!? Sophia said, shoving her away.


    It turned out that Celeste wasn''t the only one in the room. Nicole and Penny were waiting for us at the table.


    ?Hey! I see you are enjoying your date!? Nicole exclaimed with a grin.


    ?You''re so red we could warm the tea on your forehead!? said Penny.


    ?Shut up!? I said, sitting next to her.


    But I was smiling. To be teased about something like this... I couldn''t get mad about it.


    When I turned my attention back to Celeste, I saw that she had disappeared, along with Sophia.


    ?Where did they go?? I asked, trying to get up.


    ?They''re in the bathroom! Don''t worry, you''ll understand in a minute. Have some tea,? Nicole said, tinkering on Celeste''s desk and placing a steaming mug in front of me.


    "In the bathroom?!" I thought, confused. But I decided to wait and see what was going on.


    My decision was soon put to the test when I began to hear some strange noises coming from Celeste''s bathroom.


    Soon I could clearly hear Sophia''s irritated voice:


    ?It''s way too tight!?


    ?Stop being a baby and suck it up!?


    ?What the hell are they doing in there??


    Nicole and Penny laughed together.


    ?Oh this is nothing, you should have heard them yesterday. Your girlfriend sounded like Celeste was skinning her alive.?


    I looked at her with my mouth agape, my curiosity growing. I had to wait a good ten minutes before she was satisfied.


    Celeste was the first to emerge from the bathroom, looking exasperated and with a sweaty brow.


    ?How can you put up with that girl... give me some tea!? she said before sitting down at the table.


    The door opened again and... my heart leapt.


    Sophia was wearing a beautiful dress. The rich green satin hugged her figure perfectly, thanks to a tight corset that cinched her waist. It was probably what she had complained about earlier. The fabric was embellished with silver trim, making it look even more glamorous.


    I swallowed as my eyes fell on her bare shoulders and upper arms. The puffy and flowing maniche gave her a chic and elegant look. The skirt was a little short for her, as Celeste was a little taller, so I could see her feet sticking out, a stilish pair of high heels on them.


    ?Aren''t you going to say anything? I look weird, don''t I??


    My eyes went up to look at her face. Her eyes were a little moist, the embarassed tears sparkling like the little tiara adorned with emeralds on her head.


    ?You look like a princess...?


    ?Oh... fuck, this is so embarrassing!? blurted out Sophia.


    But even those rash words couldn''t dispel the allure that she exuded. But the atmosphere suddenly changed when she took a step forward and fell on her butt on the floor.


    Nicole, Penny and Celeste immediately burst out laughing as I rushed over to help her.


    ?Are you okay?? I asked, trying not to laugh myself.


    ?I''m fine... how are you even supposed to walk with these things on?? she said, taking the heels off and throwing them away.


    ?Hey! Those are expensive!? Celeste complained.


    ?Shut up! You can buy enough of them for an army, you stupid rich girl!? she blurted out, as I helped her to her feet.


    I chuckled, but soon stopped when Sophia stood up and I realised how close she was. She was just too beautiful. Even after I sat down at the table, I could only stare at her.


    ?Looks like you got the effect you wanted, Sophia,? Nicole giggled.


    ?Are you sure I don''t look strange?? asked Sophia again, looking at me.


    ?No you don''t... you should dress like this more often,? I replied immediately.


    ?No fucking way. Putting this thing on was torture. But I''m glad you like it,? she said, finally smiling.


    ?I... of course. But... why did you...??


    ?While you were telling me about your stupid date ideas... you said you wanted to take me shopping and make me try on embarrassing outfits... we can''t really do that here, so I thought this would come close,? Sophia replied.


    My mind went blank. It was just too much. Before I knew it, I was crying like a baby.


    Sophia quickly took me into her arms:


    ?Why are you crying now?!? she said, patting my back.


    ?I-I''m sorry... I''m just too happy...? I sobbed, ?You''re too good for me. Who would do something like this just from listening to my stupid mumbling...?


    ?When it''s about you, nothing can stop this idiot!? I heard Celeste say before I felt her hand ruffle my hair.


    ?So you are the crybaby of the couple, eh?? said Nicole, patting my leg.


    ?I told you she''s actually very lame!? said Penny, tapping me on the shoulder.


    ?You guys... thank you... thank you so much!?


    I laughed and cried at the same time. At that moment, surrounded by people who cared about me, even the bad thoughts couldn''t touch me.


    Slowly but surely I managed to regain some composure.


    ?Thank you... this is really a treat for the eyes...? I said while sniffing, ?thank you for putting up with this for me Sophia, and thank you for helping us Celeste.?


    ?Oh... I don''t think you should be thanking me just yet,? my friend said in response, her lips twitching in what seemed to be a suppressed laugh.


    ?What are you...!?? I suddenly felt my arms being restrained.


    Penny and Nicole had come up behind me and were holding me still.


    ?Let''s take her to the bathroom, girls!?


    ?WHAT?!?


    But my destiny seemed to be already decided. I was dragged inside, where another expensive-looking dress was waiting for me on a cloth hanger. It was yellow and full of frills.


    ?Wait... you want me to put that on?! Why does it look so much less mature than the one Sophia is wearing?!?


    ?Oh, this is from when I was a bit younger, isn''t it cute?? asked Celeste with a devilish grin.


    ?SOPHIA YOU SET ME UP!? I shouted.


    But in the end, I couldn''t help but accept my grim fate. When I got out, I could barely look ahead.


    I could faintly see Sophia getting up and coming closer. She seemed shorter than usual now that I was the one wearing heels.


    ?You''re very pretty... you are beautiful,? she said.


    ?Shut up...?


    But she took my head and forced me to look up. I could see her face coming closer.


    ?Not in front of the others!? I blurted out.


    ?So bashful...? Sophia blew into my eyes, making me squint.


    ?YOU...! I hate you!? but I soon started to laugh.


    It was so absurd to be in this situation. Both of us wearing beautiful clothes that were so out of the ordinary.


    ?Thank you... this is very funny,? I said.


    ?Stop thanking me... I''m having fun too!?


    We probably would have kissed seriously in front of the others if Celeste hadn''t pushed us towards our seats.


    ?Ok lovebirds, save it for later. Let¡¯s spend some quality time together now!? she said giggling.


    We talked for a long time. For once, there was no talk of escape plans, points or the secrets of the Academy. If anyone had walked into the room, they would have thought it was just three normal girls having fun. And two oddly dressed idiots who couldn''t help blushing when they met each other''s eyes.


    I laughed so hard at Sophia and Celeste''s antics that I almost fell over.


    But as time went on, I couldn''t help but starting to feel gloomy. This fantastic day was coming to an end. I could feel it.


    Time was running out... soon I would be forcefully awakened from this beautiful dream where I''d been able to feel like a normal girl in love... just for a little while.


    <hr>


    At the end, after getting back into our uniforms, we said goodbye to our friends. Not before I had unleashed so many more thanks on them. I took Sophia''s hand and we slowly walked away.


    ?Sophia... I...?


    ?If you say thank you again, I''ll make sure you can''t talk anymore.?


    ?Alright... what do we do now? It''s very late.?


    ?Are you hungry?? Sophia asked.


    ?Not really. My tummy hurts from laughing too much anyway.?


    ?I see... then let''s get to the main event,? she said.


    Those last two words lifted my mood a little. It wasn''t over yet.


    Sophia led me to the entrance hall and up the stairs.


    ?Where are we going?? I asked.


    ?You see... I recently found out that, after they repaired the school, they didn''t actually close the roof off.?


    My heart skipped a beat. The roof... that was the place where...


    ?Here!? Sophia said, slapping her hand on the wall in front of us. Immediately a door appeared before us.


    ?Won''t we get in trouble for this?? I asked worriedly.


    ?There''s nothing in the rules about not going on the roof. I just broke the enchantment that hides the door. If they cared, they''d have left the magic circle deactivated.?


    ?You''re right...?


    We both stepped into the small room and the pavement beneath us lit up. Soon we were up there, where our love story had become reality. The sun had already set and night was coming.


    ?We''re a bit early...?


    ?Early for what??


    ?The stars... I want to watch them with you... is that too cheesy?? she asked.


    ?It''s very romantic... I didn''t know you liked that kind of thing.?


    ?Oh, that''s not why I like them,? Sophia said as she walked to the edge of the roof, ?I told you I read a lot when I was little. Unlike you, I wasn''t really into magic, but... space... that always fascinated me.?


    ?I see, so you were more of a scientist type... it''s kind of hard to imagine you that way!? I giggled and moved to her side.


    ?Are you calling me stupid or something??


    ?No... it''s just that you''re more the athletic type now... and you barely touch the books because they''re about something you don''t care about.?


    ?I wish I had brought something to read here... all my books are back at the castle.?


    ?Pity, we could have read them together.?


    She looked at me in surprise:


    ?Are you interested in astronomy too??


    ?Not really... but if you like it, it must be interesting. Why don''t you talk to me about it while we wait for the stars to appear??


    ?Sure!? Sophia seemed thrilled at the prospect.


    As it turned out, she was actually very good at explaining things, much better than me. But as I listened on, I understood that maybe she wasn''t really a science type after all. The reason she liked space was a little different.


    ?Can you imagine... being such a small grain of sand in a huge ocean... it''s overwhelming, isn''t it? But still... with how long the universe has been around... we still managed to be born at the same time, meet and fall in love...?


    "She''s actually very romantic..."


    ?That''s... true,? I said, getting a bit teary-eyed again.


    Sophia looked at me intensely.


    ?I''m sorry Sophia. I''m such a pain lately, aren''t I??


    ?Elizabeth... it''s okay, we can talk about this.?


    ?Not now... later...? I said, ?we still have some time, don''t we??


    ?All right, but then...? she took my hand, ?the stars are starting to come out... Elizabeth, would you like to dance with me?? she asked, pulling me towards her.


    ?Dance? I... have never done anything like that...?


    ?It''s all right... I still remember a bit of the old lessons they gave me when I was little. I''ll guide you.?


    She put my hands at her sides and her arms around my neck. We slowly began to dance in place.


    ?Sophia...?


    ?It''s okay... it''s okay.?


    She began to hum in my ears. It was a soft, relaxing tune. I closed my eyes and let her voice lull me.


    ?What is this song?? I asked after a while, ?it''s nice.?


    ?I don''t really know... I think someone used to sing it to me when I was little... maybe a nanny.?


    ?You don''t remember??


    ?No... I think I forcibly removed everything from back then. But this song stuck with me. I used to sing it when I felt lonely... so pretty much every night. But lately I haven''t really needed to. Thanks to you. You filled that huge void in my life, Elizabeth.?


    ?Sophia, I...?


    But before I could speak, Sophia pulled me by the hand. We approached the stands from which everyone had watched us fight last September. There were two pillows hidden behind them.


    ?What...??


    Sophia moved them, placing them next to each other before lying down on one of them.


    ?The floor is quite hard, as I found out yesterday.?


    ?You were here yesterday... but the door??


    ?I had Celeste fix it.?


    ?You really planned everything, didn''t you??


    ?Yes... now don''t leave me alone on the floor like an idiot.?


    I complied. But as soon as I lay down, I froze. This sky, which had once been blazing with the result of our fight, was now filled with a myriad of stars.


    ?Woah...?


    ?Beautiful, isn''t it? This is a real northern sky... I guess you don''t really see them so bright down south.?


    ?They''re beautiful... almost like you!?


    ?Idiot...?


    She grabbed my hand and locked fingers with me.


    ?Do you want to talk now??


    ?I...?


    ?Elizabeth... this day was my way of trying to help you. But it doesn''t seem to have worked, so we need to talk about it.?


    ?It helped... I felt really, really happy... but... now it''s almost over.?


    ?I see... we can do it again!?


    ?But... soon... Penny will die. Then it''ll be Wilhelm''s turn, and after a while... it''ll be us.?


    ?I''ll do my best not to let that happen... I promised you... but I guess that''s not enough, is it??


    The bright light in the sky began to fade due to my tears.


    ?I''m sorry... I... want this to go on forever. I want the world to stop spinning... I want this starry sky to be frozen in time and these days to never end...?


    I heard Sophia sigh at my side.


    ?You know that''s impossible Elizabeth... and if it were, would it really be for the best??


    ?What do you mean? Don''t you want to be with me forever? To be happy with me?? I asked.


    ?Of course I do... but if we were to live forever... I don''t think what I feel would be as strong as it is now.?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Human life is very fragile, Elizabeth. Of course we have it hard, having a set expiration date in front of us. But a lot of other people just die suddenly... without even having the chance to say goodbye to the people they love.?


    ?Are you saying that we are lucky??


    ?We are not. But it could be worse. At least I had the chance to spend time with you today. And the memories we made together... I''ll cherish them until the time comes for me. It''s because we don''t live forever... that these moments are fleeting, that they are so important.?


    The tears flowed again, but I was so sad that I didn''t even feel like sobbing.


    ?I... know... I know that death is inevitable, but... this is way too soon. I''m still so young, Sophia! Is it wrong that I want to live more?! Is it wrong that I want to stay by your side longer? I want to grow old with you, Sophia! I do not want to die in this place... how can I continue to be happy when I feel that my time is running out??


    Sophia brought me closer to her.


    ?I feel the same way, Elizabeth. But... not the last part. I''m happy... I''ve never been so happy in my life.?


    ?How...?


    Sophia''s hand pointed up into the starry sky above us.


    ?Do you see that star? It''s called Sirius. It''s the brightest one. It''s beautiful, isn''t it??


    ?Yes... but...?


    ?One day... even that star will disappear. Unlike us, it''ll probably take a billion years. But its life will end just like ours.?


    ?I wish I could stay with you for a billion years.?


    ?That''s not the point, Elizabeth. The moment its light will fade, leaving a dark spot in the sky, is not important. What matters is how brightly it shines now. It''s awesome, it makes me happy just to see it and it makes my heart beat faster. Just like my love for you.?


    ?Sophia... I love you too.?


    ?Then shine with me, Elizabeth. My world used to be dark and gloomy, but then you came into it and brought so much joy into my life.?


    ?That goes for me too. But I don''t feel like I can shine anymore...?


    ?Then I''ll share some of my light with you.?


    Sophia, moved, climbed on top of me, covering the starry sky. But the view was no less beautiful.


    ?I will never leave you alone. Until the last moment. Be it in a few months or when we are old grannies. So please... stop running away from happiness. We all have a right to it. Let''s shine as brightly as we can so that even your dark thoughts will be forced to go back to their corner.?


    As she kissed me, I realised. This was the best day of my life. Even if death was hiding in every corner of my mind... Sophia was just much stronger than it. Did I really want to let her do all the work and drag me along? No...


    Now, more than ever, the words Amy had said to me became so important.


    "Precisely because our lives could end at any moment, we have to make sure we enjoy every happy moment we can."


    For a normal girl, this date would probably have been a day like any other. A happy one, but nothing special. But for me, with the grim destiny that awaited us, it was as bright as Sirius.


    So... did I want to spend my remaining time feeling like this, dreading the moment of my death?


    The answer was easy. Putting it into practice was the hard part.


    "But if I think about this moment... maybe I can make it."


    As Sophia separated from me, I smiled at her:


    ?Let''s shine together, Sophia!?


    ?Finally a real smile!?


    ?I just thought... when I get these bad thoughts, I can just think of you kissing me under this starry sky... it''s such a powerful memory that will surely help me think straight.?


    ?A powerful memory...?


    In the moonlight I could faintly see Sophia''s cheek turning pink.


    ?L-let''s make an even more powerful one...? she said, offering me her hand.


    I felt myself blush as I immediately understood what she meant.


    ?Alright...? I said and took it.


    In silence we left the roof and began to walk towards my room.


    ?Sophia... you don''t have to do this,? I said after a while.


    ?I want to... I-I always wanted to... do it today.?


    This realisation stunned me. I hadn''t even considered how far she was willing to go.


    "But this atmosphere... it feels like we''re really going to end up..." I thought as we arrived at my room.


    The sound of me closing the door behind me was deafening. Sophia walked over to the bed with hesitant steps. I looked at her almost in a trance.


    ?Are you going to stay there all night?? she asked after a while.


    ?No but... aren''t you nervous?? I asked.


    ?I am... but I want to do this. I''m ready this time, Elizabeth. Thank you for waiting for me,? she said, patting the mattress by her side.


    I walked over, my ears filled with inner screams:


    "I''M NOT READY AT ALL! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?"


    When I sat down and Sophia put a hand over my thigh, I almost jumped up to the ceiling.


    ?Relax Elizabeth...? she said, ?we can''t take it slow, relax,? she said squeezing my hand.


    Taking deep breaths, I managed to regain some composure.


    ?We don''t have to do it if you don''t want to, Elizabeth...? Sophia said after a while.


    ?No!? I exclaimed immediately, ?Sorry, it''s just... I wasn''t really expecting it and I needed to prepare myself. I want to... do it.?


    ?Well... then... where do we start??


    My nervousness immediately disappeared at that question.


    ?What kind of question is that?? I chuckled.


    "Of course I''m doing it with Sophia... everything will be fine."


    ?Excuse me if I''m not an expert...?


    ?Well, I''m not either... but this has to be the first step,? I loosened her tie as I leaned in for a kiss.


    I could feel her tinkering with mine at the same time. After we were done I gently pushed her down on the bed, smiling.


    ?Black, uh? Very mature!?


    ?You have bad taste in bras, like in panties...?


    ?What does it matter... they are both about to come off anyway.?


    I really enjoyed seeing her finally be embarrassed again at that comment. But she soon smiled, her eyes filled with love and trust:


    ?I''ll be in your care.?


    <hr>


    I was right. It certainly didn''t go perfectly. It was our first time and we really had no idea what we were doing. But I loved every second of it. Every single expression on her face, the way our fingers were intertwined and the way our bodies complemented each other perfectly.


    At the end, I happily hugged Sophia from behind, enjoying the feel of her skin pressed against mine.


    ?Thank you, Sophia. I have never been so happy in my life,? I whispered into her ear.


    ?I told you to stop thanking me... today was the happiest day for me too.?


    ?Now I really feel like I can fight anything. How can I feel bad after what happened today??


    ?I don''t know how I feel about you thinking about this to fight your bad thoughts...?


    ?I meant the whole day, not just us having sex dummy!?


    ?Sure...?


    ?You must think I''m very easy, doing it on the first date...?


    ?Idiot...? she chuckled.


    ?Sophia...?


    ?Yes??


    ?Let''s be happy together.?


    ?Of course.?


    ?Also, can we sleep like this tonight??


    ?I want to take a shower first, I''m so sweaty and...! Don''t sniff me, you idiot!? she said as I buried my head in her hair.


    ?What am I going to do with you... let''s stay like this for a while,? she sighed after a bit.


    I closed my eyes, my mind replaying all the wonderful memories we had made together.


    In the end, the world hadn''t stopped moving. Tomorrow would come and with it fear and uncertainty. Maybe Sophia couldn''t save me after all... but she didn''t have to. The dark thoughts wouldn''t have vanished into thin air. But now I felt I could finally face them. I''d found a guiding star and I would have followed it to the end.


    So that when the time came to say goodbye, I would¡¯ve done so without any regrets.

 60. A bold decision

    The next morning I woke up early for the second day in a row. This time, though, I didn''t feel the same sense of dread as yesterday. Sophia''s body was pressed against mine, my arms still around her.


    "Poor girl, I must have fallen asleep and she couldn''t take a shower for fear of waking me up..." I thought as I slowly slid my arm out from under her.


    I felt unusually refreshed. For the past few days I had been having trouble sleeping, waking up groggy and still feeling tired. But now...


    "I feel like I could go up on the second floor and kick Skylark''s butt!"


    I looked happily at Sophia''s serene face in the dim light of the room.


    "She''s worked so hard for me... I''ll let her rest some more."


    I gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek before getting up to head for the bathroom. Before taking a shower, I paused in front of the mirror. The Elizabeth staring back at me looked almost like a stranger.


    ?Is this... the power of sex?? I giggled, looking at my smiling face.


    Obviously it wasn''t just that. Getting intimate with Sophia had been the culmination of how close our relationship had become lately. It had been wonderful and I couldn''t wait for another round. This time without hurting each other as much, if possible.


    But it was only a tiny part of what had changed in me. I had tasted it. I had taken a sip of the forbidden nectar called ''a normal life by Sophia''s side''. And I was probably still drunk on it. I turned on the shower and stepped under the cold water, hoping it would at least take some of the edge off the high I was feeling. Right now I needed to think straight.


    "A normal life at Sophia''s side... I want it. No... I need it!"


    But getting it... wasn''t going to be easy. As happy as I felt, it didn''t mean I had suddenly acquired a hope I wasn''t sure even existed.


    "But if there''s even a chance... I must find it and take it."


    I ran one hand through my hair while holding on to the wall with the other, shivering under the icy water.


    "Celeste''s plan... it won''t work."


    There were so many problems with it. First of all, sneaking through the second floor unnoticed wasn''t going to be easy.


    "The only time Skylark isn''t holed up in his office is when he wants to talk to us. We''re so few in number that he''ll know immediately if one of us tries to sneak up there in the meantime".


    But, after thinking about it for a few minutes, was that really true?


    "He came to talk to me... that could have been the perfect moment to set the plan in motion."


    Obviously, both Sophia and Celeste were far too shocked to think about it at the time. But still...


    "We could lure him out somehow... or maybe we could try at night. Instead of breaking in, I could phase shift through the ceiling after Sophia''s power dispels the weak barrier that protects it. That way, I could stealthily search for the secret passage before we all go for it..."


    Of course it would''ve been dangerous but if the other choice was just waiting and letting Penny die it was worth risking it.


    "I should bring this up at the meeting later."


    But that was just the tip of the iceberg.


    Even if we managed to get into the depths of the school, where the core powering the barriers was located, our troubles wouldn''t be over. For a start, we had no idea what that mysterious part of the school looked like. What was waiting for us down there? Even stronger defences, perhaps? An entire regiment of guards protecting the core 24/7?


    We had no way of knowing.


    "Disruptive seals like the one protecting the floor of the entrance hall are probably a bad idea to safeguard something you really don''t want to break".


    But guards... there must have been a lot of them down there.


    "From what I saw, all their weapons and armour are filled with enchantments. Sophia might make quick work of them, but if there are too many... besides, we would cause a ruckus and let Skylark know what we are doing".


    But that wasn''t the ony issue. Assuming we somehow managed to get to the power source and destroyed it, what then?


    We''d have to get out of there without alerting Skylark. And even if that went smoothly, we were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a deep, dark forest. Since we knew that the location of Duelcrest Academy had never been discovered by anyone, we were probably in some kind of isolated place, far from any populated area. Thanks to the rather cold climate, we could assume that we were somewhere in the northern region of the realm, but that didn''t really narrow down our location much. However, if things went our way, our magic would probably allow us to make it back to civilisation.


    But even if we could overcome all these hurdles, there was still one last, impossible one we had to face.


    "Aldric... the moment Skylark finds out that we have escaped, he will surely put him on our trail."


    There was no way we could outrun that monster. And now that I knew what his signature spell actually was, beating him was even more out of the question.


    "To be able to shoot his mana so freely... how is that even possible?"


    The fact that Aldric could use that power as if he were throwing a few simple fireballs made me doubt Skylark''s words.


    "If that''s really mana and it''s not coming back... doesn''t that mean Aldric should be dead by now?"


    Did that man have so much mana that he could shoot it out like that as it was nothing? Even if that had been the case, the people controlling him wouldn''t have wanted their weapon to use up its fuel so generously.


    "But then... did Skylark lie to me?"


    Again, I didn''t think so. Of course, apart from a hunch, I had no particular reason to believe that the sadistic bastard was an honest man. But what I had felt at the moment that power had manifested made me think he was telling the truth.


    "It was as if my whole being was on fire..."


    And there was something else. A notion that I had acquired what seemed like an eternity ago, that had suddenly become important.


    "Mana has a mind of its own."


    It was Chloe who had revealed this secret to me. And now I could finally believe it.


    "Did my mana feel that I was about to die and released itself? But then... why me? Why doesn''t it happen when other people are close to death?"


    I had to find out more, that''s for sure.


    "The true nature of mana... I think that''s the key to all this..."


    I needed Sophia''s help. And Celeste''s.


    "I need to ask her about what she knows about this field, while making sure I keep my promise I made to Sophia to keep everything a secret. With how sharp she is, it won''t be easy."


    But even if I could figure out how to summon that mysterious power at will, defeating Aldric still seemed far too unlikely.


    "If I can shoot an arrow, he has a whole battery of cannons ready to fire at me."


    There had to be another way.


    I brought my hands to my head, squeezing it as if I could extract my thoughts from it to make them clearer.


    "If we cant fight Aldric... we have to make sure he doesn''t come after us."


    And there was only one way to ensure that:


    "We have to kill Skylark, or at least incapacitate or trap him."


    But the way he had laughed when I had threatened him in the infirmary seemed so genuine.


    "He must have some powerful defences around him to make him so cocky in front of the possibility of being vaporised."


    Of course, he also knew about Sophia''s power and probably had a countermeasure against it. But... I couldn''t just give up.


    ?OK, LET''S FUCKING DO THIS!? I yelled, psyching myself up as I slapped my cheeks.


    My efforts could have come to nothing, but I would still have given it my all. I would have tried to make this happen or I would have died trying. After all, I now had one more stupid dream to add to my collection. I had probably formulated it last night as I drifted off to sleep, clinging to Sophia.


    "I want... to see her in a wedding dress!"


    She was just too cute in the green one Celeste had lent her. To see her in a white one, made to fit her, on what could have been the happiest day of our lives, made me giddy just thinking about it.


    "I have to see her like that! We''ll have a nice intimate ceremony... we''ll eat lots of cake and then... I''ll let her carry me to bed!"


    Of course, I knew it was stupid to use something like this as a motivation to look forward, but if it worked...


    ?A BRIDAL CARRY!?


    After drying myself, I walked out of the bathroom with a huge grin on my face. A grin that immediately froze when I came face to face with an annoyed Sophia.


    ?What the hell were you doing in there? You took ages!? she asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Did she... hear me?"


    I started to look into her eyes to find out, but my cheek instantly caught fire. She only had her shirt on, not even buttoned. This sight also made me suddenly realise the state I was in and I quickly did my best to cover myself with my hands.


    ?So... can you move? I need a shower... I feel so gross from the sweat,? Sophia said.


    ?W-what kind of reaction is this?? I asked, baffled.


    ?What do you want me to say, ''kyaaa! put some clothes on!'' or something? Why get flustered? I saw everything yesterday!? she said, walking around me to get into the bathroom.


    ?This is not something you should apply your cold logic to!? I shouted as she shut the door.


    I sighed as I got my clean uniform out of the wardrobe.


    "She used to panic at just the thought of seeing me naked and now here we are, not even batting an eye... and I''m actually the one freaking out..."


    I couldn''t help but get a little sour at the thought that my girlfriend didn''t feel anything seeing me without clothes.


    "With the shirt open like that... she was so hot. Don''t I give her the same feeling?... I know I''m not as attractive as her, but..."


    When Sophia came out 10 minutes later, fully dressed, I had become extremely grumpy.


    ?Why are you sulking like that?? she asked, sitting down in the chair and starting to brush her long hair.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ?It''s nothing...?


    ?Is it?? she paused to give me a deep stare.


    I sighed again.


    "Bad habits die hard..."


    ?I didn''t like the way you reacted before. Weren''t you... excited to see me coming out of the bathroom like that??


    Sophia immediately blushed and looked away.


    ?Of course I was... idiot... no, actually I''m the idiot this time. I was just trying to play it cool... I had to take a cold shower afterwards... We have class in a bit and we can''t... you know.?


    ?Oh...?


    I felt so dumb as relief washed over me.


    ?After what happened yesterday, I thought I would be more mature about this sort of thing...? Sophia murmured.


    ?Losing our virginity isn''t some kind of magic spell, you know? We are still the same two idiots... just two idiots who had sex.?


    ?I guess you''re right,? Sophia said with a smile, before resuming her brushing.


    ?Say Sophia... can I brush your hair?? I asked tentatively after a bit.


    ?Um... sure. Just be careful and don''t do anything weird,? she said after thinking about it for a second.


    ?Don''t worry... I''m a grown woman now! No more sneaky attacks!? I shouted, grabbing the brush she offered me.


    ?Even if I ignored the fact that you''re contradicting what you said just a minute ago... I still wouldn''t believe you anyway.?


    I chuckled as I began to slowly brush her long corvine hair.


    ?My girlfriend is so smart... but how can you do this every morning... brushing your hair for so long I mean??


    ?Habit, I guess... and it''s kind of relaxing, isn''t it??


    ?At the moment it is... your hair feels so nice and soft... but I would lose patience if I had to do it every day.?


    ?I guess... like I said, it''s just something I''m used to. I have a faint memory of someone brushing my hair like you are doing now when I was little. Maybe it was the same nanny who taught me that song I sang to you yesterday. But, ever since I was a child, I always kept it this long. When I was in the army, it felt really strange to have a boy''s haircut.?


    ?I can imagine...? I giggled.


    Then something else occurred to me:


    ?Wait... what did you have betwe-?


    ?I''m not going to answer that question!? Sophia cut me off.


    "I need to check how transfiguration potions really work..."


    I decided not to insist.


    ?Tell me Sophia... do you think I''d look good with longer hair?? I asked after a few minutes of silence.


    ?Would you like to try growing it out?? she asked, turning her head slightly.


    ?If you want me to...? I murmured.


    ?You shouldn''t base your looks on my tastes, you should go with what you feel comfortable with. I''d still like you anyway.?


    "This doesn''t really help me much..."


    But again, why should I hold this in and feel bad about it?


    ?I don''t think... it would suit me. I''m not as beautiful as you... and not as feminine. I would look strange with longer hair...? I muttered.


    Sophia immediately turned to look at me.


    ?Do you like longer hair, Elizabeth??


    ?I do... but...?


    ?Then let it grow. You can always cut it if you don''t like it. I''ll help you brush it every day if that''s the problem.?


    ?Sophia...?


    My girlfriend stood up and put her hands on my shoulders.


    ?Feminine... what is that even supposed to mean? Stop thinking about how other people see you, Elizabeth. If you like long dresses and cute haircuts, go for it! You don''t have to be a specific type of person for any of that!?


    ?You make it so easy because you''d look beautiful in anything...? I said in a low voice, looking away.


    Sophia grabbed my chin and forced me to look at her.


    ?You''re such a pain in the ass! You were stunning in that dress yesterday, ok? I''m sorry if I don''t call you beautiful more often... you know how I am. But you have to be more confident in yourself as well... remember what you told me: we have to accept ourselves to be happy,? she said before kissing me passionately.


    When she stopped, I felt like my brain was about to leak out of my ears.


    "Last night... I may have created a monster."


    ?Do you feel better?? she asked, looking at her hair in the mirror.


    ?I feel like I want to drag you into bed right now!? I replied immediately.


    ?Of course... typical Elizabeth: being a pain in the ass and then wanting to do naughty things right away. It''ll have to wait tonight, let''s go for breakfast,? she said shaking her head.


    ?Alright, alright...? I said, following her out the door, ?Sophia... you are so perfect. I swear, after the battle... you became like an angel! My guardian angel!? I exclaimed, giving her a gentle nudge with my elbow.


    Sophia didn''t seem to find my joke funny.


    ?Perfect...? she murmured.


    I grabbed her wrist.


    ?What''s wrong? And don''t tell me it''s nothing!? I said.


    ?You already know,? she said, pulling out my grip to intertwine her fingers with mine, ?you saw me lose my cool when the pairings were announced... I''m afraid it''s going to happen again. I feel so nervous lately...?


    ?It''s ok!? I said, squeezing her hand, ?I''m sorry for worrying you so much in the past couple of weeks. But I''m a new Elizabeth now! An Elizabeth who has had sex!? I shouted.


    Sophia immediately covered my mouth with her hand.


    ?Have you gone mad? Do you want the whole school to know??


    But I could see her mouth curl into a smile.


    ?I''m joking, I''m joking,? I said after she''d freed me. Then I moved closer to her so that our shoulders touched, ?What I wanted to say is... you don''t have to do everything alone anymore. I''m sorry I''ve been such a burden lately... but I won''t be anymore. I''m going to fight by your side without looking back.?


    Sophia chuckled in response.


    ?I''m serious!? I said pouting jokingly.


    ?I know, I know... it''s just... you''re finally sounding like yourself again. I''m so happy!?


    ?I am too!? I said, smiling back at her.


    ?By the way... you shouldn''t shout in the bathroom, you know? People might think you''re crazy or something!?


    I let go of her hand, frozen with shame. She winked at me before trotting off into the dining hall.


    <hr>


    I spent the whole morning thinking about our escape plan and how we could realistically put it into practice. How could I concentrate on anything else after all?


    The leaderboard with those 85 crossed out names and Penny in last place was a constant reminder that I couldn''t afford any leisure time. I had spent too much of it moping around the last few weeks.


    By the time lunch was over and it was time for our first alliance meeting in a while, I had still not come up with a good solution.


    The atmosphere in Celeste''s room was heavy as usual. Of course, the animosity between some of us was now a thing of the past. But now it was something much worse that was dampening our spirits. Penny''s fate was so precarious that even helping her to survive this week might have been a problem.


    ?So... we should take turns again to give Penny some points,? Celeste said, officially starting the meeting.


    For the first time in this room, Penny raised her hand to speak after her. She really had changed a lot, or rather, she had finally opened up. But I could see from the heavy bags under her eyes, not at all concealed by her make-up, that the poor girl was just trying to put on a good face.


    ?I think Wilhelm should stop giving me his points... I already feel bad taking them from you who are so high up in the rankings... If I take them fr-?


    ?No way!? Wilhelm cut her off in a firm voice.


    ?Will... it''s alright, I''m not very useful and-?


    ?Shut up!?


    This time it was me, Nicole and Celeste in unison.


    ?As they made clear, you needn''t worry about me now. What kind of alliance would we be if we left someone behind?? said Wilhelm after Penny had stopped talking.


    "He''s a really good guy... I kind of feel guilty for treating him so harshly before..."


    Another strange thing happened right after that. Philemon spoke:


    ?Sentimentality aside, we can''t go on like this forever. Even if we manage to save Penny this week, next one looks grim. We should try another method,? he said, as calmly as if he were talking about the weather.


    Celeste gave him a sideways glance:


    ?We have already talked about this, Phil! I have no intention of going after other students!?


    Philemon did not seem to mind her rebuke:


    ?I know it''s not pleasant. But we have to face reality.?


    "So he got the same idea as me..." I thought, looking at Celeste who was scowling at him.


    ?I think... we should do it. We could just duel the person above Penny a bunch.... it''s playing by the rules,? Nicole said after a bit.


    ?Guys... no please... don''t...? Penny mumbled, but I could see she was wavering too.


    "How could she not?"


    But I...


    I looked at Sophia, she was about to speak. But before she did:


    ?We can''t do that!? I shouted, rising from my seat.


    Philemon looked at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ?Apart from the fact that we would make enemies of all the other students by ganging up on someone... do you really want to play Skylark''s game? This is what he wants... I refuse to get down on my knees and do his bidding just for a chance to survive!? I continued.


    ?Easy to say when you''re not the one in danger,? Philemon said in response. His tone was still neutral, but I could see that he was slightly surprised that I would disagree with his perfectly logical suggestion.


    But before I could find a good answer, Penny spoke up:


    ?Liz is right! You guys having to get your hands dirty just so I can live another week... I don''t want this! Besides, if we go on like this, I''ll end up behind Wilhelm anyway!?


    ?She''s right... even if we decided to go scorched earth and eliminate all the other students... then it would just be us and we would have to choose who needs to die between us. I really don''t want to get to that point? Nicole commented, nodding.


    ?Alright,? Philemon said, ?if Penny says so herself, there''s no point in arguing. But... what do you suggest we do then?? he asked, looking at me.


    As I struggled to find a way to answer him, I felt Sophia''s hand touch my leg and was instantly reassured.


    "I have to be strong..."


    ?We must put our plan into action. We can''t keep waiting for a chance to magically appear!? I exclaimed.


    ?You do realise that we can''t all just stroll to the second floor if Skylark is up there, don''t you?? said Philemon coldly.


    ?Not all of us... but one of us could sneak up there at night and look for the secret passage!? I replied.


    ?And who do you think would be willing to risk such a thing??


    ?Me!? I replied immediately.


    I could feel all their eyes on me.


    ?Elizabeth...? I heard Sophia muttering by my side.


    "No... please... I need you to support me now..."


    I looked at her. Sophia''s eyes were filled with worry as she bit her lip. But after taking a deep breath, she nodded at me as her grip on my leg tightened.


    ?Relax Sophie, I''ll keep her safe!? a cheerful voice shouted, immediately breaking the tense atmosphere as usual.


    ?What?? Philemon asked, looking at her with an uncharacteristically stunned expression.


    ?I agree with Liz, we need to act quickly. It''s my fault! What kind of leader am I if I don''t make bold decisions?! I''ve been worrying too much and I was waiting for an opportunity... but since it hasn''t come, we must be the ones to create it!? Celeste exclaimed with a defiant look on her face.


    It was very strange to see Philemon''s steadfast composure crumble before my eyes:


    ?Wait! Sending two people up would only increase your chances of being discovered!? he complained, pounding his fist on the table.


    Celeste put a hand over his in an even more uncharacteristic show of affection:


    ?I know you''re worried, Phil, but I''m pretty good at concealing myself. Besides, with two of us, we''ll cover more ground and get out faster.?


    ?I... this is pointless anyway! Even if you manage to find a passage without being spotted, how are you going to get us all up there?!?


    It was my time to answer again. The answer... I had found it before. I had no idea how to do it. But the first step to making it a reality was to say it out loud:


    ?It''s simple... we have to kill that bastard.?

 61. Her weakness

    My words were again met with silence. It was clear from the looks on my classmates'' faces that it would have taken a lot more to convince them this time. Just like before, it looked like Philemon was going to be my most stubborn opponent.


    ?Killing Skylark... are you serious? I''m sure you''ve all witnessed what kind of mage he is. Casting such powerful spells without a wand or incantations... I have never seen anything like it,? he said, looking at me as if I had lost my mind.


    ?I know that very well. But, unlike you, I have also seen someone far more terrifying in action: Aldric. You didn''t fight him, so you have no idea what it was like. Skylark may be dangerous and cunning, but he''s still human, Aldric is a monster,? I replied with conviction.


    ?What does Aldric have to do with fighting Skylark?? asked Philemon.


    I could hear a hint of hesitation in his voice.


    "Of course, he''s very clever. There''s no way he hasn''t realised what''s in store for us if we try to escape without dealing with Skylark first."


    But when I opened my mouth to reply, I found myself hesitating as well. Giving voice to my thoughts would have made the hopeless future I had foreseen that much more real. I glanced sideways at Sophia, hoping she would give me the resolve I needed to speak my mind. But I didn''t find what I was hoping for. Her eyes were fixed on her knees, her hands clasped together in her lap, trembling.


    "Sophia... after what she told me this morning... I can see why she''s acting this way. Even though Celeste tried to reassure her, I''m sure she''s still worried about me going to the second floor."


    I wanted nothing more than to take her hand and comfort her, but now... it wasn''t the time. I had to be strong. If everyone insisted on avoiding looking at the truth, I had to be the one to make them turn their heads.


    ?If we don''t deal with Skylark, he''ll send Aldric after us as soon as he realises that we''ve escaped. We''ll never be able to outrun that monster... he''s as fast as lightning. He would catch up with us even if we were thousands of miles away. Guys... just escaping from this damn school is not enough if we get caught again!?


    My words seemed to fill the room with a thick dark mist. It was not just Philemon, the others had probably already thought about it as well. With my words I had manifested the doubts that clouded everyone¡¯s minds and the fact that, even if we got out of the school, freedom would still be a mere mirage.


    ?What''s your plan then?? asked Philemon, breaking the silence again, ?Not only is Skylark powerful, but he must have taken precautions from the start in case someone tried to assassinate him. After all, he was going to be in a school with 100 people who hated him.?


    Sadly, I had no good answer to his question:


    ?I... don''t know. But I''m confident that, if we work together, we can find a way to eliminate him or at the very least incapacitate him long enough to be able to get far away from here.?


    I looked at my allies with a determined expression, trying to give them courage.


    ?I think Liz is right... I haven''t seen Aldric in action, but from the state the school was in after the battle... there''s no way we can fight something like that,? Nicole murmured after meeting my gaze.


    ?Exactly... And, aside from his offensive power, he took a Meteor in the face and came out without a scratch! He''s so fast, it''s almost like he can teleport. Physical attacks don''t work either: my sword melted as soon as it touched him. Compared to him, Skylark is just an old fart.?


    ?You''re right... Skylark seems like the better option if we have to fight someone,? Wilhelm said hesitantly.


    ?Yes... if we work together, we might be able to find a weakness in his defences,? Penny echoed.


    Somehow I had managed to turn the tide. Now there was just one last person to convince.


    "If I can get Celeste on board, Philemon will follow as usual."


    ?Celeste, as you said before, it¡¯s the time to make bold decisions. Unlike Aldric, Skylark is still human¡­ in the flesh at least. And humans can be killed. Let¡¯s wipe off his stupid smile together! I can be the one carrying out the deed, but I really need your brain to make it happen!?


    I could see a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. Celeste always loved difficult challenges and this was definitely going to be one of the hardest we had faced so far. Philemon, that was also looking at her, let out a defeated sigh.


    "Victory!" I thought, satisfied, "after the mess I¡¯ve been lately I feel like I¡¯m finally starting to turn things around."


    ?There is nothing bold about this... it''s just stupid. It feels to me like one of Elizabeth¡¯s usual reckless ideas. Should we really waste time we don¡¯t have on this stuff instead of ironing out our escape plan??


    I froze up instantly. Not because of the harsh tone of those words, but because they were coming from the last person I wanted to hear them from.


    I turned to my right. Sophia¡¯s was no longer looking down, her eyes were now fixed on mine, a stern expression on her face.


    ?Sophia¡­?? I muttered, stunned


    ?I told you before, Elizabeth. Skylark is the one that gathered all of us here, he knows very well what we are capable of. If he lets us hang out freely like this is because he knows we are not a threat to him. We need to avoid confrontation with him, not look for it!? she said in a cold tone, her piercing green eyes throwing daggers at me.


    "I know she''s worried about me... but why is she going so aggressive about this?"


    It almost felt like me and her we were back in the dining hall, during the first day of the school year. I remained silent for a second, trying to make sense of the situation.


    "I really wanted her support... I wanted her to tell me that I was doing great, after the slump I had fallen into over the past few weeks."


    But even now, when the opposite was happening, backing down was not an option. I really wanted to drag her out of the room so we could talk about it calmly, but I knew I couldn''t afford that right now. It would''ve ruined all my efforts to bring the others on board with my decision.


    "I think I''m right this time. I shouldn''t apologise just to make her feel better, that wouldn''t feel right. We''ll make up later. Right now I have to make sure that everyone stops wavering and looks straight at the truth."


    ?I know, and normally I would agree with you. But what choice do we have? Like I said, if we don''t get rid of Skylark, he''ll send Aldric after us.?


    ?That''s likely, but we don''t have to fight him. We could just avoid him, hide until we reach a city. I''m sure the king wouldn''t want Aldric to be seen in public in the state he''s in,? Sophia retorted piquantly.


    ?Hide? There are far too many of us to hide! Aldric can use familiars too, he''ll track us down for sure! And what if we don''t find a big city? If we reach a small one, they might just make Aldric wipe it out to hide the truth. It''s not like they''re against killing innocent people, you know? Putting Skylark out of commision really seems like the best idea to me, unless you have some other proposition,? I replied animatedly.


    Sophia seemed at a loss for words for a few seconds. But then she blurted out:


    ?W-we can just split off in different directions. As fast as Aldric is, he can''t follow all of us!?


    I looked at her with my mouth half open.


    "Sophia... what is going on...?!"


    Not only she looked completely out of it but what she had just suggested could only lead to one outcome.


    ?Are you saying that you are fine with him killing one of us if the others get out safely?! Sophia... this is... are you serious?? I asked, stunned.


    At my question, my girlfriend froze for a second before her eyes quickly moved away from mine.


    ?T-That''s not what I said! I''m just saying that it''s much riskier to go after Skylark!?


    "She''s not making any sense... this is just like the day of the pairings. I need to calm her down."


    ?You don''t know that! Sophia, please calm down! I brought this up so that we could all talk about it together and come up with a foolproof plan. I''m not doing anything risky until then!? I said, extending a hand towards her cheek, trying to reassure her.


    But before I could reach her, Sophia jumped up from her seat and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt with such force that I was afraid she would rip it off. Sophia then began to shake me violently.


    ?Sophia w-what?!? I muttered, taken aback by this outburst. It hurt, but that wasn''t really the problem.


    ?What if this ''foolproof'' plan doesn''t work?! What if you fail?! You don''t care, do you?! You always do these reckless things without thinking about how you make me feel!? she shouted, her face hidden from me by her long hair.


    "Sophia... of course... the trigger for this whole thing was me saying that I would be the one going after Skylark to Celeste. Fuck me, I shouldn''t have said that, knowing how nervous she was already."


    But... I still didn''t think I was in the wrong. And the way Sophia was acting wasn''t right at all.


    ?You''re being unfair, Sophia. I haven''t done anything yet, I''m here talking to you and the others to see if we can come up with something together. We can''t keep looking the other way and just hope things work out! You''re the one who told me not to bottle things up and to speak my mind,? I said, grabbing her wrists.


    My words were met with silence, but I felt Sophia''s hands go limp in my grasp. When I let go, they dangled from her sides as my girlfriend''s anger seemed to subside.


    ?Sophia...? I whispered softly, extending a hand towards her cheek for the second time. But Sophia pushed me aside and headed for the door.


    ?I''m sorry. I need to take a breather...? she murmured before disappearing into the corridor.


    "Why¡­.? Why is this happening?" I thought as my chest tightened.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time we had fought with each other¡­ but for it to happen now, after our date yesterday...


    I made to run after her but an hand closed on my wrist tightly.


    ?All of you, out of here! Think about what we spoke about today. We¡¯ll see each other tomorrow again and make a decision.?


    Celeste had spoken in her ''I''m not accepting any objections'' tone. In an instant the room began to empty itslef. Penny and Nicole gave me a small pat on the shoulder before leaving me alone with her.


    ?Celeste¡­ I need to go to-?


    ?Let her cool off a bit, you should also do the same,? my friend said, pointing towards the chair next to me.


    ?I¡­ but Sophia¡­?


    "I really don¡¯t want to leave her alone now¡­ after what she told me this morning especially."


    But as I looked as Celeste face and saw how serious she looked I couldn¡¯t help but comply with her request.


    "Rationalising what has happened might help me deal with it better... my heart is still beating wildly... I need to calm down a bit before I face her."


    ?She is not a child. I know you want to go and make up with her... but let''s think about what just happened and talk about it first. I''m kind of worried about her, Liz,? Celeste said, taking a seat at the table herself.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ?It''s my fault, I spoke without thinking again. I''ve been worrying her a lot lately. Bringing up dangerous plans like I did today wasn''t very tactful.?


    As much as I wanted to believe that I had done the right thing, I couldn''t help feeling bad about the effect my actions had had on my girlfriend.


    ?Like I said, she''s not a child, Liz. You shouldn''t excuse her behaviour just because she''s your girlfriend. I don''t think you''ve done anything wrong and I''m sure she knows that too. That''s why she ran away, she was probably really ashamed. Poor girl, she looked so out of it... she probably didn''t even know what was going through her head when she was yelling at you,? Celeste replied, her eyes full of worry.


    ?And you do?? I asked.


    Lately I''d noticed that Celeste wasn''t as good with people as I''d first thought.


    ?Well, I''ve been spending a lot of time with her lately. You know, setting up your date,? she said, a faint smile lighting up her face.


    ?Yeah... thank you. I''m really grateful!?


    ?Don''t worry about it. Anyway, I got to know her a lot better because of it. And I''ve seen some sides of her that I didn''t expect,? Celeste continued, looking at me intensely.


    I couldn''t help but feel a tinge of annoyance at those words. It was childish, but the thought of someone else getting a glimpse of what Sophia was really like made me feel a tiny bit jealous.


    ?So why are you worried?? I asked, trying to change the subject.


    ?She seems perfect, doesn''t she? Strong, beautiful, brave, sharp and steadfast. I never thought I''d say this, but... even I am a bit envious. If it wasn''t for my magic I really wouldn''t hold a candle to her.


    But when you get to know her, she''s also kind of cute and silly. I find it really endearing that she is so easy to tease and embarrass.?


    The ugly feeling inside me increased tenfold.


    ?Do you have a crush on her or something?? I asked in a harsh tone.


    I immediately felt bad. Celeste was worried about her friend and here I was, playing the jealous girlfriend part. For a second Celeste looked at me in surprise, but then her expression changed to one of mischief.


    ?What would you do if I had one?? she said teasingly, looking me straight in the eye.


    But before I could answer, she burst out laughing and reached across the table to pat me on the cheek.


    ?You two really are kind of alike after all! Relax... I''ve never actually been interested in anyone like that... if we don''t count Aldric, I guess. But anyway... I consider her a dear friend, that''s why I''m worried.?


    ?I am so sorry, it seems that Sophia is not the only one who is not thinking clearly today.?


    ?It can''t be helped... we are all on edge lately. But that''s why I''m especially worried about Sophia. As perfect as she looks, even I can tell that she''s carrying some kind of burden. Something she is desperately trying to keep hidden. But that''s the problem. People like her... who try so hard to hide their weaknesses and put up a brave front, are the ones who make the biggest mess when they inevitably crack,? she said, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly.


    "It really sounds like she''s talking about herself."


    I still didn''t quite understand Celest but Sophia... I knew very well the burden she had carried all her life. The scorn she had received from the people she loved the most had left some deep scars in her heart. Scars that I had tried to slowly close with my affection for her. But by finally having someone at her side, Sophia had also discovered a new emotion, something she had never had to deal with before: the fear of losing someone you love. In this high-stress environment, it wasn''t surprising that she couldn''t handle it.


    "I should do what I can to help her cope with it... just like she helped me get over my bad thoughts. And I should really watch my big mouth from now on. I have to remember that my girlfriend is much more sensitive than she likes to show to people."


    ?I understand Celeste. Thank you for telling me this, I''ll do what I can.?


    Celeste nodded but did not seem reassured by my words.


    ?I hope you''ll be able to help her, Liz. But I''m still worried. You see, it looks to me like you are the biggest weakness in her armour. If you are in danger, that girl is very capable of throwing reason out the window and doing anything to save you. Honestly... I''m afraid she doesn''t even care about getting out of here. All she wants is to stay by your side.?


    "I''m her weakness..."


    It made sense that she saw things that way. Sophia had really seemed like an unstoppable warrior at the beginning of the school year. I had thought so too. And everyone had witnessed the change I seemed to have brought about in her. The Sophia of today looked so different from the bored girl that had rose from her seat during the first day in class.


    The way she smiled and laughed so much made her seem like a whole different person. But with the good emotions came the bad. Sophia could now cry, get angry and feel defeated, just like the rest of us. And today she had shown that to everyone. Of course, people could see that as weakness. But I knew that wasn''t the case.


    Sophia, like me, had grown so much in the time we had spent together, but she had not really become a different person. The real Sophia had always been there, hidden from everyone, crying alone in a corner of her mind. I had only helped her to bring herout, just as she had done with me. Sure, it hurt sometimes, but by exposing the part of ourselves we didn''t want to see, we would become much stronger than before, I was sure of it.


    ?I see where you are coming from Celeste, but I disagree. I don''t think I''ll end up being her weakness... quite the opposite in fact. I think if I hadn''t gotten close to her, Sophia would have definitely died in this academy. That might still happen... but now there''s a chance that it won''t.?


    Celeste looked at me in confusion:


    ?What do you mean??


    ?I cant''t tell you the whole story but both she and I had... a misguided idea of what it meant to be ''strong''. I''m sure if we''d gone on like that, we would have ended up destroying ourselves. But now... now we have found it: something worth fighting for. And also: the strenght to be able to lean on each other. I think that''s what''s going to get us out of here.?


    Celeste didn''t seem very convinced.


    ?I don''t understand. Is this something about ''the power of love'' or stuff like that? It all seems so flimsy to me. But I trust you know more about her than I do.?


    ?Thank you... But really, Celeste, have you never loved anyone? I know what you feel for Aldric is not really love, but... what about Philemon?? I asked after we had been silent for a moment.


    Like the last time I asked her about him, Celeste made a dismissive gesture with her hand:


    ?I told you, it''s just an arranged marriage. He''s my childhood friend and nothing more,? she replied without hesitation.


    ?Does he feel the same way?? I asked, thinking about the scenes that had played out a little earlier in this very room.


    ?Of course he does. You don''t know him as well as I do. That guy only cares about boring stuff like the economy of the realm and defensive spells. He likes to hang around me because I''m the only one who humours him,? she replied with a smile.


    ?Hmmm... fine.?


    I was not convinced. I could tell she wasn''t telling the whole truth.


    "Either she''s deliberately looking away or she''s very bad at reading people."


    ?Alright, alright! I kind of like his serious demeanour, we strike a nice balance together, but I don''t really feel that way about him. Like I said, I''m not really sure what love is. The strongest I ever felt towards something is for magic. That''s probably my one and only true love.?


    ?That''s just like you,? I replied, deciding it wasn''t a good idea to push her any further.


    "Maybe I should talk to Philemon about this... I kind of want to apologise to him as well. I feel bad about putting Celeste in danger."


    I started to get up, but then I remembered something:


    ?Celeste... can I ask you a favour??


    ?Sure!?


    ?I want to start training with you again. This time it''s going to be something a bit more out there than gravity spells...?


    My friend''s eyes lit up immediately:


    ?Go on!?


    ?Doublecasting, is that really the limit? I''d like to see if it''s possible to go further...?


    Celeste''s enthusiasm burst like a balloon.


    ?Oh... well, in that case, I can already tell you that we will not make a breakthrough. So many mages, much more powerful than us, have tried to achieve such a thing and never succeeded.?


    But I wasn''t discouraged by her words.


    ?I still want to try. I think it could lead to some interesting discoveries.?


    ?Why?? Celeste asked, surprised by my confidence.


    "How do I answer this question? Maybe... maybe telling the truth is the right way, as always."


    ?I... can''t tell you. It''s not that I don''t trust you, believe me! But Sophia made me promise to keep it a secret.?


    "Triplecasting... mana control... that could be the key to finding out more about my new power..."


    Celeste looked at me for a second before answering:


    ?Alright, I''ll help you. Or at least... I will, if we survive our journey through the second floor. Let''s go for it tomorrow, shall we? No point waiting any longer. I''d go tonight, but I think it''s better if you spend some time with your stupid girlfriend.?


    For a second, the dark thoughts came dangerously close to overtaking me again, but I pushed them away.


    ?Of course! See you tomorrow, Celeste! And thank you!? I replied with a smile and opened the door to her room.


    ?See you! And by the way, if you want my help, you need to tell me everything about how it went yesterday!?


    ?Like what?? I asked, turning around.


    ?Like who was the top and who was the b-?


    I slammed the door behind me before she could say anything more. I let out a sigh before smiling again.


    I was certain of one thing: I definitely did not want to see Celeste crack because, if she did, it would mean that all hope was truly lost.


    <hr>


    As I turned the corner to the corridor where my room was, I breathed a sigh of relief. Sophia was sitting on the floor near my door with her back to the wall. Part of me had been worried that she would try to avoid me and hole up in her room.


    "Thankfully we''re past that now..."


    ?Hey...? I greeted her as I approached.


    Sophia, who was clearly deep in thought, was startled by my voice.


    ?Hey...? she replied in a small voice, looking at me tentatively.


    I could see clearly in her eyes that she had been crying. I really wanted to hug her right at this moment but, as Celeste had told me, Sophia wasn''t a child and I shouldn''t have treated her as such.


    ?I''m sorry I left you out here. Celeste kind of kidnapped me, but... I needed some time to think, too.?


    Sophia nodded:


    ?It''s okay, I needed to think a bit too. Elizabeth... you must be angry with me.?


    ?I am. Let''s talk about it, shall we? But not here with you sitting on the floor,? I said, holding out my hand as I opened the door.


    ?All right...? she said, taking it and standing up.


    I could clearly sense some awkwardness between us, but I was sure we''d get through it. We were both far too close now for something like this to keep us apart.


    "I''m so glad we''re mature enough to stop acting like little girls about things like this..."


    After turning on the light, we both sat down on the bed. I waited patiently for Sophia to speak.


    ?I''m so sorry, Elizabeth. I completely lost control. When you said you were going up to the second floor... I got so scared. The thought that you might be found out and killed... it was too much. And then... when you talked about going after Skylark yourself... my mind just went blank. Please tell me I didn''t hurt you,?she murmured, reaching for my neck with her hand but stopping halfway.


    ?I''m perfectly fine, Sophia. But that doesn''t mean that what you did wasn''t wrong. I''m sorry for worrying you. I also think I should have talked to you about all that stuff before the meeting. I was just on a high from yesterday and didn''t think about it, I''m sorry. But to react the way you did... I don''t want to see you doing something like that ever again. I know you were not yourself, but the way you grabbed me so violently was not okay. So... we have to prevent that from happening again. I know it''s funny coming from me... but what you told me about not bottling things up applies to you too. So, if you ever feel an outburst like the one you had is about to come out again, I want you to take my hand and walk me out of the room so we can talk about it in a calm way, okay??


    ?I understand, and I promise I''ll do that. But... please don''t apologise. I''m the only one who''s wrong here. You were right and I knew it... but I couldn''t accept the fact that you were willing to take all the risk. I didn''t think... I... was that weak-willed.?


    ?I don''t think you are weak-willed at all! My words just pushed you over the edge because you are nervous these days, you said so this morning. Do you remember what I did to you when I broke down? I hurt you back then too... much more than you did today, and I still feel so bad about it. But I know that you and I are not like that! It''s all because of this damn school... I''m kind of surprised we haven''t gone mad yet. Anyway... I forgive you and I hope you do so too! I really should have paid more attention to you, Sophia. Lately all you''ve done is take care of me... I really need to step-up my girlfriend''s game!? I said, caressing her back.


    But Sophia shook her head:


    ?I don''t know, Elizabeth... I just haven''t felt like myself lately. I also had some very bad thoughts when I left Celeste''s room... very ugly ones... I feel so ashamed.?


    I pulled her to me and hugged her. She tried to wriggle out:


    ?Don''t do this... I don''t deserve it. I''m a terrible person...? she complained.


    ?Oh come on! You sound a lot like someone we both know very well. A big pain in the ass from what I hear!?


    ?I...?


    Sophia''s body shook in my arms as her voice cracked.


    ?Tell me what you''re thinking? You''ll feel better afterwards, trust me. I can be the judge this time,? I whispered into her ear as I stroked her hair.


    It took a while before Sophia spoke again:


    ?I... thought... that it would''ve been nice if you kept leaning on me like you did the last few days. Now that you''re feeling better, I feel like you are going to slip away from me. Today you looked so strong and determined... I have the terrible feeling that you''re going to leave behind me soon. You don''t know how much I hated myself after I thought about this stuff... you were suffering so much and I...?


    I sighed at her confession.


    "Well, lately I thought about ganging up to eliminate one of our classmates... this is not so bad after all."


    ?Sophia... love sometimes brings out our ugliest parts. But... these are just thoughts, aren''t they? Our minds can wander to some dark places, but what matters is how we act in the end.?


    ?That''s what worries me... when I think about you using that power and disappearing on me... I feel like I''d like to keep you in this room forever.?


    ?How naughty of you, Sophia!? I joked.


    ?I''m opening up to you, you idiot!? but I could hear a chuckle between her sobs.


    ?Like I said... what matters is how you act. I know you''ll do the right thing in the end, Sophia.?


    ?But... what is the right thing? I told you... escaping from here doesn''t matter to me if I lose you in the process.?


    I really didn''t have a good answer for her.


    ?I... don''t know. But I think when the time comes, you''ll know what choice to make,? I said, pulling out of the embrace to wipe away her tears with my hand.


    ?That''s such a vague answer.?


    ?I know, but I trust you. Sorry if I sound paternalistic, but you have grown so much since I met you, Sophia. All this love and emotion stuff is new to you, isn''t it? I can see why the thought of losing me could really mess you up. It did the same for me in the dungeon. But as you said yesterday, I''m here now, aren''t I??


    ?Yes... you are... you are right. I''ll talk to you more often about this stuff from now on and I hope we can find a good answer together,? she said, finally smiling tentatively at me, ?Elizabeth... I''m sorry. I really behaved like a child today,?


    ?It''s fine, you put up with me and I put up with you! We are lovers, aren''t we? And anyway, I need your help. I love being with you and that is why I want to escape from here. You know how I am, without you watching over me I''ll do some reckless things. So stay by my side and speak your mind! But if you do, think hard about whether it''s the rational Sophia speaking or the lovesick one!?


    ?You''re talking like I have a split personality or something...? she commented, arching an eyebrow.


    ?Split personality... nah... you are just one messed up girl!?


    ?Thank you very much...?


    ?That''s why I love you, idiot!? I said, pulling her shirt to drag her into a kiss.


    ?Is today ''opposites'' day or something?? Sophia asked after our lips parted.


    ?Mmmh that sounds kind of fun...?


    ?Elizabeth... can you spoil me a bit today??


    ?Oh that''s a very ''Elizabeth'' thing for you to say!?

 62. An easy question

    ?Sophia... this is...?


    When she said she wanted me to spoil her, her sitting on my lap wasn''t what I expected.


    ?What? You made me sit between your legs before. This is no different,? she said, shifting her position on my legs to be more comfortable.


    But I could see from her ears that she was blushing. And so was I. For some reason this position was much more embarrassing than I thought it would be.


    ?I don''t know about this... I used to sit like this with my mum, doing it with you is kind of weird!?


    ?Well, I''m supposed to act like you now and you''re still a big baby.?


    ?Excuse me?!?


    I took advantage of the situation and attacked Sophia''s exposed sides from behind.


    ?You''re supposed to spoil me, not molest me, idiot!? she yelled, jumping up.


    When she sat on my lap again, she sat sideways instead, one arm over my shoulder, her legs dangling close to mine.


    ?Oh... this is much better!? I said, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her towards me. With my other hand I began to gently stroke her hair.


    ?See! You can be nice sometimes. Keep going,? Sophia murmured, leaning against me.


    ?As you wish, my lady,? I giggled. After her outburst earlier, I was glad I could help her relax a little.


    Sophia closed her eyes and snuggled against my shoulder.


    "So cute..."


    It was a while before she spoke again.


    ?Elizabeth... have you decided when you are going to go upstairs?? she asked in a muffled voice, her face pressed against my body.


    ?Sophia... we don''t need to talk about that now,? I replied, slowly caressing the back of her head.


    ?No... let''s talk about it. We have to. Don''t worry, I feel better now.?


    "If she says so..."


    ?Tomorrow. We don''t have much time. Assuming we find something up there, we''ll have to plan our actual escape before Penny is eliminated.?


    ?I see... I''m worried, Elizabeth.?


    ?I know you are! But I''ll be careful, I promise!?


    ?That''s not the issue... the traitor, if there is one between us, they''ll tell Skylark that you and Celeste are going there and...?


    I pushed her away a little to look into her eyes.


    ?Sophia... you''re the one who told me not to worry about the traitor!? I said.


    My girlfriend gave me a sad smile:


    ?I know... but now that things are getting serious, I can''t help but think about it. I know I told you that we should trust our companions, but... I''m really a messed up girl, like you said.?


    "Sophia... I''m not the only one with dark thoughts, am I?"


    How could I reassure her? I really only knew one way good way to cheer up. I pinched her cheeks and began to squeeze them.


    ?Hey!? Sophia complained, trying to pull herself free.


    ?Relax, you idiot! I''m going to be with Celeste, remember? Skylark''s golden child! He won''t kill us. Besides, I think he''s interested in me now because of what happened in the dungeon. If we get found out, at most he''ll put us in detention or something!?


    Sophia stopped moving, taking in my words. After a while I could see a faint smile appearing on her face:


    ?I-I think you might be right... but be careful anyway.?


    ?I will!?


    ?Can you leave my cheeks alone now?? she said, grabbing my wrists.


    ?Oh, sorry!?


    They were so soft that I kinda wanted to keep playing with them. When I let go, Sophia stood up again. I was about to do the same when she put a hand on my chest and stopped me.


    ?Sophia what...??


    My girlfriend sat on my lap again, this time facing me directly, her legs kneeling on the bed by my sides.


    "This position... it''s far too dangerous!" I thought, feeling a certain sensation brewing inside me.


    But when Sophia wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her head in my chest, the lust I could feel building up instantly melted away, smothered by her overwhelming cuteness.


    ?I''m still worried though... what are you going to do about it?? she whispered, raising her eyes to look at me.


    At that moment I really thought I was on deaths'' door and I had just seen a glimpse of heaven.


    "I repent of my perverted thoughts!"


    ?You are not being fair, I know you are acting cute on purpose... what am I going to do with you?? I replied, hugging her tenderly.


    Another long silence followed. Again it was my girlfriend who broke it.


    ?Elizabeth, if we don''t manage to escape... what are we going to do? I know I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it. But... I can''t help but think about it... what are we going to do if we''re the only two people left??


    ?Not easy questions from you today, eh? It''s such a nightmarish scenario that I don''t think my brain can handle it.?


    ?I understand... but for me it''s very simple. I would let you kill me... because a life without you would have no meaning for me, even without considering the whole ''turning into a mindless weapon'' thing.?


    Sophia pulled away from the hug a little to look me in the eyes. I could clearly see an unyielding determination in her gaze. She wasn''t saying it lightly... she would have sacrificed herself for me without a second thought. As for me... what would I have done? If my brain had no answers, my heart clearly did.


    "For both of us to die... it wouldn''t make any sense. That''s exactly why I got mad at Penny..."


    But as it turned out, I really was a big hypocrite.


    ?That''s a problem, Sophia! Because I could never hurt you even if you wanted me to! I just love you too much!?


    I pulled her back into the embrace, hugging her as tight as I could.


    ?You''re hurting me right now, idiot!? she complained, but I could feel her hug me back with the same strength.


    "I hope the day when we have to make that choice... never comes," I thought as I released her from my grip.


    ?You just had to make things gloomy! Let''s change scenery a bit, should we? We should go to dinner, Sophia. You can sit on my lap in the dining room if you like!? I joked as I motioned for her to get up.


    But before I could do anything else, Sophia pushed me down onto the bed. Suddenly I found myself under her, my wrist trapped in her steel grip above my head.


    ?Sophia, what are you...?!?


    ?You haven''t spoiled me enough yet,? she said as she looked at me, her face completely red.


    "Why is she doing this if it''s making her so flustered?"


    ?This looks like you are going to be the one spoiling me and not in a pure way! But that''s not the issue... we were just talking about some very heavy stuff... are you sure we should-?? I muttered, looking away, incredibly embarrassed due to the position she had put me in.


    ?Well... I''m still acting like you, Elizabeth! This is clearly something you would do!? Sophia said, grinning even though she had almost turned fuchsia.


    ?I didn''t pin you down like this yesterday!? I complained, still avoiding her eyes.


    My heart felt dangerously close to jumping out of my chest and hitting Sophia in the face.


    "This is... bad. I can''t even think straight right now..."


    At my words, however, Sophia let go of me immediately.


    ?Sorry! I was just joking...? she said, ?did I hurt you??


    I was finally able to look at her again. I sighed at the worry on her face.


    "This is so embarrassing, but... I have to accept what I''m feeling. She''s my girlfriend after all."


    ?I... didn''t tell you to stop.?


    <hr>


    Celeste rose from her seat to signal the start of our meeting. It was probably going to be the most important one so far. After all the bickering we had done yesterday, we needed to come to a consensus on how to proceed.


    ?So, as we decided yesterday, Liz and I will take care of the second floor issue. We''ll probably act in a couple of days, after we''ve worked out a good plan. I know you must all be worried, but leave it to us. Instead, you should focus all your attention on what will happen in the future.?


    I looked at my friend with a furrowed brow, confused.


    "I thought we decided we would go for it today."


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


    But I decided not to interrupt and to talk to her about it after the meeting.


    ?As we discussed yesterday, finding an exit is just the beginning,? Celeste continued, ?Liz has been very clear about what she thinks we should do to ensure our escape is successful. Does anyone else have any other ideas they would like to suggest??


    No one spoke.


    ?Alright. Then I''ll ask this: who''s in favour of concentrating our efforts on finding a way to deal with Skylark? Raise your hand!?


    I immediately did as she asked, as did Celeste herself. Penny, Nicole and Wilhelm in front of me soon followed. The majority had already been secured, but I still glanced to my right. Sophia smiled slightly at me as she raised her hand.


    "Thank you... I really needed it..."


    As I turned to look at Celeste again, I was surprised to see Philemon raising his hand as well. I tried to give him a smile, but the boy didn''t even seem to acknowledge it.


    "I think he hates my guts," I thought as Celeste clapped her hands.


    ?Well, that was easy!? exclaimed Celeste cheerfully, ?all right, we''ll concentrate on finding a way to kill or trap Skylark! I want you to give it your all! Squeeze your brains hard, ok? We need a big breakthrough to find something that the old fart doesn''t expect!?


    From their faces, it seemed that no one else was as enthusiastic as she was about the prospect of fighting a dangerous mage like Skylark, but everyone understood that it was a necessity.


    ?I hate to say it, but I don''t think we should confront him directly. Like him, we should use underhanded methods,? Wilhelm said after a moment of silence.


    ?Poison maybe? That''s bound to go through any kind of magical barrier!? suggested Penny.


    ?I don''t know about you, but I didn''t bring any poison in my luggage! Do you think we couldn find some conveniently laying around?? said Nicole.


    Penny thought for a moment before answering:


    ?The infirmary. There are probably some potions there that could be poi?sonous in high doses.?


    ?That''s possible, I suppose, but how would we even administer them? The professors don''t eat with us. And we can''t really go up to him and say, ''Hey, Headmaster, would you like to drink this perfectly normal cup of purple water?''? Nicole countered.


    "She''s right. Even if we could get our hands on some poison, Skylark wouldn''t be stupid enough to let us use it on him. Besides, now that I think about it, I didn''t see any room that looked like a dining hall on the second floor... I wonder where they eat."


    Meanwhile, Penny was sulking.


    ?Since you''re so smart, how about you come up with something?? she asked Nicole.


    The redheaded girl seemed taken aback by the sudden question, but soon composed herself:


    ?The way I see it, he''s a powerful mage, but he''s also a very fragile old man! Remember how Montague knocked him out with a simple shove? We could find a way to distract him, and then we could all pounce on him!?


    Nicole really did have a good memory. I had completely erased that particular incident from my mind. It was probably because Skylark had turned Montague into a pile of ashes right after that.


    The horrible smell of burnt flesh, now that I could really remember.


    "Wait... But... this doesn''t make sense!"


    Was Skylark really walking around the school without a barrier to protect himself from attacks? Especially when he wanted to tell us that we were all trapped in his deadly game?!


    I could see from the expressions on my classmates'' faces that they had realised how strange that was too.


    ?Wait... could it be that we could''ve already killed Skylark with ease all this time?? asked Wilhelm stupified.


    ?He could have activated some barriers to protect himself later... maybe he was counting on the fact that no one would try to kill him back then. You know... the killing game hadn''t really started yet,? Penny suggested.


    ?With people like Valentine among the students? No way he would be so naive,? Sophia said.


    ?But then...?


    ?There must be a trick, maybe a power that activates when he takes fatal damage or something,? Celeste said.


    We all stood silent for a second, pondering the implications of this idea. It was Philemon who spoke:


    ?In any case, it seems that physical attacks are the way to go. If that''s the case, I think we should plan a strategy based on Thornton''s power. It''s our best weapon against someone like Skylark.?


    At his words, I suddenly realised that I had made a mistake.


    "Fuck me..."


    I hadn''t considered this situation. In my mind, when I had decided that going after Skylark was the right thing to do, I had seen myself delivering the final blow to him, vaporising him with my mana. But, of course, since my allies didn''t know about my newfound power, they would look in Sophia''s direction as the perfect executioner.


    I looked at Philemon. His face was impassive as usual, but part of me couldn''t help but think that he was trying to get back at me for yesterday. But there was no way I could accuse him of that without proof. His suggestion made sense after all. Sophia''s power would''ve allowed her to cut through any kind of defensive barrier.


    ?Sure, if you manage to find an opening for me, I can be the one to deliver the final blow.?


    Sophia¡¯s tone didn¡¯t betray any hesitation. I looked at her to see a cold expression on her face. I knew that look, it was the same she had before the duels she had fought in the past. Her sword would¡¯ve come down on Skylark clasped into a steely and unwavering grip.


    "But¡­ I don¡¯t want this¡­"


    It was Skylark we were talking about, but I still didn¡¯t want my girlfriend to have to kill someone again. Besides, she would¡¯ve been in danger. If Skylark would''ve realised what was happening and hit her before she could close distance¡­ would have power saved her from the kind of spells the headmaster could cast?


    Sophia¡¯s eyes met mine and on her serious face lit up a faint smile. I could tell she was trying to reassuring me, but it wasn''t enough. Now I could really understand what my girlfriend and Philemon had felt yesterday. I wanted to jump up and found a way to object, but without breaking my promise to keep my power hidden I had no way of doing that.


    "I really really am an hypocrite, everyday I realise that more."


    Sophia¡¯s hand dangled on her side and I grabbed it, thankful. I took a deep breath before saying my piece:


    ?As Sophia said, we need to come up with a plan to distract Skylark, so we can attack him without him noticing¡­?


    ?Seems like we got a good starting point!? commented Celeste, ?we are going to start having daily meetings from now on. You are dismissed now! Sophia and Liz, stay here please!?


    I looked at her surprised: it had been a very short meeting.


    "Maybe she wants to give us some time to think..." I thought as my classmates left the room, leaving me and Sophia alone with her.


    ?I¡¯m not going to keep you here long, it¡¯s better if we all rest since we won¡¯t sleep much tonight,? said Celeste, after looking out the door and closing it.


    ?Wait... so we are going to do it tonight! But then why did you...?!? I looked at her confused while she closed the door of her room behind her. But soon thought of something that could explain her behavior and Celeste soon comfirmed it with her words.


    ?For the same reason I made them leave now... because of the possibility that one of them being a traitor. I want to keep the details of our operation a secret.?


    It was the second time in two days that someone who had previously denied his existence had mentioned the traitor.


    ?I really want to believe there isn''t one, but I can''t ignore the possibility. It would really put us at risk this time. Anyway... we will start at 3:30 am, even night owls should be asleep by then. As for where we get in... I chose the girls'' bathroom!?


    ?So much for a heroic entrance!? I commented, but I could see why she had chosen it.


    ?It''s the best place I could think of. Our rooms are well protected by barriers, even on the ceiling, and we can''t really do it in a random corridor, someone might be taking a night stroll. That leaves the bathrooms, the dining room and the classroom. The bathroom has the lowest ceiling, and no one should ever go there at night, as we all have a personal one in our rooms.?


    ?Sounds good, I assume you want me there to get rid of the barrier,? Sophia said after nodding.


    ?Yes, your power is the quickest way to do it, and you also have to stay there in case a guard patrols in there.?


    ?I see...?


    I could imagine what was going through Sophia''s mind.


    ?You want to come with us, don''t you?? I asked, looking at her worried face.


    Sophia nodded:


    ?I could help you get rid of any obstacles you might find and... we could also look for a way to deal with Skylark while we are up there.?


    Celeste seemed to consider her words for a moment, then shook her head:


    ?No. I want us to think very carefully about how we deal with Skylark. We will only have one chance. If we fail, he''ll kill us for sure. On the other hand, if things work out tonight, we can just go back up. We also have no good way of getting you to the second floor. Phase Shift is far too advanced a spell for us to doublecast it on you, so you''d have to use your power to break through the ceiling. I don''t think we could repair it in time for tomorrow.?


    She was right, a careless and hasty approach would put us in danger. Sophia seemed to understand that as well:


    ?Alright, I''ll leave Elizabeth in your care,? she sighed.


    ?Still treating me like a child, eh?? I said, giving her a little nudge with my elbow.


    But Celeste took her seriously:


    ?Don''t worry, I''ll do everything in my power to keep her safe. I know yesterday I said that we would split up to cover more ground, but I actually have no intention of doing that. We''ll stay together and use a special spell I''ve researched to stay hidden!?


    ?That''s a great relief, thank you! I hope she doesn''t cause you too much trouble.?


    ?Don''t worry, I''ll keep her on a short leash!?


    ?Now you''re talking about me like I''m an undisciplined pet!? I shouted, feigning indignation.


    I felt the nervousness that was starting to build inside me fade a little as I looked at Sophia and Celeste burst out laughing together. By the time we left the room, I really felt like everything was going to be all right. But there was still something else that was bothering me.


    ?Sophia, could you wait for me for a minute? I''ll be back soon!?


    ?Sure... I''ll wait outside our room. Is something wrong?? she asked.


    ?No, don''t worry! I just want to ask Philemon something.?


    And so, after saying goodbye to Sophia and asking Celeste where it was, I went to his room. The boy responded very quickly to my knock:


    ?Oh Belvoir, what''s going on?? he asked with just a hint of surprise when he saw me outside his door.


    I couldn''t blame him. I had never really spoken to him one-on-one, apart from when I had found him on the second floor before the battle.


    ?Nothing much, I just wanted to talk to you.?


    ?I see,? he said, gesturing for me to come in.


    His room was, as expected, extremely tidy with not a single object out of place. His desk was orderly, with his books neatly arranged in piles of the same height. I sat down on his chair while he leaned against the wall in front of me.


    ?So, what do you want to talk about??


    I did my best to keep a neutral tone and not sound aggressive.


    ?Today, when you said that Sophia was the best choice to kill Skylark, were you trying to get back at me for yesterday?? I asked.


    The boy looked at me for a second without showing any emotion:


    ?You''re very straightforward, just like Celeste said. I can''t lie, the thought did cross my mind, yes. But that''s not the reason, I really believe that Thornton is the right choice,? he replied.


    ?I see... I just wanted to make sure. I''d rather not have any resentment brewing between us. I''ve already caused Celeste a lot of trouble with Wilhelm, so...?


    ?There is no need for concern. Yesterday I got carried away. As you saw today I agreed with your idea,? he said nodding.


    I could''ve left things there, but there was something else I wanted to say.


    ?I... I still want to apologise. Today, when I thought about Sophia being in danger, I really felt terrible. You must have felt the same when Celeste suggested coming with me, so I''m sorry that she''s going to put herself in harm''s way because of me.?


    This time I clearly saw Philemon''s eyes widen before he could hide his reaction.


    ?Celeste is free to do as she pleases. That''s the way she always acts anyway,? he commented dejectedly.


    "These two obviously have at least one thing in common: denying how much they care about each other."


    ?But you worry a lot about her, don''t you?? I pressed him.


    ?Isn''t that normal between friends?? he replied calmly.


    Normally that would have been a perfectly acceptable answer, but I really didn''t think it was just that.


    "But I suppose it''s none of my business."


    I got up and headed for the door.


    ?Belvoir... wait a second,? Philemon stopped me.


    ?What is it?? I asked, looking at him.


    ?It''s kind of a personal question, so feel free not to answer. You and Thornton met at this school, right??


    ?That''s right. Why are you asking this??


    ?I''m just surprised that you decided to get so close to each other knowing what would happen in the end.?


    His words somehow reminded me of what Sophia had said to me in her room, which seemed like an eternity ago.


    ?It''s not going to happen.?


    ?But if it does... what are you going to do?? asked Philemon as calmly as ever.


    This time I found very easy to answer this question.


    ?I would die for her and she would do the same. Isn''t that normal between two people who really love each other?? I replied, turning to look at him.


    ?I... see, of course it''s normal,? he replied, nodding with the same blank expression as before.


    But this time he was too slow to hide his clenched fists behind his back.


    "Just a childhood friend, eh? He definitely doesn''t see you that way, Celeste."

 63. Piercing green eyes

    I knew it would have been a good idea to get some sleep, but I really couldn''t. The nervousness I had managed to suppress earlier began to rise again as the clock ticked towards the time we had agreed to meet Celeste. Luckily, I was at least able to find some solace and peace in my girlfriend''s arms. I only hoped that tonight wouldn''t be the last time I could enjoy this comforting feeling.


    ?Let''s go,? Sophia whispered after what seemed like a very short time.


    We walked out of the room, hand in hand, looking carefully left and right. It wasn''t against the rules to go out at night, but if someone had seen us walking at such a late hour, they would have been suspicious. So we took great care not to be followed as we made our way to the girls'' bathroom, which was on the opposite side of the school in the classroom corridor.


    Fortunately we didn''t encounter any problems. The school was completely deserted and thankfully the guards stationed at the door preventing access to the top floor didn''t have a good view of the well-lit entrance hall. When we reached our destination, we quickly went inside, slowly closing the door behind us, trying to make as little noise as possible.


    Once we had both breathed a sigh of relief, I used my wand to make some light. It looked like we were alone, but Sophia checked every single stall, just to make sure there wasn''t a guard silently waiting to ambush us.


    ?I hope Celeste doesn''t take too long, I want this to be over before any of the professors have a chance to wake up,? I murmured, leaning against the wall.


    ?Don''t worry Liz!?


    My scream of fear echoed through the bathroom before Sophia could put her hand over my mouth. My heart was pounding wildly as I looked at the corner of the room, near the sinks. Celeste was there, smiling at me, very amused by my reaction.


    ?A-are you fucking crazy?? hissed Sophia. She had managed to avoid screaming, but I could tell from her tone that she was as bewildered as I was.


    ?It''s alright, I put a muffling spell on the door, as you may have noticed from the way Liz''s musical voice echoed around,? she said with nonchalance


    ?Th-That doesn''t mean you had to try and give us a heart attack!? I gasped after Sophia had finally released me from her grip.


    ?Sorry! But I had to make sure my little secret spell was working properly!? she said. But I could tell from her smile that she was not sorry at all.


    Soon though my annoyance gave way to curiosity.


    ?That spell... you were completely invisible! That''s crazy!?


    ?That''s not entirely true, Liz. It''s not a real invisibility spell. If there is such a thing, it is definitely out of my reach, because I had to sweat blood to make this one work.?


    ?But then... how??


    ?It works by reflecting the light around me in a strange way. It''s rather rough, and if you''d been looking straight at me in a well-lit room, you''d definitely have noticed me. But for sneaking through some dimly lit corridors it should be fine,? she explained to me, ?I''ll show you how it works tomorrow if you want, right now we have to get to work!?


    Celeste opened the door to the closest stall and waved Sophia inside.


    ?I''m going to levitate you up there, Sophie. Give the ceiling a light tap, please. I''ll fix the barrier when we get back, so try not to damage it too much!?


    ?Are you sure Skylark won''t know it''s been broken?? I asked worriedly as my girlfriend complied and climbed onto the toilet.


    ?It''s fine, don''t worry, it really just seems like an ordinary protective barrier to me, unlike the crazy stuff that defends the floor of the entrance hall.?


    ?Alright...?I murmured, not really convinced, as Sophia was lifted into the air at Celeste''s wand command. Soon the tip of her sword touched the ceiling. Sophia moved it in a circular motion, as if drawing something.


    ?It should be done,? she said.


    ?It looks like it,? Celeste said, lowering her back to the floor, ?alright, I''ll go first, Liz! I think we''re going to turn up in a corridor and not in Skylark''s shower, but still... I''ll activate the cloaking and muffling spells as soon as I''m out!?


    I nodded as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I raised my hand in her direction and whispered:


    ?Levitate.?


    Just like Sophia, Celeste''s slowly rose into the air. When her head reached the ceiling, it went straight through. Not being able to see her upper half, I could no longer control my spell very well, but it felt like she was also doublecasting it to drift in the right direction.


    Soon she was completely out of sight.


    ?Elizabeth...? Sophia began.


    ?I know, I''ll be careful. If a guard shows up, don''t do anything stupid, ok?? I said, wrapping my arms around her neck.


    ?Don''t worry, I''ll just get them to take a nap.?


    I gave her a quick kiss before letting her go. Without looking back I went into the stall and closed my eyes.


    "I''ll do whatever it takes to come back to you."


    I clenched my fists, trying my best to concentrate as much as I could. Doublecasting while using Phase Shift wasn''t going to be easy, but I wasn''t going to end this night stuck halfway inside the ceiling.


    ?Levitate,? I whispered again, and then, ?Phase shift.?


    The familiar sensation of being dropped into icy water sent shivers down my spine, but my mana didn''t tremble.


    "This... is strangely easy," I thought as I began to move through the solid stone.


    Maybe, after all the hardships I had gone through, I had actually managed to improve as a mage.


    "It kind of hurts that Skylark''s game is serving its purpose."


    Soon I felt myself emerging into a new environment. When I was about halfway through, I heard Celeste say.


    ?Almost there, Liz.?


    And just like that, I was out, this time with my skirt fully intact. I opened my eyes and found myself in a dimly lit corridor. Looking at the portraits on the wall, I faintly remembered being here on my last visit to the second floor. Something was off though. It was almost as if I was looking at my surroundings through a very thin veil of water.


    "It must be the effect of Celeste''s spell."


    ?We should be able to talk safely as long as we keep our voices down. Just don''t scream. The muffling spell is much weaker if it is not cast on solid walls,? Celeste whispered.


    ?Just don''t try to scare me like you did before and I won''t.?


    But I could see from her face that I had no reason to warn her. Celeste had gone into her serious mode. I could imagine what was going through her mind. Even though we had her spells to protect us, we still had to tread lightly. Who knew what horrors awaited us up here if a traitor really had tipped off Skylark.


    "At least, thanks to Celeste, he shouldn''t know that we''ll be here tonight. But he might still have taken some precautions."


    ?Should we get going?? I asked Celeste, trying to speak as quietly as possible.


    Celeste motioned for me to wait. At my inquisitive look she replied:


    ?I''m doing what I should have done the last time we came up here, if I hadn''t been such a crybaby. I''m checking for defensive spells around us, give me a minute,? she whispered.


    ?Alright.?


    Part of me wanted to help her, but I didn''t want to risk anything bad happening. I really had no idea what advanced magic barriers were capable of. For what I knew, probing them with my mana without caution could have set off an alarm.


    "Better leave this to a professional," I thought, looking at Celeste who was now standing still with her eyes closed.


    My gaze soon moved to the end of the corridor. As the minutes passed, I began to fear that a whole platoon of guards would descend upon us. But the second floor remained in deep silence till Celeste spoke again:


    ?Alright. I have a pretty good idea of what we should be looking for now,? she said giving me a confident look.


    ?What have you found?? I asked, hopeful.


    ?The rooms around us have the same kind of protection as ours. That''s normal, since the professors likely sleep up here. But there''s something strange. The ceiling is extremely well protected, just like the floor of the entrance hall.?


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "The ceiling..."


    What was the weakest point of the Academy''s defences on the first floor was the strongest on the second. Why did they cut corners down there and go all out up here? There could only be one reason. What they wanted to protect was...


    ?A third floor!? I exclaimed.


    ?Shhh!? Celeste hissed with an angry look that rivalled one of Sophia''s.


    ?You''re right though,? she continued after I gave her an apologetic smile, ?I know it''s been a long time, but if you remember what the school looked like from the outside, it was clearly a 3 storey building!?


    "That''s right... I''ve been locked in here for so long that it had slipped my mind."


    ?So, on this third floor...?


    ?There must be a teleport seal that leads to the underground part of the school! Or maybe there''s a very long starway. Either way, we need to hurry and find a way to get up there!? said Celeste.


    "A way up there..."


    ?The roof! Since the ceiling is so well defended here, we could go down from up there instead!?


    My idea seemed to pique Celeste''s interest, but after a moment''s thought she shook her head:


    ?There''s no way they haven''t thought of that!? she said.


    ?You say that... but we just sneaked into the second floor using one of their oversights!? I countered.


    ?You may be right or... maybe not. Maybe they''ve concentrated all their defences on the third floor because they know there''s nothing of value down here. Either way, we''ll have to check later. For now, since we are up here, we should do our best to find the real entrance. There must be one, after all the guards used it!?


    ?You''re right, let''s get on with it,? I said.


    While we were on the second floor it couldn''t hurt to check. I really doubted the guards were phasing through the roof to get up there. Just like Celeste had said, there had to be another way in.


    But as we slowly made our way through the corridors of the second floor, I realised that we really had no good leads.


    ?What if the entrance is in Skylark''s room or something??


    ?Thinking like that will get us nowhere,? Celeste replied dryly.


    "She''s right, I''m letting my innate ability to always think of the worst outcome get in the way."


    Clenching my fists in concentration, I began to expand my mana. Very carefully, I began to examine each of the doors on our sides, looking for enchantments.


    ?I''ll check the doors Celeste,? I said, ?concentrate on the ceiling again, maybe we can find a weak spot or something.?


    ?That''s the spirit!? she whispered, giving me a little nudge.


    "That''s a no, and so is that one over there."


    Every door seemed to be locked by the same mysterious force that protected our rooms.


    "All these rooms... there aren''t enough professors to fill them."


    The first time I had been up there I had no way of checking if anyone was living in them, and the second time the whole floor had been emptied, making it impossible to know either.


    "I suppose the guards sleep here too. When I discovered that there was an underground section, I thought for sure that there was going to be barracks down there, but..."


    I stopped. The door on our left did not seem to be blocked by any kind of magical barrier. I poked Celeste in the arm and pointed towards it. After nodding, my friend cautiously approached it, waving her wand and whispering. After a few seconds, she looked at me as she grabbed the handle.


    ?Alright, let''s go,? she said before opening it and entering the room.


    As I followed her I couldn''t help but feel disappointed. It was the same classroom that myself, Sophia and Amy had surveyed the last time. I didn''t waste any time, though, and closed the door behind me, making sure to make as little noise as possible. After I had done that, Celeste pointed her wand at it again.


    ?Alright, I closed it. If anyone approaches, we''ll hear them coming and we can hide again,? she said as the tiny veil around us dissipated.


    ?I don''t think staying here is going to do us any good. This is the strange looking classroom we told you about during the first alliance meeting, Celeste.?


    But my words didn''t seem to faze her enthusiasm.


    ?You were in a bit of a hurry last time, weren''t you? Maybe you missed something,? she replied, looking under one of the desks.


    ?You''re right,? I said, doing the same, ?sorry for always being a downer.?


    ?It''s okay, I think being pessimistic can be helpful sometimes. Don''t worry though, I always try to see the glass half full.?


    ?Of course you do.?


    We made quick work of the desks and benches and moved to the bookshelf at the side of the room.


    ?Is this where you found the book Skylark wrote?? asked Celeste, moving her glowing wand over the worn covers.


    ?Yes, it''s this one,? I replied, pointing to the huge volume entitled ''Advanced Magic Theory''.


    ?I see. From the titles, these books don''t sound like anything you''d find in a normal school. Anyway, we should have a look. Maybe there''s a secret passage behind the bookshelf!?


    ?Do you think we are in some kind of old school mystery novel or something?? I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Nevertheless, I helped to take all the books out of their shelves and to go through them quickly. After all, we were grasping at straws. Predictably, nothing came of it.


    But there was one last place to check.


    ?Any idea what this stuff could be used for?? I asked, picking up and examining one of the ominous looking tools on the desk.


    ?Looks like a syringe... playing doctor maybe?? said Celeste, looking at the strange contraption of glass made of glass spheres in front of her.


    ?...?


    Somehow, the idea of this stuff being used by Skylark for some kind of strange kink was even more sinister than a human experiment. I put down the syringe with a sigh:


    ?What now??


    But Celeste, bent under the desk, didn''t answer me.


    "What''s wrong with her?"


    ?AH!? she suddenly shouted, making me do the same.


    ?Can you fucking stop doing this?!? I yelled, grabbing her arm.


    ?Oh, sorry! I cast the muffling spell on the room anyway, so it''s okay!?


    ?It''s not!... why did you scream?? I asked, pressing a hand to the left side of my chest.


    "I swear, every moment I spend with this girl shortens my life span..."


    But I barely had time to formulate that thought when Celeste said:


    ?I found something.?


    Her tone was serious. Bending down at her side, I discovered that what she had found was what looked like a magical seal, inscribed under the desk.


    "What...? Was this thing there last time?"


    Sophia had told me that she had looked in every corner of the room, could she really have missed something so conspicuous?


    "No way... but then..."


    Could it be that it had been drawn recently? But for what purpose? It certainly wasn''t a teleport.


    ?Celeste, what does it do??


    ?Only one way to find out.?


    Before I could warn her not to, her wand had already touched it.


    ?Are you out of your mind?!?


    ?Don''t worry, I doubt something this small can be dangerous.?


    But as she said it, the room around her began to shake.


    "Great..."


    Luckily we were not buried under a shower of rocks. Instead, in the corner of the room, a staircase began to emerge from the wall, just as a passage began to open in the ceiling.


    ?Did you say something about old school mistery novel?? asked Celeste.


    But there was the same dumbfounded expression on her face that I was sure was on mine.


    ?This... was way too easy,? I muttered.


    ?I think so too. Do you want to go back for today and talk about it with the others??


    I was about to agree when something inside me lit up. Curiosity? No... it was much more than that. Something told me that the truth I had searched for so long was waiting for me at the top of those stairs.


    ?No. If Skylark knows we''re here and is inviting us upstairs, we''re already trapped. This is a one-time chance, we have to move forward.?


    ?Well said!? chirped Celeste as she started walking towards the newly opened passage.


    "It didn''t take much to convince her... looks like she wanted to go up herself after all."


    ?Besides, that seal might have always been there. Maybe it was hidden by a spell last time,? she said looing up the stairs.


    ?I guess...?


    If the staircase we were ascending was frequently used, it made sense that its entrance was easily accessible. But I still couldn''t shake the feeling that we were being steered through a predetermined path like lab rats. But as I had said to Celeste, there was no point in retreating now.


    The new environment we emerged into was a small room lit by a pair of torches. Three doors opened on each side of the room. Just by looking at them and the walls, I could easily tell that the atmosphere on this third floor would be different from the rest of the school. Instead of the pompous marble walls decorated with tapestries and portraits, we were looking at cold grey stone bricks. And rather than the elegantly carved mahogany doors, we were faced with ones made of rough wood.


    ?Pick your poison, Liz,? Celeste said.


    ?Why do I have to choose...?... Fine, let''s go right.?


    ?''Aight! Just give me a second.?


    My friend approached the door and pointed her wand at it, just as she had done before.


    ?All clear.?


    ?No security measures?? I asked, stunned.


    ?None.?


    Things were getting stranger by the minute. But as we entered the room, I understood why this particular room was unprotected. What we had in front of us looked like a normal dining room. Although smaller than the one on the first floor, it was still quite large, enough to seat about 100 people.


    "That''s a lot more than the guards and the professors put together..."


    But an abnormally large dining hall wasn''t exactly what I was hoping to find on the mysterious third floor of the Academy.


    ?Should we check this place out as well?? I asked Celeste.


    ?No, we''re running out of time. Let''s check out the other rooms first, we can always come back here.?


    Back at the starting point, Celeste started probing the central door. Just like last time, there was no magic barrier defending it.


    "Please let it be an exit" I thought as I followeder inside it.


    I immediately realized my wish was not going to be granted. But that room was definetly way stranger the previous one.


    ?What the hell is this?!?


    The room was circular and sloped towards the centre, with four flights of stairs leading up to it. Between them were a multitude of chairs, accompanied by small desks. These surrounded the centre of the room, giving a good view of it from all angles.


    Straight in the middle was what appeared to be a table made of hard stone. At its ends were shining chains, whose purpose was instantly obvious to me. To complete the ominous picture, near the stone table was a smaller, wooden one with the same strange-looking tools on top that we had seen in the classroom below.


    ?This doesn''t look like a nice place,? muttered Celeste as she descended the stairs towards the centre.


    ?Is this where... they experimented on Aldric?? I asked, knowing the answer.


    Celeste pointed her wand at the creepy looking stone bed.


    ?It''s safe, we can get closer.?


    And so we did. I was horrified to see that, along with the strange syringes and beakers, there were other tools on the little table: tiny scissors and scalpels.


    ?I knew things were bad... but this is...?


    ?Look, there''s a cabinet in the corner,? Celeste said, pulling me out of the pit of despair I was about to fall into.


    Near the cabinet was another desk, identical to the one under which we had found the seal.


    "This room, more than a laboratory... looks like another classroom."


    Were people observing whatever torture Aldric had been subjected to?


    ?Fuck me!? cursed Celeste, looking into the cabinet, ?There''s way too much stuff in here for us to check today...?


    ?We have to at least try...?


    ?Do you think whatever is in these papers will help us escape?? asked Celeste, turning to me.


    ?I don''t know, but we''ve only got one room left, so we might as well check some of this stuff quickly. We should have at least an hour before even the early birds think about waking up.?


    ?Alright... I actually wanted you to convince me, because I''m very curious too. Like I said, great minds think alike,? Celeste said with a slight smile.


    As I helped her carry a huge folder full of files to the lectern, a smaller book caught my eye.


    ?Let''s start with this one, since it''s small,? I said, grabbing it as well.


    ?Sure!?


    As she turned the first page, we were immediately greeted by a photo of a girl our age.


    ?Robin Arton... Role: candidate.. this is like the Aldric file!? exclaimed Celeste, giving me an excited look.


    ?Yeah, it must have come from here... I don''t remember ever seeing this girl around, so these must be the older students'' files.?


    ?You''re right!? said Celeste, quickly flipping through the pages. As she did so, it quickly became clear that the students smiling at us from them were not our classmates.


    "But they died here anyway, just like them..."


    I was about to tell Celeste to close it when her hand stopped moving and she suddenly looked petrified.


    ?Celeste what-?


    But when I looked at the page she had stopped on, everything became clear: a girl with piercing green eyes and long black hair was staring at me from it.

 64. Harsh truths

    I froze, just like Celeste.


    "What?!"


    There was no way I wouldn''t recognise those eyes, I loved them way too much.


    For a second I was convinced that my girlfriend''s file had somehow found its way between the older students'' ones. But when I looked more closely at the girl in the picture, I realised that wasn''t the case. The resemblance was uncanny, but she definitely wasn''t Sophia. Her features were softer and less sharp, her nose shorter and her lips fuller. Her dazzling smile exuded a carefree air that I had never seen on Sophia''s face, not even in our happiest moments.


    But then... who was she?


    A terrible sense of foreboding began to dawn on me as my eyes moved to the text at the side of her picture. When I read the name written there, my heart skipped a beat.


    Name: Alice Thornton.


    "No... this can''t be real..."


    I looked desperately at the rest of the file, hoping that something would contradict the horrible idea that was raging in my mind.


    Status: Noble (First Daughter of Baronets)


    Rank: Candidate


    Special Ability: Arcane Blade


    Description: The subject is able to imbue weapons with multiple, extremely powerful enhancements that cannot be replicated by ordinary magic.


    Evaluation: Aside from her special ability, the subject has incredible melee combat skills, along with a high mana capacity and excellent spellcasting prowess These aspects, combined with her great mental strength, make her an extremely capable duelist and an interesting prospect for the project.


    ?No way...? I heard Celeste murmur at my side.


    She was covering her mouth with her hand, a look of dismay on her face. She, too, had realised what this page file meant.


    I had always thought that the fact that the victims of this twisted game were forgotten was one of the worst things about it. Not only were people losing their lives, but they were also being robbed of the chance to be mourned. But never once did it occur to me that among all those forgotten souls there might be someone dear to me or to the people I cared about. Everything was so much easier to accept when it didn''t affect you personally after all.


    But now I had to face the truth.


    An uncanny resemblance that could only be between close relatives. The fact that she was the first child of baronets. These were overwhelming clues, pointing in a clear direction: Alice Thornton was Sophia''s older sister. A sister she had forgotten all about.


    And the worst part was that it made so much sense.


    I gripped the edge of the desk with such force that my fingers began to hurt, my mind racing between all the strange aspects of Sophia''s past that could be explained by Alice''s existence.


    Sophia had always said that she didn''t remember many aspects of her childhood. At first I had thought that trauma had caused her to block some of her most painful memories. But, thinking about it, that didn''t really make sense. After all, she seemed to remember the worst events very well, like all the nasty things her parents had said to her. Instead, the pleasant memories were the ones she couldn''t recall very well: the person who had taught her the relaxing melody she had hummed into my ears during our date, the person who had always brushed her hair when she was little, the reason she had become passionate about swordmanship despite being a sickly child.


    She hadn''t forgotten those memories. They had been stolen from her. And that wasn''t the end of it.


    Why had Sophia suddenly been shunned by her parents when, according to her, they had never minded the fact that she had no talent as a mage?


    Now the answer was clear: the true heir of the Thornton family, a brilliant mage and fighter called Alice, had vanished into thin air, leaving everything on Sophia''s shoulders.


    I slammed my fist on the table as tears of angers started to flow from my eyes. The sound startled Celeste but, instead of scolding me, she passed a arm over my shoulders.


    It was just too cruel and unfair. All the hardships Sophia had endured in her life were not the result of simple misfortune. No, the malevolent shadow of the Academy was to blame. Not only was it threatening to rob her of her future, but it had also sullied her past. It had deprived her of the happiness to which she was entitled.


    ?Liz... we should go. I don''t think going through this stuff is going to help us,? Celeste whispered quietly.


    ?Have we run out of time?? I asked.


    I had lost track of it. For all I knew, it could have been hours since we''d opened the book. Fortunately, Celeste pulled out a pocket watch.


    ?It''s 4:35,? she said after opening it.


    ?Then we should have at least an hour,? I said, wiping away my tears.


    ?That''s not the point... I can already tell that whatever we find here will only make us angrier and sadder.?


    The fact that was someone as naturally curious as Celeste was saying those words really put into perspective how bad our situation was. This tiny file book had already crushed our spirits. What horrors awaited us in that huge folder on the side? Probably something worse than I could imagine.


    I clenched my fist so tightly that my nails dug into the palms of my hands.


    "But... I can''t just look away. It will be painful, but I need to know the whole truth. I need to see the extent of the crimes Skylark and his allies have committed so that I can tell everyone if I get out of here alive. I owe it to their victims."


    I took out my wand and pointed it at Alice Thornton''s file.


    ?Duplicate.?


    Copying an entire book with magic was impossible. The result would have been a volume of blank pages. But this single file... I had to take it with me, no matter what.


    Celeste looked at me in surprise:


    ?Liz... are you planning to show it to Sophia?? she asked.


    ?Yes,? I replied dryly.


    ?But... why? You''ll just make her suffer... it''s better if she doesn''t know."


    Celeste and I really did think alike. But I''d promised myself, after what happened in the dungeon, to stop with lies and half-truths.


    ?She has the right to know.?


    But that wasn''t the only reason. That girl, Alice Thornton, I couldn''t bear the thought of her being forgotten. I had no way of knowing for sure, of course, but part of me wanted to believe that she really did love Sophia. I had always found it strange how my girlfriend had managed to remain kind and not lose hope despite everything she had been through. The idea that some part of her still remembered that someone in the past had really cared for her was somewhat comforting.


    Celeste seemed to understand I was not going to budge and sighed.


    "Don''t worry Alice, I''ll take care of her from now on," I thought as I closed the book.


    But after a second I opened it again.


    "Wait a minute..."


    Role: Candidate.


    We had only saw students been classified as such. But were there really no other options? My experience suggested it was unlikely. I turned the pages we had quickly scanned before, paying more attention. And then I saw it:


    Name: Robert Stilton


    Status: Commoner


    Rank: Fodder


    Special Ability: None


    Evaluation: Nothing of note.


    Fodder. That was a word that should never have been associated with a human being.


    ?So that''s it... some people are just brought here to be killed,? Celeste commented bitterly.


    But the most important question still remained unanswered: why?


    I closed the book and moved the huge folder of files in front of us. Something told me we''d find the answer in that huge collection of papers. I turned the cover and looked at the first document in the collection. I immediately recognised the elegant handwriting that had invited me to the Academy many months ago: Skylark''s.


    Duelcrest Project, Guidelines for Participants


    The first part of the Duelcrest Project will last a total of 6 months. The entire future of the experiment depends on this crucial phase, as does the survival of our realm.


    Extreme confidentiality will be required of each participant in the study. Each researcher will be required to live on the Academy premises for the duration of the first phase.


    Wages, living expenses and equipment will be covered by the Royal Treasury and will be exempt from taxation.


    Specimens will arrive daily at 8 am. As most of these individuals are dangerous criminals and other undesirables, great caution is advised during testing.


    Testing begins at 10am and ends at 7pm with a lunch break in between.


    A sleeping spell will be applied before each experiment to ensure the safety of the operators. Results should be clearly described in the following documentation.


    Bodies will be disposed of by the Academy staff.


    It was worse even than I thought. It seemed that this deadly game we''d been trapped in was just the tip of the iceberg after all. Something had happened before we had been locked inside the school.


    "So they used convicted criminals for their experiments because nobody would care if they disappeared..."


    If the ominous-looking table next to us wasn''t enough of a clue, the part about ''disposal of bodies'' left no room for imagination as to what such ''experiments'' entailed.


    ?The survival of this realm... what does that mean?? I asked Celeste.


    ?Maybe it''s about the Demon King. Aldric defeated him after all. Maybe all this crap started because of him.?


    ?That''s true...?


    But I wasn''t convinced it was all. I could accept that answer for what had happened in the past, but what about now? The Demon King was long dead, so why were we trapped here? Why did they need another Aldric?


    "Maybe they got news that he''s coming back..."


    I turned the page, lost in my own thoughts. The new file in front of me was lapidary.


    Test n.1


    Result: Failed


    Observations: Subject died before valuable data could be collected.


    As much as I had expected it, seeing those words describing a murder so coldly rekindled a deep, seething rage within me.


    "Bastards."


    I turned the page again and an identical document greeted me. My hands trembled. Would this huge binder be filled with identical-looking pages that dismissed the loss of a human life as if they were talking about the weather?


    It took a while before I came across something new.


    Test no. 32


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Result: Failed


    Observation: Subject died before valuable data could be collected.


    Suggestion: Use healing spells to prolong the life of the test subject.


    ?Took them long enough to change their approach,? Celeste commented in a disgusted tone.


    The pages began to repeat themselves again. When I finally stopped and read what had changed, a deep nausea began to rise in me, replacing the rage.


    Test no. 85


    Result: Failed


    Observation: The subject woke up during the procedure. Before their almost immediate death, our instruments registered a spike in activity.


    Suggestion: Perform the experiment while the subject is conscious.


    This was no longer just evil, it was downright inhuman.


    "But why....why subject people to this?! What were they measuring?"


    These documents were very vague, almost as if they had expected us to sift through them. I continued to leaf through them, almost feverishly. I had to make sense of this unprecedented level of cruelty.


    But I had no luck.


    Test no. 125


    Result: Failed


    Observation: the subject quickly lost their senses due to pain. The spike of activity from the previous test was also recorded this time.


    Suggestion: Keep the subject conscious by using stimulation and healing spells. Strike a balance between pain and relief.


    So not only were they inflicting some kind of incredible pain on them, they were also trying to keep them alive and alert.


    "This is like reading a torturer''s diary."


    I really, really wanted to stop. The words Skylark had said to me in the infirmary were now ringing in my ears.


    "If you think that finding out the truth will help you, you are again sorely mistaken."


    Was this what he meant? Had he allowed us to come up here and examine these documents, knowing that despair was the only thing we would find in them?


    But I couldn''t stop. A new page turned and I was confronted with a file longer than usual.


    Test no. 173


    Result: Failed


    Observation: The subject broke the binding spell in the middle of the test. A strong light was emitted and two of the operators lost their lives. Their wounds indicate exposure to very high temperatures. The subject died shortly afterwards. An extremely high reading was taken by the instrumentation at the time. We believe that the near-death state combined with the unexpected freedom of movement was the cause of this development.


    Suggestion: Switch to physical restraints to allow the subject limited movement. Equip the operators with defensive enhancements.


    Skylark''s words had now given way to a loud ringing in my ears. My breathing suddenly became labored.


    "The thing they were testing, was it... mana release?"


    There was no way around it. A bright light on the brink of death: this description perfectly fit what I had experienced inside the dungeon. I was about to turn another page when the binder slammed shut.


    ?Stop, that''s enough, Liz,? exclaimed Celeste.


    ?Are we out of time?? I asked again, almost coming out of a trance.


    ?We still have half an hour until 5:30.?


    ?That should be enough time to check the other room,? I said as I made to open the volume again.


    But before I could, Celeste grabbed my wrist and stopped me:


    ?You''re shaking so much, Liz! Please stop, you are scaring me! You look like a ghost!?


    ?I... just want to know the truth,? I weakly complained.


    "But...Do I really want to know?"


    ?Is this truth supposed to teleport us out of here? Liz, why did we come up here?! Can you remind me?!?


    The only time I had seen Celeste so distraught was when she had discovered Aldric''s grim fate. I must have looked really bad. It wasn''t really a surprise, I felt like I could faint at any moment.


    I let out a deep sigh.


    "What the hell am I doing?"


    Of course finding out the truth was important but there would''ve been time to discover it in the future. Right now there was something else I should''ve focused on.


    ?To find a way out of this hellhole!? I replied, giving Celeste an uncertain smile.


    She struggled a bit before finally returning it.


    ?That''s right, come on, let''s check that last room and get the hell out of here. Something tells me we''ll find something useful there.?


    ?Even reading through this horror novel hasn''t dampened your optimism, has it?? I commented, making her chuckle a little.


    But inside me I still just wanted to scream.


    "Sophia... I can''t wait to cry in her arms over all this stuff."


    After putting the binder and the little book back inside the cabinet, we climbed the stairs with unsteady steps. As we entered the first small room, it was as if a deep fog had been lifted. Although I could not ignore the terrible truths I had learned, leaving that damned room was like the end of a nightmare. I leaned against the wall and breathed deeply as Celeste examined the last remaining door.


    ?It''s all clear, Liz,? she said after a bit, turning the handle.


    I followed her inside, praying that something good awaited us. The new environment was large, just like the dining room, but instead of tables it was filled with lockers and shelves of equipment and armour.


    "This must be where the guards keep their stuff."


    After checking with Celeste that it was safe, I used my wand to unlock one of the lockers. Inside I found what looked like a lab coat, a pile of books and other junk.


    "This stuff... doesn''t look like the personal belongings of a guard."


    I was sure of it now. The guards and professors were not the only ones who lived in the Academy. Hidden from our sight and trapped like us, the numerous people that had assisted in the first phase of the project were still here, studying something. Something closely related to my newfound power.


    "But that''s not important now," I thought, shaking my head and closing the locker.


    ?Liz, come here!? I heard Celeste calling me.


    I followed her voice through the labyrinth of lockers and racks to find her at the far end of the room. Where there was... nothing.


    "No... please..."


    A huge circular clearing with nothing on it. But... why was it there? A faint hope glimmered inside me.


    ?Celeste, is there a magic seal in here?? I asked, pointing to the floor.


    ?I... was waiting for you to check,? she said.


    I could see she was trembling as well. The success of our expedition would be determined in this moment. Celeste pointed her wand at the ground and... it lit up in a pattern.


    ?YES!? I couldn''t help shouting.


    Strangely though, I didn''t see any excitement on Celeste''s face as she put her wand back in its holster.


    ?What''s wrong?? I asked as fear crept in again, ?is this an illusion or something??


    ?It''s not, but... it doesn''t lead anywhere,? she said in a sombre tone.


    ?What? How is it possible??


    ?I don''t know... You see, these things work in pairs, with a mana stream running through them. Right now this one is not connected to anything...?


    ?I... see.? I said.


    I could see tears streaming from Celeste''s eyes. This was too much even for her, she was at her breaking point, I could tell.


    "But... I... don''t want to give up!"


    I had sworn that I would not waver anymore. I owed it to Sophia. I would''ve fought till there was a glimmer of hope left. I hadn''t come up here just to get served a lifetime dose of trauma.


    I moved decisively towards Celeste and grabbed her shoulders:


    ?Stop crying, Celeste. I need your big damn brain now? Okay?? I said to her as I moved a hand to wipe away her tears.


    ?I... but...? she stammered, looking away.


    ?You said it''s not connected to anything now... but that can''t be true for the past, remember? The guards came down from here, so the teleport was active after the battle.?


    A little colour returned to Celeste''s face.


    ?T-That''s true!?


    ?So there is another matching seal somewhere underground, they just cut the connection temporarily. So... would you be able to restore the flow of mana between them??


    ?I... should be able to. But I''ll need to know its exact location,? she said, nodding.


    ?Then it''s set, we just need to find out where it is!?


    ?But... how? We can''t go down without the teleport itself...? she objected. But I could see that her spirits had rose again. Celeste really was strong.


    ?We''ll find a way, we have a wise and clever leader, don''t we??


    And just like that, Celeste showed me her smile again.


    "She''s weak to compliments, eh?"


    ?You''re right! Now we really have to get out of here... but we found something!?


    ?Yeah! Let''s go, we have to tell the others!?


    I grabbed her hand and together we started walking at a steady pace towards the exit.


    ?Liz...?


    ?Yes??


    ?Thanks. I was really about to give up... but after what happened in that awful room, you kind of surprised me. I''ll tell Sophia she''s wrong to always call you a crybaby.?


    ?It''s very nice to know that my girlfriend speak well of me...? I replied sarcastically as I opened the door, ?but I guess it''s all thanks to her. I just wouldn''t be able to face her if I started moping around after all she''s done for me.?


    ?I see... maybe I should really start believing in the power of love.?


    ?Shut up...?


    As we descended the secret stairs, I couldn''t help but think that despite the high we were feeling, things weren''t looking too good. Not only had we discovered how vile the Academy''s actions had been in the past, but our escape plan was looking as unlikely as ever.


    "And I also need to talk to Sophia about her sister... I need to support her as much as I can."


    But as Celeste had said before, my negative attitude would get me nowhere.


    "I need to concentrate on getting out of her, first thing."


    I half expected to find a welcoming party of guards waiting for us at the foot of the stairs. Fortunately, the classroom-like room was completely empty.


    "I still can''t believe how easy this was."


    Covering up the traces of our visit proved to also be easy. With a touch of Celeste''s wand on the tiny hidden seal, the stairs disappeared into the wall as if they had never existed. After casting the cloaking and muffling spell, my friend unlocked the door and we slowly stepped back into the corridors of the second floor. I could see light filtering through the doors. Morning had come, and with it the sound of early birds waking up. Luckily we were able to retrace our steps back to our point of entry before anyone could come out of their room.


    ?Go first, Liz,? Celeste said, pointing to a spot on the floor.


    A small light shone from it.


    ?Is that...??


    ?A seal, don''t worry I''ll erase it before we go. I just didn''t want us trying to go through the wrong place.?


    ?Alright... please follow me immediately.?


    ?I will, don''t worry.?


    I closed my eyes and stepped onto the symbol. The second floor was becoming more animated, I had to hurry.


    ?Here goes nothing... Phase Shift.?


    Thanks to gravity, I immediately went through the floor.


    "Shit! I didn''t think this through!" I thought, reaching out with my hand to slow my fall . But before I could, I felt someone catch me.


    ?Elizabeth!?


    I opened my eyes to find myself in the tiny stall of a bathroom, being carried in Sophia''s arms. Her beautiful face was distorted by the worry she had felt in anticipation of my return.


    ?Sophia...? I could feel the tears beginning to flow. I pressed my face into her chest, ?Sophia!?


    "I''m really not beating the crybaby allegations."


    Sophia seemed to panic by seeing me cry.


    ?It''s okay, I''m here, everything is fine. Where is Celes-?


    Suddenly something heavy crashed down on me.


    ?OUCH!?


    Sophia and I were now both on the floor. My coveted bridal carry had been ruined.


    ?Good thing I slowed my fall at the last second,? Celeste said, getting up while massaging her bum.


    ?You call that slowing your fall?!? complained Sophia as she helped me up from the floor.


    ?Well, I had to switch off my cloaking spell in mid-air, there was a geezer walking down the corridor, you know??


    ?If only he''d trapped you upstairs so I wouldn''t have to see your stupid face again!?


    After a moment we all burst out laughing hysterically. All the nervousness, fear and pent-up emotions were washed away.


    ?I''m glad you''re both ok,? Sophia said with a smile.


    ?I told you I would protect your girlfriend! I fought Skylark in a 1-on-1 duel to bring her down safely, you know?? replied Celeste.


    ?Of course you did...?


    As always, these two were really something special when they were together. Unfortunately, this wasn''t really the moment to have fun.


    ?We should go now,? I said, wanting nothing more than to get back to the safety of my room, so that I could process everything we had discovered.


    ?You''re right. I''ll leave first, hiding with my spell. I think, in your case, people won''t suspect much if they see you coming out of the bathroom together early in the morning,? said Celeste


    ?Do you think we''re a couple of perverts or something?? I complained.


    But I had to stop because Celeste had opened the door. After a whispered "Let''s meet later" and a wink, she disappeared.


    ?I assume you have some good news to share,? Sophia commented, looking at the now closed door.


    At her words, everything came crashing down. I clenched the pocket where I had placed the file of who I was sure was her sister.


    ?What''s wrong, Elizabeth?? asked Sophia, grabbing my hand.


    ?I... need to tell you something.?

 65. Moving forward

    Even though dawn had only recently broken, the sun was high in the sky when Sophia and I entered the courtyard.


    "It may be fake, but I still love this place."


    It was here, after our duel with Owen Finch, that Sophia had let down her defences and shown me another glimpse of her true self. I remembered how surprised I had been when she had suddenly embraced me and cried in my arms. Although at the time I had already understood that she wore a mask, Sophia had still never seemed capable of that level of emotion.


    "And it''s all this damn school''s fault."


    The Sophia that was here by my side, the one who always struggled to express her feelings, was the result of the injustices she had suffered. I loved her so, so much as she was, but I still couldn''t forgive the fact that she hadn''t had the chance to grow up as a normal girl. And now I was about to tell her the terrible reason why.


    How would she react to the revelation that her horrific past had all been decided at the whim of Skylark and his backers?


    ?Elizabeth, why did we come here?? asked Sophia.


    ?Because people will leave us alone here at this hour of the morning,? I replied, sitting down on the grass.


    ?The same goes for our room. Don''t you want to relax a bit before class?? asked Sophia, still standing up.


    ?Actually I think I''d rather relax here... We always end up talking about bad things on the bed lately... I kind of want to keep that stuff out of there.?


    ?Do you think it''ll kill your sex drive or something? Because, knowing you, I really doubt it,? she said with a slight smile as she sat down with her legs crossed.


    ?I''m trying to be serious...? I said with a sigh.


    Sophia always acted like this when I was sad: she always tried to tease me to make me laugh. She really was a caring girlfriend, despite appearances.


    "I just hope I can find a good way to comfort her too."


    ?Sophia... I need to tell you something.?


    ?You already said that. It''s okay Elizabeth, don''t worry, I won''t get mad or anything, you know it.?


    "She thinks I''m about to confess one of my usual screw-ups... I wish that were the case."


    ?That''s not what I''m worried about... it''s about something we found upstairs...?


    ?I see... from the way Celeste was acting, I assumed everything went well, but... did you run into some complications? Or... don''t tell me you didn''t find anything useful at all!? Sophia asked in a worried tone.


    ?It''s not that... we actually found a teleport for the underground, or at least we think it leads there. It''s switched off at the moment but I''m sure Celeste will find a way to turn it on.?


    ?That''s great news!? said Sophia excitedly, but after a moment she turned serious again, ?What''s wrong Elizabeth?! You''re shaking!?


    ?I...?


    I had decided to tell her everything right away, but now that I had her in front of me, I couldn''t help but waver as usual. Sophia stood up and came close to me, putting an arm around my shoulders.


    ?Come on, Elizabeth. We talked about this so many times... I can see it clearly in your eyes: you saw something that really scared you,? she said, gently turning my face.


    But when she closed my lips with a kiss, the relief I thought would come didn''t.


    "Scared... that''s right, I''m scared again..."


    This time it was different though. I wasn''t afraid of dieing. I was scared of the pain I was about to inflict on the person I loved the most. Celeste was right, Sophia was clearly approaching her breaking point. Yesterday''s outburst had almost driven her over the edge, and now I was about to push her violently in that direction once more.


    "But still... I can''t stop moving forward. I feel it''s the right thing to do".


    In a reality where my freedom was being taken away from me, the only way to realise my desire to leave this world without regret was to make my own choices and accept the consequences of them.


    ?Sophia... we found a secret passage in the classroom you brought me to last time. It led to a third floor.?


    ?A third floor... I see, I remember the Academy looking like it might have one from the outside. What did you find there??


    ?A small room with three doors. Behind one was a room full of equipment. That''s where we found the magic seal that''s supposed to connect to the underground. Another was just a simple dining hall...?


    ?And the third?? Sophia squeezed my hand, sensing my hesitation.


    ?It was horrible, Sophia... it''s almost like one of those rooms where medical students look at autopsies, except... the people they cut up in there weren''t dead yet.?


    Sophia didn''t seem very shocked by my revelation. Sadly, we were used to the cruelty of the Academy by now.


    ?How do you know that''s what happened?? she asked quietly, stroking my hair.


    ?The operating table had restraints on it... and Celeste and I found a folder full of files documenting the procedures. They were experimenting on mana Sophia.?


    She pulled me closer:


    ?So you''re afraid because you manifested that power, right? Do you think Skylark will come after you even more now? Don''t worry, I won''t let it happen,? she whispered in a determined voice.


    I could tell from her tone that she would''ve split the world in two for me.


    "And I need to be able to do the same for her."


    ?It''s not that, Sophia. We found something else,? I said, pulling away from the embrace.


    ?You really like leaving me hanging, do you? Come on, spit it out.?


    She was right. I was only worrying her more by acting like this. If I didn''t have the strength to tell her, the only thing I could do was show her. I took a deep breath and pulled the copy of Alice Thornton''s file out of my pocket. With shaking hands I handed it to her:


    ?We found the files of Aldric''s classmates. This is one of them.?


    Sophia took the piece of paper from me and unfolded it. Her pupils instantly dilated in shock and I saw her already pale face lose even more colour. Her eyes darted quickly to me before returning to the file. Her grip on the paper became so strong that I was afraid she would rip it.


    ?Sophia, I-?


    I made a move to put a hand on her shoulder, but before I could, the paper actually tore off. But it hadn''t been an accident.


    ?What a load of rubbish,? Sophia said in a scornful tone.


    ?Sophia, don''t!?


    But before I could stop her, she had already torn the file into pieces. Sophia opened her hand and they fell on the green grass.


    ?Don''t what? Don''t be ridiculous, Elizabeth. I never mentioned it because I thought it was obvious: I''m an only child like you. This is clearly something Skylark put there with the intention of making me freak out,? Sophia said with a smile as she patted me on the back.


    If that was Skylark''s intention, it was clearly working. As much as Sophia had tried to keep a light-hearted tone, it was obvious how much reading that stuff had shaken her to the core. I could see it clearly in her eyes, so similar to her sister''s.


    "Denial... I should have thought that would be her reaction."


    My eyes fell to the floor, fixed on the pieces of paper. I could''ve left things as they were. Nothing really would''ve changed. The pieces would have been wiped away by a spell during the night, leaving no trace of their existence, just like Alice Thornton. If I insisted and made Sophia look at the painful truth, her heart would be probably torn to pieces like her sister''s file.


    "I swear I''ll make you pay, Skylark," I thought, clenching my fists.


    ?Sophia... when Amy died, you told me it was my duty to remember her, so-?


    ?Shut up. Don''t say another word.?


    Sophia''s carefree tone was gone, replaced by a dry, cold one. But in the midst of it, barely disguised but clearly audible, there were grief, pain and fear.


    "I hate this."


    ?You have to accept it, Sophia. Just like you told me, you can''t let the memory of your sister-?


    ?I DON''T HAVE A SISTER!?


    Sophia looked like she was about to get up and run away, but I was ready for it. Before she could move, I was hugging her from behind.


    ?Let me go!? she complained, weakly struggling.


    But as she had done for me that terrible day after the battle, I didn''t let go. Instead, my grip only tightened as I began humming softly in her ear. It was the same melody she had sung to me when we had danced together under a sea of stars.


    ?You... are so cruel, Elizabeth...? Sophia sobbed, her resistance weakening even more.


    ?I am. You can blame me for it, I don''t mind. But I can''t let you escape from reality... or you''ll lose yourself.?


    ?But... how can I accept this, Elizabeth? If this... if this is true... what about the rest of my past... what is real? What is false? Memories are what make us who we are... if I''ve been living a lie... then who am I??


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sophia gripped my hands with strength, almost as if she needed them to anchor herself to reality. Her question wasn''t an easy one to answer. After all, if the Academy had the power to erase people''s existence, what else could they do? Maybe we weren''t even really here. For all we knew, we could''ve been trapped in a dream simulation. Maybe we weren''t even real people, just some kind of organism they''d created with magic to experiment on.


    If the foundations of our reality, like the reliability of our memories, were to crumble, everything could be called into question.


    "But... we can''t afford to think about such things."


    ?Sophia... are memories really all there is? Even if you don''t remember her... she still had an effect on you, didn''t she??


    ?I...?


    ?All those dark spots in your memory, you still know they''re there, don''t you? The emptiness you feel is proof that she was there once. And that means... that song I just hummed... it was hers, surely.?


    ?You... you can''t be sure,? Sophia said, but I could hear a hint of hope in her voice.


    ?You''re right, I can''t. But, for once, I want to believe the best. I want to believe that even though she''s gone, she left you something. A sign... of her love for you.?


    It was too much for Sophia, I never wanted her to cry like that, but now that she was, I was not going to leave her alone.


    ?It''s okay Sophia, I''m here with you. Everything''s going to be all right,? I whispered to her as I held her close.


    It took a while for her crying to stop.


    ?Are you feeling better?? I asked, crawling on the grass to get in front of her.


    ?I told you not to look me in the face when I cry,? she complained, sniffing.


    ?And I said you don''t have to hide. You are still very beautiful, even with your eyes all swollen!?


    ?Shut up...? she said as I used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, ?I still... don''t know how I''m supposed to feel about this Elizabeth. I know I should feel sad since she died in here... but all I feel is fear.?


    I sat down by her side, weighing her words:


    ?I don''t think there''s any right way to feel about something like this. It''s so absurd... but I think it''s natural for you to not feel sad... she''s like a stranger to you after all.?


    "How can she mourn for someone she didn''t even know existed 10 minutes ago?"


    ?But if she really loved me like you said...?


    I put my hand on top of her:


    ?It''s okay, Sophia. Don''t feel guilty about something that isn''t your fault. It''s Skylark''s and we''ll make him pay soon enough.?


    I took out my wand and with a gesture, the pieces of paper on the ground flew into the air, rearranged themselves and joined together again. I took the repaired file and looked at Alice''s smile before handing it to Sophia.


    ?Elizabeth, this...? she murmured.


    ?I''ll help you, Sophia. When we get out of here, I''ll help you find out as much as I can about her. We''ll remember her together, just like Amy.?


    Sophia looked me straight in the eye before a sad smile lit up her face.


    ?...Thank you.?


    Sophia leaned against me and rested her head on my shoulder. We stood there in silence, looking at the file together.


    ?I wonder what kind of girl she was,? Sophia murmured after a while.


    ?If she was anything like you... a real piece of work.?


    ?Thanks a lot...? but she chuckled a bit, ?she was really strong too, I''m sure. If she really is the one who taught the sickly old me the way of the sword, she was one hell of a teacher.?


    ?I guess that''s something you took from her... thanks to you, I no longer look like an elephant in a crystal shop when I fight!?


    Sophia giggled in response. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tighter. Somehow I had managed to calm her down. So I didn''t voice the new question that had popped into my head:


    "How did Alice go out? The document speaks very highly of her, even if her innate power doesn''t seem to be very strong".


    I would have found out. I owed it to her as the person who had been so important for my wonderful girlfriend. Sophia snuggled closer to me before she spoke again:


    ?I''m scared, Elizabeth.?


    ?So am I. I still have to tell you in detail what we found in that folder-?


    ?That''s not what I meant.?


    ?Then what are you afraid of??


    ?What if... I forget you??


    I turned to find Sophia''s face pressed against me, preventing me from looking into her eyes. Her question was a legitimate one. We still have no idea how Skylark managed to erase the existence of the older victims of the Academy. Whatever it was, it still hadn''t been done to our classmates, since I still remembered Amy clearly. We also had no idea if the power he used could work on living people. The thought that the love of my life might one day wake up with no memory of me was downright terrifying. But worrying about it wouldn''t have done any good.


    ?Dummy!? I said, flicking her forehead with my finger.


    ?Hey!? Sophia complained, moving away.


    She was adorable, looking at me pouting, her eyes reddened from her crying. I took the opportunity to jump on top of her.


    ?Elizabeth!??


    I grabbed her and began to roll across the grass. When we stopped, we were side by side, holding hands.


    ?You''re such an overgrown child!? Sophia said with a little laugh.


    ?I will never let you forget me, Sophia! If I''m still alive I''ll annoy you every single moment and if I''m dead I''ll come back to haunt your dreams!? I said.


    ?Of course you will but... what if you forget me too??


    This time I was very quick to answer:


    ?Then we''ll just have to fall in love again.?


    ?You make it sound easy,? Sophia replied after a second.


    ?It is easy! Sophia... do you believe in fate??


    ?That''s a good question... I don''t know.?


    ?Neither do I. Maybe there really is a predetermined end for all of us. Maybe ours is to die together in this damn school and there''s nothing we can do about it. I can''t really know. But I''m sure of one thing... until that moment we can make so many choices that shape who we really are. And as for me... even if I end up losing my memory... I will always choose to fall in love with you no matter what.?


    I looked at Sophia''s face as she slowly turned towards me.


    ?That''s... so corny!? she said, starting to laugh louder than before.


    ?And this is how my girlfriend reacts to my very romantic confessions!? I exclaimed.


    I jokingly turned away, feigning irritation, but Sophia grabbed me and lifted me up into the air above her with no effort.


    ?Hey! I''m not your daughter, I''m your girlfriend!? I laughed.


    But Sophia''s eyes were damp again:


    ?Thank you, Elizabeth. I think if I had found out about this stuff without you by my side, I''d have definitely gone crazy. Thank you, I love you.?


    She said it with such intensity that I felt myself blushing. It didn''t help that she was holding me up like a child.


    ?I-I love you too... besides, lately you''ve been leaving me in the dirt, I really needed to gain some girlfriend points.?


    ?You''ve gained a lot today!? she said, lowering me down enough to kiss me.


    "This kiss... in this position... it''s too much!"


    ?Y-you''re being unfair...? I mumbled as she lifted me back up.


    ?Well, you better start training your muscles again if you want to fight back!? Sophia chuckled.


    I wanted to give her a snide reply, but I was too happy to see her smiling again.


    "I managed to make this work somehow... now I can concentrate on finding a way to activate the teleport."


    ?We should probably go now or we''ll miss breakfast, unless .... you''d rather have me instead,? I said with a mischievous grin.


    ?You''re such an idiot,? Sophia said as she let go and laid me gently on top of her. After she did that, I rolled off and landed back on the grass, looking up at the fake sun with a big smile on my face.


    ?Of course I am! I''m the biggest idiot in the world, so there''s no way you''ll ever forget me!?


    <hr>


    The dining room was almost deserted. As it turned out, we had been fooling around in the courtyard for far too long.


    ?Should we just skip breakfast?? I asked.


    ?Nah... we can just be late for class. I don''t think they''ve ever bothered to penalise people for that,? Sophia said, grabbing her tray.


    We sat down at a nearby table as the last few students left the room. In the past, there would have been many more latecomers, but now that almost the entire student body had been wiped out, we were in for a lonely meal. Or so we thought.


    ?Liz, Sophie! So I''m not the only one having a late breakfast!? exclaimed Celeste as she made her entrance.


    ?Guh...?


    Sophia made a strange sound that made me giggle.


    ?What happened, did you stay in that bathroom until now?? she asked, taking a seat at our table after grabbing her breakfast.


    ?What about you? Were you looking for a way to be more obnoxious than usual? Because you seemed to have succeeded,? Sophia replied.


    ?No,? Celeste said unfazed, dipping a biscuit into her coffee while I losing it, ?I just wanted to take a nap, but ended up sleeping longer than I thought.?


    ?I wish you never woke up.?


    ?Did you tell her about the file, Liz? If you did it seems to have gone well as Sophie is as pleasant as ever,? Celeste commented unperturbed.


    ?Yes...I told her everything,? I replied, wiping the tears from my eyes.


    ?What about the others? Are you planning on telling them what happened today, even though you lied about when you were going upstairs?? asked Sophia.


    ?We have to tell them. Of course we can leave out the stuff about your sister and those disgusting experiments. But we have to tell them about the possible exit we found. Our time is running out. From the rankings we should be able to save Penny this week, but that¡¯s it. On the next one we have to act,? replied Celeste, turning serious.


    The inner peace I was feeling after my talk with Sophia suddenly dissipated. But it was a good thing, as Celeste had said I had no time to rest on my laurels.


    ?Celeste, about the traitor... if we assume there is one, who do you think it is?? I asked.


    ?That¡¯s such a nasty question, Liz¡­ but I guess it¡¯s something we need to talk about. Honestly I don''t know. The only thing I''m certain of is that I would trust you two and Philemon with my life.?


    ?So it¡¯s between the other three you say?? said Sophia nodding.


    ?I don¡¯t think Penny would betray us. She was willing to die for me after all,? I intervined.


    ?So¡­ either Wilhelm or Nicole.?


    If it was between those two, there was one person I would choose with my eyes closed.


    ?I¡­ of course I don¡¯t really suspect her but¡­ I have to go with Nicky.?


    As usual, Celeste and I had the same thought. As much as me and Wilhelm and me had clashed in the past, I had never once thought he would betray us. He seemed loyal and righteous, maybe even too much so.


    Meanwhile... Nicole...


    She had never struck me as a bad person either but¡­ could I be sure about it? Even though I talked to her more than I did to Philemon and Wilhelm, I felt I didn''t really know her that well. She was a funny and clever girl with a really good memory. She was also a skilled magician who, as far as I knew, had only ever lost a duel to Celeste and Philemon. That was about all I knew about her. In fact, I had never even heard her talk about herself.


    "Maybe I could ask Penny if she knows more about her... but I don''t want her to think I suspect one of our friends."


    ?I''m going to try to get closer to her,? I said after a while.


    ?Are you sure? If she really is the traitor, you could put her on alert,? Sophia said, giving me a nasty look.


    "Of course she''s right... but I can clearly see that''s not why she said that! Man, she''s so jealous!" I thought with a strange sense of satisfaction.


    ?I''ll be careful. I just feel bad accusing her of something like this without proof. After all, we still can''t be sure that the traitor really exists.?


    ?Exactly! Think positive! Let''s go to class now, we''ll talk to the others right after,? exclaimed Celeste as she rose from her chair.


    Together with her and Sophia, I walked the corridors of the Academy, deep in thought. As much as the early hours of the day had threatened to destroy my spirits, things were starting to look up again.


    Sophia was still my strong and reliable girlfriend. Celeste was our steadfast and crafty leader. And I, somehow, had managed not to make a mess as I usually did.


    I entered the classroom with a rare smile. But that expression of joy immediately froze.


    ?This won''t do. Miss Belvoir, Miss Thornton, Miss Fitzroy, class was supposed to start ten minutes ago. You students should learn to go to bed early when we are so close to graduation.?


    Hate and despair were the only emotions left in me as I looked at Skylark''s mocking grin.

 66. Game of tag

    The glimpse of sunny skies that had opened up in my mind was immediately smothered by dark clouds, foreboding a storm, as I found the Headmaster standing before me. My hatred for this man had increased to unbearable levels because of what I had discovered in those terrible documents. I could feel myself wavering between the urge to vomit and the desire to punch him right in his stupid, mocking smile. But sadly, I knew I couldn''t afford to do either. So I let Sophia lead me up the stairs, to the back rows of the classroom. As we climbed, Skylark''s words kept echoing in my head. Their subtext was so obvious it was almost insulting:


    "He knows."


    Skylark knew what Celeste and I had been doing last night, and he wanted to make sure we were aware of it.


    "But then... why did he let us do what we wanted? Why didn''t he stop us?"


    Maybe he really just wanted to scare us and to give us false hopes of escape.


    "And... how did he find out? Even if he has a mole among us, he shouldn''t have known that we would act today, thanks to Celeste''s trick."


    As I sat down, I glanced at her to my right. She gave me one of her usual winks and whispered:


    ?Don''t worry, I bet he''s just bluffing.?


    "Just bluffing... that could be true, but..."


    I shook my head. Celeste was our leader and I trusted her, I couldn''t let Skylark''s mind games make me suspect her.


    "Maybe someone saw us when we came back... In any case, I have something else to worry about right now."


    Why was the Headmaster here today? There could only be one reason. He wanted to subject us to another of his terrible trials. Maybe he wanted to punish us for our act of rebellion, or maybe he wanted to keep us busy so that we wouldn''t have time to find a way to activate the teleport.


    "But it won''t go the way you think. We just need to get out of here before whatever horrible event you have organised for us actually happens."


    I gave Skylark a defiant look. My eyes met his, blue like mine but cold and filled malice. His grin grew wider but I didn''t look away until he turned to the lectern. As he did, I noticed Penny in the front rows. She was sitting close to Nicole and was visibly shaking.


    I glanced at the leaderboard, she was now second to last, 30 points ahead of a girl called Jen Corbain. We had managed to get her into a safe position for this week, but here came Skylark again, threatening her life with one of his stupid trials.


    "Despair after relief would break anyone... but Penny is strong, she''ll get through this."


    I clenched my fists. I wanted to do everything I could to protect her, not as a Amy''s replacement, but because she was my friend. But of course it all depended on what kind of test we were going to go through this time. If it was based on individual duels, I wouldn''t have been able to do anything for her. My attention returned to Skylark, who was watching us all from his lectern, perched on his throne like a bird of ill omen.


    ?Very well, now that the latecomers are here, it''s time to tell you why I''m visiting you today. Although I expect everyone to know by now,? Skylark said with his usual insufferable smile on his lips, ?you can relax, as much as outside influences try to accelerate the course of the school year, I have no intention of speeding things up too much.?


    "How nice of you."


    But behind his mocking words there was some useful information.


    "It seems that they have not stopped pressuring him to speed up the project. I really wonder why they are in such a hurry all of a sudden."


    The reason probably had to do with the sentence I had read in the first document of that huge folder.


    "The survival of our realm..."


    Why did the King want an Aldric replacement so badly? Had something catastrophic happened outside the gilded cage of the Academy, threatening the safety of the kingdom?


    "Perhaps a new Demon King really has appeared somewhere!"


    Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing, and Skylark was certainly not going to help me. The old bastard loved to drop hints, but he would never tell us the whole truth unless it was to his advantage.


    ?Nevertheless, as I told you last time, I would like to shake things up and give the lower ranked students, such as Miss Corbain and Miss Pembroke, a chance to challenge the status quo,? the Headmaster continued.


    Penny certainly didn''t look thrilled by the idea, nor did Jen Corbain. With our numbers now limited, I had finally managed to memorise all the names and faces of my classmates. Sitting a few rows in front of me was the current last girl in the rankings, and she was trembling far more than Penny. At her side, her best friend, Annete Walker, was trying to comfort her.


    "Poor girl..."


    But I couldn''t let pity get in the way. Sadly, it was either her or Penny. I looked away, concentrating on the words Skylark had just spoken.


    "A trial that allows lower ranked students to challenge the status quo... how would that even work?"


    Up until now, every test we had taken had required us to rely on magical power in one way or another. After all, it made sense: the Academy was looking for the strongest duelist among us. Why should they give the weaker of us a chance?


    There was also something else that didn''t make sense. Challenging the status quo... that meant trying to overthrow whoever was at the top of the rankings.


    "But... Celeste is on top right now."


    Whether it was because of her father or for some other reason, Skylark had protected her until now. Would that change with this test?


    "But why... why now?"


    When my gaze returned to the Headmaster''s hideous face, a shiver ran down my spine as I remembered another phrase he had spoken to me in the infirmary. I had not given it much weight at the time, but now it gave me a haunting sense of foreboding.


    ¡°Unlike them, I always thought you were one of the most promising candidates. It would be a pity if you wasted your potential in needless acts of rebellion. Your fate is already sealed, Miss Belvoir.¡±


    I had no idea who he was referring to by ''them'', but it sounded like Skylark and these mysterious people had a disagreement about my value in this competition. Could it be that I had suddenly become Skylark''s horse in this terrible race we were running? All because of the power I had manifested in the dungeon?


    "Could it be that me and Celeste are going to be at the centre of a power struggle between Skylark and some other idiot?"


    I glanced to my left again. Celeste looked worried but I could see an hint of excitement on her face. That was such a typical reaction from the odd and deranged noblewoman who was my friend. As much as she wanted to be a reliable leader for us, her true nature was that of a thrill-seeker.


    "But I have no intention of fighting with her. I''m not going to dance to Skylark''s tune."


    I was about to share my concerns with Celeste when Skylark''s voice interrupted me.


    ?Before I explain the details, I think we could all benefit from a change of scenery.?


    "A change of scenery?!"


    I didn''t have time to look back at Skylark before he clapped his hands. A familiar light began to shine on the floor beneath me.


    "What the...!?"


    ?Elizabeth!? yelled Sophia at my side, grabbing my hand.


    But as I tried to return her grip, mine closed on nothing and the world went black.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Is he sending us back to the dungeon?" I barely had time to think before light shone again and blinded me, as it usually did after this kind of sudden teleportation.


    When I managed to regain my sight, I realised that the place I had been transported to was definitely not a small, dusty room lit by torches. No, the sun was shining above me, as it had not even an hour ago. I was back in the courtyard, but this time Sophia was not here with me.


    "Why did Skylark bring me here?" I thought as I quickly walked to the door.


    Was he going to start the event right away? Even before the fated battle in which he had unleashed Aldric on us, he had given us some time to prepare.


    "Maybe he doesn''t want to give us time to discuss what we found yesterday. He wants to keep the pressure on us and doesn''t want to give us a chance to escape."


    If that was the case, this test was going to be terrible, I was sure of it. My already high anxiety rose even higher when my hand touched the handle of the door, only to find that it was shut.


    I quickly pulled out my wand from its holster and pointed it at the lock.


    ?Open.?


    Nothing happened. I expanded my mana and found, to my dismay, that the same magical barrier that usually sealed our rooms was blocking my way.


    ?I''m trapped,? I muttered, looking around.


    The green lawn was deserted and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Was this trial about escaping from a magically sealed room? Was I going to die if I didn''t find a way out in a certain amount of time?


    "Sounds like something Skylark would enjoy. Watching us struggle like mice in a trap."


    As if on cue, the Headmaster''s voice rang out across the courtyard, making me jump.


    ?By now, everyone should be familiar with their surroundings, so it''s time to explain the game you''re about to play.?


    "I bet he was waiting to make us panic..."


    His voice was magically enhanced and had a cheerful tone. He was in his element: he wanted us to lean on his lips to know what terrible fate awaited us.


    ?Don''t worry, you''re not trapped. The doors will open soon. I just had to separate you and spread you around the school to give everyone a fair chance.?


    "A fair chance?"


    Were we going on a treasure hunt or something? But in the end it was not important. What mattered was the usual question... how many of us were going to die today?


    As if reading my thoughts, Skylark''s magical voice spoke again.


    ?Relax. As I said, I don''t intend to speed things up too much since you''re already so limited in numbers. So if you play your cards right, only one of you will leave us today.?


    "Only one of us... that''s surprisingly kind by Skylark''s standards."


    But I couldn''t help thinking there was going to be a catch. I didn''t like the sound of "if you play your cards right".


    ?As for the game you''re going to play, I''m sure you''re all familiar with it. After all, even I indulged in it when I was little.?


    "So we are talking about prehistoric times."


    ?It will be... Tag.?


    "Tag?"


    Of course I knew what tag was. Even if I hadn''t played around much as a child, I''d often seen my classmates running around chasing each other and shouting "You''re it!"


    The issue was something else:


    "How is Skylark going to distort such an innocent game to make it horrible and cruel?"


    I had a bad feeling, which the old professor''s words quickly confirmed:


    ?I''m afraid that one of you was subjected to something rather unpleasant during the teleportation... a curse.?


    In a panic, I immediately looked down at my hands, afraid to see some kind of horrible mark on them, eating away at my skin. Before I could lift my sleeves to check my arms, the Headmaster spoke again, in a mocking tone:


    ?You needn''t worry. This particular curse is not dangerous and won''t leave any permanent marks on your body. In fact, other people won''t even be able to tell that it''s affecting you.?


    "A curse that''s invisible to other people... I''ve never heard of something like that."


    ?In 24 hours, the curse will activate, instantly eliminating whoever is ''It''. But don''t worry, to save yourself, you can just pass the curse on to someone else with a simple touch.?


    "Piece of shit!"


    As usual, Skylark''s test would pit us against each other. The person currently cursed had only one way to live: to condemn someone else to death instead. And the fact that the curse was invisible would make things even worse.


    "What if they wait until the last second and pass it on to someone who trusts them?"


    My mind immediately started racing and I started pacing up and down the courtyard. More than a game of tag, it sounded like we were about to play hot potato with an infectious disease.


    "A disease... in that case... I just have to isolate myself and I''ll be perfectly safe".


    That seemed to be the right approach. I''d have barricaded myself in the courtyard and just waited for the end of the game. It would''ve been uncomfortable, but I could''ve gone 24 hours without eating or drinking.


    "I really want to find Sophia... but she''ll be fine, even if she''s ''It'' right now, there''s no way she won''t find someone to pass the curse on to. I just hope the others will be okay too."


    But of course Skylark was not going to make it that easy.


    ?Obviously there is more to this game. I wouldn''t want you to get bored hiding all day. So I made up another set of rules to liven things up.?


    "No hiding, uh? But how is he going to get us to come out into the open when there''s a mysterious cursed person haunting us?"


    ?I took the liberty of putting something in the pocket of your uniform, you can check it now. It''s nothing dangerous, don''t worry.?


    Reluctantly, but with a tiny bit of curiosity, I put my hand into the pocket. Just as Skylark had said, there was something there.


    "What is this?"


    It looked like a playing card with the Academy''s crest on its back. On the front, however, was not a number or pips, but an image of a pitchfork and a word.


    ?...Villager?? I murmured,


    ?Just like the curse, the front of the card is invisible to anyone but its owner. So you are the only one who can know what your role is in this game.?


    ?A role? In a game of tag??


    ?Indeed, your role will greatly change the way you approach this game. Most of you will be Villagers who have no other task than to avoid being cursed.?


    "...seems like I got lucky for once."


    ?But one of you is not going to be as lucky. The student currently holding the card showing the Demon will lose 1000 points at the end of the game.?


    "1000 points! That''s a death sentence for most of us!"


    Pretty much only the top 5 students would not be in the negative after taking such a penalty.


    ?That is, unless you finish the day with the curse on you! In that case, you won''t be eliminated. Instead, you''ll gain 1000 points and you''ll be able to choose who will die in your place.?


    A shiver ran down my spine. Now I understood how Skylark intended to force us into the open. The 1000 points would be an incredible safety net for most students. Anyone would have gone after something like that. But that was not the part that worried me.


    "The possibility of selecting a specific student to eliminate..."


    I couldn''t let that happen. After all, everyone except the members of our alliance would''ve chosen one of two options: Celeste, the top-ranked student, and Sophia, who was probably still the most feared among us.


    But the Headmaster wasn''t done yet:


    ?In addition to the Demon, one of you has also been assigned the role of King. Don''t worry, nothing special will happen to you at the end of the game... just make sure you''re not cursed, otherwise you''ll bring misfortune to 6 of your subjects.?


    "6?!"


    Counting the King themselves, that was half of us. As I thought, what was supposed to be a simple game of tag was turning into something several times worse.


    "An invisible curse and invisible cards... people are going to be lieing like crazy. Demons, kings... how the hell are we supposed to know who is who?"


    I could already see how things would have turned out: everyone would have claimed to be the King to avoid being cursed. Meanwhile, the Demon would have done everything he could to become "It" in order to save themselves.


    Skylark magically enhanced voice interrupted my train of thoughts once again.


    ?Finally, one of you has been assigned the role of Seer. By looking at your card you¡¯ll be able to see the name of the King. Make sure to use this information wisely.?


    "I see... so at least we are going to have a way to tell the King apart from the others... I hope the Seer is a member of our alliance."


    ?Just like the curse, the cards can also be passed on others. You can trade them or even steal them, as long as you leave your current one behind. But be careful, you are only allowed to switch once with the same person.?


    "Only one time..."


    The more I thought about it, the more I understood what type of game we were going to play: one of deception.


    "Since we can¡¯t just show the cards to each other¡­ people are likely to lie about their role. And since you are only able to trade once with each person, you need to think really well about it, or you may be stuck with something you don''t want."


    The Demon was going to be the main issue. On its own the card spelt doom for its owner, but in conjunction with the curse it could become a powerful weapon.


    Of course, being in a large alliance like ours would normally make things easier in a situation like this. There was only one issue:


    "The traitor..."


    If they really existed, a game like this was the perfect occasion for them to act and put us in danger.


    ?That''s about it. For this event, I have decided to relax the rules a bit. It wouldn''t be fair for someone to be cursed without a chance to fight back, would it? For this reason, you are free to fight each other, but killing is still not allowed outside of duels, as usual. Speaking of which, you are also forbidden from using duel conditions to force other students to reveal their role or whether they are currently under the curse. You can still use them to force a card exchange or to pass on the curse. With this, I wish you good luck. The 24 hours begin now!?


    At that moment, I heard the lock of the courtyard door click but I decided not to go out right away. Instead, I sat down on the green grass. I looked up at the fake sun, trying my best to clear up my mind.


    "So we can''t use duels to find out other people''s roles."


    That would have been nice. Of course, people could just refuse, but it would''ve been useful to call bluffs.


    "But duel conditions might still be the key."


    I could''ve forced suspicious people to trade their cards with me.


    "I need to get the Demon, one way or another. Even if I don''t get the curse, I have enough points to survive this week."


    In any case, there was nothing to be gained by staying here. I stood up with newfound determination. After all, even in this new, terrifying ordeal, I had something over everyone else: someone I could trust blindly.


    "Sophia... I''ll find her. Together we will definitely get through this."

 67. A Demon in the school

    After opening the door of the courtyard, I peered cautiously into the corridor. Part of me expected to see a student with demonic features waiting in ambush, ready to pounce. But, of course, there was none.


    "Skylark just said the curse doesn''t leave any visible traces, Elizabeth, you idiot..."


    Something also told me that this whole affair was not going to be as straightforward as the last big battle.


    "Since we don''t have to kill each other, the school building probably won''t turn into a battlefield. Hastily passing the curse around isn''t really a good idea anyway... things should be pretty quiet at least until tomorrow."


    Still, I walked through the classroom corridor very cautiously. Ideally I wanted Sophia to be the first person I met. It was quite possible that I had overlooked something about the rules of this strange "game of tag". And who better than my extremely smart girlfriend to make me understand that? After all, it wouldn''t have been the first time that a hidden meaning behind Skylark''s words had turned everything I assumed upside down.


    "But¡­ where should I go? She has probably been ported to a random room like I was... maybe I should go to our room and see if we can meet up there."


    I was certain the protective barrier around our quarters had been deactivated. After all the "tag" part of this game would¡¯ve been pretty much a dud if we could just safely hide inside our rooms. Without any other idea, I kept moving towards the west wing of the school but, as I got closer to the entrance hall, I stopped when I heard a serie of voices.


    ?... we lost them. The tall one with red hair, Winslow, she¡¯s way too good¡­? wheezed a girl''s voice, seemingly out of breath.


    ?I see,? a boy replied camly.


    ?Why don''t we all go together and see if we can find where they hid??


    ?No, Andrea. Catching them while they were still separated was our only chance. If we can¡¯t even handle Winslow, running into Thornton or Fitzroy would be very bad news.?


    Hearing Nicole''s, Sophia''s and Celeste¡¯s family names in quick succession, instantly set off an alarm bell in my head.


    "What is going on¡­?"


    From the sound of it, these two students had a bone to pick with out with our alliance. But why?


    "Are they¡­ working for Skylark?"


    I sneaked with my back to the wall, trying to make as little noise as possible, and peeked into the large room around the corner. There were six people in there, not two. Andrea, the student I had heard talking, was leaning against the handrail of the stairs, a hand to her chest as she was catching her breath. In front of her was a tall, lanky boy with pale skin and messy tufts of raven hair.


    "That''s Samuel Rover, I think... the guy just below Sophia on the leaderboard."


    We''d never spoken and I didn''t know much about him. From the duels I had seen him in, he seemed quite skilled, but that was about it. Near the couple, another student lay on the floor, his head resting on the knees of another rather chubby boy whose face I could not see clearly. Finally, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the steps were Jen Corbain, the last student in the rankings, and her friend Annete Walker, both looking like they''d rather be in their rooms right now.


    "Are they all allied like us?"


    Maybe they thought we''d tried to crush them during this game and wanted to take the initiative.


    ?If you come with us this time Sam... with your power we can catch at least one of them and then...? the girl called Andrea started to speak again.


    ?I told you before, I have no intention of using it against them,? Samuel Rover cut her off.


    ?But...?


    ?My decision is final,? he interrupted her again, but then he put a hand on her cheek and continued in a softer voice, ?I know you did your best, Andrea. Don''t worry, we''ll find another way for all of us to survive this. For now, let''s get John to the infirmary. It''s probably nothing but it would be better to have him checked out. A blow to the head can be dangerous.?


    I had to quickly hide before he could see me peering from the corner.


    "Damn... they''ll be coming this way. Should I run away?"


    Since they were dragging their wounded companion, I could''ve probably outrun them.


    "But... the corridors of the east wing are long and straight with no good place to hide."


    If they''d seen me before I turned a corner, it could have been bad news. I''d have been cornered with nowhere to run.


    But what was the alternative? Facing five people head on?


    For some reason I felt something inside me light up. I knew this feeling very well, although it had been a long time since I had felt it: excitement. It had been a while since I had fought seriously against one of my classmates. In fact it had been since before I had fought Aldric. Maybe facing him had completely dulled my sense of danger.


    I knew it was stupid, but as much as reason told me to run, I didn''t move.


    "Me against five students... compared to Aldric, it doesn''t sound so bad."


    But the voice of reason, which sounded oddly similar Sophia''s, spoke again:


    "This Samuel dude seems to have an innate power, and perhaps his companions do too!"


    "They couldn''t even defeat Nicole! I''m much stronger than her!"


    It wasn''t just my urge to duel. I was also curious: Samuel Rover didn''t sound very enthusiastic about the prospect of facing off against my allies. But why were he and his friends trying to pick a fight with us, then? Were they working with the Headmaster, as I had immediately thought, or was there another reason?


    As I heard a sound of footsteps, I understood my reckless side had again won against the rational one.


    So I went out into the open, wand in hand, ready to respond to any attacks that might come my way. The atmosphere in the entrance hall changed immediately as I came face to face with my classmates.


    ?Fuck! It''s Belvoir!? exclaimed the girl called Andrea, moving her blonde bangs out of her eyes as she pulled her wand from its holster. But before she could utter a single spell, I aimed at her right hand and yelled:


    ?Sonic Boom!?


    Her wand immediately flew out of her hand and hit the wall. I had deliberately held back the power of the spell so as not to hurt her, but it was still strong enough to make her fall backwards on her butt.


    "Opsiee."


    But I had not time to apologize. The guy who had been helping the student called John had laid his friend down on the floor and thrown a fireball in my direction, as had the two girls on the stairs.


    "Should have mixed it up a bit" I thought as I neutralised the three spells at once with a single water barrier.


    I was about to counterattack when someone shouted:


    ?STOP!?


    I turned to see Samuel Rover waving his hands desperately in front of him.


    ?Stop!? he exclaimed, ?Stop, please. We don''t want to fight, we just want to talk.?


    ?Uh??


    I looked at him in confusion. Was this some kind of diversion tactic? But, to my surprise, his companions immediately lowered their wands. Taken aback, I decided not to cast the spell I had already thought of. Instead, still on alert, I asked in a sarcastic tone:


    ?Just talk? Sure, you think I''m going to fall for that??


    Sam, who seemed very relieved that I was at least willing to hear him out, shook his head:


    ?I''m serious, I''m not trying to trick you or anything. I really just want to talk to you... Elizabeth, may I call you that? I''m Samuel, but you can call me Sam like everyone else,? he said, holding out his hand. He quickly pulled it back when a few sparks shot out of my wand. So he stood back and gave me an awkward smile.


    "What''s with this guy?"


    I couldn''t detect any malice in his slightly childish face or his calm tone. If he was acting right now, he was damn good at it.


    "But then..."


    ?So how does ''just talking'' fit in with you wanting to catch one of my friends?? I replied, ignoring his question.


    Sam''s eyes widened slightly and his pale cheeks quickly turned pink.


    ?Oh, you heard that part... it sounds bad, doesn''t it? Eh, eh,? he chuckled nervously, scratching his head, but quickly turned serious and continued, ?I swear we didn''t really mean to hurt any of you. It''s just... complicated.?


    "He didn''t mean to hurt us..." I thought, staring at Sam''s smiling rover face. I didn''t know why, but there was something about this guy that made me want to trust him. But I quickly shook my head:


    "Maybe his innate power is charming me or something. "


    ?Complicated, eh? Let me guess, one of you has the curse and wanted to pass it on to one of my friends, or maybe you wanted to steal their cards,? I countered, my wand still pointing at his chest.


    ?I can see why you are suspicious, but... why would we do that? The game has only just begun, to pass the curse now and possibly incur the retaliation of your alliance would hardly be beneficial to us. As for the cards, we really have no way of knowing who has what at the moment. So...?


    ?Then why? Why were you after Nicole?? I cut him off.


    Sam seemed to hesitate at this direct question for the first time:


    ?A-as I told you, I-I know it sounds bad, but... we were looking for a bargaining chip,? he said in a low voice.


    ?A... bargaining chip?? I repeated, confused.


    Sam looked uncomfortable, but after nodding to the chubby guy on his right, he replied:


    ?In this game, trusted allies are the most important thing... and your alliance is half the student body. If we are to get out of this alive, we need a way to deal with you. Even though we are numerous... you are much stronger than us so...?


    ?You were going to take a hostage,? I finished for him scornfully, ?so this is your idea of ''barganing''.?


    Sam seemed even more embarrassed and looked down at the ground:


    ?I understand how it looks, but it''s the only way.?


    ?The only way? What a load of rubbish. Do you know what Skylark is doing right now? Laughing under his stupid moustache. Pitting us against each other is exactly what he wants! You seem to understand that working in a group is the right idea. So why are you working against us instead of trying to cooperate?? I interrupted him again.


    I expected Sam to look at me with sufficiency and hit me with a ''don''t be naive''. But that didn''t happen. Instead, the boy seemed surprised by my words and remained silent with a confused look on his face. It was his friend Andrea, now back on her feet, who broke the silence.


    ?Don''t let this hypocritical bitch bully you, Sam... you''re too nice as usual,? she snapped, standing in front of him and pointing her wand at me.


    ?Hypocritical... bitch?!?, I repeated.


    I was too shocked by that outburst to even get angry at the insult this girl had just thrown at me.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "I mean... she''s not wrong about the first part but... I never even talked to this girl! Is she pissed because I knocked her down?"


    ?Don''t be like this, Andrea. I think there might be a misunderstanding,? Sam said, pushing her behind him and giving me a meek smile.


    "What''s his problem...?"


    Against my better judgement, I lowered my wand a little.


    ?What do you mean by misunderstanding?? I asked, confused.


    ?You see... I agree with everything you said, that''s why I already asked your friend Fitzroy if we could be part of your alliance and she''s the one who refused.?


    ?Huh??


    This time it was me who looked at him with my mouth half open. What he was saying didn''t really make sense. Of course, I had stayed in the courtyard for a bit, but...


    ?Are you telling me that between the start of this event and now, you managed to talk to Celeste, team up with your allies and then hunt down Nicole? It''s only been 5 minutes at the most!? I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    But Sam shook his head again:


    ?I spoke to Fitzroy about a week ago, the day after the dungeon trial to be exact.?


    "What?!"


    Of course, I was in the infirmary at the time, but there was no way Sophia wouldn''t have told me about something like this.


    "Could it be... that she doesn''t know either?"


    But then... why didn''t Celeste talk to us about it?


    ?I see this is news to you,? Sam commented, looking at my expression.


    "Shit."


    There was no reason to lie at this point.


    ?It is. I''ll have to talk to Celeste about it,? I said, lowering my wand further.


    ?I see... do you think she''ll reconsider?? Sam asked after a short pause.


    ?I don''t know. If she refused, she must have her reasons,? I replied.


    As much as I was irritated by the situation, I still trusted Celeste''s judgement.


    "Maybe she knows something about Rover that I don''t. But I really wish she wouldn''t hadn''t kept me in the dark. Now I can see why this Andrea girl was angry with me!"


    ?You may be right. She seems like a capable leader to me,? he replied with a small nod, ?but... Elizabeth, would you consider staying here with us and waiting for her to come and talk to you? I think you could help us convince her that fighting together is the best option.?


    I saw his hand drop to his wand, still in its holster.


    I sighed.


    "So it comes down to this. I was kind of pumped about it, but right now I''d rather avoid hurting this guys... even though she called me a bitch."


    ?You want me to be your hostage?? I replied, preparing myself for battle.


    Instead of making excuses, Sam looked me straight in the face again with a bitter smile:


    ?Yes. We''re pretty desperate right now, Elizabeth. As I said, we have no hope of beating your group in a straight fight. It really pains me to use these methods, but I have to do what is best for my friends, would you consider surrendering without a fight?? he asked, his wand now ready in front of him.


    He seemed genuinely saddened by this development, but my arm remained firmly in front of me. I had friends to protect too, and allowing myself to be captured could have put us at a disadvantage in the game of tag. There was also something that didn''t add up. Why did Celeste refuse Rover''s request to cooperate? From what I could tell, he seemed like a good guy. And that had been enough for her in the past to let people join our group.


    "I need to know the whole story."


    ?I''m afraid I can''t do that. I''ll talk to Celeste and see if I can persuade her to reconsider,? I replied, my voice as firm as my hand.


    ?I understand. Then we have no choice but to use force. Andrea, you know what to do. Ian, you handle the defence. Jen, Anne, I''ll need you two to help.?


    The awkward boy with the nervous smile in front of me had completely vanished. Perhaps, like Sophia, Sam Rover had a switch that turned him into a steadfast commander when the situation demanded it. As I was being surrounded, I looked into my opponent''s determined face and asked:


    ?You seem to be a pretty tight-knit group. Have you fought together for long??


    I was curious, but I also wanted to buy some time to work out a strategy.


    "That couple on the stairs seems pretty weak, I should be able to ignore them. The chubby guy will be on the defensive, if I crush him first, I should have an easy time handling the rest."


    ?Since the battle. We''ve never really hidden our cooperation, but I guess when you''re on a pedestal, it''s hard to notice the people below you.?


    Those words interrupted my planning.


    "On a pedestal? Who does he think I am?"


    But I quickly calmed down. There was no contempt in Sam''s voice, in fact I could hear a certain admiration coming from him. He was probably just trying to provoke me.


    ?You should get your unconscious friend out of here or he might get hurt,? I said after a moment''s silence.


    Sam gave a small smile:


    ?That''s exactly why we''re not moving him. The rules say you can''t kill, remember??


    "...Cunning bastard."


    I had fully intended to blow up the whole entrance hall to get out of this conundrum, but of course I couldn''t risk doing that with a defenceless person lying in here.


    "But... does he really think I would do something like that if it were not for the rules?"


    From the looks between fear and resentment from his other allies, it seemed I wasn''t very popular in their little group.


    "If they think I''m a jerk, I might as well play the part."


    ?I see, you''re not very confident, are you? Having to use underhanded tactics when you''re already 5v1,? I taunted Sam, ready to react to any sudden movements.


    ?I''m just giving you the respect you deserve, after all you were ready to fight us from the start. I can see it in your face, even though you are outnumbered you are sure you will win, aren''t you??


    "Crap..."


    I had been smiling, I had just realised that.


    "And I have the nerve to call Celeste a thrill-seeker."


    Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jen waving her wand. At the same time, Sam rushed forward, drawing his sword in one fluid motion.


    ?Fireball!? I heard two female voices shout to my right as Sam Rover, after muttering something, dashed towards me at supernatural speed.


    ?Water Shield!?


    A huge barrier of water shielded me from the spells as I swapped my wand to my left hand while drawing my blade. Before Rover''s slash could hit me, my weapon was there to intercept it.


    ?Shock Absorption!? I shouted just before the impact.


    Sam didn''t seem surprised when his powerful strike was easily blocked by my glowing blade. He shifted his sword to the right and prepared to lunge at my side.


    "Even with a speed buff, he''s far too predictable."


    I dodged to the left and prepared to swing at his defenceless shoulder:


    ?Stone shield!?


    My blow was blocked by a piece of rock that the guy called Ian had conjured up. At the same moment, the girls on the stairs shouted again:


    ?Fireball!?


    ?Lightning Bolt!?


    "Looks like they learned not to use the same element. Guess I''ll take a leaf out of good old Chloe''s book."


    ?Mana shield!?


    Their spells fizzled in mid-air as Sam slammed his hand to the ground:


    ?Stone Spike!?


    ?Typhoon!? I used the wind spell to propel myself into the air just in time before the stone spike erupted at my feet.


    ?Mana Shield!? yelled Sam, managing to avoid being thrown off balance by my spell. As he did so, his sword suddenly left his hand and flew towards me at high speed.


    "So he can doublecast as well."


    ?Stone Shield!? I shouted as I reactivated the mana barrier to protect me from new spells coming from the stairs.


    As the stone barrier shattered, I saw Sam charging towards me again. He caught his sword in the air and was soon on top of me, ready to pounce.


    "Relentless..."


    ?Typhoon!? I shouted again, trying to get some distance.


    But before I could fly away, something suddenly forced me to the ground.


    "What the..."


    Lowering my eyes, I saw that something that looked like a vine had wrapped itself around my foot and was slowly climbing up my leg, gripping it in a steel grip.


    "Ouch!"


    But there was no time to think about the pain: Sam''s blade was coming down on me.


    ?Fire-?


    ?Watershield!? his ally shouted before I could even finish.


    ?Fuck it!... Phase shift!?


    I let out a quick sigh of relief as Sam''s slash pierced my arm, passing through without causing any damage. At the same time, I extended the spell to my leg, freeing myself from the vine''s grip.


    Almost in slow motion, I saw a slight look of surprise on Sam''s face and understood that I had an opening. But we were so close that a strong spell would''ve hurt me too. Then I had an idea:


    ?Strength!? I shouted.


    My opponent seemed to have guessed what I was up to and yelled:


    ?Stone Shield!?


    The stone barrier instantly shattered against my fist. My blow struck his chest. I heard his ribs crack as I sent him flying.


    ?SAM!?


    I turned my eyes to the girl called Andrea to see her running towards his motionless body.  A strange looking flower was sprouting where she had just stood, its roots stretching across the ground like snakes.


    "So that''s what grabbed me before, it must be her innate power."


    But that wasn''t a problem now. I turned my attention to Ian, who was now alone. The duo''s weak spells on the stairs fizzled against my Mana Shield again.


    "I should finish this quickly, better save some mana for later."


    I quickly began to bombard Ian with a wide variety of spells that quickly proved too much for his barriers. It wasn''t even a minute before he was knocked out by a rather powerful bolt of lightning.


    "Now the two on the-"


    But before I could turn around, I saw something move to my left.


    "Is Andrea-"


    ?Dark Lash!?


    I barely had time to hear Sam''s voice shouting that strangely named incantation as a giant shadow erupted in the entrance hall.


    "What the...?!"


    ?Firewhirl!? I shouted, coming to my senses before a huge mass of darkness engulfed me.


    A roaring tornado of flames surrounded me, just as the light in the room seemed to vanish in an instant. I saw my fiery barrier tremble and shake, and had to strengthen it several times before I felt the abyss recede around me. Finally, as my spell ended, I stood unharmed in the now dark entrance hall.


    "What... the hell was that?!"


    There was only one explanation, but it made no sense.


    After all, dark spells were something that humans should never be able to cast. They devoured everything they touched like ravenous beasts. There was no way the human body could handle mana with such properties. That was why I had never seen one in action, in fact I had only read about them in books about their natural users: demons.


    "..."


    All the torches on the walls had been extinguished, as had the huge chandelier in the ceiling. I quickly lit them. Sam was standing now. Andrea was by his side, her hand on his chest and a worried look on her face.


    ?So you knew the fire was the counter, I''m not surprised,? Sam said in a strangely cold tone.


    ?Counter? Not really. I just used brute force against it. Only light spells can really deal with demonic magic,? I replied, looking at him warily.


    ?That used to be the case. But Aldric has somehow shown that heroes aren''t needed anymore. Strong magic is enough,? Sam replied with a slight smile.


    "Who... is this guy?"


    I had already guessed, but now it was obvious that there was more to him than met the eye.


    ?Are you a demon??


    My question seemed to surprise Rover, who looked at me with his eyes wide open before chuckling:


    ?Wow, you are really direct!?


    ?People have said that to me before. Answer my question.?


    ?I''m not. But I won''t blame you if you don''t believe me.?


    As Andrea moved her hand away from him, I saw what looked like a tiny flower attached to his chest. Whatever it was, it seemed to have healed him of all the damage I had done to him.


    "Not a demon... then could it be something to do with the Demon card? But Skylark didn''t say anything about it giving you powers. So... could this be about the innate power he didn''t want to use?"


    If that was the case, I could understand why.


    ?Were you trying to kill me?? I asked.


    I glanced behind me. Jen and Annette had lowered the wand and seemed very frightened by what had just happened.


    ?Not at all. I know it looked a bit scary, but it would''ve just knocked you out for a while. I had to take my chance as it seemed things could get dangerous if we continued.?


    ?Dangerous, huh? Well, I''m afraid it didn''t really work out, did it?? I replied.


    Despite my cocky tone, I was a little worried.


    "Dark magic... I''m not looking forward to facing it."


    The ability to consume everything it hit was frightening to say the least.


    "But maybe it''s like he said. I''ll do what Aldric did and completely overwhelm him with my spells."


    To be honest, I felt great. I didn''t know why, but ever since my trip upstairs, I could feel my mana flowing seamlessly inside my body. Every spell was coming out of my  wand as naturally as a breath. I had even been able to cast a buff spell strong enough to send a big guy like Sam flying.


    I looked at him with a defiant expression on my face:


    ?Looks like you''re going to have to do better than that.?


    But Rover didn''t return my smile this time, instead he sighed:


    ?That''s what I said, Andrea, if we couldn''t deal with Winlow, we have no hope against this kind of monsters. And I must say, Elizabeth, you are much scarier than I thought.?


    "Strange words from someone who just used demonic magic."


    But I couldn''t help blushing as I saw him pick up his sword from the ground.


    ?I haven''t shown you half of what I can do.?


    "Why am I so weak when it comes to compliments?"


    ?I thought I could overpower you in melee combat, but you are much better at it than I am.?


    ?I had a good teacher. So are you going to let me go? Or are you going to throw some more demonic crap at me??


    Rover turned to his blonde friend with a serious look on his face.


    ?Andrea, go all out. I''ll try to end this in one strike.?


    ?Roger, leader.?


    Before the girl could move, I quickly launched two huge fireballs at her, but Sam quickly blocked them. At the same time, I heard quick footsteps behind me. I turned to parry Jen''s blade and block Annette''s with a stone shield.


    ?Move!? I heard Andrea yell from behind me. My two followers quickly jumped back.


    As they did, I quickly saw something tumbling at my feet.


    "Are those... seeds?!"


    ?Phase Shift!? I barely had time to shout before a jungle of vines erupted around me. I quickly tried to run away from them, but the living plants seemed to be able to follow me.


    "She''s trying to wait for my spell to run out!"


    Fortunately, I had no trouble keeping it active, but mana consumption was going to be a problem.


    "And the moment I get out of Phase Shift, Sam will try to strike me down... but I won''t go out easily like that!"


    ?Fire Whirl!? I shouted, doublecasting it.


    A fiery hell erupted around me, much stronger than I thought. Even though I still had Phase Shift active, my second spell didn''t seem to have lost any power. But even as the vines were being incinerated, I could see them growing back at my feet.


    "I need to keep the vortex active, but that will prevent me from moving... unless..."


    I had an idea. Something I had never tried before.


    "Alright, steady..."


    The swirl of flames shifted around me, coming closer and closer. I could feel the beads of sweat on my forehead as the temperature quickly became unbearable.


    "Any closer and I''ll burn myself... so... NOW!"


    In an instant I deactivated Phase Shift and at the same time conjured a layer of water around my body. The fire quickly surrounded me, creeping close to my body but unable to harm me. Soon I was enveloped in fiery armour.


    I had just time to see Sam''s stunned expression before I launched myself at Jen and Annette. They screamed in terror as the fire around me roared and closed in on them, blackening the end of their skirts.


    ?Stop it! Elizabeth!? I heard Sam shout.


    I saw him running frantically towards me, casting water spells.


    But when he was only a few feet from me, I shouted:


    ?Typhoon!?


    I was not aiming at him, but in the opposite direction. As my cloak of fire dissipated, I saw his face light up in stupefaction as I flew towards my true target.


    My foot collided with Andrea''s chest before she realised what was happening. I used my hand to break my fall and landed close to her body.


    ?Are you going to let me go now?? I asked Sam, pointing my sword at her neck, ?or are you finally going to go all out??


    "I really sound like a villain right now... and the worst part is that I''m actually having a lot of fun."


    Rover raised his hands with a defeated expression:


    ?No, you win. I should have known you wouldn''t have hurt these two... but you looked pretty scary. I guess it wouldn''t have changed much anyway, you were just playing with us.?


    Something in those words didn''t sit right with me. Perhaps it was because they cheapened my victory.


    ?Would you stop with this defeatist attitude?? I said irritated as I put my sword back in its sheath, ?You held back too. If you really wanted to win, why didn''t you use all your power? Or do you really think I would die if you did? I came out of my fight with Aldric alive, you know??


    As cocky as I was, boasting wasn''t really my intention. Something in Sam''s awkward smile really made me want to force a spur of pride on him.  But his smile only seemed to turn bitter:


    ?I''m not worried about you, I''m worried about myself.?

 68. Infighting

    Sam Rover''s words were still on my mind as I crossed the corridors of the west wing in search of Sophia. Of course, I still couldn''t rule out the possibility that he was just a very good actor, but I found it hard to think he was just bluffing. After all, it made sense:


    "If his innate power really does have something to do with dark magic, it might have some harsh consequences for his body if he abuses it".


    Perhaps it was similar to the mana release ability I had manifested in the dungeon: incredibly powerful, but with a permanent price to pay for using it.


    "In any case, I hope we can find a peaceful solution to this situation."


    After the adrenaline of the duel had worn off, I''d begun to feel a little bad about beating up my classmates like that. Of course, I was not the one who started the fight, but maybe I had gone a bit too far. I had even offered to help Sam get the wounded to the infirmary, only to be met with a venomous glare from Andrea and the other two girls. The boy had quickly declined after thanking me.


    "This is exactly what Skylark wants, to pit us against each other..."


    I picked up the pace. Aside from the group of six I''d just clashed with, there was only one unaccounted for student who wasn''t part of our alliance, so the school building was relatively safe to cross.


    "I need to find Celeste and ask her what happened between her and Sam. But I think I''d rather meet Sophia first so I can ask her opinion..." as I followed this train of thought I felt a shiver run down my spine, "fuck... if she finds out I fought 1vs5 she''ll kill me!"


    I was thinking about hiding in a closet for the rest of the game when I noticed something. In front of me, poking out from the corner, I could see what appeared to be a lock of long red hair.


    "Nicole..."


    For a second I thought she was planning to ambush me and pass me the curse, but as I cautiously advanced towards her she jumped out into the open with a smile on her face.


    ?So it was you who caused all that ruckus!? she exclaimed.


    ?Yeah, I ran into some trouble getting here,? I replied, still on guard.


    ?What''s wrong? I don''t have a contagious disease, you know?? she grinned, sensing my reluctance to come closer.


    "What am I thinking... even if she is the traitor, she wouldn''t gain anything by giving me the curse now, in fact she would hand me a huge advantage."


    ?Sorry, my nerves are still a bit on edge,? I apologised as I relaxed a little.


    ?That''s all right!? she exclaimed as she patted me on the shoulder. As expected, I didn''t feel any strange sensation that could signal the passage of the curse.


    ?Who were you fighting with?? she asked as we began to walk side by side.


    ?Sam Rover and four of his allies,? I replied.


    ?You fought five people at once?!? Nicole blurted out with a shocked look on her face.


    ?Didn''t you do the same? I heard them say they tried to capture you as well,? I asked, confused by her surprise.


    Nicole was silent for a second and then, biting one of her fingernails, she said:


    ?So that''s what it was all about! I didn''t understand why I was suddenly attacked earlier! But no, I didn''t fight five people! It was just this blonde girl, Andrea Gunner I think her name is, and two other guys. I was with Penny and they started throwing spells at us. We knocked one of them down and they backed off.?


    ?Oh...?


    "So it was just a 2vs3 and I used it as an excuse to get into a 5vs1... well, I guess things worked out in the end."


    The more I thought about it , the more I realised how reckless I had been for the umpteenth time.


    "Sophia''s going to chain me to the bed this time... wait... that doesn''t s-... no what the hell am I thinking!"


    ?So you say those guys are part of an alliance like ours... damn, things are going to get complicated then,? Nicole commented, unaware of the strange direction my thoughts had taken me.


    ?Yeah...? I nodded, my mind racing again.


    "She doesn''t know that Celeste and Sam have talked either, from the sound of it... it really seems like our leader has been keeping it a secret from everyone... but why?"


    There was only one way to find out.


    ?Nicole, do you know where Celeste is??


    A look of horror suddenly crept across her face.


    ?Crap!? she shouted, then grabbed my wrist and started dragging me down the corridor.


    ?What?!?


    ?She''s in her room! And I was supposed to stand guard at the door! Let''s get there quickly before she notices I''m gone!?


    We arrived at our destination to find Penny waiting for us with an irritated look on her face.


    ?Nicole! What happened to ''I''ll be right back'' ?? she snapped as we approached, then her expression changed to a smile, ?I''m glad you''re okay, Liz!?


    ?I''m glad you''re okay too, Penny.?


    ?She fought five people at once! That''s what all the noise was, Penny! I had to go and see what it was...? exclaimed Nicole.


    ?Sure sure,? Penny said in an annoyed tone. She was probably thinking Nicole was lying to justify her long absence.


    ?You should go in Liz, I''m sure Celeste wants to talk to you,? she then added.


    ?Alright, but... what about Sophia, is she inside too??


    As much as I wanted to shed some light on Sam''s conundrum, I was also worried about my girlfriend''s whereabouts.


    Penny grinned in response:


    ?You really are two worrywarts! I told her to wait here, but she insisted on looking for you! Wilhelm had to go with her as she wouldn''t budge. It seems you haven''t crossed paths, so she''s probably somewhere in the other corridors of the west wing.?


    ?I see...? I replied, breathing a sigh of relief.


    "Her and Will together... if someone, a few weeks ago, told me  that they were going to team up to look for me, I would have thought they were crazy."


    Even after Penny''s words of reassurance, part of me still wanted to go and find my girlfriend.


    "But I should do my best to defuse the bomb that might be waiting for us. I''ll see you soon Sophia, be safe."


    ?All right, if you see her, tell her I''m inside.?


    ?Will do!? Penny and Nicole exclaimed in unison.


    When I opened the door to Celeste''s room I was immediately greeted by her cheerful voice.


    ?Liz Liz! Please, tell me you have good news!?


    Celeste was sitting at her table playing with her wand, spinning it in her hand. Philemon was also in the room, leaning against the wall with his usual impassive expression.


    ?Good news?? I asked, sitting in the chair in front of her.


    ?Yes! For instance, that you have the Demon card!? she said, a hopeful look on her face.


    "So, as I thought, that''s what we''re going for. She wants to collect the Demon card and combine it with the curse to make sure none of our friends get killed."


    I sighed:


    ?No, I''m just a puny Villager, I''m afraid.?


    ?Aaaah!? Celeste grunted in obvious frustration, ?what are the odds that none of the seven of us has a special card??


    ?You mean we''re all villagers?? I asked, taken aback by that revelation.


    If that was the case, she was right: the chances were definitely slim. That was if the handling of the cards was actually random.


    ?Let me guess, you think we are being set up by Skylark?? asked Celeste, a slight smile creeping across her lips.


    ?The old bastard has done it many times before. Even though I don''t think you''ve ever been on the receiving end of it.?


    Celeste chuckled a little:


    ?I don''t think that''s the case this time. Otherwise he wouldn''t have given me this!?


    Having said that, she quickly reached her hand across the table and touched mine. Suddenly, a purple mist seemed to grow around me, blurring my vision a little.


    ?What?! Is this the -!?? I exclaimed.


    ?The curse,? Celeste finished for me. She grabbed my hand again and the world returned to its normal colour.


    ?Like I said, Skylark wouldn''t have given us this if he really wanted to mess with us. After all, we have the keys to the game in our hands now. The question is how we use them. Not having a special card will certainly make things more complicated, but we''ll manage,? she said with a confident look on her face.


    "Complicated..."


    It seemed like a good moment to bring up the question of Sam.  If this game was going to be complicated, it was because of him and his group.


    ?Celeste, we need to talk about something.?


    ?Sure! Seems pretty serious from the look on your face, shoot it!? she replied, giving me a questioning look.


    ?After leaving the room I was ported to, I ran into Sam Rover and a bunch of students...?


    The smile on Celeste''s face instantly froze. I could tell immediately that she fully understood what I was about to ask her. She glanced at Philemon before she sighing and stating:


    ?Let me guess, he told you I turned down his offer of cooperation and that''s what you want to talk about??


    It was obvious that she was less than thrilled that I had found out.


    ?So it''s true then... you''ve kept it a secret from everyone except Philemon, haven''t you?? I asked, looking at the boy to my left.


    ?Don''t get me wrong, I would have kept it from him too. He just happened to be there when Sam and I spoke,? Celeste explained, following my gaze.


    ?I see... so why did you hide it from us?? I asked, looking into her eyes.


    ?I''m sorry, but I had my reasons. Will you hear me out?? Celeste said.


    Her hands were now fidgeting nervously with her wand. Her tone was a far cry from the confident one she had used a moment earlier.


    "What the hell happened to her?"


    From her reaction I could guess that there was no malice behind her strange behaviour. But I still wanted to understand what it was all about. I reached out to place my hand on hers but, remembering the curse, I stopped myself and instead gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.


    ?Of course! I admit I was quite surprised when I heard about it, but I trust you, Celeste.?


    ?Thank you, Liz,? she replied, but her expression remained clouded, ?I think you''re going to be pretty angry with me though.?


    ?I might be, but I can always forgive you. Isn''t that what friends do after a fight?? I replied, remembering what Sophia had said to me a few days ago.


    Finally, Celeste seemed to cheer up a little:


    ?You''re right!? she replied, giving me one of her usual bright smiles. Then she quickly turned serious and began to explain:


    ?First of all, it''s not entirely true that I refused Sam''s offer. In fact, I said yes to him in the beginning.?


    ?You did?? I asked confused, ?did you find out something about him that made you change your mind??


    "Maybe it''s about his innate power?"


    But Celeste shook her head:


    ?No, he actually seems like a very stand-up guy. He was pretty straightforward when he came to talk to me, and he seemed very serious about taking on Skylark. According to Philemon, he''s always been quite popular with the other students as well... I was honestly glad that he wanted to join us.?


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "I can imagine that being true. There''s something charismatic about him. He seems like a natural born leader, just like Celeste... I wonder why I never noticed him."


    It was then that his words came back to me:


    "When you''re on a pedestal, it''s hard to notice the people below you."


    "I guess he wasn''t wrong, eh? When Amy was still here, she was the one who kept an eye on my other classmates... I really am hopeless without her around."


    ?If that''s the case, then why did you change your mind and refuse to cooperate?? I asked Celeste.


    She seemed to hesitate again at this direct question:


    ?You see... he didn''t want to join us alone, that''s the problem. He wanted to bring all his friends into our alliance as well.?


    I looked at her confused:


    ?Isn''t that a good thing? We would have had all the students on our side! Minus one, I guess. But I bet that lonely student would''ve joined in too as soon as he realised we were all on the same side.?


    Celeste smiled bitterly at my words:


    ?Sounds great, doesn''t it? I was excited too at first, but then...  I thought about it and realised the full implications.?


    ?The... implications?? I repeated as my mind began to process those words.


    It only took me a few seconds to think of some possible issues, but I decided to let Celeste explain:


    ?First of all, there''s the question of trust. We are already freaking out at the possibility of a traitor in our midst, even though we are all friends. If we invite six more people we barely know into our ranks, the possibility of being betrayed would increase tenfold.?


    She paused a little, probably to give me time to disagree, but I couldn''t find anything wrong with her statement. So she continued:


    ?But even if we decide to trust them, there''s something even worse: the weekly eliminations. Right now it''s clear how we should approach them: we''re doing our best to help our allies. But if I''d let Sam and his friends in, it would have been much more complicated. This week we would have had to decide who was going to die between Penny and Jen Corbain. How are we supposed to make such a choice? Obviously you and I would have wanted to save Penny because she''s our friend, while Sam would have chosen Jen. We would have started fighting between us less than a week after we started working together!?


    She was right again. While we could prioritise the lives of our members in our limited alliance, that would have been impossible if we''d accepted all the students.


    "But this also means..."


    I looked at Celeste''s pained expression and asked quietly:


    ?Celeste... when it''s time to escape... you want to leave them behind, don''t you??


    My friend sighed as she ran a hand through her long brown curls:


    ?I was sure you would ask... You see, when I decided to form our alliance and lead it, I understood that I would have to make some hard decisions... I thought I was ready for it... but it''s damn hard, Liz,? she murmured, but that moment of weakness only lasted a moment, ?but I''ve made my choice. As the leader of our alliance, I have a duty to bring you and the others home safely. If I have to commit sins to do so, I''ll gladly become a sinner. We''ll leave the other students here, because bringing them up to the second floor with us would only increase our chances of being discovered.?


    She said those terrible words with a straight face, but I could still feel the inner turmoil they caused her.


    ?Is this why you didn''t say anything? You wanted to shoulder this alone so as not to distress us?? I asked her, trying to be as gentle as possible.


    ?I just didn''t want any trouble. I knew that kind and righteous people like you and Wilhelm would have fought me on this... I didn''t want to fill your heads with anything other than looking for a way to escape.?


    This time it was obvious she wasn''t telling the whole truth. She just didn''t want us to feel bad about it, I was sure of that.


    "Kind and righteous... why do people think I am some kind of big damn hero?"


    I always had selfish reasons for my good deeds... But I couldn''t deny that right now I was trying very hard to find a good reason against Celeste''s decision.


    "Leaving seven young people to die... people who have suffered by our side all these months, it''s so cruel."


    ?Won''t having more students on our side help us deal with Skylark?? I tried to ask.


    But Celeste quickly shut me down:


    ?I think we''ve already decided to go for the element of surprise when we try to take him out, haven''t we? If it comes down to a straight fight, I don''t think even 20 or 30 more people would help us... unless they have some kind of broken innate power.?


    "...they might have one."


    But I wasn''t sure that telling Celeste that Sam had access to demonic magic would have helped my case.


    "If anything, it would make it harder for her to trust him..."


    Of course, I had no intention of keeping it a secret for long, in case this game came down to fighting him, but...


    Celeste read the indecision on my face and put a hand in front of her, signalling me to stop:


    ?In any case, now that this event has started, there''s no reason to even think about cooperating with them anymore.?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?I have a plan, and if it works, we can save Penny.?


    ?What?!?


    Celeste smiled at my exclamation of surprise. But there was nothing joyful about her expression.


    "Save Penny... eliminating the person in front of her won''t help... in fact, it would make things harder as the point gap would wi-...!"


    I had understood. There was a way.


    ?The Demon card! The 1000 point bonus! If we give it to Penny with the curse, she''ll shoot up the leaderboard!? I exclaimed, jumping out of my chair.


    ?That''s right,? Celeste commented, not nearly as excited as I was, ?but there may be a slight problem with this version of the plan.?


    "A slight problem... version of the plan?"


    In response to my confused face, she continued:


    ?Would Penny be okay with choosing who dies? That''s the other advantage that the Demon card combined with the curse gives to its owner.?


    "She''s right," I thought, biting my lip, "as much of an asshole as she can be, Penny is a very kind person... condemning a classmate to death is not going to be easy for her."


    ?You''re probably thinking the same thing about me. That''s why I thought of an alternative...?


    It only took me a moment to understand what she was going for.


    ?The 1000 point penalty.?


    ?As usual, we''re in sync,? but I could tell this time she wasn''t happy about it, ?if we give the Demon card to another student and keep the curse away from them, we can make them slip into last place, giving Penny at least another week to live.?


    Behind her cold smile I could see all the reluctance she was feeling. After all, it was a diabolical plan, demonic even. By not giving the curse to the Demon''s owner, we would be condemning two people to certain death instead of one.


    But the troubles were not over. There was something else that worried me.


    ?How are we going to get the Demon card Celeste?? I asked, already knowing the answer in my heart.


    ?By force. It''s not like we can ask them nicely to hand it over. They are also not going to accept any duels from us. So we''ll attack the other students tonight and steal their cards. Then we''ll choose two of them and keep them under surveillance until the end of the game, so that we can pass them the curse and the Demon card if necessary. Of course, I hope Penny will be willing to take the responsibility of choosing a victim... but we have to plan for the worst case scenario.?


    Celeste had spoken in a plain tone, almost as if she were reciting the weather for the day. I just couldn''t find a good way to react. It was an extremely cruel plan. Penny''s life was to be saved, but at what cost?


    ?Are you going to tell Penny about all of this?? I asked, at a loss for words.


    ?I''ll have to. But I don''t think she needs to know the whole story. I know she won''t like it either way, but if she doesn''t know about their offer to cooperate, she might accept it as the best thing to do,? Celeste replied, looking at me seriously.


    So it came down to this.


    "She wants me to keep quiet."


    The reason was obvious. It was much easier to subject the other students to this kind of treatment if we saw them as enemies rather than potential allies.


    "Fuck..."


    I desperately wanted to tell her no, but I struggled to come up with a good counter-argument.


    "One person has to die today, and I don''t want it to be one of my friends. And if it''s to save Penny... maybe another life is worth sacrificing..."


    But I just couldn''t accept it. If not agreeing to cooperate was a bit like leaving Sam and his friends stranded at sea, this was like deliberately drowning them by holding their heads underwater. Maybe the end result would be the same, but...


    "I''m letting my emotions get in the way of my rational thinking... that''s why Celeste is our leader and not me."


    Trying to buy time, I turned to Philemon, who had still not said anything:


    ?Is this plan your idea?? I asked him.


    ?Why do you ask? Is there something wrong with what Celeste said?? he replied, raising an eyebrow.


    ?The other day you suggested we gang up on the student above Penny, this plan is kind of similar, so...?


    ?It''s not like that, Liz. Philemon isn''t manipulating me or anything, we came up with it together,? Celeste interjected.


    ?But then... why did you stand up to him the other day?? I countered.


    ?That''s right, I did. But the situation is different now. This event will force us to kill one person anyway, so we might as well use it to our advantage. We''re also very close to putting our escape plan into action, so it doesn''t really matter if people want to take revenge on us at this point,? she replied with the same bitter smile on her face, ?it just seems like the most logical course of action. I know you and Philemon have had your disagreements, but I''m the one making the final decision this time.?


    "Then why do you look like you want nothing more than for me to give you a reason to change your mind..."


    But I just couldn''t find one.


    ?Celeste... As you said, it all sounds logical, but... I can''t go along with it. I have said it before, but I refuse to dance to Skylark''s tune. Even in this school, there are some lines we shouldn''t cross. And killing classmates who haven''t done anything wrong is one of them.?


    ?I understand,? Celeste said with a nod, ?and I''m not asking you to participate. I''m just asking you not to interfere.?


    ?Not interfere... doesn''t that make me an accomplice anyway??


    ?What is the alternative? Do you want them to have the Demon card? Do you realise that we won''t be able to give them the curse that way? Are you willing to risk one of our lives just to uphold your morality?? intervened Philemon in a harsh voice.


    ?There''s no need, Phil,? Celeste tried to stop him. But he continued:


    ?There is a need. Belvoir, as always, you think only of yourself. Can''t you see we''re doing our best to save Penelope? We are proposing actual solutions instead of spouting idealistic nonsense.?


    His hostility, which he had always managed to hide, was now obvious.


    "And the worst part is that I can''t think of anything to say in return..."


    ?It''s fine if you think that about me, but I still...? I muttered, lowering my eyes.


    ?You won''t kill an innocent person? Tell me, was Foster a threat when he was begging for his life at your feet? You dispatched him without mercy, so why is this a problem? Because it''s not about you, it''s about Penelope.?


    ?Philemon!? yelled Celeste jumping to her feet, ?you''re going too far!?


    ?No, he''s right...? I murmured.


    He was. Why was I acting so high and mighty? I was a murderer with blood on my hands. I had killed a man who was begging for his life simply because he had colluded with Finch, perhaps not even willingly. Why was I protesting now, when the deaths of our classmates could have been used to save our friend''s life?


    Back then, in that bloodied arena, I had thought that a part of me, the one that housed my humanity, had died. Back then, I thought I was ready to take on the role of the villain, mercilessly eliminating any obstacle to our survival.


    "But since then... I have changed again."


    I had learned something terrible: what it meant to lose someone you loved. It was a pain so deep that I wouldn''t wish it on my worst enemy. Not that I thought Skylark was capable of loving anyone.


    "And now that I''ve seen that they share a bond similar to ours... I can''t do something like that to Sam and his friends."


    Besides, there was something else wrong with this whole thing.


    ?You''re assuming I don''t care about Penny. But do you?? I asked Philemon, now looking him straight in the eye and clenching my fist.


    ?Of course I do,? he replied, obviously confused by my newfound will to argue with him.


    ?Then how can you think this is what she wants? Do you know what she told me? That some things are worth dying for! And that living with regrets is like not living at all!? I blurted out.


    ?She said that when she was relatively safe, I assume,? Philemon scoffed, ?but now that her elimination is imminent, she would of course be trying to save her life!?


    ?She is the only one who can decide that! I also tried to impose my so-called ''rational'' thinking on her in the past and I''m only now realising how stupid I was!? I exclaimed, ?And you are doing the same thing! Making all these plans without even talking to her! She''s not a baby, she has the right to decide for herself! Besides, if you''re so sure she''s going to react the way you think, why are you hiding all this stuff from her??


    This question finally seemed to hit the mark. Philemon opened his mouth before closing it again. Celeste looked at me with a faint smile and after a moment of silence the boy spoke again:


    ?You''re right, I neglected how Penny would feel. I''m sorry, I was angry and I was too harsh. I don''t think you did anything wrong with Finch. And I can understand your reservations about our plans,? he said, cleaning his glasses.


    ?That''s okay, I needed to hear those things anyway,? I replied in a lighter tone.


    ?But I still think we should stick to our plan. Especially since Penny might feel terrible about it, we need to keep the details a secret. Killing at least one of the other students is the only way to solve this game. Our plan will give us the best result. Unless you have one that is better??


    Philemon put the ball in my court. But as I had already realised, I had no good moves. In the end, strength was the only way to decide this game. Trust was not something we could build when our and Sam''s group''s interests were in opposite directions.


    So in the end there was only one point I could fight Philemon on:


    ?As I said, I won''t go along with this, but since I can''t offer a better alternative, I''m willing to stay out of it... as long as Penny is informed and agrees with your plan. We owe her the truth, otherwise what kind of alliance are we??


    ?There you go again with this idealistic crap...?


    In the end, both my eyes and Philemon''s fell on Celeste. She was going be the one to make the decision. The girl seemed to understand and took a deep breath. I could see in her usually sweet brown eyes, now filled with worry, which side she was going to choose.


    But she had barely opened her mouth when the door to her room was forced open. As had happened so many times in the past, every single one of my problems suddenly became insignificant as I stared at Sophia making her entrance. I couldn''t resist jumping into her arms.


    ?Sophia!? I shouted, crushing her in a hug.


    ?The cavalry has arrived! I''m here to rescue the stupid hero I have for a girlfriend once again,? she chuckled.


    ?Rescue.. wait, did you hear the whole thing?? asked Celeste, stunned.


    ?I got the gist of it...? she replied with a smile as we pulled away from the embrace, ?I accidentally broke your muffling spell by touching the door handle, and since your discussion seemed quite animated, I stopped to listen.?


    ?Oh...?


    ?Don''t worry, I sent Penny and Nicole to stand guard on both sides of the corridors. They didn''t catch anything,? Sophia said at Celeste''s worried expression.


    ?I see...?


    ?So how do you intend to ''rescue'' your girlfriend? Have you come up with an alternative plan?? asked Philemon impatiently.


    I looked at Sophia with hopeful eyes. If anyone was clever enough to come up with a solution that wouldn''t turn us into heartless monsters, it was her. But my hopes were soon dashed:


    ?Not at all,? Sophia replied.


    She seemed to realise the effect her words had on me and put her arm around my shoulders, adding with a confident tone:


    ?But I have a way of deciding whether we should go with Elizabeth''s idea of telling Penny and letting her decide, or follow Philemon''s one of keeping her in the dark. A method that would make no one feel bad and be 100% impartial.?


    ?I think Celeste has already decided-? Philemon started to say, but was immediately cut off:


    ?How?!? Celeste asked . I could see that she was feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.


    ?Well, if Philemon''s argument is so airtight that we can''t counter it with words, we''ll just have to cut through it,? Sopiha said.


    ?Cut through it...? I repeated, ?Wait! You''re saying that...? I blurted out.


    ?Philemon, Celeste, it''s time you gave me and Elizabeth a chance for revenge. We challenge you both to a duel,? my girlfriend finished, confirming my suspicion.


    Philemon looked at her as if she had gone completely mad:


    ?A duel?! May I remind you that we are in the middle of Skylark''s trial? Besides, do you really want to put something so important at stake in-?


    He stopped mid-sentence. Following his gaze, I understood why. It was clearly written on Celeste''s excited face that his fate had already been sealed when Sophia had uttered the word ''duel''.

 69. Bad influence

    My eyes were magnetically drawn to my girlfriend''s back as I walked two steps behind her through the corridors of the west wing. There was no trace of the vulnerability she had shown me this morning in her confident stride. Of course, she was going to say it was because I had cheered her up, but I knew by now that you could always count on Sophia''s nerves of steel when things got tough.


    "She had to save me again."


    When Philemon had exposed the contradictions in my behaviour, I had hesitated and almost given up on opposing him. Even after I had regained some of my composure, I was still unable to find a solution. But here came Sophia, brilliantly exploiting Celeste''s thirst for challenge to give me a way out.


    ?Will I ever catch up with her?? I sighed as I looked at her.


    I could feel Amy''s last word coming back to me. Was this how she felt? Chasing after someone who always seemed to be two steps ahead, no matter how hard you tried to catch up?


    But unlike good old inconsiderate me, Sophia was a caring person. She had always tried to reassure me about my inferiority complex, but it seemed that breaking the cycle my mind kept me in was not going to be easy.


    But sadly that was not the only uncomfortable feeling I was experiencing at the moment.


    ?Come on, just tell me what''s wrong.?


    I suddenly slammed into Sophia''s soft body. I was so deep in my own thoughts that I hadn''t realised she had stopped walking.


    ?How...?? I started to ask under her inquisitive gaze, but she cut me off with a sneer:


    ?By now I can tell when you are sulking just by being near you. It''s like the air around you is getting heavier... I wouldn''t be surprised if you had a personal rain cloud following you.?


    ?I''m not sulking!? I replied, pouting.


    But when Sophia pinched my cheeks in a painful way, I had to give in.


    ?All right, all right...? I complained, trying to get her to let me go. When she did, I sighed again before explaining:


    ?It''s just that... you actually agree with Philemon, don''t you? He''s right. Someone has to die, we can''t change that. So it''s only natural that we should try to protect our friends. And, it may be unpleasant, but his and Celeste''s plan would allow us to save Penny for now. I''m just being selfish, putting my own morals before the life of an ally.?


    It was Sophia''s turn to sigh:


    ?So you think I''m siding with you just because you''re my girlfriend?? she asked.


    ?Isn''t that right? You are the smartest person I know, Sophia. You are not a stupid idiot like me! It''s obvious that you would go for a well thought out, rational and logical plan instead of my idealistic ramblings!? I replied animatedly.


    I had to quickly shield my head from Sophia''s fist.


    ?Hey, stop it!? I yelled as she continued to lightly tap the top of my head.


    ?Sorry, but since you insist on being a pain, I have to punch some sense into you,? she replied in a serious tone, almost like the one of a doctor talking to an unconvinced patient.


    ?Hitting my head will make me even more stupid than I already am!? I chuckled.


    I could feel myself cheering up thanks to our usual antics.


    ?You''re not that wrong, though. At the beginning of the school year, I would''ve definitely sided with Philemon. But a long time has passed since then,? Sophia said with a slightly nostalgic look on her face, finally stopping her onslaught.


    ?Are you saying my stupidity is contagious?? I asked, feigning annoyance.


    Sophia giggled:


    ?That''s one way of putting it... But remember how much I pushed you back when you tried to be friends with me??


    ?I do...?


    I remembered clearly how much she had monopolised my thoughts during that time. Not that things were much different now.


    ?If I didn''t know you as well as I do now, I''d think you were trying to play hard to get, just to make me fall in love with you,? I said, thinking back to those simpler times.


    "And it worked so damn well."


    Sophia smiled amusedly.


    ?I was honestly just shocked that you were willing to be friends with someone as unpleasant as me. Romance never even crossed my mind... I mean, I hadn''t even realised I was a lesbian back then.?


    ?Me neither... but I still couldn''t take my eyes off your stupidly attractive face.?


    ?Well... thank you,? Sophia said, a little taken aback.


    ?You''re supposed to say ''same''...!? I pouted again, this time jokingly.


    By now I had finally accepted that she actually found me pretty, even if I still didn''t understand how it was possible. I laughed as I saw her legitimately worried. Sophia had definitely gotten a lot better at social interactions, but at the end of the day she was still the same awkward girl I had fallen in love with.


    ?Idiot... you know I''m not good at this!? she exclaimed while I laughed, nudging me with her elbow.


    Then she got serious again:


    ?Before you distracted me, I was saying: I''ve changed since then, Elizabeth, thanks to you. I still think that logic and reason are very important, of course, but they are not the only things we should base our decisions on.?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Do you remember that day in the infirmary after you defeated Chloe?? Sophia asked.


    ?Of course I do! We shared our first hug!?


    ?It was so awkward... but what you said then, I still hold close to my heart: ''I don''t want us to team up to defeat our classmates, but to defeat the Academy.'' In the midst of a death game, when Skylark was doing his best to pit us against each other, you wouldn''t take the easy way out, you wouldn''t use our strength to prey on the weak. You were willing to do the right thing, even if it was much harder and illogical.?


    Her words didn''t have the effect she was probably hoping for. My face darkened as I remembered the promise I had made that day. A promise I couldn''t mantain.


    ?I said I¡¯d save you both back then¡­ look how it went. You are right: I¡¯m an idiot that¡¯s taking the harder way and creating problems for the people that care about me. I guess that, even though I told you I gave up on it, I¡¯m still unconsciously trying to be the hero I wished to be when I was little¡­ But you shouldn¡¯t admire me for it, Sophia. You may end up like-?


    ?Don¡¯t say it,? Sophia interrupted my bitter words by putting an hand over my mouth, ?I guess you still haven¡¯t gotten over your guilt, but don¡¯t say that. Amy really admired you and that¡¯s what pushed her to become stronger and save both our lives. I''m sure that even if she knew what was going to happen, she would''ve still look up to you all the same. And so do I. Your feats may not end up being narrated in a book, but you are still my, no, our hero.?


    Her hand moved but I still couldn¡¯t talk as now her lips were closing my mouth.


    "I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand what people see in me.¡±


    Impostor syndrome, insecurity... they were probably never going away. As cocky as I could be about my magic power, I would always second guess my actions. But maybe it was okay¡­ every hero had a party they could rely on when they doubted themselves. And I had a wonderful partner at my side.


    ?Thank you, Sophia. But... are you sure??


    ?I''m sure. If it comes to it, we''ll have to prioritize our lives over everything else... but till then I''ll follow your guide. My stupid hero,? she said with eyes full of affection.


    It was too much. I diverted my gaze while we started walking again, side by side.


    ?But a duel... are you sure that''s the best way?? I asked, trying to get over my embarrassment.


    It felt so stupid to stake something as important as our strategy for this trial on a duel. I knew Sophia could be impulsive sometimes, but this idea of hers didn''t seem like an afterthought.


    "What if..."


    ?Don''t tell me you just want to fight Celeste?? I asked to her suspicious silence.


    ?...I''ve waited this long... Since it can help us solve this problem, why not kill two birds with one stone?? my girlfriend replied. This time it was her who avoided my gaze.


    ?You''re impossible! Aren''t you two best buddies now?? I asked, rolling my eyes.


    ?That doesn''t mean that losing to her in the tournament doesn''t still sting... if anything, it''s worse now! She keeps bringing it up!?


    ?... I guess my stupidity really is contagious after all...?


    Her current behaviour was very similar to mine last December, when I had done everything I could to have a serious duel with her, just for pride''s sake. I was about to tell her that when Sophia suddenly stopped again.


    ?What-?!?


    Before I could ask what was wrong, I found myself pinned against the wall.


    ?Sophia... what are you doing?!? I asked, blushing furiously,


    I''d done this to her a few times before, but I''d never been on the receiving end. And as it turned out, it was a lot more embarrassing than I thought it would be. But that wasn''t all. The feel of her warm body pressing mine against the cold stone wall was doing something to me.


    "This is really not the time, Elizabeth!"


    But when I heard her voice dangerously close to my ear, I couldn''t help but squirm a little.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ?You have a lot of nerve criticising me for this, ... miss 1vs5.?


    "Nicole, I''m going to kill you... and then maybe thank you."


    ?I''m sorry... Your Honour...? I mumbled as I felt my body start to shake in anticipation.


    ?I''m afraid apologies aren''t going to be enough for someone as criminally idiotic as you.?


    Sophia stopped pressing me so hard and slowly caressed my face.


    ?After this game is over, I''ll make sure you understand your lesson this time,? she said with a grin before letting me go and starting to walk again.


    I took a moment to collect myself before following her. To think that Sophia had once been so pure that she would panic at the mere thought of a simple kiss. She had changed in that way too. No... it was more accurate to say that I had corrupted her.


    "And for once... I''m not sorry at all!"


    <hr>


    The guard gave us a condescending look before he stepped through the door to the second floor.


    "I wonder if he knows we were there just a few hours ago."


    The reason Sophia and I were in front of the guards'' post was as simple as it was important. My girlfriend''s idea of settling things with a double duel had an issue: 2v2 fights were not normally allowed. I could easily see why: a weaker student could have teamed up with a stronger one to easily score points. However, we knew from the previous tournament that they were theoretically possible. So we had come here to get Skylark''s approval. An approval I was pretty sure we would get. As much as the Headmaster liked to hinder us, he enjoyed pitting us against each other. And if my instincts were right, he''d have loved to see me fight Celeste.


    "But it''ll be a friendly duel like last time... at least I hope so."


    Philemon had looked extremely pissed off before me and Sophia left the room, but he didn''t seem like the type to use violence to settle things. It was clear, though, that our already rocky relationship was going to hit rock bottom after all this. But I couldn''t really blame him. The one-on-one conversation I had with him had made it clear: the reason behind every action he took was to protect Celeste. And my own actions and beliefs clearly went in the opposite direction.


    "I guess I''m the kind of friend your parents tell you not to hang out with," I thought, glancing sideways at Sophia, "a bad influence, you might say."


    My train of thought was interrupted by the guard''s return. As I had predicted, he announced:


    ?The Headmaster has given you permission to fight in a 2vs2 duel. You have 15 minutes to meet with your opponents in the magic training room.?


    I looked at Sophia''s smug expression with amusement. Now that it was coming down to it, I couldn''t help but feel a little hyped up myself. The truth was, that loss still stung for me too. But I wasn''t going to take it lightly. My pride was the least of what was at stake. I had to win. Penny needed to know the truth and, if possible, I wanted to avoid a big fight with Sam''s group. If we''d forced him to save his friends, that strange boy would have gone all out, I was sure of it. And if his innate power really did involve dark magic, it would''ve been dangerous for everyone involved. Even Sophia''s innate advantage over spellcasters would''ve been useless against such a destructive force.


    "I''ll tell them about it after the duel... but for now, let''s concentrate on winning."


    It wasn''t going to be easy.


    If I was confident that I could defeat Philemon 1v1, the same couldn''t be said for Celeste. Even if I had the edge in firepower, my friend was the most cunning person I knew. A duel between us would have come down to my ability to navigate her myriad tricks and use my superior mana to overpower and crush her before she could outwit me.


    But this duel, like the previous one, would have been balanced by something other than our singular fighting abilities. As Philemon and Celeste had demonstrated, a 2v2 duel was all about synergy between partners.


    Their ability to seamlessly switch roles during a fight had been used to focus on Sophia while keeping me out of the picture. The lack of coordination and reliance on our individual strength had been exposed, leading us to a crushing defeat. Would this time be different?


    Of course, Sophia and I had become lovers since then. But our closeness didn''t really translate into combat sinergy. And, although our relationship was very deep, we had known each other for less than a year. How could we compete with friends who had been sparring together since they were kids? It was clear that they knew each other in a way that Sophia and I couldn''t hope to achieve in the little time we''d spent together.


    "Maybe we should spend more time training and less time cuddling..."


    If someone had told nerdy old me that I''d one day put my love for a girl before my love for magic, I would have thought them crazy.


    "But we can find a way out of this. We are both stronger now."


    The previous fight against Sam and his friends had left me feeling pumped. But I knew that even if I felt magically great, I''d need a solid strategy to defeat someone like Celeste.


    ?Sophia, how can we win this time? 15 minutes isn''t enough time to come up with a plan as solid as theirs,? I said as we walked hand in hand towards Celeste''s room.


    ?I''m afraid so, last time they had us all figured out. They know I''m nearly useless outside of melee combat, so all they have to do is stop me while they make sure you can''t help me get free. It''s likely they''ll follow the same plan,? but I could tell from her smirk that she had already thought of a counter tactic.


    ?Don''t leave me hanging like Celeste does!? I scoffed, giving her a gentle nudge with my shoulder.


    ?Well, it''s simple. Since we don''t have time to come up with a strategy of our own, we''ll have to use their plan against them. We''ll take their assumptions and use them to turn things around. Flipping the chessboard, you could say. And the moment they''re surprised and make a mistake, I''ll be there to punish it.?


    <hr>


    Like the last time we duelled, Celeste smiled at me brightly as she pulled out her wand. And just like last time, I didn''t return it. But for a different reason. Back then, I''d been extremely nervous about what would have happened if we''d lost. This time, I was very afraid of what would happen if we tried to win.


    I looked to my side and saw Sophia looking straight ahead, confident. I was angry, very angry. Even though I knew I had no right to be, after everything I had done in the past.


    "I''m going to make her regret this."


    After this game, I wasn''t going to let her get back at me for fighting 1vs5. If she wanted me to forgive her, she was the one who needed to repent.


    "But for now... I''m forced to go along with this."


    Meanwhile, Philemon had also adopted his dueling stance. The boy seemed resigned to his fate and was back to his usual seraphic self.


    "I''m sure he''s expecting another easy win, but it''s not going to be like that."


    ?Are you all ready?? said Wilhelm from outside the circular arena of the training room.


    Our other allies had been rather perplexed by our sudden desire to fight each other. After all, as Philemon had said, we were in the middle of a deadly test. But when we told them that Celeste and Sophia were arguing about the strategy to win this game, they seemed to agree that it was a good way to settle things. For once, their cat-and-mouse behaviour proved useful.


    Of all of them, Wilhelm was probably the most excited by the idea of watching a duel between us, so much so that he had chosen to be an unnecessary referee. He was also the one holding the curse, as it would have been distracting having it passed around during the fight. Penny and Nicole were guarding the door: it wouldn''t have been ideal to be attacked by Sam''s group during the duel.


    ?We''re ready,? Celeste exclaimed cheerfully.


    ?Same here,? Sophia echoed after exchanging a quick nod with me.


    ?Very well! State your conditions,? Wilhelm said solemnly.


    ?If we win, you two won''t interfere with my and Phil''s plan,? Celeste said.


    ?We accept your condition. If we win, you''ll have to share the plan with our entire alliance. We''ll then take a majority vote to decide what to do,? I replied.


    Sophia and I had decided that this was the best way to go about it. This way we wouldn''t put everything on Penny''s shoulders.


    ?We accept.?


    With the acknowledgement that both sides had agreed to the terms, the translucent magical barrier expanded around us and at the same moment the magical voice began its countdown. I could see the confidence in Celeste''s brown eyes and the serious determination behind Philemon''s glasses. But it was not going to be like last time.


    ...3


    Sophia had her sword ready. She knew it would be useless to throw it. All she could do was prepare herself for what she would have to endure.


    2


    I sighed, thinking of the multiple injuries she had suffered last time. Why did we have to be such a reckless pair of foolish young girls?


    1


    ?Gravity Surge!? yelled Celeste as soon as the countdown was over.


    As expected, Sophia was quickly brought to her knees. At the same time, Celeste began to doublecast a shower of stone projectiles. They were too many for my girlfriends'' power to intercept.


    It was as if the same script from the tournament was being replayed, and now it was time for my lines. I was going to step up to protect Sophia and Philemon was going to do everything he could to keep me occupied. But, as Sophia had instructed me, I had no intention of performing my assigned role this time.


    ?Speed!? I exclaimed, pointing the wand at my chest as I drew my sword. I saw Philemon''s imperturbable face light up in surprise as I started to run towards him.


    ?Stone Shield!? he shouted, creating a barrier around himself.


    But I was ready: I could have phase-shifted through it, but that would have put me at risk of being hit by a subsequent elemental attack. So, using my newfound mastery of doublecasting, I simply concentrated all my power into a single spell, while keeping my buff active.


    ?Flare!?


    The stone wall instantly exploded into countless pieces. Right after, I quickly unleashed a powerful shockwave to clear the debris from my path. Philemon used his wand to propel himself backwards, but not fast enough to avoid a small cut on his thigh. I saw his teeth clench as an irritated look crossed his face.


    Sophia''s strategy had been set in motion: turning their own plan against them. Since they expected me to help her, I was going to do the opposite: ignore her and go on the offensive. And what better way to fight a mage expert in elemental defence than with a sword? All his fancy fire and water barriers would be useless against cold, hard steel.


    Of course, there was a huge problem with this plan. At the moment, behind my back, my girlfriend''s body was being tormented by a myriad of small wounds. But I didn''t turn around. I continued to pursue Philemon like a bloodthirsty beast.


    ?Water Cannon!? the boy shouted, trying to pin me down with a huge water stream.


    ?Mana Shield!? I shouted, completely absorbing his attack as I continued to run towards him. Unfortunately for Philemon, not only was I a better melee fighter than he was, but my mana reserves dwarfed his. I could simply shut down any attack he sent my way with brute force.


    My new slash caught him on the shoulder, but I didn''t manage to hit him too deep before he could fly away again. As he did, I immediately deactivated my boost spell and, concentrating all my mana, I shouted:


    ?Meteor!?


    The giant fiery boulder was aimed at where he was about to land. This sudden switch from close combat to heavy duty magic would have caught many off guard, but Philemon was ready:


    ?Water Dome!? he shouted.


    His huge water barrier was big enough to cover both him and Celeste, who was still intent on attacking Sophia. There was one problem though: he was now wide open.


    Doublecasting a water shield on top of Sophia, I quickly dashed towards him, ready to pierce his flank. He knew that if he doublecasted an offensive spell to slow me, he would risk not fully stopping my Meteor and putting Celeste at risk.


    It was checkmate.


    Or so it seemed.


    ?Gravity Surge!?


    I felt myself being brought to my knees, just like Sophia.


    "You''re just absurd..." I thought as I looked at Celeste through Philemon''s pristine barrier.


    Casting two Gravity Surges at the same time, one of which wandless, was something I wouldn''t normally have thought possible.


    ?But I knew you could do it, you are so crazy Celeste,? I murmured with a smile.


    Me and Sophia were not the only one that had gotten stronger. But, sadly for Celeste, she had played in my girlfriend''s hand. The last piece had fallen into place: they were out of spells.


    "It''s now or never, you big idiot."


    I didn''t have to say it out loud. Sophia was already there, behind Celeste, her uniform torn and her body filled with countless small wounds. Her blade lightly touched her best friend''s neck. As my Meteor collided with Philemon''s defence, I heard Celeste say faintly:


    ?I yield...?


    We had won. The duel had lasted only a couple of minutes. Celeste and Philemon had suffered a complete and utter defeat, even worse than the one they had inflicted on us.


    As the aftermath of the clashing spells cleared, I quickly ran to Sophia and let her lean on my shoulder. Just looking at her filled me with anger.


    ?G-good job, I knew you could do it...? she muttered weakly.


    ?Shut up,? I scolded her bitterly.


    Although we had won, I didn''t feel happy at all. Perhaps I was even grumpier than the defeated party. Celeste, in fact, seemed far more dumbfounded than angry.


    ?W-what the hell just happened?? she asked, looking at Sophia as if she had seen a ghost.


    ?Elizabeth distracted you and I broke free of your spell. You are quite clumsy, aren''t you?? Sophia gloated, ?I hope you liked my plan. You were so focused on pinning me down that you didn''t realise Elizabeth was going to run Philemon down. And when she pressured you into helping him, I knew you would give me an opening.?


    ?...I see...I was sure I had my spells under control...but geez, you are fast! I didn''t even see you coming. And you are also out of your mind! What kind of idiot would think about taking all those spells in the face as part of a strategy?? Celeste commented. I could see that now that the shock had worn off, she was beginning to feel the irritation of defeat.


    To lose because of her own blunder would burn deeply for a perfectionist like her.


    But of course I knew that she hadn''t actually made any mistakes. Her Gravity Surges were perfect. Sophia had escaped on her own, with a dangerous power she should have never used again after the previous time.


    "...to think she practiced it in secret..." I thought, gritting my teeth as I looked at my girlfriend''s battered but radiant face.


    The power to tear through space. The power that had almost killed her during the battle.


    "She tells me I should never use mine for any reason... and then does this shit for a stupid duel... AAAAH I want to scream at her!"


    ?Ahh... fuck it. Let''s get these idiots to the infirmary,? Celeste said, clearly trying her best to hide her frustration.


    I turned to see Philemon slowly getting to his feet. Before he could hide it behind his usual facade, I clearly understood from his expression that I wasn''t the angriest person in the room after all.

 70. The will of the majority

    My eyes were fixed on the infirmary door as apprehension continued to raise in my heart with every passing second. Celeste and Philemon had come out nearly 10 minutes ago, with the boy''s wounds perfectly healed. The two had gone to round up the others for an emergency meeting of our alliance. Because me and Sophia had won our duel, they were forced to let a majority vote decide our strategy in this game, whether they liked it or not. But while Philemon looked irritated, Celeste had seemed rather serene to me, even though I knew how pissy she could get after a loss.


    I had stayed behind to wait for Sophia to be patched up by the healers, but she still had not come out. I had avoided entering the room with her as a sort of a  punishment for brushing off my concerns about her health, but this petty idea of mine had only backfired. Now that things were taking longer than I thought they would, I could hardly resist rushing into the infirmary. But, of course, I didn¡¯t want to distract the healers in the middle of a procedure.


    But why was it taking so long? She looked terrible of course, but little wounds like hers should¡¯ve taken just a couple of minutes to heal up under the expert wands of the Academy healers. Could it be that using her power to teleport had caused some internal issues like it had during the first time she had used it? My heart sunk when I remembered her talking about her lungs getting almost squashed by some kind of heavy pressure the moment she had slashed through space.


    ?You told me it wouldn¡¯t hurt you this time¡­ please please please be fine you giant idiot,? I murmured while fidgeting nervously with my hands.


    I was about to phase my head through the door to take a look inside when it finally opened. A wave of relief washed over me as I saw Sophia emerge from the infirmary on her own two feet. Her uniform was still in tatters, but she looked unharmed. I had to steel myself to not run to her and hug her. I felt that if I didn''t keep giving her the cold shoulder, it would have been like enabling her crazy behaviour.


    ?A-are you okay?? I asked in as neutral a tone as I could muster, but I couldn''t help but let my voice shake with worry.


    ?I''m fine. They just wanted to make sure that everything was all right inside my body too... It''s not the first time I''ve visited them after using this new power, after all,? Sophia said in a strangely docile tone.


    I had imagined that she would try to dismiss my worries as she had before and after the duel, but the defiant smile that had been on her face before was nowhere to be found.


    ?Is there something wrong with your body?? I asked, dropping my detached facade and taking a step towards her.


    Sophia smiled, but for some reason I could see a kind of sadness in her eyes.


    ?Don''t worry Elizabeth, physically I''m fine. I''m just... an idiot. Can we talk? I need to apologise to you,? she replied, lowering her eyes.


    In a second, I felt myself mellowing. It seemed like an eternity ago, but in this very corridor we had screamed at each other after our last duel with Celeste and Philemon. It looked like we weren''t going to get there this time.


    "Some things never change, while others do..." I thought as I sat down on the hard marble and patted the floor at my side, "we''re still the same stupid girls, but I think we''ve matured a bit."


    Sophia sat down close to me with her back against the wall, but still leaving some distance between us. She probably wanted me to be the one to touch her first, since I was the one who was angry.


    ?Elizabeth, I''m sorry,? she sighed, looking down, ?now that the adrenaline has worn off, I can see why you''re mad at me. I always tell you that you make me worry and here I am doing the same.?


    ?Well, I guess it''s okay if you''re the irresponsible one every now and then,? I commented, sliding my hand over hers.


    ?Elizabeth...? Sophia said, turning to me. I did my best to avoid her puppy eyes.


    ?But I''m still angry! How could you tell me never to use my new power and then go practice yours in secret!? I scoffed as I squeezed her hand tightly.


    ?Ouch!... I... I''m sorry! I wasn''t really thinking about that!? Sophia said with a grimace.


    ?You... didn''t think about it?!?


    ?You see... it''s true this particular part of my power is dangerous, but as long as I can get to a healer in time, I''ll be fine! That''s why I practised in the courtyard, because it''s  so close to the infirmary! I had to use it quite a few times before my body got used to it. Yours mana release thing is different. If Skylark was telling the truth, you will never recover from it. So... I thought... if I can get stronger, you''ll never have to use it!? she explained animatedly.


    ?You... did you really make yourself cough up blood repeatedly? Just so you could teleport a few feet?? I asked, stunned. Perhaps I had underestimated how reckless my girlfriend could be. ?Sophia, have you gone completely mad??


    ?Maybe I have,? Sophia said with a slight smile, ?and it''s your fault...?


    Looking into her loving eyes, my heart skipped a beat, but I couldn''t let her win me over so easily,


    ?My fault? Nice way to apologise, girl,? I commented frigidly, raising an eyebrow.


    It seemed that manipulating me with her cuteness wasn''t what Sophia had in mind. She shook her head in horror and quickly explained:


    ?That''s not what I meant! I''m sorry, I really am. I just... I love you so much I think I''m going crazy! So... I want to protect you, Elizabeth! But I should have talked to you about this... it''s just that I didn''t want to worry you, since you''ve been so depressed lately.?


    I sighed at her words. After all, I couldn''t really blame her. I could relate to keeping things hidden so as not to worry her.


    ?Fine... I forgive you. Let''s say we''re even now,? I sighed, but after seeing her relieved expression I added: ?but no more crazy stunts, ok? We are a team, remember? I don''t want you to destroy your body to protect me, Sophia.  Just like you don''t want me to vanish because I''ve used up all my mana. When you do something, try to think about how it would make me feel, please. I know it''s rich coming from me...?


    ?Elizabeth!?


    As if I had given her a signal, Sophia quickly wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me towards her. She buried her head in my shoulder:


    ?Thank you, thank you! I promise I''ll get better at this,? she said, her voice shaking.


    My heart couldn''t take it anymore. I took her in my arms and caressed her hair:


    ?You dummy... you almost sound like a nice girl now... remember the last time we fought in this corridor, you threatened to cut off my arm!?


    I heard Sophia''s muffled giggle:


    ?I wasn''t actually going to, you know?... But I guess... the other day and today... I found out that I really can''t stand you being cold to me... I can''t stand it, Elizabeth!?


    ?Who''s the big baby now?? I asked with a chuckle.


    I pushed Sophia away from me and climbed onto her lap, putting my arms around her neck.


    ?Do you remember this position? I confessed my love to you like this back then... but I bet you didn''t even realise it,? I whispered into her ear, ?It''s ok Sophia. I''m sure we''ll have many more quarrels... but like I said back then, you''ll always be the most special person to me and that will never change.?


    Like a dessert after a cup of black coffee, our kiss was one of the sweetest we had ever shared, so much so that by the time we got up I felt almost drunk on it.


    It was Sophia''s words that brought me out of this almost trance-like state:


    ?I guess I didn''t have to try so hard... you''ve gotten so strong Elizabeth. If we fought right now... I''m not sure I''d be able to beat you anymore,? she said with a slightly annoyed voice.


    ?What are you talking about...? I muttered dismissively.


    ?You completely overpowered Philemon! I know you went more on the offensive compared to our last duel with them, but still... you made it look super easy! Remember, Celeste herself has trouble beating him!?


    "Now that I think about it..."


    Philemon had looked like an impenetrable wall to me in the past. But today? It wasn''t even a challenge. If it hadn''t been for Celeste''s intervention, I would have easily pierced him with my sword without even needing Sophia''s help. What had changed since the last time we fought?


    "I suddenly got better at doublecasting, and I can use buff spells pretty well now... even though I always struggled with them."


    Suddenly was the key word here. And the second part was particularly egregious. I had constantly employed doublecasting during my fights so it would make sense that I would get better at it. But buffing spells? I had pretty much given up on them before my fight with Owen Finch.


    Earlier this morning, when we had gone up to the second floor, I had chalked up this strange ease of casting spells to being in good shape, but...


    "It definitely goes beyond that."


    But then... why had I become stronger out of the blue?


    There could only be one answer. An event that had changed something inside me.


    "The mana release incident."


    I stopped in the middle of the corridor. Even now, I could feel my magical power flowing inside me like an unbridled torrent. Every ounce of it was ready to burst forth at my command, effortlessly.


    "How could I not have noticed..."


    Perhaps it was because I had never been in danger after our dungeon adventure. But now there was no doubt in my mind, my already proficient mana control had improved to an incredible level. Like a river that once ran along a single course, but had opened up new branches into which it could flow.


    ?Elizabeth, what''s wrong?? asked Sophia, confused by my sudden halt.


    ?Sophia... I may have actually powered up,? I said excitedly, looking down at my hands as if I thought light was about to shine out of them.


    After I explained what I had realised, Sophia seemed convinced:


    ?Based on what you taught me about mana during Chloe''s affair... I think you might be right. If mana is your life force, shooting it out might have more consequences than just draining it. I guess being on the brink of death... made you more aware of what it means to be alive. I heard that people can get pretty messed up from near-death experiences.?


    ?If being messed up enhances my magic... I''ll take it!? I chirped.


    It may not have been an innate power, but I suddenly felt a bit special. But behind my elation, a shadow suddenly appeared.


    ?Sophia... do you think this is what they were studying up there?? I asked slowly.


    ?What do you mean??


    ?If they were experimenting on mana release... maybe it''s to find a way to increase magical power!?


    It was horrible to think about, but all those people who''d died on that horrible operating table on the third floor might have been sacrificed on the altar of magic casting advancement.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ?It could be... but isn''t it a stupid research? Who would risk death to improve their spellcasting? Apart from messed up people like you, I mean?? Sophia added with a slight smirk.


    ?Hey, it''s not like I wanted to risk getting stabbed by your copy! It just happened that way. Besides, mad scientists don''t really stick to reason, Sophia!?


    We both fell silent for a moment. I thought about the implications of my realisation.


    ?Anyway, let''s think about this later,? Sophia spoke up, ?let me get a fresh uniform and let''s go to Celeste''s room. Remember, we have a vote to win right now.?


    "Crap!"


    In the midst of my concern for her, I had completely forgotten that winning the duel wasn''t the end of anything. A sense of foreboding immediately took hold of my mind. When we finally knocked on Celeste''s door and opened it, my worst fears immediately appeared to be realised.


    It was almost as if a dark mist was hovering over the table, dampening the spirits of our allies. Penny in particular looked shocked.


    ?Took you long enough,? Celeste said, ?since we''re kind of pressed for time, we''ve already explained everything to the others.?


    "I was naive," I thought as I looked at Philemon''s impassive face.


    The boy had probably used my absence to convince Penny, Nicole and Wilhelm of his plan, without having to worry about me objecting.


    "I can''t really blame him for playing dirty... after all, we did drag him into a stupid duel."


    As much as we clashed, I couldn''t bring myself to dislike Philemon the way I once did Wilhelm. I knew from my one-on-one with him that there was no malice behind his actions, only a desire to protect Celeste.


    "But even so... I can''t let this happen. Sophia told me I''m her hero, so I should act like one!"


    ?So... what do you guys think? You don''t want to attack our classmates unprovoked and kidnap them, do you?? I asked, immediately going on the offensive.


    Nicole looked at me with a contrite expression on her pretty face:


    ?It sounds terrible when you say it like that, Liz! But... we can save Penny! And it''s not like we can avoid anyone dying in the first place!?


    That was Philemon''s argument and, as before, I really had no logical reasoning to counter it.


    ?You''re right! But there must be a way to avoid doing what Skylark wants! Remember, he''s the enemy, not our classmates. Don''t you agree, Whilelm?? I asked, turning to him.


    I knew the boy was righteous to a fault, and in the past he had been a great advocate of cooperation. I''d hoped that appealing to his sense of justice would bring him to my side. But the look he gave me quickly dashed my hopes:


    ?I completely agree with you... but in a test like this, what can we do?? he blurted out, clenching his fists as he looked down, ?Celeste has the curse, we can''t leave it to her. We can''t even pass it without care, or it might fall on the owner of the Demon card. Unfortunately, I think Philemon is right. Attacking them and getting their cards is the only way out of this.?


    Discouraged, my eyes went to Penny. The girl had started to cry:


    ?I d-don''t want to do this...? she murmured.


    But I could tell from her trembling voice that she was wavering. Penny''s eyes met mine:


    ?Liz... is there another way??


    In the end, that was the question I had to answer.


    "Another way... a way not to resort to violence while still ensuring that none of our allies are in danger... I have to find one."


    But at that moment Philemon spoke:


    ?I think we can proceed with the vote,? he said.


    "He doesn''t want to give me time to think."


    I had to prolong the discussion to find a way out.


    ?Wait... fighting Sam''s group could be dangerous! He can use dark magic!?


    Until now, I had never told that to anyone. Even though it might help me, I was afraid it could actually backfire on me. But I had to postpone the vote as long as possible.


    ?Dark magic? That''s impossible. Humans can''t use that!? Philemon replied with a raised eyebrow.


    ?It''s true, when I fought against him, he used a spell called ''Dark Lash''. There''s no doubt about it, it was dark magic. It ate all the light in the entrance hall, and when I asked him, he confirmed it. I think it might be his innate power or-?


    ?Is Sam Rover... a demon?!? Nicole cut me off with a look of horror on her face.


    Silence fell over the room. Apparently, demons were a bigger deal to people who didn''t live in the boonies like I did.


    "Maybe this will work..."


    But I was about to go on the offensive again when Celeste spoke up:


    ?If that''s true, Liz... I think it''s important that we strike first. Having a dark magic user roaming around the school ready to pounce on us is too dangerous. We can use this test to take him out and save ourselves some headaches in the future. If we ambush them and attack Sam together, we should be able to pacify him before he can activate whatever power he has. We''ll get the Demon card and Penny will mark him as the victim.?


    This was exactly what I was worried about. Dark magic had such a stigma attached to it that it made Sam extremely untrustworthy. Everyone except Penny and Sophia nodded at Celeste''s words.


    "I don''t think Sam is the type to attack us with dark magic unprovoked... but I can''t really say that as a counter-argument. After all, his group tried to capture Nicole and me..."


    I had my back to the wall. I saw Philemon ready to speak again. I was out of time.


    ?Wait a minute. I think your plan may have one major flaw.?


    "Sophia!"


    I watched my girlfriend rise from her chair, almost like a queen rising from her throne.


    "I can always count on you!"


    ?A flaw?? Philemon repeated confused.


    Sophia gave me a smile before answering:


    ?So your idea is to attack first and secure two targets. You''ll give the curse to one of them and, if Penny doesn''t want to be the one to choose the victim, you''ll trade the Demon card to the other.?


    ?Correct,? Philemon replied, on alert, waiting to see where Sophia was going.


    ?Well. The curse part will work for sure... but it could backfire on us.?


    ?What do you mean?? the boy asked, clearly impatient.


    I could tell that Sophia was talking in a roundabout way just to give me time to come up with an alternative plan.


    "Come on Elizabeth... use your tiny brain!"


    ?The person you curse could be the Demon or the King. In which case we''re screwed.?


    Philemon scoffed:


    ?Of course that''s not possible. We are going to steal all their cards, remember? One of us will take the Demon and trade it to either Penny or the other hostage. Of course, there''s a chance that the lone student who''s not in either of our groups is actually the Demon. In that case, they''ll be the one who comes to us to avoid the 1000 point penalty.?


    "He''s right... if that''s the case, that student will try to get rid of his card. If they found out we have the curse, they''ll probably come and hand it to us. In exchange they''ll ask us to not choose them as a victim..."


    But Sophia was still smiling. She moved close to the door of the room and put her hand on one of Celeste''s grimoires, which lay in a pile almost as tall as she was.


    ?This has nothing to do with the lone student... I''m saying that you might not be able to get Sam''s group''s cards.?


    Saying that, she opened the cover of the book and moved to the side to let us look at the first page. On top of it was...


    ?My card.?


    Sophia picked it up and showed it to us:


    ?Of course, you can''t see what role is on it because of Skylark''s rule. But it''s definitely my card. You probably didn''t notice, because you were busy shouting at each other, but I slipped it in here before, when I came into the room. You see... I wanted to test something.?


    "Testing something by leaving your card here... not being able to get the cards from Sam''s group...! Sophia, you wonderful bastard!"


    I watched Philemon''s face go blank. He had probably understood as well.


    ?What do you mean??


    It was Wilhelm who had asked that with a confused expression.


    ?Will, could you put your card on the table and leave it there??


    ?Sure.?


    The boy obliged.


    ?As you can all see, the card remains blank for everyone except Wilhelm. That''s because even if he doesn''t touch it, he''s still considered the owner.?


    ?You mean... you don''t have to keep the card with you?? Nicole asked in surprise.


    ?Exactly. Remember what Skylark said? If you want to take someone''s card, you have to leave your own behind. But how does that work in practice? Nicole, give your card to Wilhelm. But don''t touch the one on the table.?


    Nicole followed my girlfriend¡¯s instructions. Wilhelm looked at the card she had handed it to him:


    ?Nothing. I can¡¯t see anything on it,? he said.


    ?Same here. The one on the table is still blank,? Nicole echoed.


    ?Alright pick it up now.?


    I could see the eyes of Nicole widen when she obeyed.


    ?They swapped!? she exclaimed.


    ?That about does it then. For cards to swap owners they phisically need to change hands,? Sophia explained.


    ?This means¡­? Penny murmured with a little bit of hope in her face.


    ?That if Sam¡¯s group realized this, attacking them may not help us at all. If they hid their cards somewhere, we won¡¯t be able to steal them from them. That way we can¡¯t really pass the curse to any of them¡­ we would risk cursing the King or the Demon.?


    A new silence fell into the table.


    "Hiding their cards. If they did that we won¡¯t be able to find them easily. In this huge building, filled with rooms, finding a tiny piece of paper, probably occulted with magic is going to be a challenge."


    ?It¡¯s just an if,? Philemon broke the impasse, ?you are the only one that realized that you could leave your card somewhere and still keep your role, aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s no guarantee they thought about it.?


    ?You are right¡­ but are you willing to risk it? If we attack them, we won¡¯t be able to reason with them. Do you want to risk cursing the King and killing half of us? Or are you thinking about making them hand over their cards willingly? As if. They''ll never accept a duel, so you''ll have to torture to do that. Do you want to do that?? Sophia''s pressed him.


    Faced with her sharp tongue, Philemon could only scoff:


    ?Of course we are not going to do that.?


    ?But... the Seer will talk, won''t they? If we curse the King, they''ll say so!? Nicole chimed in.


    But Celeste replied immediately:


    ?I don''t know about that. The Seer is the most dangerous role. If you reveal that you are one, you will be the best target for a curse.?


    She was right. In this game, revealing yourself as a Seer would be tantamount to declaring that you were neither King nor Demon, making you an easy prey.


    ?Then what''s the alternative? What do we do?? asked Wilhelm again.


    We were back at square one.


    "But... maybe there is a way!"


    Listening to our conversation, I had an idea.


    "Thank you Sophia for giving me time... now it''s my turn to change the tide!"


    ?We could talk to them,? I said firmly.


    ?Talk to them?? Philemon repeated, looking at me as if I had gone mad for the umpteenth time this day.


    ?Yes, talk with them. You said it yourself, Philemon: one of us has to die. I¡¯m sure Sam and his friends understand that as well. So, if we want to get out of this, we should just reach a consensus.?


    ?You mean¡­ vote who is going to get cursed?!? Penny exclaimed.


    Morally, it was not much better than Philemon¡¯s plan, but at least it was going to avoid us fighting between each others.


    ?I think it could work. Just like we are doing right now, a majority vote sometimes is the best way to solve a disagreement inside a group of people. And¡­ it would work to our advantage. We are 7. Sam¡¯s group has 6 people. They¡¯ll never outvote us.?


    ?But why would they agree on sitting down with us?? asked Nicole.


    ?Because the alternative is us overpowering them. At least, this way,  they are going to be free to push their agendas. Honestly they¡¯ll probably agree to vote for the lone student. It''s not nice and I hate it, but If that¡¯s the case, that will make them our accomplices. We''d solve the game while keeping our relationship with them amicable at the very least. But even if something happens and the discussion breaks down, talking to them doesn''t cost us anything. If they really hid they cards, we may also be able to find out something about their roles too.?


    I saw Sophia beaming at me and uncertainty in the eyes of my other friends.


    "Alright... just one last push."


    But of course, Philemon wasn''t going to stay silent:


    ?I see...? the boy said, adjusting his glasses, ?I see your point. But I don''t think things will work out the way you think. In the first place, as I said, I still doubt they thought to hide their cards. Secondly, if your plan is to vote out the lone student, they''ll just say they have the King card. How are you going to challenge them without forcibly checking their card? As Celeste said, I doubt the Seer would help. Thirdly, you said that Rover can use dark magic. Do we really want to sit at a table with someone so dangerous? And finally, your plan gives us no guarantee that we''ll be able to get the Demon card and save Penny.?


    They were all good points. For my part, I could only say:


    ?You''re right... but I still think it''s worth trying to resolve this peacefully. Talking won''t cost us anything and we''ll probably get some useful information.?


    ?We''ll lose the element of surprise if we go to them now!? Philemon objected.


    Before I could reply, Celeste interrupted our discussion:


    ?Alright. I think that''s enough,? she said, looking at all of us, ?We''ve talked enough. If Liz''s idea wins the vote, we''ll need time to organise everything with Sam''s group and the other student. So... let''s vote.?


    It was the moment of truth.  Celeste turned to Sophia first:


    ?I guess I don''t have to ask you,? she said with a grin.


    ?I vote for Elizabeth''s plan,? Sophia declared, giving me a wink.


    "I love you so much, partner."


    But my enthusiasm was soon cut short.


    ?I... I''m sorry Liz,? Nicole said when her name was called by Celeste, ?but as Phil said, your plan won''t help us save Penny. And I really want to, especially since she''s nice and will vote against it.?


    "Will she though?" I thought as I turned to her.


    Sure, Penny, even if she was caustic at times, was kind-hearted. I had understood that much during our time through the dungeon But here we were talking about a life and death situation. But when my eyes met Penny''s, the tiny girl gave me a nervous smile:


    ?I vote for Liz''s plan. I want to thank you, Nicole, and all the others for thinking of my safety, but... I don''t think I can go on living knowing that I turned my first friends into murderers. So... maybe it''s going to come down to fighting anyway, but if there''s a chance we can get out of this situation diplomatically, I think we should take it,? she said with a shaky but still determined voice.


    ?You''re so brave, Penny...? I muttered.


    ?What are you talking about?! Besides, I should survive this week, shouldn''t I? We have a whole other week to find a way out before I''m eliminated!?


    ?You''re right!? I exclaimed.


    ?Very well, I guess I can count Philemon and Liz''s votes out. That makes us 3-2. Wilhelm, what are you going to do?? Celeste asked.


    We all turned to the boy with trepidation. His vote was going to be crucial, as Celeste had by now made it clear that she would vote for Philemon. Wilhelm seemed to understand the weight of the decision he was about to make and stood silent for a few minutes, staring at the table. Then...


    ?I am sorry. I understand this is not what you want, Penelope, but I think Philemon''s plan is our best chance. I fully support the idea of trying to settle things peacefully, but I think we should put Penelope''s safety first. Besides... if Sam''s Rover really does have dark magic, he''s far too dangerous to deal with. I live in a town close to the old demons'' territory I know the havoc they can wreak.?


    "You''re letting prejudice cloud your judgement again..."


    That''s what I wanted to say to him. But I remained silent as a bitter taste spread through my mouth. I couldn''t really vouch for Sam Rover like I could for Sophia, and besides, getting angry with Wilhelm wouldn''t help and would just make me look like a sour loser.


    I lowered my eyes. I knew Philemon''s would have his usual neutral expression, but I still didn''t want to look at him.


    ?Looks like I''ll be the one to decide,? Celeste said after a bit, ?I...?


    For some reason, her tone betrayed uncertainty.


    "...there''s no way."


    I raised my eyes. An apologetic smile had spread across Celeste''s lips.


    ?Sorry Phil, we''re going with Liz''s plan.?

 71. Natural born leader

    An astonished silence fell over the table. My eyes immediately went to Philemon. Strangely, he didn''t look very surprised, more like resigned.


    ?Didn''t you just say that we should use this opportunity to get rid of this Sam guy? And now you want to sit down with him?? asked Nicole confused.


    Turning to Celeste, I saw her nod with a serious expression on her face:


    ?I still believe that to be true. If we do end up having this vote, Sam should be our primary target. But as far as having this discussion with him goes, I don''t think we''ll be in any danger. As long as we''re not dueling with him, we''ll be safe because he can''t kill us without breaking the rules. Even if he has dark magic, he won''t be able to use it to its full extent because of how destructive it is.?


    ?I see...? Wilhelm said, scratching his chin, ?but then... what made you change your mind? You seemed to be on board with Philemon''s plan before.?


    Celeste smiled and looked at Sophia.


    ?I''ve mainly decided that we can''t ignore the possibility that Sophia has raised. If we attack them and they have hidden their cards, we would lose any chance of finding out about their roles, which would make this whole affair a big mess. And as Liz said, talking to them won''t cost us anything. So I think this is the best way to go.?


    I could tell that she was not nearly as convinced as her confident tone would suggest.


    "As I thought... she just wanted me to give her an excuse not to go through with their plan."


    There had been a time when I simply couldn''t get a good read on Celeste. But now that I had spent a lot of time with her, I had probably figured her out.


    The bubbly and chaotic Celeste and the steadfast and calculating one, perhaps they were both parts of her. She certainly needed those personalities to survive in an environment like the high nobility, where two-faced people were ready to take advantage of your weaknesses. But I knew that in addition to these two faces, Celeste had a third.


    The one that had driven her to form this alliance to help us escape this hell.


    The one that had made her decide to put herself under a mountain of pressure for our sake.


    The one who had become a dear friend to my troublesome girlfriend, even though she had treated her less than amicably in the past.


    The one who had helped Sophia organise our date so that I could finally get some peace of mind.


    I was sure that Celeste was an extremely kind person at heart. It wasn''t surprising that she''d done her best to hide that part of herself, when many people would have been quick to exploit it. So now, even though her head was telling her it was the right thing to do, her heart was pleading with her not to hurt our classmates. My eyes went back to Philemon.


    "I''m sorry... you have every reason to hate me."


    If anything happened to Celeste, I would never forgive myself.


    "But I won''t let it happen... I''ll do everything I can."


    ?So how do we proceed? We need to find a way to communicate our intentions to Sam''s group and the other student, but I suspect they will be wary of meeting us. When Sophia and I came here we didn''t see a soul,? I asked, trying to keep my mind off the worst case scenarios.


    ?Well, it''s not like they can hide from us. Maybe the loner could do it with some clever use of magic, but for six people to find a way to avoid us until tomorrow, that''s pretty unlikely. They''re probably in some random room waiting for us to make a move,? Sophia said.


    I could easily see her going door to door, plunging her sword in, like the claw of a cat looking for some pesky mice. But Celeste had other ideas: she took out her wand and tapped it lightly on the table. Threads of silver began to flow from it, condensing into a sphere. It shook and trembled until it changed shape. With a chirp, a sparkling sparrow began to fly in circles above our heads, leaving a shimmering trail behind it.


    ?So pretty!? exclaimed Penny as we all stared at it in surprise.


    It really was, but I couldn''t help but shiver as it reminded me of the bird of ill omen Aldric had conjured to track me during our fight.


    ?A familiar,? I commented, trying to shake off those terrible memories, ?is there anything you can''t do, Celeste??


    ?Well, one of the only positive things about being locked up in here is that I have all the time I want to study magic,? she said, but I could see that she was puffing out her chest at my remark.


    ?Still didn''t help you beat us though,? Sophia interjected snidely, causing Celeste''s expression to immediately darken.


    ?When this game is over, you''ll have to fight me one-on-one,? she muttered grumpily.


    ?Should I? I have endured your teasing for a long time now... maybe I should just make you wait a bit. It''s not like you''d win anyway,? Sophia replied with a grin.


    As much as it was fun to see them bicker as usual, we really didn''t have time for this. So, before Celeste could answer, I asked:


    ?Can your familiar find them?,?


    ?Yes,? Celeste replied, giving Sophia a nasty look, ?it can detect mana, so it''s perfect for finding people who really want to hide. Unfortunately it can''t go through walls, but it will leave them a message.?


    My friend got up and opened the door. The small silver sparrow flew out, ready to search for its targets.


    ?It will tell them that we want to meet them in the entrance hall in a bit. Can you come with me, Liz Liz? If we all go, there''s a good chance they won''t come.?


    She was right. If they saw the seven of us waiting for them, they''d probably get scared.


    ?Sure,? I replied and stood up.


    But I immediately felt someone tugging on my sleeve.


    ?Why does it have to be Liz? She fought Sam before,? Sophia complained.


    ?Exactly, because of that they know she''s not to be messed with. She''ll be the perfect bodyguard for me, the Supreme Leader! I mean... she and I are such a power couple, we will definitely convince them to negotiate with us,? Celeste replied in a mischievous tone.


    I didn''t know if she really believed that or if she was just getting back at my overtly jealous girlfriend. Fighting the urge to chuckle, I put a hand on Sophia''s shoulder:


    ?I''ll be fine, Sophia, don''t worry. I need you to hold the fort here in case the others get any funny ideas and attack while we are out,? I said, stroking her cheek.


    ?All right...? she said in a small voice, ?don''t do anything stupid.?


    ?You know I will,? I replied, gently flicking my finger at her forehead before following Celeste out of the room.


    ?You really have to teach me how to tame that girl... I never thought I''d see her be so obedient!? Celeste giggled as we walked towards the entrance.


    "Me taming Sophia... yeah right. If only she saw how things go when we''re in bed lately..."


    But there was no way I was going to say that to Celeste of all people. My pride would never have recovered.


    ?But I didn''t choose you to accompany me just to tease her... you looked like you wanted to tell me something,? Celeste said after a moment of silence.


    It appeared that I had looked at her a little too intensely.


    ?Celeste... are you okay? This morning on the third floor... and now that you had to make that decision... I''m kind of worried about you.?


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Celeste looked at me in surprise:


    ?Are you worried about me? Is it just because I cried a bit this morning? I''m fine, Liz! The atmosphere in that room just was a bit too much even for me! As for this game, I told you: your idea is the best! And don''t worry if something goes wrong, I''m your leader and I''m the one who made the final decision, so I''ll take full responsibility.?


    "She really wants to take all the pressure on herself..."


    I looked at Celeste''s confident smile with a heart full of respect. In the spur of the moment I grabbed her wrist:


    ?What...?!?


    Celeste''s body tensed up as I hugged her tightly.


    ?L-Liz?! What are you doing?! Sophia''s going to kill me if she sees us!? she complained.


    I chuckled a little. I had never heard her panic like this before.


    ?It''s okay. I just thought you really needed a hug.?


    ?I... o-okay...?


    Her body relaxed against mine. Her hands gripped the back of my shirt and her head rested on my shoulder.


    ?It''s been a while since anyone''s hugged me... I guess you''re getting resistant to my ''stay away'' aura, or maybe I look so pathetic that you''re pushing back against it.?


    Her voice was soft and melancholic, privy to both her usual cheerfulness and the cold, authoritative tone she used when we alliance members needed some discipline.


    ?There is nothing pathetic about needing to be comforted sometime. Even our Supreme Leader deserves a break now and then,? I gently murmured as I stroked her long hair.


    ?Aaah you are going to make me cry again! What is it with you and that other idiot that you can break my defences so easily,? she said as she hugged me tighter, ?thank you Liz. This place really fucking sucks.?


    ?It does, but you''re doing a great job making sure we get out of here. Sorry I keep putting you on the spot.?


    ?What are you talking about... if it wasn''t for you, I might have given up when we found out about Aldric.?


    When Celeste behaved so modestly, you definitely knew that something was wrong.


    ?Philemon must really hate me. It''s almost like I''m doing my best to get you killed!?


    ?Don''t mind him too much. He''s always a big worrier,? she said with a chuckle.


    But I pushed her back a bit to look her in the eye:


    ?Don''t talk about him like this, Celeste. He really cares about you. As much as we''ve argued, I''m actually worried about him too. You know him better than I do, but I have a feeling he might do something stupid if you were in serious danger. And... don''t take him for granted. There are people we think will always be on our side, but that''s not the way the world works.?


    Celeste looked at me for a moment with her mouth half open before nodding with a sad smile:


    ?You''re right. I''ll talk to him later. I''m just so used to him being so mentally strong that I didn''t think he might be getting a little restless.?


    I couldn''t help but think that she still underestimated how much Philemon cared for her. But my thoughts were soon numbed by pain as Celeste began to almost crush me in a new embrace.


    ?Ugh!?


    ?You need to stop being so cool Liz!? she yelled into my ears, ignoring my cries of pain, ?You''ve become an amazing mage Liz, I might end up really falling in love with you.?


    ?Then Sophia will really chop your head off,? I gasped with agony in my voice.


    ?Then I guess this will be our little secret!?


    Celeste finally released me from her iron grip, but not before giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.


    ?C-celeste...? I mumbled as I touched the spot she had pecked and looked at her in disbelief.


    Soon she was laughing out loud:


    ?You should see your face!?


    ?Celeste!?


    In the end, she was the same old teasing Celeste. But as she grabbed my hands, she spoke again in a soft tone:


    ?I really hope you and that dork get your happily ever after when this is all over. You both deserve it.?


    ?Thank you...? I said, squeezing her hands as well, ?I hope we can keep in touch with you and the others!?


    ?Oh, don''t worry! I''ll organise a party at the manor to celebrate when we get home. It''ll be fun to see Father''s face when he sees me at the door."


    We both knew how unlikely it was that any of that would happen, but at the moment, as we laughed together, it really didn''t matter.


    <hr>


    When we arrived at the entrance hall, it was deserted.


    ?Do you think they''ll actually come?? I asked Celeste after we had both sat down on the steps of the grand staircase.


    ?They definitely will.?


    Hearing her so confident, I immediately had a bad feeling:


    ?Celeste... what did you have your familiar say to them??


    ?Just that if they don''t show up in half an hour, we''ll hunt them down and have Sophia cut off their legs.?


    ?Celeste...?


    I was sure that threatening the people we were trying to negotiate with was not a good idea. But I soon had to change my mind when I heard footsteps coming towards us. Sam Rover emerged from the east wing corridor with the blonde girl called Andrea.


    ?Hello, Celeste, Elizabeth, we got your message,? Sam said, awkwardly raising his hand to greet us.


    His friend remained silent as she gave us both a fierce glare.


    ?Thanks for coming, Sammy and...?? chirped Celeste cheerfully.


    ?Do you think I want to play friends with someone who sends messages like that?? Andrea replied with contempt.


    ?Come on, Andrea, I''m sure Celeste was just having a bit of fun...? Sammy said, nervously running his hand across his messy hair.


    But Celeste replied in her cold voice:


    ?Oh well, I heard from Liz here that you are actually quite a dangerous guy, so I wanted to make sure that you knew that we are not going to play nice with you.?


    Sam''s eyes turned to me. I couldn''t help but give him an apologetic smile:


    ?I guess I really messed up using my power in a duel like that. Don''t worry, I don''t blame you. I''m sure you realize why I don''t want it to be known, but I understand why you told your friends about it. I also don''t think you owe me any courtesy since we are the ones who attacked you,? Sam sighed.


    As with my previous encounter, I noticed how hard it was for me to dislike this guy. Despite his clumsy appearance, he seemed to radiate a brilliant charisma.


    "Just like Celeste... he''s a born leader. I can tell."


    ?So what do you want from us?? asked Andrea, still openly hostile, ?I hope you are not about to ask us to hand over our cards or something, because that''s not going to happen.?


    ?Actually, we were hoping to make a deal with you, but I''d like to wait for another guest before I tell you. I hate to repeat myself.?


    ?Waiting won''t be necessary.?


    All our eyes were drawn to the top of the stairs. A short boy with a pronounced chin and a huge nose stood there, pointing dramatically at us.


    ?Against my better judgement, I accept your foul challenge. Bring it on, Celeste Fitzroy, I''m ready to take you on personally,? the student declared in a pompous tone.


    ?Who the hell are you?? Celeste asked, flabbergasted by this sudden, ridiculous entrance.


    It was Sam who answered:


    ?Um, he''s Jonnhy. He''s a nice guy, just a bit weird. We invited him to join our group a few weeks ago, but he said he-?


    ?I''m Sir Jonathan Von Basque. And apparently I''m the only person smart enough to realise that allies are just a nuisance in a game like this.?


    ?You talk big for someone who hid in the magic circle room like a rat,? Celeste said ruthlessly, ?why did you come out? Afraid we were going to smoke you out since my familiar found you??


    Jonathan wasn''t fazed by Celeste''s verbal assault. He descended the stairs and declared boastfully:


    ?I merely decided to hear you out, since you seemed so desperate in that message. I trust you won''t dishonour the prestigious house of Fitzroy by attacking me.?


    ?Don''t worry, my long-nosed friend, as I said, I want to make a deal with you and Sam''s group,? Celeste said again.


    "She''s doing everything she can to antagonise them... is being this aggressive her negotiating strategy?"


    Maybe I really didn''t understand people, as this approach seemed to work. Even the boisterous Count Jonathan Whatever and the disgruntled Andrea stood silent, looking as if they were hanging on her every word.


    ?As you all understand, unlike the dungeon test, this game will not be completed without someone dying. That''s something we have to accept. So how about we do this in a way that causes the least amount of trouble for any of us?? Celeste began to speak.


    Then she came up behind me and grabbed my shoulders:


    ?This girl here was enough to beat up 5 of you. What do you think will happen if we all attack you? We have Sophia with us, remember? The one who cut a guy in half during the first week. Do you really want to fight us?? she said, not hiding the threatening tone in her voice.


    If both Jonathan and Andrea seemed to take a step back, Sam didn''t appear to be disturbed at all:


    ?So why didn''t you attack us directly instead of calling us here?? he countered, ?If you didn''t, it''s because you think you''re going to run into some trouble. Perhaps my dark magic frightens you more than you let on before.?


    ?Your dark magic is useless if you can''t kill us, Sammy!? Celeste replied immediately, ?and the moment you try to unleash it, Sophia will cut off your long legs. Don''t worry, I''ll carry you to the infirmary myself! Wouldn''t want to break the rules, would we??


    Sam didn''t respond to the provocation:


    ?Then you must have realised something else, Celeste. Or are you saying you feel sorry for us??


    ?Sorry for you?... I guess you could call it that. I just thought that since it''s inevitable that one of you will die, I would do you the courtesy of letting you choose.?


    ?Let us choose?? repeated Andrea with a horrified look on her face.


    ?You want us to choose who gets cursed. Or who will become the victim of the demon,? Sam said slowly.


    ?A vote rigged from the start, I see...? Jonathan commented, ?But if you think you can gang up on me, you are sorely mistaken. Very well, I will participate in your rigged election.?


    ?Very nice of you, Sir Bigchin. What about you, Sammy boy??


    If she had needed me to comfort her less than ten minutes ago, Celeste now seemed completely invincible. With her sharp tongue, she had quickly cornered our opposition into obedience. Andrea seemed to realise that her friend was about to surrender and grabbed his arm:


    ?Sam, we can''t do this! This is horrible! This witch wants us to point the finger at one of our friends and condemn them to death!?


    Sam Rover''s expression, which had been completely serious, turned into one of his awkward smiles. He patted Andrea''s blonde hair and said quietly:


    ?Don''t worry, I won''t let that happen.?


    Then he turned to Celeste:


    ?Very well, we''ll be there too. And also...? his eyes moved to me, ?thank you for mediating for us, Elizabeth.?


    I looked at him in surprise. Celeste had done all the talking, but he had somehow realised that I was behind this plan.


    ?It''s okay. I didn''t do it for you,? I replied.


    ?But for yourself... I see. I really hope things work out for the best,? Sam said with a nod, ?so when do you want to have this vote?


    Celeste smiled:


    ?Right now, of course. If there''s a problem, I''m the type that likes to solve it right away.?

 72. The demons gambit

    The atmosphere in the dining hall had never been so sombre. We, the last fourteen surviving students of Duelcrest Academy, sat in a circle of chairs, almost as if we were about to participate in some kind of ritual. One of sacrifice. The faces of Sam''s companions were particularly pale. Jonathan, on the other hand, seemed rather relaxed. It didn''t take me long to understand why.


    ?I''d like to make a statement to begin the discussion,? he declared, rising from his seat, his small eyes sweeping over us all.


    "I think I know where this is going..."


    The fact that he had come out of hiding was already a big clue. Being alone obviously put him at a disadvantage in a game like this. If he felt confident enough to step out into the open, it was because he was sure he would be safe.


    ?If you think you can single me out in this vote, I have bad news for you. I''m the King,? he announced boastily, ?and if you''re getting any funny ideas about stealing my card... I don''t have it on me!?


    "So both Philemon and Sophia were right."


    This meeting wasn''t going to be as easy as our group and Sam''s piling on to the loner. But it seemed that Jonathan was more than his absurd antics would have suggested, as he, like my incredibly clever girlfriend, had realised the loophole in this game of cards.


    ?And you think we are just going to believe you? You are obviously saying this to save your ass,? Andrea commented in her usual annoyed tone.


    "Is this girl always angry or what?"


    But Jonathan didn''t bat an eye at the accusation:


    ?You''re free not to trust me, but... would you risk voting for me? Unless you have a way to expose my lie.?


    ?I don''t think the Seer will be stupid enough to fall into such an obvious trap, Johnny,? Sam Rover commented with a nervous smile on his face, ?how about we let the one who brought us here together start the discussion? Otherwise we''re not going anywhere.?


    Instead of Celeste''s, his black eyes are fixed on mine. I looked to my right as Sophia gave me an encouraging nudge with her elbow. I stood up tentatively, racking my brain to find a way to put this meeting on the right track:


    ?... so... one of us has to die, just like Celeste said before.  Voting for the King is obviously out of the question. Let''s assume for the moment that Jonathan is the one with that card. We still have one more variable: the Demon card,? I began, talking more to myself than to the others.


    Suddenly something struck me. My eyes went to Jonathan''s face. Maybe... I had thought about his actions from the wrong angle.


    "He says he''s the King... but then... why did he seem so inclined to come to this meeting? I''m sure he knows that if we voted for him, the Seer would have eventually given in and revealed themselves. Even if he''s hiding his card, since he''s alone, we could easily force him to give it to us. Why risk it?"


    I looked at him even more intently. Sure, he seemed calm at first glance, but I could see that his hands were gripping the seat of his chair a little too tightly. Of course, it could have just been because of the palpable tension in the air, but... what if he had come here... because he had to?


    "Let''s see if I can confirm this hunch."


    ?Let me be clear: one of my friends has the Demon Card. And, as it''s kind of obvious by the fact that we organised this meeting, we also have the curse. We have the keys to solve this game ourselves. What we are doing now is giving you a choice. Since you have probably confirmed each other''s cards, it should be easy for you to choose a safe victim from your group,? I said, looking at Sam and his friends.


    I couldn''t help the bitter taste in my mouth. I was trying to emulate Celeste''s tactic of cornering them. But having five pairs of eyes looking at me with such contempt was not pleasant at all.


    "But if I play nice... we''ll just get stuck in an endless game of chicken."


    ?Don''t fuck with us!?


    For once it wasn''t Andrea who had shouted this, but Annette Walker, the girl who had attacked me from the stairs with Jen Corbain during our previous encounter.


    ?Are you not satisfied with killing Jenny by manipulating the rankings and helping Pembroke?! You also want to make us choose one of us to eliminate? And let me guess, you''re going to make Pembroke get the 1000 point bonus so that next week I''ll die too! You are just a bunch of monsters.?


    Her words were like daggers, but they were also the ones I wanted to hear.


    "If she''s getting so upset... unless she''s a big bluffer... it means she believed my lie."


    That could only mean two things: she was unaware of her companions'' roles, or... no one in Sam''s group had the Demon card.


    "Which leaves only one possibility... Jonathan is lying about being the King and he''s actually the Demon."


    I turned to him. His knuckles had turned whiter. What was his plan? If people thought he was really the King, no one would''ve voted for him and he would''ve been penalised 1000 points.


    "Unless... he was hoping that the real King would expose him. Maybe he was trying to appear untrustworthy from the start so that we would vote for him."


    But so far, if that was indeed his strategy, it hadn''t worked. Apart from a little pushback from Andrea, everyone else seemed to have accepted his statement as true.


    "... but all of this would mean that the King is part of Sam''s group... so why didn''t they speak up? Are Jonathan and Sam working together? Or... "


    The traitor. One of my friends might have lied about their card. But then all my reasoning about Jonathan being the Demon would ago out the window as well.


    "This is so complicated."


    Meanwhile, the atmosphere was getting heated.


    ?As if you wouldn''t do the same thing if you could!? shouted Nicole, putting a hand on Penny''s shoulder, who, sitting close to her, looked like she was about to burst into tears again.


    ?We would never stoop so low!? Andrea countered, getting up from her chair.


    ?So what are we supposed to do?? asked Wilhelm, ?Are you telling us to vote against our own friends? Or do you have any other ideas??


    ?What about the mole you have in your ranks?? interjected the chubby boy called Ian, ?after what happened with the dungeon test, you definitely have one between you! You were all paired up. We could vote for them.?


    "If only we knew who they are..."


    But Wilhelm didn''t like his insinuation:


    ?That''s just speculation,? he snapped, turning red in the face, ?we trust each other. If you hope to poison our well, it won''t work.?


    "Ah, Wilhelm..."


    It was a good thing we hadn''t talked to him and the others about our little trip upstairs and the trick Celeste had played on them to counter the presence of a traitor.


    As the back and forth between my allies and Sam''s continued, I realised that we had reached a dead end. Even if there was no other solution, the opposing alliance was too tightly knit to single out a member to sacrifice just because we had asked them to. I turned to the one person I knew could break the deadlock. Celeste nodded and rose from her chair:


    ?I think we have talked enough. Thanks to Liz, most of us have realised who actually has the Demon card. Right, Sir Jonathan??


    The poker face the boy had been wearing crumbled at her words.


    ?I... this is... preposterous! I have the King! I told you so!?


    "So I was right."


    Ignoring his complaints, Celeste continued:


    ?So I think we can safely proceed with the vote. We''ll abstain, of course, since we have no way of knowing which of you is the King. I trust that you will make the right decision, one that doesn''t put more lives at risk than necessary. Is that all right with you, Sammy??


    Sam, who had so far remained silent after telling me to start the discussion, watching the situation unfold through his joined fingers, also rose from his seat. I could see from his expression that things were about to get serious. As usual, the clumsy boy I had first seen him as was nowhere to be found.


    ?I agree that we have talked enough. I think it''s time we stop playing around and put all our cards on the table,? he stated in a firm tone, ?don''t you agree, Miss Thornton??


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Hm? Why is he asking Sophia?"


    I turned to my right. My girlfriend was looking at Sam with a strange expression on her face. It was almost as if she was incredulous and impressed at the same time.


    ?Are you sure? That would just mean you surrendering completely to us,? she said slowly.


    "What is she talking about?" I thought confused.


    My eyes went back to Sam who now had a slight smile on his face:


    ?In the end you would be forced to reveal it anyway. I think I understand what you''re up to, but I''d rather you didn''t use my friends'' lives as a plaything.?


    ?Sophie, what is he talking about?? Celeste voiced the same question that was echoing in my head.


    My girlfriend stood up and put a hand on my shoulder.


    ?You don''t have to worry about who to vote for... because the King is not between them. I''m the King.?


    There was an astonished silence for a moment. And then:


    ?The... KING?! But you said...?


    ?I lied,? Sophia cut Celeste off in a dry tone.


    ?You... lied?!?


    Celeste was as stunned as I was. I could feel Sophia''s nails digging into my shoulder:


    ?Blame me if you want, but I had my reasons. It''s not relevant anymore anyway,? she said clearly.


    "Your reasons..."


    What did Sophia hope to gain by hiding her role as King? Knowing that we had that card in our possession would have made this discussion a lot easier for us.


    "So... she wanted to prolong this meeting?"


    I could only think of one reason for this behaviour. The one that had already led me to believe that some of us might have lied about their cards: the traitor. Sophia probably wanted to keep everyone on edge, hoping that they would make a mistake and reveal themselves, by trying to put us in a bind.


    Of course, she couldn''t say any of this out loud after the way Wilhelm had reacted earlier.


    "I wish she''d at least told me her plan."


    But with everything that had happened since the beginning of this game, I wouldn''t have blamed her if she had forgotten to mention it. Or maybe she wanted to keep me in the dark so that I could act naturally during this discussion. I wasn''t the best liar after all.


    "You crafty menace..."


    In any case, she was right, it was no longer relevant. Since Sam had revealed her true role, it didn''t matter anymore.


    "But why did he do that?... Now that we know they don''t have the King or the Demon, we can just vote him out."


    Celeste had regained her composure by now, and after giving Sophia a sour look, she turned to Sam:


    ?So you are the Seer.?


    ?I am,? he replied, ?but it doesn''t really matter. Since we know who''s in control of the Demon and King cards, Villager or Seer is functionally the same.?


    ?So... what''s your plan now? You''ve put yourself in a difficult position.?


    I could hear the caution in her tone. Sam, after all, didn''t look like someone who had given up.


    "What does he have in mind to get out of this situation?"


    The answer I was looking for came immediately. It was as if the night that was outside the window had suddenly seeped into the dining room. All the torches on the wall were suddenly extinguished. The only light left came from the open door leading into the corridor. But even in this almost total darkness we could see a shadow stretching out under Sam''s feet. It was of such a deep black that for a second I thought an endless abyss had suddenly opened up in the floor.


    ?What the-?!?


    Panicked exclamations rose from our ranks as I drew my wand. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sophia put a hand on the hilt of her sword. But before anyone could move, the shadow retreated, leaving us in a normal, but still unsettling, normal penumbra.


    ?This is my solution,? Sam Rover said in a calm tone, ?Celeste, you said I would get my legs chopped off... you may be right, but I may be also able to take out one of you before that happens. Are you willing to risk it??


    ?So you really are a demon!? cried Wilhelm, ?I saw it! That purple glint in your eyes!?


    "A purple glint... I was more worried about that damn black hole in the ground!"


    But if Wilhelm was right... purple eyes, horns and pitch-black skin were the trademarks of demons. Of course, when they were not disguised as humans, as they often did to catch their prey.


    ?He''s not-? Andrea started, getting up from her chair again.


    But Sam held out his arm to signal her to stop:


    ?That''s right, I''m a demon. And demons have no qualms about killing people to achieve their goals.?


    ?Sam...?


    There was dismay on Andrea''s face and the ones of her companions. But it wasn''t the same emotion that ran through our ranks, it wasn''t fear, it was concern.


    "Even after seeing such a terrifying power... they''re not afraid of him... instead it looks like they''re worried he''s going to get himself killed."


    But why was Sam Rover behaving like this? He was obviously not joking, but what would attacking us achieve? After all...


    ?Have you forgotten the rules of this game??


    It was the first time Philemon had spoken during this meeting. Hearing his voice reminded me that if things were dangerously close to getting out of hand now, it was only my fault.


    Sam stepped back calmly and returned to his seat.


    ?Your leader reminded me of that before we got here. But, you see, what she didn''t take into account is that I am more than willing to endure any kind of punishment if it means protecting my friends, even if it means dying,? he said in a light tone, as if death was not a frightening prospect for him.


    This new silence was so heavy that I felt as if I couldn''t physically move a muscle. It took almost a minute for Celeste to break it:


    ?So what do you want? If you really wanted to fight us, you would have done so when you had the element of surprise,? she stated contemptuously.


    She was probably thinking about what she had said to us in her room, about how it wouldn''t be dangerous to meet Sam.


    "But I''m the one to blame here... if it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t have agreed to this in the first place."


    ?Of course I don''t want to fight. I know I wouldn''t stand a chance against all of you. But I''m sure you''d rather not risk losing a few people to the darkness. So how about I return the courtesy of giving you a choice??


    I saw Celeste biting her lip, irritated at having her own words thrown back at her. Unfortunately, Sam had the upper hand at the moment. You simply could not negotiate rationally with someone who had nothing to lose.


    ?What choice?? asked Sophia coldly. Her hand rested on my thigh, trembling slightly.


    It didn''t take a genius to work out that she was very nervous.


    "Has she realised what Sam is up to?"


    Sam sighed:


    ?I say I don''t want to fight, but I don''t think this situation can be resolved any other way. So... how about a duel? That''s what this gods-forsaken academy is all about.?


    I felt Sophia''s grip tighten. That''s what she was afraid of. And I could understand why. In a duel, Sam Rover could unleash the full destructive power of dark magic without worrying about rules or hurting his own allies. Accepting such a challenge was pretty much a death sentence.


    ?What are the conditions for this duel?? I asked.


    ?If I win, I want you to give me the curse. The same goes for the Demon card, Johnny, you''ll exchange it with my Seer. I''ll trade my card and the curse to Jen here and have her choose Celeste as the victim, since she''s your leader.?


    An awful feeling spread through me. The terrible future I had imagined was dangerously close to becoming reality. No... it was even worse. By letting Jen vote, she would get the 1000 point bonus and overtake Penny in the rankings. Two of our friends were going to die... all because I had chosen not to follow Philemon''s plan.


    ?What have I got to do with this? I''m not in any of your-?


    Jonathan''s panicked words were cut off by Sam''s stern voice:


    ?If you win... I''ll still get the curse, but for the Demon card... I want you to take it, Celeste.?


    "Celeste... get the Demon card?"


    She had so many points that even the 1000 penalty wouldn''t have brought her close to the last places. It made sense that Sam would want to prevent that grim fate from befalling one of his friends instead.


    "I guess he also wants to save Jonathan in exchange for his cooperation... but does he really expect us to accept such a deal?"


    Philemon seemed to think the same as he spoke again:


    ?So we have something to lose either if we win or if we lose. You are being ridiculous.?


    Sam''s group did not seem happy with his terms either.


    ?Are you thinking of sacrificing yourself for us? Don''t fuck with me!? Andrea shouted.


    ?You can''t be serious, Sam! Why should you get the curse? You''re our leader,? said the guy Nicole had knocked out at the start of the game.


    ?Precisely because I''m your leader, I have to take responsibility. Besides, I have no intention of losing. What do you say, Celeste, would you take responsibility??


    "No..."


    He was obviously trying to provoke her into accepting a duel with him. And I knew how proud Celeste could be...


    "I can''t let this happen."


    But Celeste didn''t seem inclined to let him push her around. She looked at Sam Rover without fear in her eyes.


    ?Do you think I''m stupid or something?? she asked him calmly.


    ?You ask because of what Hargrave said? I understand it''s not a favourable deal for you... but when do bad guys make reasonable offers?? Sam replied with an half smile.


    ?The deal isn''t the problem, I''d have no problem taking a 1000 point penalty if it meant avoiding an unnecessary fight and protecting my allies. What am I saying is: do you think I''m stupid enough to fight a dark magic user, demon or not, on my own??


    ?So you are afraid,? Sam commented.


    But Celeste didn''t give in to the provocation:


    ?I''m not. Like I said, I''m not stupid. I know there are things a single mage can''t handle... unless your name is Aldric, I guess. If we are going to fight you, we might as well do it together. I''m calling your bluff, Sam Rover. The moment you summon your dark magic, we''ll strike you down!?


    ?So you are thinking calmly even in a life and death situation and taking what you think is the lesser risk... You are as amazing as people say.?


    Sam chuckled. A laugh devoid of any joy.


    ?Then I guess it can''t be avoided.?


    Celeste was right. She was not stupid. Everything I knew about Sam Rover indicated that he was, in fact, not a bad guy. Would he really have killed us? Would he have unleashed dark magic when his allies were so close to him?


    "Probably not. But if there''s a chance... I have to take responsibility. Celeste is not stupid... but I am."


    Before the unthinkable could happen, I rose from my seat.


    "I''m so sorry, Sophia."


    ?I''ll duel you, Sam.?


    ?LIZ?!?


    Celeste looked at me with wide open eyes, all the composure she had shown in front of our opponent gone out the window.


    ?Oh sorry, I meant I''ll duel with you if Celeste accepts your terms,? I quickly clarified.


    ?That''s not the fucking issue!? snapped Celeste, red in the face.


    But she wasn''t the only one shocked by my words. Penny, who had spent the entire discussion in anguished silence, had also risen from her chair, looking extremely upset:


    ?She''s right Liz!? she shouted loudly, ?Are you trying to be a hero again?! After what happened in the dungeon??


    ?Listen to Penny, Liz. I know you want to save her, but you''ll only make things worse if you die,? Nicole said, uncharacteristically firm.


    ?Demons are not something even you can face alone, Liz. Let''s fight them together,? Wilhelm echoed.


    Even Philemon seemed taken aback by my sudden declaration. He pushed his glasses up his nose and gave me a serious look:


    ?If you''re doing this because you feel guilty... don''t be ridiculous. We have nothing to gain if you die here. What''s done is done, let''s deal with this situation rationally.?


    ?Guys...?


    Having so many people looking out for me... was something a loner like me had never hoped for in life.


    "You seeing this Amy?... I''m kind of popular now!"


    And that was exactly why I wanted to do this. It was my duty. Not because I had made a mess and needed to do penance. Just like Sam Rover, I was going to put my life on the line to protect my friends.


    There was only one person who hadn''t spoken up. I had avoided looking at her. I didn''t want to see her face. I was afraid of the disappointment or distress I''d find on it. So when I heard her standing at my side, I trembled.


    ?Let her do it.?


    "Huh?!"


    I turned to look at Sophia, stunned. She was smiling. A smile of confidence.


    ?Sophie, have you lost your mind too?!? Celeste asked.


    ?Not at all.?


    Sophia grabbed my hand. Her grip was tight and firm. She turned to Sam Rover:


    ?Are you sure you want to do this? Because there''s no way my girlfriend is going to lose to you.?


    ?Sophia...?


    Sam Rover looked at her in surprise, but then he smiled, nervously running a hand through his messy hair, as he often did:


    ?Ah, this is the worst... if what Pembroke said it''s true, this is going to suck. A demon never wants to face a hero after all.?

 73. Smiling threat

    The rest of the meeting was rather quick. While both my team and Sam''s still looked unhappy about how we were going to decide the outcome of this game, nobody had any better ideas.


    But even though I was the one who had accepted Sam''s challenge, I couldn''t help but feel a bitter taste in my mouth.


    "In the end, we''ll dance to Skylark''s tune as usual."


    No matter how hard I tried to avoid infighting, in the end we students were always going to be pitted against each other. If we didn''t escape quickly, it was only a matter of time before I was forced to fight my own allies.


    "And even though I chose to duel Sam of my own free will, I can''t help but feel that I''m just following the path that bastard laid out for me."


    The mana release incident during the dungeon. My newfound casting skills. And now I was about to attempt a feat that only the ancient heroes and Aldric had managed: fighting a high tier dark magic user one-on-one and living to tell the tale.


    "It almost feels like I''m being trained by that shitty old man to be Aldric''s successor."


    But the end... would not be the one he wanted.


    "My new strength, I''m going to use it to get us all out of here... and then I''m going to tell the world everything that''s happened inside this walls."


    Shaking off my worries, I raised my eyes from my knees to meet those of Sam Rover, who gave me a nervous smile in response. We had decided to have our duel tomorrow morning. That way, whatever happened, the transfer of the curse and the end of this game would be close together, leaving little time for people to try anything funny.


    Even though I was confident that I could win, this duel was not going to be easy. The reason was simple. It would be a duel to the death, but I would not be able to kill my opponent directly. While Sam could kill me and still get what he wanted, I had to make sure that he was alive at the end of the duel so that he could keep his end of the bargain and become the sacrificial victim. But despite the odds against me, Sophia had declared so boldly that I would win. There was no way I was going to let her down.


    My eyes went back to Sam, who was now talking to Andrea, sitting at his side. The thought of being the cause of his death was not pleasant at all. But he had decided to put his life on the line to protect his friends and I would meet his determination with mine. Besides, it was easier for my heart to fight a strong opponent who was ready to die than a weaker one who was reluctant.


    ?Very well,? Celeste said coldly, ?it seems we are all on the same page. The duel will be at seven in the morning. We''ll retire to the west wing while you spend the night in the east one. You can come and get some blankets now, but if we see you on that side of the school afterwards, we''ll attack on sight.?


    I had never seen her so visibly irritated. Not only had Sam backed her into a corner, but both me and Sophia had acted without consulting her first, even though she was our leader.


    "But I refuse to make you take responsibility for my mistakes."


    Sadly, she was going to pay a price for my stupidity no matter what: even if I won, she would still get a 1000 point penalty from holding the Demon card.


    "We''ll escape before that becomes a problem."


    ?Don''t worry, we really don''t intend to do anything like that,? Sam said quickly, shaking his head, ?but as you wish.?


    The only sound in the hall as people began to leave was the clatter of chairs on the dining room floor. Even if we had come to an agreement, it was clear that an unbridgeable gap had been created between our respective groups. And however it ended, things were only going to get worse.


    "Any hope of cooperation is gone, I''m afraid... we''ll probably fight each other from now on to the end."


    After all, if I were to die, there was no way Sophia and the others would ever want to sit at the same table with Sam Rover and his friends again.


    "Not only that... Sophia will probably try to kill him right away, no matter what the rules are. All the more reason to win."


    I squeezed her hand in mine as we walked out of the dining hall together. But we were at the door when my voice called me.


    ?Elizabeth, can we talk for a minute??


    I turned to see Sam looking at me, still sitting in his chair, fidgeting nervously.


    ?Sam, but...?


    Andrea at his side was clearly not happy to hear his request for me, but he put a hand on her shoulder and reassured her:


    ?Don''t worry, they need me alive. And Elizabeth is not the type to attack someone unprovoked!?


    "You trust me an awful lot for someone you''ve never spoken to before today."


    But I wasn''t really one to talk. Even after his previous terrifying show and the fact that he had forced me to risk my life... I still couldn''t find it in myself to hate him.


    "After my duel with Finch, I had decided to be a villain if necessary... so I can''t really blame him for acting the way he did."


    I turned to Sophia who nodded:


    ?I''ll go with the others, don''t take too long,? she said, giving me a light pat on the shoulder before letting go of my hand and leaving the room.


    After his group left too, it was just me and Sam.


    ?This is kind of embarrassing...? he said, playing with a strand of his rather long and messy hair.


    ?You''re the one who wanted to talk,? I replied, leaning against one of the dining tables and crossing my arms.


    ?I know, it''s just... strange that we can talk calmly now, but tomorrow we''ll be fighting for our lives.?


    ?So you have every intention of killing me,? I stated calmly.


    Sam grimaced:


    ?I''d rather avoid it. But if I have to use the full extent of my powers, it may prove difficult. And I can''t really afford to pull any punches with you,? he muttered and looked away. Then he added: ?What I wanted to say to you is... I''m sorry. I know this whole meeting thing was your idea to avoid unnecessary fights. And how do I repay you? By dragging you into a duel to protect your friends.?


    I sighed:


    ?Don''t apologise. We asked you to choose one of your friends and kill them. I can hardly blame you for trying to get out of the situation. A fair fight is honestly one of the better outcomes for this stupid game. Besides... you heard Sophia, I''m going to crush you, so no need to feel sorry for me,? I declared defiantly.


    Sam looked at me with his eyes wide open before he started to laugh.


    ?I''ll make you eat that laugh back tomorrow,? I snapped in irritation.


    ?No, no, I''m sorry!? he said quickly, waving his hands and shaking his head, ?I''m not trying to belittle or underestimate you... it''s just that you and Thornton are really going out... I''ve heard some rumours, but I didn''t really believe them.?


    ?Why? Is it because we''re both girls?? I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ?Not at all! It''s just... I remember you two arguing a lot. You know, Thornton had a bit of a spotlight on herself in the beginning.?


    ?Tell me about it...? I commented, remembering how much my girlfriend had suffered in solitude from the scorn of our classmates.


    ?But you stayed on her side anyway... I have truly admired you both ever since. I wish I wasn''t so awkward around new people... I really wish we could''ve been friends,? he said with a big smile.


    I looked at him in surprise.


    "Now I get it."


    The reason I had taken an instant liking to Sam Rover was very simple: he reminded me of someone very dear to me. The way he looked awkwarldy around when he was talking... but also how he could instantly become steadfast and decisive when needed. Those traits were common to the person I loved the most.


    "He reminds me of Sophia."


    Of course instead of displaying the aggressivness that my girlfriend liked to employ to mask her social ineptitude, he seemed way more upbeat and amiable.


    "Unlike Sophia he seemed to have found lot of friends... while she really only interacts with me and Celeste."


    But still, this similiarity probably had some reason behind it.


    "I want to know more about him before... the end."


    Sam looked like he was about to leave. Honestly, talking with him would''ve made our fight much more painful tomorrow. But I couldn''t resist.


    ?Sam¡­ are you really a demon??


    Sam stopped and turned towards me, frowning. Then, with a sigh, he replied:


    ?Even if I''m not, you should really just think of me as one. It''s going to be much easier to strike me down tomorrow.?


    ?You don''t have to worry about that. You may be right that it would be the easiest way... but what can I say? I love to complicate things,? I countered, remembering the criticism Sophia often levelled at me.


    Sam stood silent for a moment before nodding:


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ?I see... but why do you want to know about me? You are confident that you will win, aren''t you? So you''d just be hearing the story of a soon to be dead man.?


    ?That''s the reason. In this school, where the dead are not even allowed to be remembered or mourned... I have decided to keep their memory in me. If I end up causing your death, remembering you is the least I can do for you.?


    Sam looked at me dumbfounded before his face relaxed into a smile:


    ?Thank you. Man, you really sound like a hero.?


    ?People really want me to be one for some reason.?


    ?Well, if you really want to know,? Sam returned to his seat, ?as you can imagine, it''s not a happy story.?


    It wasn''t the first time someone had tried to tell me about a dark past. But I clenched my fist in preparation.


    "The people here all seemed to have some kind of terrible or sad past... but I guess that''s to be expected from people who have manifested innate powers from a young age."


    And Skylark had also tainted their future aside from their past.


    ?Like you, I''m a commoner. I lived in a huge mansion near a small village in the middle of the kingdom. We were rich commoners, the kind the nobles always complain about. We had land, good land, and I, as the first born of four sons, was to inherit it all. Even though I''d shown an aptitude for magic from an early age, my destiny should have been that of a wealthy landowner, not a mage. But now that I''m here, you can see that it didn''t work out that way,? Sam said with a grin that was completely devoid of joy.


    ?One day, when I was twelve, I was playing in the forest near our house, even though my parents always said it was dangerous. But being the little troublemaker that I was, I never listened to them,? he continued in a sombre tone, ?and then I heard it. Someone''s crying. I ran towards the sound, thinking it was the son of one of the farm workers, lost in the woods. But what I found was a little boy, about six or seven years old, whom I had never seen before. He was dressed in rags and covered in scratches. He looked so innocent and scared and couldn''t even explain to me how he got there, because he was crying so much. So I did what anyone would have done, I put him on my back and took him home. My parents were kind people, so they immediately made sure he was looked after. They put him in our guest room and told me to "run to the nearby village to get the doctor.?


    I could see where this was going. Today had been all about the creature that often took human form to trick its victims after all.


    ?That boy, was a demon,? I muttered.


    Sam nodded without raising is eyes:


    ?He was. If only I had realized¡­?


    ?You were just a little kid, and your parents didn¡¯t realize either! And even if noticed... he would''ve just killed you if you tried to leave him behind,? I exclaimed.


    ?Thank you, I know¡­ but I just can¡¯t help blaming myself.?


    "I can relate to that."


    Sam continued his tale in a monotone tone:


    ?When I came back with the doctor, half of our mansion was no longer there. There was no debris or devastation of an explosion¡­ no it was like part of the building had vanished into nothing.?


    ?Dark magic¡­ it swallowed it up leaving no trace behind.?


    ?When we got inside we didn¡¯t even find any bodies. Just rivers of blood and a bunch of flesh scattered around what remained of the house. He had eaten them all. My parents, my brothers and all the servants. It hadn¡¯t even been half an hour since I had gone to the village, but that was enough for me to lose everything.?


    ?I¡¯m sorry,? was the only thing I could say.


    ?It happened a long time ago,? replied Sam, ?but that day, I decided I was going to at least get my revenge. Since I was still so young, my uncle¡¯s family got to administer my inheritance. It was clear that under the pretense of caring for me, they were after my wealth. But I didn¡¯t care. I only wanted to train myself so I could hunt down that demon. I was just a kid, so I didn¡¯t know better.?


    ?It wasn''t hard to find that beast. Since killing my family, it had made its nest in the forest where I first encountered it. The locals had just gotten used to the idea that someone would disappear every now and then to satisfy its hunger. It was the time when we were at war with the Demon King so the army was not going to send help to deal with a lone wolf like the one tormenting us. It was a bit like having a parasyte in your body but no way to get rid of it.?


    ?So, when I was fourteen, I went into the forest, armed only with my wand. I had read that while light magic was the only thing that could really fight demons, fire could be used to at least repel their attacks. What I hadn''t considered was that my magic was nowhere near as powerful as such a feat would require. In the end, my fire spells fizzled out like the torches in this hall. Pretty stupid, wasn''t I??


    "I probably would have done the same."


    ?It toyed with me. Demons seem to have very good memories. It took the appearance of my family and mocked me. And then it returned to its true form. I remember the way its purple eyes looked down at me before it forced me to the ground. I can still feel its foul stench in my nostrils as it tried to bite my neck,? Sam shivered.


    ?That''s when you learned to use dark magic,? I said slowly.


    Sam looked at me in surprise. But compared to the idea of someone suddenly appearing to rescue him, the awakening of his powers was the most likely way for him to get out of the situation. I knew that innate powers were something triggered by intense stress after all.


    "But, according to what Skylark said, an innate power is something you have since birth and just needs the right condition to manifest..."


    In that case, wasn''t it too much of a coincidence that someone with the innate ability to use dark magic ended up in a fight with a demon?


    "Maybe it''s not a coincidence at all... maybe the innate power he manifested... took its form precisely because he was fighting a demon."


    ?It was just a hunch,? I said quickly. I really didn''t want to spend time explaining to him what I knew about innate powers.


    ?I see...? Sam said in a bitter tone, ?your hunch is right. When I think about it... my story could have been one of a hero. Imagine: a little kid on a quest for vengeance manifesting the power of light and becoming a demon slayer. But no... everything turned pitch black. Even though it was morning, the sun was no longer filtering through the branches of the nearby trees. In an instant, the demon was gone, swallowed up by the magic of its own kind.?


    ?And let me guess... this new power got you into some trouble,? I commented.


    ?You''re really good at reading people... could it be your own secret power?? Sam joked, breaking the serious mood we had created between us.


    ?Not really...?


    "It''s more like I''ve heard this kind of story before."


    Sophia had been called a freak because of her innate power. I could only imagine what Sam would have endured if people had found out he could use demonic magic. The way my friends had freaked out before was telling.


    ?But you''re right. I wasn''t a stupid kid. I knew my new power was bad news, so I tried to hide it. But... fate had other plans,? Sam went on, ?You see, demons usually choose a mate for life, just like us, although they often go their own separate ways because they live so long. But they always meet up every few decades to reproduce. And you see... the mate of the demon I killed wanted revenge, just like me.?


    ?And you used your power to defeat him.?


    ?Aye. The village was almost gone when I arrived. This demon was much stronger than the previous one. It had 2 sets of horns, which signalled that it was a fairly high ranking one. But... demons rarely fight other demons. While dark magic can suppress any kind of elemental attack except for strong fire magic, it has no defensive properties against itself. That''s why, by using normal magic to enhance my physical abilities and dodge its attacks, I was able to defeat it while giving it a taste of its own medicine.?


    "This guy took down two demons all by himself."


    But instead of fear, all I felt was relief that I had not forced my friends to fight against his power. After all, fire magic was my forte.


    "I''ll just have to keep the darkness at bay until I find an opening."


    There was just one thing I couldn''t help but think about:


    "If he''s this dangerous... I hope my mana doesn''t shoot out against my will again.."


    If that happened, I would have risked killing Sam in a single blow.


    "Just like Aldric did with the Demon King."


    As I bit my lip, Sam let out a small chuckle:


    ?Have you already realised the next part? That''s right, the survivors of the village, the same ones I talked, played and laughed with, wanted to lynch me.?


    ?Even though you just saved them...? I remarked slowly, snapping out of my train of thought.


    ?I don''t blame them. They had just lost loved ones to a demon... and when I use the highest levels of dark magic, I take on some of their estetic characteristics, as your friend Wilhelm has pointed out before.?


    ?I see... then how did you get out of the situation?? I asked.


    ?I ran away. I ran and ran, even though I was injured. But when I arrived at my home, with the mob chasing me, I found only a locked door in front of me. It was the perfect opportunity for my uncle to take everything I owned from me.?


    His story was very similar to Sophia''s. He was a kind child who was abandoned by the adults who should have cared for him, for reasons that weren''t even his fault.


    ?Don''t worry, I didn''t go berserk and kill everyone,? Sam said quickly in response to my stare, ?the priest of the village managed to prevent my execution by making me promise that I would leave the village that very night. And so I did. Once a wealthyy offspring, now a homeless little boy with a terrifying power. But I survived. Thanks to my decent magic, I was able to find some odd jobs and earn enough to live on.?


    ?And your power??


    ?I swore I would never use it again, even if it meant dying. It''s better to die as a human than as one of the creatures that stole everything from me.?


    No, his story was even worse than Sophia''s. While she had taken pride in her power and used it to make a comeback in life, he couldn''t even do that. He hid it from the world because it was a constant reminder of his suffering. But if he was here now, smiling at me, it meant that at least in the end he had found some measure of happiness, just like my girlfriend.


    ?But something has changed, hasn''t it?? I asked gently.


    ?Ahh you are really getting on my nerves,? he chuckled, ?it has. Here at school I''ve finally managed to make some friends as I don''t have to work all day just to survive. It''s kind of awful to say, but even with the whole killing game part, I can''t help but somehow really love this academy. It''s where I finally got a taste of happiness. Of course, I despise Skylark for what he has done and want nothing more than to escape with my companions.?


    ?Don''t worry... I understand you.?


    Me, him, Sophia, Celeste... it seemed we all had our conflicting feelings about this school.


    "And just like him... that''s why I hate Skylark so much."


    ?But during the battle trial... I thought it was all over. Powerful students attacked us, seeing us as easy prey... we would''ve all died. So... even though I knew I would lose everything, I used my power to protect my friends.?


    Sam looked down at his hands, almost as if he was still unsure if what had happened was real:


    ?But... they didn''t leave me. Even when I used my terrible power in front of them. Even though I''m a demon. Andrea and the others stayed by my side. That''s why I''m going to protect them with all my strenght. That''s why I''m going to kill you tomorrow, Elizabeth.?


    Seeing that smiling boy, saying those words in that cheerful tone, was more ominous than any hate-filled threat. But I didn''t flinch. Instead, I held out my hand to him:


    ?I also have someone I really need to get back to. So I''m sorry, but you''re going to die tomorrow. But let''s have a good fight first.?


    Sam looked at my hand for a second before taking it and shaking it vigorously.


    ?You really are amazing... I really wish I hadn''t let my social anxiety get in the way and tried to talk to you... maybe things would have turned out differently.?


    ?I''m sorry, but I''m into girls,? I replied quickly.


    ?UH?!? Sam looked at me stunned, ?I didn''t mean it that way! And I...?


    ?I know!? I giggled, ?Andrea, right? She''s pretty cute when she''s not spitting venom!?


    ?So you were teasing me on purpose,? the boy glared at me.


    "He''s easy to tease, just like her... I could have bullied him a lot if we''d become friends..."


    But that was a thought I had to put out of my mind.


    ?Well, if that''s all, I''d better go to sleep... or is not letting me rest your tactic?? I asked jokingly, letting go of his hand.


    ?Wouldn''t that mean I''d have to stay awake too?? he laughed, but before I could get away he grabbed my wrist to stop me.


    ?Uh??


    ?Elizabeth... I''m sorry. I really am... I really wish it didn''t have to end like this.?


    I sighed in response:


    ?I''m the one who brought this on myself. I told you, you don''t have to apologise. After all, I''d rather deal with this myself than put the others in danger.?


    ?I see... you really are quite heroic,? he chuckled, but didn''t let go of my wrist, "In that case... could I ask you for a favour??


    ?Bold thing to ask someone you vowed to kill,? I said slowly, wondering what he was going to ask.


    ?You''re right... but I guess I''m appealing to your heroic magnanimity,? he said with a half smile, scratching his head.


    ?... just shoot it...?


    "I am such a push-over."


    ?If I die tomorrow... could you look after the others? I don''t expect you to protect them with your life or anything, since you don''t really know them. But... if you could keep them from getting desperate and doing something stupid, I would be grateful.?


    I looked at him in surprise:


    ?Didn''t you say you were going to win and kill me??


    ?I did,? Sam replied, looking away, ?but in the end... the heroes always defeat the demons, don''t they??


    "What''s with him now?"


    Was he afraid of me after all?


    "Anyway, regarding his question... Celeste told me that we will leave them behind. But until then..."


    ?I''ll do what I can, but I can''t promise you anything.?


    ?I see... that''s enough, thank you!? Sam said to me one last time before he left the room, ?Good night Elizabeth.?


    I was left alone in the room.


    "I really should''ve listened and remained a stranger to him."


    Tomorrow I would not be fighting a demon, but a friend.

 74. Battle against a true hero

    ?Weren''t you sure I''d win?? I grunted in a pained voice.


    ?Shut up!? Sophia muttered while pinning me down on the bed in my room.


    ?Idiot...? I sighed as I stroked her hair.


    The night had been nothing short of horrible. To avoid any chance of Sam''s group or Jonathan pulling one on us, we had all slept in Celeste''s room, and everyone but me had taken turns standing guard outside the door. Not being able to cuddle with Sophia was a tragedy in itself, but to make matters worse, the atmosphere in our group had turned as cold as an icy wasteland.


    When I had returned from my conversation with Sam, I had found Wilhelm grilling Sophia about why she had lied about her card. Celeste had quickly forced him to drop the subject, but this imposed silence was perhaps even worse. Staying in that room, feeling the eyes of my worried friends on me, almost like a condemned prisoner, had been unbearable.


    It had been with relief that I had let Sophia drag me away this morning when light had begun to seep through the window of the Academy building. Relief that had quickly turned to pain as she had pinned me to the bed and hugged me tightly.


    ?I know you''ll win, but how could I not be worried about you fighting someone with dark magic? Even if you are grazed by it, you could be seriously injured. Suppose you lose a hand again, they won''t be able to reattach it!? Sophia complained in a muffled voice as she pressed her face into my chest.


    ?Wow, thanks for the encouraging words,? I replied with a chuckle, ?but you''re right... if I lose my hands I won''t be able to do this anymore!?


    I poked her sides, causing her to squirm.


    ?Stop it!? she complained, trying her best to suppress her laughter, then looked up from my chest, ?are you really not scared at all??


    ?Of course I am. But I''m done letting fear consume me. I''m going to use it to fight harder and get back to you... and if I can, it''s all thanks to you. You told me to be happy, remember? So no more crybaby Elizabeth!?


    Sophia finally seemed to calm down at my words. She smiled softly and said:


    ?Let''s have another date when this game is over,? she said, caressing my cheek.


    ?Alright, now there is absolutely no way I will lose.?


    ?Idiot... but Elizabeth, are you sure you can go all out against Sam? He''s different from the enemies we''ve thought of so far.?


    ?I know... but during our talk yesterday I understood how determined he is and I want to meet his determination with mine. It''s the best I can do for him.?


    ?I see...?


    Sophia stayed on top of me, her ear on my chest, almost as if she wanted to listen to my heartbeat. In that moment of silence, I decided to bring up what had happened yesterday:


    ?Sophia... your card.?


    ?I''m sorry. Between the duel with Celeste and the aftermath, it had slipped my mind to tell you about it. I remembered when we were close to the meeting, but I didn''t want to freak you out.?


    ?It''s okay, I don''t blame you. I''m just worried that Wilhelm and the others might start doubting you again.?


    ?It doesn''t matter, as long as you believe in me.?


    ?Sophia... they are our allies and friends...?


    ?I don''t know Elizabeth. Apart from you and Celeste... I really can''t bring myself to open up to anyone else. And the traitor... he could really screw us in this game.?


    ?Well, I guess we should thank Sam then. Thanks to his idea, the traitor won''t be able to fuck with us anymore.?


    Sophia seemed to hesitate for a second before nodding:


    ?I guess you''re right.?


    "Mmmh, she doesn''t look convinced. In any case, her suspicions aside, I guess she just doesn''t want to make other friends, I don''t think that''s a problem... she''s made so much progress already, I don''t think she should push her introverted self to do more. But... I still wish she would get along with them."


    ?Oh well,? I said, pushing her up to give her a hug, ?you don''t have to force yourself to make more friends if you don''t want to. It''s even better for me! I get to have you all to myself!? I exclaimed, cupping her head in my hands.


    ?I could have a thousand friends and you''d still be the only person I belong to,? she muttered, looking away.


    ?Awww, maybe Celeste is right, I have tamed you!? I giggled.


    Sophia immediately turned her eyes to me, stunned:


    ?What did she say?!?


    ?Nothing!? I said, getting up from the bed.


    But soon my wrist was caught in an iron grip and I was forced to turn around.


    ?I''ll show you how ''tamed'' I am after this game,? Sopiha declared, flicking her finger across my lower lip before overtaking me to get out of the room.


    "Now... I definitely can''t die!" I thought as I hurriedly followed her, giggling at how much she was blushing.


    <hr>


    Twenty minutes later, after a solitary breakfast, we arrived at the magic training room to find the rest of our group waiting for us.


    ?I can''t believe you were leisurely eating at a time like this,? Celeste sighed as we entered the room.


    ?Better to fight on a full stomach!? I exclaimed.


    ?I swear... you two are going to drive me crazy,? Celeste said, breaking into a smile as she looked at me and Sophia.


    ?What do you mean driving you?? Sophia replied cheekily.


    ?Oh, fuck it, I can''t keep giving you the cold shoulder,? Celeste exclaimed, ?Guys, I know what happened yesterday has got us all a bit on edge, but at this time we should all be cheering for Liz, okay?? she said then, turning to the rest of our companions.


    Penny was the first to come over to me. She took my hands in hers and said:


    ?You''re not trying to sacrifice yourself for me because of what we talked about back then, are you?? Penny asked, looking me straight in the eye.


    ?I''m not. I''m going to protect you and the others because I want to, not because I need to relieve my guilt. And I''m not going to sacrifice myself, I''m going to win,? I declared decisively.


    ?I see...?


    Penny threw her arms around my neck:


    ?Then win, you idiot hero!?


    ?I will!?


    Then it was Wilhelm''s turn to come forward. But he didn''t address me at first:


    ?Sophia... you''ll have to explain yourself.?


    ?I will.?


    ?But for now, I''ll trust you and cheer for Elizabeth with you,? he said with a nod.


    Philemon was next.


    ?You got us into this mess, so you better win now... is that what you want me to tell you??


    I couldn''t help but chuckle:


    ?Yeah, that''s a pretty good line.?


    ?Be careful, Belvoir. Fighting dark magic is not something mere humans are meant to do. Unlike normal magic, it almost has a mind of its own, don''t let it consume you. Try to finish the duel quickly, like you did against me,? Philemon added, turning to walk back close to Celeste.


    ?Thanks for the advice.?


    Maybe we would never get along, but at least we respected each other, it seemed.


    The last person to approach me was Nicole. The redhead said to me in a small voice:


    ?You better win...?


    She didn''t even look me in the eye.


    "Is she really that mad at me? Is it because Penny won''t get the 1000 points even if I win?"


    But before I could ask what her problem was, the classroom door opened. I saw my companions tense up as Sam and his group, along with Jonathan Von Basque, entered the training room. The moment of truth had arrived.


    ?Good morning everyone,? Sam greeted us.


    Only me and Sophia replied, the others just stared at him.


    ?I think it''s better if we get this over with quickly, so everyone stops being so nervous,? Sam commented, taking off his blazer and pulling out his wand, ?Shall we, Elizabeth??


    I nodded, taking out my wand as well.


    ?Before we start though... Celeste, could you do something for me?? Sam asked.


    ?What is it?? Celeste asked coldly.


    ?Could you give Jen the curse??


    "Uh?!"


    ?What are you trying to accomplish?? Celeste asked slowly, ?This was not part of our deal.?


    ?Don''t worry, the terms of the duel will force me to keep my end of the bargain and take the curse for myself. But if I win against Elizabeth, I can''t really force you to do anything, can I? So I''d feel more comfortable with the keys to this game in our possession. Isn''t it fair??


    ?You should have told me yesterday!? Celeste complained.


    ?I would have, but I didn''t think of it... Jonathan is the one who came up with the idea.?


    We all turned towards Jonathan who was trying to hide behind the chubby and imposing guy called Ian.


    "So I guess he joined their group after all. Anyway... let''s just get this over with."


    ?Just do what he said, Celeste. I doubt he wants to trick us. We would just end up fighting.?


    Celeste scoffed before walking up to Jen Corbain and holding out her hand. The little girl took it, visibly shaking. After a brief look of surprise, she turned to Sam.


    ?I see some kind of purple haze. I think she gave me the curse.?


    ?Anything else?? Celeste asked Sam Rover, clearly annoyed, ?Shall I get you some coffee??


    ?That won''t be necessary!?Sam exclaimed, ?let''s go Elizabeth.?


    But before he could enter the circular arena, Andrea stopped him. At the same time someone tugged on my sleeve.


    ?Crush him,? Sophia whispered into my ear before closing my mouth with a kiss.


    I didn''t care that we were doing it in front of everyone. All I could think about at that moment was that I was not going to let this kiss be our last. I held my head high as I entered the arena at the same time as Sam.


    ?Sam, I challenge you to a duel. If I win, you''ll take the curse from Jen Corbain and keep it with you until the end of the game.?


    ?I accept! As for my condition... I have none!?


    Was it because he wanted to kill me? Or... The request he had made the day before came back to me.


    "Sam... do you...?"


    But my thoughts were cut short as the translucent shield formed around us, just as the magical voice began its countdown. I took a deep breath, concentrating on the magical power flowing through me. It was so strong and seamless... I really could have done anything with it.


    ...3


    2


    1


    ?Meteor!?


    I immediately used the most powerful spell I knew. Philemon was right, the less this duel lasted the better, as I was not familiar with dark magic. The arena was lit by the huge flaming boulder that had appeared in the air. But only for a split second.


    ?Dark Void.?


    A mass of pure darkness erupted from Sam''s raised hand at the same time as his wand threw a fireball at me.


    I defended myself with a quick water shield as my meteor vanished as if it had never existed.


    "So the fire component of the meteor is not enough to repel the darkness..."


    The mass of darkness that had been floating in the air suddenly condensed into a sphere and shot towards me.


    ?Firestorm!? I shouted, hurling a stream of flames to intercept its course.


    The jet-black matter stopped mid-hair, writhing almost like a beast before a predator. But I had no time to stare at it.


    ?Dark Crush.?


    Another dark mass appeared above me, this time in the shape of a giant hammer.


    "So dark magic can be doublecasted... this is problematic."


    I quickly summoned a fire shield over my head, preventing the black hammer from crushing me. But of course, this double attack had pinned me down. Sam rushed towards me, his sword in his hands, out of its holster.


    "Looks like, unlike me, he doesn''t have to channel his spells... it''s just like Philemon said, dark magic is almost alive once it leaves his hands. But in this case, all I have to do is..."


    Just like in my previous duel, I couldn''t stay on the defensive. Of course, my fire spells were strong enough to temporarily repel the darkness, but I couldn''t dispel it. But I couldn''t just give up defence altogether, or I would have been eaten.


    "So I just have to combine defence and attack."


    I quickly concentrated my mana and just before Sam could reach me, I shot it out in all directions, turning it into roaring flames. It wasn''t even a real spell. Just a complete scorched earth attack of pure brute force and no finesse.


    ?Dark Shield!?


    Sam was forced to recall one of the dark masses to protect himself from the huge eruption of flames. Looking up, I saw the maul of darkness being pushed back and back towards the top of the duel barrier by the force of my magic. And... it disappeared.


    ?Ahhh... you really are amazing!? Sam said, panting behind his dark shield. The tips of his hair were burnt and his uniform blackened, but he seemed unarmed.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Wait... why did my fire just dispel his darkness? Even if it was a powerful attack... that shouldn''t be possible!"


    ?Don''t daydream Elizabeth!?


    A dark tentacle sprouted from his right hand and swept across the arena. I quickly created a shield of fire to block it. But at the same time the shield of darkness mutated and another tentacle tried to attack me from the left. I cast another shield to defend myself.


    ?Ah, I wish I had such a mastery of fire magic!? Sam complimented me, ?you are even faster than I am with my dark one.?


    "Fast or not, we''re at a standstill if I can''t pierce the dark shield he summoned."


    I was thinking that when one of the tentacles started to flail around and a second later it split in two.


    ?Crap!?


    I quickly re-gathered my magical strength and began to send out roaring flames around me, as I had done before, to defend myself from the now triple attack.


    "The fact that darkness can mutate like that makes this the only counter I have..."


    But this was not good. Beads of sweat ran down my forehead. Even after summoning a small layer of water around me to keep my own spell from burning me alive, the temperature was still almost unbearable. Meanwhile, Sam had recalled one of the tentacles to defend himself, while the other, now split in four different appendages, flailed against my fire wave.


    "I can defend myself and put him on the defensive as well... but I have no way to pierce that shield of darkness." I thought, as Sam stood still and withstood my attack. "But... wait! I managed to dispel his previous hammer-like attack..."


    But the tentacles still looked very active.


    "Why did it work before? What''s different...?"


    It took me a moment to realise.


    "...! It touched the barrier!"


    I increased my fire to the extreme, so much so that I began to gasp for air. The dark apparitions retreated and retreated until they were pushed against the left side of the barrier and... disappeared!"


    "The barrier can destroy darkness?! Why?!"


    This wasn''t the time to ask questions. I had a way out now.


    "If I can push Sam against the barrier... I can win!"


    Taking advantage of the break in his attacks, I concentrated my fire aura into a single point and turned it into a raging bolt of flame.


    ?You don''t learn, do you, Elizabeth?? Sam shouted, condensing his dark shield into a thick mass in front of him. My fire cannon was stopped in its tracks as it collided with it. At the same time he summoned another tentacle to attack me as before, which I easily stopped.


    We were stuck again. My spell wasn''t strong enough to push him back, it seemed.


    "If only... I could..."


    But as I thought that, Sam yelled:


    ?Dark Rain!?


    "What?!"


    I had just time to surround myself in flames again before  a downpour of darkness began to drop down on the arena. The droplets were stopped in mid-air by my fire, but continued to pile up against it.


    "He was casting two spells already! The shield and the tentacle!"


    ?I don''t blame you for thinking the normal rules of magic apply to darkness, Elizabeth,? Sam stated in response to my stunned expression.


    "So he was trying to trick me into thinking he was restricted to double casting dark spells."


    Now that I knew that, I was pretty much forced to stay on the defensive.


    "But this... is weird."


    ?Stone Spike!?


    "Huh?!"


    I heard the ground shake beneath me.


    ?Typhoon!?


    I leapt into the air just in time to avoid the stone pillar that was about to pierce me.


    "He can cast normal spells while summoning that much darkness?!"


    Luckily, my newfound casting abilities meant that my fire dome was strong enough to keep the darkness at bay even while  doublecasting. But I couldn''t keep this up forever.


    ?Stone Spike!?


    I bounced around the arena, dodging Sam''s attacks.


    "At this rate..." I thought, panting, "I''ll run out of breath before I run out of mana."


    What was I going to do? The darkness was piling up on my fiery barrier like flies on a bottle of syrup, ready to devour me as soon as my defences broke. I needed a breakthrough.


    "Remember Elizabeth... the barrier..."


    I dodged another spike before landing.


    ?Stone Spike!?


    "Here goes nothing!"


    ?Speed!?


    I darted forward, dodging Sam''s attack and feeding the fire around me with as much mana as I could. I could feel it erupting with such force that I was afraid it would tear my body apart. The dark rain was pushed back with such force that it instantly crashed against the barrier and disappeared. I focused all my fire on the sword I had just unsheathed.


    ?SAM!? I yelled as I ran towards him. He was also at the edge of the barrier, a shield of darkness in front of him.


    My sword went through it as the boy''s eyes widened, just before a dark aura in the shape of a jaw grew around him, ready to swallow me whole.


    ?In your dreams!? I raised my hand and conjured a shield of fire around me. My flaming sword had pierced his dark shield and entered his shoulder.


    But it wasn''t over yet. Time seemed to slow down as I saw part of the darkness that made up his shield converge on his sword swinging at my exposed side.


    "Shit!"


    I was out of options. If I stopped one of my two spells, I would either be hit by the jaws or my arm would be eaten by his shield that was surrounding my weapon.


    "If only... if only... if only I could cast another spell."


    In that split second, I poured all my mana into my flank.


    ?GET OUT!?


    Flames erupted from my side, almost like a flaming wing. A flash of surprise lit up Sam''s face as I pushed him against the barrier with all my might, putting my entire body weight on my sword. All his spells instantly vanished.


    ?You are insane...? Sams blurted out.


    I grabbed my sword with both hands and pulled it up, slicing open his shoulder. Sam slid down with his back against the barrier without even screaming in pain.


    "Have I... won?"


    I pointed the sword at his neck when suddenly, almost as if my ears had been unplugged from something obstructing them, I heard screams of despair.


    ?SAM! NO!?


    I moved my eyes to the right to see his companions punching and banging against the barrier.


    "...is this how a hero should feel when he kills the demon?" I thought, biting my lip.


    But I couldn''t waver.


    ?Are you awake? Since the duel is not over, you must be. Surrender and let''s finish this game.?


    ?...?


    Sam let out a pained grunt.


    ?I''m sorry.?


    The whole word went dark.


    ?What is...??


    But before I could move my sword to attack him, I realised it was no longer in my hand. Me and Sam Rover, collapsed in front of me, were now in a deep black abyss.


    ?I''m sorry, Elizabeth,? Sam repeated, struggling to his feet as I took a step back.


    As his eyes met mine, I saw that they were now a bright purple.


    ?Fireball!? I shouted quickly, but nothing came out of my wand.


    ?It''s useless. This is true darkness. Only light magic can penetrate it, fire doesn''t cut it anymore.?


    Six small horns had sprouted from his head. His cheek was now marked by what looked like a jet black tattoo.


    ?You... had this power all along and you didn''t use it?? I asked slowly.


    ?I didn''t want to. As you can see, it brings out the part of me that I hate.?


    ?Are you telling me... that despite your words, you underestimated me...?


    But no, I refused to accept it. This wasn''t like the Sam I thought I knew. No, everything pointed in a different direction. His request to me yesterday. The fact that he hadn''t put any conditions on this duel. The fact that he hadn''t used this power yet.


    ?No... you never intended to win this duel in the first place,? I muttered.


    ?Ah... you really can read me like an open book,? Sam smiled weakly.


    ?You wanted to sacrifice yourself the whole time?? I asked dumbfounded.


    ?That''s right... but I knew my friends would never accept it. That''s why I provoked Celeste and your group into agreeing to this duel. I thought that if I was defeated in a fair fight, when I looked like I was doing my best, they''d understand that it was meant to be. That way we would have avoided both having to fight each other and having to point the finger at a victim.?


    ?But...?


    ?But I can''t do it,? Sam blurted out, ?I''m weak, Elizabeth. Hearing their voices so desperate... I can''t die here. Even if it means looking at the ugliest part of me and throwing away my humanity, I''ll win so I can go back to them. So I''m sorry, Elizabeth, but I really have to kill you.?


    ?I see...?


    This really did look like my end. The darkness I had tried so hard to ward off was now touching my skin. If I was alive, it was only because Sam wanted to apologise to me. He was bleeding badly, but I had no hope of prolonging this fight.


    I took another deep breath. The darkness didn''t smell of anything, but it was still all around me.


    "Only light can penetrate the darkness..."


    ?So Elizabeth... let''s finish this. Don''t worry, it should be painless.?


    "But the barrier around us... why can it dispel it then?"


    Sam raised his hand to me.


    "I''ve never seen a barrier like this one before I came to the Academy..."


    Everything clicked into place.  Light... I had seen something radiating pure, bright light. Something that this Academy had gone far beyond morality to test.


    Mana.


    "Aldric defeated the Demon King alone."


    Light magic... didn''t it ever exist? Maybe... maybe it was just mana.


    "And that means... I can pierce this abyss."


    As I felt the darkness twisting around me, ready to swallow me whole, the flame I had found inside me during the dungeon trial rekindled. But this time I knew what it was. So...


    ?What?!? Sam looked at me petrified.


    In that dark abyss where there was no light, I was now creating my own. The jet black mass that was about to eat me alive retreated as the colours of the worlds surrounded me like a armour as my very being began to radiate a bright glow.


    ?ELIZABETH!?


    Even though the arena was still shrouded in darkness, except for the small clearing I had cleared, I could now hear my friend''s voice calling my name.


    I smiled.


    ?Sorry Sam, but I also have someone calling for me.?


    A globe of light appeared in my hand, like a miniature sun.


    "So this is my mana, eh?"


    Since it was, I could shape it however I wanted. I concentrated as I looked at Sam.   saw his lips curl into a smile as the blade of pure light I had created cut the arena in two, slicing the darkness and his arm clean off his shoulder.


    The abyss had been dispelled. All the colours of the world returned as the boy collapsed to the ground. I quickly rushed to his side to tend to him.


    ?...you really are a damn hero, huh?? he groaned before losing consciousness.


    A cacophony of screams erupted in the room as I felt a pair of hands grab me from behind.


    I turned to see Sophia''s face streaked with tears.


    ?ELIZABETH!?


    ?I''m all right, all right!? I yelled as I hugged her, ?but we need to get Sam to the infirmary pronto!?


    But I didn''t need to say it. His group was already at his side. Ian laid him on his back and headed for the door, the others following with horrified expressions.


    "A hero... why do I feel like a villain right now?"


    But I had no time to think as I was surrounded by the rest of my friends.


    ?Elizabeth! Are you okay?! Everything just went dark and we couldn''t see anything!? Penny exclaimed, looking just as shaken as Sophia.


    ?That was high level demonic magic!? exclaimed Wilhelm, ?how did you get out of there unharmed?!?


    ?Calm down,? Philemon said as he tried to get them to give me room to breathe, ?even if she looks fine, we should still get her to the infirmary.?


    Only two people did not come to me. Celeste, who was a little further back, looking at me while biting her thumbnail, and Nicole, who was still sitting with her head in her hands, tears streaming down her face. I didn''t have time to say anything before I was dragged away.


    ?You all stay here!? Sophia snapped as she grabbed my hand, ?Give us some space!?


    She shouted in a high pitched voice that did not suit her. I gave the others an apologetic smile as we left the room.


    ?Sophia, I don''t need the infirmary! And you''re hurting my hand!? I complained.


    ?Yes you need it,? she replied, turning to me with a devastated look on her face, ?you used that power, didn''t you??


    ?I... I did. But I really had no choice. I would''ve...?


    ?I know, I''m not blaming you! But we need to check how your mana is!? she shouted, continuing to drag me along.


    "So that''s why she left the others behind"


    ?But... can we wait a bit? I want to give Sam and his friends some space.?


    Finally, Sophia stopped pulling me away.


    ?Fine...? she said and then...


    ?UGH!... I didn''t say crush my ribs instead!? I groaned, but I quickly relaxed and let her support me. Now that the duel was over, I began to feel very tired.


    ?Ahhh... I was so scared Elizabeth... when I saw you disappear into that sphere of darkness... I...?


    ?Not so sure I would win, eh??


    ?I''m sorry.?


    ?It''s okay. But I''m fine now.?


    ?But your mana...?


    I concentrated, using Sophia''s breath to calm the residual adrenaline from the fight. I couldn''t feel anything different inside me, but of course that didn''t mean much.


    "According to Skylark, I won''t be able to feel it... unless!"


    ?Come with me Sophia!?


    I let go of the hug and ran in the opposite direction of the infirmary, towards our classroom. Outside I found what I was looking for.


    ?This is...? Sophia muttered.


    ?The mana measuring device,? I finished for her, looking at the glass sphere with a sense of ominous foreboding.


    "Well, there''s no point in wavering now... what''s done is done."


    My hand opened the cabinet and touched the sphere. Like the last time, I felt as if my entire being had been sucked into it.


    ?...Elizabeth...?


    ?Sophia...?


    Tears were streaming down her face. I quickly hugged her again:


    ?It''s still very bright! Brighter than most people!? I shouted, trying to reassure her. But my heart was racing.


    ?But compared to before...?


    ?Yes,... but it''s not like I''m going around shooting mana everywhere. I told you, I''ll only use it when I''m in danger, ok??


    ?I... no, it''s not okay,? she murmured.


    ?Don''t be unreasonable Sophia... besides, aren''t you happy? Your girlfriend is a real hero now!? I said, trying to sound cheerful despite the shock of seeing how much my mana had been drained.


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Mana! Sophia! I pierced the darkness with my mana! I survived a demonic spell like the heroes of legends!?


    ?I see...?


    Sophia was silent for a second.


    ?Elizabeth... then... what if this academy was made to create artificial heroes??


    ?Artificial heroes??


    ?Yes. If the original goal was to defeat the Demon King, they probably wanted to find a way to use light magic. That''s when they found out that mana could be used in the same way. So they tried to force it out of people by inflicting pain.?


    ?...you might be right... but then how did Aldric end up like that? I mean, I can use light magic now, if you want to call it that... but I don''t look like a giant troll like him.?


    ?Well...? Sophia wiped away her tears before looking at me with a serious expression, ?you''re going to die if you keep using it, so... what if they found a way to avoid that, or at least postpone it??


    ?A way... you mean Aldric is like that because...?


    ?Because he has more mana than his body can handle.?


    I looked at Sophia with my mouth half open.


    ?You said that losing all your mana makes people vanish into thin air, so... wouldn''t the opposite happen as well??


    That was such a spot-on assumption that my head almost began to spin. Those excessive muscles, those scars that looked like something had burst out of them.


    "Chloe had a similar wound on her body."


    It all made so much sense. Aldric was like a bottle that had been filled with too much water and was now overflowing.


    "And it explains why he''s able to shoot those beams of light willy-nilly."


    But how did they manage to give him so much mana without imploding?


    ?Sophia-?


    I had to stop as we both heard screams coming from down the corridor. Nodding, we quickly ran in that direction. Turning the corner, we found ourselves in front of a devastating scene. An armless Sam was coming out of the infirmary as the blonde girl called Andrea tried desperately to stop him. My heart sank as I heard her scream in agony. The voices of his other friends soon joined in.


    ?You don''t have to watch,? Sophia whispered into my ear, taking my hand and trying to lead me back to the training room.


    ?I have to. I''m the one who sentenced him to death.?


    So I stood there, leaning on Sophia''s shoulder, listening to the cries and lamentations of a group of friends like mine who were about to lose someone dear to them. It took a while for Sam to leave them, kissing Andrea goodbye and leaving her on the floor in despair.


    Sam gave me a smile when he saw me.


    ?You could''ve at least let them reattach your arm,? I commented as he came closer.


    ?They couldn''t...? he said, lowering his voice, ?all my nerve endings are gone.?


    I looked at him in disbelief.


    ?I''m sorry!?


    ?Sorry for what?? he laughed, ?I was about to kill you. Besides, I won''t be needing arms any time soon anyway. But... that power... was it really light magic like I think??


    ?Kind of...?


    ?I see you want to keep it a secret, as I suspected. Don''t worry... but are you all right? You looked pretty shocked... could it be that it has some drawbacks??


    ?Wasn''t I the one who was good at reading people??


    ?Ahahah I guess I''m learning a bit from you. But... don''t sacrifice yourself Elizabeth, there are people who will miss you very much,? he said then, looking at Sophia.


    ?Look who''s talking...?


    "This guy... he''s not a demon, he''s a saint."


    ?Very well... shall we go in? It''s only half an hour before the game ends. I can feel the binding spell of the duel pushing me to keep the deal.?


    So, like two executioners, Sophia and I pushed the door open for him. The others were waiting for us, talking, but quickly fell silent when they saw Sam.


    ?Are you all right?? Celeste asked as he approached.


    ?What does it look like?? Sam asked with a chuckle.


    ?You look awfully cheerful for someone about to die. Are you going to pull something??


    Sam put his only hand in his pocket and pulled out a card.


    ?You can see for yourself,? he said.


    Celeste took the card from him before handing him hers. As she did so, their hands touched.


    ?So you really have the curse with you... and you gave me the Demon.?


    ?That''s right, could you give me the curse back now? That was our deal.?


    For a moment I thought Celeste was going to say no, but it was only a moment. My friend patted Sam on the shoulder.


    ?Demon or not... you were a pretty cool guy, Sammy.?


    ?Oh, is this the part where people start being nice to me because I''m dying??


    ?I guess... well guys, game over. Let''s get out of here and let Sam die with dignity.?


    One by one, my friends began to leave the room. Meanwhile, Sam came close to me.


    ?Don''t worry, I''m not trying to curse you,? he said, ?I just wanted to thank you for coming with me... and apologise for trying to kill you. I really didn''t mean to, it was just a moment of weakness. I''m glad you managed to defeat me.?


    ?I know... I know your type by now.?


    ?My type?? he asked.


    I didn''t realise it, but my tears had started to flow. Sam seemed to panic at the sight.


    ?A fucking hero...? I muttered.


    I turned away and headed for the exit, not before Sam could say:


    ?...thank you Elizabeth, I''m glad I got to meet you.?


    I couldn''t answer. I couldn''t tell a man with such determination that I wished I''d never met him.


    I was about to close the door behind me when something blocked it.


    ?Uh??


    I turned to see Nicole leaving the room.


    ?Sorry I didn''t see you were still inside...?I said.


    ?It''s okay" she said, "you''re crying...?


    I looked at her, there were tears in her eyes too.


    "..."


    I grabbed Nicole''s wrist.


    "...nothing."


    ?What is it, Elizabeth?? she asked.


    ?Sorry... I just want to talk. You''ve been acting strange with me... are you angry about Penny??


    Something quivered in Nicole''s expression. In a second, I was crushed into a hug for the umpteenth time.


    "What do people have against my ribs today?"


    ?Liz, I''m so sorry! Yes, I was angry, but then the duel happened... the thought that you might die and I didn''t even say goodbye or cheer for you! I felt so bad!?


    "Just like I feel bad for suspecting you now..."


    I sighed.


    ?It''s okay, Nicole. We''ll find a way to escape before the end of next week. I''ll do everything I can to save Penny and you, of course.?


    ?Thank you... and good job, you were amazing... but now I''m sorry... I''m not usually like this so... I''m going to rest.?


    Nicole released me from the hug before walking away. Celeste, who had been talking to Sopiha a few steps away, approached me:


    ?What was her deal??


    ?Nothing, don''t worry,? I said, wiping away my tears, ?she didn''t take Sam''s curse, if that''s what you''re worried about,? I added, lowering my voice.


    ?I see...?


    Then Celeste came closer to me.


    ?And what about what happened during the duel? Do you really think I wouldn''t notice?? she asked.


    In a panic, I raised my head to look into Sophia''s eyes, but Celeste put an arm around my shoulder and pushed me down to speak into my ear:


    ?Triplecasting... how the hell did you manage that??


    ?Oh... that''s what you meant!?


    ?Of course that''s what I meant! You blocked the sword with one spell while you were already casting two. That''s three spells, Liz Liz. Don''t try and lie about it.?


    Celeste''s tone was almost threatening. Of course she would want to know.


    ?I... I guess it was just adrenaline? Like I thought ''oh fuck I''m going to die'' and it happened!?


    That was actually pretty close to the truth. Of course, I had left out the part about my mana control being off the charts.


    Of course Celeste didn''t believe me:


    ?Oh of course....that''s a lie! Come on Elizabeth, many mages have had near-death experiences and never managed to cast three spells!?


    ?Celeste, leave her alone, can''t you see she''s tired?? Sophia intervened to save me.


    Celeste sighed:


    ?You''re right, I''m sorry... I got too excited. But you two girls... we are going to have a nice talk when this is over.?


    And with that she went back to lean against the wall. But I was kind of happy about her sudden attack. It had distracted me a bit from what was about to happen. As the minutes passed, the tears started to flow again. Sophia held me tight as I thought of Sam''s last day and his sacrifice for all of us.


    ?5 minutes left in the game.?


    The magical voice was a grim reminder of what was to come. I had half expected his group to attempt a last-minute rescue, but none came.


    "They are either afraid or, like me, they are respecting his wishes."


    ?The game is over.?


    As this terrible announcement echoed through the school, Sophia, Celeste and I nodded to each other. We hesitantly walked to the door and opened it.


    Sam Rover was lying motionless on the floor.


    ?Don''t look,? Sophia said, but I ignored her.


    I kneeled down and touched Sam''s body to turn him towards me. My heart dropped. There was no trace of his kind smile on his face, but a look of pure agony and despair.


    ?What is this??


    Sophia said in disbelief. His neck was torn and burned, as if it had been struck by a spell.


    "Is this how the curse killed him?"


    But just then we heard a scream.


    ?What''s going on?!?


    We all darted out as more screams erupted. They were coming from the courtyard. It only took us thirty seconds to get there. We opened the door and...


    Surrounded by her friends, Jen Corbain lay on the floor, her body ravaged by purple curse marks. Sam''s sacrifice had been for nothing.

 75. Cornered

    I had slipped into a nightmare.


    That was the only explanation for the horrifying scene before my eyes. Perhaps my victory over Sam had been an illusion and the dark abyss that had surrounded me was now filling my mind, tormenting it with terrible visions.


    How could this be the real world after all? This was such a cruel outcome that I felt my stomach turn with the urge to vomit.


    The body of Jen Corbain, lifeless in the arms of her best friend Annette, almost unrecognisable because of the curse marks, was the sign that Sam''s heroic sacrifice had been in vain. Instead of the one life that should have been lost in this vile game, two had been taken. But it wasn''t just Sam''s group that was going to pay a price.


    I saw Celeste, standing by my side, cover her mouth with her hand, a look of horror on her face. She was probably thinking the same thing I was: with Jen''s death, Penny had now slipped to the bottom of the rankings and, with Sunday''s elimination looming, there was no way she could catch up with Annete, the student above her. In other words, the time we had to find a way to activate the magic circle on the third floor had been reduced to just four days. Suddenly our backs were against the wall.


    "This is awful... but how is it even possible?"


    Looking at the terrible marks on Jen''s skin, there was little doubt that a curse had been the cause of her death. But... how had she been cursed? Such perverse incantations were extremely rare in the present day. Ancient dungeons were about the only place you could stumble across one, due to the forgotten rituals used to seal their treasures. Apart from that, what the common folk usually referred to as curses were just a creative, malicious use of ordinary magic. But, of course, we had come into contact with one during this game. The one that was supposed to kill Sam.


    "But... he didn''t have any marks on his body!"


    The shock of seeing that haunting expression on his face had not made me think about it at the moment, but the state of his body was certainly not what you would expect from the victim of a curse. The wound on his neck looked like it had been caused by an explosive spell. But that wasn''t the main issue at the moment. Even if the game''s curse behaved strangely, one thing was certain: there was no way it could pass from Sam to Jen. The last person to touch the poor boy had been Celeste, and I was the last one to leave the room with Nicole.


    "But I touched her and checked that she didn''t have it on her... and even if she had somehow found a way to occult it, she went back to her room... she couldn''t sneak into the courtyard without passing in front of us!¡±


    With these thoughts swirling in my head like a hurricane, I stood there petrified, still hoping that somehow this was just a bad dream. But, as usual, there was someone who always stood firm when everyone else faltered. Sophia took a step forward, a tense expression on her face, and approached our classmates, still intent on screaming Jen''s name in desperation. She walked up to the imposing guy called Ian. He was as white as a ghost and looked like he was about to faint. Sophia put a hand on his shoulder and said in a gentle but still firm tone:


    ?I need you to tell me what happened.?


    The boy turned towards her, looking confused, as if he hadn''t understood what she had said. But Sophia didn''t relent: he grabbed his other shoulder and forced him to look straight into her eyes, despite their huge height difference.


    ?Please, you have to tell me what happened, for Jen''s sake too,? she said again.


    This approach seemed to work as Ian opened his mouth only to close it again. But after nodding, he finally managed to speak.


    ?I... don''t really know,? he said in a trembling tone, ?we were all waiting for... the end. But just as the time was up, Jen suddenly started screaming... that''s when it happened. Those... marks started to appear on her body and-?


    His voice trailed off into nothingness.


    ?Did someone touch her? Or cast a spell? Did someone come in here just before it happened?? Sophia pressed him.


    Ian shook his head. Sophia sighed and, releasing him from her grasp, said in a softer tone:


    ?Thank you.?


    She then turned to me and gave me a worried look. Her actions had finally managed to bring me out of my shocked state, and after taking a deep breath, I tried my best to make sense of the situation.


    "It seems that everything happened right at the end of the game... but no one touched her or anything, so, unless there was another invisible curse floating around, this can only mean one thing."


    The curse had found its way from Sam to Jen without them coming into contact. How had that happened? I could only think of one possibility. The wound on his neck clearly pointed in that direction.


    "What if... Sam died before the curse took him out?"


    Skylark had said nothing about what would happen in that kind of situation. Perhaps, if the host died the curse would simply be passed on to another random student.


    "But then, how did Sam Rover die?"


    He was alone in the room. Unless...


    "No, I really should stop suspecting her."


    Even if Nicole had somehow managed to kill him in the few seconds that had passed between me and her leaving the room, the timing wasn''t right. It didn''t make sense for the curse to take several minutes to choose a new host, so that meant Sam must have died just before Jen, right at the end of the game. But this didn''t necessarily mean my theory was wrong. After all, my time at the Academy had taught me that nothing was impossible.


    "An innate power like Chloe''s, one that can kill at a distance... does anyone between us have one?"


    While I was following this train of thought, Sophia came back to us with a frown on her face.


    ?What do you think?? she asked me and Celeste, who also seemed to have regained her composure.


    ?I-?


    Before I could give her the explanation I had come up with, a distraught voice interrupted me:


    ?Sam... is he alive??


    It was Andrea. She had gotten up from Jen''s side and was slowly approaching us with tentative steps, a glimmer of hope in her tear streaked face. I could understand why she was asking that question. If Jen was the one who had died with the curse, she had every reason to believe that Sam might still be alive. Unfortunately, reason was not something that existed in this gods-forsaken academy.


    We didn''t even have to answer. Andrea dropped to her knees, clearly reading the answer in our faces.


    ?NO! WHY?!? she screamed, pounding her fist on the grass of the courtyard.


    Before I could think, my body moved on its own. I ran up to her and took her in my arms. I expected her to push me away. Even leaving aside our previous bad blood, I was the one who had indirectly caused Sam''s death. But after freezing for a second, Andrea didn''t resist, she leaned on my shoulder and clung to my shirt. Perhaps she hoped to feel a trace of her lost loved one on me, his executioner. Or maybe she could see from my face, now also streaked with tears, how much pain his death had caused me. So, as she began to cry desperately, I held her close and tried my best to comfort her. Perhaps it was the last thing I could do for Sam.


    ?He... must have died before the game was even finished. That''s why the curse went to someone else,? Celeste said in a bitter tone behind me.


    ?I-I thought so too,? I replied, trying to hold back my sobs while still hugging Andrea.


    ?I guess we all agree, but... that means someone between us is capable of killing a person that is alone in a guarded room. A bit like Chloe did back in October,? Sophia stated.


    It seemed we had all come to the same conclusion. But I couldn''t really be happy about the way the Academy had trained us to think deductively.


    ?Who would do such a thing?? cried Andrea, pulling away from our embrace and sniffing.


    ?I-?


    ?It''s clearly one of you!?


    The person who had shouted these words was Annette. She stood up and pointed a shaking finger at us.


    ?It wasn''t enough to kill Sam?! You had to kill Jen too?!?


    She really wasn''t making any sense, but I couldn''t really blame her for acting irrational considering what had just happened. Celeste seemed to think the same, as she didn''t reply as harshly as I thought she would:


    ?This development doesn''t help us at all... now one of our friends is last in the rankings. I know it''s horrible to say, but keeping Jen alive so she could die on Sunday instead of Penny would have been the best outcome for us,? she explained calmly.


    ?You... are awful!? Annete snapped, clearly at a loss for words at Celeste''s rational response, ?maybe... maybe you''ll just kill us all before-?


    ?Stop Annete.?


    I turned in surprise to Andrea, who had spoken in that firm tone. Even she was still crying, but I could see that she was trying to control herself. But I wasn''t the only one who was stunned:


    ?Andrea-? Annette began, but Andrea immediately cut her off.


    ?I know. But it''s like Fitzroy said, they don''t get anything out of this,? she explained, wiping away her tears with her sleeves.


    Annette looked at her in disbelief. I could understand why: Andrea, the girl who had been most hostile towards us, was now taking Celeste''s side.


    ?But-?


    ?No buts. I know how you feel, but Sam would never want us at each other''s throats r-right now.?


    "She... she''s so strong!"


    Even as her voice cracked at the end, I couldn''t help but be impressed by her resolve to uphold Sam''s beliefs. If I''d lost Sophia, I''d never have been able to keep my cool like she was managing to.


    "This... this is your legacy, Sam. You inspired this person with your character." I thought, remembering the last words I had said to him.


    "A hero... a real one. I will do my part as well now!"


    ?Let''s find who did this, Andrea. For Sam and Jen''s sake,? I declared, placing a hand on Andrea''s shoulder, ?as you said, my group gained nothing from this. And of course yours doesn''t either. That can only mean one thing...?


    ?There is a traitor among us,? Andrea finished for me, grabbing my hand and squeezing it firmly.


    This was the last proof we needed. The terrible outcome of this game, which was going to cause incredible pain to both our alliances, could only have been brought about by a student actively working against us and sabotaging us.


    "I was naive... it''s just like Sophia said this morning, the traitor was always going to use this opportunity to hurt us."


    But strangely, it was Sophia herself who raised an objection:


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ?But... isn''t this odd? If the curse randomly targeted one of us when Sam died... wasn''t the traitor in danger of dying as well??


    ?That''s...?


    ?Not what happened, Miss Thornton.?


    This time it wasn''t Andrea who finished the sentence for me. It was a voice whose sound was enough to make me tremble with rage. We all turned towards the door, which we hadn''t noticed open in the middle of our conversation. Skylark closed it carefully behind him, almost like a predator trying to make sure his prey didn''t hear him.


    ?You!? I yelled, gritting my teeth.


    I wanted to shout at him. I wanted to summon the mana within me to burn him to a crisp. Unfortunately, none of these options were good ideas. At the moment, Skylark was the only one who could clear up the situation. Of course, if the traitor was working with him, he''d probably try to avoid telling us the truth. But as much as I hated him, what I had found out about my power today confirmed that the old mage really wasn''t the type to lie outright.


    ?What do you mean?? asked Sophia, stepping in front of him, almost as if she wanted to prevent me and the others from foolishly attacking him.


    Skylark, strangely enough, didn''t offer one of his usual smiles, instead he surprisingly bowed his head a little:


    ?First of all, I should apologise. The Academy prides itself on being fair and clear in its tests, so-?


    ?Stop the bullshit and tell us what you want,? Celeste stopped him before I could.


    The old professor raised his head, his lips now curled:


    ?Miss Fitzroy, if your father heard you talking like this, he would be very displeased,? he replied in a mocking tone.


    ?Feel free to tell him and add a fuck you while you''re at it,? Celeste retorted dryly, ?what are you pretending to apologise for??


    Skylark didn''t seem offended by her harsh tone and explained;


    ?The rules. I probably should have told you what would happen if someone died while under the curse, it might have prevented the unfortunate situation you''re in now,? he said calmly, as if we''d just found a badly worded question in an exam and not lost two of our friends.


    Fighting the urge to punch him, I blurted out:


    ?So we were right, it really did happen, he died and the curse was passed on to one of us. But why did you tell Sophia that it wasn''t the case, then??


    The smile on Skylark''s face grew wider, giving me a bad feeling.


    ?It''s simple. What Miss Thornton got wrong is the term ''randomly''. The curse couldn''t just move to any one of you. It had to be someone it had already come into contact with! A bit like an animal looking for a familiar nest.?


    These words sent a shiver down my spine.


    "Someone the curse had already come in contact with..."


    The thought of Death blowing its cold breath on my neck without me even noticing was downright terrifying.


    "Me, Celeste, Wilhelm and Jen were the only ones that came in contact with the curse, I think... so I had a 25% chance of dying without being able to do anything about it!"


    Probably sensing what was going through my mind, Sophia took my hand in hers. I squeezed it gratefully.


    ?Do you realise what it means to admit that Sam didn''t die from the curse?? Sophia asked Skylark, glaring at him.


    The old mage looked at her with a clearly fake look of surprise. My girlfriend sighed and said:


    ?Your stupid rules, the ones you pretend to care about. He was alone in a room, there was no way for anyone to challenge him to a duel, which means someone killed him outside of one, breaking the rules. So what are you going to do? Are you going to tell us to find the culprit like last time??


    Sophia was right. This time, there was no way for Skylark to avoid his responsibility to uphold the rules and still maintain his stupid, holier-than-thou attitude about fairness. Unlike Chloe''s first murder, there was no way for him to get away with saying that Sam could''ve died in a regular duel. But I could tell from his expression that Skylark had something up his sleeve.


    ?Absolutely not, Miss Thornton. Believe me, if I could, I would definitely punish the culprit,? he replied without losing his usual composure.


    ?What do you mean, if you could? You mean you don''t know who it is? You are obviously monitoring us during these awful tests of yours!? I snapped.


    Of course, it wouldn''t have been possible to cover the whole school with a continuous clairvoyance spell, especially with all the barriers that were usually in place. But I knew for sure that he was, at least, keeping an eye on us during his trials. After all, during his visit in the infirmary, he had revealed to me that he knew what had happened in the dungeon.


    Skylark scoffed theatrically:


    ?Of course I know who the culprit is, like I said I take the rules very seriously,? he said just to pause a little, obviously preparing to drop some kind of bombshell on us, ?but I can''t punish them... because they''re already dead.?


    "UH?!"


    I saw Celeste turn towards Jen''s lifeless body. Of course, that was the first person you would think of. Another possibility was one of our other companions or Jonathan, who were not in the room at the moment. But there was one last possibility... the most horrible and awful one.


    "No... why?!" I thought, looking into Skylark''s icy blue eyes, narrowed with malice.


    ?It was a suicide. Sam Rover blew his own neck off right at the end of the game. Poor guy, the tension of waiting for his execution must have got to him and made him snap.?


    ?NO!?


    I was not the only one who had shouted that two letter word. Andrea looked at Skylark with an expression of pure hatred. Celeste grabbed her shoulders just in time to stop her from throwing herself at Skylark:


    ?HOW DARE YOU!? she screamed, trying to free herself, ?HOW DARE YOU INSULT HIM LIKE THAT!?


    I stepped in front of her, intending to protect her in case Skylark tried to attack in retaliation:


    ?Sam would never have done that. He was one of the bravest people I have ever known. He put his life on the line for his friends, knowing full well what that meant. He faced death with a smile. Are you telling me that he would go mad right at the end, after everything he endured in life? Don''t fuck with me! I know how despicable you are, but at least this time shut your fucking mouth!!? I shouted, pointing my wand at him.


    Skylark didn''t seem to be shaken by my outburst. He reached out with his wrinkly hand and used it to lower my wand.


    "Bastard..."


    The old man knew I wouldn''t risk attacking him.


    ?Now now, Miss Belvoir, I thought I made it clear that I would only be honest with you,? he said with a sigh.


    Then he snapped his fingers, startling us all. This time, however, there was no light coming down from the ceiling to reduce any of us to ashes. Instead, 4 small birds suddenly appeared in the air.


    "Familiars?"


    The birds began to spin, forming a circle in the air. In the centre, a silvery substance started to form, expanding until it formed a square, almost like a portrait hanging in the sky of the courtyard.


    ?What are you...??


    But I didn''t get to finish my sentence. An image had appeared in that square. An image showing a bird''s eye view of what was clearly the magic training room. And Sam was there.


    The boy was standing still. He was looking at his hands, as if he was thinking deeply about something.


    And then it happened.


    He pulled out his wand and pointed it at his neck and...


    "No..."


    ?Don''t look!? Celeste screamed, trying to cover Andrea''s eyes. But it was too late. With a splatter of blood, Sam fell to the ground, obviously lifeless.


    Screams of despair echoed through the courtyard as the magical portrait disappeared. I couldn''t even open my mouth. It was too much.


    "This... it can''t be... it must be an illusion..."


    But something inside me told me clearly that it wasn''t. The Academy was, after all, an endless pit of despair. No matter what, we''d keep falling down into it, sinking deeper and deeper each time.


    But just as I was about to succumb to hopelessness like everyone else, a clear voice spoke in my ear.


    ?Don''t believe him, Elizabeth. Remember who Sam was.?


    Sophia''s words were a ray of sunlight in a storm-tossed sky.


    "Of course... even if he shows me this shit... I still can''t believe Sam would do such a thing! He was dying anyway! Why would he kill himself and ruin his own plan?"


    ?This doesn''t prove anything!? I shouted, clenching my fists.


    ?Miss Belvoir... I just showed you what happened, are you saying I''m trying to trick you with an illusion?? Skylark asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ?I don''t know how you did it! But Sam would never have killed himself. He was a true hero, one who never wavered. Right, Andrea?? I said, turning around.


    I saw the blonde''s eyes widen in surprise. For what I had just said clashed with the clear images we had just seen. It had no basis in reality, it was, as usual, one of my idealistic rants. But if this was our reality, one in which Sam''s inspiring efforts were meaningless... I was going to reject it, even if I had to throw away reason.


    ?...That''s right!?


    Andrea nodded and freed herself from Celeste''s grip to take a step towards Skylark.


    ?Even if you show us this stuff, I still don''t believe you!? she yelled.


    Skylark scoffed and shook his head:


    ?Looks like Miss Belvoir''s irrational behaviour really is contagious. Well, you can delude yourself if you want. But this is the school''s official stance, and as such I''ll consider the situation resolved.?


    With that he turned to leave, but before he did I was sure I saw a glint of irritation in his usually haughty face.


    After the professor left the courtyard, a tense silence fell between us. Even with my intervention, it was clear that we were all clearly shaken by what we had seen. I wanted to say something to Andrea and her friends, after all I had promised Sam I would do my best for them. But before I could, an iron grip closed around my wrist and I was suddenly dragged towards the exit.


    ?Sophia, what-??


    ?We''ll be back soon!? she announced to a confused Celeste.


    Once we were out of the door, my lips were suddenly closed with a kiss.


    ?MPH?!?


    "Did Sophia drag me here just to make out after everything that happened?!" I thought, trying my best not to lose myself in that sweet kiss.


    But when my girlfriend pulled away, I saw that her eyes were moist.


    ?You... were fantastic, Elizabeth! Skylark was clearly trying to destroy everyone''s morale, but you showed him!? she exclaimed, taking my hands in hers.


    ?It''s all thanks to you... you were amazing as always,? I murmured in reply.


    ?And that''s because you''re by my side!? she said, stroking my cheek.


    "I guess... I was right. We are each other''s strength after all."


    ?But... what now? I know what I said, but I really don''t think that Skylark showed us some fake images back there,?I asked.


    Sophia nodded:


    ?I think so too... but that scene doesn''t prove that Sam actually killed himself!?


    ?What do you mean?? I asked, confused.


    ?Even if it is technically a suicide... maybe Sam didn''t kill himself of his own free will!?


    "...!"


    ?You mean an innate power made him do it!?


    Sophia looked at me worriedly:


    ?I don''t see any other alternative. Of course, there is the possibility that Sam had a side to him that we didn''t know about because we barely knew him, and that he cracked under pressure and behaved irrationally. But... it''s just like you said, I really want to believe he was the hero you said he was. Andrea seems to think so too,? she said with a sad smile.


    ?Sophia...?


    I hugged her tightly. But when I looked at her face, I saw that her expression had only darkened.


    ?Elizabeth, I can''t shake the feeling that this whole game has been set up just to punish us for what we did this morning.?


    ?...you''re right...?


    We had finally found a lead to get out of here. But now the time we had to find a way to activate the magic seal had been cut to a mere four days by Jen''s death and Penny slipping to last place."


    ?It... seems a bit too convenient,? I said slowly.


    ?Right? This outcome is so bleak, it feels like Skylark just decided it had to be this way. Of all the 14 people, Jen dying is the one that puts the most pressure on us,? Sophia said, biting her nails.


    "Between all 14 of us... wait, that''s not right!"


    ?Sophia! How could I not have thought of this before!?? I exclaimed.


    She looked at me confused.


    ?What are you talking about??


    ?Remember what Skylark said? The curse could have gone to anyone who''d been in contact with it before. But... that means that Celeste and I would have risked dying!?


    Sophia''s eyes lit up and she exclaimed!


    ?Skylark definitely doesn''t want that!?


    Both Celeste and I were someone Skylark wouldn''t want to kill by accident. We were too valuable a plaything for him.


    ?So... maybe he made the traitor kill Sam with their innate power and when the curse was about to be passed on to someone, he directed it at Jen... but I guess that would mean he lied to us...?


    Was I really going to believe that shitty, perverse old man? I didn''t want to, but all the evidence bizarrely pointed to Skylark really being true to his mantra of always telling the truth.


    But Sophia didn''t seem to share my hesitation, he jumped and grabbed my hands again:


    ?You''re a genius, Elizabeth!?


    ?Huh?!?


    ?Remember what he said: ''What Miss Thornton got wrong is the term randomly.'' And then he just said that the curse could only pass to someone who came into contact with it, he never said that in that case the choice would be random!?


    ?FUCK! You''re right!?


    "Crafty old bastard..."


    But there was something else that didn''t fit into this theory of ours.


    ?But, if his plan was to do all this to kill Jen and put us on the timer while covering his tracks, that means he had to find a way to make sure Jen got the curse... so why didn''t he just give it to her in the beginning??


    Sophia was silent for a second, but then said slowly:


    ?Maybe... because he had another way of making sure she got it! One that would still give us the curse at the beginning and cause us all those moral dilemmas!?


    "A way...!"


    ?Jonathan!? I exclaimed.


    ?That''s right. He''s the one who suggested to Sam that Jen should hold the curse during the duel, remember? He got the Demon card, which gave him some bargaining power. He also realised that he could hide his card, even though he didn''t seem as clever as someone like Celeste!?


    ?And since he wasn''t in either group, he would have less scruples about working against us!? I concluded for her.


    We exchanged a sign of agreement, and we both started running towards the west wing.


    ?Do you think... he''s the one who made Sam kill himself?? I asked, panting a little.


    ?It could be... maybe he has some kind of mind control power! We should be careful. But... Elizabeth... what if there are multiple traitors? What if Jonathan just paved the way for the mole in our alliance to act?? Sophia asked as we darted through the entrance hall.


    I could only remain silent at this question. Until now, we had assumed that there was only one student working with Skylark. I had never considered the possibility that there might be two.


    "But if that''s the case... we''ll just get Jonathan to sing for us," I thought, clutching mywand with such force that it hurt.


    When we reached the west wing, we started looking at the room plaques to find his name.


    It was like walking through a graveyard as we passed the bedrooms of so many dead people. It only took us about three minutes to find his.


    Jonathan Von Basque


    The door was closed, and when I tried to put my hand on the handle, I found that the magical defences had been reactivated after the end of the game. But of course that wouldn''t stop us.


    I readied my wand as Sophia unsheathed her sword. In a flash, she sliced through the door''s hinges and gave it a kick. As the door fell forward, I half expected Jonathan to scream in horror and fire a spell at us, but after it slammed to the floor with a huge BAM, the room remained silent.


    ?Jonathan, we know you''re in there, come out!? I shouted, pointing my wand at the dark entrance of the room.


    No response. Suddenly, a terrible sense of foreboding gripped me.


    ?Light,? I murmured.


    A little ball of flame lit up in front of my wand and floated into Jonathan''s room.


    That''s when we saw him.


    Jonathan Von Basque was hanging from the ceiling. When the light shone on his face, we saw that it had turned a shade of purple, and his eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.


    My mouth opened in a silent scream as I realised that the man I''d thought would give us some answers would never speak again.

 76. Best friends

    This day had undoubtedly been the worst since Amy''s death.


    The small glimmer of hope that Celeste and I had found during our mission on the upper floor had been buried by a seemingly never-ending series of terrible events. The death of a new-found friend, and finding the only person who might have shed some light on it in that macabre state, had only been the beginning.


    Even if I managed to survive to the end of this game, I was never going to forget the look in Penny''s eyes when she found out what happened. I knew how brave she could be. In both her words and her actions, she had shown me that she was willing to put her life on the line for the things she believed in. But to suddenly be told that she''d likely be executed in four days would have been too much for anyone. Human life wasn''t supposed to be so cheap. Even criminals had the right to a trial, even if it was a summary one. But I had long understood that from the moment we had walked through the gates of that cursed academy, we had ceased to be regarded as human. We were just cattle, to be taken to the back of the pen and slaughtered, not even to be served as dinner, but just for the amusement of our captors. So, in the face of her despair, I had not been able to find the words to give her some comfort.


    But I wanted to find them.


    Because I was not going to give up.


    Even if a veil of hopelessness had fallen over our alliance, I was going to do my best to keep fighting against this predetermined fate. And I could do it because she was by my side. If all my other friends had looked like they were about to give up after the events of this morning, despite Celeste''s best efforts to keep their spirits up, my girlfriend was still unyielding. And I would be no less. I owed her for all she had done for me.


    ?Are you sure you want to do this today?? Sophia gave me a worried look as we walked through the corridors of the school, ?You really should go rest.?


    ?I''m fine... no actually I''m completely exhausted,? I replied, giving her a tired smile as I squeezed her hand, ?but we''re running out of time, Sophia. Every second we have until Sunday is precious.?


    Sophia nodded, but still looked concerned. I put an arm around her waist and pressed my body against hers, trying to make her feel my presence:


    ?I''m here Sophia, I''m not going to disappear all of a sudden!?


    ?I know... but are you sure you want to talk to Celeste about it?? she asked, leaning her head on my shoulder.


    ?Yes. I think after what happened today we owe it to her. She almost got herself killed for me and took the 1000 point penalty for everyone. Don''t tell me you still don''t trust her after all this time??


    ?I do... I think she''s the only person I trust here apart from you. It''s just... I really don''t want you to use that power anymore, Elizabeth. I''d rather we pretend it doesn''t exist,? Sophia looked at me with a mixture of fear and sadness in her sharp green eyes.


    ?I told you, I''ll only use it if it''s necessary to survive. And at this rate... that may happen very soon. That''s why I want Celeste to know, she''s the smartest person I can count on aside from you. If we all put our heads together, we might find a way to use my power to escape! Maybe it could even help us activate the damn magic circle, for all I know!?


    ?But if you...?


    ?If I have to use all my mana to escape, so be it! I''ll just keep a tiny bit to stay alive! I won''t need any more magic anyway, because I''ll always have you to protect me!? I exclaimed, trying to sound cheerful.


    I never thought I''d ever say these words. Magic had been everything to me in the past. It was the reason I had tried to follow in Aldric''s footsteps in the first place. But now... things had changed. I was going to devote every single part of me to making this odd girl next to me happy. For this goal, I would have given up even my greatest passion without hesitation.


    ?I won''t let you...? Sophia murmured, refusing to accept my determination, ?I think I told you something like this a while ago, when we weren''t even dating... if everything fails and we get to a point where you''re forced to use that power to save us... I''ll cut through anything that stands in our way.?


    ?I''ll take you up on that!? I chuckled, ?but I won''t be any less! As I said the first time we almost kissed, I''m going to show you a spell you can''t cut through! Perhaps it will be the one that will incinerate Skylark''s bum.?


    Sophia looked at me with a puzzled expression. After a few seconds I saw her blush in the light of the torches illuminating the corridor:


    ?What do you mean, almost kissed? Is that why you pinned me to the bed??


    ?You were so pure then!?


    ?I am still pure!?


    ?The marks you left on my wrists the last time we did it say otherwise!? I giggled.


    Sophia looked at me in disbelief:


    ?You told me you wanted me to...?


    What I had asked her to do seemed to be too much for Sophia to put into words as she remained silent with her mouth open.


    ?I did, I did, relax! I''m just messing with you!?


    ?Idiot... this is what I get for going along with your kinks!?


    Sophia glared at me before her expression softened into a smile:


    ?You''re impossible,? she sighed, shaking her head, ?you don''t stop teasing me even in a situation like this.?


    This time I was the one who leaned against her, resting my head on her shoulder:


    ?I have to... I have to be like this with you or I think I''ll lose my mind...?


    Joking with her... it was like taking a breath of air after being submerged in an ocean. A glimmer of normalcy in a world that no longer made sense.


    "And I''ll fight to be able to stay afloat forever."


    We had reached our destination. I knocked on Celeste''s door. After asking us who we were, our friend quickly opened it and revealed the sorry state she was in. Judging by her swollen eyes and smudged make-up, it was clear that, after shedding the mask of leader she had used to try to cheer up the others, she had let out her own grief about the situation in the solitude of her room.


    So when she began to ask:


    ?What are you two doing he-??


    I didn''t let her finish and leapt forward to hug her tightly.


    ?Liz, what the...?!?


    ?It''s okay Celeste, I told you yesterday... you deserve a break too sometimes,? I replied, stroking her hair.


    ?But she''s here now!? Celeste hissed, probably looking worriedly at Sophia over my shoulder.


    Releasing her, I turned to see my girlfriend giving her a strange, conflicted look.


    "Is she seriously mad about this?"


    I knew how jealous Sophia could be. But it was clear that Celeste needed someone to give her a shoulder to cry on. But to my surprise, when Celeste looked as if she was going to apologise, Sophia took a step forward. Both my eyes and Celeste''s widened as my girlfriend hugged her.


    ?Sophie, what-?!?


    ?Shut up, you idiot,? Sophia muttered.


    That was probably the first sign of affection I''d ever seen her show for someone who wasn''t me. Maybe it was because she wasn''t expecting it, or maybe it was because these two had become so much closer, but it was enough to break Celeste''s composure in a way I had never managed myself.


    ?Sophie...? Celeste whimpered, gripping Sophia''s shirt tightly before she began to cry her eyes out.


    ?I know... you did your best Celeste, as always,? Sophia said calmly as she patted her back.


    ?But it was useless... everyone''s panicking... even Phil looked like he doesn''t know what to do. And I don''t either! We are so fucked! How are we going to save Penny!?? she sobbed.


    "To think she talked about her like she didn''t care back then..."


    Perhaps Celeste was the most dishonest person with her feelings between us. On the spur of the moment I joined their embrace, squeezing them both in my arms.


    ?Too... tight, Elizabeth!? Sophia complained.


    ?It''s all right! We''ll find a way out of this, together!?


    As I held the two girls close to me, I couldn''t help but feel an uncomfortable sensation rising inside me. Sophia had found someone she could rely on outside of me. A special person who could be counted on in a different way than a lover: a best friend. But it wasn''t jealousy that brooded in my chest. It was the pain of knowing that I would never be able to hug my own special person ever again.


    "But I''ll do everything I can to make sure Sophia never has to feel this pain," I thought as I released them from my grasp.


    ?I swear... you two are impossible,? Celeste commented, wiping away her tears with the back of her sleeve, ?you are going to make me give up all my dignity.?


    ?Oh, such a tragic loss!? Sophia replied sarcastically.


    ?Now I recognise you...? Celeste sighed, but then she gave us a tentative smile, ?so, to what do I owe this late-night visit??


    ?I wanted to talk to you, Celeste. About what we discovered on the third floor and something else... It''s important, but if you''re tired we can do it tomorrow.?


    ?We have no time to lose!? Celeste replied, motioning for us to get in her room, ?if you''re coming here after all the fighting you did, there''s no way I won''t hear what you have to say!?


    She quickly heated her kettle to make some tea as Sophia and I sat down at her table.


    ?Drinking tea at this hour is not a good idea!?


    ?Do you want me to fall asleep while you talk? Besides... this almost feels like a sleepover! I wished I had some cookies to offer you,? Celeste giggled, ?although I feel like my purity would disappear if I spent a night in a room with you two.?


    ?You did that yesterday and nothing happened!? Sophia exclaimed.


    ?Oh that''s true... is that why you sneaked out as soon as it was morning?? Celeste asked with a cheeky look on her face.


    ?We just needed to talk privately, that''s all,? Sophia replied looking away, making me laugh as I remembered how she had pinned me to the bed.


    But the lighthearted atmosphere quickly dissipated as Celeste placed a steaming cup of tea in front of me and asked, turning serious:


    ?So, am I about to hear how you defeated Sam and how you managed to triplecast??


    After receiving a final nod from Sophia, I began to tell her everything, from what had really happened in the dungeon, to Skylark''s revelations about my power, and finally how I managed to control it to get out of Sam''s dark abyss. Celeste''s expression changed from stunned to bewildered as I went on. By the end she was speechless, her mouth hanging open.


    ?This... is a lot to take in,? she finally managed to say.


    ?I know... it''s hard to believe that the mana we have inside us can be so terrifying,? I commented.


    ?But it all makes so much sense... all those horrible experiments we read about, the state Aldric is in... of course they want to exploit this insane power they discovered. If they could replicate it, they could create an invincible army or something!?


    ?But why?? asked Sophia, ?With no Demon King around, our kingdom is peaceful. When I was in the army, I hardly ever had to unsheathe my sword.?


    ?You were in what?? asked Celeste, dumbfounded.


    ?It''s a long story,? Sophia and I replied in unison.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ?What are you going to tell me next? That Liz is actually the King in a wig?? Celeste sighed, ?but don''t be naive, Sophia. Nobility will always try to gain more power, even if there''s no real reason to do so... I can just imagine that fatty of a King bragging about his invincible army of laser-shooting soldiers,? she added in a grave tone.


    Then she turned to me and gave me the same worried look that Sophia had shown me before:


    ?Are you sure you are all right, Liz? If this power is draining your mana like you said... it''s like you''re losing your life bit by bit.?


    ?I''m fine, I''m fine,? I replied, ?I don''t feel any different than usual, that''s why... now that we''re cornered like this, I want you to think if we could use my power to get out of here.?


    Celeste looked me straight in the eye.  I could feel the conflict boiling inside her. The part of her that was our ruthless leader was probably thinking of a way to squeeze every last bit of life out of me in order to save everyone. But of course, the real Celeste, the one who considered me a dear friend, wouldn''t let that happen so easily. It took her a few minutes to come up with an answer. She shook her head and said:


    ?I''m on Sophia''s side, Liz. I don''t think you should use this power anymore.?


    ?But-?


    ?I know, but I''m not just saying this because I don''t want you to disappear on us,? she cut me off with a smile, ?remember, Skylark is the one who explained the true nature of your power to you. Do you think he would have done that if he thought it would allow us to escape? No... I think he told you exactly so that you would use it and destroy yourself with it. He wants to put pressure on you. As we now know, mana and secret abilities all come from mental stress. He probably wants to manipulate you into becoming the new Aldric to win some kind of bet he made with his shitty allies.?


    Celeste put into words many of the doubts that had been circulating in my head.


    ?But still... maybe he underestimated it. Maybe there''s something he hasn''t thought of.?


    ?Do you have a death wish, Liz?? Celeste sighed, looking at Sophia''s worried face.


    ?Look, I know you want to help us, but you shouldn''t do anything rash. It''s true, this power could be our trump card to get out of here, but as things stand, I can''t think of a way to use it. Even if you could use it to break through the school''s barriers, the countermeasures would still be activated and would probably reduce us to ashes.  Assuming that doesn''t happen and we survive, we''ll have Aldric on our heels. Do you think you can defeat him in a fight, even with this power??


    All I could do was shake my head. I didn''t know if even my mana release would have been enough to pierce Aldric''s seemingly invulnerable body. And even if it was, he still had an overwhelming advantage in raw power and speed. If I''d stood my ground instead of running away like the last time we met, he would have incinerated me in a second while dodging everything I threw at him.


    ?The only other thing we could use your power for is to kill Skylark. But the fact that he laughed in your face when you threatened him... makes me think that somehow it won''t work. Damn, I wonder what the old man has up his sleeve. Hopefully Sophie can pierce it, whatever it is...?


    ?So...?


    ?So just keep this power as our little secret. I won''t tell anyone, not even Phil. If we are completely backed up against the wall and almost dying, you have my permission to just reduce everything to ashes. Let''s not give that fucker any satisfaction.?


    Celeste gave me a little slap on the cheek. I saw Sophia give her a grateful smile out of the corner of my eye. I couldn''t help but feel a little reassured by her words. This was why she was our leader. Even after showing us her moment of weakness, she was still able to calm us with her words. But Sophia quickly brought me back down to earth:


    ?We should proceed as we decided at our last meeting. We need to find a way to activate the magic circle you found on the third floor.?


    Celeste nodded and commented in a sombre tone:


    ?If only we didn''t have only four days...?


    ?Are you going to tell the others about it tomorrow?? I asked.


    Celeste bit her thumb nail and replied:


    ?I don''t know Liz... I think we have to tell Phil at least. You know he''s good at making plans, even if they can be a bit unpleasant. As for the others... you''ve seen how their morale is... I think it''s better if we don''t give them false hopes. Of course, I''d take all the help we can get, but there''s something else we can''t ignore.?


    ?The traitor,? Sophia stated.


    ?That''s right. There are no doubts now. Unless we want to believe that Jonathan just killed himself out of guilt. It''s clear that there''s a person working against us from within.?


    ?But who?? I asked, still unable to accept that one of my companions would be capable of putting Penny''s life at risk.


    ?I don''t know,? Celeste said, looking at me equally distraught, ?as I said yesterday morning, I thought Nicole was the most suspicious. But seeing how she reacted to Penny being in danger... can she really be such a good actress? But Wilhelm also seems very sincere. And of course... it can''t be Penny. So... maybe someone from the other group!?


    ?Aren''t you forgetting someone?? asked Sophia suddenly.


    Celeste looked at her confusedly before realising what she was getting at:


    ?Phil!? No way. I know he and Liz have clashed a lot lately, but don''t judge him too harshly... he''s doing his best to get us out of here in his own way. He looks pretty unemotional, but you saw how worried he was about Liz when she was about to fight Sam. And he would never put me in danger. He even offered to take the Demon card for me while you two went to the infirmary!?


    I saw that Sophia didn''t look very convinced by her defence. As for me...


    "Celeste is right, he would never do anything to put her in danger... but what about us?"


    His concern for me could have been fake. It wasn''t as strong an emotion as the despair I''d seen on Nicole''s face.


    ?But I also have another piece of evidence!? Celeste said, realising that we were both still on the fence.


    ?What do you mean??


    ?The power of the traitor! I told you, he and I pretty much grew up together, I would''ve known if people around him suddenly started dying by suicide. So that means: if he has this secret suicide power, he''d have to develop it in here. But when you think about it, no one has ever died by suicide at the Academy!? Celeste replied, nervously tapping her fingers on the table.


    "That''s right... I''ve never heard of anyone killing themselves in here."


    ?Aren''t we assuming too much about this power?? Sophia objected.


    ?What do you mean?? Celeste asked, confused.


    ?Think about it: if someone could just make us all hang ourselves in our rooms, they could end the game right now and get out of here. Why go along with Skylark''s plans? They could just kill him as well!?


    ?...but we clearly saw Sam... you know.?


    ?That''s true... but maybe their ability is something else. I still don''t understand why we should trust Skylark''s word so easily! For all we know, he could''ve shown us an illusion. Perhaps the traitor used some other remote method to kill Sam. Then, while we were in the courtyard, they went to Jonathan''s room, tied him up with a binding spell and hanged him to make it look like suicide.?


    "That could be the case!"


    In fact, it was probably the best case scenario. Having someone around who could make us commit suicide on a whim was a frightening thought. Even if we could find out who they were and expose them, how could we fight what was pretty much a psychic ability?


    Celeste took a second to find a rebuttal.


    ?Maybe their power really is what we thought, and if they''re not abusing it, it''s because they''ve been working with Skylark from the start. They''re not real students, so they don''t care about winning, they just want to make life difficult for us. And if that''s the case, I can vouch for the fact that Philemon and I have never seen Skylark before coming here,? she said animatedly.


    Despite the fact that she had always been rather dismissive of their relationship, Celeste was really going out of her way to defend her childhood friend''s honour.


    Sophia seemed to realise this too and said:


    ?It''s not that I suspect him, Celeste. I''m just saying we need to consider all options.?


    These words seemed to calm her.


    ?You''re right. I am sorry! I know I shouldn''t let my feelings get in the way of these things. But I really don''t think Philemon would betray us. He has an even stronger sense of justice than Whilelm, I know him very well. But I''ll keep an eye on him, just to be sure. I''ll only ask his ideas in a roundabout way and make sure he doesn''t know everything we''re up to, if that makes you feel safer,? she added with a smile.?


    ?That''s fine, thank you,? Sophia nodded, satisfied with her suggestion, then continued, ?anyway, the existence of the traitor is now a certainty so, like you said, we need to be careful and make sure that everyone else, not just Philemon, doesn''t realise what we''re going to do. Of course we''ll have to tell the others about our plan... but not until it''s all set in stone and we are ready to go.?


    Both Celeste and I nodded.


    ?We have to find a way to activate the magic circle between the three of us and make our escape before the end of Sunday.? I said.


    ?Don''t forget the part about finding a way to get Skylark out of our way,? Celeste added.


    ?Leave that bit to me,? Sophia said, ?I''ll think about it while you magic nerds deal with the circle.?


    ?Gotcha,? Celeste agreed, then pointed to the pile of grimoires in the corner of her room, ?you''d better get some sleep, Liz, because you and I are going to be digging into those bad boys tomorrow. We''ll look for something to help us find the twin circle deep underground. No rest allowed!?


    Seeing her so pumped up also filled my heart with a burning sensation. I stood up and yelled:


    ?Let''s fucking do this!?


    Then I turned to Sophia and said:


    ?Sophia, I''m going to see Penny! The door of our room should be open, so feel free to  go to bed if I don''t come back soon.?


    ?I''ll wait for you,? she said with a smile.


    Celeste had one on her face too.


    ?Thank you, Elizabeth,? she said simply, ?thank you for trusting me. And thank you for always lifting my spirits when I falter. Even if it''s in this hellhole, I''m glad I got to know you. I love you... as a friend!? she added with a smile as Sophia looked at her.


    ?I don''t know about the loving part... but the same goes for me! Now stop with the tea and get to bed so I don''t have to do all the work tomorrow!? I giggled and headed for the door.


    ?Are you kidding me? I''m going to take this opportunity to interrogate Sophie about what you two did this morning!?


    As I closed the door behind me, I laughed as I heard the two of them start to argue again.


    I started to run. I had found a ray of hope thanks to these couple of menaces  and now I had to bring it to the person who needed it most.


    <hr>


    It only took a second for Penny to open her door after I had knocked on it. Of course, there was no way she was going to fall asleep tonight. Looking at her face, even through her faltering smile, I could tell she was scared to death. For the second time that night, I moved forward to take her in a hug.


    ?Liz...?


    ?I''m sorry, Penny... I couldn''t face you properly before... it was all so scary. But I''m here now, I''m here for you!?


    Penny''s body shook in my arms before she let go and leaned against me.


    ?Thank you,? she murmured before she began to cry in silence.


    She really was so strong. When I had been the one to face death in the past, I had gone completely crazy. But she carried herself with a dignity that I''d never have been able to match.


    "I''ll always be ashamed of myself for how I looked down on others... Penny, Amy, Sam... I''ve met so many incredible people who, even if they didn''t have my magic power, dwarfed me in courage."


    I kicked the door shut behind me with my heel as I led Penny to her bed. As we sat side by side, I helped her wipe away her tears with my handkerchief.


    ?I''m sorry, Penny. I should''ve got here sooner!?


    ?It''s okay... you know, I heard about this stuff while I was studying medicine. When people are dying, a lot of friends just can''t bring themselves to visit them.?


    ?Penny!?


    Hearing her say those terrible depressing words made my heart ache even more.


    ?I''m here, I won''t leave you alone! And I''ll fight... I told you the first time we spoke, I know I''m not strong enough to make promises. But I... no, we''ll fight to protect you!?


    ?Liz...?


    I could tell she wasn''t convinced by my words, but she was still grateful to hear them. I pulled her close to me:


    ?I''m serious, Penny. Celeste and I are going to try to find a way out of here before Sunday. In the meantime, I''ll talk to Nicole and get her to keep you company, okay? She''s in shock right now, but you know how much she cares for you! She''ll come out of her room tomorrow and she''ll come and see you! I''m sure of it!?


    Penny''s eyes filled with tears again.


    ?Liz, I''m sorry...?


    ?Sorry for what??


    ?I was so hard on you back then... I said so many nasty things about you not caring about me and trying to be a hero just to feel good about yourself.?


    I patted her head, ruffling her neatly styled hair:


    ?Idiot. Your words helped me a lot, you know? ''Some things are worth more than being alive,'' wasn''t that what you said last time? Your words and Sophia''s support, they helped me get over my slump. If I''m not cowering in my room right now, it''s also thanks to you!?


    There was a moment of silence as Penny looked down at her knees. Then she said in a quiet voice.


    ?I''ve changed too, thanks to you.?


    ?What??


    Penny hugged me again, much tighter than before:


    ?I-I... before, my life was so boring... always trying to chase after influential nobles like I was taught, keeping up appearances and trying to act like someone I wasn''t. But t-thanks to you, Nicole and the others... Now I know what it means to live a worthwhile life. To have friends... to have fun with them. So... now... I DON''T WANT TO DIE!?


    This mournful cry was the signal that her composure had broken. As her cries filled my ears, I bit my lip as I held her in my arms and patted her back. I couldn''t cry as well. As Penny had said, I had changed her. The pain I had created for her, I would endure. The girl who had once taught me that it wasn''t wrong to die for what you believed in was now clinging to me, terrified at the thought of losing her life. Was it a contradiction? Maybe. But it was okay.


    "Human beings are full of contradictions... and that''s what we are, human beings. Not cattle. And before I take my last breath, I''m going to make sure Skylark understands that," I thought, clenching my fists.


    It took a few minutes for Penny to calm down.


    ?I''m sorry...? she murmured again.


    ?It''s okay, I told you, I''m here for you.?


    ?Thank you... can we stay like this for a while??


    ?As long as you need.?


    We held each other in silence for a long time before Penny whispered.


    ?Do you remember what you told me last time? About how you wished Duelcrest was a normal school??


    ?Yeah... I think about that all the time. As much as I hate this place... I met Sophia here. And Celeste and you! It could have been the best part of my life.?


    ?I get it now... last time I thought you were a bit crazy to think even a little bit fondly of this place, but now... these last few weeks have been the most fun I have ever had in my life, Liz,? Penny pulled away from the hug to give me a big, sad smile, ?Thank you for being my first friend Liz.?


    ?Stop talking like a dying woman!? I shouted, giving her a little slap on the head, ?We''re going to have a lot of fun until Sunday and... even after! You told me I look cool with a wand in my hand, so I can''t lose!?


    Finally, Penny gave me a little giggle:


    ?I hope I get another chance to see you in Celeste''s dress though.?


    ?You little... argh fine!? I sighed jokingly, ?I''ll wear it when I kick Skylark''s butt!?


    ?I really want to see that!? Penny laughed.


    I looked at her with a mixture of affection and concern.


    "I can''t let this little asshole die on me!"


    I stayed with her as she got ready for bed. As I turned off the light and made my way out of the room, I could feel the gratitude in her voice as she wished me good night.


    As I walked through the dark corridors of the school, I took a trip down memory lane. It hadn''t been long, but Penny, like the others, had become part of me. And I knew very well how painful it was to lose someone. For it to happen again... would I have become less of myself each time? The part where Penny''s teasing smile was burned into my brain... would it become another blank spot like the one Amy''s radiant existence had left behind?


    "I won''t let it happen... not again."


    When I reached my room, I found Sophia asleep on the bed, still in her uniform.


    "She fell asleep waiting for me..." I thought as my dark thoughts were instantly dispelled by the peaceful expression on her face.


    Without even getting out of my clothes, I cuddled up to her and covered us with the blanket.


    "We should take a shower together first thing in the morning."


    As the exhaustion of the day washed over me, I fell into a dreamless sleep.


    <hr>


    "This sucks."


    Even though I had been at the Academy for a while, I still wasn''t used to the sudden awakening of the magic bed I was sleeping in. Cursing the piece of furniture, I quickly showered before slipping into my uniform.


    "If I''m late, she''ll make fun of me again," I thought as I quickly adjusted my unruly hair in front of the mirror.


    As I hurriedly opened the door to my room, I immediately saw that she was already there, waiting for me.


    My best friend adjusted her glasses and gave me a kind smile:


    ?If this keeps up, I''m going to start having breakfast with you!? Amy exclaimed.

 77. A perfect life

    The dining hall was as busy as ever. Having so many people around me was still quite unnerving for a country bumpkin like me.


    "But that''s not the real reason, is it?"


    Amy, despite having grown up with me in our small town, was in her element. She smiled and greeted dozens of people as we navigated the crowded room, trays in hand, in search of our table.


    ?How do you remember so many names?? I asked.


    ?I could ask you the same thing about spells!? Amy chuckled.


    ?That''s... very different!?


    But maybe it wasn''t. Maybe if I''d stopped burying my nose in my grimoires, I could have made a lot of friends too. But I didn''t need to. I was more than happy with what I had.


    "Having Amy around has always been more than enough. And now... I have them too."


    I smiled as I saw Penny and Nicole waving at us from a small table near the right wall of the dining room. As Amy and I approached them, my redheaded friend exclaimed:


    ?I feel like you two are getting here later and later these days. By the end of the year we''ll only see you for lunch!?


    ?We''re sorry! We hit a roadblock on the way here!? Amy exclaimed as she sat down and winked at me.


    But if she was kind enough not to put me on the spot, the same couldn''t be said for Penny.


    ?Oh yes, a roadblock called Elizabeth. I swear all that mana she has in her just makes her slower than a normal person!? she said with a grin.


    ?Always lovely talking to you early in the morning. Maybe that''s why I have trouble waking up, because my body knows I''ll see your face when I get out of bed.?


    ?Lizzie! That''s mean!? Amy scolded me, clearly trying not to laugh.


    ?Yeah Lizzie, that''s really mean!? Penny echoed, feigning offence.


    ?Oh shut up! Besides, I told you, only Amy can call me that,? I sighed.


    But my lips had curled into a smile. By now, this kind of back and forth had become my new routine. I honestly never thought I would be able to enjoy this kind of life. Before I enrolled at Duelcrest Academy, I was a certified loner. And it was mostly my fault. My wall of arrogance and hot temper had kept everyone I knew away, apart from Amy. But here, for the first time, I had found other people who managed to accept me for who I was. It had also helped that being surrounded by so many incredible mages had softened my temper and made me a little more humble and approachable. Or at least that was the case when I wasn''t around Penny. This tiny girl had made it her life''s mission to annoy me, it seemed.


    ?I swear, if I didn''t know better, I''d think you two were dating. You always bicker like husband and wife!? Nicole teased us, giving Penny, who was sitting next to her, a little nudge with her elbow.


    ?Ah! Don''t stick the knife in my wounds, Nicole! You know my love for Liz is unrequited,? Penny exclaimed dramatically.


    ?Not this again!? I wailed.


    Amy giggled as she looked at my exasperated expression:


    ?It''s a good thing she''s not usually around for breakfast, otherwise we''d never make it to class on time!? she commented.


    ?Not you too...?


    ?But I would never have thought that she would be your type,? Nicole continued, ?cool and mysterious doesn''t really go with a hothead like you! I think that-?


    ?She''s not my type!? I shouted, pointing my fork at her like a weapon, ?I just... find her interesting, okay?! For example, did you see how she fights with her sword in training? She''s crazy!?


    ?That''s true!? Amy nodded, ?She looks super experienced for someone our age! But is that really all there is to it, Lizzie?? she asked with a cheeky expression.


    ?I don''t know what you-?


    But I couldn''t finish my sentence because I was suddenly attacked. A pair of cold hands went over my eyes and closed them.


    ?Liz Liz! Guess who it is?? a cheerful voice asked close to my ear.


    ?You shouldn''t use that horrible nickname if you actually want me to guess... or not do this every day!? I complained, grabbing her hands to free myself.


    Celeste Fitzroy took the empty seat to my right. Even though the dining hall was well lit, she almost seemed to radiate her own light. For the most popular girl in the school to come up to a nobody like me... this was also something I never thought would happen. But, strangely enough, it had become a common occurrence. The other three at my table greeted her politely:


    ?Good morning, Miss Fitzroy!?


    ?Oh, come on, just call me Celeste!? she replied, grabbing one of the toasts I hadn''t touched yet.


    ?Yeah, don''t give this girl any respect, she doesn''t deserve it!? I said, trying to get it back.


    ?You''re always so funny!? Celeste giggled, seemingly unaffected by my rudeness, ?Tea in my room this afternoon?? she asked then, her eyes sparkling.


    My irritation faded into a smile.


    ?Sure!? I replied.


    Even though she was a bit of a pain, I really liked this strange noble girl. She and I had talked by chance while we were both studying in the common room and we had hit it off immediately. As she was pretty much the queen of the school and one of the highest ranking nobles in the kingdom, I had expected her to be an egomaniac with a hatred for commoners, but that could not be further from the truth. Celeste Fitzroy was extremely approachable, perhaps too much so, and a huge magic nerd just like me.


    ?Great!? she exclaimed as she stood up, ?I''ve got a volume on fire magic you''ll definitely want to read!?


    ?Sounds great Celeste!?


    It was just an impression, but I had the feeling that, despite her popularity, this girl didn''t really have many close friends. In a way, that made hanging out with her a lot easier for me.


    ?See you later then! Have a nice breakfast, you three!?


    Celeste trotted back towards two tall guys who were waiting for her a little further away from our table. One of them, a student with square glasses and a calm demeanour, was rumoured to be her fianc¨¦. The muscular boy at his side was the hottest boy in the Academy, according to my classmates. I didn''t really care about such things.


    ?It should be illegal for such hot people to hang out together,? Penny commented as she watched them leave the room, ?is that why you spend so much time with her lately? Hoping to pick up some her good looks by osmosis??


    ?Are you jealous? Because I don''t think looks have anything to do with you not being as popular as me, Penny. It''s all about your shitty personality!? I retorted caustically.


    ?Calm down you two!? Nicole scolded us as she put her hand over Penny''s head to pat it, ?Don''t mind her, Liz, she''s just scared you''ll leave us to hang out with the popular kids! But don''t worry, Penny, nobody''s going to steal your precious Elizabeth!?


    I expected Penny to immediately deny this accusation. But to my surprise, she blushed and lowered her eyes.


    ?That''s not what...? she mumbled.


    I also lowered my eyes to my plate.


    ?I''m always going to hang out with you guys, no matter what. Celeste is fun, but I don''t want to be one of her groupies. Being in the spotlight would just be exhausting. And... I like spending time with you.?


    ?Is that so...? Penny commented, hiding behind her cup of coffee.


    Amy chuckled softly at this exchange:


    ?You two are really good friends, eh??


    ?We are not!" we shouted in unison, which only made her and Nicole laugh even more.


    ?But speaking of friends,? Amy said after regaining her composure, ?it was all the rage in the common room yesterday... apparently Celeste and your crush have been hitting it off lately. Duke Fitzroy''s daughter and the Ice Queen of the academy getting closer... that''s bound to cause quite a buzz!?


    ?I heard that too!? Nicole exclaimed, ?Some girls are already saying that they would look good together. You know, they''re kind of the opposite of each other. Like sun and moon!?


    For some reason I had a bad taste in my mouth listening to this gossip.


    ?Celeste has a fianc¨¦...? I muttered in annoyance.


    ?That''s true!? Nicole nodded, ?But that''s even better! A tormented noble escaping a imposed marriage to pursue a forbidden same-sex relationship! Frankly, it even makes my heart flutter a little!?


    "Is it true?"


    I really couldn''t see Celeste and that girl becoming friends, let alone lovers. Celeste could be a bit overbearing, while Thornton really looked like an unapproachable loner, always sitting at the back of the classroom and eating alone.


    "But maybe I''m assuming too much about her... just like I did with Celeste."


    As the worry bit at me, I felt a warm hand on mine. I lifted my eyes from my half empty cup of tea to meet Amy''s gentle gaze.


    ?It''s just silly gossip, Lizzie. But why don''t you try and talk to her, since you''re so interested? As they say first come first served!?


    "Easy for her to say..."


    ?Easy for me to say, is that what you are thinking?? Amy chuckled.


    As usual, she was eerily good at knowing what was going through my mind.


    ?Isn''t it true? I''m not good at making friends, you know that,? I murmured, looking away.


    ?And yet you also have these two here now! And Celeste! I bet you didn''t expect to get close to someone like her,? she said, poking me in the cheek.


    ?That''s true, but she...?


    Amy turned my head towards her with her finger:


    ?Don''t make things harder than they are! I''m sure Thornton is a very nice girl! Maybe she''s just shy like you! Don''t worry, your old Amy will create the perfect opportunity for you to talk!?


    I felt a shiver run down my spine. Once Amy made up her mind, there was no going back. And when she got angry, she was extremely scary.


    ?...I guess I have to accept my fate...? I sighed and let out a smile.


    ?Looks like you''re learning!? Amy chuckled, ?Better prepare yourself!?


    <hr>


    But as it turned out, there was not going to be time for me to do that.


    After rushing through the corridors of the school, we arrived at class only to find that our usual seats had already been taken.


    ?It''s all because you''re so slow!? Penny scolded me as we climbed the stairs of the classroom under the professor''s stern gaze.


    ?I''m sorry, okay?? I whispered.


    ?Look, there are some free seats there!? Nicole said.


    ?No, let''s go to the back!? Amy said, continuing up the stairs.


    "The back?"


    When she turned to give me a cheeky smile, I understood what she was getting at.


    "Amy... oh no!"


    My heart rate suddenly quickened.


    "Calm down Elizabeth! Stop acting like a little girl in love!"


    How could I feel this way when she and I hadn''t ever spoken?


    "It''s just because of the pressure they put on me... everything will be fine... She''s just a normal classmate like any other."


    ?Sorry, can we sit here??


    I lifted my eyes from the steps to meet the green ones of the girl Amy had just asked that question to. As I stared into those deep emerald pools, I felt my heart leap into my throat.


    "..."


    When Sophia Thornton gave me a slight smile, I immediately had the desire to curl up into a ball and hug my knees.


    "Why is she smiling like this?! I''ve never seen her do it before!"


    The Sophia Thornton I often stared at during meals was usually impassive, looking as if she was lost in her own little world. But there she was with a friendly expression on her face as she replied:


    ?Sure.?


    Adjusting her long, flowing raven hair, she stood up, clearing the way and allowing Amy to slide into the bench. I was about to follow her, looking at my shoes, when someone stepped in front of me.


    ?No you don''t!? Penny whispered, ?don''t chicken out!?


    As we still had the attention of the class, I had to stop myself from throwing her down the stairs. I had no choice but to let her and Nicole go ahead of me, so I was the last of our group to take my seat.


    As I did so, I could feel Sophia Thornton doing the same to my left. I could only hope that she couldn''t hear the noise of my heart pounding in my chest.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ?Now that everyone has taken their places, let''s begin the lesson,? the professor started, clearly impatient.


    But as he continued, my brain was too overwhelmed to even think about following the lesson.


    "Why is she so close to me?! There is plenty of space! Our thighs are touching!"


    I glanced at her tentatively. Sophia was looking ahead with the same gentle smile I had seen on her face before. Now that I thought about it, I had never had the opportunity to look at her from such a close distance.


    "She... is beautiful!"


    Her skin was fair, without any blemishes. Her lips were rosy and her nose was straight. Her hair was long and shiny, falling in soft curves over her shoulders. Her eyelashes were long and her eyes had a captivating sparkle in them. Her neck was slender and her...


    ?You''re really never going to lose your habit of staring, are you, Elizabeth??


    In a panic, I lifted my eyes to meet hers.


    "Crap! She caught me! Wait... what does she mean by ''my habit'', did she also see me staring at her during lunch?! Great! Now she''s going to think I''m a creep!"


    But to my relief, Sophia didn''t seem angry. And to my surprise, she even giggled. I had never imagined her to have such a girly laugh.


    "Is this what Sophia Thornton is really like?" I thought, losing myself in her extremely attractive face.


    ?And you''re still doing it!?


    I shook my head quickly to get myself out of the trance I seemed to have fallen into.


    ?I-I-I''m sorry! I''m just a bit nervous because we''ve never talked before! I''m-?


    ?Elizabeth Belvoir, I know,? she replied with a nod.


    ?Oh... right!?


    My eyes turned to the right wall of the classroom. On it, in glowing magic letters and numbers, was inscribed a leaderboard. It had been quite a surprise to find out about it on our first day at the Academy. Apparently it had been the old Headmaster''s idea to use it as an incentive for us to study more. By doing well in tests and winning duels against each other, we would accumulate points, and ,at the end of the school year, whoever came out on top would get a grand prize: a one-on-one lesson with Aldric, the most renowned mage in the kingdom. I had been a fan of his since childhood, so I had worked extra hard to climb the rankings and was now sitting comfortably at the top.


    "That''s probably why she knows my name."


    ?That''s not why I know your name.?


    "Huh?"


    ?You caught my eye for another reason,? Sophia explained as she looked me straight in the eye.


    ?W-what d-do you mean?? I stuttered, feeling myself blush.


    Sophia leaned in closer, making me freeze.


    ?It''s a secret,? she whispered super close to my ear.


    ?EEEK!? I screeched, jumping out of my seat.


    ?Miss Belvoir, this is a classroom, not a zoo!? The professor scolded me, making the whole class laugh at me.


    ?I-I''m sorry!? I yelled, sitting back down.


    To my left I heard Sophia''s crystal clear laugh again.


    "This girl... is nothing like I imagined."


    But that didn''t change the strange attraction I felt for her. If anything, that feeling was growing stronger now that I was here, sitting so close to her.


    "What''s happening to me?!" I thought.


    I had to stop myself from screaming again when Sophia''s hand brushed against mine as she turned the page of her book. But I still couldn''t hide the almost electric shock reaction I had, which made her laugh again.


    "This girl..."


    Alongside my nervousness, I could feel a kind of comfort in hearing that sound.


    ?Are you messing with me on purpose?? I found myself asking as I felt her shoulder touch mine.


    ?Me? I would never do something like that to someone I barely know!? Sophia replied, giving me an innocent look.


    ?Then why do you look like you want to sit on my lap??


    ?Well, you don''t look too unhappy about it,? she retorted, giving me a nudge.


    ?Are you usually so friendly with strangers? Then why are you always alone??


    It wasn''t like me to talk so intimately with someone I barely knew, but something about Sophia Thornton made me feel at ease, which made no sense considering the panic I''d been in less than ten minutes before.


    Sophia grinned and replied:


    ?This is a special treatment just for you.?


    ?...?


    "What is she on about?"


    Was she toying with me to get back at me for staring at her? Or maybe... she was leading me on, since it was very obvious that I was into her?


    "But... we are both girls!"


    Her smile didn''t look malicious though. In fact, it looked very much like Amy''s. A very kind one.


    ?Sophia... can I call you that?? I whispered.


    ?Of course, Elizabeth.?


    ?Can we talk this evening? Before dinner? There''s something I want to ask you.?


    I saw a gleam of surprise in her green eyes.


    ?Have you...? No... sure!? she replied, suddenly looking away.


    "What''s her problem?"


    But now I had done it. I had taken the initiative, just as Amy wanted. She had helped me get to this point, so I was going to make her proud of me!


    "Today... I''m going to ask Sophia Thornton to be my friend!"


    <hr>


    ?Are you an idiot or something??


    I''d forgotten why I didn''t like talking to Amy about my feelings. She really could become insufferable in the face of my ineptitude.


    ?So I finally manage to find my courage and this is how you treat me?? I complained as we both walked through the corridors of the west wing.


    I had just finished my tea party with Celeste and she had come to fetch me to go to the common room together. That was when I''d finally managed to tell her what had happened with Sophia. I hadn''t mentioned it during lunch or the afternoon lessons as I didn''t want Penny to tease me about it. I thought it would have been a good idea to talk to Amy about it and get some tips on how to deal with my hopefully soon-to-be friend. But to my dismay, Amy was now giving me a look that was somewhere between pity and irritation.


    ?Lizzie, you don''t have to ask people to be your friend! That''s what little kids do! You just hang out with them and boom, you are friends!?


    ?That''s how it works for you extroverts!? I blurted out, blushing furiously.


    ?Well, from what I''ve seen, Sophia looks pretty extroverted! You were super chummy during the lesson, I was kinda surprised!?


    ?Nosy.?


    ?It''s not my fault you were making a ruckus! I swear, if you weren''t the professor''s fave, he would have kicked you out of the classroom.?


    I really couldn''t argue with that. As Sophia had gotten closer and closer to me, I had found it very hard to keep quiet.


    ?What should I do then? Please teach me your ways, oh wise Amy!? I conceded with a sigh.


    ?Of course, my child!? she giggled, ?well, since you''re clearly into her, why don''t you just ask her out??


    I looked at her with my mouth hanging open.


    ?A-ask her out?! Are you out of your mind? We barely know each other and we''re both girls!?


    ?So you''re not denying that you like her,? Amy replied with a grin, ?is the fact that you''re both girls a problem? You never really struck me as someone who cared about social norms... and now that I think about it, I never heard you talk about any guys the way you do about her?


    ?I-I...?


    Was this really the reason why I had never been interested in the opposite sex? Was I what people called... a lesbian?


    ?This... this is going too fast for me!? I blurted out, ?I can''t just ask her to go out with me when I''m not even sure what I want!?


    ?Aaah Lizzie, Lizzie, you always make everything so difficult!? Amy said, reaching over to pat my head, ?we''re still in the prime of our youth Lizzie, with our whole lives ahead of us, what''s wrong with trying to date a girl? But if you don''t feel like it, don''t force yourself. You can just tell her that you liked sitting next to her today and would like to spend more time with her!?


    ?Was it so hard to tell me this from the beginning instead of making me question my sexuality?? I asked, grabbing her hand to get it off my hair, but as I did I squeezed it, ?Thank you Amy, I don''t know what I''d do without you!?


    ?What are you talking about... but I guess you can count on me if that''s what you want,? Amy smiled, ?but I''m going to need your help for the next text in return!?


    ?Of course I- EEEK!?


    As we turned the corner, I let out a terrified screech and almost fell on my bum.


    ?Is this kind of scream your mating call or something?? asked Sophia Thornton with an amused look on her face.


    ?Why did you try to ambush me?!? I yelled, my heart beating extremely fast from both the shock and the fact that she was here, right now.


    "Did she hear what I was talking about with Amy?"


    ?Sorry, I didn''t mean to scare you. I just didn''t see you in the common room and was looking for you since we had agreed to meet at this time.?


    ?I-I see... sorry, I was just about to come and find you,? I murmured, lowering my eyes as I couldn''t stand her intense gaze.


    ?Well, I''ll leave you to it then!? Amy chirped, ?Good luck!?


    ?Amy!?? I hissed, but she had already sprinted off waving her hand, leaving me alone with Sophia.


    "This is awkward."


    I was the one who had asked her to meet me, but now that we were alone I seemed to have forgotten how to speak.


    "I just need to tell her what Amy said, nothing more, nothing less."


    I raised my eyes and took an instant step back as I realised that Sophia had come much closer to me. So close that our noses were almost touching.


    ?Do you have no concept of personal space or what?? I blurted out.


    For some reason, Sophia found this accusation very funny.


    ?Why are you laughing at me now?!?


    Part of me was afraid that this girl was only interested in me because she liked to make fun of me. The other, though, was just happy to hear the pleasant sound of her laugh.


    ?I''m sorry,? she said as she wiped a few tears from her beautiful eyes, ?it''s just those words take me back...?


    ?Take you back?? I repeated, confused.


    Now that I was looking her straight in the face, I couldn''t help but notice that there was something wrong with her expression. Even though her lips were curved, her smile didn''t extend to her piercing green eyes. But I didn''t have time to think because Sophia suddenly grabbed my hand.


    ?Uh?!?


    ?Come with me!?


    The slender, black-haired girl began to drag me towards the entrance hall. Even if I wanted to resist her, I didn''t think I could.


    "She''s so strong!" I thought as my wrist started to hurt.


    But I didn''t complain, I was too surprised. I was quickly led up the main staircase of the Academy.


    ?The second floor is for professors only, Sophia!? I finally managed to say, trying to catch my breath.


    ?That''s not where we''re going,? she replied, pointing to the solid wall in front of us.


    ?Uh??


    But as her pale hand touched the cold white marble, something appeared on the previously barren surface.


    ?A door?!? I asked, stunned.


    I watched as Sophia opened it to reveal what looked like an empty dark room.


    ?After you,? she said, signalling for me to enter.


    "UH?!"


    Forgetting that I had just discovered that there were secret rooms in the Academy, what the hell was Sophia going to do with me in that small room?


    ?I-I...?


    I couldn''t help but obey. Blushing furiously, I did as I was told.


    "Why am I such a pushover?"


    But the worst part was that of all the possibilities my filthy mind was running through, I didn''t dislike any of them.


    "Good thing she can''t read my mind, otherwise she''d lock me in here alone."


    But when I reached the centre of the room, something unexpected happened. And it had nothing to do with being tied up and blindfolded.


    ?This light...! A magic circle?!?


    In an instant, the light that was now dazzling me became even stronger.


    But that wasn''t all. I began to feel an unexpected sensation.


    "A breeze?"


    As my eyes adjusted to the light, I suddenly realised where I was.


    ?This...?!?


    ?The roof, nice view, eh?? Sophia, who had suddenly appeared at my side, replied.


    It really was. The sun was setting over the vast forest that surrounded the Academy. Even though we often went out into the courtyard during breaks, seeing it from up here was something else.


    ?How did you know about that secret passage?? I asked, running to the railing of the roof to lean against it.


    ?A very important person brought me here once. What she told me that day turned everything in my life upside down,? she replied, coming to my side and looking towards the horizon.


    I followed her gaze. Somehow there was something familiar about this panorama, even though it was the first time I had been up here. Maybe I had dreamed about it. Dreaming about flying was quite common. And this sky was especially beautiful.


    ?Sophia, I...?


    But I stopped when I saw her face.


    "This sad look again..."


    But I couldn''t just ask her... who was that person? Did they hurt her? There was no way she was just going to tell me. We barely knew each other. Sophia turned to me with a lighter expression on her face.


    ?What did you want to ask me, Elizabeth??


    ?I...?


    I swallowed. It was easy, just like Amy had said.


    "Just say it, Elizabeth: I enjoyed talking to you in class, would you like to hang out together sometime?"


    ?I enjoyed talking to you in class, would you... like to go out with me??


    ?...?


    "I''m an idiot... I''m an idiot... I''M AN IDIOT!"


    I covered my mouth with my hands, almost as if I wanted to grab the words I had just spoken and return them to where they had come from. Why had I said that? It wasn''t my intention at all! And yet... why had that sequence of letters rolled off my tongue so easily?


    ?Sophia, I''m sorry, that''s-?


    ?I do.?


    ?Uh?!? I looked at her as if she was speaking some kind of alien language.


    But Sophia repeated with a serious look on her face:


    ?I do. I want to go out with you.?


    ?What?!?


    There was no way this was happening. She had definitely misunderstood me. Or rather, she understood me perfectly, even if I had misspoken!


    ?O-of course. Going out together as friends! That''s what I-?


    ?Not as friends. I want us to be a couple, with everything that comes with that. Like holding hands, kissing and having sex.?


    ?S-s-sex?!?


    This had to be a dream. There was no other explanation. Now I was going to pinch my cheek and it would all be over. But before I could raise my hand, I was quickly immobilised in a hug.


    ?W-what...??


    ?Sorry... do you mind?? Sophia said in a strange tone in my ear.


    ?Uh?! I don''t...?


    ?Elizabeth, you may think I''m crazy.?


    "Well, at least she is aware of it."


    ?I... yes, a little bit. But... I don''t hate it,? I had to admit.


    There was something comforting about this warm embrace. It was almost as if all the panic that Sophia''s bold declaration had caused inside me had been smothered.


    ?I guess you were right after all,? Sophia muttered.


    ?Right about what?" I asked, even more confused.


    ?I''m sorry, I''m not making much sense at the moment, am I?... But I''d really like to go out with you. Let''s say it was love at first sight...?


    ?...then why don''t you sound happy about it?? I finally managed to ask her.


    ?Happy... I guess I''m conflicted. I think we could be happy if we end up going this way... but... we would also lose a lot.?


    ?Lose a lot...? Are you afraid that people might discriminate against us because we are both girls??


    ?It''s not that...?


    I pushed her away a little to look into her eyes.


    ?You''re kind of pissing me off... you can''t just tell me you want to be my girlfriend and then act all mysterious when I ask you questions! We haven''t even started dating and it already feels like you''re going to be super high maintenance!?


    Sophia looked at me with wide open eyes, just before she burst out laughing.


    ?I''m serious here!? I complained.


    ?Sorry... it''s just that your bad personality is finally coming out!?


    ?What do you mean ''bad personality''?? I asked, dumbfounded.


    "What''s wrong with her? Sure, she was a bit of a tease in class, but why is she suddenly making fun of me like Penny?"


    ?Well, you were the one who asked me out in the first place? Or was that your mouth being quicker than your mind as usual??


    ?UH?! Why are you calling me slow all of a sudden?! And you tell me I have a bad personality? Besides... you''re the one who brought me to this super romantic place and started spouting tragic heroine lines! it''s all your fault!?


    I was making no sense. But for some reason, retorting like that felt natural to me, almost like having this back and forth with her was a common occurrence, just like the one with Penny... maybe even more so.


    ?Tragic heroine... I never thought I''d be called that by you!?


    ?There you go again, acting like you know me! Are you some kind of time traveller or something?? I asked jokingly.


    Sophia looked at me for a moment:


    ?Of course not... that would be crazy. I''ve just been watching you for a very long time... that''s why.?


    ?Creepy.?


    ?Look who''s talking. You had a very perverted look on your face when you were looking at my neck in class.?


    ?I... that''s not true!?


    But all I could do was blush as Sophia pushed her long hair out of the way and gave me a glimpse of her slender neck.


    ?See?... Pervert.?


    ?You''re asking for it!?


    We ended up bickering like this for several more minutes. When I was out of breath from laughing, I gasped:


    ?I... I didn''t think you were like this. From a distance, you looked like the quiet, antisocial type.?


    Sophia smiled at me:


    ?I was once. But I have changed. I have gone through a lot since I have been here. I have made so many memories. Some of them are really painful, but still... they made me who I am now. So I... don''t want to forget everything... even though it might be for the best.?


    ?Dramatic much? We''ve only been here a few months!? I exclaimed, but my smile faded as I saw the pained expression on Sophia''s face.


    "What... is her problem? I... want to know more about her."


    ?Sophia, did you mean it when you said you wanted to be a couple??


    The girl''s green eyes lost themselves in the horizon again as she nodded:


    ?I do. I really do. But do you, Elizabeth? Are you sure this is for the best??


    ?Yes, I guess. Honestly, I always thought you were very pretty. And now that we have talked a bit... I had a good time. Even though you seem to have a bad personality.? I added jokingly.


    Sophia smiled slightly:


    ?I see... but I still can''t accept your feelings.?


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO GO OUT WITH ME?" I screamed internally. Was I really going to be rejected after all this?


    Seeing my obvious distress, Sophia put a hand over mine. It was cold.


    ?I just want you to be sure, Elizabeth. I want you to tell me that this is your decision. Come here tomorrow at the same time and tell me your answer.?


    ?My answer? To what question??


    ?Do you... want to live this kind of life? A life without sadness and pain, where you can live happily with your friends? If that''s the case, I''ll walk this path by your side and leave everything else behind.?


    Amy had told me that dating was easy. So why was I now being bombarded with these existential questions? But Sophia''s tone was sombre and I didn''t feel like making fun of her again.


    ?What if I say no?? I simply asked.


    Sophia left my side and walked towards the magic circle.


    ?In that case... I''ll tear everything apart for you.?


    And just like that, she was gone.


    ?WHAT THE FUCK?!? I shouted as I stood by the railing.


    "What was that conversation anyway?! What does she mean by tearing everything apart for me? Is she some psycho weirdo or something? She said she wanted to have sex with a girl she''d never spoken to before today, so she''s a pervert too! Do I really want to go out with someone like that?"


    ?...I kind of do.?


    I left the roof and went straight to my room, swaying like I was drunk.


    Aside from all the weird things she had said, I had so much fun hanging out with Sophia Thornton. Not only did she have the looks, but she was also really easy to talk to. Somehow, after the initial awkwardness, I had started to feel extremely comfortable with her, almost like I did with Amy.


    "Maybe she really is a time traveller and that''s why she seems to know how to deal with me," I thought as I opened the door to my room.


    I walked over to my desk and grabbed one of my books. My mind was overloaded with everything that had happened today. I felt I had to distract myself or I''d go mad. But as I stared at the words in front of me, it was almost as if Sophia''s face had been burned into my retinas. Her beautiful eyes and her rosy lips... they looked so inviting...


    ?AAAAH! What is wrong with me!? I screamed, grabbing and shaking my desk.


    But kissing her... that wouldn''t have been out of the question for tomorrow, would it? If I''d said yes to her... we would have really become a couple.


    "Her question... it''s so simple, isn''t it? Who wouldn''t want a life without pain and suffering? And I''m so happy right now... I finally have friends, I can nerd out about magic with Celeste and I''m top of my class! And from tomorrow I will also have a beautiful girlfriend, even is she''s a weirdo! Honestly... it sounds like the perfect life!"


    I couldn''t wait to tell Amy.


    "She''ll be so happy for me! I have to thank her for making me sit next to Sophia today... eh?"


    There was a stain in the book in front of me that hadn''t been there before.


    ?What the...??


    Another, and another. Was there a leak in the ceiling?


    But I soon realised that wasn''t the case. I wiped a tear from my cheek and looked at it, stunned.


    "What... is happening to me?" "Why... am I crying? And why... do I feel so unbelievably sad?"

 78. Path of remembrance

    ?...-zie... Lizzie! Is everything okay??


    ?Uh??


    I looked up from my untouched breakfast to meet the three worried gazes of my table mates.


    ?You look terrible, Liz,? Nicole commented, ?are you sure you''re not sick or something??


    ?I told you, I just didn''t sleep very well,? I sighed.


    It wasn''t the whole truth. After all, there was a clear reason why I hadn''t closed my eyes the night before. But I wasn''t trying to hide it from them. I just couldn''t find a good way to put it into words.


    After my absurd conversation with Sophia Thornton, when I had given some thought to the question she wanted me to answer for her, I had felt an uneasy feeling growing inside me. And that unease had soon turned to distress when I realised that I didn''t understand what was causing it. I felt sad, so sad, even though I couldn''t remember anything bad having happened to me recently. In fact, it was the opposite: since I had arrived at the Academy, I had been the happiest I had ever been.


    That''s when another sensation had begun to plague my mind. I had forgotten something important, that''s what my brain was telling me. But what was it? I could feel the answer was there, just out of reach. It was as if I''d just woken up from a dream, and I could still feel the emotions that came with it, but I couldn''t grasp its details anymore. But if having something on the tip of your tongue could be annoying, this sensation was downright torturous. And that wasn''t all, I could also feel a sense of foreboding creeping up on me. Somehow I was sure that if I didn''t make sense of this situation before I met Sophia Thornton this evening, I would regret it.


    In summary, I was completely fucked up at the moment.


    ?We can all see that from those terrible bags under your eyes,? Penny commented, but under her snark I could tell she was actually concerned, ?but instead of dozing off, you look like you''re about to burst into tears!?


    ?I... I don''t know what to tell you... I just feel weird... confused maybe? But I can''t really say why,? I tried to explain.


    ?Weird...? Penny repeated. Normally she would have remarked that in that case things weren''t any different than usual, but it seemed I was in too pathetic a state even for her teasing.


    ?Confused, you say, and you don''t understand why? What if someone has cast a charm on you? You are at the top of the rankings, so maybe someone is trying to sabotage you,? Nicole suggested.


    ?A charm...??


    I hadn''t thought about that possibility. It wasn''t common to find someone who could cast spells capable of affecting emotions and mental states for extended periods of time, but here at the Academy there were so many capable mages. It would have explained why I''d suddenly become such a mess right after being over the moon.


    "But who could have charmed me? Sophia?"


    She was the last person I had interacted with before I started to feel this way. But because of the mana test we had done on the first day at the Academy, I knew that her magical power was pretty much non-existent.


    "And I don''t think she''s a bad person at all."


    Sure, she was weird, but her tone when she had said that she really wanted to go out with me... it seemed sincere, even if a bit melancholic. If that was her intention and she was able to cast powerful charms even with her low mana, wouldn''t she have bewitched me instead of confusing me like this? But her strange attitude had something to do with my strange state of mind, I was sure of it.


    ?Charm or not, you are not coming to class in this state. You are clearly stressed and need to rest. You are working way too hard to stay on top of that stupid leaderboard.?


    Amy''s stern voice snapped me out of my thoughts.


    ?No, it''s okay, I don''t want to skip and lose points.?


    The idea of staying alone in my room with these thoughts running through my head was an even worse prospect than following a boring lesson. But as usual, Amy wasn''t going to give in easily.


    ?I will speak to the professor myself and make sure you are excused for today. And you, my girl, will go to the infirmary immediately,? she scolded me. Her tone really reminded me of the one my mother used in the past when I refused to stay in bed when I was sick.


    ?The infirmary??


    ?You''ve never been there?? asked Nicole, and when I shook my head she continued with a reassuring smile, ?Don''t worry, they''re super nice! I went there a couple of weeks ago with a cold and they made it go puff! And if you''ve really been hit by a charm, they''ll find out straight away.?


    ?I suppose I''ll give it a go then,? I muttered.


    I wasn''t really convinced that a healer could help me, but going against Amy''s wishes was never going to be a good idea. So, ten minutes later, instead of following my friends into the classroom, I continued down the east wing corridor to its end, where the infirmary was located. Opening the large door, I found myself in a large room filled with unoccupied beds. A man in a white uniform sat behind a desk and, alerted by my footsteps, raised his eyes from the book he was reading.


    ?Good morning, how can I help you? Are you feeling ill?? he asked in a friendly tone as I approached.


    ?Um... sort of,? I replied, trying to think of a way to describe my feelings without sounding crazy, ?I''ve been feeling rather confused since last night. My friends have suggested that I may have been under a charm.?


    Confused didn''t even begin to explain the whirlwind of emotions inside me, but it was the best I could say.


    ?A charm... let''s see. Please, sit on that bed,? he said, pointing to the nearest one.


    After I obeyed, the healer lit the tip of his wand and pointed it at my eyes, causing me to squint.


    ?Try to endure it for a second.?


    I did my best to comply, even though I was starting to tear up.


    ?Ok, now relax and take a deep breath,? the healer instructed after moving his wand away.


    "Relax... that''s easier said than done."


    This time the mage''s wand lit up with a blue glow as he moved it up and down in front of me. After a minute he shook his head:


    ?I can find no traces of malicious enchantments.?


    ?I see.?


    I had expected that, but the fact that the mess in my head wasn''t caused by magic wasn''t exactly a reassuring thought.


    ?But I can clearly see that you are very sleep deprived. Do you suffer from insomnia??


    ?Not really...?


    Of course, lack of sleep could mess up your mental state, but my problem preceded it and was its cause.


    But I didn''t say that. If the healer could help me take a nap with some sort of concoction, it would probably have helped me think more clearly when I woke up. At my request, the healer nodded and disappeared to the back of the infirmary. He soon reappeared with a mug filled with a green, fizzy potion.


    ?Make sure you lie down as soon as you drink it, it''s quite strong. Don''t worry, it won''t have any unpleasant effects, you''ll wake up just in time for lunch.?


    I thanked him as I took it from his hands and drank it all at once, expecting it to taste disgusting. To my surprise it was quite pleasant instead. As soon as I put the mug down on the bedside table, I started to feel drowsy, so I quickly followed the healer''s suggestion and laid down on the comfortable infirmary bed.


    "A... familiar ceiling?"


    But before my brain could process that thought, I fell into a deep sleep.


    <hr>


    ?Um... A-amy??


    As I regained consciousness, I felt someone holding my hand tightly.


    "She''s such a worrywart," I thought, my eyes still closed.


    I felt incredibly refreshed, but even if I had only just woken up, I could tell that the ominous feeling inside me had not subsided.


    "I should probably just tell Amy everything, she always knows what to do."


    But when I finally opened my eyelids, I realised that the person next to me wasn''t my best friend. A slim girl with long black hair was sleeping peacefully with her head leaning against my leg. Her hand was the one clutching mine.


    ?EH?! Sophia?!?


    I quickly covered my mouth with my hand to muffle my exclamation of surprise and not wake her.


    "What is she doing here?" I thought as I looked at her. She was smiling in her sleep. A tender smile that contrasted with the more troubled one she had shown me yesterday on the roof.


    "She... is so cute."


    She really did have a different vibe from the one I had expected from watching her from afar. But I did not dislike it, quite the opposite in fact. Unfortunately, the noise I had made when I woke up had broken this magical moment, as Sophia slowly started to open her eyes.


    ?Oh, I guess I fell asleep... sorry. I suppose we both didn''t get much sleep last night,? she said as she rubbed her eyes with her free hand.


    ?Um... it''s okay. But... why are you here?? I asked nervously. My hand trembled in her grip. I had the feeling I couldn''t free it, no matter how hard I tried.


    ?What do you think? I''m visiting a very sick person,? she replied with a chuckle.


    "I don''t like the way she said those last three words."


    ?I''m not sick... how did you even know I was here??


    ?I asked your friend Amy. When she told me, I rushed over but found you already asleep!?


    ?Huh? You skipped class for me? Did the healer let you stay here?? I asked dumbfounded.


    "I thought she came here recently, but... did she really stay by my bedside for hours holding my hand? What''s her deal?" I thought as I felt my cheeks catching fire.


    ?It''s not like they could stop me,? she replied nonchalantly.


    ?UH?!?


    "What does that even mean? Did she threaten the poor healer with her sword?!"


    ?But I was worried... how are you feeling, Elizabeth? Do you feel strange after our conversation yesterday?? she asked in a now serious tone.


    "So I was right. She''s the reason I feel this way."


    The fact that I''d started to feel this strange sensation right after I''d started to think about her question about life wasn''t a coincidence after all.


    ?What have you done to me, Sophia? What is that question really about? Since then... my head has been a mess.?


    ?A mess?? Sophia repeated.


    ?Yes! A fucking mess! I feel like I should remember something, but I can''t. It''s like I have a shadow in my brain that just keeps moving away whenever I stare at it!? I exclaimed in despair.


    ?Something you should remember... I see, so it worked...? Sophia seemed to be about to say something else, but suddenly stopped.


    ?Oh no, you fucking don''t! What the hell do you mean ''it worked''? For fuck''s sake, could you stop with the ''girl with a mysterious agenda'' act and speak clearly?!? I snapped and grabbed her wrist.


    Sophia looked at me with a conflicted expression.


    ?I''m sorry, Elizabeth. There are reasons why I can''t tell you more. Just know that I don''t want you to suffer. But like I said yesterday, I have to make sure that this is what you really want. So this is the only way I could find.?This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    I let her go and finally freed my hand from her grasp to grab my head and start shaking it, as if it could help me understand what the hell she was talking about:


    ?Can you stop talking in riddles for one fucking second?! What do you mean by ''this is what I want''? Do you mean do I want you to drive me insane? Of course I don''t! You don''t want me to suffer? Does that mean that this is really all your fault? Oh, that''s great! Oh I feel so much better now! What would you do if you really wanted to hurt me? Cut me into little slices with your sword??


    Sophia looked at me with her mouth half open before she burst out laughing.


    ?Not this again! Why are you always laughing at me??


    I should have been angry with her. Here I was, complaining about the pain she had apparently willingly caused me, and she was making fun of me. But somehow I couldn''t bring myself to feel any irritation towards her.


    ?I''m sorry! It''s just... it''s such an Elizabeth reaction, I couldn''t help it!? she gasped, trying to compose herself.


    ?I hate you. You''re still doing it: talking like you know me. Were you telling the truth when you said you weren''t a time traveller or something?? I sighed.


    This time I was asking for real. In a world like ours, dominated by magic, I couldn''t really rule out the possibility of something like that actually happening.


    Sophia paused for a second before answering.


    ?I was. I''m not from the future, Elizabeth.?


    ?But you do not deny that you know me, even though we never spoke before yesterday. Is that what I forgot and what is killing my mind now? Were we childhood friends or something?? I asked.


    This was another very far-fetched idea. After all, I had grown up with Amy and she, unlike me, had a very good memory for people''s faces.


    "And Sophia is so pretty that even I would never have forgotten her."


    Sophia seemed to hesitate for a moment before coming closer to me.


    "Is she... actually going to tell me?"


    But instead of speaking in my ear, she cupped my face in her hands.


    ?I''m sorry, I can''t say anything more. I wish I could help you, but this is something you''ll have to face on your own. It''s the only way to get through this. But as soon as you realise what you want... I''ll be right by your side, Elizabeth.?


    As usual, she wasn''t making any sense, but as I lost myself in her green eyes, I still couldn''t find the strength to be mad at her.


    ?Man, you''re a handful. I signed up for a sweet girlfriend, not a weirdo who does nothing but spout cryptic lines. But... I guess I''m the only one crazy enough to hang out with someone like you... I hope you feel very honoured by my kindness...? I mumbled.


    Sophia chuckled again.


    ?You really never change... even in a situation like this... even in front of a girl you barely know who has caused you a lot of problems, you still find the energy to joke around.?


    ?You are do-?


    But before I could finish, Sophia put a finger to my lips:


    ?But... I think I can do this much for you.?


    Her hand grabbed my tie and pulled me towards her.


    ?Uh?! Wh-NGH!?


    I barely had time to realise what was happening before I was kissed. On the lips. For the first time in my life. My first kiss was with a girl I hadn''t even spoken to until yesterday. Of course I had fantasised about it, but I never really thought it would happen like this! But just as my mind was about to shut down, I felt something else.


    "...! HER TONGUE!?"


    As it caressed my lower lip, I felt my mouth open slightly, almost by itself. As Sophia''s tongue brushed over mine, I soon found myself responding to her touch. At that moment, all the tormenting thoughts swirling inside me disappeared like the stars giving way to the morning. At the end of the kiss I was breathless. I looked stunned at Sophia''s smirk as she pulled away from me.


    ?M-m-my first kiss! You stole it!? I gasped.


    ?Is that right? You''re such a good kisser, I could have sworn you''d done it before,? she giggled, standing up and giving me a wink.


    ?It''s true I... never...??


    I touched my lips. Wasn''t the way I had reacted to that sudden deep kiss a bit too... automatic?... Almost like... I had done it many times before?


    ?...Sophia... who are you really?? I found myself asking.


    ?...I''m Sophia Thornton, your future girlfriend, if that''s what you want,? she replied, turning away, ?I''ll be waiting for you on the roof all day, Elizabeth. I''ll be waiting for your answer.?


    ?But... I still don''t understand... have I really forgotten you or something? And how should I go about remembering you then??


    Sophia opened the door and stopped.


    ?You''ll find a way, I''m sure of it.?


    ?But... why??


    ?Because you are my hero. And the person I respect and love the most in this world.?


    And just like that, she left the room, leaving me with my mouth hanging open for the umpteenth time.


    ?What... the... hell.?


    Love. She had clearly said that four-letter word. If it was strange to want to go out and kiss someone you barely knew, to love them was just absurd. And yet she had spoken in complete seriousness.


    I was sure of it now: she wasn''t messing with me, I was someone important to Sophia Thornton, even if I somehow had no memory of it.


    "But how is that possible? She said she isn''t from the future, so the only other possibility is... the past?"


    ?...maybe she really did live in our town and we played around when we were very little, so that both I and Amy don''t recognise her now.?


    It wasn''t unusual for little children to promise to marry each other. Could that be what happened? It would explain why she was so fond of me.


    "But why is she so secretive about something like that? Is this some sort of test? She didn''t give me that impression. From the way she talked it''s almost like I''d be in danger if she told me."


    This new encounter had only made me more confused. But I knew two things: I couldn''t go on feeling like this, or I''d really go insane, and staying here and brooding over it wasn''t going to solve anything.


    ?Come on, Elizabeth!? I urged myself as I stood up. I thanked the healer and left the infirmary with a decisive stride.


    The east wing corridor was deserted, as all the students were probably enjoying their lunch at this time. As I walked alone, I closed my eyes, trying to dive into the inexplicable emotions inside me.


    I wanted to stare into the abyss that seemed to have opened up in my mind. Even if it caused me pain, it was the only way to discover its nature.


    As the anguish rose, I became certain: the thing I couldn''t remember... it couldn''t just be a naive, childish promise. Sure, there was a certain bittersweet feeling to it, but it was smothered by so much sadness and grief.


    I stopped in the middle of the corridor and held my chest. My breathing had gotten heavier, but I didn''t stop, I let these terrible feelings flow through me, trying to reach their source.


    But even if I started gasping for air, I still couldn''t make any sense of it.


    ?Dammit!? I punched the stone wall so hard that I immediately regretted it.


    But the pain was enough to clear my head a little.


    "I can''t just randomly hope to remember something... I need to find some clues, since Sophia can''t seem to be able to give them to me. So far, all I know is that whatever I forgot has something to do with her. I need a trigger... something that can bring back some images of whatever it is."


    But what? I had even kissed Sophia, but that hadn''t been enough to remember her.


    "This memory... could it be something I''m repressing?"


    I had read about it: certain traumatic events could be completely erased from a person''s mind if they were too painful to accept.


    "But what could it be? If something terrible enough to destroy my memory had happened in our little town, there would''ve been an uproar!  Everybody knows everything about everyone. I''m sure people are still gossiping about that cheating wife to this day. So... it has something to do with this school".


    But even here... could I have witnessed something so scarring without anyone else noticing?


    "It doesn''t make sense... thanks to the healer, I know that I''m not under a memory spell either."


    ?AAAARGH!?


    It was infuriating. Even if I subjected myself to this agonising introspection, trying to find the truth was like attempting to empty an ocean with a glass of water.


    "I need to clear my mind more."


    And there was only one way I knew how to do that.


    "A duel... let''s do one of my daily point runs."


    Maybe the adrenaline of a magical battle would help me dispel the haze that was reigning inside me.


    So when I arrived at the dining hall, I passed it by and headed for the common room instead, hoping to find someone who had already finished eating to take some of my frustration out on.


    "Lucky!" I thought as I entered the cozy room, filled with sofas and tables perfect for studying.


    A large group of students were hanging around one of them, probably reviewing today''s lesson. I approached them as I took my wand from its holster.


    ?Hello, would anyone like to duel with me?? I asked, putting on a friendly smile.


    Unfortunately, due to my fame, not many people bothered to accept my challenges and just took the point penalty instead. I wasn''t complaining though, easy points would make my dream of meeting Aldric all the more real. Judging by the wavering look on the pretty blonde girl in front of me, it looked like things were going to go that way this time as well.


    I was about to drop the amiable facade and collect her points when the tall guy sitting next to her jumped up like a spring.


    ?M-me!? he exclaimed in a nervous yet enthusiastic tone.


    Sensing that the blonde girl was glaring at him, he quickly apologised.


    ?Oh, sorry, Andrea! I know we are in the middle of studying, but I have been waiting for the opportunity to duel Belvoir for a while!?


    "Opportunity to duel me?"


    I looked at the boy''s awkward smile in confusion.


    "Do I know this guy?"


    He was lanky and had rather long, messy hair, which made him stand out among his friends. Probably sensing my puzzlement, the boy quickly explained:


    ?Sorry, I just watched a bunch of your duels and thought you were very cool! You fight like you own the place!? he said nervously, running his hand over his hair, making it even messier.


    I felt myself blush. I had always been weak when it came to compliments.


    ?You don''t have to apologise...?


    The boy gave me a tentative smile. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the blonde girl called Andrea give me a much nastier look than the one she had given the guy.


    "I sense danger here! Maybe I should retreat!"


    I wasn''t about to be murdered by a jealous girlfriend when apparently I didn''t even like guys in the first place.


    But the male student came closer before I could escape and held out his hand:


    ?I''m Samuel, by the way, Samuel Rover, but you can call me Sam.?


    ?Sam...?


    I repeated as I shook his hand.


    "I feel like I have heard his name before, maybe Amy mentioned him?


    I was still thinking about it with a furrowed brow as Sam and I took our positions and the magic barrier e that defined the area of the duel appeared around us.


    3


    2


    1


    ?Fireball!?


    I parried his fire spell with a water shield at the last second.


    "Crap, I was distracted!"


    Sam had unsheathed his blade and was already running towards me.


    It was a common tactic I had seen dozens of times. Since not many people could stand up to me in a magical confrontation, they tried to overpower me in close combat, which I was terrible at. But so far, no one had ever managed to reach me. It wasn''t like anyone could cut through my spells with a sword.


    But when I saw Sam raising his sword in the air, ready to bring it down on me, I couldn''t help but think how slow and clumsy he looked.


    "..."


    I unsheathed my sword in one fluid motion and easily deflected his blow, leaving him completely exposed.


    ?What the...?!?


    I saw Sam''s eyes widen in surprise.


    ?Strength.?


    As my fist began to glow a yellow light, I slammed it into Sam''s stomach, sending him flying backwards and into the magical barrier.


    I stayed there, frozen in that punching stance, as the magic bubble disappeared and avoice announced my name as the winner.


    "Uh?"


    I looked down at my hands.


    "What have I just done...?! Why did I use my sword instead of blowing him up with a Fireball as usual? And... a buff spell?! I have always been terrible at those! Wait... that''s not the issue now!"


    I rushed forward to get close to Sam, who was trying to get up.


    ?Oh shit! Are you okay? I''m so sorry!?


    But to my bewilderment, he seemed completely unharmed, even after my extremely powerful punch.


    Sam took the hand I offered him and used it to help himself to his feet. Then he gave me a questioning look:


    ?Of course I''m fine. The barrier protects us from getting hurt in duels, remember??


    ?...That''s right...?


    How could I have forgotten? We had been told on the first day, and I had been in dozens of duels.


    ?But man, you are really good with the sword too, huh? I didn''t expect that... do you fake it in training? I''m kind of honoured that you decided to use a secret weapon against me!?


    "Secret weapon?! I just suck at swordfighting!"


    I looked down at the sword that was still in my hand. How had I managed to move in such a coordinated manner? I usually had the grace of an elephant.


    "This... is weird."


    ?Thank you for the duel. I have to go now...? I muttered as I turned around, lost in my own thoughts.


    ?Wait!? Sam exclaimed, stopping me by grabbing my wrist.


    ?Uh? What''s wrong?? I asked absentmindedly, turning to look at him.


    ?Oh, it''s nothing serious, sorry!? he mumbled, letting go of me immediately as if he had burned himself by touching me, ?I was just hoping we could talk a bit more when you have time, I feel like I could learn a lot from you!?


    "Is this guy hitting on me or something, isn''t that Andrea girl his girlfriend?"


    But the expression on Sam''s face wasn''t cheeky or flirtatious, it was a pure, radiant smile. A... smile that...


    "Ahhhh...!"


    I covered my mouth with one hand as I fought the urge to vomit.


    ?Is something wrong?? Sam asked worriedly.


    ?I... have to go,? I gasped.


    I sprinted away, trying my best not to scream.


    ?What... just happened??


    I stopped in the corridor and leaned against the wall, my legs trembling as if they were about to give out.


    The abyss I had felt before now completely filled my mind. For alongside the vague feeling of dread, there was now something tangible. An image.


    As I was looking at the boy smiling at me, another image had flashed before my eyes.


    It was the same person.


    The same boy named Sam Rover.


    There was no smile on his face but an expression of pure terror. His eyes were empty and lifeless as he lay on a wooden floor.


    And his neck...


    I felt my stomach turn again.


    A dead body. The corpse of Sam Rover, was this the memory I had repressed? But how could it be real? I had just dueled with him and he was very much alive!


    "Am I really going insane after all?"


    Delusions, paranoia, remembering things that had never happened... maybe it was really the case.


    I started walking on trembling steps, trying to put as much distance as possible between myself and that boy boy, afraid that one more look at his face would have completely shattered my mind. Soon I was outside the dining hall.


    ?Amy...?


    Should I have told her about this, after all? Amy always knew the words to put me on the right track. If there was anyone who could help me out of this absurd situation, it was her.


    I walked dazedly through the crowd towards our usual table. When it came into view I saw Amy sitting there with Nicole and Penny. She had a blank expression on her face.


    "She must be worried about me."


    It was just like Amy: being stern with me like she had been this morning, trying not to show how concerned she was.


    "You''re pushing yourself too hard! Stop thinking weird stuff, Lizzie! How can you remember seeing the corpse of a person who is still alive! Is he a zombie or something?"


    She probably would have said something like that and we would have laughed together. And then she would''ve put her hand over mine and given me one of her usual reassuring... smiles.


    ?No...?


    The world before me shattered into a million fragments. A new image appeared before me, burned into my retinas. My best friend smiling while being held by the neck by a towering figure. The cawing of crows. A bright light.


    ?NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?


    I screamed, falling to my knees as the whole dining room turned to look at me. But I could barely see them as all the memories that had been taken from me flooded my brain.


    All the happiest moments I had spent with the person I loved most.


    All the new connections I had made with wonderful people who had made me feel less lonely.


    But also the pain and suffering that had painted my daily life in blood.


    The fear of death that had threatened to break me.


    The sacrifices made on the altar of Skylark''s ambition.


    And that cursed day. The day I had lost her forever.


    ?Lizzie?! What''s wrong??


    "This... is too cruel."


    I pounded the floor with my fist as I raised my tear-filled eyes to look at the worried face of my long lost best friend.


    ?Lizzie...?


    I crawled away from her.


    I couldn''t let her reach me. I couldn''t let her gentle hand touch me. Or I''d really let myself believe it. That she was back in my life. That I would really hear her call me Lizzie again. That she would reassure me that everything would be all right, as she always did.


    But ever since I had entered the hell called Duelcrest Academy, I had learned that reality was never so kind.


    "Is this a dream? Has Skylark found a way to torture me even when I''m asleep? Does he want me to feel happiness just to take it all away once again?"


    But if that was the case, I had to get to her. The person who had managed to wake me up. The one who had been able to reach me even when I was no longer myself.


    I quickly got up and started running. My heart ached as I ignored Amy crying out my name. If I listened to that siren call, I''d never be able to go back to reality, I was sure of it.


    And if I could resist it, it was only because of her, Sophia. I had so many questions to ask her. But most of all, I wanted to see her face and feel her touch. Because of all the memories I''d made in this school, she was the one I would never give up on, no matter how much pain I had to endure.

 79. Sweet-dream paradise

    I frantically scrambled up the stairs in the entrance hall, almost falling several times. I couldn''t wait another moment. I had to see her as soon as possible. The secret door to the roof was already half open, so I ran into the empty room and over the magic circle. Even though my eyes were blinded by the sun still high in the sky, I didn''t stop moving because I knew she was there, waiting for me.


    Squinting, I saw Sophia leaning against the railing of the roof, her gaze lost in the horizon again. Was the time we had spent together, the one I had forgotten, what she was looking for?


    ?SOPHIA!?


    The slender girl turned to me. I didn''t have to say anything, I could see from her face that she already knew.


    ?You''re back! My Elizabeth... you''re back with me!? she yelled, catching me in her arms as I rushed towards her.


    ?Sophia... yes, it''s me, I''m here now, I remember everything.?


    My tears didn''t want to stop. How could they? Every single emotion I had felt in the past months had been condensed into a single second when Amy''s smile had brought my memory back. It was overwhelming. But the warmth of Sophia''s body was an anchor that kept my mind from drifting away.


    ?It''s ok, I''m here Elizabeth, I''m here with you now,? Sophia whispered as she gently stroked my hair, ?I''ll always be with you no matter what.?


    ?But... I forgot... I forgot everything, I forgot you!? I sobbed.


    ?But you remember me now, don''t you? Even if you lost your memory, you still came back to me. It''s just like you said the other day: nothing can keep us apart. We are meant to be together.?


    I sniffed as I nodded:


    ?Always...?


    It took me several minutes to regain my composure. I probably wouldn''t have made it if it hadn''t been for her soothing touch, the one I had managed to remember even when all the rest of my memories had vanished.


    ?W-what is this place? Why did I forget everything? Is this a dream or... have we gone back in time??


    I couldn''t hide the glimmer of hope I felt for the latter option. Being transported to a reality where Amy was still alive... that would have been the best case scenario. But Sophia shook her head:


    ?That''s what I thought at first. But now, like I told you before, I''m pretty sure we didn''t go back to the past. Think about it, if we were just taken back to the beginning of the school year... what happened to Skylark''s plan and the whole game to find Aldric''s successor then? And there are a lot of other inconsistencies. A dream, though... I guess you could call it that, even if it is not its true nature,? Sophia said in a tentative tone.


    ?Its true nature? Sophia, just tell me what this place is if you know!?


    Why did she sound so hesitant? It wasn''t like her. Thinking about it, now that I was myself again and knew what kind of person she was, her behaviour over the past two days had been extremely strange. If I didn''t know her, I would have sworn that she was toying with me as revenge for forgetting her. But of course Sophia wasn''t like that, she would never make me suffer on purpose. There had to be a reason why she had kept me in the dark.


    ?Sophia, why didn''t you just tell me everything? Why did you just say cryptic lines and gave me hints that you knew me?? I asked calmly.


    ?I wanted to tell you everything. I just couldn''t,? she replied with a sigh.


    ?You couldn''t? But why??


    ?Because it would have been useless or even dangerous. I know because I have already tried.?


    ?You''ve already tried...??


    Then I realised something. If my memory had been tampered with, maybe my past at the Academy wasn''t the only thing that had been erased from it.


    ?Sophia... how long have we been here?? I asked in a trembling tone.


    ?This is the fourth day. At least that''s what I remember, I can''t really exclude we''ve been here for even more time.?


    ?Four days... I only remember two.?


    But to be honest, I feared worse. I half expected her to say that we had had this same conversation 1000 times before. But what had happened in the two days I couldn''t remember? The answer was probably what had made Sophia reluctant to talk to me about it.


    ?Sophia, just tell me everything. I can take it.?


    ?I know... I just don''t want you to suffer any more,? she said, giving me a sad look. But after a short pause she began to narrate.


    ?When I woke up on Thursday morning, I immediately felt that something was wrong. You usually wake up later than I do, but you weren''t in bed. At first I thought you''d spent the night comforting Penny, but when I went to look for you I realised I wasn''t in our room but in my old one.?


    ?So you never lost your memories?? I asked stunned. That made me feel even more guilty.


    ?That''s right, but like I said, don''t worry, I think I know why things happened the way they did,? she said, covering my hand, that was resting on the railing, with hers, ?but let me continue now, everything is so complicated already.?


    ?All right,? I nodded, reassured by her words.


    ?The idea that someone had taken me to another room while I was asleep was pretty creepy, but not as much as what I saw when I got out and found the corridors of the school filled with students. At first I thought I was still dreaming. But as I couldn''t seem to wake up, I came to the same conclusion as you: I had somehow been transported back in time, before Skylark''s game began.?


    Sophia sighed and shook her head in disappointment. Of course, that scenario would have been fantastic. Thanks to all the progress we''ve made in the last few months and our knowledge of previous events, we could have prevented so many bad things from happening. We could''ve stopped Valentine and Chloe from murdering innocent people, we could''ve prevented Finch from killing those poor students during the tournament, and... we could''ve saved Amy. Not only that, but with all the students still alive, our escape attempt would''ve been much easier.


    ?But when I went looking for you and found you in the dining hall, I immediately understood that something was wrong with my assumption. You were there, happily having breakfast not only with Amy, but with both Nicole and Penny. And that''s something that has never happened in the past.?


    She was right, I hadn''t thought about it. I had only become friends with those two after Amy''s death.


    ?But I still couldn''t rule out the idea of time travel. Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? A seemingly insignificant change in past events could bring about a completely different future. So when I started discovering other differences from our original timeline, like Skylark not being here and the school duels not being a life-or-death situation, I still couldn''t disprove it.?


    ?That''s when I decided to just try and talk to you and see if we could make sense of the situation together, even though you obviously didn''t remember me or you would have come to see me immediately,? Sophia continued in a bitter tone, ?but of course you didn''t believe a word I said.?


    ?I''m so sorry,? I mumbled, mortified.


    ?It''s okay, I''m not mad at you! I mean, it was a natural reaction!  A random girl comes to you and tells you she''s from the future... you didn''t even laugh or make fun of me, you were very kind! Just like this time.?


    ?I thought you were a bit crazy though...? I said with a slight smile, only to turn serious right after that, ?But you really sound angry...?


    ?It''s just... the thought of being in a world where we weren''t lovers... it was really hard.?


    This situation... I wasn''t the only one who had suffered from it. Even if Sophia hadn''t experienced the shock of losing and regaining her memories, she had felt another kind of pain. The pain of being forgotten by someone she loved dearly.


    ?Oh Sophia,? I put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me, ?it''s all right now! Whatever happened, you managed to bring me back to you!?


    ?I did...? Sophia murmured, leaning against me, ?I''m so glad to be with the real you again. I still loved your clueless version... but I much prefer this current one.?


    ?Clueless... I guess that''s one way to put it... anyway, I''m sorry, go on, what happened next??


    ?Well... I didn''t give up just because I couldn''t get through your thick skull once. I wanted to find a way to show you that I was telling the truth.?


    ?Of course you didn''t! That''s my Sophia!? I cheered, cuddling with her.


    She smiled slightly before turning serious again:


    ?But things didn''t go as planned... You see, when I woke up the next day, I quickly realised that it was still Thursday.?


    ?Time had gone back one more time...?


    ?That''s what I thought. I was afraid that I was caught in a loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. So naturally I tried to find a way to break out. And that''s when I noticed the signs... the signs that this world is fake.?


    ?This world... is fake?? I repeated.


    ?That''s right, I have no doubt. Even if it looks the same at first glance, this is not the same Duelcrest Academy we know so well. It''s a different world with its own rules, designed to achieve a specific goal.?


    "A world with its own rules..."


    I doubted that there could be a spell that could create something like that. So there was only one possible explanation:


    ?An innate power... that''s what created this world and trapped us in it, is that what you''re suggesting??


    ?Exactly. As for the reason, it''ll be quicker if I show you. Come with me!?


    Sophia grabbed my hand and led me towards the magic circle as she continued to speak.


    ?Elizabeth, do you think there could be an innate power that can resurrect the dead??


    ?I... don''t know.?


    So far I had seen so much crazy stuff. From Valentine controlling his blood like an extension of his own body to my girlfriend here being able to teleport by cutting through space. Each power, however, seemed to have its own limits and rules to abide by. In truth, I couldn''t believe that a human could break one of the greatest truths of this universe: that the dead cannot return to the world of the living.


    "But what''s the alternative?"


    ?Amy... she really did look and behave like the real thing,? I muttered.


    ?I''m sure she did,? Sophia said, patting my head with a sad smile on her face as we descended the stairs of the entrance hall, ?but that doesn''t apply to everyone else.?


    ?Huh? What do you mean??


    ?I''ll show you.?


    Sophia pulled me by the hand behind the balustrade of the stairs. Hiding there, we watched as students begin to pass by, heading for the magic training room for the afternoon classes. My heart sank when I saw Amy walk past with Nicole and Penny, the same blank expression on her face as before.


    "I wonder what she thought happened earlier... I must have scared her to death."


    I felt Sophia''s grip on my hand tighten and I did the same, grateful.


    ?What am I supposed to see?? I asked.


    ?Wait a moment.?


    At her instruction, I waited in silence for most of the student body to pass. When only a few latecomers remained, Sophia made her move.


    ?Sophia!??


    I watched stupified as my gilfriend came out of our hiding place and grabbe a male student by the wrist. She dragged him back to me like a doll and pushed him against the wall.


    ?What the hell?!?


    It wasn''t like her to be so harsh. But to my surprise, the student didn''t seem to mind being treated so violently. Instead, he gave me a placid, questioning smile.


    ?What''s your name?? Sophia asked in a sharp tone.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "What''s going on? Why has she kidnapped this guy and is interrogating him?"


    Was this normal looking boy the mastermind behind all this?


    "But he''s not one of the remaining 12 students... and I don''t really remember seeing him around."


    ?John Aberich, nice to meet you!? the boy replied cheerfully.


    ?What the fuck?!?


    For a second I thought this guy might be a masochist. After all, enjoying being roughed up by Sophia was something I could relate to. But even I wouldn''t have reacted so pleasantly after being abused by a stranger.


    ?So, Elizabeth, do you remember the name John Aberich?? Sophia asked me.


    I looked at her with my mouth agape.


    "Does she mean? This guy''s a fake?"


    Maybe, since this world couldn''t bring back the dead, it had filled the school with fake students, a bit like extras in a play.


    "But that still doesn''t explain Amy... and... wait, I think I remember his name actually!"


    ?He was here. I think I remember his name because he was the first on the role call before he died in the battle.?


    ?That''s right,? Sophia nodded, ?but what about his face, do you remember it??


    I looked at John Aberich. A straight nose, short black hair and round glasses.


    ?No chance. I must have seen dozens of guys with the same face in this school alone. Except for his stupid expression, I guess.?


    Aberich was looking at us as if he had no care in the world and didn''t seem to have heard my insult at all. If Sophia''s behaviour hadn''t already tipped me off, it would now be obvious that something strange was going on with him.


    ?You hit the nail on the head. This guy looks so generic that nobody would remember him. And the same goes for a lot of the students in here. He doesn''t even have a real personality or a story to tell. Aberich, where are you from? What are your parents'' names??


    Aberich looked at her with an expression of polite ignorance:


    ?I don''t seem to remember, I''m sorry. Is there anything else I can help you with??


    ?So it''s how I thought... this guy is not real.?


    ?He''s a puppet. A fake version of the real John Aberich,? Sophia said, letting him go. The boy started walking towards the east wing corridor as if nothing had happened.


    ?He follows the role of a background student. He can''t get angry with us, no matter how rude we are to him, he can''t say anything interesting or formulate an opinion. I discovered this when I followed some of them after class. It was kind of creepy, they just stay in their room and don''t do anything till the next day,? Sophia explained.


    ?I see... but why? Why isn''t Amy like that? Why does she act like a real person? The same goes for Sam, I saw him before!? I blurted out, still shocked at this revelation.


    ?Because you remember her. I suspect this place was created using our memories as a template. Amy is like that because you knew so much about her, and the same goes for Sam and his friends. But all the other students who died in here, who none of us 12 left alive ever got to know... this place can''t make perfect copies of them out of nothing. So it just took the names from the rankings and created these human-like marionettes.?


    ?I didn''t notice anything...? I muttered, stunned.


    ?Because you didn''t really look at them, Elizabeth. I think that''s quite normal, as humans we live in our own little world most of the time. And this place took advantage of that.?


    The words Sam had spoken to me a few days ago came back to me:


    "When you''re on a pedestal, it''s hard to notice the people below you."


    Many people had lived and died at the Academy, all with their own stories, and I''d hardly ever looked at them, so much so that I couldn''t even remember their faces. And if we died, all that was left of them would be lost forever.


    ?But that''s not the end of it, follow me.?


    Sophia took my hand again, guiding me through the haze that this world-shattering revelation had created.  We stopped outside the classroom and Sophia slowly opened the door.


    ?I know it''s painful,? Sophia whispered, ?but I need you to look at Amy.?


    I nodded. I needed to know the full truth. I peeked into the classroom, looking for my best friend. She was there, in the spot where we used to sit together, with Penny and Nicole by her side.


    She had the same blank expression on her face that I had seen all day. I had thought it was one of concern, but now, thanks to what Sophia had shown me earlier, a doubt crept into my mind.


    Sophia''s words confirmed it:


    ?Elizabeth, have you seen Amy talking directly to Nicole and Penny these past two days??


    It didn''t take long for me to shake my head. It hurt. I already knew it wasn''t possible for the real Amy to be alive, but the confirmation that the girl I''d spent the last two days with was just a copy was like having a knife stab me in the heart.


    Sophia closed the door and stroked my cheek as she spoke in a soft tone:


    ?Since they were never close, Amy''s copy doesn''t know how to behave around them. So it just remains silent and waits for you to come back. Something similar happened when I tried to interact with Sam Rover. Since I didn''t really knew him well, he behaved very strangely a bit like Aberich before.?


    ?I see...? I could only say.


    When I had met him, the boy I had dueled with had really looked like the clumsy hero I had come to know over the past few days. But that was because, unlike Sophia, I had talked to him a lot and understood the type of person he was.


    I sighed and looked at Sophia''s beautiful face animated by her concern for me. I could see why she was reluctant to tell me about this. She hated to see me sad. But I owed it to her caring demeanour to push through this situation and keep my chin up.


    ?What happened next? Did you tell me this stuff??


    ?I did,? Sophia nodded, ?I went to you again and told you all this stuff, but even this time you wouldn''t believe me.?


    ?I mean of course! The idea of me living in some kind of magic simulation surrounded by fake dummies of my friends is even crazier than the time traveling!?


    ?You say that, but you agreed to let me demonstrate it to you!? Sophia exclaimed with a slight smile.


    ?I mean, if a beautiful lady like you wanted to take me on an occult journey, I wouldn''t say no!?


    ?Idiot...?


    But I could see that she appreciated my attempt to lighten the mood.


    ?Anyway... we made plans to see each other the day after... but when I woke up I was back to square one, with you having forgotten everything that happened the day before.?


    ?I''m sorry.?


    ?Stop apologising... as I said, my efforts were useless. At this rate I would never convince you if I had to start all over again every time. And even if I did, you wouldn''t have been able to help me much if you didn''t have your memories. But then I started to think: if this wasn''t a time travel situation, then how and why was the day repeating? And what was the reason we were transported here? Come!?


    For the third time Sophia pulled me away, this time to the courtyard. As we entered, the light of the afternoon sun warmed my face.


    ?Wait... clouds??


    ?That''s right, the real sky. Even this changed... imagine coming here and dozing off on my lap after lunch, with this gentle breeze caressing your face,? Sophia said, sitting down on the grass and looking off into the distance with a somber expression on her face.


    ?But this is still a cage, isn''t it?? I said, sitting by her side and leaning on her shoulder, ?Sure, it''s a more pleasant world than ours, but we''re still not free. This sky is beautiful, but we are still surrounded by iron bars, even if we can''t see them.?


    ?That''s right, it''s a cage. But what kind of cage, Elizabeth? Why are we trapped in it??


    I recalled everything I had learned. That this world had erased all my painful memories. The fact that it had brought back the friends we had lost and created fakes to trick me into believing I was living a normal school life.


    ?Is this a world that is supposed to let us live a happy life?? I said tentatively.


    I was beginning to feel even more uneasy about the situation. At first I had thought this was another of Skylark''s cruel ploys to develop our mana through stress and despair... but what if it was the opposite? Was this actually a way for someone to save us from the Academy and protect us from the harsh reality we lived in?


    Sophia nodded:


    ?That''s what I think. A world where all the pain and suffering we have endured is erased. A world where our dead friends are still with us and where we''ll never feel loss again. A world where Skylark''s perverse game never happened and Aldric is a beacon of hope for us all. A world where every action we take leads to the best outcome and allows us to live a long and fulfilling school life.?


    ?All actions... wait! You mean yesterday... when we met...??


    ?It was the day we were supposed to get together and become a couple. A normal one. That''s the perfect outcome for us, isn''t it? A life where we can always be together without worry!?  Sophia gave me another sad smile.


    ?So when I asked you out, even though I didn''t mean to...?


    ?That was probably this world''s doing. It forced you to take a step that your insecure old self would never have dared to take. I suppose if I had been under the influence of this place, I would have said yes anyway, even if it was such an absurd situation. It was as if we were in one of those insipid wish-fulfilment novels.?


    ?The influence of this place... I see. So it put those worlds in my mouth. But Sophia, I still don''t get it: why were you never influenced by this place unlike me??


    Sophia looked at me hesitantly before answering:


    ?Because... you are my everything. The memories we made together mean the world to me... all of them, even the painful ones. I just can''t be happy without them, so this world can''t help me. I do not need this place because you have changed me, Elizabeth, you have made me the person I am now, thanks to what you said to me on the roof that day. You were right, I was a stupid, insecure girl who hated herself and chased the approval of my horrible parents.?


    ?Sophia...? I reached for her cheek with my hand, but she shook her head, this time giving me one of her full, beautiful smiles.


    ?But that''s not the case anymore. You believed in me, so now I believe in myself. You loved me, so now I love myself. I''m proud to be the person Elizabeth Belvoir has chosen to be her girlfriend.?


    I felt myself tearing up again. But I couldn''t accept her words:


    ?But... you mean the world to me too. You''ve changed me too... you''ve seen how stupid I''ve been these past two days... that girl isn''t me anymore. So why... why did I lose myself in this false reality??


    Sophia hugged me:


    ?You know why, Elizabeth. It''s because you still have something that binds you to the past. You are wonderful, Elizabeth. You are so strong and you have endured so much, but that regret, it never really went away, did it??


    I clung to the shirt as I realised the meaning of her words:


    ?Amy...?


    ?A world where you can be happy with me and your best friend, forever. I don''t think anyone has the right to blame you. I''m actually the bad person here. Even though I knew Amy and considered her a friend... even though I care so much about that stupid Celeste... it seems that my mind still puts my selfish memories above everything.?


    ?Don''t say that. I know how kind you are, Sophia. And how strong... you would never reject reality. You''ve endured too much in your life to wish for an escape.?


    ?There''s nothing wrong with wanting to escape, Elizabeth.?


    ?I know. Thank you...?


    I needed some time to process this, so I pulled away from the embrace, wiped my eyes and asked:


    ?You were talking about the rules of this world. How did you manage to make time pass this time??


    ?This world wants everything to be perfect, so it wouldn''t make sense to have the same day over and over again, would it? So I realised that maybe I was the one causing the problem. Revealing the truth to you would eventually bring everything crashing down, so this world just went back to a point where you were happily oblivious.?


    ?So... you decided to let me find out for myself,? I sighed, finally realising the reason for her strange behaviour.


    ?Exactly. I knew you wouldn''t just accept this place if you knew its true nature. I just needed a way to allow you to do so without triggering the reset. So I did my best to plant a doubt in your mind by vaguely hinting that I knew you. I know how you like to overthink things, so it wasn''t hard, and the fact that you''re so attracted to me certainly helped. Luckily it worked pretty quickly.?


    "Luckily... I don''t really like the way it went. In the end,  my trauma was what I needed to come back. This world probably wanted me to meet and befriend Sam, since that''s what I wished for before he died, but it didn''t take into account the unstable mental state Sophia put me in."


    In a way, Sam had managed to save us again. But I didn''t want to burden Sophia with my grief for him, so I commented sharply instead:


    ?Did you really have to tease me so much and forcibly kiss me??


    ?Sorry, I just thought I could rekindle some memories if I acted like we usually do these days... and it didn''t look like you didn''t like the kiss. Honestly, virgin Elizabeth was kind of adorable.?


    ?Pervert!? but I chuckled. I couldn''t really blame her. I probably wouldn''t have resisted messing with her if the situation had been the opposite.


    But I quickly turned serious.


    ?Well, you did it. Now that we''re together, I guess we have find a way out of here before the day ends or my memory may get erased again.?


    Sophia gave me another hesitant look:


    ?About that... I think I already have an idea.?


    ?You do?? I asked with my mouth hanging open, ?Why didn''t you say so before??


    ?That''s...? Sophia paused for a second to look me straight in the eye, ?Elizabeth... there are two reasons why I didn''t. The first... it''s what I asked you yesterday. Do you remember that question? Is this the kind of life you want to live? A life without sadness and pain, where you can be happy with your friends? I didn''t want to destroy this false world before I heard your answer.?


    I quickly understood what she was getting at.


    ?...you mean if I want to stay here in this world??


    Sophia nodded:


    ?This place... is good, isn''t it? Sure, it''s not a perfect replica of the real world, but I doubt we''d ever notice if we let its influence take over. We''d lose the memories of that terrible past and continue to live here in blissful ignorance. Even if we are surrounded by mindless puppets, we''ll never know. We''ll live together, forever.?


    It really did sound like the best option when she said it like that, but I could clearly see that she wasn''t really convinced by her own words.


    ?Didn''t you say you would never give up the memories of our time together?? I asked gently, squeezing her hand.


    ?I... that''s true... but if this is what you want... if it can finally heal the scars in your heart... I can accept it. I don''t want to go back to the way I was... but I know you will save me again. I believe you: we are destined to love each other. So even in this fake future, you''ll still change me and we''ll make many more memories together.?


    But even as she looked at me with determination, I could sense the fear and uncertainty in her usually confident tone.


    "Ah Sophia... I don''t deserve someone as selfless as you."


    ?Escaping here really does sound like a perfect plan,? I said, ?and I wouldn''t blame anyone for making that choice. If that idiotic girl you met during the last two days was sitting here, she''d definitely have chose to escape. Our reality really does suck... but I can''t give it up. Because I''m not that girl anymore.?


    ?Elizabeth...? Sophia looked at me, her eyes wide open.


    ?If I could bring Amy back, I would give up everything I have except you, Sophia. But this is not what we are looking at, this would only be an insult to her. If she saw me living happily ever after with a copy of her, she would just slap me and yell: ''Don''t run away, Lizzie!'' She was a brave person. Sure, she faltered and almost lost hope, but in the end she fought and sacrificed herself for me. Her death is something I can''t erase, I have to look at it and carry it in my heart.?


    ?But you still hurt...?


    ?I do, and probably always will. As you said, my subconscious still longs for her... so much so that I had lost my way. But now that I''m back, I''m not going to run away anymore. The pain I feel... I will engrave it in my mind as a testament to everything she and I have been through. Along with every other memory, it''s what makes me who I am. It''s what makes me the person Sophia Thornton is in love with, so I''m not going to change that to live in some false sweet-dream paradise.?


    ?I... knew you would choose this way,? Sophia looked at me with loving eyes, ?the Elizabeth I know never takes the easy way out.?


    ?You bet, I have a talent for complicating our lives after all,? I exclaimed, ruffling her hair. But as I looked up at the sun, the ache in my heart was still strong. Seeing Amy again had shown me just how much I was still anchored to the past.


    ?Sophia... it''s kind of stupid... but I still want to talk to her, to Amy, even if she''s not the real one. Maybe... maybe I''ll finally get the closure I need.?


    ?It''s not stupid, Elizabeth... that Amy is the one you still have in your heart,? Sophia said gently.


    ?Thank you... but what''s the other reason you mentioned??


    Sophia''s expression darkened.


    ?To get out of here... I think there''s only one way. We have to find who created this world and make them destroy it, but... they may not be aware of what is happening, I think.?


    ?Not aware?? I repeated.


    ?That''s right. Seeing the nature of this place... what if this is their way of escape? Maybe they are living here happily in the sweet dream they created, without even noticing. Perhaps their innate power, manifesting itself unconsciously, created this world while we were all asleep and drew us into it. If that''s the case... who do you think would want a false world like this? One where their terrible fate will never come??


    The feeling of dread I had felt since Sophia had explained the true nature of this place came back much stronger. It was because I remembered a question I had asked a friend some time ago, and which she had repeated to me just before I fell asleep before entering this world.


    "Do you remember what you told me last time? About how you wished Duelcrest was a normal school?"


    "So this is my fault... I''m the one who put the idea into her head."


    ?Penny... this world is Penny''s way of escaping her death.?


    Sophia nodded seriously:


    ?That''s what I think too. And in that case... things could be even worse than we think.?


    ?What do you mean??


    ?What''s happening in the real world? Obviously our bodies must be like frozen, or we''d have died of dehydration by now. But what about time? Does it flow? Because if it does...?


    ?...today is actually Sunday, the last day before Penny''s execution,? I finished for her.


    Today we would have to make a terrible choice.

 80. A last dance at the end of the world

    ?What am I even doing?? I sighed as I looked at the door to Amy''s room.


    Even though it was my idea and Sophia had reassured me about it, now that I was here, I was starting to have doubts. According to my girlfriend, the Amy behind it was just a copy, created using my memories of my late best friend. If that was the case, the conversation I wanted to have with her... wouldn''t it have been like talking to myself? Because, no matter how close we were, I was sure there were parts of her I hadn''t had the chance to discover.


    "And now I never will."


    I trailed my hand along the wooden door. The Amy on the other side would''ve probably just said what I thought she''d say or, in other words, what I wanted to hear. Wasn''t this whole thing also an insult to Amy''s memory? Using a cheap copy of her to console myself?


    "What would you think of me... Amy?"


    At that thought, I felt a small smile light up my face.


    "You''d probably say: stop making excuses and just get on with it!"


    I knocked on the door with renewed determination. If this place could really see the Amy in my heart, then I had nothing to worry about. Amy was kind. But Amy was also always ready to call out my bullshit without mincing words. If what I needed was a reality check, even a fake copy of her would give it to me. But even then I still couldn''t help but feel my heart ache a little when I heard her voice asking who it was.


    ?It''s me... Lizzie.?


    I heard the sound of running footsteps and the door burst open in front of me.


    ?Lizzie!? Amy exclaimed looking at me with deep concern in her eyes, ?Are you ok?! Has something bad happened?! Why were you screaming like that in the dining hall? And why did you run away from me?!?


    It was such an Amy-like reaction that for a split second a part of me wanted to doubt Sophia''s words. But after looking longingly at her round glasses, her bob of brown hair and her little snub nose, I lowered my eyes. She really did look perfect. But she wasn''t real. The real Amy wouldn''t have stayed in her room if there was any chance I was in danger. She''d have gone out and searched for me without a break until she found me.


    "Remember why you''re here Elizabeth: it''s not to keep dreaming but to find the strength to wake up."


    I raised my eyes and clenched my fists as I met Amy''s.


    ?Don''t worry, I''m fine,? I said with a pained smile, ?I''ll tell you everything. Can I get in??


    ?Of course! But jeez Lizzie, you scared me to death!? Amy replied, moving out of the way to let me in.


    Her room was just as I remembered it. Or rather, it was exactly like that because that is how I remembered it. Amy was a neat and tidy person. When we lived in our small town, she spent so much time getting angry at her three brothers for making a mess of their shared room.


    "She was so happy to finally have her own."


    I sat on her bed, as I had done many times during our study sessions.


    ?What''s wrong, Lizzie? You look so sad all of a sudden... is it because what you were talking about this morning?? Amy asked as she sat next to me.


    "I was just thinking how much more you deserve a world like this than I do."


    All Amy had wanted was to live a happy and comfortable life in our town. Unlike me, she had never wanted to make it big and live for adventure. It was even more unfair that she had been dragged into this perverse game. And all because of me. The question I had asked myself on the first day of school, ''Why was Amy at this school?'', I had found the answer by now. It was Skylark who had given it to me:


    "Mana is developed from strong emotions."


    And what stronger emotion than the grief of losing someone you love? My best friend with no magical talent had been brought here only to die in order to further my development. Just thinking about it made me want to puke.


    ?It''s nothing...?


    Of course I couldn''t tell this Amy the truth. Sophia had made it very clear to me. Telling her the true nature of this world and that she was just a fake copy of a dead person would have unforeseen consequences. Most likely not pleasant ones.


    "If someone told me I wasn''t real, I''d think they were crazy... and go crazy myself if I realised they were right."


    But Amy''s copy, just like the original, wasn''t going to be satisfied with that kind of answer. She grabbed my collar and forced me to look at her, giving me a stern stare.


    ?Oh no! You can''t just act all depressed, make a big fuss at lunch and then say it''s nothing!?


    ?I know, sorry. I''ll tell you. I''m just trying to find the right words...?


    ?That''s fine, but... does it have anything to do with Sophia Thornton? You''ve been acting weird since yesterday. if she''s been treating you badly, I ''ll have a talk with her,? Amy asked slowly, loosening her grip.


    ?No, no!? I said quickly, sensing the danger in her tone as in the old days. An angry Amy, even if it wasn''t the real one, would have been too much even for Sophia.


    ?She... was actually very nice to me and... we decided to start dating,? I explained as my heart began to ache again as a new realisation hit me.


    ?WHAT?! You actually asked her out?!? Amy exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise.


    ?Yeah...?


    Amy hugged me immediately:


    ?Holy shit! You actually did it, Lizzie! I''m so happy for you!?


    I clung to her shirt. This... was something I had never had the chance to do. She had died the same day that Sophia and I had become a couple. I had never been able to talk to her about my confession. All the happiness I had experienced with my girlfriend, I had never had the chance to share with Amy.


    ?Thank you Amy... it''s all thanks to you,? I murmured, ?it''s only because you supported me and gave me the push I needed... thank you, I''ll be forever grateful to you.?


    ?Why are you being so dramatic?? Amy chuckled, ?It sounds like you are about to marry her or something!?


    "I want to... and I hate that you won''t be there to walk me down the aisle."


    Amy seemed to realise that something was wrong as she pulled away from the hug and looked at me with a furrowed brow:


    ?...Why are you crying Lizzie?!?


    ?Sorry,? I could only say as I wiped my eyes.


    ?What are you sorry about?! It''s been ages since I''ve seen you cry... you usually bottle everything up! Come here!?


    Amy took me in her arms again. She was right. The me that had never experienced the many pains I''d endured at the Academy would have called me a wimp for crying like this. But now I knew: crying wasn''t a sign of weakness.


    ?Amy... can you promise not to laugh??


    ?Of course I won''t!? she replied, pulling away from the embrace to give me a nod as she stroked my cheek.


    ?I... had a bad dream.?


    ?A bad dream?? Amy repeated, confused. It was an absurd sentence coming from someone my age, but she didn''t laugh as she had promised.


    ?Yes... a horrible, realistic nightmare. Maybe there was something wrong with the potion they gave me in the infirmary to help me relax,? I lied through my teeth, trying to keep a straight face.


    I couldn''t help but feel sorry for the kind healer when I saw the anger in Amy''s face. But after taking a deep breath, probably to stop herself from running to the infirmary, she put her hand over mine and said:


    ?Sorry Lizzie, I''m the one who made you go there... I really didn''t think they''d be so careless!?


    ?Oh it''s fine, it''s fine! I''m sure it was just an accident! But... I want to talk to you about this dream... I think it might help me get over it.?


    ?Of course! If it scared you of all people... it must''ve been terrifying!? she exclaimed, shaking a little.


    Amy had always struggled with horror stories. But my ''dream'' was far worse than anything a writer could come up with.


    ?I... dreamed that this school had turned into a horrible place where we were forced to fight amongst ourselves and... kill each other.?


    It was the easiest way to explain her Skylark''s perverse game. In the end, all the rules were just an excuse to get to this point: a fight for survival, to develop us into a weapon for the king.


    ?That''s awful!?


    ?It was. But thanks to you... I was able to survive for a long time...? I murmured.


    ?Thanks to me?! It really was a dream, eh eh!? Amy let out a nervous laugh, probably trying to lighten the situation.


    But I took her hands in mine:


    ?I''m serious! You were a huge help. Even if you weren''t very good at fighting, you helped me a lot. Without you, I''d have given up in the first week. You were always there to listen to my problems and tell me what I needed to hear. And... and... in the end...? my voice broke.


    I could see the confusion in Amy''s eyes. I probably sounded like a crazy person, getting all worked up over what should''ve been just a bad dream. But she didn''t tell me that, instead she smiled softly and caressed my cheek:


    ?What happened in the end?? she asked.


    ?You... sacrificed yourself for me... you died before my eyes and I couldn''t do anything to save you... I let you die,? I mumbled, trying my best to keep the tears from flowing again.


    ?I see... is that why you screamed when you saw me before? Did it remind you of that??


    ?Yes... it did. It reminded me of all the terrible things that happened... in the dream.?


    I felt Amy''s hand move from my cheek to under my chin. She gently lifted my head so I could look into her eyes.


    ?But I''m here now! I''m alive in front of you,? she said tenderly.


    It was as if my heart was being pricked by a thousand needles.


    "Why am I torturing myself like this?"


    ?You... are right... it was just a stupid dream.?


    I tried to get up, but before I could Amy grabbed my wrist.


    ?It was, but you''re hurting because of it, I can tell. I know my Lizzie is not someone who would let a dream affect her like this. So tell me why, Lizzie? Why are you trying to run away from me right now??


    I turned to look at her. She really did look real with that stern expression on her face.


    ?I feel so powerless, Amy. I''ve spent most of my life thinking I was some kind of hotshot, but when it comes down to it... I can''t save anyone. I try so hard, but... it''s useless in the end. I know you look up to me, but... I''m just going to disappoint you in the end.?


    ?I don''t really understand why you''re being so hard on yourself all of a sudden... is this some kind of very early mid-life crisis?? Amy said, looking at me confused, but then thinking about my words, she asked: ?But you said you are trying so hard, aren''t you? That''s more than enough for me to respect you as much as I already do!?


    ?But if the end result is the same, what does it matter if I try??


    ?It makes all the difference. You know... a lot of people might think that you are just some kind of child prodigy, Lizzie. And sure... you have that huge mana reserve of yours! But I know, you always work so hard,? Amy stood up and put her hand on my head, ?I was there, you know? I saw how much time you spent on those books. I saw you sweat blood to master all those spells, I saw how you never gave up on your dream of becoming a hero, even when people made fun of you for it. It''s true... I look up to you. I always feel like I''m one step behind you and that I''ll never be able to reach you. But that''s not because you are a powerful mage... but because you are the most determined and hardworking person I know.?


    It was pathetic. It was just as I thought. It was just a wish fulfilling dream. This Amy was telling me what I wanted to hear. But then... why did the pain in my chest ease a little?


    ?But even if I try my best... there are some things I won''t  be able to save you from,? I muttered shaking my head.


    ?Man, you really want me to die, huh?? Amy chuckled, ?but I guess so? If we met with something like that I''ll probably die. But if you put all your effort into saving me like you said, there''s nothing you could have done to prevent it! So why should it be your fault??


    ?...Amy...?


    Amy poked me in the side with a laugh:


    ?What? You think if I die I''ll come back to haunt you like some vengeful ghost or something? Don''t be an idiot, Lizzie! I''m your best friend! If anything, I''ll be looking after you from heaven or wherever we go after we die!?


    ?But if you die protecting me... it will be my fault,? I shook my head, unable to accept the words she had spoken so lightly.


    ?Look Lizzie... I don''t know why you''re so attached to the idea of this dream of yours coming true, but... even if I don''t really want to die young, if I do... I''d rather go out like a champ protecting you!?


    Amy gave me another of her beaming smiles. A similar one to the last one I had seen on her lips before she was taken from me.


    "Amy was smiling..."


    ?You''re right... that''s just like you... my best friend!?


    ?Ah, you smiled at last! Mission accomplished!?


    Amy hugged me again. I let myself lean against her with a sigh. It felt so warm.


    "I really wish I got to hug you more. If only I wasn''t such an idiot... I should have told you how much you meant to me more often."


    ?You know Lizzie? All this talk about death is kind of scary. But... there are worse things. The thought of losing you is much worse for me. We''ve been together all our lives... I feel like I''d lose a part of myself if you weren''t here with me anymore.?


    ?That''s right... it would feel very lonely, Amy. Even though I have other people I love very much now... I would miss you every moment of my life. You are right... there are some things worse than dying. See... I had a similar conversation with Penny. The meaning of life... I think I''m starting to understand what it is for me.?


    Amy pulled away from me, raising her eyebrow:


    ?Meaning of life? Jeez, you''re getting heavy today... I never thought you were the philosophical type.?


    ?I''ve changed... a lot!? I chuckled as I took a step back. The past couple of days really had drove that home.


    ?But Amy... even if I change and grow a lot when you''re not around... you''ll still be my best friend... forever.?


    ?Of course! But I won''t let you escape that easily!? Amy laughed, ?I want to hear all about your new girlfriend!?


    ?I''ll tell you... I''ll tell you everything,? I replied, putting my hand over my heart.


    I turned and opened the door:


    ?Amy... about what you said before... you don''t need to chase after me... you''re already way ahead. But one day... I''ll catch up. And we''ll be side by side again. Good night Amy.?


    ?...Good night, Lizzie.?


    After closing the door behind me, I leaned against the wall and let myself slide to the floor. It was only a second before a gentle hand was on my shoulder.


    ?Are you all right, Elizabeth??


    ?I am. Let''s go see Penny.?


    Maybe I was right. Maybe I had only been talking to myself. But it was okay.  Because... all this time I never needed Amy''s forgiveness. My best friend would never have blamed me for her death.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "What I needed... was to forgive myself."


    <hr>


    Even though it was at the other end of the west wing, it only took us a few minutes to get to Penny''s room. But we didn''t knock on her door just yet. There was something we had to decide:


    ?How are we going to do this?? I asked Sophia.


    Even without thinking about how cruel it would be to wake Penny from the blissful dream she had created, finding a good way to do it  was going to be difficult.


    ?Unlike you, I don''t think she''ll believe me. I think you should be the one to talk to her,? Sophia replied.


    She was right, she and Penny had hardly ever spoken to each other.


    ?So... it''s going to be my job, huh?? I thought, less than thrilled at the prospect. ?But... how am I going to convince her that I''m not going crazy?  Should we bring one of the fake students to show her what''s going on??


    Sophia didn''t answer. It looked like she was deep in thought. Then, after giving me a tentative look, she said:


    ?I don''t know Elizabeth. I''m not sure that talking to her will achieve anything. Think about it: if she''s the one creating this place, she''s not going to give it up so easily. If we could find a way...?


    Her voice faded into nothingness.


    ?Force her?? I finished for her in a bitter tone. But I wasn''t angry at Sophia, after all she couldn''t even say it straight.


    ?Sounds terrible, doesn''t it? Wake her up by force so she can be executed,? Sophia blurted out, looking at her feet.


    "...executed... maybe that''s how it will end... but...!"


    ?That won''t happen for sure... we can still fight!? I exclaimed, clenching my fists.


    ?Fight?? Sophia repeated, confused.


    That Amy, even if she was fake, really knew me well: the me of today wasn''t the type to give up so easily. If there was a glimmer of hope, I would take my chances.


    ?Sophia, how does the Academy kill the last person in the rankings??


    Sophia frowned:


    ?Nobody knows. People just disappear in the middle of the night, as far as I know.?


    ?Isn''t it strange that nobody knows what really happens? You''d think someone would have tried to resist by now!?


    ?You know... you''re right! It''s impossible that everyone just stayed in their rooms and waited for death to come. But then... why have we never heard of anyone fighting back?? Sophia asked slowly.


    ?I don''t know. But if there''s a chance that we can fight against whatever happens, I''ll try. After we get out of here, I''m going to go to Penny and protect her from whatever''s coming for her!? I declared in a firm voice.


    Sophia gave me a look that seemed in between concern and admiration:


    ?You know Skylark won''t take kindly to that, don''t you?? she asked.


    ?I know, but I bet he won''t waste a precious specimen like me. So if I do it alone-?


    But Sophia put her index finger over my lips and stopped me:


    ?Don''t say another word. You know I''ll be by your side,? she whispered.


    ?Sophia...? for a second I was about to say no, but seeing her determined expression I smiled, ?All right, let''s do it together! I''ll ask Celeste as well... let''s protect our friend!?


    Sophia nodded solemnly. Then she said, slowly:


    ?But Skylark... I wonder where he is...?


    It took me a second to realise what she meant.


    ?That''s right... if he''s not the headmaster... do you think he''s actually not here at all??


    The thought caused me to freeze. If that was true and time still flowed in the real world...


    ?He could kill Penny in her sleep!? I exclaimed.


    ?Calm down!? Sophia said, putting a hand on my shoulder, ?we don''t know for sure. He could still be caught up in this dream and since he has no place in our ideal world, he is trapped somewhere.?


    ?Trapped...??


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little at the idea that the old bastard was locked up in a room without door somewhere in the Academy, desperately banging on the stone walls with no chance of getting out.


    "If that¡¯s the case¡­ maybe staying inside this dream is not such a bad idea after all."


    But Sophia was quick to bring me back to heart:


    ?Either case, we can¡¯t be sure. We can¡¯t risk it, so getting out and trying to fight as you said is our best choice at the moment.?


    ?That¡¯s right¡­ and as much as I hate Skylark I already resolved to not let him control my life. But I¡¯m not the one that needs to be convincing here.?


    I looked at Penny¡¯s door, only to realize that it was slightly open.


    "Uh?"


    I made to approach it when it opened fully, revealing the person that was standing behind it.


    ¡°Penny?!¡±


    My friend took a couple of steps out her room. She was looking straight at me. I couldn¡¯t really get what kind of expression she had on her face. Surprise, shock maybe?


    ?...Liz¡­? she muttered.


    "She must have been going out on a walk and she heard what we were talking about¡­ of course she¡¯s shocked!"


    I looked at Sophia, hoping she would come up with something to get us out of the situation. I didn¡¯t want to scare Penny off before we could find a good way to reveal the truth to her. But my girlfriend also seemed rather taken aback by her sudden appearance, so I had to improvise on my own.


    ?Uhm¡­ me and Sophia were talking about an idea I had for a novel, you see? We were just discussing about your-?


    ?Shut up Elizabeth!? Sophia cut me off.


    ?Uh?!?


    She was looking straight at Penny, biting her lip as she always did when she was nervous:


    ?Penny... you know what''s going on, don''t you??


    ?Eh?!?


    I turned to her and saw her nod.


    ?Wait... you mean... this world... you knew all along??


    Penny shook her head and finally spoke in a trembling voice:


    ?Not all along... I found out two days ago when time went back for some reason. That''s when I remembered everything and realised that this place wasn''t real. At first I thought I was dreaming, but... I couldn''t wake up.?


    "...Sophia''s actions must have caused a lot of disturbance and since she''s the one who created this world..."


    Penny was clearly trying not to look us in the eye. The fact that she already knew made things easier in a way... but there were something else that was going to be an issue.


    ?And when you found out... what did you do?? Sophia asked, expressing my doubts.


    ?Nothing. I... didn''t want to risk ruining this place, whatever it is. I stayed put, hoping I could keep living here by pretending I didn''t know anything,? Penny murmured, ?but when I saw Liz acting strangely this morning, I figured she must have started to realise something... so I was following you, sorry.?


    "She''s a really good actress."


    I already knew she was used to faking things due to her past as a high-ranking noble appeaser, but it was impressive how normal she had behaved in the last couple of days I had memories of.


    "Or maybe... it''s because this is the life she wants," I thought, biting my lip as Sophia was doing.


    It was as I had feared: Penny wasn''t going to let this dream go so easily. It was a creation born of an unconscious desire so strong that it had awakened her innate powers.


    ?But... what you were saying... you mean... I''m the one who created this place?? Penny asked, clutching her arm.


    ?That''s what I think. You are clearly the person who would most want to escape reality right now,? Sophia replied in a very soft tone compared to the one she usually used with other people, and the fact that you became aware of what''s going on... I think it confirms it.?


    Penny finally raised her eyes, I could see the shimmer of tears in them.


    ?I see...? she moved her gaze towards me, ?I''m so sorry, Liz... that I had to put you through this.?


    ?Huh? What do you mean?? I asked.


    I hated the fact that, unlike Sophia, I was too shaken by the situation to say anything of value.


    ?Amy. I saw you go into her room... I''m sorry for making you relive your grief.?


    These words finally jolted me out of my shocked state. I moved closer to Penny and put my hand on her cheek, wiping away one of her tears:


    ?Idiot... should you really be worrying about me at a time like this? Besides... I should be thanking you. Sure, she''s not the real Amy, but talking to her actually helped me feel a little more at peace with myself.?


    Penny''s eyes widened in surprise:


    ?Liz... even if she''s not real...?


    Her hand covered mine as a tentative smile lit up her tear streaked face:


    ?I see...? her eyes went over my shoulder, "Sophia, how do I bring us back to the real world??


    ?UH?!?


    This time the stunned exclamation came from me and Sophia at the same time.


    ?Penny... are you sure? You know that if...?


    My words fizzled out, it was Penny who finished the sentence for me:


    ?If I get out of this dream world or whatever it is, I''ll die... I know. And I''m afraid... of course I am. That''s why at first I wanted to stay here forever, if possible. But now, after hearing you say that... I think I want to face reality.?


    ?After hearing me say that...??


    Penny smiled:


    ?I''ve had so much fun these past few days. A normal school life in this Academy would have been fantastic, just like you said. Joking around with you and Nicole, chatting while we eat delicious food, going to class and struggling to study but helping each other through exams in the warmth of the common room... then going to bed, tired but happy, looking forward to a new day. I''m glad I got to live in such a dream... but that''s all it is: a dream. If I remain here, all these precious memories will remain a fake... I have to wake up and bring them back to the real world. That''s how I''ll give them meaning. Even if they''re fake... they can help me face what''s to come... so they have not been useless.?


    ?But... if you die...?


    Penny stopped me by holding out her hand:


    ?I know... but do you remember what I told you in my room? There are things I value more than life. Sure, I can be happy here, but... how long will it last? I don''t want any regrets, Liz. And I don''t want to keep you and the others trapped here for my sake. Just like last time in the dungeon... I''m happy to sacrifice myself to give you a chance to have the future you want. Last time you shouted at me... what about this time??


    "This girl... she''s crazy..."


    I could feel the tears building up again.


    "Maybe I really am a wimp. Penny is so brave and all I can do is cry like a baby."


    My friend must''ve read what I was thinking on my face and laughed:


    ?You really are lame!?


    ?Penny...? I mumbled, lowering my head.


    ?But you are also so cool! You''ll protect me when we wake up, won''t you?? Penny gave me a wink as she leaned down to look me in the eyes.


    ?I... can''t promise you anything Penny. I''ll try with everything I have... but I don''t know if I can save you,? I said bitterly.


    "If it comes to it... will I use my mana to protect her? That would mean going against the promise I''ve made to Sophia. But I..."


    ?Ahahahah!?


    I lifted my eyes to see Penny laughing in front of me:


    ?What...??


    ?Sorry... it''s just, I''m having a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu,? Penny chuckled, wiping her eyes, ?it''s the same thing you said the first time we spoke. I won''t lie... I kind of thought you were full of shit at the time. But now I know... you really meant it. You weren''t just using me to deal with your grief... you really are a hopeless idiot trying to save everyone.?


    ?...?


    ?And I love you for it!?


    I was hugged with a strength that really rivaled Amy''s.


    ?As a friend, of course!? I heard Penny say quickly close to my ear, probably in Sophia''s direction.


    As the hug ended, my girlfriend came over and gave me a gentle nudge:


    ?Aren''t you popular??


    But I could see her eyes were moist.


    ?Penny... are you really sure?? she asked.


    ?I am... don''t try to make me waver now!? Penny said.


    I could see she was shaking, but her voice was firm.


    ?But how do I wake us up??


    I looked at Sophia too. Between the two of us, she was the only one with experience of controlling an innate power. Surely she must have known how to-


    ?I have no idea.?


    ?Eh?!?


    Sophia smiled slightly.


    ?I mean, for me it''s easy... I just cut things. But... for you... I guess this is like your inner world or something... if you concentrate, maybe you can feel something!?


    It was very flimsy, but Penny nodded and closed her eyes. We were silent for what seemed like an eternity and then...


    ?I feel it inside me!? Penny suddenly exclaimed, ?It''s like my mana but... much bigger!?


    ?That''s an interesting way of putting it...? I commented slowly.


    ?Pfff!?


    Maybe it was because we were all so tense, but we started laughing hysterically at my remark.


    ?I guess... you two... of all people... wouldn''t really get it!? Penny gasped, sending us into another fit of laughter.


    When we had finally calmed down, Penny closed her eyes again:


    ?My inner world... I see... then...!?


    Suddenly the world began to shake, as if there was an earthquake.


    ?Uh?! Penny, what are you doing?? I shouted in panic.


    ?Don''t worry... I think I''ve got this!?


    As she said that, the walls of the corridor collapsed like they were cardboard backdrops in a theatre set.


    ?Huh?!?


    We were now in a vast void of nothingness.


    "Is she deleting the world? Then why are we still here?"


    Suddenly a bright light shone above us. I looked up and saw a fancy golden chandelier.


    "What the...?"


    As I lowered my eyes, I found that a vast empty hall with a chequered floor had appeared around us. Large windows opened in the walls, allowing us to see a sea of stars outside. I looked at Penny in confusion. She looked like she was concentrating very hard. Then I turned to Sophia and...


    ?What the hell!?? my girlfriend shouted.


    I quickly understood why. She was no longer wearing her school uniform, but a dress that looked very familiar to me. A long green one that looked very expensive.


    ?Wait a minute!?


    I lowered my eyes to confirm my suspicion. I was also wearing the yellow dress that Celeste had lent me.


    ?Penny... what''s going on??


    ?Oh yes, we can''t forget the music!? she muttered.


    Suddenly a waltz began to play. I turned to see that an orchestra had appeared in the room. As I did so, dozens of couples of dancers in glittering dresses appeared around us and began to move towards the dance floor. In the crowd I recognised several studends from our school and some famous people from our kingdom.


    ?...ah, there you go!? Penny''s eyes finally opened.


    ?Penny, what is this?? I asked dumfounded.


    ?I told you I love romance stories, right? So I thought I would get myself a last wonderful memory while I still can. And a ball seems like the perfect ending to a fairytale. Could you two play along? I really want to see you dance like you did on the roof!?


    A throne had appeared near her. She walked up its steps, sat down and gave me a smile.


    ?Please don''t start crying now! Your partner is waiting for you!?


    Soon Sophia grabbed my hand and dragged me to the centre of the dance floor. My head was still trying to process the situation as she put a hand on my waist and began to lead me into our second dance ever.


    ?Sophia...?


    "This is what she wants... and maybe this could only happen to us in a dream... so let''s make the most of it!?


    I nodded, doing my best to follow her steps. My eyes went to Penny, she winked as we twirled. Eventually I couldn''t help but smile as well, looking straight into Sophia''s deep green eyes.


    ?You''re really good at dancing!?


    ?It''s not much different from swordfighting... but these damn shoes are killing me!?


    ?There you go, spoiling the magic moment!?


    We giggled as we continued to waltz. As the song reached its climax, the floor above us disappeared, giving way to a sea star. As the final note played, our lips touched while Penny cheered us on.


    ?One more song!?


    ?Uh?!? I opened my eyes to look at Sophia in surprise.


    ?I thought your feet hurt!?


    ?Well... I don''t think I''m the one who should be your partner for the last dance of this ball.?


    ?What...??


    Sophia led me back to the throne and held out her hand to Penny:


    ?That honour should be yours, Penny. Just be warned, Elizabeth is a terrible dancer.?


    ?Hey!?


    Penny looked at her, eyes wide open:


    ?I... all right, I''ll take good care of her.?


    With a whirl, a beautiful white dress appeared on her. A shiny tiara gleamed on her head. She walked down the steps of the throne, elegantly taking Sophia''s hand. It looked as if she had been born for this sort of thing.


    ?Are you sure you want to be a doctor? You really look perfect for this kind of fancy life!? I said as Penny took my hand and led me to the centre of the dance floor.


    ?Sadly, balls are a minimal part of what to means to be a noble... there''s a lot of rot behind the golden curtain,? she said gently, putting her hand on my waist.


    ?But I''m glad I got to do this with you...? she murmured as a last song began to play and we slowly began to dance into place.


    ?I''m happy too... thank you for giving us this opportunity.?


    ?It''s all thanks to you, Liz. You know... before I met you, I thought I would just be an endless spectator, just hanging around looking at the shiny people around me. But now... I feel like I can take a stage of my own.?


    ?Shining... you really are shining right now, Penny!?


    ?Thank you, Liz... thank you for being my friend. My first... and best. I don''t know what will happen when this song is over. But I''m glad I got to live this little dream with you.?


    ?It may be a dream... but that doesn''t make it any less real to me!?


    ?That''s right... this is my reality. I''m glad I got to share it with you!?


    As the girl in front of me smiled with the radiance of the moon, a last note played. The world turned black. The sweet dream was over, our last stand was about to begin.

 81. Last stand

    ?Penny!?


    Her name was the first thing that came to my mind and left my lips as I regained consciousness. I opened my eyes only to find myself still in the dark. It took me a few seconds to realise that I was lying on my side, my arms wrapped around a warm body pressed against mine.


    ?Elizabeth,? Sophia''s voice called my name as I pulled away from her.


    ?Penny, we have to get to her!? I exclaimed, grabbing my wand from the bedside table to turn on the light. My eyes quickly went to the clock mounted on the wall on the opposite side of my room. It was 10:40 pm. As I had guessed from the lack of sunlight peeking through the crack under the door, it was night.


    "But... of what day?"


    I couldn''t remember what time I''d gone to bed before being trapped by Penny''s innate power. Could it be that time had really frozen and we still had four days to find a way to save her?


    There was only one way to find out.


    "The calendar next to the leaderboard... it should show us how much time we have until the next elimination."


    Without even bothering to look for my boots, I quickly planted my feet on the floor and stood up, only to immediately lose my balance.


    "Uh?"


    Before I could fall face first onto the wooden floor, I felt the strong grip of Sophia''s hands around my waist. With her help I was able to sit down on the bed, even though my legs didn''t seem to have the strength to support my weight. Suddenly I also began to feel extremely dizzy. I turned around to see my girlfriend biting her lip with a worried expression on her face.


    ?Sophia¡­?


    ?It¡¯s as I feared, we were asleep for a long time,? she muttered.


    ?Oh¡­?


    With the surging panic that had taken over when I woke up I hadn¡¯tnotice how stiff my body felt.


    ?Does it hurt anywhere, Elizabeth?? Sophia asked, her griptightening.


    ?Aside from how tight you''re grip is... No.. I just feel like my legs are super weak and my head is spinning like crazy,? I sighed.


    "In this state, how am I going to fight?"


    ?That¡¯s normal. Looks like Penny''s innate power was not perfect since she just awakened it. It did freeze our bodily functions, but we are still feeling the effects of lying down for such a long time,? she explained, letting go of me to come sit at my side, ?It¡¯s a good thing we got out or things would¡¯ve gotten dangerous¡­ it¡¯s already a miracle we are not covered in bedsores. Let''s take a minute to pick ourselves up.?


    ?But we-? I started.


    ?I know. We need to get to Penny. But even if it¡¯s really Sunday we still have a bit of time,? Sophia cut me off in a firm tone while pointing at the clock, ?Do you intend to crawl all the way to Penny¡¯s room and fight whatever Skylark¡¯s sends after her on your knees??


    Her tone was harsh, probably due to nervousness. She seemed to realize it and her expression softened.


    ?Come on, let¡¯s stretch a bit and get the blood flow going on our legs so we can actually move. If the old bastard was also lying down all this time, he may be in way bigger trouble than us that are still young. We can use the time to come up with a plan,? she said while brushing my cheek gently with her hand. Just that touch was enough to calm me down a little.


    Sophia slowly stood up and began the stretching routine she had taught me back when she was teaching me swordsmanship. Unlike me, she didn''t even look like she was feeling the effects of our prolonged immobility. As usual, I couldn''t help but be impressed by how unstoppable she was, both physically and mentally. Sure, I knew by now the weakness that lay deep in her heart, but the way she was able to control her emotions in a crisis was something I admired so much.


    But I have no time to fawn over her at the moment.


    "A plan..."


    ?Even if we have some time left, I want to get Penny as soon as possible, even before we go to class, to check if time has really moved forward so much. I don''t want to give Skylark the opportunity to do anything funny,? I started rambling, massaging my temples to try and concentrate, ?Speaking of the old bastard... Does he even know what happened? Maybe he''s also confused about what day it is.?


    Sophia, who was busy touching the tips of her toes with her fingers, thought for a second before answering:


    ?I suspect Skylark knew about Penny''s innate power before all this happened.?


    ?But if she never manifested it before!? I objected.


    ?True... but then why was she invited here then? She''s not a very powerful mage and...?


    Sophia suddenly fell silent, but I had understood what she was getting at.


    ?Unlike Amy, she didn''t have a connection with anyone else before she came here...? I finished for her.


    ?Elizabeth...? Sophia stopped stretching and gave me a concerned look.


    ?I''m fine! I''m fine!? I exclaimed, finally trying to get up to start stretching myself, only to land back on my butt on the bed.


    ?Hang on! I''ll help you.?


    Sophia came closer and, after kneeling down, grabbed my foot.


    ?Urrgh!? I groaned in pain as she pushed it, bringing my knee up to my chest.


    ?Sorry! But there''s nothing I can do about it,? she apologised, starting to flex my leg back and forth.


    ?You know I like it rough, but I''m definitely not into this...? I complained, gritting my teeth.


    ?If you have the strength to joke around in this situation, I''m sure you''ll survive!? Sophia scoffed and prepared to repeat the same painful process with my other foot.


    As a new wave of pain washed over me, I tried my best to concentrate again on a possible plan of action.


    ?But you''re right...urgh...he may have a way of detecting...ouch!...innate powers that haven''t manifested. So we have to act quickly... we should get all the others on board as well. And then... find a good place to fight! Uuuh,? I whimpered as Sophia finally finished her work on my leg.


    ?I see...? she muttered as she grabbed my boots from under the bed and started to help me put them on, ?What about the roof? Or the courtyard? Both have only one entrance and plenty of room to deal with whatever Skylark sends after us.?


    "That''s right, the barriers of our rooms won''t help us if we''re fighting the school itself. And even if we try to barricade ourselves with some defensive spells of our own, it''s too risky. Our rooms are small so, if they break through, they could wipe us all out with a single powerful spell."


    ?Sounds good,? I nodded as Sophia finished tying my laces, ?let''s go with the courtyard, it''s further away from the second floor and has a normal door. If we go to the roof, they could disable the magic circle and trap us there and starve us.?


    ?Alright,? Sophia grabbed my wrist and pulled me up. My legs were still shaking, but it seemed that her techniques had at least made them able to support my weight. My head was still spinning, though.


    ?Hold still, you probably have low blood pressure and that''s why you feel dizzy. How are your legs? Can you walk on them?? my girlfriend asked, still holding on firmly to my shoulders.


    ?I can... but...?


    I leaned against her, pressing my head into her chest.


    ?Elizabeth...?


    ?I know we don''t have time for this, but... I need you, just for a moment,? I whispered, looking up, straight into her emerald eyes as I went in for a kiss.


    "There has been a time when this simple gesture  felt awkward, but now it''s as natural to me as breathing," I thought as I deepened the kiss. Maybe it was because we hadn''t done it for four days outside of that dream world, but I felt particularly needy.


    ?Elizabeth!? Sophia gasped as I pulled away.


    ?I know, sorry. It''s just... I''m going to risk my life again with my reckless ideas. And as usual, I''m dragging you with me,? I muttered, looking away.


    ?Is trying to asphyxiate me your way of apologising?? Sophia replied, making me raise my chin by placing a finger underneath it, then with a slight reassuring smile she whispered, ?Don''t worry, I told you before... Even though it worries me, I love the part of you that is willing to do anything for your friends. Whatever happens, I''ll be happy to be by your side.?


    ?Sophia...?


    I really wanted to go for another round, especially since we might not be able to ever kiss again when midnight hit. But for now I needed to be strong, just like her. I nodded and took her hand:


    ?Let''s go Sophia, let''s show Skylark that even his stupid rules can be broken!?


    My steps were still unsteady and running was out of the question, but thanks to Sophia''s support we were outside Penny''s room in a matter of minutes. But they felt like hours.


    "Is she... still here?"


    I knocked on her door with a trembling hand, cursing myself for wasting time with my emotional needs. The second that passed before she answered was extremely gruelling,


    ?Who''s there?? Penny''s muffled voice asked, making me breathe a huge sigh of relief.


    ?It''s me and Sophia!? I yelled, too relieved to even bother keeping my voice down. It wasn''t like we could wake anyone up here. Her room was surrounded by empty ones, memorials to all the students who had lost their lives at the Academy.


    Soon we heard the door lock click.


    ?Sorry, I used my wand, I can''t seem to get up!? I heard Penny say in a pained tone.


    ?Yeah, we had the same problem,? I replied and opened the door.


    Penny was sitting on her bed in her pyjamas. Even though I had already heard her talk, it was comforting to see her. The last dance we had in her dream world had really felt too close to a farewell.


    "But she''s still alive and we have to make sure she stays that way!"


    I hurried to her side:


    ?Apart from your body feeling super heavy, are you ok?? I asked worriedly. I could see that her lips were trembling. Like us, she had probably realised the reason why our bodies felt so weak.


    ?I''m... scared, but I''m okay,? Penny said slowly, giving me a tentative smile.


    ?Help her get up, Elizabeth. I''ll get the others. Don''t move from here, yell very loudly if anything happens and I''ll come running,? Sophia said, still standing at the door.


    I nodded at her before she disappeared into the darkness of the corridor. Normally I wouldn''t have wanted to be separated from her, but time was of the essence.


    "And if I actually call for her, she''s very capable of cutting through all the walls of the west wing to get to me as quickly as possible!"


    ?Sorry Penny, this might hurt a bit!? I said as I got a hold of her ankle.


    ?Eh?! What are you doing?? she asked, struggling a bit in my grip.


    ?Helping you get that blood flowing!? I explained, ?Don''t worry, I won''t try and murder you like Sophia did to me!?


    But despite all the care I tried to take, it wasn''t painless.


    ?Ugh... are you really sure we should... be doing this, Liz?? Penny asked between pained groans of protest.


    ?Eh? I know Sophia''s super jealous, but I can actually touch other girls, you know? Don''t you remember we were dancing not even half an hour ago?? I replied, giving her a confused look.


    ?That''s not what I meant, idiot!... EHY!? Penny yelled as I pushed a little harder on her leg in retaliation.


    ?Sorry, my bad!? I said looking away.


    ?You did that on purpose!? Penny complained, just before we both started to chuckle nervously.


    ?What did you mean?? I asked after a moment of silence.


    ?Trying to fight against... no! Wait!? Penny stopped immediately as I prepared to push on her leg again.


    ?Then shut up! You were so happy before that I would fight to protect you!?


    ?I am... I really am. But you and the others... I don''t want to put anyone in danger,? she said in a low voice, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.


    ?It had to happen sooner or later. Getting out of here without fighting Skylark was something I never believed in. To be honest, I prefer this to having Sophia risk her life alone,? I stated calmly.


    Now that the person I wanted to protect was in front of me, my determination to fight was stronger than ever and left no room for hesitation.


    ?Besides...? I continued, grabbing her wrists to help her stand, ?we don''t really know what''s going to happen. Maybe your innate power has put the old bastard to sleep forever. If we are like this, imagine how his decrepit legs are faring!?


    My comment made Penny giggle:


    ?I don''t think he''s that old!? she babbled, holding on to my shoulders for balance.


    ?Well, he certainly looks it!?


    At that moment, it was as if we were talking about a very strict professor who''d given us a bad mark in an exam, rather than the despicable man who could be responsible for both our deaths in just over an hour.


    "But keeping things light is the best way to act when you are on the edge of a cliff."


    My time at the Academy had taught me that much. Maintaining a thin illusion of normalcy was the only way to stay sane in this cursed place.


    ?Are you all right now?? I asked, ?we''ll go to the courtyard and make our stand there, feel like you can get there on your own two feet? I''m sure Sophia could give you a piggyback ride if you can''t!?


    ?I''m fine!? Penny said, slowly letting go of me. She was a little wobbly, but she didn''t fall.


    ?I want to change into my uniform... if I''m going to die, I don''t want to do it in my pyjamas!? she exclaimed as she slowly headed for the wardrobe.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ?That''s just like you, to be worrying about something like that right now...?


    ?I guess I''m still a little too concerned about appearances. I wonder what my parents are thinking right now... they really thought I would score a rich and high-status fianc¨¦ from this Academy.?


    ?Instead, you got an annoying commoner friend... one who will go on tour after we get out of here. I''ll go to yours, Celeste''s and Sophia''s houses and kick all your parents'' noble asses one by one,? I chuckled before walking out the door, "I''ll be waiting for you. Don''t take too long changing.?


    ?Don''t worry and... thanks Liz, for everything.?


    ?I told you yesterday, you need to stop sounding like a dying woman,? I replied before closing her door behind me.


    I let out a sigh as I rested my back against the wall. If only I could have spent more time with her and the others.


    ?But I have no right to wish that after I refused to stay in that dream world.?


    Reality would soon be upon us and I had to face it. My nervousness began to grow again, but soon something came to my aid.


    "That is..."


    I let out a small chuckle as I saw a very amusing sight appear out of the corner of my eye. A very annoyed Sophia was carrying Celeste on her shoulders. Her long drills brushed against my girlfriend''s face as she pointed forward, as if signalling the attack.


    Soon they were close enough for me to hear them hiss at each other.


    ?You should be thankful the situation is serious or I would have dumped you in the nearest toilet!?


    ?Less talk, faster legs!?


    Behind them were Philemon and Wilhelm, both walking on their own two feet. The smile on my face faded as I realised there was no one else.


    "Where''s Nicole?"


    ?Sophia! Celeste!? I shouted as I ran towards them.


    My girlfriend let out a sigh as Celeste waved at me:


    ?Liz Liz, long time no see!? she shouted.


    ?What are you... oh well, I guess it''s been four days...?


    ?Right? I couldn''t believe it when Sophie told me all that stuff! To think I didn''t realise anything!? Celeste exclaimed.


    But even though she was trying to sound cheerful, I could see a shadow in her smile. By now I had learnt to recognise when she was putting on a happy face.


    ?Stop yelling and start stretching again! You''re far too energetic for someone who supposedly can''t walk!? Sophia snapped as she used the nearby wall to roughly lay her down on the floor.


    ?Hey, this is not the way to treat a fair maiden like me!? Celeste complained, but soon began to comply with Philemon''s help.


    ?Where''s Penny?? Sophia asked as she approached me.


    ?She''s getting into her uniform, but... what about Nicole?? I asked, looking over her shoulder to see if she was just a little behind.


    ?She''s not coming,? Sophia replied bitterly.


    ?She''s not... coming?? I repeated, confused.


    ?That''s right. She didn''t even open the door for me. I explained what was going on, but she still refused to come out.?


    "..."


    Why was Nicole behaving like this? Didn''t she want to help save Penny? Was she... really the traitor after all?


    "But if that''s the case... a final fight against Skylark is something she wouldn''t want to miss. It would be the perfect opportunity for one last backstab."


    ?I could go and force her out by breaking down the door,? Sophia interrupted my train of thought.


    ?If she doesn''t want to come, there''s no point in dragging her out,? I replied, biting my lip.


    "If only I spent more time with her, maybe I could understand what''s going on in her head."


    But maybe it wasn''t all my fault. Nicole had always seemed like she didn''t really want us to get close. She was always nice to everyone, but it was almost as if she was keeping her distance.


    ?Now that I think about it... I don''t even know anything about her past. But with Penny... it was different. Weren''t they pretty close? So why is she not trying to save her?? I muttered.


    ?She''s a lot more sensitive than she likes to show.?


    I turned to see Penny coming out of her room, a sad expression on her face.


    ?Penny...?


    ?It''s okay... you see.... She told me the night before your duel with Sam Rover: she couldn''t bear to see me in danger. That happy dream I forced on her must have killed her spirit. I don''t blame her if she doesn''t want to have her hopes dashed again,? my friend murmured, lowering her eyes.


    ?Don''t even think for a second that this is your fault!? I yelled as I grabbed her hand.


    ?It''s not hers either. We are all victims here, Liz, you are the one who said that,? Penny replied quietly.


    ?That''s true, but...?


    "She should at least say goodbye to her if she thinks she has no hope of surviving."


    But in the end, Penny was right. I couldn''t blame Nicole for being irrational in the face of her best friend''s death.


    "I just hope you won''t regret this..."


    I shook my head. We weren''t going to let that happen. Penny was going to be fine and she would have scolded Nicole herself.


    ?Penny! Are you ok?!?


    Celeste, who had apparently regained the use of her legs, almost trampled over me to hug Penny.


    ?I knew it was all bullshit when you said you couldn''t walk!? Sophia grunted, making me laugh.


    But to see Celeste voluntarily hug someone was something I wasn''t expecting.


    "I guess she also opened up a bit."


    I turned to Wilhlem and Philemon, who had been silent until now.


    ?Are you two all right?? I asked.


    ?I feel like I''ve suddenly lost a lot of muscle mass,? Wilhelm replied, flexing his arm, ?but I''m ready to fight for Penny, although I doubt I''ll be able to do anything if Skylark decides to face us in person.?


    "You look as jacked as usual to me..."


    ?I''m fine,? Philemon said as laconically as ever.


    Looking at his impassive face, I couldn''t help but feel guilty once again.


    ?I''m sorry. I''m putting Celestre in danger again.?


    The boy''s face didn''t change and he slowly shook his head:


    ?Celeste would have defended Penny even if you hadn''t suggested it. She''s the leader of our alliance, remember. She wouldn''t leave any of you behind,? he stated.


    "But you didn''t say you wouldn''t..."


    That uncomfortable thought was interrupted by Celeste''s cheerful voice:


    ?Why are you saying my name, Phil? Are you telling Liz some embarrassing story about me??


    ?I don''t think he needs to... everyone here already knows you''re a weirdo,? Sophia cut in with her sharp tongue, making me and Penny laugh.


    But this brief moment of levity was short-lived. We all looked at each other.


    ?Let''s do this guys!? Celeste announced as she started to walk towards the east wing.


    And we all followed, walking together through the silent corridors of the school for what might have been the last time. Penny was in the middle of our formation, visibly shaking, but still marching forward.


    Before we reached our destination, we stopped at the classroom. Inside, near the rankings, we got confirmation of what we all already knew: it was Sunday and we had less than an hour before the elimination. Without saying a word, we all left and quickly made our way to the courtyard.


    ?Wait, I''ll check just in case,? Celeste muttered, closing her eyes.


    The courtyard door didn''t have any particular defensive barrier on it, so it was possible for her to use her incredible ability in mana expansion to verify if anyone was inside.


    ?Ok, nobody''s trying to pull a fast one on us,? she said after about thirty seconds and opened the door.


    We all covered our eyes to avoid being blinded by the fake sun.


    ?Will, Sophie, go to the other side with Penny,? Celeste ordered quickly, ?Liz, Phil, give me a hand and put as many defensive spells on this door and wall as you can.?


    I doubted I had anything in my repertoire that could stop a mage like Skylark.


    "But slowing him down, maybe I can do that much."


    I quickly began reinforcing the wooden door with all the enhancements I could think of. Then, imitating Philemon, I conjured a mana barrier to cover the entire wall.


    "I''d better have a spell ready to launch, I''m not sure I''ll be able to triplecast like I did in the duel with Sam."


    Meanwhile, Celeste was tracing several complicated sigils on the wall. When she was done, she pointed her wand at the door. Under the grass I could see the ground shaking.


    ?A hidden trap. Might be good against the guards,? she commented when she saw me looking.


    By the end of the job, the door to the courtyard had turned into a heavily fortified position.


    ?Well, this is about the best we can do,? Celeste muttered. Then she took out her pocket watch, ?Still half an hour, but let''s get into position just in case the old man decides to pay us an early visit.?


    Philemon and I nodded and followed her back to Penny and the others. When we arrived, Sophia stood up:


    ?I''ll go near the door. You know ranged combat is not my thing,? she explained.


    ?Alright! Take care to not go in front of the door, I put a nice trap. And just in general... be careful, Sophie!? Celeste said, uncharacteristically serious.


    ?Just don''t hit me with a spell in the back by mistake and I''ll be fine,? Sophia replied with a slight smile. Then she turned to me.


    I bit my lip. It seemed that her habit had begun to affect me as well. I knew it was having her at the front was the right strategy, but I still couldn''t help but worry that she would be our first line of defence. That wall suddenly seemed so much further away than usual.


    ?Don''t worry. I''ll be fine with you watching my back,? Sophia whispered as she stroked a lock of my hair.


    ?Such a difference in treatment compared to Celeste,? I heard Penny chuckle, just before Sophia hugged me and lifted me a little off the ground with her strong grip.


    Not caring that our friends were watching, she covered my lips with hers.


    ?I''m glad I''m not getting that treatment, at least... I guess?? Celeste exclaimed, making me laugh a bit during the kiss.


    After pulling away, Sophia squeezed my right cheek a little before walking away from us. Even with all the anxiety I now felt, my love for her was still strong enough to override everything.


    ?Just looking at you two makes me want to find my soul mate too!? Celeste said, draping an arm over my shoulder.


    ?Right?? Penny echoed.


    "I''m sorry Philemon!" I could only think.


    But I was glad our spirits were high as we began our post, Celeste''s pocket watch opened on the ground in front of us. Me, Celeste, Philemon and Wilhelm formed a wall in front of Penny, our wands pointed at the door. Sophia was there, lying on the grass right next to the side of it. ready to pounce.


    The minutes ticked slowly, but it wasn''t until there were only five left that I began to feel the tension. But even then, my grip on my wand was firm. Part of me was a little proud of how far I had come from the little girl who had cowered under the covers of her bed during the first week. I was pretty sure the me of today would''ve kicked Valentine''s ass without even blinking. But I also knew I had a long way to go. I didn''t have the steel nerves of Sophia or the leadership skills of Celeste. I wasn''t as cunning as Philemon or as brave as Sam Rover. There was still a long path in front of me.


    ?But will I be able to walk it??


    If push came to shove, I would use my mana to protect everyone.


    "I won''t go against our promise, Sophia... but if we''re cornered, I want you all to live for me," I thought as the long hand of the clock stopped just before number 12, ready to join the little one.


    ?Well guys, whatever happens, it was a pleasure. Sorry if I caused you trouble at the start,? said Whilelm.


    ?There you go, jinxed it,? Celeste sighed, "but yeah, I''m glad we got this alliance going. It was rocky at first, but now we are besties!?


    ?I don''t know about that..." I mumbled, looking at Philemon with my side eye, "but yeah, I''m glad we''re all fighting this together.?


    ?Thanks guys. If it''s too much, don''t worry about me and...? Penny started.


    ?Nope.?


    ?No, can''t do.?


    ?Don''t be foolish.?


    ?Guys...?


    As midnight ticked, my eyes moved to Sophia. Her head was turned towards us. I couldn''t see her eyes, but I was sure she was looking at me.


    "...I love you."


    The time had come. Nothing had happened yet, but I could feel the tension building. I gripped my wand even tighter, my knuckles turning white.


    Then we saw it.


    The door, shining from our defensive spells, had flickered.


    ?It''s coming, prepare to strike,? Celeste whispered, even though there was no way whoever or whatever was out that door could hear us.


    The entrance flickered again, our defences flickering. I could feel them draining my mana.


    And then... they were broken.


    The door opened slightly.


    ?Meteor!? I shouted as my companions also began to cast spells at the small crack in the door.


    Through the fog created by the numerous explosions, I could see Sophia''s siloutte at the side, ready to strike at anything that entered. But as the smoke cleared, all that lay before us was a broken door and an empty hallway.


    "Have they retreated? No, I have to stay alert."


    Seconds went by without anything happening.


    My eyes went to Sophia, still lying on the floor near the door. My girlfriend slowly got her knees and started approaching the door.


    "Please be careful..." I wanted to scream, but I didn''t dare open my mouth.


    But Sophia stopped. Even though she was far away, I could see a confused expression on her face. Then she turned to us and...


    ?WHAT?!?


    I had never heard her scream like that before. It petrified me. Soon I heard another gasp, this time from Celeste.


    What... had happened?


    "I... don''t want to turn around."


    But I had to. I couldn''t run from reality.


    "..."


    Nothing.


    There was nothing behind me. No gruesome spectacle like the one we had seen when we had discovered Sam''s body.


    But...


    ?Where''s Penny?!? I yelled.


    I looked left and right, hoping she had moved to the side of the yard. But she was nowhere to be seen.


    ?Has she been teleported away?! But she would have screamed!!?


    I looked at Celeste, hoping she would have an answer. But my friend seemed to be in a state of shock: her eyes were closed almost as if rejecting the reality in front of them. We remained silent until Philemon finally spoke.


    ?You might want to take a look at this.?


    ?Uh??


    He was holding Celeste''s pocket watch.


    "...What?"


    The clock was signing half past midnight.


    ?No...?


    I fell to my knees as Will covered his mouth with both hands, a look of horror on his face. Celeste, still with her eyes closed, didn''t seem to have found the strenght to even look at it.


    I punched the ground with my fist.


    ?What the hell happened?!? I yelled as the first tears began to fall.


    How was this possible?  In the face of our determination to fight to the death to protect her, Penny had been taken from us without us being able to do anything about it.


    I felt a pair of arms hugging me gently from behind.


    ?It must be Skylark''s power,? Sophia''s voice said close to my ear.


    ?You mean...?? Wilhelm began.


    ?We had theorised that his power had something to do with erasing events and people from history. That''s probably what happened. He erased the last half hour,? Philemon explained.


    ?But... I didn''t even notice anything... did you?? Wilhelm muttered in disbelief.


    ?If I did I can''t remember. But now it''s clear that something odd happened. If you look at the grass, you can clearly see that someone came in here,? I looked at the patch of grass Sophia was pointing at. It was a bit hard to see, but I could see that someone had stepped on it with a pair of heavy-duty boots.


    ?It could just be from when we got here!? Wilhelm objected.


    ?That wouldn''t explain the set of footprints I saw near the door. The sigils on the wall have also been deactivated. And even Celeste''s trap was triggered. Unless an invisible being somehow got in here, snatched Penny without anyone noticing, and changed the time on Celeste''s watch, there''s only one explanation. Skylark did something to restrain us and then erased our memories about it,? Sophia stated coldly.


    ?But... in the blink of an eye... it''s almost like he stopped time or something...? Wilhlem murmured, ?if he has such powers at his disposal... we...?


    ?We can''t give up!?


    ?Uh??


    Those words had left my mouth without me noticing.


    ?Even if he can stop time, kill us with his breath or just end the world with a clap, I will never give up. He has taken too much from me... I will never forgive him and the people backing him!? I yelled, getting up from the floor, tears streaming down my face.


    ?Elizabeth...?


    But even Sophia''s voice was not enough to calm down the rage seething inside me.


    "Penny... I''m sorry, I wasn''t able to protect you now... but if there''s a glimmer of hope left, I''ll keep chasing it."


    ?Penny might still be alive. Now we know that people who are eliminated really do disappear. They could have taken her somewhere and are keeping her alive. I know...? I said, before anyone could interrupt me I added, ?I know, it''s just wishful thinking, but until I see a body I''m not giving up. We have to find her, as soon as possible.?


    I expected someone to disagree. Maybe Sophia, saying she refused to let me take any more risks. Or maybe Philemon, telling me how stupid I was for still clinging to hope. But no one did. Everyone just stared at me, even Celeste, who had finally opened her eyes. But I could see something trembling in her troubled expression.


    ?Sophie, Liz, I have to tell you something!? she suddenly exclaimed.


    ?What??


    ?It''s urgent!? She said, tears now streaming down her face as well.


    I was silent for a second, thinking.


    "Urgent, but she doesn''t want to say it in front of Wilhelm and Philemon... it must be about the traitor. Does she think is one of them who took Penny away? Was she looking for some kind of spell with her mana expansion?"


    ?Alright!? I said, pulling her wrist and walking to the side of the courtyard before Philemon or Wilhelm could protest, Sophia in our wake.


    ?I really don''t think there''s any point in keeping things secret with those two... but I promised,? Celeste muttered, wiping her eyes.


    ?What''s the matter? Have you noticed anything that might lead us to Penny?? I asked, grabbing her hands.


    For some reason Celeste looked away:


    ?I... I know where she is. She was taken to the underground facility below the school! I don''t know if she''s still alive though...?


    ?What? How do you know?? Sophia pressed her.


    "Don''t tell me... no, there''s no way..."


    Probably sensing what I was thinking, Celeste quickly shook her head and quickly explained:


    ?I''m not the traitor, idiots!? she then lowered her voice and, still avoiding my eyes, added: ?Although... I did do something terrible.?


    ?Then explain yourself, damn it!? I blurted out. The situation was so bad enough that I had no time to be considerate.


    ?I... when I hugged Penny before, I slipped my familiar into her pocket.?


    I widened my eyes.


    ?You...?


    ?I thought if we lost our fight against Skylark, I could at least get some information out of it... I know I''m terrible. I was...?


    ?You''re a genius!? Sophia and I cut her off in unison.


    ?But I...?


    ?Celeste, this is why you''re our leader. You make the hard decisions. But... you were prepared to fight and give your life for Penny, remember? So... don''t feel bad. Your quick thinking may save her!? I said in a softer tone. Now that I knew she hadn''t really done anything wrong, I could give her the reassurance she deserved.


    Celeste smiled through her tears:


    ?Thank you... anyway, that''s the way it is. I concentrated and followed the mana trail of my little sparrow. It goes up and up till it suddenly starts heading down, leading deep underneath the school. Unfortunately, they seem to have found it and cut the connection, but...?


    ?You know where the other magic circle is,? I finished for her, the glimmer of hope in my heart shining much brighter than before, ?so can you...??


    Celeste nodded:


    ?I can activate it now. We can go down there.?


    I took a deep breath as I felt Sophia squeeze my hand.


    ?We need a plan.?


    ?Who are you and what have you done to Elizabeth?? Sophia said in disbelief.


    ?Idiot... I want to run there right now, you know? But if we get killed, we won''t be able to help Penny.?


    ?Exactly. We have to find a way to deal with Skylark and get Penny out of there safely...?


    "If she''s still alive."


    But no one wanted to say that part out loud.  Because, for the first time, a way out of this school had opened up for us. But it would not be easy to reach it.


    ?If it''s Skylark who''s found the familiar, he must know that we know. If that''s the case, there''s no point in keeping this a secret,? I said, ?let''s get Philemon and Wilhelm involved. We need all the brainpower we can get.?


    Neither Celeste nor Sophia objected. It was then that something else occurred to me.


    ?While you do that... I''ll try to get Nicole. Now that we might have a chance, she might change her mind.?


    ?Alright, me and Sophia will explain everything to the boys and start squeezing our brains as hard as we can,? Celeste exclaimed.


    ?Got it... be careful out there, Elizabeth,? Sophia said before giving me a quick peck on the cheek.


    ?I''ll leave everything to you,? I said before running off.


    As I ran out of the broken courtyard door I realised something.


    "Why was I the one calling the shots?"


    Somehow Celeste didn''t seem to mind me taking over.


    "Oh well, no time to think about that now."


    My legs were still not in the best shape, but I ignored the pain and darted through the deserted school. Soon I was outside Nicole''s room. Without wasting a moment, I started pounding on the door.


    ?N-NICOLE!" I panted, "Get out of there! They took Penny!?


    ?B-But... we know... where they took her!? I continued after no one answered, ?and we know how to get there! We are going to try and rescue her and then escape, so we need your help!?


    Suddenly, in the silence that followed, I heard the sound of footsteps from inside the room.


    ?Nicole!? I exclaimed as the door slowly opened. But my momentary joy for having convinced her was shattered when I saw the state she was in.


    There was no trace of the cute and bubbly girl I remembered her to be. Her red hair was messy and unkempt. There were red marks on her face, almost as if she had scratched it with her nails. Her eyes were red and swollen.


    ?You... are going to try to save her?? she muttered slowly.


    ?Of course we are!? I said, taking her hands in mine, ?but Nicole, are you ok?!?


    It was a stupid question. She clearly wasn''t.


    Her eyes locked with mine. At that moment I began to feel a terrible sensation take hold of me.


    ?What... is this?? I murmured and took a step back.


    I... had felt this way before. It was when I had tried to hide my deteriorating mental state from Sophia.


    It was... guilt. Unberable guilt.


    ?Liz... I have betrayed you all.?

 82. The traitor

    "Betrayed us all...?"


    Those words, combined with the strange wave of guilt, stunned me for a moment. But I quickly regained my composure, despite the urge to vomit that strange powerful foreign emotion was causing me. After all...


    "I may be in great danger."


    If Nicole really was admitting to being the traitor, it also meant that she was most likely the user of the mysterious innate power that had caused Sam''s death.


    "This sad state she''s in could just be an act to make me drop my guard, I have to be careful."


    But if she really had a psychic power, as Sophia and I had theorised, I had no idea of knowing how she would attack me.


    "It''s better if I go on the offensive... If I''m wrong, I can always apologise later..."


    ?What do you mean, ''you betrayed us''? Is it because you didn''t come to fight with us? If that''s the case, I understand... but you can still make it up to Penny by helping us now,? I said in what I hoped was a reassuring tone as I took a step back. Hoping Nicole wouldn''t notice, I moved my hand closer to the holster that held my wand.


    Fortunately, my friend was staring down at her feet as she fidgeted nervously with her hands. After a moment of silence, she muttered:


    ?N-no... t-that''s not... Liz... I-I worked with Skylark to...?


    Hearing that hideous name erased any possible hesitation from my mind and made me spring into action.


    Without even bothering to let her finish, I grabbed my wand and cast a wind spell. Nicole let out a surprised gasp as she was pushed back against the wall behind her. Since I hadn''t used an incantation so as not to alert her to my sudden attack, my spell wasn''t strong enough to knock her out, but that wasn''t my intention anyway. Without wasting any time, I lunged forward and before Nicole could even register what was happening, I grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and pressed my wand against her neck, just below her jaw.


    ?L-Liz...? Nicole whimpered in a pained voice.


    I wasn''t going to feel sorry for someone who had just admitted to working with the man I hated the most. Instead, I pressed my arm against her chest and pinned her to the wall, my wand digging deeper into her neck.


    ?If this is a misunderstanding, I''ll do everything I can to make it right. Now explain yourself. And don''t try anything funny or I''ll slit your throat,? I hissed, looking her straight in the eyes. Nicole lowered hers, seemingly unable to hold my gaze.


    "Just like how Sam died..."


    I could feel an unbridled rage rising inside me. Gritting my teeth, I gripped my wand tighter to keep my hand from shaking. It was important not to let my nerves get the better of me and cloud my judgement at a moment like this.


    ?Why did she confess now? Is this some kind of trick or is she feeling remorseful because of what happened to Penny??


    My mind went back to the strange feeling of guilt I had felt earlier, which had now completely dissipated, giving way to anger.


    "Did I feel her emotions? Does it have something to do with the innate power she used to make Sam kill himself?" I thought, my eyes fixed on Nicole''s face, hidden by her long red hair that hung in front of her almost like a curtain. But my now former ally didn''t seem to want to answer.


    I roughly shook her by the collar in irritation:


    ?Do you really think you can get out of this by keeping quiet?? I asked her in a harsh tone.


    My words didn''t seem to evoke any reaction. Nicole remained still and silent, almost as if my attack had turned her into a broken doll.


    "Maybe I should just knock her out and take her to the others," I thought, biting my lip.


    But just then Nicole finally spoke again:


    ?There''s no misunderstanding. I''m the traitor you thought had infiltrated your alliance from the beginning. I joined you on Skylark''s orders and acted as a spy for him, just as you feared.?


    Her behaviour had changed completely from before I had restrained her. Instead of sounding desperate, she had now spoken in an emotionless tone, almost as if she didn''t even care about the situation.


    ?You...?


    My grip on her collar tightened and Nicole gasped as I pressed the tip of my wand deeper into her neck. A dark part of my mind wanted nothing more than to cast a powerful spell and get this over with.


    But I couldn''t.


    Even though I had killed someone before. Even though I could never forgive her. Even though she''d deserved it. Even though the girl before me, the one I once called a friend and companion, had committed a far graver sin than those of cold-blooded killers like Valentine and Finch. She hadn''t just played by the terrible rules of the Skylark games. She had betrayed our trust, posing as an ally only to backstab us. And why had she done it? Had Skylark promised to let her live? I didn''t care. There was no reason that could justify something so vile.


    And yet... even putting aside my naive sense of morality, to which I still clung desperately, killing her now wouldn''t have been a good idea.


    As sweet as justice would have tasted, I couldn''t allow myself to savour it.


    "Right now... the only thing that matters is saving Penny and getting everyone out of here."


    Someone who had worked under Skylark''s orders was bound to have some useful information that would help us reach her and then escape.


    "First of all, I need her to tell me everything she knows. I''ll decide what to do with her later, with the others," I thought, taking a deep breath to calm myself.


    Just then, Nicole spoke again, probably sensing what was going through my mind:


    ?It''s useless... it''s all useless... you should just kill me now. That''s what awaits us all in the end anyway,? she said in the same emotionless tone as before, her face still hidden by her long red hair.


    If she was trying to get some sympathy from me with those words, it backfired: they only rekindled my anger. I couldn''t bear to hear her commiserate with herself after what she had done.


    "Calm down Elizabeth, hitting her is not going to help."


    With all my self-control, I ignored her and began my interrogation:


    ?Let''s start with your power. You must have one, since Skylark chose you to be a spy. How does it work? And... are you responsible for Sam''s death??


    Since that was the thing she was most likely to lie about, it was the perfect way to test how easy it would be to get information out of her. I pressed my hand, still gripping the collar of her shirt, against her jaw, forcing her to lift her head. Finally I could see her bloodshot eyes, still watery with tears. There had been a time when I''d thought they looked like Sophia''s. Now I knew that their green colour was the only thing Nicole and my girlfriend had in common. The girl in front of me was vile and cowardly, the furthest thing from Sophia''s nature.


    Nicole looked back at me in obvious discomfort, but when she started to speak again, it wasn''t to complain:


    ?That''s right. I''m the one who caused Sam''s death,? she replied.


    Her voice, which had sounded so anguished at the start of our conversation, now sounded cold.


    "Was it all just an act, after all?" I  thought, giving her an inquisitive gaze.


    At least she didn''t seem to be trying to lie her way out of it. But it still wasn''t the clear confession I wanted.


    ?What do you mean, you caused his death? Did you kill him or not? Don''t try to play with words Nicole,? I pressed her, my wand digging deeper into her skin.


    This time Nicole didn''t even gasp, she looked me straight in the eye and answered immediately:


    ?I killed him. Just like Skylark told me to. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical when he told me his plan. But it all worked out in the end... thanks to you.?


    ?Thanks to me?? I repeated.


    ?That''s right, if you hadn''t tried to be a hero and stood up to Philemon, everything would have been fine... I wouldn''t have had to kill Rover and Penny wouldn''t be dead right no-!?


    Nicole screamed in pain, trying to break free of my grip. But I didn''t let go, instead I continued to press the tip of my wand, which I had ignited with the mana that was raging inside me, against her flesh.


    ?You bitch! How dare a traitor like you accuse me!? I shouted into her face, our noses almost touching.


    As I stared straight into her light green eyes, the rage inside me threatened to push me over the edge. I had never felt so furious in my life. Maybe it was because part of me actually believed what she was saying, but still... it was too much. I could almost feel the blood rushing to my head.


    Nicole looked at me with tears of pain in her eyes.


    ?But that''s par for the course for you... after all... you''ve already killed your best friend.?


    I faintly registered the sound of my wand falling to the ground as my now free hand locked onto Nicole''s neck. The other soon joined it. As my grip tightened, Nicole smiled faintly.


    "This is what she wants.  She just wants to provoke me. I should stop. I shouldn''t let her get to me. I know I didn''t kill Amy or... Penny. She''s the traitor... I... have... to... question... her..."


    But that faint voice of reason was fading. Soon a ringing sound was all I could hear, and my vision became blurred.


    "I... am going to kill her."


    My fingers dug into her throat as I began to strangle Nicole. Soon, probably driven by an instinctive impulse of self-preservation, my victim''s hand closed on mine, trying to make me let go. But I didn''t budge.


    ?-lizab-?


    "Her voice is still coming through. I should use more force."


    The strangled sound that followed was like music to my ears. Her nails scratched the back of my hands, but the pain was almost pleasant.


    ?-lizabeth!?


    "She can still talk?"


    I raised my eyes. Nicole''s were bloodshot and slightly protruding from their orbits. She definitely wasn''t able to talk.


    ?ELIZABETH!?


    "Uh?"


    Before I could understand what was happening, something struck me in my right arm, just above the elbow. The blow caused me to let go of Nicole''s neck immediately.  It was soon followed by a hit to my right side, hard enough to make me fall down.


    "...w-what''s going on?"


    In the split second before my head hit the ground, thoughts raced through my mind, almost like a torrent released from a dam. It was almost as if this sudden attack had put off the wildfire that had been raging in my mind, ravaging my ability to think.


    "Who attacked me? Does Nicole have an accomplice?"


    But I wasn''t going to be able to answer any of these questions if I hit my head on the hard stone floor. Luckily, as that split second ended, a hand was placed on my back, preventing me from falling. So I found myself face to face with my attacker and saviour.


    ?S-Sophia??Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    My girlfriend looked down at me with a worried look in her eyes:


    ?Are you all right, Elizabeth? Did I hit you too hard?? she asked.


    ?H-hit me?? I repeated in a confused tone, looking back at her. I could hear someone coughing loudly in the background. That sound quickly brought me back to reality.


    I jumped to my feet. My arm was numb, but I barely noticed as my heart was racing at the sudden realisation of what had just happened. I let out a huge sigh of relief when I saw that Nicole, who had slid to the ground, was still very much alive and gasping for breath. I could see finger-shaped red marks on her neck.


    ?What the hell was I doing?? I murmured in disbelief.


    It almost felt like I had just woken up from a nightmare. But it was reality: I really had almost strangled Nicole to death. If Sophia hadn''t intervened, she would have been dead by now.


    "What was I thinking?"


    Sure, I had thought about how much she would''ve deserved to get killed, and she had provoked me, but... I couldn''t believe I had attacked her like that. I looked down at my hands in disbelief.


    "Losing control like this... is it really so easy to push me over the edge?"


    Sophia had often scolded me for being rash and reckless, but lately I thought I had gotten better at controlling my emotions and acting rationally.


    ?Don''t worry, since she didn''t pass out, she should be fine,? Sophia reassured me, putting a hand on my shoulder.


    ?Sophia... why...?? I muttered. Even though the wave of anger had subsided, my head still felt like a tangled mess, making it hard to think straight.


    ?Sorry, I know you told me to stay with the others, but I was worried, after what happened to Penny, I couldn''t just let you go alone...?


    Her going against my wishes was the least of my concerns at the moment, but her words still surprised me. I turned to see Sophia giving me a reassuring smile. How could she be so calm after seeing her girlfriend try to strangle a member of our alliance? And why did she seem more concerned about me than my victim, who was currently gasping for breath on the floor?


    The answer to these questions managed to pull me out of my stupor.


    "She already understood what happened."


    But how? As smart as Sophia was, she didn''t have the gift of foresight. Then...


    "...because it''s the only possible explanation for what she saw!"


    And just like that, my sudden attack started to make a lot of sense.


    "Right... Sophia would immediately understand that I would never attack Nicole unless I found out that she was the traitor. But even then I would never try to kill her in such a violent way."


    This was if I was in complete control of my actions. But now that I could think clearly, I remembered that there was one variable that could make that not be the case.


    "Her innate power. The one that Sophia and I theorised is responsible for Sam''s death. She must have used it without me realising."


    ?Sophia... I don''t know exactly how... but she made me do it,? I said, picking up my wand from the floor.


    Sophia nodded:


    ?I thought so. You can be a huge idiot sometimes, but you''d never do something as stupid as killing the only lead we might have to Skylark''s secrets.?


    She then drew her sword and pointed it at Nicole, who was still trying to catch her breath as she massaged her neck. Normally, I would have retaliated against her playful insult, but I wasn''t in the mood at the moment:


    ?But if that''s the case, Sophia, we have to be careful. If she can mind control us...?


    ?I don''t think it''s something as powerful as total mind control, Elizabeth. If it was, she''d have won this game a long time ago. However her power works, it probably has some limitations,? Sophia interrupted me, shaking her head.


    She was right. That was a common trait of every innate power we had encountered so far. Even hers.


    I looked at my former ally. How could we not have realised that she was betraying our trust right from the start? Of course, Sophia, Celeste and I all had suspicions about her, but we had never confronted her or tried to find out if they were true or not.


    "Now that I think about it... do I really know anything about her apart from her name?"


    Wasn''t that strange? Even though we had started our relationship with a fight, I still knew quite a bit about Wilhelm. But about Nicole? Nothing. It was almost as if she was one of those puppets I had met in Penny''s dream world. A background actor I wasn''t supposed to get close to. And she had managed to stay that way for all this time without me noticing.


    "Before my date with Sophia, I spent a lot of time with her and Penny, but I can hardly remember anything about them..."


    Nicole was nice and a generally cool and bubbly person. That was all I could say if someone asked me what kind of girl she was.


    "It''s almost like she had an invisible bubble around her that subconsciously kept me away."


    Had I somehow been manipulated by her power all this time?


    My mind went back to the strange, alien feeling of guilt I had felt when she had opened the door for me. I had almost forgotten about it in the heat of the moment, but now I was sure that emotion was certainly an important piece of the puzzle.


    "...Emotion...!"


    ?Sophia, I think she can manipulate people''s emotions! That''s how she got me! She angered me and then amplified my rage against her or something!?


    Sophia gave me a sideways glance:


    ?I see... it could be,? she mumbled, turning back to look at Nicole, who was now sitting on the floor, taking some deep breaths while holding her chest, ?I always felt a bit weird around her, now that I think about it... but I just thought it was because I''m not used to hanging out with cheerful people like her.?


    I couldn''t help but smile slightly. It was just like her to think of hanging out with friends as a strange experience. But maybe in this case it wasn''t just about social awkwardness.


    I remembered how attracted I had been to Nicole when we first met, even though I had never fawned over other girls before Sophia. At the time I''d put it down to the recent discovery of my sexual identity and the fact that her eyes were somehow similar to my first love. But...  perhaps there was something more sinister behind it.


    Then, remembering how our encounter had gone today, it all clicked.


    ?Sophia, it''s her eyes! It all happened after I looked into her eyes!? I exclaimed, sharing my sudden revelation.


    Sophia was silent for a second, probably trying to remember her past interactions with Nicole. Then she sprang into action:


    ?Make sure she doesn''t try anything funny,? she said, sheathing her sword and starting to loosen her tie.


    It only took a second for me to realise what she was up to.


    "Of course, if I''m right, if we cover her eyes, she won''t be able to use her power against us!"


    Keeping my wand pointed at Nicole''s chest, I watched as my girlfriend approached her, holding the black and gold tie in her hands.


    ?Don''t move a muscle. I won''t stop Elizabeth this time if you do,? she threatened, kneeling down and placing a hand over Nicole''s eyes.


    Our prisoner''s lips curved into a smile.


    ?Since you are assuming that I forced Liz to strangle me... do you think threats will work on someone who wants to die...?? Nicole muttered in a raspy voice.


    But despite that she complied and let Sophia turn her around, face to the wall.


    ?If you really wanted to die, you had all the time in the world to do so in your room. From what I saw, you probably regretted it the moment you felt what it means not to be able to breathe,? Sophia replied coldly as she passed her necktie around Nicole''s head before tying it tightly.


    Nicole remained silent for a second, then said in the same emotionless tone as before:


    ?You can relax. I have no intention of fighting you...?


    ?Do you really think we will trust you?? I interjected.


    ?Do what you want, it doesn''t matter anyway... nothing matters anymore,? Nicole replied.


    I wanted to reply that she didn''t have the right to act depressed after everything she''d done. But I bit those words back. Getting angry with her again wouldn''t have done us any good. Instead, I turned to Sophia and said:


    ?Let''s take her to the others, it will save us the time to explain everything to them.?


    ?Sounds good,? Sophia agreed.


    She then grabbed Nicole''s wand from its holster and tossed it to me before cuffing our prisoner''s hands behind her back. It looked painful, but Nicole didn''t complain or resist.


    ?Elizabeth, could you do something to restrain her? I''d rather not undress any more than this.?


    For once I refrained from making a joke. The situation was too serious even for our usual routine. I quickly called upon my mana and summoned a pile of stones into the air. I quickly moulded them into a pair of makeshift handcuffs and guided them to bind Nicole''s wrists together.


    ?Does it hurt?? Sophia asked, still holding onto Nicole''s shoulders, probably to make sure she didn''t run away, but also to make sure she didn''t fall, as she still looked a bit wobbly on her feet due to my murder attempt.


    NIcole just shook her head. But then, as Sophia started to push her to make her walk, she asked slowly:


    ?Why are you being like this??


    I understood immediately what she meant. The way Sophia was handling the situation was completely different from the emotional outburst I had subjected her to.


    "Her and Sophia hardly ever talked... I guess it''s normal to be surprised at how calm she can be in situations like this."


    ?Don''t get me wrong... I despise you. But right now you can be useful to us, so I''m going to make sure you''re in a condition to tell us everything you know,? Sophia answered sharply.


    ?What about later, when you have finished questioning me? What will you do? Nicole asked as we began to march slowly down the corridor, like two guards escorting a prisoner to the gallows.


    ?If death is what you want... I''ll give it to you in a single slash,? Sophia replied sternly.


    I looked at her, biting my lip. Part of me hoped she was just tricking Nicole into talking. I knew how much pain her past killings still caused her, even if they had all been done in legitimate defence. But... I also knew that Sophia wasn''t the type to lie about something like that. She was an honourable person who only used tricks when necessary. Unlike Nicole.


    "Should I step in and do it myself if it comes to it?"


    If it meant saving my girlfriend''s heart from pain...


    But even now my hands were shaking at the thought that I had almost killed another human being with them. Killing outside the heat of a duel... could I have managed it without Nicole''s power pushing me?


    There was a moment of silence as Nicole took in Sophia''s words. Then she finally replied:


    ?All right. But I doubt anything I say will help-?


    ?That''s for us to decide,? Sophia cut her off.


    Nicole didn''t press the issue. Instead, she murmured:


    ?I always thought you''d be the one to find me out... you never look anyone in the eye except your girlfriend.?


    <hr>


    ?What is the meaning of this?? Wilhelm shouted as we entered the courtyard about five minutes later.


    I couldn''t blame him, bringing Nicole back blindfolded and handcuffed wasn''t how I''d imagined things would turn out when I''d gone looking for her.


    Celeste''s surprise was more muted. After looking at us for a second with her mouth hanging open, her expression changed to one of resignation.


    ?So that''s it,? our leader stated in a dry tone, biting the nail of her thumb.


    Philemon, as usual, was the most composed.


    ?How did you find out?? he asked calmly as Sophia pushed Nicole down to sit on the grass.


    ?She confessed,? I replied, ?and then tried to use her power to get me to kill her. If Sophia hadn''t followed me, she would have succeeded.?


    ?I see,? Philemon nodded as he also settled down on the grass.


    ?''I see''? What the hell is going on??  Wilhelm asked again with a bewildered look on his face.


    ?She''s the traitor,? Sophia explained dryly, then added in my direction, ?Take off her handcuffs, Elizabeth. Don''t worry, if she tries to take off the blindfold I''ll cut off her hands.?


    I nodded and quickly removed the handcuffs. Nicole stood still for a second, probably to reassure Sophia that she wouldn''t try anything. Then she slowly moved her hands to her lap and massaged her wrist.


    Meanwhile, it was clear that Wilhelm wasn''t satisfied with Sophia''s one-note explanation.


    ?I understood that much, thank you,? he replied irritated, his face flushed, ?but it could all be a misunderstanding, couldn''t it? You said she confessed, but maybe this is some kind of trick by Skylark. And... why are you all so calm about it? Almost... as if you expected it. Didn''t we all agree that the whole traitor thing was just nonsense made up by Skylark to make us mistrust each other??


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for him. After getting over our initial disagrameents I had come to understand that Wilhelm really valued loyalty and companionship. Once Sophia had mispelled the distrust he felt for her, he had truly embraced our alliance, going as far to risk his life for Penny, sharing his points with her despite his low position in the rankings. But now he was going to have to face the fact that not only had one of his friends betrayed his trust, but that some of them had ever really trusted each other in the first place.


    ?How we feel about it doesn''t matter now. The reality is that we have had a mole amongst us all this time and now we have to press her for any useful information she has,? Sophia replied in a dismissive tone.


    Before Wilhelm could reply, I decided to intervene. After all, I didn''t like that dry answer either. I knew Sophia meant well, but cold logic wasn''t the way to go in this kind of situation.


    ?It''s true, Wilhelm, we always suspected that there was a traitor... I''m sorry. But... I really wanted to trust everyone. It''s just that the rules of this game made it impossible.?


    Wilhelm turned to me. It seemed that the fact that I had spoken frankly had managed to soften his anger a little, but he was still clearly displeased:


    ?Then what was the point of forming an alliance in the first place? If you have all been doubting each other all this time, what have we been doing? This whole thing about your trip to the second floor that Celeste just revealed to me... that stupid play Sophia made during the card game... are these the kind of things you should be doing to your friends? Maybe I''m naive... but to me, being allies means always being completely honest with each other.?


    I could see that Sophia was about to reprimand him, probably either by saying that this discussion was pointless or that he was indeed naive. But I didn''t let her because a part of me agreed with him.


    ?I understand what you mean, but... it''s precisely because you''re my friends that I couldn''t trust you.?


    Wilhelm looked at me with a raised eyebrow:


    ?What do you mean??


    ?Playing those kind of games, like hiding our discoveries on the second floor, it was all to protect my friends from the person that was feigning to be one. Right, Celeste??


    She nodded:


    ?That''s right. I understand it''s uncomfortable, Will, but it''s the only way I could think of to protect you all. Mistrusting you was the only way to keep us from playing into Skylark''s hands. As much as it hurts to admit it, he has the upper hand over us. There was bound to be someone who would fall for his sweet words and work for him,? she said, glaring at Nicole.


    Wilhelm remained silent for a second, massaging his forehead, before speaking in a low voice:


    ?I understand... I do. But... then what is the point of all this? How can we fight together if one of us could betray us at any moment? I joined this alliance to have some kind of sense of certainty in this absurd world we have been trapped in... without that... what am I even supposed to do??


    Seeing the usually impetuous and determined Wilhelm so vulnerable made me spring to my feet:


    ?It''s not pointless Will. I know it seems that way, but... think of everything we have been through together. In spite of everything, we are still allies. We have talked and joked and cried together. We did our best to keep our spirits up when things seemed so bleak. We were ready to fight side by side for Penny and... we are still here. In spite of everything, we are still here. We still have each other''s backs, so even if someone like Nicole tries to stab them, we can protect each other. That''s the certainty I have, that I will try to protect all of you until the end!?


    My statement was met with silence. Until...


    ?Ahahahahah!?


    That cristalline laughter was definetely off beat.  There was only one person that could do something like that in such a grim situation.


    I turned to her with a furrowed brow.


    ?Sophia??


    My girlfriend gave me a broad smile as she wiped a tear from her beautiful eyes:


    ?There you have it. You managed to get Elisabeth to go on one of her usual idealistic rants. Happy now?? she asked Wilhelm. Then, with her smile softening, she added: ?But... if you want certainty, she has you covered. She''s too big a idiot to ever think of giving up and letting any of Skylark''s words get to her. Of all of us here... she is the one you can trust.?


    As was often the case, I didn''t know whether to feel flattered or offended. Strangely, though, Sophia''s words seemed to strike a chord with Wilhelm. The boy looked at me with a serious expression before nodding:


    ?Believing in Elisabeth... yes, I can do that. As you said... despite everything, I can still trust you. If you''re willing to keep watching my back, I''ll keep watching yours.?


    Maybe the fact that he had always admired me was a good thing after all. I nodded at him with what I hoped was a confident smile:


    ?I will. I''ll do my best.?


    Sophia winked at me as I looked back at her. Was this her plan all along?


    "The way she''s been predicting my actions lately is kind of creepy."


    But this moment of levity was cut short by a voice of reason:


    ?If you''re finished, let''s start the interrogation.?


    Philemon''s words brought us all back to reality. We turned to face our blindfolded prisoner. Our last hopes probably depended on what she was about to tell us.