《Let's Shine》


 seeking justice and fairness

    This was super unfair!


    Arienne fumed. She was just trying to stand up for everybody, because Carolline was behaving like a major jerk. Again! Yes, they were loud, but so what!? It couldn¡¯t be helped! Someone needed to take that brat down a notch or two, and no false claims were made on Arienne''s part, that''s for sure. Bully, busybody, liar, and in general a horrible human being - that description fit Carolline to a t. So why was it Arienne alone who ended up in the headmaster''s office¡­?


    Of course, no one took a minute to hear her out. Her behavior obviously couldn''t be tolerated! She was a nuisance, she was intolerant, and, above all, she flouted authority by refusing to accept her rightfully earned punishment.


    Since it simply wouldn''t do to let that last one slide, detention it was. Two hours of sitting in a dusty classroom, wasting time and being bored out of her mind. Two. Whole. Hours.


    And then¡­!


    Well, then she is late for everything, all her plans are ruined, and all her friends are swamped with chores. So nope, no cheerful shopping with Mish today, no delicious strawberry-chocolate ice cream afterward, and totally no free time anywhere on the horizon. Yeah, all that, and to top it off, a grocery list longer than a history textbook. Thanks, Mom!


    Just¡­ just¡­ unfair. Absolutely, hopelessly unfair.


    Arienne gave a long sigh, resolving not to cry. She would not cry because of Carolline, ever. Period.


    At least she liked the market; that, she had going for her. There was something exciting about so much food in one place. Arienne couldn''t help but wonder how many ways were there to cook it, what exotic dishes could people create, and what everyone around her had in mind. They came here for a reason, right? It felt as though inspiration floated between stalls and booths, infusing spices and vegetables and promising something amazing out of the mundane. Arienne firmly believed the world to be magical, if only for her eyes. But preferably for everyone else''s, too.


    Not that it would help her with the bags, but the bright side is better than the other side. On the bright side, you can see!


    And so it happened, Arienne saw plenty this day, albeit not at all what she had expected.


    For a while, everything was going pretty normal. She picked out stuff, carried stuff, thought about maybe needing some more stuff or other stuff, looked at people buying stuff, daydreamed a bit, and so on. She might have sampled a thing or two, though details appeared hazy. She almost forgot to get her change twice, too, but folks here were nice. On the whole, an ordinary outing to the market.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Hey, listen up, you weaklings! My name is Morgenstern, and this market is now my territory! If you have a problem with it, then I''ll break your sorry necks!"


    Okay, on second thought, maybe not that ordinary.


    The guy screaming, as she soon found out, looked fairly intimidating, what''s with all the tattoos, bulging muscles, bald scalp, and full-leather getup. He even had a tattoo on his face! A kind of red-black demon-like thing, and really ugly, too. Under different circumstances Arienne would''ve probably changed sides of a street specifically to avoid him. Mom always taught her to sidestep unnecessary trouble.


    Today, though, she found herself drawn to the epicenter of it, if only because the proclamation rattled her. His territory? Who in the world he imagined himself to be? No one had any personal territories here. Her neighborhood served as a place open to everyone for as long as she could remember. No upstart with a loud mouth was going to take it away, not if she has anything to say about it!


    Her indignation flared up so high she didn''t even recognize that people around her hurried to the exits, precisely in the opposite direction of where she was heading.


    "How dare you!"


    He turned to her. Strangely, in those moments Arienne felt utterly no fear. Yes, her voice trembled, but only because she was just so angry.


    He gave her a short glance and laughed.


    Arienne suddenly noticed that they pretty much remained alone in the improvised square at the center of the market. She dropped her bags and stood straighter, though it barely made her eyes even with his chest, naked under a sleeveless leather jacket.


    "Don''t you look away from me! I asked how dare you!"


    "Little girl, get the hell outta my face." His voice rumbled deep and guttural.


    It didn''t make sense. At least somebody else should still be here. People weren''t so easy to run from some punk, no matter how big and intimidating.


    That was when two very important facts came to her attention. First, the guy had a massive bat cupped with a thorny ball hovering at his side. Like, literally hovering. He wasn''t holding it, it hung in the air all by itself.


    Second, there were spikes everywhere. Sticking out of the pavement, skewering stalls, running down makeshift lanes, everywhere. Huge, small, thick, thin, in every spiky shape and form. Arienne couldn''t even begin to guess what happened here or what might it mean. Her almost sixteen years of experience failed her.


    Then she felt a huge arm grabbing her.


    "When I give an order, you obey, girl!" he growled.


    The world went askew, her shoulder screamed in pain, and she found herself on the ground, staring up at him towering over her.


    "Move it!"


    She didn''t cry. She didn''t run, though mainly because she didn''t trust her legs. Instead, she fought back using the only means she could think of.


    "Oh, so this is it? You think you can get whatever you want since you''re big and can push people around? Loser!"


    This proved to be exactly the right thing to say. Or the wrong one, depending on your perspective. Either way, the huge tattoo-covered guy who just threw her down immediately went into murderous rage.


    "Loser? No! I will not be a loser! I. Will. WIN! And you" - he looked at Arienne with murder in his eyes, spittle spraying from his lips - "you are going to be taught!"


    Lurching, he stomped, and the pavement moved, and it hit her, or pushed her, or tossed her, and it hurt, and next she was flying through the air, and she couldn''t do anything, why couldn''t she do anything, she couldn''t even grab onto something¡­ And then there was darkness.

 you have a choice

    "Arienne!"


    She was floating on gentle waves, her body rocked slowly in a warm, calming embrace. Darkness surrounded her. No pain existed here, no fear, no worry. She wanted to remain like this forever. She never wanted to open her eyes, even though she didn''t feel tired.


    This was a place of serenity.


    "Arienne!"


    Except that a voice kept nagging at her for some reason. So annoying. No respect for other people''s peace. Can''t whoever it is see she''s resting¡­?


    "Arienne!"


    "Yes?" She managed to sound polite. Manners are important, Mom always said.


    "Finally! You need to listen to me!"


    "Do I have a choice?"


    Okay, being polite apparently took more effort than she could muster at the moment. Not a common problem for her, but she was having a bad day.


    "Life''s full of choices. Right now you need to make yours. We don''t have much time left."


    Arienne opened her eyes. Closed her eyes. Opened them again.


    The image before her didn''t change.


    "Oh my gosh, you''re a talking animal!"


    The animal in question looked unimpressed. "I''m way more than that. I''m your familiar. My appearance isn''t important."


    It - she? he¡­? - was really cute, too, sitting on her stomach like it belonged there. Small, but with voluminous silvery fur, sharp attentive ears, a delicate silver nose, and a huge fluffy tail.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Do you have a name?"


    "No, but you can give me one, later. Are you ready to listen?"


    "Fine, fine, listening! Wow, you''re bossy¡­"


    "I''m influenced by your personality and experience, so don''t blame the mirror. I''m only trying to be of service. The guy you stood up to, the one with the attitude? Remember him?"


    She did. It wasn''t a pleasant memory, and it made her stomach sink.


    Arienne nodded, not trusting words.


    "He will still be there when you come to. You must decide what to do about that."


    "What can I do¡­?" She glanced around, seeing only darkness, herself, and the silvery¡­ fox? cat? weasel? "And where are we?"


    "Until your powers fully awaken, we are¡­" It was very unusual to see an animal frown in a decidedly human fashion. "I don''t actually know. Somewhere. Nowhere. Between places."


    "My powers?"


    "This is what your choice is about. You''re going to have powers. You would be able to hide. You would be able to run. You won''t be dead after getting hit by his spikes."


    Arienne halfway decided that laughing this whole unreal scene off might be a good solution, but, unfortunately, no laugh came. Not even a little one.


    "I''m sensing that I certainly won''t like the point you''re getting at. No, scratch that, I don''t like it already."


    "You can also fight. It will be dangerous."


    Darkness flowed around her. Soothing. Safe.


    "I''ve already tried that, and it didn''t work out so well. I couldn''t even touch him!" She turned away.


    "Your powers weren''t with you, then."


    "I don''t have any powers!"


    It was all too awful. She had been helpless. She went up against a guy thrice her size, and he utterly crushed any delusions she might have had about being invincible. Or protected by any kind of elementary niceness that teachers sometimes appealed to at school. She did what she thought was right, and it amounted to basically nothing.


    If there had been any powers, she would have gladly used them!


    "Shine, Arienne." Small paw touched her chest.


    And as though roused from dreamless slumber encompassing her entire existence, she felt it. The power, radiating from her heart, bathing her with light. In an inexplicable, impossible way, she knew it. She understood its currents and grasped its shape, its strength. She could direct it. She could wield it.


    She lifted her hands to her face.


    "See? You shine."


    Light coated her skin where only darkness stretched infinitely before.


    "The choice is yours. What do you want?"

 when violence is the only option

    This time, it was different. This time, Arienne knew what to expect and understood the futility of trying to talk it out.


    Instead, when the world blossomed to life around her, she gave the tattoo guy a shout and promptly blinded him with a flash of light once he glanced in her direction. She totally owed him that for being sucker-punched by magical spikes. He cried out, bent in half, covered his eyes with his hands, and it all felt very satisfying.


    Then she hit a bit of a roadblock. She could generate a laser beam¡­ That might be effective. But "laser" didn''t sound like a winning option, it sounded more like a killing option, which she kind of strongly opposed on principle. Killing was bad. Dealing with things without killing appealed to her much more. So, um¡­ Yeah? Go team good?


    "Look out!"


    She dodged to the side instantly. She completely forgot about the spiked bat! Apparently, it could do more than hover. It certainly did swing down at her with enough force to crack the pavement.


    Lucky she has a familiar. Since about five minutes ago.


    "Where are you?" Arienne kept her eyes firmly on the bat, but, strangely, talking to a disembodied voice crept her out way more than a weapon seemingly attacking by itself.


    "I''m hiding in your light. So it would be best for both of us if that morning star never touches you."


    Another swing. She jumped aside. Her weight seemed to disappear, and energy filled her body.


    "It can injure me?"


    "It can kill you if you''re not careful."


    Great.


    "What''s a morning star?"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    More swings, wider and bolder this time. The bat tracked her as though it had eyes of its own. She dodged them without missing a breath. The tattoo guy snarled at her from across the square. Sweat coated his face and bald scalp. Maintaining concentration evidently took a toll on him.


    "His weapon is called a morning star. It gives him his powers."


    "What about any weaknesses? Is that a thing I might actually, I don''t know, benefit from?" Arienne started to get annoyed and flared up again, forcing him to drop his head.


    He recovered a lot faster than before, but it still gave her a respite.


    "He needs to hold it in his hands if he intends to unleash its full potential."


    "Oh, so this far he''s not even being serious!?"


    "I don''t think he knows how to use it properly."


    "Well, he''s not the only one here whose magical academy acceptance letter got lost in transit!"


    Finally resolving herself, she fired a laser at his feet. He didn''t expect that, stumbling back awkwardly. The morning star jerked off course, missing her entirely.


    She fired again and again, pressing her advantage. It obviously didn''t occur to the tattoo guy that she wasn''t actually trying to land a hit, aiming all shots at the ground. He roared obscenities, shambled back, and finally created a wall of spikes between them with a stomp.


    Not wasting a moment, Arienne ran like the wind. She needed to get closer! The cover worked both ways; he couldn''t see her behind it! This was her chance.


    Reaching the spikes, she paused to let her light flow down from her right hand. That done, she chose a side of the wall and took a quick peek around it.


    The tattoo guy was facing in the other direction!


    She didn''t think twice. Breaking into a sprint, she sent the whip of light in her right hand at him. Guided not by her muscles but by her power, it wrapped around his neck. She immediately shortened it, flinging herself onto his broad back due to added momentum. The whip, now a collar, constricted, the best chokehold Arienne was able to muster.


    He tore at the whip, but couldn''t peel it away from his skin. He grabbed for her, but couldn''t reach far enough behind because of his bulging muscles. She gripped the collar as though her life depended on it.


    "Hit him on the head!"


    "I might kill him!"


    "He''s stronger than you! Do it!"


    Freeing one hand, she created a gauntlet around it and brought her fist down on his skull. He staggered. She followed up with more blows, until he dropped to his knees and - finally stopping struggling - on the side.


    Arienne waited a little longer, then hastily scrambled to her feet and dispelled the collar.


    He didn''t stir. She studied him intently. His chest rose and fell, indicating steady breathing. It felt like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.


    She won.


    She won!


    That was when she heard the sirens.

 sleep is overrated

    Here''s a very serious question. How do you go to school the day after you''ve become a superhero?


    The right answer is normally. Exactly like you did before.


    "Don''t stress yourself out. And don''t talk about your powers with anyone. Just trust me on this one."


    Arienne wasn''t going to disagree. She understood that the moment her newfound abilities come out in the open, her previous life would be over. Reporters! Men in Black! Supervillains! Legal issues! Branding nightmares!


    She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her hands trembled.


    "Really, Arienne, you''re worrying too much. It''s not the end of the world. No one is going to instantly run up to you and ask if you''re by any chance a superhero. Why would they? Everything''s going to be fine."


    "You''re right, you''re right!" She took another long deep breath. It helped. "Sorry. I''m just¡­ Sorry."


    Staring at the ceiling, she shuffled in her bed for the hundredth time since lying down and trying to go to sleep. She was tired, but at the same time so wired! And just so worried¡­ It helped to have another living creature beside her. Well, more like lying on her chest, not that she complained. The feeling of warm weight against her heart calmed her.


    She always wanted a pet, but Mom had allergies. Come to think of it, Arienne really hoped magical familiars were exempt from adverse immune reactions.


    The magical part certainly came in handy. Talking was nice. She kinda maybe needed a bit of comfort... She did beat a man to unconsciousness a couple of hours ago. Hopefully only to unconsciousness, and not brain damage or worse.


    She shuddered quietly.


    "I don''t think we should''ve hightailed it."


    "Your situation is complicated enough as it is. Dealing with the authorities raises too many questions and involves too many interested parties."


    "But those are the proper authorities¡­"


    A very audible sigh followed.


    "How old are you?"


    "Sixteen. I mean, I see your point. Corruption, suspicion, other bad stuff. But maybe¡­"


    Silence.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "You''re only turning sixteen next month."


    Arienne lifted her head to better see the silver animal on her chest. "How do you know that?"


    "I''m your familiar. I know about you." Wet nose poked her on the cheek, halting a dozen exclamations flashing through her mind. "Yes, that includes many of the invasions of privacy you''re no doubt about to bring up. Before you get to it, consider this: I only exist because you do. Without you there is no me. It''s difficult to view me as a separate entity."


    She mulled it over. "But you are?"


    "I am. In a manner that would be very hard to explain. Granted I even understand it myself."


    "Okay, then how old are you?" A more pressing matter occurred to her just then. "Oh, wait, I have a better question. Are you a he or a she?"


    "Neither. I technically have no gender." A pause. "But I think I prefer he. And when it comes to age, this is not my first life. But at the same time it is. My other lives haven''t been with you. I don''t remember them like you remember your past. Instead, I possess - how should I put it? - a wealth of general knowledge?"


    "That''s horrible!"


    He snorted. "Nonsense. Please don''t be dramatic. It''s what a familiar is. We help people by being what they need us to be. If I weren''t right for you, or you weren''t right for me, we would''ve never met."


    Arienne clicked her tongue.


    "Do you want a name?"


    "Very much so."


    "Then stop being super condescending or you''ll end up as ''Mr. Smarty Pants''."


    He rolled on his back and stretched, resting his front paws on her chin. "Now here''s my human."


    She wrapped her arms around him. He was fluffy, reassuringly solid, and he wriggled in her embrace until getting on his stomach so they were face to face again. It felt funny and satisfying. Arienne giggled and stroked his ears.


    "Okay, oh wise one, what can you tell me with your wealth of knowledge?"


    "Something really bad is happening."


    "Wow. Wouldn''t have gotten that myself," she huffed. "Care to be more specific?"


    Her joke didn''t lighten his suddenly serious mood. "Astras are not supposed to be used for evil."


    "A-a-and you''ve lost me. What?"


    "His morning star was an astra. A weapon of tremendous power bestowing magical abilities upon its wielder. Throughout history many a champion took them up when need had arisen. Someone like that guy should''ve never even seen one, saying nothing about using it."


    Arienne digested it for a while. The whole concept seemed sorta alien despite all of its fairy tale familiarity.


    "Okay, so what do we do about it?"


    "You are going to go to school as usual. I will be doing research."


    "You mean you''re not coming with me?"


    "Of course I am!" He shook his head in clear disbelief she would ever doubt it. "You''re my human, I''m not leaving you out of my sight for long. But I will sneak around, peek over people''s shoulders, pick up rumors. It always helps, and I''m good at hiding."


    "That sounds like spying."


    "Probably because it is spying."


    Feeling increasingly stupid doing it, Arienne still finished making her point, "But spying is, um, bad? Like lying?"


    "Well, that may be, but we need information, and we can''t come clean on the subject of why. Which is already misdirection, if not outright lying."


    She thought hard about it and started to get a headache. "I guess I don''t have much choice, do I?"


    "Not really, no."


    Arienne sighed. So much for hoping magical powers would actually solve problems¡­ Hitting people notwithstanding, even if necessary.


    There was a silver lining to all of it, though.


    "Hey." She scratched under his chin.


    "Yes?"


    "I''m gonna call you Argent."


    He looked at her, his eyes gleaming in the dark. Then he licked her on the nose. "I like it. Now sleep, Arienne."


    Eventually, she did.

 bracing for the worst

    Naturally, the first thing she heard at school was, "You would tell me if you''re a superhero, right!?"


    "Um¡­ Yes?"


    Trick question, Arienne realized. Saying "no" implies she is, in fact, a superhero, while saying "yes" compels her to come clean about being one.


    "Maybe¡­? I don''t know?"


    "Boo!" Mish came into view from behind, a look of exaggerated disappointment on her face.


    As always, a ton of makeup made her appear not simply pretty (she didn''t need any for that), but vibrant, as though she were the lone colored character in a black-and-white movie of high school. Arienne dearly wished she herself could pull off a similar feat, if only on special occasions. Alas, catchy has never been her thing, which was probably for the best, considering recent developments. Attracting attention suddenly jumped to number one top priority on her "no-no" list. Big red letters and lots of skulls and crossbones were involved.


    "I''d tell you in a heartbeat so we can form the coolest awesomest team ever! You''d be all smart and sensible to my kicking ass and taking names! Woo-hoo¡­!" Mish did an exuberant twirl and almost fell down when one of her feet caught on the other. Seasoned by years of experience, Arienne stood ready, grabbing her in a hug. "Whoops. Thanks!"


    "Any particular reason why superheroes are on your mind?"


    Five minutes later Arienne found herself in cold sweat and eyeing the school doors in hopes of escape. None presented itself.


    She''d made the news. There was footage. Sure, it was grainy and low-res, from every imaginable bad angle in existence, but you still could see her fight clear as day! The best bits now circled around the web, scoring easily a thousand hits a minute. Legit viral stuff, every teenager''s dream. Arienne concentrated on breathing evenly, since fainting became a distinct possibility.


    "Hey, you okay?" A shadow of concern overcast her friend''s usual sunny demeanor.


    No, she wasn''t.


    "Yes! Yes, it''s just¡­ I feel a touch light-headed. I''m gonna go splash water on my face, or something. See you in class!" Arienne patted the back of Mish''s hand reassuringly, before slipping away at a brisk pace that might have been called a run under closer inspection.


    Getting to the closest restroom, she promptly locked herself in a stall, dropped on the lid of the toilet seat and wrapped her arms around her legs, placing her forehead on her knees. Shivers rocked her body. She couldn''t stop them.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "What happened? It was kind of hard to follow the conversation from here."


    She looked up and saw Argent poking his head out of her bag. He''s kept quiet to the point she almost forgot he was there.


    "I''m so done for!" she whispered. Gossiping in class made her an expert in covert exclamations.


    "Please elaborate."


    She picked up the bag, allowing him to slide out in a single fluid motion. He balanced on her knees effortlessly and waved his huge fluffy tail about before finding a comfortable position. Arienne frowned. Was he heavier now than while sitting inside¡­? That odd notion aside, he seemed as unflappable as a magical talking animal could.


    Slightly calmed, Arienne nonetheless took out her comm, thumbed in a quick query, and showed him the video.


    He cocked his head. "Well, this is new. What happened to papers?"


    "Still there. Old people read them."


    "You might not want to use exactly this same phrasing when speaking with actual old people."


    "Sorry. You don''t recognize comms?" She had troubles imagining such a world.


    "Telephones were all the rage last time I was here. However, fascinating new inventions aside, it changes little. No one would be able to recognize a person from this. Even if someone could, you were wreathed in light head to toe, remember?"


    She did. It made her feel better. Not too much, though.


    "But I was there. People saw me!"


    "People were running and panicking. They might have seen a young girl, but you specifically? Let''s hang back from crossing that bridge for a while. If push comes to shove, yes, you were there, you were scared, and you blacked out. Next thing you know, you''re back home. That," he pointed his nose at the comm, "is certainly not you."


    "And what if¡­?"


    He raised a paw, cutting her off. It looked fairly comical, and Arienne failed to stifle a laugh. Argent ignored it.


    "Stop torturing yourself with ''what ifs''. So far there are just moving images of someone. No connection to you whatsoever. Could you maybe just not overthink it?"


    "I suppose¡­"


    "Then please do. Now," he looked past her, "help me up to that vent and go to class. I''ll find you in a few hours."


    Sure enough, there was a vent slightly to the side of the stall. Arienne probably could reach it. Not that it would matter.


    "It''s bolted shut. I don''t have a screwdriver on me."


    "So?"


    "Oka-a-ay then."


    She stood on the lid and lifted him up in her arms. Without as much as a pause he stepped from her palms right through the plastic grid. She immediately lost sight of him.


    "Wow!"


    Argent stuck his head out, perfectly unbothered by the bars still being in place.


    "I''m not exactly flesh and blood. How else would I be able to hide in your light?"


    Come to think of it, he had done that during her fight.


    "Huh."


    Confident she was alright, he disappeared once more. Finding herself alone, Arienne instantly felt a flash of panic.


    "Wait! Don''t leave me! What if everyone knows?" She was so not taking all of this well.


    Sticking his head out again, Argent huffed.


    "Arienne, please relax. Things are going to be fine. Even your friend couldn''t tell it''s you." He gave her a silvery cat-fox smile. "I like her, by the way. She seems very nice. And smells amazing! Go be with her."


    And just like that, he was gone.


    "Yeah, that''s Mish. She''s amazing all ''round." Arienne smiled, before willing herself to finally stop hiding in a restroom stall.

 hoping for the best

    Of course, classes have already started. No wonder there was nobody else in the restroom. Arienne yelped and broke into a run, praying she wouldn''t be too late. She didn''t need any more school troubles!


    "Ah, Miss Maureau, how considerate of you to finally grace us with your presence."


    "Sorry, Mr. Corrie, I thought I had more time."


    "Evidently not. Please take your seat."


    She hurried to where Mish was signaling her like crazy. Getting behind the desk, Arienne noticed something strange. A boy now sat next to Carolline, which was certainly new, considering she always preferred the company of her cronies.


    "Gosh, you''ve missed everything!" whispering in her ear, Mish simply buzzed with excitement.


    The boy turned around, glancing directly at her, and Arienne couldn''t help but stare. He was the dreamiest boy in the history of dreams! Of boys! Of history! He had sandy blond hair, and his fringe fell on his bright blue eyes in the cutest manner ever. His smile radiated warmth, curving gently on those full lips. And. He. Wore. A vest! A real one, over a shirt with stylishly rolled up sleeves. She would''ve never believed in his existence outside of fashion magazines if he hasn''t been right there, looking at her. Wait, why was he looking at her¡­?


    But he wasn''t anymore. Carolline touched his arm, all sweetness and charm, and he switched his attention to whatever she had to say.


    Typical.


    "Are you listening?" Mish shook her shoulder, trying to get a response.


    Arienne flushed. "I am, I am! He''s a transfer student?"


    "Starting here today, coming straight from the land of perfection and mile-long eyelashes¡­!"


    They totally were mile-long, too. Arienne sighed. No wonder Carolline draped her slimy tentacles all over him. She probably thought it her divine right to date the prettiest boy in school. Anything less simply wasn''t up to the princess'' standards. And if said boy just happens to be the shiny and exciting new arrival? Well, all the better!


    Urgh, Carolline sometimes seemed utterly despicable.


    Around lunch break she just couldn''t stand to watch it anymore. Every dirty trick in the book got employed: "accidental" touching, giggling, lingering eye contact, and dropped pencils. Arienne wanted to facepalm, but couldn''t afford to be this conspicuous. Only stumbling and pretending to fall thankfully went unused¡­ Oh, wait, there it was. He caught her, of course, and their hands stayed interlocked afterward.


    Thus it became all the more impressive when he extricated himself from Carolline''s clutches to eat separately. Currently he was surrounded by other boys, the entire group engrossed in a heated debate. Probably about some arcane subject like racing or card games. Hopefully not the video of her fight.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    She grabbed a table with Mish, Mery, and Iue, catching up on the latest school chatter and the events in one another''s lives. Carolline continued to steadfastly ignore her, which was just as well; engaging with her could easily lead to another detention.


    "So, the new guy?" Mery skipped straight to the juicy part.


    "His name is Krystian." Mish''s gaze immediately went misty and melancholic. "No doubt sent to us as proof that the world is truly an unfair, evil place. Carolline had already sunk her claws into him. He''ll be wrapped around her finger in no time."


    "Maybe you should do something about it, then."


    "Ha-ha. Very funny."


    Mish was easily as pretty as Carolline, no less socially oriented, and without a mean bone in her entire body. They would''ve been destined for bitter (certainly on Carolline''s part) rivalry, if not for a small yet greatly important detail: Mish couldn''t talk to boys. Sure, she possessed the capacity to form coherent sentences around them, and had even done that on a few select occasions, but such feats relied on her not remembering the fact boys were the object of romantic feelings. The moment matters of heart, however ephemeral, entered the equation, Mish lost any ability to successfully communicate, being reduced to babbling haplessly, blushing, and then probably running away.


    Arienne has been trying to battle this unfortunate affliction for years now, and it only seemed to get worse. She kept her optimism, though. If anyone ever deserved a book-perfect love story, it was Mish, no doubt there.


    Iue, as usual, remained quiet, but somehow very present and important to the flow of conversation. A unique cultural disposition that Arienne envied passionately, but wouldn''t be able to replicate even if her life depended on it. Like, she could''ve just been all stoic and mysterious instead of sidestepping the questions about the rest of her previous day by emphasizing the pains of detention. Not that she needed to strain much, since those were remarkably fresh in her mind, but still, misdirection is misdirection.


    Discovering Arienne''s wistful gaze, Iue gave a small wink, briefly spoiling her traditionally unreadable exterior.


    Argent returned during the last class. One second he was nowhere to be seen, the next he covertly poked out of her bag, giving notice of his return. To her credit, she jumped only slightly, and no one noticed it. Apparently "good at hiding" was more of an understatement than exaggeration. He snuck through a classroom full of people without drawing anyone''s attention. She made a mental notch, meaning to ask him about it later.


    Anyhow, after that she had little reason to be concerned. There have been no pointing fingers, no accusations, no attempts to take her into custody or some other sinister government euphemism. Her friends have seen the video a dozen times by now, and no hint of recognition surfaced in their behavior. Everything was fine.


    Finally exiting the grand front doors, Arienne happily found herself in a position to note that she just had an ordinary school day without any kind of disaster erupting around her. Score one for normality! Argent was probably right. There is a limited amount of stuff that can go horribly wrong, and what''s the possibility of it all going wrong at the same time? Surely the universe has more important matters to take care of than making her existence an unending trail of misery. She really shouldn''t have worried so much.


    Following this line of thinking, Arienne felt herself calming down enough to maybe start dealing with everything that''s happened in a healthy and mature manner. Life showed signs of being good again. Sun was shining and the wind was warm, carrying rich aromas of early autumn with it.


    Then she got home, flipped on the screen in the living room, and was struck breathless, her heart a lump in her throat.

 its easy to make a mistake

    "He got away!"


    He sure did, and in a spectacular fashion at that. Apparently, he was taken into custody unconscious, his morning star bagged as evidence. They placed him in a cell at the closest precinct. It was a reinforced cell, too, reserved for especially dangerous criminals. Clearly it was deemed more than sufficient. The threat was reported as contained.


    They really should''ve waited for him to wake up before making an announcement. It would have been quite a different one, then.


    "How could this happen!?"


    He broke free. Arienne pictured it in painful details. He recovered, called his astra, which effortlessly bust through walls, used his spikes on unsuspecting guards, and got free in no time whatsoever. And who could stop him? Arienne vividly remembered her own helplessness. Others faired no better: an entire precinct reduced to rubble served as proof enough, and those were trained law enforcement officers on their home turf.


    There was no word on how many people have been hurt. There was no word on how many people have been killed.


    And now he wanted her. In no uncertain - and not flattering - terms.


    "Maybe less screaming will be more helpful?" Argent finally glanced away from the screen. Remarkably, he sounded calm.


    "Maybe not! He hurt people! He knows who I am!"


    He jumped onto the back of the sofa and turned to face her. "Very well, I''ll bite. How?"


    Arienne threw her hands in the air. "What do you mean, how? I fought him, that''s how!"


    "Yes, a figure of light fought him. You? I don''t think so."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "I was the only one there! It doesn''t take a supergenius to make that leap!"


    "Still a leap, though." Argent remained unconcerned.


    "What does it matter!?"


    "Plausible deniability. For once."


    "We''re not in court!"


    Dismayed, she ran her fingers through her hair. Repeatedly.


    "Which means there''s no penalty for lying. Even better. Now please stop pulling your hair out, you''re much too young for that image."


    "Easy for you to say, since you didn''t create a hostage crisis! Or left a violent psychopath on the loose!"


    "Actually, if anything, this is my fault."


    That stopped her dead in her tracks. "What?"


    "I should have known they won¡¯t be able to hold him. Astras are neither toys, nor common weapons, no ordinary prison can contain them." He hanged his head. "I should''ve seen it."


    "Hey." She lifted him up and sat down on the sofa to curl around his warm form. "There was no time to think it through."


    "Indeed, there wasn''t."


    They fell silent for a while.


    She wanted to talk to Mom. It would be nice to hear her voice, or hug her¡­ But Mom wasn''t here. Another business trip, as had often been the case these days. Half a world away, she had no real way of helping. Besides, guessing her reaction didn''t feel like a hard task. Arienne was an only child. Not long ago, scraping a knee could easily lead to a hospital visit and a brain scan for good measure.


    Risking her life battling magically armed criminals? Out of the question, any powers notwithstanding. Chances are, the powers themselves would cause a major freak-out. No, keeping everything a secret seemed like her best bet. She must deal with this horrible mess by herself.


    But even knowing all that, she wanted to talk to Mom so much¡­! Or just see her. Seeing her would be good, too.


    Arienne fought down a sob, and was surprised to succeed. She couldn''t afford to cry, not yet. She needed to be strong.


    Argent wriggled out of her embrace, jumping on the coffee table before her.


    "You have decided to go."


    She nodded.


    "You heard him; he wants me. And I beat him once already."


    He gave her a grave look.


    "Last time, he didn''t expect anyone with magic and didn''t know what you could do. He''s going to be ready now."


    She nodded again, rising to her feet. "So far we have a one-one score. He obviously fancies himself favorite in a decider match."


    "You don''t have to put yourself in danger if you don''t want to. You don''t have to play a savior. Your power comes without strings, if that''s what you''re concerned about. You don''t have to fight that guy again."


    "Yes, I do. It''s my mess. I have to fix it." As though preparing to jump into cold water, Arienne took a deep breath, held it, and let it all out in one go. "Let''s shine!"