《Duology Dark》


 Volume 1, Chapter 1: Royal Friend

    In the southern region of an island known as Araponza, a ring-shaped wall surrounded a small city. The city, Lumina, was the capital of the country by the same name. Surrounding the city was a wall that curved to form a perfect circle, with four gates in the cardinal directions.


    Inside Lumina, the citizens were divided by wealth, the poorest living just within the ring wall, creating their own ring of houses and business buildings.


    The middle class created another ring, theirs being along a hill that continued rising. At the top of the hill sat the rich. Then finally the nobles, those who served the monarchy directly. The monarchy, the queen and her daughter, lived within the castle at the center of town, the hill forming a depression that hid the castle from all except the nobles.


    Within the castle walls, Lukas Baronia had escaped the supervision of his family. Through the halls tall enough for some ten times his size, the little boy of only six was relieved to get away from his father and brother as he galloped to freedom, only stopping when he could see the ceiling give way to daylight.


    Turning his attention from the rays of sunshine to the ground, Luke had found himself in the castle garden, surrounded by green hedges and flowers of all colors. The boy inspected the garden until he spotted a brand-new face wandering the greenery: a girl of the same age, short, pink hair, and looking equally perplexed at the boy¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Who are you and what are you doing in my garden?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Luke. I was just walking around.¡±


    The boy anticipated the worst. This girl must have been the princess he heard about, and he must have seemed like an intruder wandering into her home unannounced. To his surprise, however, the girl simply smiled at him and extended her arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m princess Elizabeth, nice to meet you.¡±


    Shaking her hand, Luke pondered what to say next. ¡°You uh¡­want to play?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Since this place is so big, why not hide and seek?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Do you want to be the hider?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be the seeker. You might never find me if I hide somewhere. I¡¯ll close my eyes and count to five.¡±


    Turning around and putting her hands over her eyes, Elizabeth began to count, sending Luke into a panic trying to find a hiding spot.


    ¡°Zero.¡± Mercifully the princess gave him a running start, but a lot of these hedges had a gap at the bottom, making it easy to see someone from the other side.


    ¡°One.¡± Luke looked around hectically, considering leaving the garden, but unsure of-


    ¡°Two.¡± No time to think! Luke ran behind a bush.


    ¡°Three.¡± The bush was fairly thick, but looking from the bottom, he could still see through it plainly.


    ¡°Four.¡± A clever idea started to form in his head.


    ¡°Five! Ready or not, here I come!¡±


    The princess turned around, scanning the environment for the boy hiding behind one of the hedges. Luke watched from his bush as she looked around various other hedges, until she approached his.


    Stealthily as he could, as the princess began to search the area, Luke darted behind a different hedge. When the princess began to wander his way, he darted behind another hedge.


    ¡°Luke, what are you doing?¡±


    To his shock and horror, Luke turned around to see his brother, Matthew, towering over him. More importantly, he was giving away his position.


    ¡°Matthew, go away!¡± Luke whispered as loud as he could without alerting the princess. ¡°Elizabeth will find me.¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth?¡±


    ¡°There you are! I could have sworn I checked this place beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Luke, what are you doing with the princess?¡± Matthew looked at his younger brother accusingly as the latter stood up.


    ¡°We were playing hide and seek.¡± The princess tried to excuse Luke, but the older brother shook his head.


    ¡°Father was really angry when you ran off.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s always angry.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Elizabeth tried to interject until Matthew turned her way.


    ¡°Princess, I¡¯m sorry if my brother caused you any trouble.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t cause me any trouble, we were just having fun.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have to go now. Maybe Luke will come around again.¡±


    Matthew took his brother by the hand, dragging him away while Luke waved goodbye to the princess.


    <hr>


    ¡°Luke Baronia, where have you been?!¡±


    Luke felt his heart melt when he heard those words, not daring to look his father in the eyes.


    ¡°He was making friends with the princess, dad.¡±


    ¡°Princess Elizabeth? You met her?¡± The anger in the man¡¯s voice disappeared in a flash, replaced with astonishment.


    Curiosity having overtaken Luke, he looked at his father and was weirded out by the surprised expression on his face.


    ¡°Yeah, we played hide and seek.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice. However, Luke you mustn¡¯t run off without supervision from your brother or myself.¡± The sterness in his voice returned, albeit without the usual hint of frustration. ¡°Come, let¡¯s head home. You can see your friend some other day.¡±


    Still bewildered by his father¡¯s calm demeanor, Luke did not argue as they left the castle. He had no reason to argue in any case, as he finally had someone to talk to and play with that wasn¡¯t his brother.

 Volume 1, Chapter 2: Daily Living

    ¡°Bye dad!¡± the boys watched their father take off, having dropped by briefly before departing, leaving them to begin their chores. Matt and Luke took their dishes to the sink, the older brother handing his brother a mop.


    ¡°This stinks, I want to go see Elizabeth.¡±


    Luke knew whining would get him nowhere with his brother, but there was a cruel satisfaction from annoying him.


    ¡°You can see her when we¡¯re done with chores.¡±


    ¡°But chores are going to take all daaaaay!¡±


    ¡°If you keep whining instead of mopping the floor it will. By the way, you missed a spot.¡±


    Matthew pointed at a corner of the floor, Luke inspecting it in disbelief, only for the older brother to brush him on the nose.


    ¡°Maaatt.¡±


    ¡°Luuuuke.¡±


    Resigning himself to his defeat, Luke kept scrubbing the floor, the tile floor of the kitchen. This was an adult¡¯s job, but his mother spent all but one to two of her waking hours serving the queen, and when their dad wasn¡¯t away, he¡¯d rarely stick more than an hour or two.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Just be glad you¡¯re not cleaning dishes.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t mom clean dishes?¡±


    ¡°Busy helping the queen.¡±


    ¡°With what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But she¡¯s always there, unless she¡¯s making us food. If she were home were often, we would probably have a way worse home.¡±


    When Luke had finished mopping the floor, he had taken his brother¡¯s place washing dishes, using a step ladder to reach the sink. The younger brother grimaced at the dirty food, contemplating how such delicious food could look and smell so vile when cold and old.


    Matthew had moved to drying dishes and putting them away in the shelves.


    ¡°You know Luke, you should be glad our house is so modest.¡±


    ¡°You mean small.¡±


    ¡°I mean we could be cleaning the entire castle.¡±


    ¡°At least I could see Elizabeth.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really grown fond of her, haven¡¯t you? It¡¯s only been a year.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my best friend. She¡¯s¡­my only friend.¡±


    Matthew had stopped what he was doing to turn toward his brother. He could see his brother hadn¡¯t even slowed down, but he looked lost in thought.


    ¡°Hey Luke, you can go see the princess if you want.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Luke had perked up.


    ¡°Yeah. If mom asks -which she probably won¡¯t- just say Brian or Eric or Adriana escorted you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Matt, you¡¯re the best.¡±


    Luke had hugged his brother, the latter making sure not to drop the glass in his hand, before rushing out.


    Matthew sighed to himself, all alone now, left to finish the remaining chores.


    ¡°No problem Luke.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 3: Brotherly Guide

    ¡°So how was your little play date with the princess yesterday?¡±


    ¡°It was fun. She¡¯s going to show me something really cool tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been a year since you two met. Maybe in another year you two will get married!¡±


    ¡°Matt!¡± The little boy whined and stomped his feet on the grassy knoll outside of their house. ¡°I bet you just wanted me here today to tease me!¡±


    ¡°No no lil bro,¡± Matthew patted his brother¡¯s head, much to Luke¡¯s disdain, ¡°Next year you¡¯ll be going to school. You need to know where to go since I can¡¯t take you there; My school will start at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t dad take me?¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s got missions, he¡¯ll be gone most school days. Besides, do you really want dad taking you to school? Wouldn¡¯t you rather look like a big boy?¡±


    Luke kicked the grass next to him, silently admitting Matthew was right. Maybe if he looked tough, no one would know about his ¡®little problem¡¯.


    ¡°I know the castle is south from out house, and the sun rises in the east¡± The little boy pointed toward the east, where the sun was slowly crawling toward the apex of its daily journey, ¡°and the west is where it sets. So, north is that way!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you got that down pretty well, but you still don¡¯t know where the schools are exactly.¡±


    The older brother began making his way down the road next to their home, a road that led to a forked path, one way leading around the ring, the other leading into the town. Holding their heads level, the two boys could see the northern gate of Lumina several miles away. As the two walked down a sloped road, Matthew stopped to point to the left and right, keeping an eye on his brother to make sure he was following.


    ¡°You see these buildings to the left and right? They¡¯re part of the upper ring, where rich people live. Don¡¯t worry about these places until you¡¯re older.¡±


    Luke tilted his head, wondering why his brother mentioned them if they were pointless. Moreover, he felt curiosity welling up inside, daring him to part from his brother and go explore the urban wilderness. However, he knew better than to make Matthew angry, especially since it could lead to making his father angry, and that was a terrifying thought.


    Matthew and Luke continued down the path, a floor¡¯s worth of stairs separating the upper ring from a new area.


    ¡°This is the middle ring. It¡¯ll be the most important area. You know how there¡¯s East and North? Well there¡¯s Northeast too, and that¡¯s where we¡¯re going.¡±


    The young sibling trailed behind his brother as he darted left, a task that became increasingly difficult as the road flooded with people. His heart beginning to pound in his chest, Luke found himself gaining more and more distance from his brother. Luke ran through the crowd as fast his little legs would allow, duking and swaying around the people frantically until he was shadowing Matthew.


    ¡°You okay Luke? I¡¯ll slow down so you can keep up.¡±


    Holding his brother¡¯s hand as he brought his pace to a near crawl, Matthew kept his eyes glued to the left.


    ¡°You see that? That¡¯s the trade school.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    With a forceful shove, Luke managed to turn his gaze to a tall, shabby building. The school was crammed between two non-discreet buildings, looking like it would be crushed at any moment. The walls were an ugly, inconsistent red brick with splotches of brown and various other colors, from green to purple.


    ¡°Some people grow up to do daily tasks in cities or towns; this building is where they learn how to do that kind of stuff. Stuff like fix the sewers or make roads.¡±


    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Well, then you only have to go to two schools. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a daily worker though.¡±


    Luke¡¯s heart began to race again when he felt Matthew tug at his arm, his mind still fixated on the school building¡¯s poor condition.


    As the pair had made their way halfway around the northeast sector of Lumina, Matt had stopped again, this time peering at a far more pristine looking building. The colors of the walls were a vibrant white, the building taking up enough space for ten while only being a floor tall, and having a nice, welcoming sign.


    ¡°This is the beginner¡¯s school. No matter who you want to be, this is where you learn all the basics. Math, language, and most importantly: how to use your mana. You¡¯ll go here next year, for three years.¡±


    ¡°So this is where you used to go?¡±


    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s where I met Adriana.¡±


    ¡°What about that jerk Brian?¡±


    ¡°Uh, apparently he goes to the northwest school. Why is he jerk by the way?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like him.¡±


    With a shrug, Matthew continued heading to the east gate, holding his brother¡¯s hand secure as to not get lost in the still-increasing volume of the crowd. The number of people began to fill the passage, making it near impossible for the older brother to navigate. More pressingly, the rambunctious citizens made it impossible for Luke to keep hold of his brother.


    No sooner had Luke lost sight of his brother he had also lost sight of the cobblestone road, being swallowed by t-shirts and shorts and bodies of every size, though none as short or shorter than himself.


    Pushing and shoving, Luke couldn¡¯t get any of the adults or teenagers around him to budge an inch, not even a centimeter. The crowd would move around him, but so packed together were the people that the gaps left between them were impossible for the seven-year-old to squeeze through.


    Trying to remain calm was impossible for the boy when tears were already paddling their way down his face, his only hope was for Matt to not forget about him. Just as things seemed terrible, they got worse as Luke felt his body being shoved jarringly to the left by a force he couldn¡¯t identify.


    When Luke felt like he was about to suffocate from the ocean of people, a familiar filling touched his wrist before gripping and yanking him through the crowd.


    ¡°Out of the way! Out of the way!¡±


    With hard elbows and powerful roars, Matthew managed part the sardines long enough to rescue his little brother, pulling him for a tight hug. Before the hug was over or had even really begun, Matthew began a shoulder charge toward the east, the citizens scattering to avoid being knocked over.


    Luke held on for his life, feeling as though his brother was never going to stop running. In due time, Matthew began to slow down. When the younger brother could open his eyes again, he saw the people were far and few between, a refreshing and calming change of scenery.


    ¡°You okay Luke?¡±


    Luke found himself nodding instinctually. He wanted to say no, but he was too exhausted to correct himself or even care.


    ¡°Take a breath¡± Matthew inhale and exhaled, ¡°and breathe out.¡±


    Following his instructions several times, Luke¡¯s heart was still racing, but had begun to ease back into its natural state. With his heart calming down, his eyes beginning to dry, and his senses returning to him, Luke could see another pristine building with a similar welcoming sign on the outskirts of the property.


    The building was near identical to the previous one, though it traded some of its width for a second floor, this one possibly taking up eight buildings worth.


    ¡°And that, that is the middle school. Or if you¡¯re like me, the high school. For warriors, it¡¯s where we train and learn how to work in groups. For the daily workers, it¡¯s where they learn what they want to specialize in and how to work with others.¡±


    ¡°So, both daily workers and warriors learn to work with people?¡±


    ¡°Well, workers work with different teams while warriors work with the same team. I think.¡±


    ¡°Oooh¡± with that one bit of knowledge, Luke felt as though he were ten times smarter. ¡°Is it always this bad?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Matthew shook his head, ¡°Only during Lunch hour.¡±


    As if signaling a trained animal, the two felt their stomachs rumble in unison at the mere mention of food.


    ¡°Speaking of lunch, let¡¯s go home and have some. Don''t worry Luke, we''re almost back home already.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 4: Shelf Esteem

    Tweets and caws serenaded a courtyard of concrete flooring and walls with a circular shape. The walls themselves were decorated with weapons of all shapes and sizes, varying degrees of sharpness, weighting anything from a plank of wood to a hefty battle axe. On the fine spring day, Luke and Matthew finally got to spend a day with their father, but it wasn¡¯t a day of fun, instead it was a day of training. Today was Luke¡¯s first day of sparring practice.


    ¡°Due to your little problem, Luke, I¡¯m only asking you to use this wooden sword.¡± The father handed his son a sword of wood.


    Its edge round and its weight lighter than air, Luke had no problem holding upright and even swinging it.


    ¡°Now Luke, I want you to swing your sword at me with all of the force you can muster.¡± The man watched his son glance his way, clearly bewildered by his father¡¯s request. ¡°Do not fear for my safety, just focus on your attack.¡±


    With an over-head slice, Luke¡¯s attack was caught by his father¡¯s cusping hands.


    ¡°Weak. Weaker than I expected. Again!¡±


    Luke hesitated a bit, but upon seeing his father¡¯s anger begin to rise, he swiftly found the nerve to strike once more.


    ¡°Again!¡± The man commanded, slightly louder and harsher.


    Luke forced his arms to push the wooden sword down harder, believing he was getting into the swing of things.


    ¡°Again!¡± The father was losing his cool now, his voice beginning to echo in the empty arena.


    With all the force his eight-year-old muscles would allow for, Luke send the sword down, closing his eyes as he did so. When he opened his eyes, he could see his father was grasping the sword; before he could react any further, the man threw the sword to the side, along with Luke who was still gripping it mindlessly.


    With hard thud, Luke hit the concrete floor, bruising his shoulder and bringing him to tears. Letting go of the sword and gripping his shoulder, he couldn¡¯t feel any blood but there was still a harsh stinging and ugly red glow.


    ¡®Luke, stop crying this instance!¡±


    Tearing his attention from his bruise, Luke could see his father standing over him. Through his tears, the boy could see his father¡¯s face still stern.


    ¡°Crying won¡¯t solve anything. When people see you cry, they¡¯ll see you as weak, they¡¯ll hurt you more, make you want to cry more. Don¡¯t cry when you fail, think about what you did wrong and how you can do better.¡±


    Trying to wipe the endless flow of water off his face, Luke could feel a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Luke, you¡¯re gonna take a break now and I¡¯ll help you train next.¡± Matthew helped his brother to his feet, walking him over to a bench nearby. ¡°Don¡¯t let dad get you down. He just wants you to be tough; one day you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    As he dried the tears on his face, the younger sibling watched his brother and father spar, the son protecting himself with his shield, the resulting blows creating cracks under him. Using just his fist, their father was able to make the ground tremble, but Matthew remained firm in his defensive stance. When he felt confident enough to move again, Matthew hopped forward, sending his shield into his father¡¯s torso, causing the man stagger back.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°See boy, this is a real warrior! Unfettered by earthshattering force and able to answer back with an even more powerful attack.¡± Collecting himself, the man walked toward the bench. ¡°That will be all for me. Matthew, teach your brother the correct stance to draw out mana, and if nothing else, build him up so he can give the illusion of being able to strike with mana.¡±


    As the man approached his younger son, his expression made Luke know terror. Luke could see his stern expression was one of pure malice and aggression, his eyes wide open and his face forming a scowl he¡¯d never seen across any human¡¯s various before.


    ¡°Listen well, Luke: if I hear you cause any trouble during school -this year or any other- I will be personally training you like this for every day of your life. If you embarrass me, you will be cleaning this arena until you¡¯re eighteen. If you give the princess any trouble, you will be living out in the wild. Do you hear me?¡±


    Luke nodded, his stomach twisted in knots, his body sweating, his mind frozen, his heart vomiting. As he watched the man leave, his relief increased only marginally, a sickness welling up all over his body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him Luke, he¡¯s just trying to make sure you don¡¯t do anything bad.¡±


    Those words snapped Luke out of his stupor, his head turning toward his brother.


    ¡°He¡¯s right though, I need to teach you, THE STANCE!¡±


    The younger brother found himself laughing awkwardly at his brother¡¯s emphasis, but genuinely curious at the same time. ¡°What¡¯s the stance?¡±


    ¡°The Stance is a pose used to force mana into your hands. It¡¯s good for when you can¡¯t control your mana, like when it comes out of areas you don¡¯t want it to.¡±


    Standing up, Luke could feel his arm was still hurting, but the pain was far and away more tolerable. Following Matthew to the middle of the arena, the boy let his eyes wander over to the walls and the many weapons on display, from elegant looking swords to might mallets.


    ¡°Alright Luke, like this¡± the older brother was leaning back on his left leg while his right leg forming a perfect diagonal, as if he were about to lunge forward. His hands were spaced as if he were holding onto a ball. ¡°You do it.¡±


    Luke did so, making sure to copy his brother down to every detail. At first, he struggled to figure out which leg he should stand on.


    ¡°Use your dominant leg for support.¡±


    After switching several times, Luke finally figured out which leg was his dominant. When he had that down, he twisted his back and clasped his hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t twist your back as much, and you want to leave a good amount of room between your hands to focus your energy.¡±


    After a little more correction, Luke finally got the ok from Matt, the latter forming energy in the space between his palms.


    ¡°Try to focus on your mana and your hands. Think about having some kind of energy where that space is. Close your eyes and concentrate real hard if you have to.¡±


    The brother did so, closing his eyes and imagining an energy forming in his hand like his brother had done. He couldn¡¯t feel anything, so concentrated hard, pushing some inside muscle in the chance it could help him. Still, he couldn¡¯t feel anything, and opening his eyes had confirmed as much.


    Gritting his teeth and grunting hard, he concentrated with all his strength.


    ¡°Uh, Luke, maybe you shouldn¡¯t concentrate that hard. Just relax.¡±


    Opening his eyes and standing up straight, the boy could see he wasn¡¯t getting anywhere.


    ¡°I told you I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯m a failure!¡±


    ¡°Luke, it¡¯s going to be alright.¡± Matthew pulled his brother in for a hug.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not. I¡¯ll never be any good!¡± Luke continued to pout.


    ¡°We¡¯ll continue training tomorrow. I¡¯m not going to throw you to the ground or anything, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Matt.¡± Luke had released his embrace, calming down gradually as the two made their way back home.


    ¡°Luke, if this mana thing doesn¡¯t ever get fixed, promise me you won¡¯t get in a fight.¡±


    The younger brother eyed the older one, shocked to see the grave expression across his face, though he tried to hide his surprise.


    ¡°And if you do get in a fight, end it as soon as you can. It might be embarrassing, but it¡¯s better than getting beat up even more.¡±


    ¡°I promise Matt¡± Luke hung his head down low, just wanting to forget about the entire day.

 Volume 1, Chapter 5: First Day

    Luke anxiously observed the crowd of kids wandering the halls of the school. The narrow, oppressively white halls mixed hellishly with the deafening crowd, voices from every direction stirred into a cacophony of soupy dialogues with occasional words breaking free and scrambling into Luke¡¯s hearing range. Getting passed the crowd would have been an even more impossible feat, until a vicious, terrifying noise blared from above.


    That sound signaled every kid to cluster into one of several doors that broke the pattern of white brick wall, Luke following behind one crowd smushing themselves into a door frame. Upon entering the rectangular room, he could see a large man sitting at desk, looking slightly older than his father. Having found his seat, the boy hadn¡¯t known what to expect.


    ¡°Good morning children. I see we¡¯ve got a full room this year; better get started with attendance right away! I¡¯ll start calling names and checking them off my list. If you hear your name called, step up, introduce yourself, and tell us your element. Let¡¯s start with: Terrance Avani.¡±


    Luke gulped as he watched a kid make his way toward the front of the room where the teacher now stood up.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Terrance, I live in Northwest middle. Mom says it¡¯s better here. And uh¡­I¡¯m nature.¡±


    ¡°Hi Terrance¡± a blast of voices called out.


    ¡°Nice to meet you Terrance; that must be a long walk, but I¡¯m sure your mother is right.¡± The man waved for the boy to return to his seat. ¡°Next: Luke Baronia.¡±


    With those word, Luke felt his heart stop beating, his blood halt, chills galloping up and down his body, and his eyes blow up. With a deep inhale, carefully taken through his nose, he stood up and walked forward before the teacher could think to call him again.


    Turning around to face the whole class, he could see what he assumed was over thirty other kids, all with expecting gazes staring back at him. Luke just wanted to melt, to run away out the door and back home. He wanted so bad for his brother to come in and save him like so many times before, but he knew it wasn¡¯t happening.


    ¡°My name,¡± the boy took in a deep breath, ¡°is Luke Baronia.¡±


    ¡°Hi Luke.¡± A flat echo of voices rang throughout the room, hollow and forced. The monotone cacophony of desynced hellos was reassuring as they were similar energetic towards the previous kids before him.


    ¡°And what are your elements?¡±


    That relief had died on hearing that question. Was Luke to lie? He couldn¡¯t prove it if the teacher asked. Was he to tell the truth? He would face untold ridicule!


    ¡°Well?¡±


    Goaded into giving an answer, the boy gritted his teeth and began sweating again. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The teacher had walked next to Luke, his towering figure drawing even more attention to the already petrified little kid, unsure of whether he was fine being buried up to his chin or if he wanted to dig himself even deeper.


    ¡°Well, perhaps you¡¯ve forgotten. Try concentrating your mana into the palms of your hands and see what comes out.¡±


    The boy didn¡¯t have to be told the technique, he was already made aware countless times from his brother since spring. Even now, the teacher was complimenting his form, his hands forming a ball with the open space as to give the potential energy room to fill yet limit how possibly destructive it could become.


    ¡®Perhaps this time would be different¡¯ is what he lied to himself. Despite his form, despite having been four years since his father was given the news, Luke had never moved on from having no element or mana to speak of. No energy congealed within the space he created, not even a drop of mana had coalesced in his arms, no matter how naturally or forcefully he concentrated.


    ¡°Maybe another time.¡± The teacher shooed the boy backed to his seat, realizing all too late the damage being done. ¡°Next up¡­¡±


    Luke had paid no mind to the teacher, instead quickly taking his seat within the classroom, slumping down as far as he could so that he felt invisible. Unfortunately, his sliding down the chair had worked too well, requiring him to readjust himself before falling to the floor. Wiggling back up had made him feel even more awkward than before.


    Looking around, he felt himself grow a little relieved as the others seemed fixated on a girl being introduced, a girl who controlled fire. She was replaced with a boy that could use lightning, another who used earth, and then a girl who used water, followed by wind.


    These introductions continued for the whole of class, until a bell signaled for the class to end and math class to begin.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    <hr>


    Ding ding ding. A pedal hit a bell with furious anger, signaling lunch time.


    ¡°Alright everyone, you¡¯ll line up by the first letter of your last name, starting with: Ambeline.¡±


    One by one, the little kids gathered by the entrance and exit to the classroom, the single door that led to freedom, or in this case lunch.


    ¡°Baronia.¡±


    Perking up, Luke breathed through his nose in an attempt to calm himself before getting up and walking up to the line. He had hoped the hours between being introduced and embarrassed to now would ease him into this new setting. He was wrong.


    As the teacher continued to call names, Luke couldn¡¯t help but glance behind him at regular intervals and watch the line behind him grow further and further until it was forced to curved as to not hit the wall.


    ¡°All right kids, follow me to the cafeteria! No cutting in front now.¡±


    Opening the door and leading the way, the kids proceeded forward in an orderly fashion, Luke trying his hardest to keep perfectly within line, avoiding stepping on the heels of the girl in front of him while not holding up those after him.


    Through the long hall of white walls and brown doors that led to other classrooms, the cafeteria sat at end, to the right. The cafeteria was massive, taking up half the building¡¯s total size. The aroma was intoxicating to Luke, the smell of chicken and mashed potatoes had his mouth watering.


    Following the lead of the girl before him, he picked up a tray and waited for the lady behind the kitchen desk to put food on it. Before he could even tell what had happened, Luke found himself falling on to the girl who was about to walk away from the line.


    The landing resulted in mix feelings: Luke¡¯s face and upper body were protected by the girl¡¯s back, but his knees had hit the tile floor, though only resulting in bruising. When he picked himself up, he realized the girl was not so lucky, her face landing right in her potatoes; the rest of her food was all over the floor.


    The girl had begun crying, the teacher from earlier having ran in to comfort the girl and understand the situation.


    ¡°Are you alright, who did this?¡±


    Wiping away her tears long enough to see the kids behind her, she pointed toward Luke, the boy feeling his heart stop when she did.


    ¡°A troublemaker, eh? Let¡¯s see how you feel after detention.¡±


    Luke tried to argue, he tried to defend himself, but his words were lost over the teacher grabbing him by the arm pulling him harshly away from the cafeteria. As he was dragged away, he watched as the boy behind him flashed a devilish grin.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! That boy behind me pushed me!¡±


    The boy¡¯s attempts to explain his innocence were tosses aside, the teacher glaring at him with a stare that pierced his skin and stabbed at his heart. Realizing his protest was being ignored, he sat in the desk of the empty classroom, no lunch, no chicken, no potatoes, not even an apple slice.


    As the clock on the wall ticked, ticked unbearably in the deafening silence, the boy put his head down as if to nap. His mind wandered, thinking back on the scene, wishing he could have said something or done something.


    Luke felt his eyes grow watery, but as tears began to form around his eyes, the words of his father echoed through his head.


    ¡®Luke, stop crying this instance!¡±


    The boy¡¯s sadness had snapped away instantly, replaced by a bold determination to listen to the commanding memory in his head.


    ¡°Crying won¡¯t solve anything. When people see you cry, they¡¯ll see you as weak, they¡¯ll hurt you more, make you want to cry more. Don¡¯t cry when you fail, think about what you did wrong and how you can do better.¡±


    ¡°I hope next time you¡¯ll think about what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    Luke rubbed his eyes and sat up straight before looking at the man. Instead of responding, he simply returned the angry glare the teacher gave him.


    ¡°You rich kids never learn¡± the man sighed.


    Ding ding ding


    Again the clanging of the bell signaled the students, this time signaling the end of lunch. As the kids poured into the room, Luke could see the girl from earlier, her clothes still dirty from the food and tear stains; when the two made eye contact, Luke slid back in his seat when he saw her anger.


    Right after her was the boy, short and blonde, he still had the sinister grin that riled up Luke, whose regret was replaced with anger.


    The lessons continued for what seemed like forever, but eventually the bell signaled once again, this time the teacher had led the kids to the end of the hall, but through the door straight ahead, opposite of the entrance of the school. Beyond the doors was a field, the older man instructing the kids to go and play, all except for Luke and someone named ¡°Maple¡±.


    ¡°Alright Luke, tell maple you¡¯re sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Maple.¡± Luke¡¯s apology was cutoff at the end, his eyes pointed toward the ground.


    ¡°Young man, show some respect! Look that girl in the eyes when you speak. And don¡¯t mumble either.¡±


    Luke began to grit his teeth when chastised, but he stopped, pulled his head up, and looked at the girl who still looked rather angry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Maple.¡±


    ¡°For?¡± The girl escalated her tone.


    ¡°For knocking you over.¡±


    With a humph, the girl walked off to play with other girls, leaving Luke to be further berated.


    ¡°There, doesn¡¯t it feel good to tell the truth?¡±


    Not having the energy to argue, the boy went searching for one who started all of this. It didn¡¯t take him long to spot the blonde by himself, sitting beside a tree, not a care in the world.


    ¡°Why did you knock me into that girl?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to see what would happen. I thought it was funny.¡±


    ¡°Well it wasn¡¯t! Everyone thinks I did it.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do, beat me up? I¡¯d like to see you do that without mana.¡±


    Luke paused, thinking for a moment.


    ¡°Tell you what kid, we fight tomorrow. If you beat me up, I¡¯ll tell everyone I pushed you and you fell onto that girl. Deal?¡±


    ¡°I-¡°


    ¡°Deal! Now move, you¡¯re blocking the view!¡±


    Luke again wanted to protest, but he figured this could be a chance to prove himself. Doing as the kid requested, he moved, but not before looking at where the blonde had faced. The girl from before was playing jump rope with some others.


    <hr>


    ¡°So Luke, how did your day go?¡±


    Matthew had waited for Luke at the middle-class square, where he and his friends met on weekends and during summer. The younger sibling had hung his head in shame.


    ¡°Awful Matt. Some kid made me knock over a girl and everyone thinks I did it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. If you want, I can tell dad about what happened, or I could beat that kid up.¡±


    Luke took a moment to process what his brother had offered him, but decided people might hate him more.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°You sure Luke?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 6: Mana

    Ding ding ding


    The familiar screaming of a bell had every kid anticipating the day ahead of them. That is, the day ahead of them after school ended.


    ¡°Okay class, let¡¯s start today with an interesting lesson: mana!¡±


    Luke¡¯s ears perked up at the mention of the word. He figured that though he couldn¡¯t use mana, maybe learning about it would help him realize the problem.


    ¡°Every person in the world has mana. You, me, your parents, everyone. Even the trees, the birds, and the rocks all have mana.


    What is mana you may be asking? Well, it¡¯s how many do things like jump higher, run faster, and use our elements. It¡¯s our energy source. You wouldn¡¯t be alive without mana, therefore anyone who says they don¡¯t have mana simply hasn¡¯t figured out how to use their own.¡±


    Luke felt himself slink back into his chair, as if that last remark was directed at him and him alone.


    ¡°When you¡¯re born, you develop this little ball like object near your heart that absorbs and expels mana as needed. Your mana flows throughout your entire body and can be called forth by merely thinking on where you wish to concentrate it.


    When you fight, your mana enhances your strength and makes a shield around you to protect from physical blows.


    You can¡¯t see mine, other people¡¯s, or even your own, but rest assured that it¡¯s there. You don¡¯t have to think about it, because it¡¯s always there unless you run low on mana. Choosing to protect yourself with mana means not attacking, but it could save your life.


    The more mana you have, the stronger you can hit, the harder you can take a hit, the longer you can fight, and the better you can control your elements. Just by using this exhausting this energy, your body will learn to take in more. Train hard with mana and you¡¯ll be strong.


    Unfortunately, a shield and slightly enhanced physical abilities is all you can do without an element. We¡¯ll talk about elements in the coming days.¡±


    <hr>


    Luke watched the girl in front of him collect her meal of orange juice, carrots, and a hot dog before running off to a table. Relinquishing his death grip on the metal ridge next to him, he moved to grab his own lunch, now watching the blonde boy behind him like a hawk.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Luke?¡±


    ¡°David. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to push you. Wouldn¡¯t be funny a second time.¡±


    Realizing he had his food, Luke walked to an empty table, hoping it would stay empty.


    ¡®This sucks. I wish I could be Elizabeth right now¡¯ Luke had thought to himself, chowing down on the food he hadn¡¯t admitted to missing on yesterday. It was bad enough what was happening, but now he was regretting not getting his brother involved.


    Looking up from his table, he caught sigh of Maple and David talking, the latter pointing in his general direction. He could only guess what was being said, but he tried to pay it no mind, knowing he would get his revenge in a few hours. He hoped.


    <hr>


    The bell had struck for the penultimate time, indicating it was the hour to release the kids for recess. Luke and David had stood on the hill looking over the school, getting as far away from adult supervision as they reasonably could. Staring at one another, Luke felt his heart beating faster and faster, with each passing second regretting his decision more and more.


    Suddenly the blonde boy had taken a swing at Luke, which he dodged and attempted to retaliate. Though he landed a punch, his fist hadn¡¯t fazed David, who followed up with a slug that knocked Luke to the ground.


    Getting up, Luke lunged at David with his right fist before pulling back and faking him out, then following with a blow to the stomach. Again, the attack hadn¡¯t winded the opponent even a little. Luke, however, got a straight punch to the nose, knocking him down again.


    ¡®And if you do get in a fight, end it as soon as you can. It might be embarrassing, but it¡¯s better than getting beat up even more.¡¯


    This time, Luke wasn¡¯t getting up. The words of his brother blaring inside his head, he realized he could try and fight David until he was black and blue, or he could just kiss the dirt and not go home bruised.


    ¡°You going to get up?¡±


    ¡°No¡± his muffled voice wrestling itself from the grass and sand.


    ¡°Guess I win then. Oh well, better luck next time.¡±


    Sitting upright, Luke watched as David walked off with the girl fawning over him.


    ¡°My hero¡± she cooed.


    Her adoration over the bully made Luke feel sick, but the day was almost over at least. All he had to do was live until the weekend and he could see the princess again.


    <hr>


    Before he left the school grounds, Luke inspected himself, making sure he had no cuts or bruises on him. He had only now realized that while his body was unscathed, his shorts had taken on some sand and dirt.


    ¡°So Luke, how was your day?¡±


    The younger brother froze up at those words. Not necessarily what was said, but even as young as he was, Luke knew the inflection in his brother¡¯s voice was knowing and disappointed.


    ¡°I got in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Luke¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you told me not to, but I had no way of running.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look hurt. I guess it could have been worse.¡±


    ¡°He was the same kid who got me in trouble yesterday. He wanted to fight real bad.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? People are like that. I¡¯ve gotten into a lot of fights. Some people use it to get to know one another. If he tries to do it again, make sure to let me know, because that means he actually doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna tell dad, are you?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, no!¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 7: Elements

    ¡°Now class, today we¡¯ll begin talking about one of the most important parts of everyone¡¯s life: their elements!¡±


    Luke had thought back to last summer, when he and his brother had sparred one time. Matthew would summon metal polls from the earth, metal chains, and even use liquid metal to increase the length of his weapons. Most of his memory was of him fleeing in terror for the majority of the training.


    ¡°There are many elements that an individual can have. Generally, you¡¯ll find yourself with two, but some of you might have one or three. There¡¯s good and bad aspects to every element and combination, something you¡¯ll discover throughout your life. To start out, can someone name an element?¡±


    Luke¡¯s hand shot up, but so did many others. Even though Luke had inherited his family¡¯s growth spurt, his hand was still lost in a sea of arms.


    ¡°Amber.¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, fire. You all know fire burns things. If you use it with water, it creates steam. With ice it creates fog. It¡¯s a very wild element, so you must be careful not to lose control. Anyone else?¡±


    Luke continued to raise his hand, feeling more confident when fewer hands were raised.


    ¡°Julia.¡±


    ¡°Water.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, water. What you drink every day. With earth it can make mud. If you learn to control it very precisely, you could pull water from the air itself. Who else?¡±


    Luke¡¯s arm was tiring from being raised, but he persisted.


    ¡°David.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Electricity¡±


    ¡°Very nice choice. Electricity can be used to zoom around quickly if you can turn yourself into it. It¡¯s a very fast but very chaotic form of travel, but I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s very fun. Last one.¡±


    At this point, Luke was livid, but he found the room was devoid of raised arms. Not single person in front or behind him, to his left or right, had their hand raised.


    ¡°Arnold.¡±


    ¡°Light.¡±


    ¡°Ah light. They say those with light can see things not visible to others. They say you could see invisible things or possibly the future. That¡¯s all the time we have today, maybe next time I won¡¯t be forced to call on someone.¡±


    <hr>


    Today was the same as yesterday: Luke cautiously distancing himself from the girl in front of him, not letting the jerk behind him shove him. He may have sounded sincere yesterday, but Luke wasn¡¯t going to chance him lying. Grabbing his meal, he scurried off to the same empty table as yesterday, but it didn¡¯t remain so.


    ¡°Man, that teacher is a jerk.¡±


    David had sat across from Luke at the table, the latter unsure how to feel given the blonde¡¯s statement.


    ¡°I just came by to say, no hard feelings about yesterday. I just wanted to see if you really couldn¡¯t use mana. I guess you weren¡¯t lying.¡±


    In the next moment, David was gone, leaving the befuddled boy to his thoughts, most of which were confusion about how to feel. By the end of lunch, he realized he was essentially back at square one.


    Nowhere was that more apparent than at recess, Luke left alone with his thoughts. Not wishing to approach the girls playing jump rope nor the boys getting into a fight, he instead moved to the playground. It hadn¡¯t occurred to him since he arrived to scan his surroundings, but now that he did, he could see the world was so much bigger than he first realized. Or at least, the backyard of the school was.


    Still, despite the playground bolstering everything from monkey bars to a slide thrice his size, Luke was content to sit by himself on the swing. The rest looked busy, and the last thing the boy wanted was to deal with anyone else.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey Luke, how was today?¡±


    It had felt like the blink of an eye when the younger sibling left the swing to make his way back home, only to be greeted by his cheerful brother.


    ¡°Better.¡± The little brother lied, though he wasn¡¯t entirely sure it was a lie. He figured that while he was still alone, he also wasn¡¯t eating dirt.


    ¡°Hmm, guess you didn¡¯t get to another fight?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Hey, at least no one is bothering you now; that¡¯s good, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    Unbeknownst to Luke, who let his legs guide him home while his mind drifted off, Matthew had kept a distance behind him.

 Volume 1, Chapter 8: Reprieve

    ¡°Hey Luke! How was your first week of school?¡±


    After surviving the last two weekdays, Luke had finally gotten to visit a real friend again. When he stepped into the flower garden, a feeling of calm had washed over him like never before.


    ¡°It sucked.¡±


    He didn¡¯t come off as too negative, but he wasn¡¯t going to pull any punches.


    ¡°Oh, what happened?!¡±


    ¡°I got into a fight, I got into trouble, and the teacher treated me like crap.¡±


    ¡°You got into a fight?! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I lost, but he didn¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    This was a half-truth, even Luke admitted that much to himself. It didn¡¯t hurt him physically, but whatever crumpled bit of pride he had left was now ashes in the wind.


    Relaying the rest of the story, Luke had eaten up the genuine sympathy the princess had given him. The harshness of the school kids was melting away.


    ¡°Public school sounds terrible. You shouldn¡¯t have to put up with that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I bet any day I¡¯ll be able to use mana. When that happens, everything will be normal. Until then, I have you as a friend, and that¡¯s all I need.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Luke¡± Elizabeth blushed a little at his statement, but pulled her head behind her pink bangs.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we play tag?¡±


    ¡°Sure-¡°


    ¡°You¡¯re it!¡± Luke had poked Elizabeth on the nose before running off, taking advantage of her shock to get a head start.


    Running out of the garden and through the halls of the castle, Luke had memorized the castle walls over the last two years. made his way to the left wing of the castle, knowing that at the end sat a room full of armor suits that he could use to sneak around the princess.


    Looking back, he could see she was steadily gaining on him. He would definitely have to outsmart her since he had no mana to keep pace with her.


    Making his way into the armory, Luke dove behind one of the suits, waiting for the princess to enter. A suit of armor was twice his size and a little wider, allowing him to be completely invisible unless his opponent peered around the side; although they agreed to ban such a move, both were guilty of doing it anyways, never giving each other a hard time if the game went on too long. As the door creaked and princess began scanning the area, Luke slowly snuck toward the exit, breaking into a spring when he passed the open door.


    Turning his head back to see Elizabeth not even within sight, he looked forward again thinking he was going to gain a strong lead, when suddenly she had appeared in front of him, booping him in the nose.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Tag!¡± Elizabeth began running off.


    ¡°No fair! You¡¯re not supposed to use your element!¡±


    Luke chased the pink haired girl down the hall, forcing his legs to keep speeding up in order to catch her. As his hand was about to touch her dress, the princess had suddenly appeared far out of his reach, Luke¡¯s forward momentum causing him to trip and fall onto the floor.


    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry Luke.¡± The girl rushed over to the fallen boy, looking as though he were about to cry.


    ¡°We agreed no teleporting. It¡¯s not fair¡­¡±


    The boy was upset, but he wasn¡¯t going to let his pain get the best of him. Breathing in heavily, he forbade himself from tearing up.


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it again Luke, I promise. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The princess embraced her friend, nestling her head in his shoulder.


    <hr>


    ¡°It¡¯s time to come back to you room miss Elizabeth.¡±


    A weedy man had called, signaling the princess to return to the throne room. Luke had followed her, having been accustomed to doing so over the years. His first year, the lanky man didn¡¯t approve of the boy doing so, only putting up with it because the princess would allow it; eventually he had simply learned to tolerate the boy.


    Who he really was, Luke had no idea. His name began with an ¡®Ed¡¯ and his title began with a ¡®Ch¡¯, but Luke was completely ignorant of politics outside of queens and princesses.


    When Elizabeth ran off to her room, Luke was left in the throne room with the Queen of Lumina, the man having escorted the princess beyond the boy¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Hello there, Luke. Did you have a fun time with my daughter?¡±


    The boy was always overwhelmed by the queen¡¯s presence, her slender figure, silver dress, and draping white hair. Around his father, the boy had never gotten a chance to speak to the monarch personally; now he had no idea what to say, simply nodding his head instead.


    ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re keeping my little strawberry company. You know, you¡¯re all she ever talks about.¡±


    ¡°Your little¡­strawberry?¡± Luke titled his head at the words, snapping back when he realized he was beginning to slouch. His father would be livid to see such slovenly behavior around royalty.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve noticed her hair color; it¡¯s not a color that humans naturally have. Except for her, she¡¯s special in that way. But not just in that way, she¡¯s special in another.¡±


    ¡°Her element?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you know? I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, you two knowing each other for years now. You wouldn¡¯t tell anyone else about her element, would you?¡±


    Luke shook his head. He wouldn¡¯t dare tell anyone else, knowing friendship with Elizabeth was already highly sought after.


    ¡°Good. You know, you¡¯re also very special.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel special.¡±


    Hanging his head low, the boy felt a downpour of depression at his own words.


    ¡°Oh, but I know your special. I can feel it. Your father was special, your mother was incredible, your brother is showing signs of his amazing lineage; all that leaves¡­is you.¡±


    A clacking noise echoed through the room. Luke fidgeted uncomfortably when he saw the woman walking up to him, the slit in her dress revealing her white high heels hitting the black floor. As the woman leaning in to close the distance between their faces, the boy had stepped back a foot or two.


    ¡°You may not know how you¡¯re special, but all things make themselves clear in due time. Everyone finds their light. Every one. Even those from Umbro or elsewhere.¡± Standing herself upright, the queen waved her arm. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    Wasting no time, Luke turned around and walked off, only breaking into a run when he exited the castle.


    <hr>


    ¡°Luke, we need to talk.¡±


    Matthew had stopped his brother before the two parted ways for the night.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Well, the other day I was thinking. Have you made any new friends?¡±


    The boy hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.


    ¡°Luke, I know you really like Elizabeth, but you might want to make new friends. You can¡¯t always see the princess, but I bet if you made other friends, you¡¯d never be alone.¡±


    ¡°Ok Matt, I¡¯ll try.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 9: Kindling Friendship

    ¡°So, we¡¯ve given a brief talk about all of the common elements: fire, water, ice, earth, wind, electricity, nature, light, dark, metal. However, now we¡¯ll go into more detail about them starting today.¡±


    The teacher had started the lesson by having the class head outside, the kids fidgeting, unable to contain their desire to just run around and play.


    ¡°Now now kids, we¡¯re not out here to play, but to show off! First, who here uses fire?¡±


    Several hands extended from the crowd.


    ¡°Julia. Why don¡¯t you show us how it¡¯s done?¡±


    A raven-hair girl nervously stepped forward, her hands clinging to her blue overalls. Luke had wondered if she even raised her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous Julia, just concentrate and you-¡°


    Before he could finish his sentence, the girl had created fire in her right hand, the flame dancing in the late Autumn wind. Panicking, the girl threw the fire to the ground, where it began to grow by feeding off the grass.


    ¡°And this, students,¡± The professor kicked dirt over the fire until it was completely buried, ¡°is why you never lose control. If no one was around, Julia could have caused a massive fire.¡±


    As other girls began to snicker, Julia looked like she was about to cry, huffing with water forming around her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret girl, keep practicing and your confidence will grow. You¡¯ll be a great fire user one day, I know it. Now, for water.¡±


    More hands extended from the crowd.


    ¡°Maple. Show us what you can do.¡±


    Stepping forward was a familiar sight to Luke, the short-haired brunette in a yellow dress. It didn¡¯t take any effort on her part to create a ball of water in her hand. Moving her hands, she thinned the ball into a long whip, which she used to lash at Luke.


    ¡°Woah now, be careful with your water! You might think water would be a toy, but a well-crafted water whip could cut through metal. Thank you, Maple. Who wants to show off earth?¡±


    The mischievous girl returned to the crowd, most not batting an eye at what happened, except for Luke who recoiled in pain. As he opened his eyes through the stinging from the bruise on his arm, the boy could see the blonde boy making his way toward the teacher.


    ¡°Ah, David, show us what an earth elemental can do.¡±


    Pulling his leg up high and then stomping down hard, the entire ground shook and all the other students struggled to stay on their feet, many falling over.


    ¡°Good job, powerful display David! Last up is wind. Conner.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    With a triumph stride, the blonde boy returned to the others, a bronze skinned boy taking his place. Adjusting the glasses on his face, his took the same stance as Luke, concentrating air before blasting his audience with it.


    ¡°Not bad. Wind is hard to see, making it good for surprise. Let¡¯s head back inside kids.¡±


    <hr>


    The rest of the day was a breeze for Luke, dealing with simple mathematics and spelling. Lunch time he had found himself alone again, though now he began to enjoy the solidarity, it was a relief despite the cacophony of the cafeteria.


    During recess, he had assumed he could simply sit by the swings in peace the same way he was alone during lunch. Today, however, he was approached by a familiar stranger: the nervous girl from early had approached him, carrying the same awkward demeanor.


    ¡°H-hello, you¡¯re Luke right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I kind of forgot your name.¡±


    Matthew had taught Luke manners a few months prior, but those lessons weren¡¯t helping him now.


    ¡°Julia Kellu. Is the swing there¡­¡± the girl gestured to the swing next to Luke. The boy shook his head, watching the girl sit on the suspended pad.


    ¡°Luke, why didn¡¯t you defend yourself against that mean girl earlier?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t, I have no mana.¡±


    ¡°What, how?!¡±


    The girl went from unsure to astonished in a second while Luke merely shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just¡­don¡¯t.¡±


    The girl faced the ground while slowly swinging back and forth.


    ¡°So, where are you from Julia?¡±


    ¡°Vesipia, in Umbro.¡±


    ¡°Umbro? Like, way north of here?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Vesipia is just before the mountains, but it¡¯s still part of Umbro. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I live here. My house is south, near the castle.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, the upper-class ring?¡±


    ¡°No, the noble one. Like, the highest one before the castle.¡±


    ¡°Wow, it must be great to be nobility! My mom and dad are just farmhands.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it sucks. Mom spends an hour at home making breakfast and dinner, dad is gone most of the time; the only one who¡¯s around now and then is my brother, Matt.¡±


    ¡°So you live with your brother then? I live with my uncle and aunt. Do you have any friends?¡±


    ¡°I have the princess. That¡¯s it, really.¡±


    ¡°The Princess?! That sounds like the best friend anyone could ask for!¡±


    The girl¡¯s face was now a glowing smile, her feet kicking excitedly off the ground.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t get to see her all the time. I could always use another friend.¡±


    ¡°Well we¡¯re friends then!¡± Julia announced with a grin from ear to ear.


    That was the last thing she said before running off. Luke didn¡¯t know why, but he wasn¡¯t going to ask. However, something about what the girl said had sounded familiar to him.


    <hr>


    ¡°Matt¡± Luke addressed his brother while he was cleaning dishes, ¡°where is Vesipia?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a town way up north in Umbro, where your aunt Shelly lives. Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I thought I remembered it from something. A friend said she used to live there.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Hey, why don¡¯t I tell you about aunt Shelly?¡±


    Luke¡¯s eyes beamed with excitement. He couldn¡¯t remember his visit to his aunt¡¯s house because he was only two at the time.


    ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve been read, she was a Cavalier, a sword user who is fast and furious. When an army from Umbro was about to attack Lumina, Shelly and her companion, The Blazing Phoenix, took down the entire army.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the Blazing Phoenix?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Dad only says he was a friend of Shelly¡¯s, and that he left a long time ago. Whoever he was, he helped Shelly take on over five-hundred men! He must have been super cool. Maybe one day we¡¯ll meet him.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s Julia¡¯s dad.¡±


    ¡°Julia?¡±


    ¡°My friend. She can control fire.¡±


    ¡°Well Luke, just because someone can control fire, doesn¡¯t mean their parents can. I mean, you could be like a water and nature user, or wind and fire, or even a time user.¡±


    ¡°Time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re pretty rare, but they¡¯re also powerful. I don¡¯t how it works, but apparently they can go really far in a second. To them it¡¯s like time is moving normally, but to us it¡¯s like they blinked and moved!¡±


    ¡°Wow. Maybe I¡¯ll be one of them. I¡¯m excited just thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Either way, I¡¯m glad you made a friend.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 10: Curiosity

    ¡°Alright kids, which of you is light? Kevin.¡±


    It was another day for Luke, another day beginning by tantalizing him with abilities he might never have. Still, he was mesmerized by the display, jotting down the showcases into the deepest recesses of his mind.


    ¡°Aight.¡± A chestnut-haired boy with baggy pants and a t-shirt stepped in front of the class, holding his hands above his head. Before anyone could wonder what was going to happen, a bright light flashed across the field, forcing the kids to recoil.


    ¡°Goo-good job Kevin. You may return to the line.¡± The teacher rubbed his eyes, continuing when is vision returned. ¡°As you kids can see, or could see, light is good at blinding foes, however it could also be used passively to see things not naturally visible to most. If any of your parents ask, neither I nor the school are liable for any eye related problems that may occur. Next, dark. Cindy?¡±


    Instead of stepping in front of the crowd like the rest had done, the blonde girl kept walking until she approached the shadow of a tree. To the kid¡¯s amazement, the girl sunk into the shade, disappearing completely.


    For a moment, many wondered if she would come back. The normally loud crowd was now silent, focusing intently on the spot the girl once stood. The wind brushed by as seconds past. Luke had broken sight with the spot to look at the teacher, Julia following suit; the man seemed confident, as if sure the girl would return.


    When the crow began making noise again, Luke immediately turned his attention back to the blonde, now returning from the darkness.


    ¡°Very good Cindy.¡± The teacher clapped for the girl as she returned to the crowd. ¡°As you can see, those with the dark element can melt into the shadows. However, if there is no shade, you will be forced back into the normal world. Alright, last for today: metal. Jacob.¡±


    The boy had made his way in front of the crowd. Without waiting for a prompt, the boy began dragging up a metal pole from the ground, then pushing it back down before returning to the group.


    ¡°Quick and to the point, good. As you can see, those who control metal can drag metal poles or other metal objects from the ground. With good control, you can create these objects in the ground and bring them up for a surprise.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey Julia, what¡¯s it like being able to use mana?¡± Luke pushed his friend on the swing, trying his best not to get whipped by her hair.


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s¡± she paused, ¡°it¡¯s like¡­I just do it.¡±


    ¡°Is it hard? Do you have to really focus on making fire?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s actually really difficult to not make too much fire. I once almost burned my house down.¡±


    ¡°In Lumina?¡±


    ¡°No, Vesipia. My mom and dad live on a farm, it would have gotten really bad if it spread. Our farm has loboars, horses, jackalope, and pigs.¡±


    ¡°Jackalope?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re like rabbits and deer. Mom calls them¡­something Mara, but most people call them jackalope. Have you ever been to Vesipia?¡±


    The girl hopped off the swing, patting it as a sign for her and Luke to switch places. When Luke was sent flying into the air by someone else, he could feel his heart stop yet paradoxically beat faster in excitement.


    ¡°Well, when I was two. I don¡¯t really remember what it¡¯s like.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nice. A lot of the people there are kind, and the village is small and quiet.¡±


    ¡°Sounds a lot better than Lumina.¡±


    ¡°Maybe one day you can come see me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going back?¡±


    ¡°Well, during summer. Mom and Dad want me to go to school here but come home when I can.¡±


    ¡°Maybe this summer, I¡¯ll come see you. My aunt lives there too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that promise¡± the girl giggled, giving the boy one last shove before running off with the rest of the kids.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey Dad, do you think I could see my aunt this summer?¡±


    The older man had sat opposite of his two sons at the dinner table. Johnathan breathed through his nose, tilted his head, and rotated his shoulders.


    ¡°May I ask why?¡± The man¡¯s voice was low and gravely. Luke grew anxious whenever his father talked, and somehow he was more intimidating when he spoke calmly.


    ¡°My friend is going to be there this summer. I also wanna see aunt Shelly again.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    Luke and Matt were spooked to hear the voice roar from the kitchen.


    ¡°You will not be seeing that woman. Someone would have to take you all the way there. Your father can¡¯t because he¡¯d never have the time. Your brother can¡¯t because he has better things to do.¡±


    ¡°Mom-¡° Matthew spoke up.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s final!¡±


    Luke looked down at the table, dejected. Matt put his arm around his brother¡¯s shoulder. Glancing up, the two could their father¡¯s expression was no longer calm, but surprised.


    Once the woman had put down plates for the three, she stormed off in a huff; the father looked as if he were about to say something to her, but she was already gone. After the meal finished, the man departed, leaving the boys to clean up.


    ¡°Hey Luke, I¡¯ll take you to Aunt Shelly¡¯s this summer.¡±


    ¡°Really?! You¡¯re not worried about what mom said?¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes went wide like the plates he was cleaning, his brother gleefully taking in his response.


    ¡°What¡¯s she going to do? Ground me? Pfft. I¡¯m not leaving my little brother to be caged in Lumina for another summer.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Matt.¡± The little brother gave his sibling a great big hug.


    ¡°No problem Luke.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 11: Nerve

    ¡°Alright class. This will be the last display for awhile. Starting out, Susan, show us your nature abilities.¡±


    Luke and Julia watched as a red-headed girl stepped in front of the crowd, kneeled down, and caused the grass to sprout up over her head. After a second, she poked her head out of the ruffage, garnering claps from the class.


    ¡°Excellent. As you can see, nature can be used to manipulate plant life. However, some nature users can only use their element on animals. As you explore the world, you¡¯ll meet people who control their elements differently. Next, Harvey. Show us a bit of ice.¡±


    The new boy was well groomed, had overalls and a plaid shirt with glasses. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled a breeze that froze the tall grass the previous girl surrounded herself in.


    ¡°Very nice. Another example of an element you might associate with another element. Fire might be able to lower temperature, and ice is frozen water, yet ice is an element all its own. Finally, Isaac, show us electricity.¡±


    The young man was bald and a bit heavy set, but that didn¡¯t seem to hold him down as his body instantly transformed into a bolt of electricity which danced across the field, hopping twenty or so feet every half second until he returned to normal in the spot he started.


    ¡°Marvelous. Electricity is a fast and furious element, allowing some users to transform into lightning itself. I hear it¡¯s a lot of fun. Alright class, let¡¯s head inside.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Geez, I can¡¯t get over that lightning kid.¡±


    Luke and Julia turned around to see the windy boy from the other day.


    ¡°Yeah, that was pretty cool. Yours was pretty cool too.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t nothing. I can blow stuff over. What about you two, what can you do?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Julia can use fire.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, that was her. What about you, I don¡¯t remember you going up.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, everyone can do something.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t control mana.¡± Julia stepped in to explain.


    ¡°Really? That can¡¯t be right. Shouldn¡¯t you be like, dead?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m Luke by the way.¡±


    ¡°Oh I know who you are. Everyone remembered what happened in the cafeteria. We all know you didn¡¯t do it, but no one wanted to say anything. My name¡¯s Connor by the way.¡±


    ¡°Well, me and Julia were going to play by the swings if you wanted to join us.¡±


    ¡°The swings?¡± the boy sounded insulted by the mere mention of the idea. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll go down the slide.¡±


    With that, the boy left them to fight his through the crowd. Luke turned to Julia who seemed to perk up at the idea.


    ¡°Alright then, slide it is.¡±


    As the pair pushed passed the kids on their, Julia found herself facing down the diagonal line. The girl had stopped cold, securing herself against the metal floor.


    ¡°Julia, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Luke, I didn¡¯t think it would be this high up.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t fall off, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±


    The girl still hesitated as she began to board the slide, timidly shaking until Luke helped her secure her hands on the sides. As he let go of her, the girl felt herself grow more confident, sliding to the ground before landing with a thud. As she turned around, she saw Luke hit the ground, then another girl.


    ¡°Wow, what a slow poke. I could¡¯ve gone down three times already.¡±


    ¡°Shut up Maple.¡±


    ¡°Make me, clutz!¡±


    Luke grimaced at the girl, but he didn¡¯t dare make a move, knowing that even on her own, she would easily beat him down.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    The girl wandered off, smug and content.


    ¡°Um, Luke¡­¡±


    Luke turned around to see his partner was smiling, but not a typical smile. Her eyes seemed less energetic and more sad yet still happy, and her smile was weak. Despite not being a normal smile, the boy believed it to be more sincere and heartfelt.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For helping me down the slide.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my friend. My brother always told me to treat friends like family.¡± Luke stopped for a moment. ¡°Well, I¡¯d treat you like my brother treats me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, would you like to hang out at my house sometime?¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll have to ask my brother though, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll let me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask my aunt and uncle, I don¡¯t know if they-¡°


    Before she could finish he thought, the shrieking of the school bell signaled the end of the day. Julia was about to continue her conversation but was instantly swept up by a wave of kids, disappearing from Luke¡¯s view.

 Volume 1, Chapter 12: Developments

    ¡°So how was school this week?¡±


    ¡°Great! I made a new friend.¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s normally cheerful smiled had gone lopsided at the remark, Luke instantly regretting his answer.


    ¡°Oh, a new friend? Who are they?¡±


    Luke was reluctant to answer the princess as she struggled to return to her naturally cheerful expression.


    ¡°A girl named Julia. Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh. So I guess now you¡¯ll be hanging out with them instead?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I¡¯ll be hanging out with her and you.¡±


    Luke felt his heart sink as the princess no longer held her straight face, but a grimace.


    ¡°I understand. I can¡¯t be with you at school. I wouldn¡¯t want to be alone either, if I could help it. As long as you come visit me still, I don¡¯t mind. Now, about that game of hide-and-seek?¡±


    The boy wiped his head, only to find he wasn¡¯t sweating like he initially believed. Still, he felt uneasy despite the change of subject.


    ¡°Uh, sure. You hide first this time.¡±


    ¡°Okay Luke.¡± The princess began to walk passed the boy and out of the garden, only to turn her head back toward him. Looking into her long, cold stare, Luke felt fear he didn¡¯t know was possible. ¡°You¡¯d better find me.¡±


    The boy had ducked down, closing his eyes and beginning the count.


    ¡°One.¡± Luke¡¯s voice trembled as if there were an earthquake.


    ¡°Two.¡± His voice began to calm down.


    ¡°Three.¡± After taking a breath, the boy could feel his composure returning.


    ¡°Four.¡± The scary image of the princess had faded from his memory.


    ¡°F-five.¡± Just as he thought about how he had forgotten the memory, it smacked him in the face, bringing back the traumatic fear from earlier.


    With shaky legs, the boy forced himself out of the garden, in the general direction the princess had departed. This hint was of little value, as the garden was open from all sides, and Elizabeth had learned from Luke that she could simply exit one side, yet end up on another side completely.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Heading north, the only areas to hide were in the hall to the throne room. The throne room itself was made off limits, at least that was the two agreed on after interrupting a meeting with the queen. Luke checked the east wing first, searching the kitchen and art room.


    The kitchen had smelled of many delectable treats, possibly deserts for the princess. Luke figured she might have had a sweet tooth moment and wanted some. Looking through the kitchen, there were colorful muffins, but no princess. Perhaps after today, the boy wouldn¡¯t be getting anymore special deserts from her highness.


    Venturing southwest, Luke searched the peculiar art exhibit. Paintings, sculptures, and surreal metal devices decorated the sides of the hall, the floor a checkboard pattern. The boy had always been fascinated at the floor pattern more than anything else in the room, but his parents refused to replace their wooden floor.


    Looking at the paintings, Luke hit a realization that he may not have had to have mana if he could paint. As he continued to think, he remembered he didn¡¯t have the slightest clue how to paint, nor did he care to learn.


    Taking a deep breath, Luke traveled west, toward the armory. Normally he would check the location first, the room being the most frequent target for the game. Most days, the boy wouldn¡¯t pay any mind to the fact that the room was filled with sharp weapons within arm¡¯s reach. Today was not a typical day, but Luke was damned regardless.


    Creaking open the door, the boy hesitantly stepped forward. As he left the vicinity of the exit, the door slammed shut. Luke could feel his body tense up, his eyes darting all over the room, his mind running circles.


    ¡°Boo!¡±


    Luke screamed as he felt a poke at his back, leaping forward with full force.


    ¡°Hehe, where is your friend now?¡±


    Looking up, the princess was barely visible as she stood above the boy, grinning evilly. Luke began curled up into a ball, shutting his eyes as he waited for the end.


    ¡°Sorry Luke, I read a scary story the other day and got really into it.¡±


    Opening his eyes, Luke could see the girl more clearly, her arm outstretched. Helping the boy up, the princess escorted him out of the room while he caught his breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you hang out with friends from school, just don¡¯t forget about me, okay?¡±


    The original evil grin from earlier had transformed into a sincere smile, the innocent type she had normally given, before again being replaced by a more concerned frown.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll visit you every weekend!¡±


    Returning his biggest smile, he received a touch on the nose as the princess ran off. Luke gave chase, not letting her get the slip up on him.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey Luke, I forgot to ask yesterday, but how was school? And was your visit with the princess today.¡±


    ¡°School was great. Me and Julia had fun.¡±


    ¡°I see you got a new favorite. Personally, I¡¯d stick with the princess.¡± Matthew winked at Luke.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Anyways, the princess and I had fun.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting into any trouble, are you?¡± Matthew raised his eyebrows at his brother.


    ¡°Am I?¡± Luke returned favor.


    ¡°Well, I have bad news. Dad wants you to start learning how to use a weapon.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t use mana though!¡±


    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t, you can still use a weapon. If nothing else, you need some way of defending yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 13: Expectations

    ¡°Hey Luke, we need to talk.¡±


    Luke couldn¡¯t believe what he had been thinking, but he was glad to have returned to school. Playing with Julia would be a relief, but the first words the girl uttered had made him stop dead.


    ¡°I told my aunt and uncle about you, and¡­¡±


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t come and visit?¡±


    ¡°No. They said they don¡¯t me to be friends with you, they say not having mana means you¡¯re a troublemaker.¡±


    Luke was astonished at the words, not because of how rude or mean they were, but how they reminded him of his first day at school.


    ¡°So I guess that means that we aren¡¯t friends?¡±


    ¡°No way! I want to still be your friend!¡±


    The boy scratched his head. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just not tell them about it.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Pick any weapon on that wall, see what fits you. You don¡¯t have to pick a sword, or a shield, you could go with a mace, or an axe, or-¡°


    Luke¡¯s mind has tuned out his brother¡¯s rambling, knowing that regardless of his choice, he was going to get thrown to the floor like last time. A lot of the weapons looked to big for him, and several were out of his reach, even for him being four and a half feet. Picking up the nearest weapon, the boy awkwardly maneuvered it so the head was facing his brother.


    ¡°A spear, huh? Brian uses one of those.¡±


    Luke winced at the mention of the name, but he figured there was no point to choosing another weapon. With a running start, Luke slashed the spear at his brother, who easily side stepped out of range. Attempting more slashes yielded the same result.


    ¡°Luke¡± Matthew had made his way to the younger sibling¡¯s side, ¡°you¡¯re using too much energy trying to slash. Just focus on stabbing for now.¡±


    Adding his own force, Matthew thrusted the weapon at the air with enough force to send Luke forward with a jump.


    ¡°Keep a good grip now¡± the older brother handed over the spear, returning to his spot in from of the spear¡¯s point.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    This time, the brother thrust the spear forward, his older sibling walking back to avoid the flurry of stabs approaching him. After several seconds, the boy¡¯s father cut the attack short by grabbing the head of the spear with his bare hand, letting the point dig into his palm. Startled, the boy stopped immediately.


    ¡°Do you see my palm?¡± The man let go of the spearhead, bringing his palm closer to the boy.


    Looking at the skin, Luke couldn¡¯t tell where he had stabbed his father.


    ¡°I want you to strike my palm with all of the force that you can muster.¡±


    The boy knew how this song-and-dance went, so without hesitating he did as he was told, delivering a quick, powerful jab to the man¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Again.¡±


    Luke tensed the muscles in his arm, at least what he believed to be his muscles, delivering another solid blow to the man¡¯s open hand.


    ¡°Again.¡±


    The son took a step back before leaping forward with the strongest jab he could possibly make, combining his own force with momentum. As the spear landed, the boy released the weapon, tiring himself out.


    ¡°Luke,¡± the father walked over to the boy who was now sitting on the cold ground, ¡°is this really all the force you can muster?¡±


    Looking up, the boy could see his father¡¯s palm, just as unblemished as it was initially. Luke¡¯s head lowered, his gaze turning toward his weapon, and then his own arms.


    ¡°We will continue to practice, but this weakness is no good, it¡¯s simply no good. If all of your strength can¡¯t penetrate the skin of someone using as little mana as they physically can, there¡¯s no hope for you.¡±


    With those words, the man left his son to stew. Matthew quickly ran over to the boy to reassure him, but wasn¡¯t prepared for what followed. Once he sure his father was out of sight and ear-shot, Luke threw the spear at the ground with a roar, the weapon bouncing once before inching away and eventually stopping.


    ¡°Luke¡± Matthew was shocked and worried for his brother, mostly in case their father would hear him.


    ¡°I hate him so much!¡±


    ¡°Luke!¡± Matthew raised his voice to grab his brother¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Nothing I do is good enough!¡±


    ¡°LUKE!¡±


    Matthew finally grabbed his younger brother by his shoulders, himself growing angry at the blinding rage his brother was releasing. Luke had immediately calmed down after being grabbed, in a second realizing why his brother had done so.


    Both siblings remained silent for a minute, not talking, not whispering, not even breathing. Once the minute was over, Luke hastily returned the spear to its holster on the wall, silencing his footsteps to and from. As they left the building, there was no sign of their father.


    ¡°Luke¡± The older brother inhaled, ¡°you need to be careful about your anger.¡±


    ¡°I know, I shouldn¡¯t have thrown the spear.¡±


    ¡°Not just that. Father would not have been happy to see you explode like that. Be careful who you¡¯re angry around and how you express your anger.¡±


    ¡°So I can¡¯t be angry. Got it. Can¡¯t cry or be sad either.¡±


    ¡°Luke, that¡¯s not¡­¡±


    Matthew tried to talk to his brother, but Luke picked up his pace. Before Matthew could follow, a realization had hit him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry little brother. Maybe you¡¯re right.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 14: Dare to be Spooked

    The hot sun of summer had relented for weeks now, slowly giving way to a more bearable coolness, a coolness the citizens of Lumina recognized as Autumn. The lower temperature and humidity weren¡¯t as stark as in winter, but were appreciated none-the-less.


    But today wasn¡¯t just a random Fall day, it was Hallow Eve, a day to ward off any lingering spirits with ill-intentions. Kids would dress up as all sorts of monsters.


    ¡°What are you dressing up as for Halloween?¡± Luke asked his bashful friend, wondering if she would even attempt to brave the holiday night.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going to go out for Halloween.¡±


    ¡°What are you, chicken?¡± The pair turned to see Maple snickering.


    ¡°Me and few others are going to look for the old prison¡± David spoke up.


    ¡°The old prison?¡± Luke looked at the pair in confusion before turning around to an excited Connor.


    ¡°Rumor has it that there¡¯s an old prison somewhere underground. They say it was originally a normal prison, but an earthquake caused it to fall underground, and now the prisoners haunt the place.¡±


    ¡°W-why you want to go there?¡± Julia was clenching Luke¡¯s arm, shaking as if she were freezing to death.


    ¡°They want to tell everyone how brave they are. I¡¯m coming because I¡¯ve got nothing better to do.¡± A lethargic redhead approached the group.


    ¡°Why would we want to go?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you join us Luke, no one would ever look down on you for not having mana.¡±


    The boy contemplated for a moment, stopping himself from jumping at the opportunity.


    ¡°I would, but I don¡¯t want to leave Julia by herself.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s the thing: we don¡¯t¡­have a light. All the light, fire, and electric users chickened out or were supposedly busy, so we figured we¡¯d ask her, but we¡¯d need to bring you too.¡±


    ¡°And if she comes, people will stop thinking she¡¯s a chicken.¡±


    Luke glared at Maple before turning back to his friend.


    ¡°You in?¡±


    The girl stared at him for a moment before sighing to herself and nodding her head.


    ¡°Alright then! Meet us near the northwest elementary school. Don¡¯t chicken out or else everyone will know.¡±


    With his words finished, the kids parted ways, leaving Luke and Julia to themselves until school was over.


    <hr>


    ¡°Matt, what¡¯s a prison for?¡±


    ¡°Uh, why do you ask? I mean I guess you should know, but still.¡±


    ¡°Just wondering. Some kids were talking about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, a prison is where people go when they break the law. The law being things like, ¡®don¡¯t steal¡¯, ¡®don¡¯t hurt someone for no reason¡¯, and ¡®don¡¯t enter areas that you are not allowed¡¯.¡±


    Luke began to worry when Matt brought up the last point.


    ¡°What do you mean areas I¡¯m not allowed?¡±


    ¡°Some places are off limits to the public for their safety. Old buildings that no one uses, people¡¯s homes, and schools late at night.¡±


    ¡°What happens to people who go to jail?¡±


    ¡°Well, they sit in a cell, basically a concrete box, for like five to ten years.¡±


    ¡°five to ten years?!¡±


    ¡°Less if they¡¯re good. Most people who go to prison aren¡¯t good, and some never become good. Don¡¯t be a bad person Luke, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    When the younger brother walked away, he only just realized his palms were sweating.


    ¡°By the way¡± Matthew watched his brother stop dead, ¡°you¡¯re going with just your friend, right?¡±


    Luke sighed to himself before facing his brother.


    ¡°Me and Julia are going with some of the kids.¡± Realizing he was already too far gone, he continued. ¡°Those kids promised not to bother us anymore if we prove we¡¯re brave.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a good idea, Luke.¡± Matthew crossed his arms, looking at his brother with concern. ¡°They might not keep their promise, they might just be getting you into trouble. Does your friend even know about this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She agreed to go with me.¡±


    ¡°But does she want to?¡±


    Luke paused before he answered, thinking on his answer.


    ¡°You should consider her feelings above those other kids. If she doesn¡¯t want to go through with plan for any reason, you shouldn¡¯t force her to.¡±


    ¡°But if we do this, she won¡¯t get bullied either.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t mind it as much as you. Maybe she¡¯s doing this for you. I¡¯m just saying, be careful that you don¡¯t mistreat a good friend.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    With a heavy heart, Luke departed to his room, retrieving the costumer his brother crafted for him.


    <hr>


    ¡°Julia, is that you?¡±


    Luke had approached a girl in a cat costume. The girl wore a gray, fluffy hoodie with cat ears, gray pants, and slippers that resembled paws.


    ¡°Luke! I told my aunt and uncle I would be going out. They got me this costume, isn¡¯t it cute?¡±


    ¡°Adorable. My brother got me some old armor, and the spear I use for sparring.¡±


    The girl admired the metal armor and spear, her mouth forming an ¡®o¡¯ and her eyes going wide as she inspected the weapon.


    ¡°Hey, you two came after all!¡± Connor had floated toward the duo, his legs hovering above the ground. ¡°I¡¯m a dragoon. Are you also a dragoon Luke?¡±


    ¡°No, just a knight with a spear.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s she supposed to be? A cat?! That¡¯s not a baby costume!¡± Behind the dressed dragoon was Maple in a pointed hat and worn black dress.


    ¡°I¡¯m a witch, but I wouldn¡¯t want that¡± the girl pointed at Julia, ¡°to be my cat. Well, unless she can prove herself tonight.¡±


    ¡°Boo.¡± A girl with a white sheet shoved the brunette witch aside. ¡°I¡¯m the ghost of Susan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your costume?¡± Luke was confused at the low quality of the costume compared to everyone else.


    ¡°A real costume would take effort. Bite me.¡±


    Luke and Julia chuckled to each other, both over the costume and how Maple was struggling not to fall over.


    ¡°Okay everyone, it¡¯s time we go down this prison!¡± David was dressed as a knight: a one-handed sword in his left hand, a shield in his right, with a helmet and chainmail. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead until go underground.¡±


    The blonde had lead the group away from the empty street of the middle ring, moving toward the lowest ring. Luke couldn¡¯t tell if the group was heading north or south, but he began to fear that he already landed himself in trouble. Eventually, the boy stopped near a concrete building, the structure having no visible entrance in the front side. Leading them between the ally of the building and a similarly abandoned pink building next to it, the group was shocked to see a crack at the back of the building.


    ¡°My friend told me about this place. They originally sealed this place, but he could get through this crack, and so can we.¡±


    As if on que, all eyes moved to Julia, except for Luke, who had to follow the everyone else¡¯s line of sight. With a reassuring pat on the shoulder from Luke, Julia went ahead, creating a ball of fire as she crouched down to walk through the short crack in the wall. Luke followed behind swiftly, having to crawl to avoid hitting his head.


    Scanning the environment as best they could, the pair could only see tile floors with all manners of cracks, plain walls caked with dust, and metal polls blocking entrance to several house-sized boxes.


    ¡°Is this what prison is like?¡±


    ¡°No, prisons are normally bigger, at least that¡¯s what my dad says¡± the blonde answered, the others staying close behind. ¡°My friend said there was a staircase leading down- there it is!¡±


    Julia had turned around to see David pointing toward a wall. There were no rails or indication of the stairs, they had seamlessly blended into the surrounding floor where tiles were upheaved, leaving only fragments behind. Peering down the stairs, the only thing Julia and Luke could see were more stairs and a vast expanse of darkness.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡±


    Luke wanted to tell off the brunette, but his mind immediately snapped back to his friend. The girl leading the pack was shaking, her eyes glued to the first step leading downward, but her body was as stiff as a rock.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay Julia. I got your back.¡±


    Luke¡¯s reassurance was enough to tear the girl from her fear, but not before turning back to face with fear and concern. As the girl descended the stairs, the color began to match the wall, melting into in a surreal fashion that made it near impossible to distinguish the two.


    Descending further and further down, each step the girl made echoed louder and louder, the cold air grew colder, and the intentions of the cavern began to feel ever more insidious. Once the girl stopped, Luke had checked the ground to see they had hit the bottom of the stairs, only vast expanses of dirt walls laid onward and even from behind where the stairs were.


    ¡°Uh, guys?¡± Luke paused when he heard his voice travel down the cave. ¡°Where¡¯s this prison supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°My friend says he can¡¯t remember. We¡¯ll just have to search.¡±


    With those words, Julia continued forward, the group cluttering behind her as to not be swallowed by the darkness of the underground. Before long, a terrible scent had ambushed the group.


    ¡°Uh, what is that smell?¡±


    Before anyone could answer, the echo of a guttural roar had rushed down the hole, causing not only Julia, but everyone else to freeze up. Losing concentration, the flame in Julia¡¯s hand went out, lowering the group¡¯s only defense against total blindness.


    Despite how terrified everyone was, no one dared make a peep, until Julia let out a large scream. Everyone else except for Luke joined in the screaming creating a chaotic cacophony. Shortly after, the screams had tore apart, most heading back to the stairs, but Luke could tell someone had headed forward, deeper into the cave.


    The boy wanted to join the group that had headed back, no doubt escaping toward home without a second thought, but Luke feared that the person who fled deeper was Julia. He wanted to leave, but he couldn¡¯t abandon her; if his parents found out¡­well, he didn¡¯t want to imagine a worse living condition.


    He couldn¡¯t simply run back to get his brother, as there was possibly a dangerous creature that roamed the cave. Luke then argued with himself when he realized that a dangerous creature would simply kill them both. Stepping back on his courageous side, he figured if he could get to Julia soon, they could run from the monster.


    Taking a deep breath, Luke walked forward, hoping the cavern wouldn¡¯t twist or turn. The scent from earlier was growing unbearable, but the screaming he had heard seconds before was now a faint crying. The distance sound of a girl in tears grew more defined as the boy fought the shroud; the sound halted instantly.


    ¡°Luke, is that you?¡± Julia¡¯s voice managed to squeak out.


    ¡°Julia!¡±


    The girl lit up the cavern around them with her flame, revealing she was laying against a wall; this wall, as Luke quickly realized, was not made of the same rock and dirt the rest of the cave consisted of. To the left the wall ended, but when Luke¡¯s gaze shifted to his right, Julia following, their hearts stopped.


    Behind steel bars was a body. The skin was black and crinkly, the jaw hung open, no eyes, bone exposed. Only now did Luke realize the smell originated from the body.


    Slowly making his way over to Julia, he grabbed her instinctually, pulling her up and slowly walking off. Julia and Luke both kept their eyes on the corpse, Julia making sure to stay behind Luke and keep the fire lit. When the darkness enclosed the unground jail, the pair began to run until they reached the stairs, Luke letting Julia take the lead.


    Once they reached the outside of the building, they both took in the humid night air of the city. In the next moment, Julia latched on to Luke, squeezing him as if trying to crush him via hugging.


    ¡°Julia¡± Luke spoke out, gathering his breath through the constriction, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have listened to my brother. I never should have brought you here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I ran off Luke,¡± the girl finally released the boy, no longer crying, though her eyes were still watery. ¡°I thought something grabbed me, so I ran off. I don¡¯t why I ran further in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Julia. You¡¯re safe now. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey, you guys got out alright!¡±


    The day Luke and Julia returned to school, their group had grown fearful about the faith the pair suffered. No one had seen them prior to fleeing the tunnel.


    ¡°I guess you''re brave¡± Maple pouted.


    ¡°Did you see anything down there, besides dirt?¡± Susan seemed vaguely intrigued in the answer, the others changing their expressions to astronomical levels of curiosity.


    ¡°We found a dead guy. Smelled pretty bad, looked even uglier. I guess that was the underground jail.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you saw the underground jail. Maybe tonight we can check it out for real.¡±


    The pair simply looked at David, before answering in unison.


    ¡°NO!¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 15: Winter Bright

    The pleasant air and tolerable humidity of fall began to fade, replaced by moderately uncomfortable cold air; this was a sign that winter had arrived.


    This day was no ordinary winter day for Luke, however, as his mother, father, and brother were all together. The family had gathered outside a tall building in the upper southeast ring of Lumina. The building towered over its neighbors, and every hour on the hour a bell would ring. It was the angry school bell, but a majestic thud that Luke found inviting.


    Inside the building were vibrant white walls and vivid red carpet. The aroma whirling from within the building was pungent, but not putrid. Luke found it a bit overbearing, but it wasn¡¯t enough to make him sick. This initial room was only a small compartment of a grandiose hall which was comprised of several benches with wood legs and velvety seats.


    The aura of the place Luke found to be far less interesting than the colors. Every man was dressed in a fluffy top and pants of black, brown, tan, or some other shade of sand. The girls all wore silky dresses of one color. The men had to wear the same terrible shoes as Luke, shoes which he resented for how slippery they were; he envied the women whose heels looked to have some traction.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Luke asked to no one in particular.


    ¡°It¡¯s the church of Lumina.¡± Matt had answered half informatively, half amused at his brother¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°The city?¡±


    ¡°No, silly, the Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Like in the story.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. They named the city after the Goddess, and every Sunday and Wednesday, her devout followers will come to places like these to pray for her blessing. If you look up there¡± Matthew pointed to several windows near the top of dizzyingly high walls, ¡°you can see the stained-glass windows tell a short version of the story.¡±


    From the left most window, Luke saw the image of a city. In the next window, the city was in ruins, then there were people standing in front of a woman shedding light. On the back wall, the two windows had the woman leading the people through a forest and stopping at a clearing. On the right, the people built a new city, and then a church.


    ¡°Luke¡±


    The boy snapped out of his trance upon hearing his brother¡¯s voice, joining his family on a bench. It was surreal for him to sit between his mother and brother, this being the first time he¡¯d ever been around the woman for more than an hour. He had the opportunity to see her whenever he visited the castle, but the adults never seemed to like his presence in the throne room, leering at him when he entered and clearing their throats whenever he would stick around. It didn¡¯t take him long to understand what they wanted.


    The stranger to his left had long, black hair. The shade of black wasn¡¯t as dark as Julia¡¯s, and inspecting the woman¡¯s face up close revealed the dark line under eyes, among other impurities that decorated her cheeks. None of that was quite as interesting as the scar that had ran down her neck; the color let the scar blend in almost seamlessly from afar, and even up-close Luke had originally glanced over it.


    Before he could ask where she had gotten the scar, the crowd of people inside the church were suddenly in an uproar. As the four stood up, Luke was aggravated when all he could see were the fronts of men and women.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Luke whispered as loud as he could to his brother.


    ¡°The princess!¡± A random person had shouted.


    As suddenly as the explosion noise began, it was swiftly silenced, everyone returning to their seats. Luke kept his eyes on the monarchy, the queen sporting a dress almost indistinguishable from the one she wore around the castle. Elizabeth was wearing what looked like a smaller version of the queen¡¯s outfit.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The women had stood up front, alongside an older man who was there even before Luke¡¯s family arrived.


    ¡°Everyone who has come here, I would like to thank your personally.¡± Despite the grey hair and many wrinkles, the man¡¯s voice sounded cleared and more energetic then any adult Luke ever met.


    ¡°We have all come here as children of Lumina, to praise her, to follow her law, to live under her. Before we begin our daily verses, please lend your ears to our shining beacon Vanilla and her daughter Elizabeth.¡±


    Luke had raised his arm to wave at Elizabeth, but just as he began to wave, he felt a sharp object jab into his side. Lower his arm and looking left, he could see his mother¡¯s elbow wedged into him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene!¡±


    The boy could see hell in his mother¡¯s eyes as she yelled at him through gritted teeth. Not wishing to bring undue attention to himself nor aggravate his mother any more than he had, Luke rubbed his side.


    <hr>


    Luke yawned uncontrollably, drifting to and from the waking world constantly as the sermon droned on. Even after the queen and princess had done their part, the man carried on for what felt like eternity. It was only when Matthew shook the boy did he know the talking was over and he was free to leave.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Luke grabbed his mother¡¯s arm, ¡°can I see the princess now?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Her voice was cold and stern.


    No sooner had the boy turned away and leave had he been attacked by an unknown assailant. For a moment, he had no idea what was happening or why, but after hearing his name, he stopped fighting when he realized it was his friend.


    ¡°Julia? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°My aunt and uncle wanted me to see the queen and princess.¡±


    ¡°I just came here because my parents wanted me to. I¡¯ll catch up with you later!¡±


    Luke left the girl, making his way through the hordes of people as best he could. When he got outside, he could see only his mother, his brother and father nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Where were you? You weren¡¯t actually talking the princess, right?¡±


    ¡°No. Why?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to the princess or the queen while you¡¯re in public. Don¡¯t look at them, don¡¯t let on that you know them. If anyone finds out that you have any connection to the princess, you¡¯ll be out in the wild, understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But, don¡¯t people come through the castle sometimes?¡±


    ¡°Those people mind their own business. They are not to interact with the princess nor speak publicly of what they¡¯ve witnessed in the castle.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Well, I just wanted to see my friend Julia.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be making lunch in an hour. If the food is cold, that¡¯s your problem.¡±


    With a huff, the woman left her son outside of the church.


    <hr>


    ¡°Hey Julia, how did you like the sermon thing?¡±


    ¡°It was boring, and I don¡¯t believe in this stuff anyways. Luke, I wanted to show you something.¡±


    The boy tilted his head in curiosity, watching as the girl stepped backward before kicking off her shoes. Lifting her dress and exposing her feet, the girl lifted her right foot, holding it out in place. Before Luke could ask what she was doing, flames burst out from her sole.


    ¡°Woah, you can make fire from your feet?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I can have it move all around my body. When I showed my aunt and uncle, they said I should learn how to dance. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡±


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t I show you how to dance?¡±


    Julia threw out her hands, inviting Luke to take hold. As soon as the boy secured his grip, his partner immediately swung him to the side, his momentum causing him to lose his grip and forcing him to land on his bottom.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m good at dancing.¡±


    ¡°You just need more practice¡± the girl giggled.


    Picking himself back up, the boy¡¯s eyes caught a glimpse of someone that caused him to double take. The princess was standing outside the church, staring at him.


    ¡°Uh, Julia, why don¡¯t we practice somewhere else?¡±


    Luke couldn¡¯t hide his nervousness, but to his surprise the girl agreed. Wasting no time, he took her hand and ran off.


    <hr>


    As Luke returned home, he was greeted with a bowl of hot chili and his brother leaning on the table.


    ¡°Mom said to let the food get cold if you didn¡¯t get back in time, but I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Matt.¡± Without wasting a second, Luke scarfed down his lunch.


    ¡°So, Christmas is coming soon; you have any ideas on what you want?¡±


    Luke stopped for a moment to shake his head, then resumed eating like a starved animal.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d like a spear to replace the one somebody lost a few months ago.¡±


    ¡°I said I was sorry!¡±


    ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t bring back my spear~¡± The older brother sung, brushing the younger brother¡¯s hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it though, I just made that spear for you, I don¡¯t really use them myself.¡±


    As Luke finished his meal and put up his plate, his brother invited him outside.


    ¡°Where are we going Matt?¡±


    ¡°My friends are doing other things, I thought I¡¯d spend time with my brother.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 16: Nine to Two

    As the cold grip of winter gave way to spring, the air began to warm, the citizens began taking in the gentle breeze, and one young man was celebrating his ninth birthday.


    Today was Saturday, meaning that unfortunately Luke wasn¡¯t going to see Julia, given he don¡¯t where she lived. He had asked before, but the girl insisted her relatives would get angry. Still, he woke up eager to be greeted by his older brother.


    ¡°Hey¡­mom?¡±


    Even though it had only been three months since his mother had spent an abnormally long time of an hour around him, doing more than just making food, Luke had returned to expecting her absence. Yet, here she was, sitting on the table expectedly.


    ¡°Your brother left to see his friends today. He should be back later.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Luke found himself uneasy at the idea of his brother leaving without telling him. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go see Elizabeth and see if she¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°The princess has been ill recently. You¡¯d best leave her be today.¡±


    The boy was beginning to feel nervous. He couldn¡¯t quite understand why, but his mother had seemed eerily cheery. Her face was a long smile, as if she were laughing silently.


    ¡°So, um, did you want to tell me something?¡±


    ¡°Should I?¡± The woman had sounded perplexed at the question.


    ¡°It¡¯s my birthday?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Were you expecting something?¡±


    ¡°A¡­A cake?¡± The son had managed to squeak out, struggling more and more to continue the conversation.


    ¡°Oh no, I reminded Matthew to get one before he comes home. Why don¡¯t you go see your friend, Janey?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Julia. And I don¡¯t know where she lives.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess today is a good day to learn. You should be off; the sun will be setting soon.¡±


    Luke wanted to ask where breakfast was, or how late was it for the sun setting to be a problem. Luke remembered it was winter, but he was pretty sure it was still morning. But right now, none of his questions mattered because his mother had offered him an out and he took it without hesitation, walking out the door as if he were a statue, returning to normal once he felt he was a safe distance away.


    As Luke made his way down the path toward the gate, he realized he could possibly narrow down where Julia lived.


    ¡®She probably lives in the south, southeast, and maybe in the middle ring?¡± Luke began thinking to himself. ¡®But what if she¡¯s rich? She did come from Umbro.¡¯


    Once Luke made his way to the upper ring, he decided to search there first. Unlike the middle ring, the houses, business, and other buildings were far more pristine, with clean walls, mostly white, and having running water, hedges in fantastical shapes, and other extravagant features.


    As the boy searched as best he could, he saw no signs of the girl. It didn¡¯t take but a few minutes for Luke to realize the folly in his plan.


    ¡®Even if Julia is here, I¡¯d have to knock or something. You idiot, why didn¡¯t you ask where she was? I mean, you did, but why didn¡¯t you ask what direction and ring she lived in?¡¯ Luke¡¯s inner thoughts chastised him relentlessly.


    Sighing to himself, Luke took the long way around the ring, figuring he may as well take in the sights. Along the way he noticed a couple boys hurling rocks at each other without using their hands. One boy would shoot fire, the other lightning, but they¡¯d always block projectiles with the upturned pavement that covered their front.


    Through the gates of one house, Luke could see a girl using the mist off of a waterfall to float in the air. Turning his head upward when he heard sounds, the boy watched two kids race each other, one flying using the wind and another turning into a lightning streak.


    As Luke¡¯s vision leveled with the earth, he saw a man using fire to light up his stand, a stand that let out an intoxicating aroma of brown sugar, the sign above revealing it to be a churro stand. The boy wanted to kick himself, but he knew there was no action he could have taken prior that would have led to the acquisition of such an incredible looking sweet.


    When Luke finally returned to his humble abode, or his tiny shack as he preferred to call it, he saw a unfamiliar sight, a stranger. Getting closer, he saw it was his friend; not wanting his mother to see her, nor her to walk off, Luke booked it for the girl despite running on little fuel.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Julia! Julia!¡±


    The girl seemed spooked initially, but turning to see the origin of the shouts, her face lit up. Once the boy had finally reached her, he slumped forward, taking in heavy breaths until he could hold himself up.


    ¡°Hey, Julia¡­what¡¯s that?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes locked onto a silver object the girl had in her two hands.


    ¡°Oh, I wanted to give you a present, since it¡¯s your birthday.¡±


    ¡°You remembered?!¡±


    ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t forget my best friend¡¯s birthday.¡±


    The girl handed over the bracelet, which Luke realized was completely plain except for a butterfly on one end.


    ¡°My aunt and uncle gave this bracelet to me for Christmas, but I wanted you to have it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°When I came here, my parents were afraid I¡¯d get bullied. They thought I¡¯d make no friends, and I believed them. When I saw you, I thought maybe you¡¯d want to be friends. I¡¯m so glad I met you; you¡¯re the first friend I¡¯ve ever had, but I think my aunt and uncle are going to tell my parents about what happened during Halloween and my parents will keep me in Umbro.¡±


    Luke looked at the girl before looking back down at the bracelet, a tenseness building up in his stomach and chest.


    ¡°Sorry if that sounded sad. I just wanted to let you know why I got you this.¡±


    ¡°I like it! Thanks Julia.¡±


    Doing his best to suppress the anxiety, Luke threw open his arms hugged the girl.


    ¡°I better be going. My aunt gets worried when I¡¯m out too long.¡±


    ¡°Wait, can you at least tell me where you live?¡±


    The girl hesitated for a moment before turning around and pointing to the south side of Lumina.


    ¡°It¡¯s on the poor ring, near the gate. My aunt and uncle don¡¯t make much, so they live in the cheapest part of town.¡±


    The next moment, the girl fled, leaving Luke to return to his home. When he turned the door handle, it refused to budge. The boy initially sighed, but soon realized this was a blessing. Grabbing a nearby potted plant and yanking the soil up by the plant¡¯s stem, Luke grabbed a key and unlocked the door.


    The house was quiet, only strange ambient cracks to keep the boy company. The anxiety from earlier was at a standstill as Luke was anticipating his mother to pop up at any moment. He knew the door being locked meant he was the only one in the house, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from imagining his mother speaking to him with an even more twisted smile than before.


    Looking through the kitchen and even opening the door to his parent¡¯s room, he could see nobody was home. The anxiety from early began to subside, but now a strange new appreciation washed over him; the house seemed spacious for reasons he couldn¡¯t discern. Turning toward his room, Luke¡¯s mind began to wander back a few months.


    ¡®Elizabeth?¡¯


    ¡®Who was that girl?¡¯


    ¡®Julia.¡¯


    Luke¡¯s attention had wandered back to the bracelet as he stopped in front of his door. Opening it and walking in, he shut it behind him and locked the door.


    ¡®Why were you with her? Why did you run from me?¡¯


    ¡®Mom said I can¡¯t be seen with you in public, so I took Julia and-¡®


    ¡®Liar! You don¡¯t like me anymore, do you?¡¯


    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯


    ¡®You hate me, don¡¯t you?¡¯


    Luke¡¯s memory was suddenly spliced together with an image of the princess standing over him, face obscured by the shadows. Shaking his head violently, the boy returned to his previous memory.


    ¡®Elizabeth¡¯


    ¡®If you really care about me, you won¡¯t ever see that girl again!¡¯


    ¡®I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡®Then leave.¡¯


    ¡®Elizab-¡®


    ¡®LEAVE!¡¯


    That ear shattering scream had snapped Luke out of the trance he was in. Inspecting the bracelet, he figured there was no way he could carry it with him, but his mind had convinced him he couldn¡¯t leave it out in the open. Pulling out one of the drawers underneath his bed and tugging the mattress away from the wall, he managed to secure the bracelet in an isle between the drawers.


    Moving his mattress and drawer back in place, Luke let his mind drift again as fell flat on his bed¡­until his door was rustled by knocks. Getting off his bed, Luke cracked opened the door until he saw his brother.


    ¡°Matt? What are you doing back?¡±


    ¡°Well, mom kinda just scooted me out and said she¡¯d be taking care of you.¡±


    ¡°She said you went to see friends and get a cake.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me to do that. But, now that you mention it, have you had lunch?¡±


    Luke shook his head.


    ¡°Well, I guess we know what we¡¯re doing for lunch.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Are you sure this is okay?¡±


    Luke had eyed a pizza and chocolate cake sitting next to him on a table, his brother sitting across from him.


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do for your birthday.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to spend a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about little bro! Dad gives me plenty. We¡¯re nobility and you oughta be treated like it. Can¡¯t believe mom lied to you though.¡±


    Taking his brother¡¯s word, Luke dug into his food.


    ¡°Luke, we need to talk.¡±


    ¡°Oh here we go. About my mana?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s something else. You know next year I won¡¯t be around as often. I¡¯m just worried about you.¡±


    ¡°About me being bullied?¡±


    ¡°No, about you being alone. I guess you have your friend and the princess.¡±


    At those words, the younger brother prematurely swallowed his pizza, his stomach displeased with the decision.


    ¡°Is there something you wanted to tell me?¡±


    Luke froze; he hated when his brother read his face and actions, he knew it was a specialty of his, but he never knew what gave away the problems he was having.


    ¡°My friend might not be coming back after this summer, and the princess is angry with me.¡±


    ¡°Why is the princess angry with you?¡±


    Luke relayed what had happened during the winter, much to his brother¡¯s shock and disgust. The younger sibling felt cathartic to see his brother angry at their mother for what had happened and had secretly hoped Matthew could set things straight.


    ¡°Luke¡± the teen clasped his hands together, ¡°from now on, you need to decide things on your own. If you want or need to see the princess, go see the princess. If you don¡¯t want to train, don¡¯t. Neither father nor mother can force you to do anything.¡±


    The boy had felt unnerved at this revelation, as if he were being asked to test the limits of power he never knew existed.


    ¡°As for your friend, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to get you to Umbro.¡±


    Luke stood upright in his seat, electricity sparking through his nerves. Looking toward his food, he remembered that despite the intensity of the situation, he was still just having a birthday lunch.


    ¡°Sorry to spring all this on you right now, I just didn¡¯t know a better time¡± Matthew let out a nervous chuckle.

 Volume 1, Chapter 17: Summer Escapees

    ¡°You looking forward to today bro?!¡± Matthew had patted his brother¡¯s shoulders as he watched his face light up.


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    During the arid days of summer, an exodus occurs. Many of Lumina¡¯s denizens journey north to Umbro for a summer getaway. While normally too cold for the tropical lover, this time of year the region enticed even foreigners.


    ¡°We have all our bags, I brought my old map, and I¡¯ve even told my friends I¡¯ll be gone for a while.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see aunt Shelly.¡±


    As the boys departed from their home and reached the wall of the city, they confronted the guards standing beside the exit.


    ¡°Hello gentlemen, I am Luke Baronia and I am personally escorting my younger brother to Umbro, here is my passport.¡± Digging through his pants pocket, Matt pulled out a booklet with his own ID inside.


    ¡°Sorry sir, but only those with official business from the queen are allowed to depart.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Matthew raised an eyebrow at the man¡¯s words.


    ¡°Queen¡¯s orders sir.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m nobility, surely you can make an exception?¡±


    ¡°No sir, we are not allowed to let anyone through, not even the princess.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Matthew uttered under his breath.


    Putting his Id back in his pocket, the boy and his brother traveled back south to the castle until they were face-to-face with the queen herself.


    ¡°Your highness¡± Matthew kneeled before the woman, Luke following suite.


    ¡°Rise and speak.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was dry and stern.


    ¡°Could I request leave from the city?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°B-but why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Matthew, but there¡¯s been rumors of people escorting stolen goods out of the city. All citizens are on lockdown until then.¡±


    ¡°But my liege, you know me.¡±


    ¡°I do, and I could let you go. However, I cannot allow your brother to leave, it¡¯s simply too dangerous out there during the summer.¡±


    ¡°I could take my friends too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know them as well. If you wish to leave on your own, or simply take your friends only, then I could do that. Your brother is simply too vulnerable, and I would be responsible if anything happened to him.¡±


    Sighing to himself, Matthew and Luke took their leave. At first, Luke was disappointed that there seemed to be no way out of the city, but quickly grew curious as to why his older brother was escorting them away from their house.


    ¡°Where are we going Matt?¡±


    ¡°If the queen isn¡¯t going to let us leave, we¡¯ll just have to make our own way out.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to do that?¡±


    ¡°I know a few people.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°You want me to do what now?¡± The dragoon asked rhetorically.


    ¡°Brian, I know you don¡¯t want to get on anyone¡¯s bad side, but hear me out,¡±


    ¡°Noo-¡± Brian attempted to intervene.


    ¡°All you have to do is jump up the wall, down the other side, and then back up.¡±


    ¡°Matt, guards do go around the wall, somebody would notice and stop me.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°You only have to get Luke to the other side, so even if a guard sees you on the way back you should be fine.¡±


    ¡°But then Luke would be on his own!¡±


    ¡°The queen said she¡¯d let me leave if I did so alone. It¡¯s only Luke that¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re my best friend.¡±


    The dragoon sighed, reluctantly following his best friend as he escorted the three to the wall, halfway between the north and east gate. Measuring the wall, Brian had lowered his arms in preparation to carry the younger brother, but Luke hesitated.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not fond of you.¡± Matthew turned toward his brother. ¡°It¡¯s okay Luke, Brian won¡¯t let you fall.¡±


    Luke wasn¡¯t convinced, however, as he continued to hesitate.


    ¡°Do you want to see Julia?¡± Matthew insisted.


    Biting his lip, Luke approached the dragoon and secured himself, Brian noticeably struggling to life the younger sibling at first. Once he had stood up straight, the dragoon took in a deep breath before crouching down. In the next moment, the blonde and the younger brother had ascended alongside the wall, watching brick after brick disappear below them until they reached the top of the structure.


    When Brian had landed, all he saw was the view in front of him, a long stretch of country that ended at a wall of mountains. It wasn¡¯t until Luke began making noises that Brian realized the two were surrounded on the left and right by several guards.


    ¡°Halt, do not attempt to breach the wall! Please return to the city limits.¡±


    Not daring to go against authority, Brian turned around and descended back toward Lumina, Luke nearly crushing his lungs on the way down.


    ¡°No good?¡± Matthew questioned as his friend landed and brother dismounted the poor dragoon.


    ¡°Dude, there were so many guards.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Like¡­holy shit.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot.¡± Matthew turned to his brother in defeat. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re stuck.¡±


    ¡°Sorry man, I tried.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Brian.¡±


    ¡°Maybe see if Adriana can get over the wall?¡±


    With those words, another idea instantly sparked in Matthew¡¯s head.


    <hr>


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Adri!¡±


    ¡°Matt, even if I agreed with your idea -which I don¡¯t- there¡¯s no way I could get over the wall.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you¡¯d have to go over it. Perhaps you can go under it instead?¡±


    Adriana paused, giving the idea some thought.


    ¡°Why does this have to be done now?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how long this lockdown will last and this summer is the last summer I¡¯ll get to stay with Luke.¡±


    ¡°Oh crap, you¡¯re right.¡± The girl put her index finger to her temple. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help. Just know that if this gets me in trouble, you¡¯re taking all the blame.¡±


    As the brothers and rogue made their way back to midpoint between the two gates, Adriana approached the younger sibling.


    ¡°You ready Luke?¡±


    Luke nodded at the question, but was unsure what was about to happen. He recalled those with control over darkness could move in the shadows, but he couldn¡¯t imagine what the ability actually entailed. Without warning, the girl grabbed his arm, pulling him down with her as she sunk into the shade given off by the wall. The boy closed his eyes and held his breath as the darkness enveloped him.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    Without thinking, the boy opened his eyes to see a world of black around him. Unable to hold out any longer, Luke breathed in the air, only to realize it was normal oxygen. Inspecting the area around him, he quickly realized he was standing on a small platform with an abyss spanning outward, only dotted by rocky platforms hovering over the darkness. Despite the world lacking any source of light, the platforms were not obscured in any manner.


    ¡°Luke?¡±


    The boy broke away from his fixation on the world to see his escort waiting for him.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve never seen this before.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in the shade. If you fall off into the void, you¡¯ll just fall out into the world. If you look over here,¡± Adriana paused, pushing an open hand against the darkness next to the platform, ¡°you¡¯ll see I can¡¯t move any further; this is where the wall is. We better be quick, because if the shade around the wall gets smaller, we¡¯ll have less room to maneuver.¡±


    Taking the boy by the arm again, the rogue escorted him to where the front gate would be.


    ¡°Oh come on!¡±


    It had taken Luke a second to realize there was a guard standing on a rocky path that extended outward.


    ¡°Excuse me ma¡¯am, but I must ask you return to the world above. Nobody is permitted to leave Lumina until the lockdown has been lifted.¡±


    Angrily, the girl jolted off the floating platform into the abyss, dragging a terrified Luke with her. As the two fell onto the dirt road of Lumina, the rogue¡¯s anger dissipated as she realized Luke was clinging to her.


    ¡°Sorry Luke, I got carried away.¡± The girl laughed nervously.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ah, Baronia, nice to see you today.¡±


    Luke hadn¡¯t paid the guard any mind, his attention still on yesterday. Scenes of returning home and his brother trying desperately to persuade their father had played in his head. When his footsteps echoed throughout the castle hall, the boy harshly woke from his subconscious.


    As he continued down the hall, he began to feel skittish. He knew things were hopeless, but the least he could do was try to repair broken bonds. Approaching the garden square, he could see her kneeling down to water the flowers.


    ¡°Elizabeth.¡±


    Luke walked into the garden, approaching the young girl who had jumped when her name was called.


    ¡°Oh, Luke. Why are you here?¡±


    He had expected her to still be angry at him, but instead she was solemn. This change caught Luke off guard to the point he briefly lost his train of thought.


    ¡°I just wanted to say sorry about happened last winter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I shouldn¡¯t have yelled or even gotten angry; you wanted to spend time with your friend.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s gone now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone home for the summer, and I can¡¯t go visit her.¡±


    ¡°Oh Luke,¡± the girl hugged the sulking boy, ¡°why don¡¯t we be friends again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 18: Absence

    A familiar bell rang, its cry echoing through discordant halls. A young boy sighed, making his way to his new designated classroom. As he sat as his desk, listening intently as attendance was called, he waited patiently for that name he recognized. Name after name was called, Luke becoming evermore anxious as each was read off.


    His name was earlier on the list, as he was accustomed to from the year prior. Familiar names had come up, names he recognized from last year, until at last the man reached the end.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s everyone. Let¡¯s start with what you did over the summer.¡±


    Luke¡¯s heart hurt, his worst fear realized. He couldn¡¯t focus on what the blonde, stout man was saying, other than he had made kids come up to the front to talk about stuff. His mind had tuned out the world in front of him, instead leaving him to daydream about his friend.


    ¡°Luke Baronia.¡±


    The boy snapped out of the dream when he heard his named, lost to current conversation.


    ¡°What did you do this summer?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡­I tried to leave Lumina.¡±


    ¡°I imagine that didn¡¯t go over too well. On a side note, I¡¯d like to see you before lunch about something.¡±


    Luke turtled in his seat when the eyes of the class darted his way, several accusatory ¡°oohs¡± joining the stares.


    ¡°Ahem, class.¡± The teacher waited for complete silence before continuing. ¡°I would just like to inform that, unlike last year, recess will not be the second to last thing we do; the last will be math.¡±


    The teacher could physically feel the malice of every kid in the room as they collectively groaned.


    <hr>


    As the rowdy cluster departed for food, Luke waited for a reprimand from the teacher.


    ¡°Ah, Baronia, I know that you must be eager for lunch, so I¡¯ll make my rambling concise; and no, you¡¯re not in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, what do you want?¡±


    The boy eyed the stout man, taking note of his short blonde hair, white coat that draped over tan pants, and most of all the elegant tone with which he carried himself. He wasn¡¯t brash and uncouth like most other adults, but instead he spoke calmly, yet without hesitating or second guessing himself.


    ¡°A question: are you genuinely unable to use mana?¡±


    Luke nodded, confounded people still couldn¡¯t grasp his handicap.


    ¡°Unfortunate. I heard you were a troublemaker, but your grades suggest otherwise. What happened last year?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Some kid pushed me into a girl and the teacher thought I did it. He didn¡¯t let me eat for the day and wouldn¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. And you didn¡¯t tell anyone?¡±


    ¡°Nobody would do anything if I did.¡±


    ¡°Believe me Luke, that teacher would be gone from the city, much less the school, if that story made it to the public. Even if the incident is a year old, that man shouldn¡¯t be working here!¡±


    Luke was taken aback by the man¡¯s resolve, yet also feeling that same energy begin to infect him.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± the man cleared his throat, ¡°you may go and eat now Baronia, thank you for your time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well thank you mister¡­¡±


    ¡°Carem.¡± The man put his hands behind his back and closed his eyes.


    <hr>


    As Luke marched down the castle halls, his eyes immediately caught a glimpse of a man talking to the chancellor. Strangers were a common sight in the castle, usually during summer, but this particular man stood out among most. For one, on his back was a backpack, larger than any Luke had ever seen. The man himself was wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants, meaning he either wasn¡¯t from the country or he was masochistic. After the men parted, Luke snaked his way to chancellor.


    ¡°Hey, Edward, who was that man?¡±


    ¡°A foreigner who claims to be an ambassador from Pyora. He didn¡¯t say where in Pyora he was from. I think he might be a journalist, though I¡¯ve never heard of him before.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the difference between an ambassador and a journalist?¡±


    ¡°An ambassador goes to a foreign country to represent the good it has to offer. A journalist goes to a foreign country to harass people for money.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s going to write bad things about the queen?¡±


    ¡°My explanation for a journalist was a tad exaggerated -just a smidge- because they¡¯re supposed to write about things people want to read. People eat up any bad news they hear, and the people of Lumina would kill to hear slander against the queen.¡±


    ¡°Do people not like the queen?¡±


    ¡°People fear her, yet also belittle her. She means well, but the people of Lumina have heard or experienced a world without monarchs, and many can see a world where Lumina has none either.¡±


    ¡°What does a queen even do?¡±


    ¡°Well, talk to people, make decisions on how to improve the city, what laws we should have. Boring adult stuff. What scares people is that she can force people to leave.¡±


    ¡°She can?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. The city population is believed to be adequate for its own survival, but it will forever be limited by the very thing that keeps it alive: the wall. As long as we have the wall, we offer a guaranteed safety from the outside world, but the queen could so easily take that fewer people are coming to Lumina than leaving it. But the queen would never abuse her power.¡±


    ¡°Never?¡±


    ¡°Not unless the person does something illegal.¡±


    ¡°But she could do it for any reason?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Luke paused, forming a situation in his head. He had wanted to go see Elizabeth today, but now he was both even more eager, yet felt unprepared to talk to her. When he heard a cough, the boy remembered the chancellor was still standing over him.


    ¡°Thanks Ed!¡± Luke ran passed the man.


    ¡°Luke, you know how I hate-¡°


    But the man was too late to protest, nor did he care enough to pursue the boy.


    <hr>


    ¡°How was your first day back?¡±


    Luke¡¯s mind had been racing the whole day; upon reaching the peaceful scene of the princess taking care of her garden, his mind had halted immediately. He hadn¡¯t wanted to interrupt her, but she had turned to see him, as if she knew.


    ¡°It was okay, but I did make a new friend, I think.¡±


    ¡°A new friend? Who are they?¡±


    ¡°It was the teacher. He asked me a few questions and seemed really nice.¡±


    ¡°Did you see your old friend?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Luke gritted his teeth without opening his mouth. Warding off his conscious, he continued, ¡°Did you tell your mother about her?¡±


    ¡°I might have said something, why?¡±


    ¡°Just wondering.¡±


    The princess had narrowed her eyes, but the boy pressed on her nose before running off. He knew he was going to get tackled, but it beat any possible alternative.

 Volume 1, Chapter 19: Icy Warmth

    ¡°Okay class, it¡¯s time to begin the first real lesson of the year. You¡¯ve all had the summer to start truly learning your element, and in the process, you¡¯ve probably tried your other element or elements. I¡¯m sure many of you were using two elements before last year, but if you haven¡¯t, this year you¡¯re going start!¡±


    Luke was a little surprised at how giddy the man was, but then he remembered their talk from the day prior.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s talk about the number of elements one can have. Most people are born with two. This is the standard, the number that scholars consider balanced. Balanced between what you may ask? Power and Utility!¡±


    The teacher held up both of his hands, an ice spike rising from his left palm, fire bursting out of his right.


    ¡°With two elements, you have a good amount of power you can funnel into each elemental ability, whether its fire and ice, light and dark, or some other combination.¡±


    Suddenly, the ice in the man¡¯s hand melted, the fire bursting into a much bigger flame.


    ¡°Those only able to use a single element will have more power behind their abilities but will lack the flexibility of two elements.¡±


    As the man finished his explanation, the water in the man¡¯s hand frozen again, forming a single ice cube. The fire in his other hand shrank to a single, flickering flame.


    ¡°When you have three elements, you have more options, but less power behind them; so much less power, in fact, that those with three elements are most often laborers who work niche jobs.¡±


    The teacher suddenly slammed his two palms together before breaking them apart to reveal steam.


    ¡°Having multiple elements means finding out how they interact and how you control that interaction. Not every fire and ice user can control steam in the exact same way. This is the ¡®flexibility¡¯ I alluded to earlier.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    <hr>


    During recess, Luke had walked back to class after taking one glance at all the kids using combinations of elements to show off or fight one another.


    ¡°Oh, hello Luke, don¡¯t you want to be outside with the rest? Or did you perhaps have a question?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d rather talk to you than be outside. I was wondering: why are you so nice?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. You know, if you had asked me that question when I first came to Lumina, I wouldn¡¯t have understood what you meant. I guess I¡¯m not the only one who noticed. Truth be told, I was born and raised in Umbro, but came down to Lumina to teach.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Umbro like? I hear it doesn¡¯t have a queen.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a king, a prince, a princess, a duke, a duchess, or anyone else. There¡¯s no wall and it¡¯s colder through most of the year, but the people are much warmer and monsters are pretty rare. It¡¯s the total opposite of Lumina.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering, did you tell someone about the teacher?¡± Luke didn¡¯t want to dawdle, even though Umbro intrigued him.


    ¡°Yes. The school board is planning on their next action, but I don¡¯t know who they¡¯re in favor of. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll be fired though; abusing nobility is going to cause hell for everyone involved, so the school will distance themselves from him.¡±


    ¡°Would he be in trouble if I wasn¡¯t nobility?¡±


    Carem sighed and shook his head. ¡°If you were just a commoner, there¡¯s no doubt in my mind this incident would be swept under the rug. I might even be fired for daring to bring it up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well¡­don¡¯t do that then. It doesn¡¯t bother me that much anymore. I¡¯m gonna go now.¡±


    Without waiting for the teacher to clarify the situation, Luke scurried out of the room.


    <hr>


    Anxiously, Luke hustled into the garden, coming to a screeching halt as he reached the princess.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush, Luke?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wanted to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Is it about yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s about today. I¡¯ve actually thought about this before, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± The girl raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Do you have more than one element?¡±


    ¡°Why yes,¡± she sent dirt flying into Luke¡¯s face, which he had tried his hardest to get off without getting any in his eye.


    ¡°Well, I learned about combining elements today, and I was wonder- PLEH¡± Luke spat out dirt.


    ¡°If I could combine elements? I could try.¡±


    Focusing on the dirt still on Luke¡¯s face, she managed to pull all of it off of him, liberating his eyes and mouth, and gathered it in the air. As she stopped focusing, the ball continued to float.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s cool.¡±


    Luke¡¯s amazement turned to horror as the ball smacked into his stomach, sending him reeling back.


    ¡°That was mean, but still cool.¡± The boy managed to squeak out from across the garden.

 Volume 1, Chapter 20: Classification

    ¡°Alright Class, we¡¯ve talked about elements for a while, but today you¡¯ll learn about a fundamental system: we¡¯re going over classes!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we already in classes?¡±


    The kids laughed at this remark, even the teacher couldn¡¯t resist cracking a smile.


    ¡°Very clever Susan, but no. I¡¯m talking about knights, dragoons, mages, and more. You may have heard of them, in fact I can¡¯t imagine any of you not hearing about at least one, but I doubt any of you know all of them and what they do.¡±


    The teacher drew a sword on his black board, Luke and several other students recoiling at the painful screeching of the chalk. After drawing three lines to three separate words, he turned toward the class.


    ¡°Knights, cavaliers, and paladins are all the sword wielding, armor wearing warriors you¡¯ve heard in story books. Knights focus on defense, cavaliers focus on speed and ferocity, and paladins focus on power.¡±


    Turning back around, he began again, but this time his drawing was mercifully short, with only the word ¡°Mage¡± written down.


    ¡°Mages have no particular sub category, as they are specific class describing those with one element and lots of mana. Mages are incredibly powerful but very simple, able to withstand excessive force thanks to their mana, but generally wish to focus that into their attacks. Usually they focus on power to the detriment of everything else, but how you wish to go about being a mage is your business.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    As he picked up the chalk again, the students braced themselves.


    ¡°Rogues are a speed attacker, meant to home in on weak points. Assassins, on the other hand, will use a more stealthy and powerful approach to take out their target with as little struggle as possible. Scouts are delivery men and women.¡±


    ¡°Dragoons are a special class that requires a specific element, in this case wind, to even be applicable to the role. Dragoons are focused on jumping, either doing aerial assaults, scouting, delivery, etc.¡±


    ¡°Clerics are healers. They use their elements to mend wounds, though how they go about this can make them more terrifying than comforting.¡±


    ¡°Archers? Well you don¡¯t see many in Lumina. They use bows, and¡­well that¡¯s most of what I know about them outside of elves. You¡¯ll learn about races some other times.¡±


    To the relief of every student in the room, the man had put down the chalk and wiped his hands on his shirt.


    ¡°The most important thing to remember is this: classifications are just labels. You are free to adopt whatever fighting style you find to be effective, label it whatever you want, and go about your day. These labels are just what most people use for convenience.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Oh hey Luke, I thought you¡¯d be seeing the princess today.¡±


    ¡°Well, I kind of wanted to avoid her after yesterday, I think she might be a little angry at me.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wondered if she told her mom about my friend.¡±


    ¡°You think the queen forced her to leave?¡±


    ¡°No! Well¡­maybe. Maybe Elizabeth didn¡¯t ask her to though.¡± Luke fidgeted, not expecting his brother to immediately jump to conclusions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Luke, girls can get kind of jealous. I mean, guys can too, but in my experience, girls get flat mean. I wouldn¡¯t put it passed her to do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯d do the same to me?¡±


    ¡°No, as long as you don¡¯t push the matter. We¡¯re not nobility for nothing, our mom and dad know the queen personally, but still, I would drop it if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was going to do.¡±


    The younger sibling walked off, but not before muttering his breath.


    ¡°Some help you are.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 21: Parting Ways

    He tried not to think about it, but nothing he did could tear away the anxiety dwelling in his stomach. He knew it was coming, yet there was no amount of preparation that could help him bare the brunt of the news when it hit. His brother had gone to the queen to hear out his mission. Or perhaps not, as he was assured that one¡¯s first mission isn¡¯t one demanding immediate attention.


    Luke took a deep breath, the air of a humble, quiet house filling his anxious lungs. Despite his complains over the years, the small house felt almost cozy. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the size, but the familiarity and attachment he grew toward the domain; regardless, his brother was now at the door, and any calm the younger sibling retained flew out the window in the kitchen.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got bad news Luke.¡±


    Those words already broke his heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving soon?¡±


    ¡°Not just that, I¡¯ll be gone two years. Even though we won¡¯t be far away, I¡¯m not to return home until I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± Luke gritted his teeth as he held back from crying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Luke, but it¡¯s not my place to ask. I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow. If it¡¯s any consolation, father will be staying home from now on.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help at all!¡±


    Luke galloped to his room, slamming the door behind him. Laying back against the door, he slowly gazed at the sides of the room. Slowly, the boy slid down, sitting next to the barrier that protected from the outside world. Despite his best efforts, he couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Why does everyone leave?¡± The dams burst open, relinquishing a flood of tears.


    The boy curled into a ball as he sobbed.


    He bawled.


    And he wept.


    After what felt like hours, the tears began to dry, but his heart continue to agonize. Bringing himself to a stand, Luke carefully walked over to his bed, his vision still blurry. Pulling the mattress away, he hastily retrieved the bracelet from its sacred ravine.


    Clutching the butterfly adorned silver circle, the boy sighed before he drifted off.


    Knock knock knock


    Luke¡¯s door was mercilessly assaulted by a series of knocks. The noise had risen him from slumber; he hadn¡¯t realized he went dormant, but now he was concerned with how long he was out.


    ¡°Luke, can we have a talk?¡±


    The boy¡¯s head snapped to the door, having almost forgotten why he woke up to begin with. Opening the door, his brother awaited; his posture wasn¡¯t the warm or energetic kind he¡¯d come to know, but an awkward and melancholy pose he knew to expect.


    ¡°Hey Luke, I just¡± Matthew stopped, exhaling before taking a deep breath, ¡°I just wondered if you wanted to tell me or ask me something before I left.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to be gone two whole years?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll write to you! Just because I¡¯ll be gone, doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t still be here somehow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same as you being here. I wish I could go with you.¡±


    ¡°When you turn fourteen, we¡¯ll go on countless adventures together!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°Cross my heart.¡±


    ¡°I think you forgot a part.¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    Luke giggled as the brothers hugged, neither one wanting to part, but each breaking away knowing it was inevitable. Once Matthew had returned to his room, Luke had shut the door behind him, only to see the bracelet sitting on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again one day, I promise.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 22: Just Us

    As the wind brushed by his head gently, Luke reminisced of the day his brother left. It had only taken Matthew disappearing from view for uncertainty and anxiety to nestle within the younger sibling.


    The rainy days were solemn and melancholy, but they managed to put Luke at ease. He enjoyed sitting beside the garden square with the princess, admiring the flood as it drenched the fauna. Luke had worried about the water rising into the castle, but Elizabeth assured him the drains on the side of the garden would send all the water into the sewers.


    Once Autumn arrived, it meant another a year of school, and the place was as noisy as ever, but the boy wasn¡¯t ready for what had come. He had kept an eye out for Carem, a man -an adult- he trusted and empathized, but a new teacher had taken the room. Luke had scoured the building in a hope of finding the man, but to no avail. Where? When? Why? He didn¡¯t know, but it was the least of his worries.


    Returning to the castle after the first day of school, Luke couldn¡¯t take his mind off losing his teacher, until he noticed how empty the building seemed. The silence was deafening, no guards or tourist walked the halls. After pondering a few moments, it hit him: the chancellor was absent as of late. Even pressing the men guarding the entrance, all they would say is that Edward had left on official business.


    With a heavy heart, Luke proceeded to the garden square, but it was empty. Searching high and low, he couldn¡¯t find any trace of the princess.


    ¡°Why hello, Luke.¡±


    A familiar voice chimed with the last word drenched in venom, causing the boy¡¯s skin to crawl. Turning around, Luke saw his mother standing behind him, leaning against one of the pillars that created a stripe pattern around the garden.


    ¡°Mom? Why are you here? What did you do with Elizabeth?¡±


    ¡°Me? I wouldn¡¯t do anything to that little darling.¡± The woman¡¯s face curled into a snide smirk. ¡°I have a life outside of the queen¡¯s chamber and the kitchen, you know?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°You do?¡±


    Luke had felt a small thrill as his mother sneered at him. In an instant, her expression returned to her prideful smile as she approached him, making him uncomfortable and forcing him to retreat backward.


    ¡°Yes, you little shit. I like to look over the princess¡¯s garden; it¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± The woman passed the boy, kneeling over and pulling a rose close to her, sniffing it before letting it return to its natural position.


    ¡°Yeah, it is beautiful.¡±


    The woman¡¯s neck snapped to face the boy as she got up and walked over, this time bending back down so that their faces were mere inches apart, her eyes gazing into his soul. Putting her hand against his cheek, it glided across his face. Luke didn¡¯t care about the hand, instead he fixated on the long fingernails that hovered a hair away from his eyes and were pressed lightly against his skin.


    ¡°Roses have thorns Luke, but if you pick up a rose with a gentle touch, you aren¡¯t likely to be pricked. You, as a man, as a boy¡­ I know you aren¡¯t capable of such finesse. You¡¯re violent and clumsy, the kind of person the princess needs least in her life.¡±


    ¡°Why are you such a jerk?¡± Luke almost regretted those words, but to his surprise his mother¡¯s grin widened.


    ¡°I grew up, I saw the world for what it was, for it what it could and would do to nice people. I was once like you, believing one day I would be strong, respected, and for a time I was. But those days are over. If I ever did, if I ever will teach you anything, let it be this: don¡¯t expect kindness from this world. If someone offers you anything, they expect more in return.¡±


    The woman stood up, turn her back to her son, and walked toward the throne room.


    ¡°The princess will be here shortly. Remember, the princess is a flower and you are poison. Don¡¯t contaminate her.¡±


    Luke didn¡¯t respond, instead fixated on her ¡®lesson¡¯.


    ¡°Luke?¡±


    The boy snapped out of his stupor, not realizing the princess was now standing in front of him.


    ¡°Your mother said you were waiting for me. Sorry about that, my tutor really likes to talk. And talk. And talk.¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth, I wanted to ask you¡­but you¡¯ll think I¡¯m crazy.¡±


    ¡°Ask me what? I can¡¯t know if you¡¯re crazy unless you tell me.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I live with you from now on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d love that! But, my mom might not. I don¡¯t know where you¡¯d sleep. But if you could stay here, that¡¯d be great! We could see each other all the time.¡±


    Luke had laughed at the girl who violently shook her arms in anticipation. Looking over her shoulder, he was determined to anger his mother as much as possible while also distancing himself from her.


    ¡°I guess we better start by asking the queen.¡±

 A Small Update on the delay

    First, I want to apologize to those who¡¯ve been anticipating the next chapter; this semester of college is turning out to be insanely busy and stressful, thus I¡¯ve had no time to write nor even get in the mood to want to write. Second, late as always, but I appreciate all those who answered the poll back in chapter 20. I wanted to add the poll sooner, but I kept forgetting.


    For those curious about future chapters, 23 is almost done, I¡¯ve just been sitting on it until I can find time to revise to the point I believe it to be ready. Chapter 24-25 have been put on the back burner due to being more intensive, and chapter 26 has had bits added to it constantly. 27-29 are in need of a rewrite¡­they¡¯re actually technically finished, but they were finished so long ago that I¡¯d like to go back in give them a fresh coat of paint. Chapter 29, for the record, is the last chapter of the volume, with the book sporting 3.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Sigh, now for the sad news:


    This semester, it is extremely important that I don¡¯t fuck up (and I¡¯m already late on that front). I will finish volume 1 before long, but volume 2 will be put on hold until 2019 unless something changes. Despite getting a job and still going to college next year, I''ll have more time to write than I do now.


    With that said, feel free to asks any questions here. Be warned: I will answer spoiler questions for the genuinely curious.

 Volume 1, Chapter 23: Little Secrets

    ¡°What?!¡±


    To her shock and agony, Catherine couldn¡¯t believe the queen when she granted her son¡¯s request.


    ¡°My only request,¡± Luke and Elizabeth held their breaths, ¡°in Luke sleeps at home or in a separate bed.¡±


    Without giving him time to exhale, the princess crushed the boy¡¯s lungs in a fit of joy. While Luke didn¡¯t mind the embrace, even if his ribs were crying in agony, he could feel his mother shooting daggers, swords, and spears from across the room. However, when he looked over to the queen¡¯s throne, she merely leaning on the arm, as she would often do, her expression unconcerned.


    The following days, Luke was happy to be away from his parents, but being closer to the princess had made him anxious the first week. She remained friendly, always having the brightest of smiles when he returned from school, but he feared the day he¡¯d work up the nerve to strike a conversation on why everyone around him was disappearing.


    Though Luke enjoyed spending even less time around the house, he would stay in his room whenever he wanted to concentrate. To his surprise, his father never raised peep about any of his decisions, simply going about his life.


    Whenever he would plop a book from his shelf down on his desk, Luke would reminisce. He would forcibly push aside the memories of his brother reading to him, try to forget how long it would be until his brother returned, and try to calm himself whenever he remembered how long he would have to put up with school.


    As winter break hit the city like a plague, parents all over Lumina had buckled down to bear a tsunami of vacationers. As the most wonderful time of the year approached, Luke wasn¡¯t prepared for his friend had in store.


    ¡°Elizabeth, why is the holiday called Christmas?¡±


    ¡°Something about the goddess being a mesa¡­I think that¡¯s what it was called, I didn¡¯t really pay much attention to that lesson. Anyways, I found something that¡¯s gonna blow you away!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    The boy heard this statement many times before, often regarding her flower garden. Though it was beautiful, he wasn¡¯t ever ecstatic about it like her. To him, learning about monsters or watching other kids fight each other was exciting; pretty flowers were nice to look at, but got dull quickly.


    ¡°There¡¯s a secret exit out of the castle!¡±


    ¡°Wait what?! Where?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the walls. It leads out to the front. We could sneak outside and see Lumina together.¡±


    ¡°I think a guard would notice.¡±


    ¡°Pssh, the guards don¡¯t check on me, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Luke wanted to raise concern with that last statement, but the girl was already down the hall, leaving him to chase her.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Right here.¡± The girl pointed to a tile among a line of tiles that decorated the wall. It was indistinguishable from the rest until she popped it off the wall. ¡°You go first.¡±


    Taking one look at the dark tunnel, Luke groaned. Despite wanting to refuse, he bent down and crawled into the abyss until he hit a wall. With nowhere else to go, he pushed against the barrier until another tile plopped off and a spiteful light blinded him. Pushing forward, he made his way out, the princess joining him after she returned the tile.


    ¡°See, It¡¯s quick and easy. Now we can go explore the city!¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere! As long as it¡¯s not to the church, I¡¯ll happily go to any part of the city.¡±


    Luke looked to the sky, realizing the sun was closing in on the horizon. The heavens were still blue, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t stay for long. It was then that an idea hit him, one instantly regrettable idea that was too persistent to kick out of his brain.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head to south Lumina. I don¡¯t go there often myself, so it¡¯ll be an adventure.¡±


    Their journey was lengthy, more so than Luke expected. The pair had to get their bearings, then journey far from the castle as to not be spotted by guards, until finally they travelled the smallest ring from north to south.


    The air of south Lumina stunk of fish and other sea dwelling life. This would be normal, but the repulsive stench was multiplied by the volumes amassed in preparation for tourists. Despite it being a popular stopping point for foreigners, the region looked as ugly as it smelled, with large portions of the wall cracked and dilapidated houses even on the richest ring.


    ¡°Wow, why does this place look so shabby?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we should probably get going soon, it¡¯s getting dark.¡±


    Just as Luke finished, the line of lamps across the cobblestone road lit up, signaling it was officially night time. The boy admired the lamps as they glowed under the starry sky, his eyes travelling along the path they created until his gaze rested on a man just barely visible. The man had signaled him over with a flick of his wrist, the boy too curious to realize the possible danger.


    ¡°Hey boy, what are you doing with that pink-haired lass?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just friends, exploring, why? What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too fond of her. I think you were looking for an excuse to abandon that girl out here in the dark.¡±


    ¡°What?! No way. I would never leave Elizabeth.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s slowing you down, boy. If you ran off without her, you would be free.¡±


    Turning around, Luke saw the girl was preoccupied with a house with no windows, an overgrown yard, and a gate that had fallen off its hinges. Taking the opportunity, he ran off as fast he could, Using the cities circular structure to hide him. Once he could no longer see his friend, he kneeled over, panting. As he caught his breath, several questions had formed in his brain.


    The questions droned on until Luke realized he had left the princess with that strange man. Much to his dismay, he began running back around. Before long, he could see Elizabeth was walking casually.


    ¡°Luke, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We need to go! Some guy is going to try and take you.¡±


    Without another word, the two raced down the southern road, travelling up the path directly toward the castle until they reached the secret entrance. Once inside the castle, the two made sure not to mention their absence to any of the guards or the queen, heading to Elizabeth¡¯s bedroom post-haste.


    ¡°Sorry about leaving you Elizabeth, I just wanted to get away from the smell.¡±


    ¡°Luke, if you ever do that again¡­please do it during Halloween!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡± The boy was utterly befuddled at her remark.


    ¡°Of course not! I knew you¡¯d come back, but I was so scarred for a moment. Just being alone in such a creepy neighborhood, I¡¯ll never forget tonight.¡±


    For the rest of the evening, Luke distanced himself from the princess, his mind still echoing with questions.


    ¡®Who was that man? Why did he want me to run away from the princess? And why did I listen to him?¡¯


    He pondered all night until he eventually returned to Elizabeth¡¯s room, passing out from exhaustion.

 Volume 1, Chapter 24: Monsters

    Winter had turned to spring had turned to summer had turned to fall. The thoughts and concerns had slowly diminished, replaced with the fear and anxiety of beginning another school year. Although Luke had grown more and more comfortable with new school years, moving up to the secondary school had kicked his comfort stool out from under him.


    ¡°Welcome to your first year of secondary or middle school. Whichever you prefer, I don¡¯t care. Regardless of whether your education ends here or you move on to labor school, you must learn how to work in a team. I will assign teams, you will get to know these people over the next 3 years, we will go through some exercises, and then you can go home.¡±


    It was a surreal thought to be able to leave school and not come back until much later; however, he wasn¡¯t going to look a gift-horse in the mouth. Soon his mind drifted to the other unavoidable change: the class room consisted of a circular platform surrounded by a dirt moat. The ¡°seats¡± were wooden benches dotted around the wall.


    When the teacher yelled out several names, a familiar sense of dread hooked itself into Luke. Watching the teams assemble, he took a breath in anticipation.


    ¡°David, Maple, Susan, Connor,¡± Luke could feel himself suffocating despite exhaling five minutes ago, ¡°Luke.¡±


    Following the steps of previous groups, Luke walked alongside four people who were as displeased as he was.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s like the universe couldn¡¯t find anyone else to stick us with. It must be destiny.¡± The red head rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Ugh, so not only am I stuck with that loser,¡± Maple pointed to Luke, ¡°I have to listen to the sarcastic ginger.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re stuck with this big-mouthed bitch.¡±


    Maple was about to pounce on the red-head until the teacher held her back.


    ¡°No killing each other, no matter how justified you may be. Intentional treachery will result in immediate expulsion. Do I make myself clear?!¡±


    The sour brunette relented, reluctantly joining the group as they stood in a cluster.


    ¡°Alright kids, now that you¡¯re all in groups, get to know one another, establish who will be a leader, who will be the strategist, fighters, healers, and otherwise.¡±


    The group had turned their attention toward one target.


    ¡°I guess we should get this out of the way: what are you going to do, Luke?¡± The blonde seemed cold yet not antagonistic when asking the question. ¡°You can¡¯t fight, so I guess you¡¯ll be the strategist?¡±


    Luke nodded without thinking, realizing too late he knew nothing about strategy. As the others established their roles, the boy looked up to the ceiling, just wanting the day to end. Before long, he got his wish, as everyone was dismissed after the roll call.


    Though he wanted to meet the princess, Luke knew it would be in his best interest to pull out one of the dusty books with helpful information he¡¯d never normally bat an eye. As he arrived home, he was surprised to see his mother sitting by herself, sipping tea.


    ¡°You look tense. I¡¯m curious -not concerned- about why.¡±


    ¡°I was put on a team today and they want me to be the strategist. I don¡¯t know anything about strategy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be the leader then.¡±


    Luke tilted his head at the woman, unsure of how she reached that conclusion.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Well no, I think someone else will be the leader. I can¡¯t be a leader, I can¡¯t even make strategies!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re fighting a war, a leader and a strategist are two distinctly different roles. You are not in a war, you are in a class of rag tag children all working to become fine warriors. Therefore, there is no difference between leading and being a strategist.¡±


    The son paused for a moment before changing the subject.


    ¡°You were in a team, weren¡¯t you? What were they like?¡±


    ¡°My team?¡± The woman cleared her throat hastily. ¡°Well, there were five us, as you might expect. There was me, Johnathan, Shelly, Vanilla, and Charlie.¡±


    ¡°The queen?! And¡­Charlie?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Vanilla used to be a peasant, but through luck and my persistence, mostly my persistence, she married into royalty. As for Charlie, he went by the title of The Blazing Phoenix.¡±


    ¡°Wow, and what about you and aunt Shelly?¡±


    ¡°Your aunt and I were the strongest cavaliers in the world. When Lumina fought the last war against Umbro, we were the force that ended it. In a clash of five hundred, we took out all but fifty.¡±


    ¡°Are you still the strongest cavalier?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I made the mistake of raising a family, so no. Your loner aunt took that title for herself. But, I don¡¯t envy her; she lives in a small, backwards village.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Charlie?¡±


    ¡°Asking the smart questions I see. Unfortunately, nobody knows. We fell out of contact a long, long time ago, when he also decided to have a family. The moral of this story is, don¡¯t have a family Luke, it will only ruin you¡­or ruin you further in your case.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I know, leave the princess alone.¡±


    ¡°Not even that. For as much I don¡¯t understand Vanilla¡¯s decision to allow you to live with the princess, I also want what¡¯s best for you.¡±


    ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. I don¡¯t want you to be burdened by a family, especially not one of royalty. I see now that fear won¡¯t dissuade you, so maybe honesty and personal experience will.¡±


    ¡°This whole time you¡¯ve just been trying to scare me?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. I¡¯ve been trying to get you to grow a spine. Stand up for yourself. Don¡¯t let other people take advantage of you¡­unlike your mother.¡±


    The room fell silent, Luke wanting to say something, but he couldn¡¯t find the words. After a minute of staring at his mother, and her staring back, he finally withdrew into his room when he remembered why he came home.


    A month had passed of the teams practicing their coordination against helpless monsters, their claws, talons, teeth, and other sharp extremities were removed.


    ¡°Today your team will go against a real monster. This will be the first half of your semester. As soon as you can prove your team can handle a monster, you can go home until after winter. If you want to be one of those people, you better get your shit together now.¡±


    When the time came, Luke¡¯s team at stepped on to the arena. On the opposite side were cages, some empty from previous fights. Corpses of Hellion Scorpions littered the back of the room.


    ¡°Time to put our training to good use! You guys excited?¡± Connor announced to his team while floating in the air.


    ¡°Of course! I can¡¯t wait to kick some ass.¡± David unsheathed his sword.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show those losers what a real mage looks like.¡± Maple pulled out a staff with a blue gem at the end.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Susan mumbled, dragging a whip of vines and thorns behind her.


    As the four turned their heads toward Luke, he signaled to the teacher to release the monster that hid within one of many cages.


    ¡°Just like we practiced!¡±


    As the monster approached the group, the five scattered, the girls and Conner taking the left while David and Luke moved to the scorpion¡¯s right. David jumped at the beast, attempting to strike it with his sword, but its tail had forced him back. Keeping close, the blonde had dodged several more strikes before stomping on the arena, causing the concrete to shoot up, bend, and encase the stinger.


    The creature swung its body to strike with its pincers, but a violent gust had caused a tsunami of seeds to cake the beast before a massive block of water slammed down on it. Dazed and confused, the beast struggled to free its tail from its earthy prison, all the while swinging its claws hysterically. Soon, grass and flowers began to grow all over the hellion, forcing it to slow down. As the plants continued growing, they penetrated the arachnid¡¯s exoskeleton, slowing it further until it stopped completely.


    Once the teacher had walked up to monster corpse, he congratulated the team before taking the cadaver back to the pile of cages occupied by similar carcasses. With their signal to leave, the group marched out of the building with their heads held high.


    ¡°Worked liked a charm!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I actually don¡¯t regret being in this team. It was¡­fun.¡±


    Luke smiled at David¡¯s enthusiasm and Susan¡¯s compliment as they parted from the group.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get a big head Baronia. We only did as well as we did because of practice and the fact that we, not you, we are actually competent. Even the ginger.¡±


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t let her get to you man,¡± Connor patted Luke on the shoulder, ¡°what she really meant was that you did well.¡±


    The leader watched as his other two comrades scattered to parts unknown.


    ¡°See you guys later then¡­¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 25: Fixation

    ¡°Today we will be starting team skirmish. In the real world, you will need to think on your feet if you want your team to be successful, as even monsters can throw you for a loop. I don¡¯t expect all of you to be winners, but I do expect to see results.


    You will fight until you are knocked down and unable to get up. If you are captured by the enemy team, that is an immediate knock out. As long as your team can knock out even one opponent, you will pass this course.¡±


    ¡°Yo Luke, you look excited.¡± Connor slapped Luke on the back, knocking him out of his stupor.


    The group were sitting together on a bench near the entrance of the ¡°classroom¡± which was really an indoor stadium. On the opposite side were other kids sat who would be the competition for their side.


    ¡°My brother is coming home in a few months.¡±


    ¡°Your brother? Wait, isn¡¯t that Matthew Baronia?¡± David¡¯s reaction had caused a chain of quirked eyebrows.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right? That guy is great, how did you end up being so crap?¡±


    ¡°Maybe his brother stole all of the mana.¡±


    Before he can retort, the group was called up for the fight.


    As Luke¡¯s group stared down the opposing group of five, he began analyzing them. From his left he could see a shadowy looking boy, lanky with jet black hair that could wrap around his waist, and his eyes looked restless like Susan¡¯s. The boy to his left was far shorter but looked anxious, as he already had a ball of fire in his hands. The girl in the middle towered over the ones left of her; her expression was cold and her stance was imposing. The last two girls were busy talking to one another.


    ¡°Start!¡±


    Luke had directed the girls to create a wall of grass. Doing so, the five had clustered behind the wall.


    ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t know what these guys are capable of, so stay on your guard.¡±


    ¡°I guess your brother took most of the family brain cells too.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and listen! Those two girls, the blonde and brunette, they don¡¯t look too strong or coordinated. If you and Susan can gang up on one, they should be easy. Also-¡°


    Before he could finish, Susan pointed to the top of the grass wall being on fire.


    ¡°Scatter!¡±


    Luke ran directly out of the tall grass, only to meet face to face with the stoic girl who was staring down at him.


    ¡°I can see through your deceit!¡± The girl picked the boy up off the ground and tossed him behind her, in the middle of the field.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    As he got back on his feet, Luke could see his team had the enemy preoccupied: Connor fighting the anxious kid who he deduced must have burned down the grass, Susan and Maple fighting the two girls, one using electricity, the other using ice, and David taking on the stoic girl who was now protected by a metal sheet.


    However, Luke realized that the fifth member was absent. Looking around, his eyes spotted a shadow slowly sneaking toward the girls. Thinking quickly, he ran toward David, jumping behind the girl he was fighting. Turning around, the girl almost slammed Luke with the sheet of metal until his teammate intervened with a boulder to her chest.


    ¡°Quick! I need you to send me flying over there!¡± Luke pointed toward the girls who were at a stalemate.


    ¡°Are you sure? If I send you over there, you might fall out of the arena.¡±


    ¡°Just do it!¡±


    Being lifted into the air again, Luke clenched his stomach as he flew. Closing in on the four girls, he caught sight of the shady boy emerging from a pool of shade. However, just as he was about to tackle him, his target dunked back down, causing Luke to fly out of the ring.


    From the sidelines, he watched as the rest of his team gradually fell.


    ¡°Yeesh, so much for a good leader. What was that maneuver?¡±


    ¡°I saw him approaching you guys, I thought I could do something.¡±


    ¡°Well you did do something, you got yourself out of the way. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if you were your brother.¡±


    ¡°At least we took out that scary girl and passed.¡±


    ¡°He has a point. It doesn¡¯t matter if we lost, we¡¯re done. Thanks Luke, you might not be your brother, but¡­I¡¯m going home.¡±


    The redhead didn¡¯t wait another minute before sauntering off. The others simply nodded, parting ways once more.


    ¡°Hate you guys so much¡± Luke muttered when he was sure no one was within ear shot.


    Thinking about what Maple had said jogged his memory, reminding him that he wanted to head home and seek out a book. Just as he entered his house, he was met with a surprise.


    ¡°Oh hey dad, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I never left because I took the day off. You didn¡¯t even say goodbye when you left for school. So, how was your day?¡± The man spoke in a hushed and somber tone before sipping his tea.


    ¡°Terrible, but my team passed our test today.¡±


    ¡°Did you make friends with any of your team?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    As his father moved his gaze back to his tea, Luke used the moment to escape to his room.


    ¡°Luke, can I ask you something?¡±


    Luke turned his head to see his father standing in the hallway. He realized he was too preoccupied on finding a specific book to close his door. Right after that realization, he resumed his search, pulling off a large tome regarding information about towns in the northern region of the country Lumina.


    ¡°I just wanted to know, is everything going alright between you and your mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes dad.¡±


    ¡°Is everything going alright between you and the princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes dad.¡± Luke was quickly growing irritated with his father pestering him.


    ¡°I¡­¡± the man sighed, ¡°I just wanted to apologize. I don¡¯t know what to say or when to say it, but now I¡¯m going to say: I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been around. You¡¯ve had Matthew raise you all your life, to the point I¡¯ve never had to be a father, and your mom¡­well having a second kid was my idea to say the least. Please don¡¯t think less of her if she acts rude or cruel, its her way of coping with your birth and your ''problem''.


    I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been your dad. If you think nothing of me though, if you hate me, I understand. Luke, you don¡¯t have to forgive me, but I would just like to know you¡¯re doing okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine dad.¡± Luke was still busy flipping through the contents of his book, the anger and impatience bubbling in his voice.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡± The man shut the door on his way out.


    ¡°Hmm, wonder what he was on about? Probably lamenting the fact I¡¯m not Matt.¡± Luke sighed to himself. ¡°Matt, you¡¯ve got some explaining to do when you get back.¡±

 Volume 1, Chapter 26: Our Future

    ¡°It¡¯s summer!¡± Luke hugged the princess who was confused but appreciated the embrace.


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about summer?¡±


    ¡°This summer Matt is coming home!¡±


    When the boy released his friend, he was still hopping anxiously.


    ¡°Oh! I bet you can¡¯t wait to see him again.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to ask him about his trip. Also, I¡¯m going to ask why that jerk didn¡¯t send me any letters like he promised.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he couldn¡¯t find a way to send mail?¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s a mail system in Lumina, one of his books says so.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it meant the city?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. My dad was bothering me that day, I could have misremembered.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean your dad was bothering you?¡±


    ¡°He was talking about Matt or something, I wasn¡¯t really paying attention.¡±


    Elizabeth visibly gritted her teeth, poking her index fingers together. ¡°I was wondering, Luke, do you feel different?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Different?¡± Luke stopped bouncing.


    ¡°I swear you¡¯ve been acting strange recently. Not by much, but some part of you has changed.¡±


    ¡°I do feel like I¡¯m becoming more like my mother.¡±


    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! My mom¡¯s a bitch! I don¡¯t want to be a bitch, I don¡¯t want to be like her!¡± Luke stopped to calm down for a moment before continuing. ¡°I guess I appreciate her trying to give me a spine or whatever she called it, but I don¡¯t want to treat other people like she treats me.¡±


    ¡°I think you might have done that to your dad.¡±


    ¡°Act mean? He deserves it though. Even if what he said was nice and had nothing to do with my brother, he¡¯s always away from home and whenever he used to come home he just wanted me to train. At least he doesn¡¯t ask that now, but that¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t talk to me period.¡±


    ¡°The reason I¡¯m asking this is because I¡¯ve been wondering about our future.¡±


    ¡°Our future?¡±


    ¡°Luke, my mom has been wondering if I had feelings for someone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awfully vague. What kind of feelings?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, just¡­like¡­butterflies in my stomach, for someone I know.¡±


    Those words had triggered multiple flashbacks in Luke, his mind immediately thinking on his bracelet.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t say I know those feelings. Maybe I¡¯ll understand one day.¡±


    ¡°Luke, I¡¯m talking about marriage!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    ¡°W-what? You just said you didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready to think about that yet!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be adults soon, you should start thinking about who you love and what you want to do. If we get married, you and I would live here for the rest of our lives.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Luke bellowed.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay here!¡±


    ¡°Why not? You could stay with me and live like a prince instead of having to fight monsters.¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to live here? This place sucks and all the people here are terrible, every last one of them!¡±


    ¡°Luke¡­you don¡¯t think I¡¯m terrible, do you?¡±


    The boy hesitated for a moment as he looked into the scared, uncertain gaze of his friend. Instead of answering, Luke stood up straight, turned around, and marched out of the castle.

 Volume 1, Chapter 27: An Offer

    Under a beautiful sky of orange, a young man ranted and sulked as he left the castle and headed out toward town.


    ¡°Who the hell does she think she is, keeping me prisoner in this-¡°


    His ranting was cut short when he noticed a man in a black cloak standing only a foot away from him. Instinctually, his head snapped toward the man. The mysterious figure looked him in the eyes, for a minute neither had said a word or moved an inch.


    ¡°You are Luke Baronia, yes?¡± the man finally broke the silence.


    Luke turned to face the man, now concerned how this stranger knew his name.


    ¡°Me?¡± Luke hesitated, wondering what he wanted.


    ¡°There is no one else within ear shot, especially no one else of the Baronia lineage.¡±


    The boy hadn¡¯t noticed how barren the area was. It was rare to have anyone on the path between the city and the castle, minus Luke, however there was no one visible from the top of the hill.


    ¡°How do you know my name?!¡±


    ¡°Your name is infamous around here, almost as much as your family is famous. But that matter is of little concern. I have something to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Luke raised an eyebrow, curiosity overshadowing his common sense.


    ¡°A simple request. In return, I will grant that which you desire most.¡±


    ¡°What do I desire most?¡±


    ¡°You want to use mana, to live like a normal person. You hate how people look down on you, how your father never wants to associate with you, and how your brother always had to look out for you; even your coward friend was more capable then you were. Now, after your little incident with princess Elizabeth, you just want to leave.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Luke took a step back in disbelief, physically blown back by his words. This man knew him more than any other person, even though he couldn¡¯t have possibly seen everything that happened in his life, especially something that occurred minutes ago.


    ¡°Who are you? How do you know all that?¡±


    ¡°You can call me Jade.¡± The man began walking closer to the boy, the latter still paralyzed.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my other question! And what do you mean, call you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have time to answer all of your questions. I told you I know you. If you want to learn more, you¡¯ll help me on my mission.¡±


    Luke hesitated for a moment until he realized he could at least get one more answer.


    ¡°What do you want? What¡¯s your ¡®mission¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I have been sent to kidnap the princess.¡±


    Luke now felt his heart stop, his eyes go wide, his arms form bumps, and shivers racing throughout his body.


    ¡°Y-you want to what?!¡±


    ¡°Luke, I need you to help me capture the princess, take her to the Umbro kingdom, and you will get your reward.¡±


    ¡°You want me to betray my friend, become a criminal, and be even more hated than I already am?!¡± The boy was in utter disbelief over the notion.


    ¡°I can tell you have your doubts. Know that I¡¯m only making this offer to you right here and right now. I don¡¯t have long, and should you decline, I¡¯ll simply find another willing individual.¡±


    The moment the man finished his speech, he began walking away, causing Luke to stumble over himself in panic.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Luke yelled to the man, hoping to buy time. The man stopped as Luke had hoped, but he hadn¡¯t expected what came next.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return to this spot in four hours. Don¡¯t keep me waiting.¡±


    Just as Luke was about to ask another question, Jade had disappeared. He hadn¡¯t gradually faded or walked away, but vanished instantly, as if he teleported.


    ¡®If I do it, everyone will hate me. But everyone already hates me, except Matthew. But if I don¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll lose my chance and he¡¯ll just kidnap Liz anyways¡­¡¯


    These were the thoughts that plagued Luke¡¯s mind until an idea struck.


    ¡°Maybe¡­I could use my powers to steal the princess, bring her back, and nobody would be hurt!¡±


    This revelation filled Luke with excitement; it was a win-win situation, even if Luke had to face consequences, he would still be doing good things and be able to use mana. With his plan crafted, he returned home to make any final preparations he might need.

 Volume 1, Chapter 28: Plan in Action

    Returning to his room, Luke took a breather and tried to relax, but no amount of stress relief could save him from the flood of tension building inside. Even though he had a plan, his mind would do nothing but play out every possible failure in excessive detail. From getting caught by guards to being ditched by Jade, every hour he felt more and more his situation was unwinnable.


    Thump thump thump


    Luke had opened his door to see his father on the other side.


    ¡°Son, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes dad, I¡¯m fine.¡± Luke growled through gritted teeth.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like everything is fine. If there¡¯s anything going on, you can tell me. If you don¡¯t want to tell me or I¡¯m not around, just remember, ¡®what would Matthew do¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    As his father left his son to his own devices, Luke was almost reluctant that he popped in; his words, his mere presence, had put the boy¡¯s mind at ease about the kidnapping. Taking one last sweep of the room, he felt certain he was prepared for whatever the journey ahead presented. Leaving his room and house, he said nothing as he walked by his father.


    Arriving at the same tree that overlooked the castle, Luke couldn¡¯t see the man. He scanned continuously, knowing a man in black would be hard to see in a dim area.


    ¡°You¡¯re a tad early.¡±


    Luke nearly jumped out of his skin as the man patted his shoulder. Turning around, Jade had managed to stand out against the night sky.


    ¡°I wanted to say this earlier, but I was preoccupied with personal matters: I¡¯m worried that fight from earlier will make our mission difficult.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know how to fix it.¡±


    ¡°Good. From there, just follow me. Make sure nobody sees you.¡±


    Luke traversed the castle path, keeping his composure as he walked by the entrance guards. Approaching the garden, he expected Elizabeth to still be angry with him; instead she was smiling wide, causing Luke¡¯s heart to crack. Concentrating on their earlier conversation, he gathered himself.


    ¡°Hey Elizabeth, I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry about earlier. I was just really anxious to see my brother again and I¡¯ve been waiting my whole life to see the outside world; all I¡¯ve seen beyond Lumina is a view from on top of the gate or pictures in books.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Luke, I¡¯m sorry about what I said. I was just scarred you were changing into¡­an evil person. I shouldn¡¯t have thought that though, because you¡¯re my friend! And If you don¡¯t want to get married, that¡¯s fine, I was-


    ¡°Actually,¡± Luke interjected, ¡°I was wondering if you wanted to see the stars tonight.¡±


    The princess gasped at the idea, grabbing the boy by the hand and dragging him toward the secret exit. She had only let go of him so that they could travel outside; once they escaped, Luke took the initiative, grabbing his friend¡¯s hand and guided her away from the castle.


    When he no longer felt her grip, he turned around to see the man had grabbed the princess, the latter alreadyunconscious. Jade lifted her off the ground, carrying her over his shoulder.


    ¡°Let us make haste!¡±


    Luke trailed the man on a path unfamiliar to him. Twisting and turning, the duo ran until they reached a part of the lowest ring. There was no distinguishing this area from the rest and their travel course was so peculiar Luke couldn¡¯t figure out which district they currently occupied; all he knew was that the buildings looked trashy and wall was nearby.


    The pair had stopped at a tiny, mundane building thatwas too thin for both kidnappers if they stood side by side. Jade opened the door and revealed a ladder leading down. Inside, the building was well lit, the orange glow of the light mesmerizing the boy. At the bottom was another door, which Luke could now see was metal plated. Once the barrier was ajar, a hallway of pipes met their gazes.


    For a moment, Luke was amazed as he followed Jade down the hall; however, the spectacle died when the rancid smell of sewer kicked in. Even worse, the pair were met with an intersection, all paths leading to other halls with infinite possibilities. The man took a left, then a right, then headed straight, all the while his accomplice had kept uncomfortably close, fearing he could get left behind in the pipe labyrinth.


    The navigation of the maze had dragged on and on for Luke, as this plan went well passed his bed time. Before he could open his mouth and question Jade, the pair hit another wall, this one only divided into left and right.


    Jade made a move that Luke hadn¡¯t anticipated: he tore off the wall panel in front of them, uncovering a dirt tunnel. Making their way down the hidden cave, the man making sure to return the panel, Luke inhaled in relief as fresh air poured into his nostrils and lungs. At the entrance of the tunnel was a royal carriage, the driver of said vehicle was a pudgy man who hardly noticed their approach.


    ¡°Oh, you''re back! The plan went accordingly I take it?¡± The man seemed all too giddy when he saw the two.


    Jade simply leered at the man, opening the door to the carriage and offering Luke the chance to enter first. He had sat the princess and himself opposite of the boy.


    As the carriage began to move, Luke peered out the glass window, watching with both fascination and guilt as Lumina slowly came into view before shrinking.


    ¡°Feeling conflicted?¡± Luke had turned to Jade, the man watching the sleeping the princess vigilantly.


    ¡°You should rest your eyes, it will take a bit to reach our destination.¡±


    Luke said nothing, instead his gazed was fixed on his friend. Elizabeth looked peaceful in her sleep, unassuming and innocent.Watching herhad made Luke yawn, but one thought had kept him awake.


    ¡°Hey, where are my powers?¡±


    ¡°When we reach our destination. you will get your wish. Fear not, I can be trusted to fulfill my end of the deal, for you are just as vital to my plan as she is.¡±


    Relieved, Luke gave in to his tiredness, his fears and anxiety pushed aside by the dark void of slumber.

 Volume 1, Chapter 29: Metamorphosis

    ¡°Luke! Why?!¡± The cry of a young girl echoed. A monster had slowly crept up on the girl as she burrowed herself in a corner, crying and shivering. The monster had stopped, reared its legs, and


    ¡°AHHHH¡­¡±


    Luke woke with a freight. Looking around, he could see he was still in the carriage and the sky was still a starry filled night; it was as if only a moment had passed.


    ¡°Awake? Good, we¡¯re almost there.¡± As he finished, the carriage came to a halt.


    Hopping out of the wagon, he watched as Jade handed Elizabeth over to the pudgy man.


    ¡°Monty will put the princessin her place. Luke, you will follow me.¡±


    It was only when Luke¡¯s eyes drifted away fromJade that he noticed they had stopped in front of a giant tower. Making their way inside, the pair passed by doors, one on each side of the hall, before heading up stairs. The two continued to ascend until they had reached the roof of the tower. In the middle of a garden, radiating a red light bright enough topaint the nearby garden in a hellish red, was an orb.


    ¡°You see that? That is your reward.¡±


    Luke hadn''t heard him, instead he was captivated by the floating ball that beckoned him forward. Once he was within arms reached, he grasped it in both hands, bringing it to his chest. Slowly, it sunk into his heart, letting the surrounding area going dark. When Jade snapepd his fingers, light had flooded the top of the tower, causing the boy to wake from his dreary state.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Well Luke, how do you feel?¡±


    Still dazed, Luke nodded. Squinting through the blinding light, he could make out lanterns hanging on top of the garden fence.


    ¡°I feel, strange.¡±


    Without thinking, Luke held out his hand, a spearing forming in his grasp.


    ¡°A spear?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, you absorbed the power of Envy. Envy was a powerful being who could grant themselves whatever wish they desired using this spear.¡±


    The weapon was a fairly standard looking spear, the only notable aspect being the bush below the spearhead.


    ¡°So I can grant myself a wish? What should I wish for?¡±


    ¡°Anything your heart desires. Money, food, love, even more power.¡±


    ¡°You could even wish to be a girl! Think of all the people you could prank!¡±


    Luke and Jade had turned their attention to Monty who was now standing at the top of the staircase. Jade had sneered at the man, but Luke was snickering.


    ¡°Could I actually do that?¡± The boy asked Jade.


    ¡°If that is what you wish for, I see no reason the spear wouldn¡¯t grant it.¡±


    Luke looked at the spear in his hand before holding it aloft. ¡°I wish to be a girl.¡±


    The spear began eminating a purple hue before the light quickly dissipated. Just as Luke was about to open his mouth, vines sprouted from the ground and latched around his shoes, anchoring his feet to the floor. From all directions large petals had slammed into the boy, trapping him in bulb. To make matters worse, the tiredness from earlier had returned ten-fold.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting your wish. Don¡¯t panic, just remember to come visit down stairs when you wake up.¡±


    Luke tried to break out of the floral prison and reach for Jade, but his arms wouldn¡¯t budge, and his eyes wouldn¡¯t listen to him when he demanded they remain open. In panic, tears rolled down his eyes.


    "I''m sorry Matt, I''m sorry Elizabeth."


    With his last breath, the boy perished.

 Volume 2, Chapter 1: My Name is

    ¡°Uhh, what?¡±


    A girl awoke in the middle of a garden, the sun viciously assaulting her eyes. Once she could see again, she gazed at a familiar sight but couldn¡¯t immediately grasp why. Sitting up, she grabbed her back as it cried in agony. It wasn¡¯t until she took a second glance at her hands that it all came flashing back.


    Inspecting the area, she realized she was on a square connected to the rest of the roof floor by four bridges, all of which were suspended above a square moat. Rushing over to the water, she peered at the reflection, unleashing a squeal at the truth in the mirror.


    ¡°Okay¡­okay, it worked. The spear actually did it.¡± The girl inhaled to calm her nerves. ¡°I¡¯m alive, that was dumb.¡±


    Returning to the reflection, she could see her hair was a smidge longer and her stomach a tad scrawnier, but nothing else had changed. Her eyes were still red, her skin still a medium beige, and her height still awkward for being twelve.


    Despite jokingly going along with the plan before, she wasn¡¯t snickering now. Mimicking her action from the previous night, she held out her hand and the spear materialized from the air.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking, but this was clearly a stupid idea. Spear, I wish to be normal again!¡±


    Nothing had happened.


    ¡°Spear, I wish to be a boy again.¡±


    The girl was getting antsy, wondering why nothing was occurring.


    ¡°Spear!¡± Her voice beginning to crack and tremble, ¡°I don¡¯t want this anymore! Make me a boy! I wish to be normal¡­¡±


    No matter how much she begged, how angry she got, even frustrated to the point of tears, the spear remained inert. Analyzing the head of the spear, the problem became clear: the flowers on the brush were wilted.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it? I¡¯m stuck like this?¡± Tears streamed down the brunette¡¯s face as she dropped the weapon on the ground.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Just remember to come down stairs when you wake up.¡± Jade¡¯s words echoed in her head. Wiping her eyes, she walked toward the staircase; however, she passed the stairs upon seeing the view in front of her. From where she stood, there were mountains and mountains, and passed them more mountains. In the distance, the range broke and gave way to fields. Straining her eyes, the girl swore she could make out a shape vaguely like a castle.


    Suddenly, thoughts of what her father and mother would say played out in her head. It was only then she realized Matt would soon find what she had done.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to hate me. He¡¯ll kill me when he finds out what I did. Why did I agree to this?¡± The girl put her head in her hands as she wept uncontrollably.


    ¡°I betrayed the princess, Matt¡­everyone!¡± She continued to bawl her eyes out, curling up into a bawl as she sat in front of the fence keeping her from a several story drop. Once her eyes began to dry up and her heart felt as if it could stand up against a light breeze, she stood up and walked down the staircase.


    On the way to the floor below, she could hear another girl weeping; it only took two seconds for her to realize it was Elizabeth crying. Without another thought, she rushed toward the sound, running into iron bars that gated off the princess.


    ¡°L-Luke?¡± The pink haired girl rubbed her eyes, her sclera a distressing red.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m-¡° She stopped dead, only now realizing that she shot herself in the foot again. ¡°I¡¯m Lucy.¡±


    ¡°Lucy? Luke, I can tell it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who this Luke is, but-¡°


    ¡°You betray me!¡± The princess flew into a rage, jumping up and grabbing the bars as if she were about to tear them off. ¡°You lied to me! You¡¯re still lying to me! When my mom finds out, she¡¯s going to kill you!¡±


    Petrified by the rapid change in attitude, the girl slowly backed away, leaving Elizabeth to continue her tirade.


    ¡°We were never friends, were we?! I hope you rot in hell!¡±


    Those last words stung, but not enough for the girl to keep retreating down the stairs, stopping at the next floor once she was out of earshot of the kidnapped girl. Trying her best to block out Elizabeth¡¯s painful words, the girl¡¯s gaze stopped on large double doors.


    From behind the doors, she heard several voices clattering and howling. The entrance was cracked just enough for her to peer into the room, but the room itself was pitch black. All that was visible were golden orbs flickering in the dark; once they stopped moving she could see that they sets of eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just walk in. Maybe I should just-¡° The girl had recalled her life thus far, how she struggled to fit in. ¡°No, I came too far to chicken out. I just need to say hi, introduce myself. But I need a name. Wait¡­¡±


    Cautiously shuffling her way into the dark, a sense of dread washed over the girl as all the golden lights stopped moving before turning their gaze on her.


    ¡°H-hello, I¡¯m new here. My name is Lucy.¡±

 Volume 2, Chapter 2: One of them?

    The myriad of jaunty chatter that echoed from the void came to a sudden stop when Lucy stepped into the dark. The quiet room, combined with six pairs of glowing yellow eyes focusing on her, had made the girl sweat internally.


    ¡°Howdy neighbor!¡±


    The silence was broken by a voice echoing back. Lucy couldn¡¯t make out any features of the sound¡¯s owner, but could at least distinguish it coming from a teenage boy, notably with an accent she¡¯d never heard of.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Clyde. I take it you¡¯re the one we¡¯ve been waiting for?¡±


    Lucy quirked her eyebrows at the question.


    ¡°The one you¡¯ve been waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve been waiting for Envy. Since people don¡¯t just wander on in, I¡¯m guessing you were brought here by Jade.¡±


    Hazy memories of the night prior had lit up in the girl¡¯s mind as she tried to recall if Jade had mentioned it. ¡°All I remember is absorbing some orb into my chest.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right. I guess that makes you one of us then¡± another boy¡¯s voice called out from the shadows, a far lower baritone than the first.


    ¡°Who are you? I can¡¯t see you in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Jade must be extraordinarily preoccupied to feed you to the sharks.¡± A female voice mockingly answered her, tone regal and condescending.


    ¡°Well Hayley, since you sound so eager about our guest, you can show her around.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± The girl¡¯s cold demeanor transformed into shock. ¡°No! I was just-¡°


    Before she could answer, the others chimed in agreement.


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t have to do it.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯all talk shit, you get hit¡­with responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t open your mouth next time.¡±


    ¡°Let this be a lesson that such taunting is unbecoming of a ¡®princess¡¯ such as yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    One by one, the sins began to leave the room, Lucy trying her best to analyze the features of each one, but it was too dark to garner any more than a sketchy assumption of what each figure adorned; all she could see were vague outlines, some tall, some closer to her own height.


    ¡°New girl!¡± A tiny girl shouted as she approached from the shadows. Her appearance was that of a monarch, a top made of comfy black and red fabric and a bell-shaped skirt expanding from her waist until it hit the floor. Even though she couldn¡¯t see them, Lucy could visualize the high heels under the dress from the ¡°clacks¡± they were making as they struck the concrete floor.


    ¡°Lucy,¡± she corrected her.


    ¡°New girl! Listen, since you¡¯re the newest one here, it has fallen on me to fulfill the prestigious role of mentor and tour guide.¡±


    ¡°Who are you and where are we?¡±


    ¡°Me? Me?!¡± She scoffed, holding her arm limply to her face. ¡°I am Hailey Martina, princess of this tower! I rule over these fools, I am their leader and the prettiest of them all. And before you ask, this tower is located near a big town named Branton.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where that is.¡±


    For a second, the princess was winded from the ignorance on display, but in the next second she shot back up.


    ¡°You will soon enough. For now...¡± the host trailed off, signaling Lucy to follow back into the brighter hall, ¡°that¡¯s the bedroom.¡±


    Following the girl into a room filled with 7 beds, Lucy¡¯s eyes drifted toward the heads, a different symbol engraved on each one. As her gaze drifted, she became fixated on the picture of a tree sprouting roots that reached all around it.


    ¡°That¡¯s yours,¡± Hayley chimed in, ¡°you luckily get to sleep on the end with the quiet people. I get the side that sounds like the building is coming down.¡±


    Guiding her to the second floor, the monarch had a chuckle when her follower visibly jumped as the entrance violently shook.


    ¡°Xandir and Westin must be beating each other to death again. An uncouth thought, but entertaining.¡±


    Reaching the next floor, Hayley had grabbed the taller girl by the arm, dragging her toward another set of unmarked doors in a hall with three sets. Looking around in a panic, Lucy could see the stairs had come to an end and the exit across the hall led to the outside.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here! Now we can get you out of this¡­trash¡± the small girl¡¯s face contorted into disgust and anguish.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with what I¡¯m wearing?¡± Lucy looked down at her green t-shirt and blue shorts.


    ¡°Ugly! Plain! Simple, but not in an endearing way. I can make you anything. Fantastic colors, brilliant patterns, or at least a design that didn¡¯t crawl out of the grave. Besides¡­¡± when the girl smashed opened the barriers to the room, a sea of clothes filled the duos eyes, ¡°you don¡¯t have any clothes besides the ones on your back.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°We all ended up the same. Just a shabby set of clothes, hope in our heart, dreams abound.¡±


    Lucy began rummaging through the stacks of clothes, unsure of what she was even doing and beginning to question her life choices. Before she her mind wrapped itself in a knot, an unknown object assailed her noggin.


    ¡°Here, you¡¯ll need this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she inspected the strange bit of lace with lumps jutting out and complexed straps dangling about.


    ¡°Oh my Lumina, do you not know what a bra is? Were you raised in a barn?¡±


    ¡°My brother was the only person to really care for me.¡±


    ¡°Well you can figure out that disaster on your own. What is your favorite color?¡±


    Lucy shrugged, ¡°Green I guess.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me it¡¯s not the same vomit green as your shirt.¡± The girl sighed to herself.


    ¡°Maybe a darker green, like trees.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little better; go find clothes that fit you and figure out how underwear works while you¡¯re at it. By the time you''re done, it will be time for dinner.¡°


    Lucy had spent a troubling amount of time trying on clothes; whenever she believed she was done, Hayley assured her she needed more. Discovering her size was a matter of trial-and-error, but figuring out this ¡®bra¡¯ was the same for her as learning combat: infuriating, depressing, and wholly confusing. After discovering the joys of being double jointed, she had finally managed to equip this new piece of armor, only to discover it was too small.


    After too much deliberation, she finally gained the princess¡¯ approval, but only because said royal highness finished her sowing. Her reward was a green hoodie, surprisingly matching her size and height, fitting her to the letter.


    ¡°How did you know my size?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have an eye for identifying size without silly measurements. I knew from the beginning, really.¡±


    ¡°Wait, if you knew-¡°


    ¡°Anyways, you should take your clothes back to the bedroom; you can put them in the drawer next to your bed.¡±


    Just as Lucy was about to pickup her clothes, a tall figure burst into the room. Bolstering gleaming silver armor, a no-nonsense expression, and a jawline that could slice a mountain into bite size cubes, the man towered over the girls.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve met Hayley and acquired your outfits. Hayley can put those where they belong, you will accompany me to the fighting chamber.¡±


    ¡°B-b-but¡±


    ¡°I am ecstatic to hear your eagerness to follow through with this task young lady. Come new girl, let me show you the way.¡±


    As Lucy followed the hulking figure out of the room, she had given the despondent girl one glance as a cry for help before disappearing through the doors and up the stairs.


    ¡°I must beg your pardon for my rudeness.¡±


    A silence fell atop Lucy as she waited for him to continue, only to realize he was waiting too.


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­you¡¯re forgiven?¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! Then let me introduce myself: I am Xandir, the sin of Wrath. You have no doubt met Hayley, the sin of pride; has she told you about the rest of us?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Nevermind that. What is your name again?¡±


    ¡°Lucy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, a name that will surely strike fear into the hearts, minds, and souls of thine enemies!¡±


    The man¡¯s gusto had made the girl feel uneasy, even more so with the surrounding weapons.


    ¡°Your inability to see your fellow sins in the darkness is telling. It is telling me and the rest that you had only just acquired your powers and are thus too weak to transverse this world. Rest assured, I am prepared to do everything in my power to bring out your inner strength!¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay. What do I do first?¡±


    ¡°Show me your weapon.¡±


    In a snap, Lucy had recalled the spear she summoned the other night. Concentrating on the weapon, it suddenly appeared in her right hand. As she opened her eyes, she gazed at the spear, a dark brown handle that became engulfed in a jungle green bush near the top before giving way to an equally dark green diamond spearhead.


    ¡°Impressive, you already have the weapon summoning down. Now, ready your spear.¡±


    Doing as asked, the girl wrapped herself around the spear as if her arm was a snake and the handle was a branch.


    ¡°Wrong! I know not about spears, but I have witnessed some wielders. Keep your arm off the spear, instead grasp it in the middle and let your shoulder balance the blunt end.¡±


    Doing as instructed, the weapon now looked as if it were about to launched at the man.


    ¡°Right, now throw it at me with all your strength!¡±


    Without thinking, she launched the spear forward, the head piercing Xandir¡¯s armor and forcing him backward.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lucy rushed over to the now bleeding knight.


    ¡°Do not worry, I have suffered substantially worse; this wound shall heal in no time flat. Moreover, do not show such mercy to your enemies. If you need to hurt someone, do not fear for their life in the same breath.¡±


    With those words, Xandir grabbed the spear, forcefully dislodged it from his chest, and let it drop to the ground. Picking himself back up, he lent a hand to his opponent.


    ¡°You already have a powerful throw. Next I want you to summon your weapon back to your hand.¡±


    Lucy had instinctually bent back down to grab the spear, but her instructor stopped her. Realizing what he meant, she concentrated again, the spear appearing back in her hand.


    ¡°This is crazy. Yesterday I couldn¡¯t hurt a fly, but now I can do all this!¡±


    ¡°Haha! I too was incapable until I met Jade. Now it¡¯s time for you to start tapping into your inner strength.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t done that yet?¡±


    ¡°No, this is the surface of your strength from the inside, but your truth strength if far greater and more unique. Concentrate on your sin, what it means.¡±


    ¡°Envy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, jealousy, malice, a sense of wanting what others have.¡±


    The girl closed her eyes, echoing back the words she just heard in a dull murmur. Without trying, her mind began wandering back to Lumina, recalling the days spent hearing about her brother¡¯s achievements.


    ''Your brother is quickly building a name for himself. When will you do the same?¡¯ The sound of her father''s voice immanated from within her mind, so precisely replicated his tone and attitude that she immediately opened her eyes. Looking around, she was still in the tower, still surrounded by the same dull gray walls.


    "Why did you stop?"


    "I thought I heard my dad, but it was just my imagination."


    "Do not let these distractions get the best of you."


    Closing eyes and focusing again, the words of her father once again echoed in her mind.


    ''Matthew, I cannot bring anything out in your brother. Please, you must be the one to do so.''


    This time, she was sure her father wasn''t around, but that was not why she stopped concentrating. A force in her body had caused her to wake from the dreamy state, a fulfilling sensation.


    ¡°Lucy?¡±


    Opening her eyes, the girl¡¯s body felt heavier and even less familiar. The man in front of her was closer to her height now, her body felt male again, and she could see her body was covered in armor. In a panic, the girl blinked, holding her eyes shut for an extra second, and suddenly her body returned to normal.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It appears as though you changed shape, if only briefly.¡±


    The realization on what happened hit the girl like a ton of bricks.


    ¡°You seem to understand it. We can practice more tomorrow, but for now, let us go back up and meet Clyde, see if he¡¯s done cooking for yet.¡±


    As the pair made their way back up, they stopped upon seeing a girl leaning against the wall across from the kitchen doors. With long black hair and a glare that pierced the soul, her attentioned rest souly on the younger girl.


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°Alexandria. Do not waste your time on her, she will not waste hers on you.¡±


    Alex had seemed to mutter under her breath, but neither could catch it.


    Returning to the dark room, Lucy was surprised to see the faint glow of a table surrounded by chairs.


    ¡°Did someone turn on the lights?¡±


    ¡°No, your ability to see in the dark has begun developing. Come, take a seat¡± Xandir signaled to a seat at the end of the table.


    Across from her, at the other end, was a slender boy slumped over, deep in slumber.


    ¡°That¡¯s Dustin, the sin of sloth. When he¡¯s not asleep, he¡¯s generally too busy pitying himself to care about others.¡±


    ¡°Well howdy again new girl¡± snapping her gaze to the new voice, the person was more rotund than the others she encountered thus far and wore a funny looking hat. ¡°I see Xandir finally found someone he can communicate with.¡±


    ¡°Can it, fat boy.¡±


    Lucy tried her best not to laugh, but it hurt inside holding back her giggling at the sudden insult.


    ¡°Fiesty as usual. Lucy was it? Could you go bring the others here? You¡¯ll get an extra helping if ya do.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to-¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it¡± Lucy cut the knight off, subconsciously recalling her friend who was likely starving at this point.


    Getting up from her chair, she scurried out of the room, only to find the silent girl still leaning against the wall. Instinctually she stared, getting a stare back as a reward.


    ¡°Hello? Clyde told me tell everyone that lunch is ready.¡±


    The strange girl quirked her head sideways, as if inspecting Lucy. In the next second, Alex approached, embracing the envious girl before letting go and making her way to the dining room.


    Making her way to the bedroom, Lucy''s thoughts were interrupted before she could question what had just happened.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, I heard. I was just busy putting away the last of your stupid clothes.¡± Hayley had been grumbling, holding a pair of high heels in one hand as she stomped into the dining room.


    Counting in her head, she realized there was still one person missing. After checking the second floor and moving to the ground floor, it hit her that there was one area left unchecked. Taking a peak inside revealed a plethora of neatly organized containers of every color and various shapes. Aside from the boxes, the area was bereft of object or person.


    ¡°WELL WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?!¡±


    If gravity hadn¡¯t restrained her, Lucy would have clung to the ceiling like a stalagtite. Spinning around instantly, the terrified teen saw the culprit was a man in a sparkling silver suit. The vest he was wearing was impossible for her to look at for more than a split second as any attempt to do so was thwarted by a blast of light from the sun -peaking from the windows outside- reflecting off the obnoxious decorations.


    ¡°My apologies little lady,¡± the man¡¯s voice was now so quiet the girl could barely hear it, but she didn''t dare come any closer. ¡°I saw an opportunity and grabbed it. I have a hunch you were sent down here to find little old me, is that correct?¡±


    Lucy nodded, still visibly shaken.


    ¡°My name is Westin, I have a feeling we¡¯ll be getting to know each other real soon¡± his smile turned into a devilish grin as he made his way to the dining room.


    Sinking to the ground, thoughts swirled around her head. After her mind began to collect itself, she returned to the others.


    The sight of food on the table was pleasing, more so because the platters in front of her were filled with familiar delectables, from hamburgers to hotdogs to chicken and even many meats she was unfamiliar with. For an instant, she questioned the lack of vegetables, but that thought was kicked to the curb by the monstrous eating habits of her fellows sins.


    From the seemingly posh warrior to the haughty princess and even the sparkly jerk, they all ate like animals that had been starved for several days, picking at the food with their barehands, scarfing it down as if another person would pull out from under those or between their fingers.


    Lucy had tried her best to ignore the others, even the quiet girl who was gorging herself; it took all her strength to pay them no heed, but she managed until the end. Despite how excruciating the experience was, the reality was that their time spent eating was less than ten minutes. After finishing, they had all systematically returned to their routines.


    ¡°Hard time adjusting?¡±


    Lucy nodded. ¡°I was also wondering if you had anything extra I could give to my friend.¡±


    ¡°Your friend? What friend? I wasn¡¯t aware there was an eight sin; that kind of goes against the title!¡±


    ¡°Jade had me kidnap my friend, and I don¡¯t think she¡¯s eaten since yesterday.¡± Saying this aloud, the girl felt sick to her stomach and grief run down her back.


    ¡°Oh right, Jade did mention we had a special guest, but he never elaborated on it. We figured they were in the upstairs. We¡¯re not supposed to go upstairs, according to Jade.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything to me. Actually, I haven¡¯t seen him since last night.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen him in a couple days, but we don¡¯t dare make him upset.¡±


    ¡°I have to at least make sure she¡¯s alright. I feel awful for getting into this.¡±


    ¡°Well heck, I¡¯ll whip up something real fast. Just sit tight and keep Dustin company.¡±


    Lucy watched the man disappear into the kitchen before shifting her attention to the boy at the end of the table, his head buried in his arms. He appeared asleep, but once Clyde disappeared, he not only seemed to wake up, but stood up and walked over to her.


    ¡°I uh, didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you talking about feeling guilty.¡±


    Now that he was standing up straight, she could see ¡®Dustin¡¯ was tall and stringy, a pair of wornout brown shoes, patchy blue jeans, and a black shirt with small holes hither and thither to complete the trifecta. His hair was so messy it was as if he spent the whole day getting out of bed, getting back in it, and then getting back out of it again.


    Catching herself staring, Lucy nodded, remembering what the topic of the conversation was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it. We all did bad things to get here, but we¡¯re happier now.¡± His tone of voice betrayed his statement, sounding as if he couldn¡¯t care less about his situation.


    ¡°Did everyone else have to kidnap someone they knew?¡±


    ¡°No, but some are pretty interesting. I here a lot of stories because people think I¡¯m asleep. I uh,¡± his dreamy stupor was briefly halted as he hitched up his tone, before falling back into his dreary monotone, ¡°don¡¯t do it on purpose, I don¡¯t even remember most of it, honest. All I remember is that they¡¯re all interesting and different.¡±


    Seemingly done with the conversation, he shuffled back to his chair, crossed his arms on the table, and planted his face into the depths of the abyss. Right on cue, Clyde had returned with food in hand.


    ¡°I presume the princess likes meat; if not, she¡¯s in a world of trouble, because that¡¯s all anyone eats here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know she likes meat. Thank you.¡± With a bow, Lucy took the plate upstairs.


    Back in the jail sell, Lucy could see that the princess was sitting against a wall, holding her head down.


    ¡°Elizabeth, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Luke? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was wondering if you were feeling better?¡±


    ¡°If you mean less angry, then yes.¡±


    The brunette began to feel a pit form in her stomach, unable to stop herself from recalling her childhood friend¡¯s horrific reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out the best time to get us out of here. In the meantime,¡± she opened the door and put the plate next to Elizabeth, ¡±here¡¯s some food. Sorry it¡¯s not much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, thanks.¡±


    Just as she was about to turn around, the princess spoke once more.


    ¡°Luke.¡±


    Immediately the girl felt a tug from somewhere, but she brushed it aside as she responded.


    ¡°Yes Elizabeth?¡±


    ¡°Could you get me a real bed? This thing,¡± she pointed to a bed hanging off the wall by way of iron chains, ¡°is painful on my back.¡±


    Lucy nodded before returning to the dinning room where Clyde was waiting.


    ¡°Your friend find the food alright?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t stick around long enough to ask, but I¡¯m sure she loves it. Do you think we could get her a bed?¡±


    ¡°Unless ya want to give up yours, I can¡¯t do nothing for you. I think Xandir might help.¡±


    Sighing, Lucy made the journey to Xandir, explaining to him the situation she was in.


    ¡°I would love to!¡±


    Lucy smiled at his gusto.


    ¡°But I cannot. We are lacking in wood.¡±


    That smile collapsed into a frown.


    ¡°However, if you can find some on your hunt, I will make that bed for you pose-haste!¡±


    ¡°Hunt?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, every sin must complete their initiation. Before you do that, however, we have to make sure you¡¯re ready.¡±

 Volume 2, Chapter 3: Initiation

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I was roped into this.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°You should be!¡±


    Lucy turned away from the wanna-be princess to take in the sunny rays of a blissful afternoon. Having been given custody to the haughty monarch, she was hesitant until she learned of the fieldtrip they would be going on.


    Now that she was outside the tower, the girl could draw a picture of where she was stationed. Beyond the tower was a mountain staring the duo straight in the face, large and intimidating; however, there was a path leading around it and into a forest.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡± Hayley muttered to herself.


    Lucy had stopped looking at the forest and turned to her escort, confused.


    ¡°Anyways, as you have obviously surmised from our surroundings, we cannot scale that cliff over there. Such a task is not meant for a lady, nor for a fledgling like yourself. We will instead make our way through the foliage until we reach the top of the last mountain and head straight to the town.¡±


    ¡°So what are we doing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand once we¡¯ve arrived. Until that time, I¡¯ll do the dirty work normally assigned to a scout.¡±


    Following the short and flustered royalty, Lucy admired the scenery and the ambience, the sky blocked by green, yet the ground was strangely bereft of plants. All that could be seen from her vision were white poles with black stripes, holding leaves out of her reach. This didn¡¯t last long, as the trees gave way to rock and open land that continuously scaled upward.


    After what felt like an hour, Hayley signaled to her follower. Lucy soon realized they were on top of a massive hill; looking outward, she could see their destination: a labyrinth of a town, buildings packed into a dense collection that peaked her curiosity.


    ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re heading. Whatever your ability is, do not use it while we¡¯re in town. Nobody knows who we are, keep it that way.¡±


    Lucy could barely pay attention to the bossy girl as she was still sight-seeing. Away from the city was a desert, the city was slight to their right, while straight ahead was a small forest before more towns appeared. In the distance small towns dotted the world, with one indistinguishable structure looming in the recesses of her vision.


    As the pair reached the border of the town, Lucy felt a chill run down her as the city expanded and the noise emanating from it became apparent. The town had few entrances, most of it barricaded by a wall formed from the back of buildings.


    ¡°Robust and Gigantic, right?¡± Hayley eyed her partner before turning her attention to a pair of women walking by.


    Lucy watched with curiosity as the two women stopped and began to chat. Curiosity turned to shock when the women began to fight, punching and grabbing at each other until they tore off their clothes. Once a crowd began to gather, the two ran off into the distance in their underwear.


    ¡°What happened?!¡±


    The girl was pulled into one of the alleyways between two buildings resembling giant wooden crates. Hayley had looked her in the eyes, now grinning sinisterly.


    ¡°What you witnessed was pride eating away at those two bimbos. We can inject our sin into other people, they just have to be in seeing distance.¡±


    ¡°So I can make people envious of each other?¡±


    The devious delinquint nodded before dragging her back out.


    ¡°Look at those men,¡± Hayley pointed at two men in stripped shirts, ¡°make one jealous of the other.¡±


    Closing her eyes and recreating the two adults in her mind, she focused on one desiring the other¡¯s shirt. Upon hearing a loud bang, her eyes shot open, only to see one of the men was attacking the other, forcing the victim to flee and his attacker to follow suit.


    ¡°You¡¯re a quick learner. Now that you have the basics down and know how to get to town, you better not let us down.¡±


    ¡°Wait, was this not the mission? Or the hunt?¡±


    Hayley shook her head. ¡°No, Xandir told me you still don¡¯t know how to transform. Until then, you¡¯re not ready.¡±


    ¡°Transform?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xandir answered once the two returned. ¡°Now that you understand the basics, it¡¯s time for the exciting part.¡±


    Lucy quirked her head as both Xandir and Hayley smiled giddily.


    ¡°This will be the most difficult part: concentrate on why you became a sin.¡±


    ¡°Your transformation better be cool, not like Dustin or Clyde or Westin!¡±


    Taking a moment, the girl concentrated on her brother once more. Once again, she had felt heavier than usual.


    ¡°Did I do it?¡±


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Hayley answered, bewildered at the sight before her.


    ¡°No, you transformed into your brother again. Think about why Jade came to you, what makes you envious of others, what is it that drove you to become a sin.¡±


    Lucy took a breath, her mind flickering through memories. Back and forth through time, all of the events that had unfolded, all of the terrible things that she had experienced. Her brother may have been on her mind, but she knew there had to be a reason. Images of others began to emerge, her classmates, parents, and even Elizabeth.


    She could feel herself changing once more, but this hadn¡¯t stopped or even slowed the onslaught of thoughts seeping into her mind. This horrible curse that had afflicted her, this lack of mana that held her back, she wanted it to be no more.


    ¡°I understand now¡± were the words that came out of a new being. ¡°This whole time I¡¯ve been envious of everyone else -every single person I¡¯ve ever met- but I never thought about it. I''ve always wanted to be strong like everyone else, and now I am. Now, I am Envy.¡±


    As her eyes opened and the world lit up, she looked down upon both Hayley and Xandir, the former now appeared as if she were a bug.


    Holding her arms in front of her, she only now realized she was wearing unfamiliar garb that covered most of her body. Her hands were foreign, charcoal black with elongated fingers and fingernails resembling rusty daggers.


    Moving the lower half of her body proved to be more of a chore than she expected, as she was not used to such long legs. The most surprising part, however, was the extra appendage. After feeling around, she grabbed onto a thin, wiry part and pulled it to her front.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°A tail?¡± She was perplexed as she held it by the spade shaped end.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you lucky? Your sin form is so cool!¡±


    Letting go of her tail, Envy glanced back up to see two new figures standing in front of her. By their positions and their sizes, she could tell the one on her left was Xandir and right was Hayley.


    The beast that replaced Xandir was even more massive, a fact Envy couldn¡¯t comprehend, even while witnessing it. His armor remained silver, but it was even bulkier, while his short blonde hair was now a messy black, with brown horns jutting out from the head only to start curving backward at the top.


    To the right was an imp in place of Hayley. Just like Envy and the other sin, her skin was charcoal black, what little of it was visible. Most of her body was obscured by a black cloak that draped to just above her shoes. Her hair was a glowing white ponytail. Most striking of all was her four eyes, glowing white like her hair, with no pupils or cornea.


    ¡°I¡¯m Wrath and she is Pride.¡±


    Wrath¡¯s voice retained the deep quality of Xandir but was now far more growly.


    ¡°Everyone has their own form. You will get to see Westin¡¯s later tonight.¡±


    Pride had the same pretentious tone as Hayley, but her voice was far clearer and wholly confident.


    Wishing to return to normal, Lucy was immediately relieved of her form, the other two following her lead.


    ¡°You¡¯re ready!¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what you want me to do.¡±


    ¡°Well new girl -who shall be referred to by name after this- you will be taking the initiation tonight. The initiation? Stealing supplies from the town we just visited.¡±


    ¡°Supplies? What kind of supplies?¡±


    ¡°Hamburger meat, chicken, Fabric¡­¡± Clyde had droned on and on, unaware Lucy had zoned out.


    ¡°So you are helping me tonight? Well I pray you have a better attention span¡± Westin chimed in, drawing the girl out of her stupor.


    ¡°Well howdy duty Westin! I was just telling little ¡®ol Lucy what we need.¡±


    ¡°No need Clyde, I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s aware.¡±


    Escorting her outside, the man immediately transformed into his sin form. Having missed it prior, Lucy was taken aback when black and purple smoke consumed the man, only to disperse and reveal someone or something else.


    In this case, the demon was of roughly similar size, but unlike Westin¡¯s average body, this beast was boney. The skin resembled stone, its anatomy mirroring a statue, with a tail and wings.


    ¡°I assume Xandir did his job.¡± The voice was jarringly different, from a smooth voice that could break into song effortlessly to an uneven and grating voice that aggravated the girl¡¯s senses. ¡°Take your form.¡±


    In an effort to keep him quiet, she did as instructed. While the stone monster had retained Westin¡¯s height over her initially, he now appeared meek.


    ¡°Excellent. We need these forms so that we can continue to cause chaos during the day and not be recognized during these hunts. Whatever you do, do not change back into a human while we¡¯re on the mission.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re stealing stuff, right? I¡¯ve never stolen stuff before¡­¡±


    ¡°Feeling uneasy? Don¡¯t worry, they don¡¯t need it to survive.¡±


    ¡°Why do we need to cause chaos?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what Jade asked us to do. And it¡¯s fun.¡±


    As he finished answering her question, he turned around and began walking off.


    ¡°So what can you do?¡±


    ¡°Me? I can turn into other people and make people jealous of one another.¡±


    ¡°Every one of us can affect humans but we can¡¯t manipulate each other. Still, turning in to other people sounds like a lot of fun. What can you do in that form?¡±


    ¡°In this form? You mean I can do more?¡±


    ¡°For instance, as myself, I can increase my physical strength or my speed, though at the cost of some other aspect. I might be able to break a tree, but one punch would do me in. As for what I can do as Greed? You¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±


    As the sun began to set, Envy could feel anticipation begin to build as she followed greed to the top of the mountain. The air was growing colder, the fruity orange sky was turning a royal shade of purple, and yet the most beautiful sight was that of town below. The tall demon was in awe at the bright lights peaking out from the city, escaping the crevices created from the many buildings.


    ¡°How are we going to steal stuff if people see us coming a mile away?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry your pretty little head. I¡¯ve pulled off this operation many times prior and not even Dustin screwed it up.¡±


    Just outside the city limits, the pair could spot two guards hoisting spears, a yellow light glowing from behind them.


    ¡°You know what to do about the guards. As for me¡± Greed summoned a cane constructed from various metals, from gold to bronze to iron, with a diamond at the tip, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of those lights.¡±


    From the place they were crouched, it was difficult for Envy to make out any of either guard¡¯s features. Still, she attempted to employ her signature vice onto the men. Nothing was happening, even when she squeezed her eyes shut and taxed her brain. Just when all seemed lost, one of the men began to speak, the two sins able to faintly hear him from across the way.


    ¡°You know, I wish I could have a spear as great as yours.¡±


    ¡°Dude, we have the same spears.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I want yours.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll toss you mine and you give me yours.¡±


    The aggravated guard tossed his spear to his ally, the latter catching it with relative ease. The jealous guard proceeded to toss his over as well, however the bottom end hit the derp and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Woops, clumsy me.¡±


    The man picked up the spear and tried again, but it only went a foot ahead. Picking it back up, he repositioned it for a better throw, but rethought that idea when he realized it might hit the man instead. For the next few seconds, he had flipped the spear in over a dozen different positions before finally just handing the spear off.


    Envy glanced at her partner nervously, the latter shaking his head understandingly.


    ¡°It happens. Here, let me-¡°


    ¡°You know what? I want my spear back.¡±


    ¡°Too bad, it¡¯s mine now!¡±


    The guards were now within arms reach of one another, soon breaking out into a brawl, leaving both of their spears and the town unprotected.


    Greed raised his cane and the lights had blinked out instantly. The guards were too busy beating up one another to take notice of the demons swooping into the city.


    ¡°My cane can turn objects into different objects, like turning these lights into gold. However, it¡¯s only temporary.¡±


    ¡°So we better start stealing now. How are we going to do this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where my next trick comes in.¡±


    Cupping his hands together, Greed materialized a light brown satchel. Pointing his cane at the window of a grocery store, the glass melted into water. Stepping inside, he held open his bag, which began to pull in nearby cans.


    ¡°You see this? This is how it¡¯s done. This bag never gets full, but it does get empty.¡±


    Envy had watched, enthralled as the bag began consuming all manner of meats without ever growing in size.


    ¡°Keep an eye out Lucy, we don¡¯t want to get surrounded.¡±


    Snapping herself away from the store cleaning, Envy had glanced down the town¡¯s aisles. It had seemed as if no one could sneak up on them without being noticed from a mile away. Turning her attention back to the store, she was shocked to see it half empty.


    Turning back to check the town, she saw a woman running toward their direction, a sword in each of her hands.


    ¡°Hey Westin, I think we have company.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Greed now stood in front of her, no longer holding the bag.


    ¡°Looks like a guard. When we get to the mountains, split up and hide. Don¡¯t let her find the tower!¡±


    ¡°You two -whatever you are- stop right there!¡±


    Both sins ran off, Greed speeding ahead while anxiety began to worm its way into Envy. Looking back, she couldn¡¯t tell if the woman was gaining on her or was already close. When she faced forward again, she could see the entrance was only seconds away.


    When see believed she was free, the world around her suddenly grew taller and her right leg wouldn¡¯t move. It had taken her a second to realize that her leg had fallen into a hole, one made of a black haze. Quickly pulling herself up, she resumed running.


    As she entered the field, she made a sharp left, only to see her pursuer still hot on her trail. It had only occurred to her now that she was running for far longer than she ever had been in her life; the thought had sent a rush of adrenaline that propelled her forward, allowing her to scale the cliff with ease.


    As she made her way into the forest, she turned back, but no one was behind her now. At least, she believed she was alone until the sound of dirt being kicked up alerted her otherwise. Backed up against a tree, she cowered while awaiting the woman¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°Lucy are you okay?!¡±


    When Pride had peaked around one of the trees, she was surprised when it was bereft of one Lucy. Listening to her gut, she peered upward to see the girl was clinging to the branches, holding on for dear life.


    ¡°Hailey?¡±


    ¡°Westin told me what happened. Good to see you¡¯re a master of hide and seek.¡±


    Making her way down, Lucy returned to her human form.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. But I will tell them¡­¡± Hailey had also returned to her human form, a grin forming across her ears.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You passed the initiation! You¡¯re one of us now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m real happy for you, but how does that help me?¡±


    Lucy had relayed everything to Elizabeth, including the unfortunate news about not being able to make a bed.


    ¡°Hey, now that I know how to use my powers, I can get you out soon.¡±


    ¡°How soon?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow maybe.¡±


    ¡°Maybe? You better get me out tomorrow for sure.¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth, are you still mad at me?¡±


    ¡°Luke, what would ever give you that idea?¡±


    Lucy laughed nervously as she watched her friend push her face against the cell bars and squeeze them with all her might.


    ¡°It¡¯s, lu-¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! Listen Luke, I¡¯ll get out of here tomorrow one way or another.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, tomorrow it is. Goodnight Elizabeth.¡±


    The sin left her friend to stew, feeling a mixture of guilt and frustration as she made her way to the bedroom.

 Volume 2, Chapter 4: Cutting trees

    ¡®Julia?¡¯


    The brunette woke in a field, under a cloudless blue sky. To make matters better, her friend was standing right next to her, with nothing else in sight.


    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ The girl turned around, confused and annoyed.


    ¡®I¡¯m Lucy-er, Luke! But my name is-¡®


    ¡®Prove it!¡¯


    A soft gust of wind brushed by the nervour girl as she struggled to recall an accessory. Looking at her right arm, she noticed it was bare. Checking her left arm resulted in much the same.


    ¡®Well? Where is it?¡¯


    ¡®I-I forgot it!¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re a lousy friend!¡¯ the girl scoffed, walking away before disappearing into thin air.


    Lucy woke with a start, her heart and mind competing in triathlon. Just as her stress began to ease, a stringy boy loomed over head.


    ¡°Bad dream?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Bad dream. Terrible dream.¡±


    ¡°Were you being attacked? Chased? Yelled at?¡±


    ¡°I¡­my friend was questioning me about something I forgot.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too horrible. I woulda just said I forgot and stopped caring.¡±


    ¡°She called me a lousy friend. Maybe she¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Nah, if a friendship ends over stupid shit, it¡¯s not really a friendship worth caring about, but that¡¯s just me. Oh yeah, Clyde¡¯s making breakfast; told me to wake you up.¡±


    With his mission done, Dustin shuffled lazily out of the room, leaving the girl to get dressed. On her way to the dining room, Alex was standing opposite of the doors, but this time she stared back at Lucy.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    The strange woman continued staring at her with bright yellow eyes that resembled the sun.


    ¡°You¡¯re Alex, right? You¡¯re not going to breakfast?¡±


    The girl remained silent, instead choosing forward until she was inches away from Lucy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes and no.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°I like to watch from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you get hungry?¡±


    ¡°I can make food for myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t it be better to get to know someone up close?¡±


    Regret was had when Alex pushed herself forward until Lucy unable to see anything but her face. The intimidating woman then snapped her head back, grinning before walking away.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Not willing to pursue the conversation, Lucy listened to her stomach and joined the other five.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the mission today?¡±


    ¡°None, darlin. Some days we just kick back and do whatever. I like find new things to cook.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, these simpletons may waste their time on fruitless endeavors, but yours truly is swamped with boundless imagination upon which to craft the most luxurious of clothing. The life of a princess is hard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad about yesterday, we got more than enough food for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± the girl recalled why she was upset about the swift end to last night¡¯s burglary, ¡°did you get the stuff to make a bed?¡±


    ¡°No. But, we have a spare mattress for whatever reason, the fabric to make sheets-¡±


    ¡°Damn you!¡± Hayley interjected.


    ¡°but, we don¡¯t have any spare wood.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Xandir exclaimed, ¡°this is not even a problem for yours truly. Lucy, you and I shall go hunting for the finest trees this land has to offer and then I shall craft the bed by hand!¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you were looking forward to this.¡±


    ¡°Hush your face Westin!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Saying what? If you have something to say, speak up!¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Hayley had quickly retreated out of the room, Lucy and Clyde taking to the kitchen so that the latter could prepare extra food.


    ¡°Do they always get like this?¡±


    ¡°Xandir is eccentric to say the least. He¡¯s caused fights between himself, Hayley, Westin, and even myself. Hayley and I know better than to respond, but Westin likes to rile him up. Don¡¯t worry about that though, worry about how you¡¯re going to get that bed to the princess.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, either you¡¯ll have to put it together up there, or you¡¯ll have to carry the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t Xandir help?¡±


    ¡°Jade forbade us from going above the third floor. Not sure why, but we don¡¯t disobey Jade.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not here though. Surely he won¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I agree, but good luck convincing the others of that.¡±


    As Lucy contemplated how she was to deliver the bed to the princess, a plate of food was slapped in her hands. Coming to her senses, she hurried to the fourth floor, to which a hungry princess was twiddling her thumbs.


    ¡°After I eat, let¡¯s leave.¡±


    ¡°No, the others are walking around.¡±


    ¡°Fine, when you go to eat again, bring me food first, and then we can leave while the others are busy eating.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I was making you a bed today.¡±


    ¡°Good! They won¡¯t suspect a thing.¡±


    Lucy sighed to herself, leaving the princess to finish her food while she hunted for Xandir. While on the hunt, a disgruntled Westin pointed to the outside.


    The man she found was a stranger, as without his signature silver armor he appeared normal. Without any explanation, the man took off toward the forest, Lucy following behind.


    The girl¡¯s eyes wandered as she wondered when the onslaught of similar trees would end and pondered why they couldn''t use simply cut down the myriad of white pillars. The forest had droned onward hypnotically, ensnaring the girl in a dreamy state; before she could fully pass out, the girl ran into a brick wall.


    ¡°I see even you are not immune to the dreamy forest.¡±


    ¡°The what?¡± Lucy rubbed her eyes, slowly realizing the brick wall was just Xandir¡¯s back.


    ¡°This forest has a surreal effect on people, putting them to sleep as they wander these woods. Every other sin I have taken to this way has fallen to their trap. Even my eyes grow heavy.¡±


    The man pointed toward a ledge, a bridge reaching from the end to another ledge in the distance.


    ¡°Across the way is our destination. Fear not, the forest there is not devious.¡±


    Crossing the bridge, Lucy¡¯s grogginess gave way to tension as she couldn¡¯t stop herself from peering into the pit far below. While the planks were sturdy, not creeking or swaying an inch, paranoia firmly lodged itself into her brain. Relief had washed away the adrenaline once the two reached the other side.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering why I brought you out here.¡±


    ¡°To cut down trees?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but also no. Now that you¡¯re one of us, that means we¡¯re family. From my experience, family know about one another. I shall start: I am Xandir Valdur, I¡¯m fifteen and from an island north of Umbro.¡±


    ¡°Fifteen?! You look a lot older.¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well. I¡¯m Lucy Baronia, twelve, and I come from Lumina. The city, not just the country.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re the second youngest member.¡±


    ¡°Second? Who¡¯s-¡°


    ¡°Hayley, a year younger. Everyone else is fourteen. Besides Jade and Monty, that makes me the oldest.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I was going to ask: when you make the bed, do you think you could help take it up to floor four?¡±


    ¡°I cannot. Jade has expressly told us the floors above are off limits.¡±


    ¡°But Jade isn¡¯t around.¡±


    ¡°Still, we are family. All of us, including Jade. If it weren¡¯t for him, we wouldn¡¯t be here. I cannot simply betray his trust.¡±


    ¡°When was the last time you saw him.¡±


    ¡°A long time ago. Truth be told, it may have been over a month since he last appeared before us. Monty even longer. But enough of that, let us do our job!¡±


    Transforming into wrath, Xandir began inspecting trees. As Wrath was preoccupied, an idea formed in Lucy¡¯s head.


    ¡°Come Lucy, this tree looks- what?!¡±


    Wrath was taken aback when he saw himself standing nearby.


    ¡°I figured if I could copy my brother¡¯s appearance, maybe I could copy yours too.¡±


    ¡°Brilliant! This should make chopping down this tree a breeze.¡±


    Summoning his sword, Wrath took a swing at the mighty oak, leaving a sizeable cut in the bark. Following suit, the copy Wrath had left a notably smaller chunk in the other end.


    ¡°Seems that form isn¡¯t perfect. Regardless, cut where I have cut. We shall take turns.¡±


    One by one, chop by chop, the tree loosened its lease on life as the lumberjacks systematically worked.


    ¡°Tell me, what made you become a sin?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t use mana.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t? I know most of us sins were weak before Jade found us, be we all were capable of using mana. I believe not being able to use any would result in death.¡±


    ¡°Not for me. I just couldn¡¯t. People would fight me, but I couldn¡¯t fight back. Dad wanted me to be strong, mom, didn¡¯t want me around period. My brother is away, he¡¯ll probably kill me when he finds out what happened.¡±


    ¡°Do not fear, as long as we¡¯re together, that may shan¡¯t lay a finger on you.¡±


    ¡°Not literally. He just, will be disappointed.¡±


    As Lucy took the last swing, the tree collapsed under its remaining weight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the tree, or your brother. We¡¯re your family now, we stick together no matter what, and we won¡¯t judge you for what you did before you became one of us.¡±


    The girl had returned to her original appearance, watching as Wrath stripped the tree.


    ¡°If you brother comes to harm you, physically or emotionally, we¡¯ll kick his ass!¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡± Lucy smiled, watching the devil lift the tree over his shoulder.


    ¡°Are you ready Luke?¡±


    ¡°No. Maybe tomorrow, but¡­¡±


    Unlocking the jail door, Lucy entered the cell and walked over to the princess. As Elizabeth stood up, she smirked before disappearing from the brunette¡¯s view. When Lucy turned around, the door slamed shut and locked.


    ¡°I was wondering why you didn¡¯t just teleport out.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Luke, but I¡¯m getting out of here!¡±


    Lucy watched helplessly as the princess ran down the stairs. Just before she yelled to the others, a thought occured to her. Taking the appearance of the princess, she teleported through the bars, following the princess down.


    Gunning down the stairs, Elizabeth didn¡¯t stop until she reached the ground floor. Seeing her pursuer hot on her trails, she had yanked on the doors, only to be denied. In a rush, she teleported through and began running. Taking one last look behind her, she stopped cold and turned around.


    ¡°L-Luke? How did you-?¡±


    The princess was awestruck to see her captor was now right in front of her. Lucy had approached, unsure of what to say or do until a fist had met her cheek. The pink hair girl had smiled briefly when landing the blow, but that pride dissipated when her target hadn¡¯t fallen to the ground like she expected.


    The princess''s hand had slid off the cheek, Lucy expression growing from anger to rage. When the princess recoiled the girl turned to her, stepped forward, and decked her across the face, knocking Elizabeth to the dirt.


    The princess clutched her sore cheek until she noticed what loomed overhead: a demon that stretched its limbs and body across her entire field of vision, blanketing the sky in midnight and charcoal black, except for two yellows eyes piercing her soul and freezing her blood.


    ¡°Luke?¡± the girl whimpered on the ground.


    ¡°My name is Lucy. Now get up!¡±


    Standing up straight, Envy watched the princess struggle to her feet before walking back to the tower. Returning to the jail cell, Lucy glared at Elizabeth as she tucked herself into the wall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about running again." Venom dripped from her tongue.


    ¡°Yes, Lucy.¡±

 Volume 2, Chapter 5: Unshackled

    ¡°You and that princess must really be close for you to let your food get cold. I couldn¡¯t imagine doing that myself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we were talking for a while.¡±


    The feelings of hostility from earlier had boiled away, leaving only guilt and resentment in their wake. Lucy had prodded at her food, taking the occasional bite; to her surprise, the food was still warm.


    "This food isn''t cold."


    "May have been exagerating a tiny bit. Just a tiny bit." Clyde''s face scrunched up, eyes darting back and forth.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Xandir forced a dry cough, ¡°as much as it displeases me to announce, your bed is taking longer than expected to craft. It will be done on the morrow!¡±


    ¡°If I could craft a bed, it would be done in mere hours.¡±


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t, so you have no room to judge.¡±


    The tallest and shortest members had kicked up dirt, leaving the remaining sins to flee. This time, Dustin had signaled Lucy outside.


    ¡°You look sad. Wanna talk about it?¡±


    ¡°I messed up.¡±


    ¡°We all messed up, what makes you any different?¡±


    ¡°The princess almost escaped, but I stopped her and sent her back to the fourth floor.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s good. Why do we even have her up there?¡±


    ¡°Jade had me help kidnap her. I still don¡¯t know why he wanted her though; since Xandir said he¡¯s like family, I figured I couldn¡¯t let Jade down and have her escape.¡±


    ¡°Between a rock and a hard place it seems. If I were you, I would have let her leave. Haven¡¯t seen Jade in months, probably won¡¯t see him in several more. I can¡¯t even remember if I saw him after I got here.¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to hurt her, I didn¡¯t want things to come to this.¡±


    ¡°Well you did it and it¡¯s done. Don¡¯t worry about it, just wait for her to calm down and say you¡¯re sorry.¡±


    ¡°And if that doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    The man simply shrugged.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Lucy repeatedly tapped a finger on her crossed legs as she stared at the sky. For over an hour, the two had simply sat on top of the mountain overlooking much of Lumina, drinking in the rich environment sprawled out before them.


    ¡°Is this what you do all day?¡±


    ¡°Not everyday. Whenever I do come out here, I stare at certain places and imagine what goes on there. Or there. Or there.¡±


    Dustin hadn¡¯t been pointing anywhere, there wasn¡¯t even an attempt to budge his boney fingers, but she didn¡¯t need a guide.


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    ¡°Are you, nervous?¡± Dustin was memorized by the rhythmic tapping, the musician seemingly zoned out, preoccupied by the view.


    ¡°How is this supposed to help?¡±


    ¡°Clear your mind. Forget about what happened and think about what you¡¯re going to do next.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I keep thinking about how I messed up. I just wanted to be stronger without hurting her.¡±


    ¡°Well if you can¡¯t clear your conscious, clear your guilt.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Should I just let her go then?¡±


    ¡°I mean I couldn¡¯t be bothered, but I am me and you are you. Don¡¯t worry about Jade, worry about yourself. That¡¯s what I do and I¡¯m pretty content.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if she¡¯s willing to talk-¡°


    ¡°Do it anyways. If all she wants is to be free, I doubt any anger or hate will make her stay.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Dustin.¡±


    ¡°If you need anything else, just ask someone. If Xandir was right about anything, it¡¯s that we¡¯re family.¡±


    Before heading back to the tower, Lucy turned her head to get one last glance at the sunset, her gaze homing in on where she assumed Lumina was.


    ¡°Yeah, family.¡±


    Walking by the first floor, the girl realized how dark and dismal the tower was as the sun had began to set. There were no internal lights as far as she could see, which wasn¡¯t surprising given the darkness of the dining room. The door to the tailor room was open, Hailey hard at work while Westin organized the fabrics strewn about.


    As she ascended, she stopped at the second floor, catching a glimpse of a scuffle between Xandir and Clyde. Despite his size, the cowboy had moved with grace, wielding a spatula to fend off his opponent''s sword. The girl pulled her head back and chided herself for dawdling.


    ¡°Lucy?¡±


    Lucy stopped on her way to the jail to approach the observer leaning against the wall opposite of the dining room. Analyzing her senior for the first time, she was surprised by the beauty of the flowing black hair, yet calmed by the girl¡¯s lackadaisical posture.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why are you back here?¡±


    ¡°I was going to set my friend free.¡±


    ¡°Does this friend care about you?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. She used to, I think.¡±


    ¡°You sound hesitant. Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, she used to play pranks on me. Scare me, throw dirt at me.¡±


    ¡°You say she was a princess? Did she have any other friends?¡±


    ¡°No, just me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she was never your friend by choice. Maybe if she had the opportunity, she would have befriended everyone except you.¡±


    Silence pervaded the room, thoughts had bombarded the younger girl despite her best efforts to suppress them.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll just leave you to¡­¡± Alex¡¯s voice trailed off before she followed.


    It hadn¡¯t occurred to her prior, but now Lucy cursed the strange design philosophy behind having two spiral staircases separated by a long hall on the third floor.


    Elizabeth peered up from her bed to see her former friend was approaching the cell. Instead of giving the girl hope to reconcile, the princess simply stared at the ground once more, attempting to find entertainment in tracing the creases in the floor. When she heard the door creak, she couldn¡¯t help but turn her head back up in anticipation of food. There was no food, instead her capturer had been leaving the room while the door was ajar.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re free to go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me!¡±


    She caught herself too late, now fearing what the violent kidnapper might retaliate with. However, Lucy kept walking, unperturbed by her words. It had seemed too good to be truth, too soon to be possible.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    The brunette spun around, confused and curious what the monarch wanted.


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously just letting me go? After everything that happened?¡±


    ¡°I only needed to take you here so Jade would give me these powers. I was worried about what the others would say or do if you got out, but they don¡¯t care. Just go.¡±


    ¡°Will you take me home?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go alone, there are probably monsters running all around.¡±


    ¡°Find someone who can fend off the monsters. I can¡¯t take you home, those people will kill me if they saw me.¡±


    ¡°Please, I have to go home, my mom probably misses me and there¡¯s nothing for me to do here.¡±


    ¡°About that.¡±


    Lucy escorted the girl to the floor above, recalling the night she arrived and the morning after being surrounded by a luxurious garden. Despite being unattended, the flora had retained the same lush colors as the she remembered.


    Vivid green danced alongside a metal fence that guarded the edge of the roof, a rainbow of colors dotting the walls of green, and water protected a small square of the roof with four bridges connecting it to the mainland.


    ¡°This is beautiful, but I should still go home. I might come back someday.¡±


    ¡°Do as you wish.¡±


    ¡°Lu¡­Lucy, before I go, I have to know something: why did you become a girl?¡±


    ¡°Well, the night I got here, some guy who came with Jade suggested it and I went with it. I was really sleepy at the time and I thought I could just wish myself back.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she summoned the spear, pointing to the bush below the head, ¡°I think this thing originally had flowers on it. Without them, I don¡¯t think it can grant a wish.¡±


    ¡°Well, give it to me and I can make it bloom again. It might take a while, but I promise I''ll give it back and you can wish yourself to normal.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Elizabeth was confused and a touch worried.


    ¡°I, I like this.¡±


    ¡°You like what?!¡±


    ¡°I like being¡± her cheeks flared up, her heart began to pace, and her head felt as if it were a thunderstorm, ¡°a girl.¡±


    Elizabeth marched passed her former friend before stopping, her fists clenched and her anger boiling.


    ¡°You know Luke, I used to think I knew you. I used to think we were friends; I thought we could even be married one day! But you know what? I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t, because I didn¡¯t know what a freak you were!¡±


    As the princess stomped off in a huff, Lucy was left to wallow in pity. She felt guilt and frustration overtake her. Shame had drowned her heart, embarrassment and disappointment had devoured her, and an intense wall of anxiety buried her.


    Just as she was beginning to lose herself to a flurry of self-hate, Lucy was harshly awoken to a sudden sinking feeling, realizing too late she was being swallowed by a dark pit under her. Despite her shock, the girl couldn¡¯t muster the strength to escape or even scream for help.

 Volume 2, Chapter 6: World of Nightmares

    Lucy was consumed by the void, unable to process what was occurring until she had fallen onto her face. Pushing herself up, the world that met her sight was monochrome. A pitch black covered the floor she sat on while a myriad of gray shades painted the sky, a blinding white hole piercing the girl¡¯s eyes when she caught a glimpse of it.


    ¡°Elizabeth? Anyone?¡±


    Fear escalated as cry carried throughout the hollow land. Trying to keep her cool, she inspected the area, realizing it mirrored the top of the tower. As she expected, stairs led to lower levels, but there was no sign of life.


    Checking the dining room, kitchen, and bedroom, no friends were found. The second floor was empty, the first floor likewise. As she opened the doors to the world outside, there was no one waiting for her.


    The fear that had built up was now overflowing, unable and unwilling to be concealed. In her state of panic, various anxious thoughts rained down while her voiced narrated them all simultaneously. Her mind blocked out the portal forming underneath her, but this time, instead of falling over onto the ground again, she was now plummeting toward a patch of land. Her thoughts pushed aside, all Lucy could do was brace herself as crashed into the cold, hard ground.


    Thunder rumbled throughout the sky, yet not an iota of lightning to be seen. The sky was a tyrant, an unending bleak canvas, no clouds in sight. The earth below was flat and barren, the terrain mirroring the world above. The thunder was mere ambience compared to the cacophony of crackles that echoed through the hopeless plains, horrible cries from miserable creatures.


    Waking from another bout of unconsciousness, the girl sat up to inspect her new surroundings. It took a second for Envy to realize she was in her sin form. Despite her best efforts, she could not return to her human form, but that thought was put on hold when a blast of noise barreled toward her.


    Inching toward the sin were two bizarre beings of twisted shape. One was a portly grey mass that measured only two feet tall, yet on its shoulders sat an instrument twice the size of its body. Accompanying the walking didgeridoo was a stout beast of about four feet, slowly shambling along.


    At first the demon tilted her head at the perplexing creatures in front of her; however, she recoiled in pain after the didgeridoo bellowed. When she turned her head back to the two beasts, the shambler had reached out with its arms, slashing at her with long, rusty nails. Envy had jumped back to avoid it, yet despite distancing herself well beyond its reach, the arms kept stretching forward.


    Thinking fast, the girl summoned her spear and stabbed at one of the arms, causing both to retract. As she witnessed the instrument winding up for another attack, she lobbed the spear, penetrating its head and causing it to fall over. Resummoning her spear, she finished off its companion in the same manner.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Inspecting her attackers, she assumed the black beads on their heads were the eyes, but little else could be gauged about their anatomy. Even if she wanted to take them apart, Envy was alerted of her eminent danger as more monsters shouted in the distance. Without thinking, the sin picked a direction and began running.


    Didgeridoos, shamblers, and new predators were strewn about the area, none seemed interested in her, but she wasn¡¯t willing to take the chance. As she ran, Envy spotted a collection of buildings in the distance, picking up pace as the possibility of safety arose. Nothing else had stopped her on the way, until she passed the town¡¯s gate.


    On two spindly legs rested a metallic boulder with long necks stretching toward the girl, faces molded from the necks. Envy could count five heads stretching from the body, all making a plethora of noise ranging from agonized moaning to vile hissing. When the creature stepped forward, the sin instinctually tossed her spear at it, but the weapon bounced off harmlessly.


    The creature groaned with its five heads, each taking a turn to utter a painful, metallic symphony. Even just breathing, the air that had passed through the beast¡¯s lungs was torn asunder. Circling the abomination, Envy sprinted into the town, the beast vanishing despite pursuit at its top speed.


    The dilapidated buildings that dotted the town were husks on the outside, lacking doors or windows. Checking inside revealed grimy floors, wooden chairs and tables strewn about, and the occasional collapsed ceiling. One house caught her attention, with paintings decorating the walls; however, the display sitting on the only easel was what drew the sin.


    Seven orbs rested in the hands of seven devils. Using her friends as comparison, Envy could identify which were pride, wrath, and greed, the symbols in their orbs a mirror, fist, and coin respectively.


    On the far left was a hulking figure, a turtle shell on its back with two giant stubs for arms, their size akin to her entire torso. Between Pride and Greed was a balloon like devil, its stomach wider than both the aforementioned sins. Between Wrath and Envy was a slender, dainty devil, having the wings of a bat but lacking horns like most of the sins. The sins that she could identify were notably different, such as Pride lacking the cloak that covered most of her body.


    Exiting the building, Envy¡¯s attention was stolen by an avian creature on the roof opposite, screeching violently. The head of the beast was that of a bellflower, except inside the petals were a myriad of teeth. The talons were replaced by pliers with which the best crushed the rock between its ¡°toes¡±. Flapping its wings rapidly, it dived for Envy, the sin narrowly weaving out of the way.


    As she faced her attacker, the offender had been preparing for another dive. It would not get such a chance, however, as the multi-headed boulder from earlier had gripped one of the talons with its mouth, dragging the unsuspecting victim to the ground before crushing the bird under its mountainous girth. Its new target eliminated, it turned toward Envy.


    ¡°Just leave me alone! I want to go home!¡±


    The girl was shrouded in a bright light, her vision losing focus, her body growing numb, and her mind shutting down.

 Volume 2, Chapter 7: Search and Rescue

    ¡°Well howdy, you must be the princess Lucy was talking about!¡±


    ¡°Princess?! Is she really?¡±


    Elizabeth was shocked to see the two sins in front of her, a large boy in girth and height and a tiny girl exuberantly scanning her.


    ¡°I am the princess of Lumina, Elizabeth Tern. Who are you two?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s Clyde Redstone. This puppy dog here is-¡°


    ¡°Hayley Martina! It¡¯s so nice to meet another Princess!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a princess too?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Well¡­¡± the joy in Hayley¡¯s voice quickly vanished, ¡°no, but I¡¯m going to be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how that works. You have to marry someone who is already a prince or king.¡±


    ¡°I am well aware; knowledge of this vexing predicament is why I have partaken in extreme practice of my beauty and knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Why are you talking like that?¡±


    ¡°A monarch exudes dignity, to do so her diction must match.¡±


    ¡°First, I don¡¯t talk like that. Second, I¡¯m the only princess in Lumina, there are no princes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean¡­¡± Hayley struggled to find her words, batting back in forth between ¡®Well¡¯, ¡®I mean, and the ever popular ¡®uh¡¯.


    ¡°This is a riveting conversation and all,¡± Clyde interjected, ¡°but I was wondering if you¡¯ve seen Lucy?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s up on the roof.¡±


    ¡°Could you get her down?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you go up there?¡±


    ¡°Jade told us never to go up top. I know he ain¡¯t here, but just the thought of him finding out gives me the heebie-jeebies.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    Elizabeth stormed back to the roof, contemplating giving Lucy another punch even if she would get one in kind. Her anger began to wither when she couldn¡¯t immediately spot the girl. There was no place to hide, only small shrubs on raised rectangles of concrete that didn¡¯t hinder her sight one bit.


    Hurriedly pacing the garden when she recalled the setting sun, Elizabeth attempted to look over every nook and cranny for the absent sin. Calling out her name proved futile, searching for her was a bust, thus the princess returned to the sins, Clyde arguing with a flustered Hayley over something the princess couldn¡¯t make out.


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We were arguing on the roof just a few minutes ago. Maybe she just ran away.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I can find her.¡±


    Elizabeth stared wide-eyed as the princess-wannabe transformed into the sin of pride. At first she expected it to be just like Lucy¡¯s form, but while this devil¡¯s features were equally obscured, it was shorter than the original human and it boasted four sclera which were glowing white with no pupils or iris present. This was not true of the fifth eye that opened in the middle of the forehead, a purple sclera surrounded a yellow iris.


    ¡°What are you- just, what is this?!¡±


    ¡°Shh, I¡¯m trying to find Lucy.¡±


    Both Clyde and the princess watched as Pride closed all but her fifth eye, the pupil methodically scanning the surrounding. In dead silence, they waited for a response, until finally the sin relented.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find her. That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°My mind¡¯s eye can see anyone and anything. It can see you from miles away, it can see into the future, it even lets me see things I never asked to see or know. Somehow, I can¡¯t find Lucy.¡±


    ¡°She has to be somewhere. Elizabeth,¡± Clyde turned to the princess, ¡°you do whatever it is that suits your fancy. The rest of us are going on a search and rescue.¡±


    The cowboy had hustled to the floors below while the remaining sin glared at her idol.


    ¡°What happened on the roof?¡±


    ¡°We talked.¡±


    ¡°And? I know there¡¯s more to it than that.¡±


    ¡°Did you learn that from your five eyes?¡± Elizabeth teased, but Hayley had not reacted.


    ¡°People don¡¯t just run away.¡±


    Hayley had turned around and followed in Clyde¡¯s footsteps, the remaining girl joining her. On the bottom floor, the two had met with the remaining sins. None of them had taken notice of the princess as she obscured herself behind the staircase pillar. Curious of the conversation, she poked her head out as to not alert the others of her presence.


    ¡°What act of madness is this?! Lucy is gone and our best tracker can¡¯t spot her. This is truly a conundrum.¡±


    ¡°She just disappeared without a trace? Must be a practitioner of space.¡±


    ¡°I really hope she¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Same Alex. I¡¯m not sleeping a wink tonight if she¡¯s out there alone.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    The chattering among the sins came to an abrupt end as Elizabeth stepped out in front of them.


    ¡°Why do any of you care? She¡¯s only been here two days. You barely know her, who cares if she runs away?¡±


    ¡°Maybe where ya¡¯ll are from, two days isn¡¯t nothing, but when you¡¯re a sin, you¡¯re family here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and we treat her like family back. Unlike you who made her run away.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make her run!...did I?¡± Elizabeth whispered the last part under her breath.


    She wanted to defend her claim, but all that came to mind was a rocky history with the friend she supposedly cherished. The princess could feel the glares of the other sins as her thoughts began to twist and mangle.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Westin stepped forward, ¡°we can distribute the blame later. Right now, we need to make a plan.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Clyde stepped forward this time, ¡°We¡¯ll split up in pairs. It¡¯s getting dark, so be careful of the monsters. I¡¯ll go with Xandir to the east, that¡¯s where most of those beasts will crawling around.¡±


    ¡°Since I can fly, I¡¯ll check the mountains to the south.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Alex stood beside Westin, ¡°I¡¯ll take the southeast.¡±


    ¡°That leaves me and Dustin to check the forest.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± The princess regretted asking that question, as now attention was back on her.


    ¡°I doubt you can see out there in the dark, you would be a liability. Just keep checking the garden area while the real princess searches for her friend.¡±


    With their plan in order, the sins left Elizabeth alone to ponder her next course of action. She knew it was too late to leave, the darkness draping over the area. She could attempt to find her way out, but would almost certainly end up running blind until some monster killed her.


    With no feasible way of returning home before morning, the girl resigned herself to the top of the tower, keeping watch in case Lucy magically reappeared.


    ¡°Damnit, why did you have to go and run off? Why would you care about what I think? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re friends anymore.¡±


    ¡°Lucy!¡± Pride shouted down the aisle of trees.


    The devil squeezed her wand, frustration building as she passed identical, non-descript tree after identical, non-descript tree after identical, non-descript tree after identical, non-descript tree after-


    ¡°Have you found anything yet Sloth?¡± Pride quivered.


    Despite her bravado to rush out and find the missing sin, Pride was reluctant to stay in the woods. There was no breeze, no cacophony of insect chirps, not even the white poles surrounding her would breathe or budge. Nothing but deafening silence filled the wide empty halls.


    Pride¡¯s heart stopped when the quietest shuffling of dirt had burrow itself into her ears. Opening her mind¡¯s eye immediately, she hopped to her left, a claw extending from the sky, slicing the right sleeve of her cloak.


    Crashing onto the earth was a wolf-like creature; propping itself on its hindlegs, its head was lost behind the leaves while standing straight-up. Bending its knees slightly and adjusting its claws for an onslaught, the beast lunged at the tiny girl, only to crash head first into a wall.


    ¡°Nice job idiot, but you aren¡¯t getting past my mirror walls¡± Pride mocked the creature as it laid still on the soil, shattered glass blanketing its back.


    Turning away from the fallen beast, the devil resumed her search.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t give up, do you?¡±


    Another wall of glass was summoned, forcing the attacker to a halt. With one mighty slash, the fragile wall crumbled.


    ¡°As a princess, I have better things to do than put down bad dogs, but I guess you forced my hand.¡±


    Three mirrors had appeared around the beast, catching its attention. Holding her wand up, Pride unleashed a beam of a light toward the werewolf¡¯s dome.


    Despite the distraction, the beast merely tilted its head without urgency, avoiding the beam. The projectile had bounced off the surrounding mirrors, growing in circumference with each bounce until a much larger laser was again directed at the wolf.


    Ducking, the werewolf had again easily dodged the attack.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    Snarling, the beast approached, bearing fang and claw. Pride could see death in his dilated, red pupils as drool poured down its jaw while growling menacingly.


    Before it could take its final leap, it felt a tug at its arm. Rending its claw at whatever dared to stop it, the wolf was quickly filled with regret.


    ¡°Sloth!¡±


    Standing behind the beast was an oval shaped devil, most of its body encapsulated by a tortoise shell. Pocking out from the bottom were gargantuan stubby legs and arms the size of tree trunks.


    The nails of the beast had bent backwards after striking Sloth¡¯s arm. The enemy had staggered briefly before clamping onto the sin¡¯s head with the mightiest bite it could muster; this too proved to be regretful, as its teeth began to loosen and fall from their gums.


    Dazed, the werewolf had begun to retreat, but now it was Sloth¡¯s turn: putting his hand inside the beast¡¯s mouth, he began to open the jaw wider as it whimpered and desperately slashed and kicked. With one final violent, ripping motion, the wolf¡¯s mouth was torn wide open, its body going limp as it was tossed to the ground.


    ¡°Brutal.¡±


    ¡°If Lucy is out there, we can¡¯t take any chance she¡¯ll run into this thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well¡­I could have done it. I had it lined up and everything!¡±


    ¡°We oughta head back. At least she has one less monster looking to eat her if she¡¯s still running around.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I could do this all night, but a princess needs her beauty sleep.¡±


    Hoping onto Sloth¡¯s back, Pride turn her head toward the forest one last time before nodding off.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°We were supposed to be friends forever, get married, live as a king and queen. You didn¡¯t have to be able to use mana when you could have been a king! But no, you threw that all away to be¡± the princess stopped, pondering the right word, ¡°normal. Normal¡­¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re in a fine mess.¡±


    ¡°A fine howdy-do indeed! But isn¡¯t that what ya¡¯ll want? I thought this little scenario turned you into a little boy in a room full of candy.¡±


    In a steep pit, Wrath and Gluttony were back-to-back, surrounded in all directions by plants that walked on roots, bore razor sharp teeth, and latched on to anything and everything with their many roots. These voracious, carnivorous beings were dubbed octoplants for their intelligence in problem solving and use of roots as various limbs.


    Wrath and his partner, a berry shaped devil adorning a white chef¡¯s hat and gigantic spatula, were not phased but their predicament.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m eager, but I have to remember to save you some. I¡¯ll take the five on my side, you can take the remaining three.¡±


    ¡°Enough jabbering, let¡¯s kick some ass!¡±


    Wrath had rushed to his left, vines grabbing hold of his arms and body in order to stop his assault. With one swing of his sword, the vines all came loose, the next swing lobbing off the head of one of the plants. The roots of the decapitated mosnter had sauntered back and forth before a new head formed.


    ¡°Remember, take out the root!¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to get to the root of the problem!¡±


    ¡°One more outta you and no breakfast tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Westin would have loved that one.¡±


    Before he realized it, one of the plants bit off the fingers Wrath used to grip his sword.


    ¡°You were lucky, I was in a good mood,¡± stretching out the nubs on his hand, new fingers had emerged from the nubs, ¡°but you went and ruined threw it all away!¡±


    Charging up energy in his sword, the sin unleashed a glowing red wave the split his target into pieces. In the next few moments, he followed up by destroying the other four in similar fashion.


    In the opposite direction, a plant had lunged for Gluttony, but it was stopped cold in its tracks. Literally, as plowing the giant spatula into the ground caused the earth under the creature, and the monster itself, to freeze solid. With a mighty slam, the frozen monster was shattered to pieces by the underside of the cooking utensil.


    Grabbing the sin was another of the plants, pulling him forward while it held its jaw wide open. This beast also received the bottom end of his weapon, however it was now boiling hot, causing even the ground to melt. With its vines dry and withered, Gluttony was released.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    The last of horde was fleeing, realizing its folly too late. The chef had opened a hole in his stomach, a suction emanating from the core pulled in the last octoplant. Despite anchoring itself, the beast was uprooted and pulled into the void. Closing up the hole, the sin patted his belly before returning to his partner.


    ¡°She¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°Wherever she is, I hope she¡¯s not hungry, or cold, or lonely, or scared, or-¡°


    ¡°Get a hold of yourself man! She¡¯s a sin, she can handle herself. Let¡¯s just head back before more show up.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you had the right idea all along. Here I am complaining that you aren¡¯t locked up in a castle like me, that you chose to run away instead of remaining trapped; you even took me with you. Am I stupid?! If I¡¯m really free, like you said, I can go places. I can be a normal a person, we can be normal people.¡±


    ¡°Find anything?¡±


    The succubus strained to raise her voice above a whisper. The flapping of her wings would have drowned out her normal speaking voice and she had no other way of communicating with the gargoyle. She was grateful to be in the air, as she believed it was the greatest chance they would have to find their lost member and it excused the frail looking sin from fighting.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Just as luck would have it, company arrived to spite her. A fowlcrow had dove for Lust, just missing as she dodged to the side. The bird in question was all black, a beak sharp and straight like a sword, talons that could tear into metal, not to mention being a gargantuan five foot in height alone, an average for its size.


    ¡°This will be quick: I hold it still, you go for the kill.¡± Lust commanded.


    Greed had inhaled, his body expanding. Forming a diamond at the end of his cane, he flew at his target, slower now due to his trade of stats. The avian had already adjusted itself from its previous strike, and with the sin¡¯s sluggish movement it would easily evade its attack were it not for the sudden impulse to do nothing. Although it knew the imminent danger was drawing ever closer, it could not control force itself to move, taking the violent stab to its chest.


    With its life fading, the fowlcrow plummeted to the mountain range below.


    ¡°That mind control ability of yours is scary, but its handy when situations get hairy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the only thing of mine that¡¯s scary. Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know where that girl went, but we¡¯d better return. No sense wearing ourselves out.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave her out here! She¡¯s cold and alone and terrified.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe one of the other groups found her. Or she returned to the tower. Or she ran to a random town.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right. You better be right.¡±


    As Lust retreated to the tower, defeated, Greed could only follow behind. Far, far behind.


    ¡°At least you have a family here. These guys are probably fighting tooth and nail to find you and they barely know you. Meanwhile, they probably hate me. I¡¯m just like my mom, driving everyone away. You probably ran because you were scared or angry. I scared you back then, I hit you, and I hated it when you were with her. No wonder you used me. I just wish you could hear all this.¡±


    Elizabeth loomed over the garden floor, tears pouring down like rain as she chastised herself. Just as she brought her head up, under the dim lights of the garden was Lucy. Sprinting toward the unconscious girl, she coddled her friend¡¯s body.

 Volume 2, Chapter 8: Breather

    ¡®You can¡¯t escape.¡¯


    Lucy shot up from underneath her bed covers, hyperventilating as her brain scrambled to decipher her surroundings. As the world began to come together, she realized the sun was shining from a near window, the room was empty, and her form was normal.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± A soft voice managed to whisper.


    Whipping her head to the left, she realized her assessment was wrong, as standing there was Alex.


    ¡°Bad dream?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What happened last night?¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same thing. You just vanished for an hour and then suddenly you were back on top of the tower.¡±


    ¡°The last I remember, I was arguing with Elizabeth then I was swallowed by darkness.¡±


    ¡°You might want to share this with the others.¡±


    Nodding, Lucy Jumped out of bed, put on her shoes, and headed for the dining room. Turning her head back before opening the door, she could see Alex heading downstairs.


    ¡°Not coming?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She hadn¡¯t stopped.


    ¡°Why? What about breakfast?


    The girl didn¡¯t answer, continuing her descent.


    ¡°Lucy!¡±


    The girl couldn¡¯t make it halfway into the dining room before a rampaging Xandir grappled her, his merciless hug threatening to snap her in half.


    ¡°Xandir, I¡¯m sure she appreciates it, but could you not break her like a board?¡±


    At Hayley¡¯s request, the teen relinquished his companion, allowing the others to continue where he left off.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we have many questions for Lucy, but let her eat first ya¡¯ll!¡±


    Taking her seat, Lucy could see that everyone was here, including Elizabeth, taking Alex¡¯s seat with a lantern sitting on the table.


    Empty plates were still scattered across the table, all except for the one in front of her, stacked from floor to ceiling with fresh pancakes. Her instinct kicking all other thoughts to the curb, she dug into the skyscraper, its contents all perfectly buttered and coated in sugary syrup. In record breaking time, her plate joined the rest.


    ¡°Where did you go? We searched all over for you, but you just vanished and then suddenly came back.¡±


    ¡°I had an argument with Elizabeth.¡±


    ¡°We know that part. Safe to say, I think it confirms that I am the superior princess without question.¡±


    Elizabeth stuck her tongue out in response.


    ¡°Well, after that, I just fell into this weird gray place. There was nobody there, nothing there. I got scared and then I fell into another place; this one had all sorts of monsters in it.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, what kind what kind what kind what kind what kind?!¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± Lucy hesitated, partially thinking how best to describe the surreal encounters, but mostly taken aback by Xandir¡¯s giddiness, ¡°they were bizarre.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be worse then what we went through last night.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We thought you ran away! We searched high and low for you last night. Clyde and I fought a horde of carnivorous vegetation.¡±


    ¡°Dustin and I beat up a werewolf!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of: Dustin, Hayley didn¡¯t swear, did she?¡±


    ¡°She did say the ¡®S¡¯ word.¡±


    ¡°You rat!¡±


    ¡°Now now Hayley, it¡¯s good to tell the truth. It¡¯s also unbecoming of a princess to swear.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°So you all went looking for me last night?¡±


    ¡°Yes, even me and Alex. We fought a crow most fowl.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, did Xandir encourage you to start again?'' Clyde shook his head so hard his hat nearly flew off. ''Whatever, let¡¯s just get to the part where Elizabeth found her.¡±


    ¡°She did?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, more like you just appeared on top of the tower. I didn¡¯t see you come back, you were just there.¡±


    Getting up from her seat, Elizabeth grabbed her friend by the hand, pulling her out of the room. Just before they disappeared from view, Lucy could see Clyde shaking his fist at a grinning Westin and Xandir holding back a rabid Hayley as Dustin cowered behind his chair.


    ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    Elizabeth had stopped in the middle of the garden, letting the breeze caress her magenta hair and the water babble into her ears.


    ¡°Are you going to yell at me some more about how I¡¯m a freak?¡±


    ¡°No! Look, I¡¯m sorry about what I said last night.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be. Maybe you¡¯re right, maybe I am a freak.¡±


    Lucy¡¯s head shrunk downward as she gazed dejectedly at her body, rubbing her arm all the while.


    ¡°Even if you are a freak, you¡¯re still my friend.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Lucy lifted her head back up, now staring into her friend¡¯s eyes. ¡°I kidnapped you, I punched you. That¡¯s not what friend do.¡±


    ¡°I punched you too and scared you half to death. That¡¯s also not what friends do, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess. I still feel like my mother for what I did.¡±


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯re still forgetting something?¡±


    ¡°I am?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. I didn¡¯t forget that part."


    Lucy was now confused, wondering if she had truly forgotten something or if Elizabeth had lost her mind.


    ¡°We¡¯re not in Lumina. I¡¯m not stuck in that castle, you¡¯re not stuck in the city. We can go anywhere we want now!¡±


    The sin pondered those words, gradually realizing the weight they held.


    ¡°If you would, could you take me somewhere? I don¡¯t mind living here -I like the food and your friend are funny- but I¡¯d love to see the world.¡±


    ¡°Not today.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I haven¡¯t had a second to think since I got here. It¡¯s just been going places, screaming, eating, sleeping, and helping the others. I want to relax for the day.¡±


    ¡°I can wait a day.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I can take you somewhere.¡±


    Upon returning to the third floor, the two could see it was vacant, not even a disgruntled cowboy remained. The second floor was strangely absent of conflict, the first bereft of one seamstress. With a powerful kick, the entrance was now wide open, the poor doors crying as they relented back.


    The sun had toasted the air to perfection, creating a climate akin to wrapping one¡¯s self in freshly warmed blankets on a cold night. The wind only occasionally flew by to offset the temperature, never allowing the heat to layer.


    Following her path mechanically had betrayed the underlying excitement building in Lucy¡¯s mind as her imagination brimmed with possibilities. As the mountain trail grew steep, the girl couldn¡¯t retain her concentration on the rocky path, so she kept watch over her friend. Despite being a princess, Elizabeth kept pace through the incline.


    ¡°This is it¡± Lucy had stretched her arm outward to present the view.


    ¡°It¡¯s incredible.¡±


    Elizabeth was overwhelmed by the vast outstretch of country in her gaze, drinking in everything in, yet never finding the bottom of the well. There was the giant city below, a field to her left, various forests and towns in front of her.


    ¡°Hey you two, what are you doing out here?¡±


    Lucy was perplexed at Dustin¡¯s question.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You''re heading to a town.¡±


    ¡°No way, we came to hang out with you!¡± She half-lied.


    ¡°What?! Really?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Elizabeth pitched in.


    ¡°Well, no one really comes to just sit with me.¡±


    ¡°No one? Why?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re too busy or something. I don¡¯t mind, being alone is nice: you don¡¯t have to listen to anyone but yourself.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice to just hear yourself think.¡±


    ¡°Nah. The problem with listening to yourself is that once you relax for so long, you¡¯ve heard everything you have to say. After that, it gets boring and lonely and you start to feel crazy.¡±


    ¡°I think I wouldn¡¯t mind listening to myself. I feel like my life has been going a mile a minute over the last two days.¡±


    ¡°You have been doing a lot. I think if anyone deserves the rest, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you do, Dustin?¡± The princess inquired.


    ¡°Nothing much. If the others need help, I might get to it, I might not. Usually it¡¯s too much work, but occasionally I patch holes in the tower or fix the toilets and clean stuff. You know, once in a blue moon.¡±


    ¡°You sound rather lazy.¡±


    ¡°How much work do you do as a princess?¡±


    Elizabeth was about to retort but couldn¡¯t come up with a response.


    ¡°Dustin, are all the other sins like me?¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Did they have to do something to prove themselves?¡±


    ¡°Not really. At least, I didn¡¯t have to do anything. The day Jade came to me, he simply asked me to follow him; I did and ended up here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what about your family?¡±


    Dustin angled his head down, letting his messy black hair wash over his eyes.


    ¡°I ran away. I didn¡¯t like them and they didn¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°What if they miss you?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t. My dad would always ask me to work the farm. I would work in that stupid field until I fried and then I would get yelled at cause I didn¡¯t work hard enough. Then mom would ask me to clean things and yell at me afterwards cause it wasn¡¯t good enough. The only thing they miss is having something to yell at.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re all that different, Dustin. My mom would always act weird and my dad was never around. The only one who cared about me was my brother, Matthew.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a dad, he ran away when I was a baby.¡±


    ¡°Wait, a king ran away?¡±


    ¡°I know it sounds odd, but that¡¯s all I¡¯ve heard about him. Mom is so busy being a queen I mostly just live with my babysitter Edward. And Lucy of course.¡±


    ¡°At least you two have each other.¡±


    ¡°You have the other sins and us. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    Dustin turned his head, shaking his messy hair to reveal a wide smile.


    ¡°Thanks. I guess now I have something new to tell myself.¡±


    As the day passed, the trio returned to the tower. As they did so, Xandir and Clyde had returned from the forest.


    ¡°Hey¡­Xandir was it?¡±


    ¡°Your bed has been completed! And yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°What were you guys doing in the forest?¡±


    ¡°Well Lucy, We were off wrangling maple syrup.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just steal some?¡±


    ¡°We figured we¡¯d do it the honorable way!¡±


    ¡°And also Westin was busy.¡±


    ¡°But it was several hours well spent. Behold a days work!¡±


    Xandir had held out a bucket filled an inch deep with maple syrup.


    ¡°I can see I wasn¡¯t the only one doing nothing all day.¡±

 Volume 2, Chapter 9: Day Trip

    ¡°Today¡¯s the day!¡±


    The sins had all been perplexed as the princess suddenly spurred into a giddy squeal. All had been normal up to this point, although Lucy already knew what the girl plotted.


    ¡°Lucy is finally taking me to see the world!¡±


    ¡°Oh? The entire world? Or just around Araponza?¡±


    Elizabeth¡¯s excitement came to a crashing halt.


    ¡°This lil ol¡¯ island is pretty big in of itself, and if you don¡¯t have me or someone else to feed you, you¡¯ll starve well before you see any of it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll start with the town nearby then. I can figure out the rest from there.¡±


    The girl sat back in her seat, slouching down in defeat. The others had finished their breakfast but many stuck around.


    ¡°There is a slight problem with your proposal,¡± Westin grabbed the strawberry trail leading down from the girl¡¯s head, ¡°you¡¯re the only person any of us has ever met with pink hair. I doubt people could mistake you for another pink hair girl who¡¯s not the princess.¡±


    ¡°What should I do then? Change my hair color?¡±


    ¡°I believe our other princess should be capable of that.¡± Xandir eyed Hayley.


    ¡°I am capable of many things, but¡­¡± she deliberated on her confession, ¡°hair is not really my thing. My hair is perfect as is, not some strange mutation, so I¡¯ve never had to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Guess that just leaves Alex¡± Lucy suggested.


    The room went silent, the other sins growing uncertain. Lucy could feel the tension in the air.


    ¡°T-the last time Alex spoke a word to any of us was when you were lost.¡± Dustin regretted speaking, as now all eyes were on him.


    ¡°By that logic, I guess I¡¯ll ask her then.¡±


    Lucy hopped out of her seat, leading Elizabeth toward a destination unknown. Having stormed off in a huff, she had no intention of asking for directions, but she could narrow down where her target was hiding.


    Knocking on the mysterious entrance on the second floor, she was greeted by the sound of her pounding as it reverberated on the wood and then silence. Lucy was determined to get an answer, but before she could assault the door with furious and obnoxious patterns of thumping meant to force the victim into answering out of frustration, the contents of the room revealed themselves.


    The raven haired girl peered out for a half-second before realizing who stood in front of. The door had swung open, the girl embracing Lucy, the latter frozen in shock. After the hug, Alex had relinquished the girl and stared at her. When the brunette could process what happened, she stared back at the girl, however, not returning the happiness.


    ¡°This hugging and staring crap is getting really annoying. Could you please talk to me!¡±


    ¡°I-I sorry, I very bad at speaking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really good at it either, but if I never tried talking to people, I¡¯d never have met my best friend.¡±


    ¡°Her?¡± Alex pointed toward Elizabeth who jumped when her named was called.


    ¡°No. But I did come to ask if you could help her look different.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the sin seemed disappointed, but quirked her head back up, ¡°how so?¡±


    ¡°Her pink hair is a bit of a problem. We need her to not stand out in a crowd.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really that great at hair, but I can try. This will take awhile though, so you should probably just leave in my care.¡±


    Turning toward Elizabeth, Lucy could see neither of the girls wanted to associate.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s this or being stuck in this tower. Or running the risk of being taken home.¡±


    With a sigh, the princess joined the sin of lust while Lucy¡¯s attention was drawn elsewhere. Westin had signaled her downward, keeping silent until the two entered yet another room unknown to the sin of envy.


    ¡°Just you and me I suppose.¡±


    Elizabeth was hoping the girl was feeling more talkative but was met with staunch silence. The sin of lust had her closed firmly shut, not even letting a molecule slip through. Instead of giving the princess directions verbally, Alex simply pointed to a chair.


    ¡°So, you seem to talk to Lucy a lot. Any reason why her in particular?¡±


    The words bounced off the brick walls, passing the ghost that had been searching through various drawers. Searching turned into digging as objects were thrown every which direction.


    ¡°I mean, I was her friend for like, six years. She¡¯s really nice; well, she was. Maybe it¡¯s because I never had other people to talk to or befriend, but I was considering that¡¯d we get married. Well, you know, when she was a-¡°


    ¡°Aha!¡± Alex had pulled out a bottle from within chest box.


    For a moment, Elizabeth regretted the decision. Her hair was unique and interesting; could she really sacrifice it?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°You wanted freedom, yes?¡±


    Taking a drawn out inhale, the princess nodded.


    ¡°Good. And if satisfying your curiosity keeps you quiet, then I guess I¡¯ll answer your question.¡±


    As the swivel chair revolved so its sitter could see their reflection, Elizabeth silently drank in her surroundings while listening to the older girl. The room was rather bleak, with the only light being obscured via a curtain. Art supplies were strewn about, not including the barber materials haphazardly scattered around the floor like traps just begging to be stepped on.


    ¡°Your friend interests me. For personal reasons I only like talking to girls, but that brat Hayley is insufferable. Lucy is far easier to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you talk to her more?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like talking.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not good at it.¡±


    ¡°You seem fine to me.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t response, instead she wrapped a towel around the princess, began brushing violently, then put the brush aside to grab rubber gloves.


    ¡°The instructions say to do a few things before this step, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Elizabeth swallowed nervously, wondering what she had agreed to. Her imagination ran wild as she contemplated the possibility of going bald, or her hair turning a completely different color, or going bald!


    After waiting anxiously for several minutes, she could feel a strange substance being applied to the top of head. The fingers of the barber pushed on her scalp, applying enough force for Elizabeth to wince.


    ¡°Just so you know, I don¡¯t have much of this stuff. I¡¯ll have to cut off what doesn¡¯t turn red.¡±


    ¡°As long as you leave some.¡±


    After adapting to the pressing of the sin¡¯s fingers, the princess began to relax, opening her eyes to see the once pretty pink giving way to a powerful crimson.


    ¡°You¡¯re not enjoying me pushing on your head.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elizabeth¡¯s eyes shot open in confusion.


    ¡°I can make you enjoy things you¡¯d normally hate. I¡¯m very good at changing minds, but not forever.¡±


    ¡°Could you change how other feels about you?¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°No, only how others feel about others.¡±


    The two sat in silence, Elizabeth watching as the barber tossed the empty bottle of dye. Slowly, the princess could feel some slight pain returning to her scalp, but it quickly died down.


    With a heavy heart, the girl watched as Alex approached with metal blades. Holding her eyes shut, she tried not to cry as she accepted her fate.


    ¡°I hate it.¡±


    Elizabeth didn¡¯t respond. For the sake of not breaking down into a crying fit, she couldn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°I hate delivering bad news.¡±


    Snip snip snip


    ¡°But everytime I speak, that¡¯s all that ever seems to come out.¡±


    Snip snip snip


    ¡°Even now.¡±


    Gathering all her courage, the princess peaked at the mirror. In front of her was a red, short haired girl. At the barber¡¯s motion, Elizabeth stood up.


    Turning around, Elizabeth approached the girl, embracing her. Alex simply held her arms out, unresponsive. As her mind began to process the events, she immediately dropped her scissors.


    ¡°Thanks. I know you don¡¯t like talking, but it means a lot that you helped.¡±


    Breaking from the hug, Elizabeth left Alex to her thoughts.


    ¡°You got her to talk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°How?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She seems to like me and I guess that¡¯s why she talks to me. She doesn¡¯t really talk much, just stares.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping you would be able to convince her to get along with the rest.¡±


    ¡°Why? She seems to be okay on her own, even if she¡¯s weird.¡±


    It was only when the sin of greed had closed the distance between them that Lucy realized the room they were in was pitch black. Already accustomed to seeing in the dark, she was more focused on the teen talking to her.


    ¡°Keep this between you and I, but I don¡¯t feel comfortable here.¡±


    ¡°Is it the others? Is it me?¡± Lucy asked confused.


    ¡°No. Actually the opposite: you guys are the only reason I¡¯m sticking around. Have you noticed something strange about this place?¡±


    The girl tilted her head, unsure of what he referred to. Even racking her brain, she couldn¡¯t begin to guess.


    ¡°We have running water and electricity. We had them since I was first here and probably before then. Water and electricity don¡¯t come from nowhere, somebody has to be generating it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°We like to think Jade isn¡¯t around and just brought us here for no reason, but I have a feeling he wants something from us, just not right now. He wouldn¡¯t be doing all of this for us if he just wanted us to be happy.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever he wants, I¡¯m sure we can do it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just get an ominous feeling thinking about it. The first time I thought about it, it gave me the creeps. The problem is that Xandir and I don¡¯t exactly gel, if you catch my drift, and Hayley can be a pain, Dustin barely does anything, and Alex is Alex. You can talk to Alex, so maybe you can convince the others to trust you enough to bail before Jade returns.¡±


    ¡°What do you think Jade will have us do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. At best, probably rob or kill some poor -er, unfortunate people. At worst,¡± Westin paused.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Lucy inquired.


    Westin didn¡¯t respond, gritting his teeth as if to physically hold back his thoughts.


    ¡°Yes?!¡± Lucy yelled allowed this time, gaining a hush from the teen.


    ¡°At worst, I think he might be setting us up for the slaughter. Like, he¡¯s purposely sending us to die.¡±


    The girl thought on those words, her mind filling with possibilities on how and why Jade would have them killed. Many of thoughts had fallen on the realm she entered the other day, that it may be connected.


    ¡°Look, if you can¡¯t do it, just let me know. I¡¯m fine with just convincing as many as are willing to listen. Just think on it, okay?¡±


    Nodding, Lucy spun around and left, Westin joining her. Outside the dark room was a girl with scarlet hair waiting for the pair.


    ¡°Elizabeth?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my name, don¡¯t wear it out.¡±


    ¡°Hey there princess! Me and Lucy were just deciding on what to do in town today. I figured I¡¯d tag along since staying in this tower everyday is just so boring.¡±


    Clack clack clack


    Footsteps echoed across the barren halls, each step struck the tiles with curiosity and a hint of impatience.


    ¡°When are they approaching?¡±


    ¡°Soon. Within a few weeks, but there is no way to be certain of the exact date.¡±


    ¡°I can pull some strings.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± the voice immediately answered its guest, ¡°You said time is of no concern? Then let these events play out naturally.¡±


    The princess in disguise blazed past her companions, engulfing them in the dirt she kicked up in her wake. Just as Lucy was about to rush after her, she felt a hand stop her.


    ¡°Let me chase her. You just enjoy yourself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± The sin turned toward Westin confounded.


    ¡°Me and the others were talking and we came to an agreement: you and that girl are¡­¡±


    ¡°Too close?¡±


    ¡°Attached at the hip. We¡¯re all here to look out for one another. Besides, the one time you were here was to steal stuff. Take your time, enjoy yourself.¡±


    Westin pulled out a handful of notes and gold coins, prompting Lucy to take it. As she put it away, she had prepared herself to thank him, but the man was already off in the distance. Shrugging her shoulders, she picked a different direction and began to wander.


    The claustrophobic sensation of home was returning with a vengeance as she observed the buildings side-by-side, forming a barrier from the outside world. Each building was more outwardly wooden than those of Lumina, but with many more colors to choose from than the oppressive white which dominated the capital.


    Her train of thought derailed as various scents invaded her nostrils and caused her stomach to cry out in agony. The smell of various meats halted any further progression, dragging the poor girl into one of the buildings. As she approached the source of the smell, her eyes lingered on hotdogs being spit roasted.


    ¡°You just gonna slobber on the glass are you gonna buy something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh¡­how much are those?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little young to be running around here? Ain¡¯t you got school?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s summer.¡±


    ¡°Oh right. Heh, it¡¯s been too long. Where are your parents though?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re¡± Lucy stopped, trying her best to find an excuse, ¡°busy.¡±


    ¡°Ah well, who am I to turn down a customer. That there is a footlong, roasted to perfection. Five scraps and its yours.¡±


    Reaching into her pocket, Lucy struggled to drag out the paper without letting the coins drip between her fingers.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re rolling in it, but a kid like you oughta be careful.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°There was a burglary the other day, they cleaned Sully¡¯s grocery mart out and ran. Ol¡¯ Shelly found one but they were just too fast and headed off into the mountains.¡±


    Lucy¡¯s pupils fled like lightning upon hearing the aftermath of her thievery. She realized the man, nor anyone else, would recognize her, but her stomach was now filled with guilt.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your dog, take care and come back again!¡±


    Walking out of the store, the sin had wanted nothing more than to distance herself from the town as soon as possible. Considering how well the woman had followed her, there was little down in the sin¡¯s mind her aunt would not be a pushover.


    As Lucy bit into her hotdog, the feelings of guilt were calmed by the filling sensation of food. Before she could take another bite, a revelation exploded from within: she had bought something.


    While it wasn¡¯t her money, she couldn¡¯t but enjoy the power given too her. It was almost too surreal to simply be given something instead of having to take it.


    ¡°Hold on there princess!¡±


    Elizabeth turned to see Westin trailing behind her. The princess eyed her surroundings as if any of the bystanders would attack her in an instance. No one had so much as moved a muscle to look at the duo.


    As Westin closed the distance, he was forcefully pulled into an uncomfortable whisper.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go telling everyone I¡¯m the princess!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry girl, nobody thinks they¡¯ll ever see the actual princess here.¡±


    Letting go of her follower, the girl¡¯s attention wandered around, her head turning every which way to mentally note every detail of every nook and cranny of every building.


    ¡°This place is huge.¡±


    ¡°Branton is called the Labyrinth town. If you keep going in one direction you¡¯ll find your way out, but stray and you¡¯ll be stuck forever.¡±


    ¡°What should we do first?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    Walking over to a man, he held out his hand to reveal a golden nugget.


    ¡°Sir, could I interest you in a bit of gold?¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± The man was shook when he saw the gold rock.


    ¡°Twenty scraps.¡±


    ¡°No way! It¡¯s worth way more!¡±


    ¡°Ah but sir, my parents are in desperate need of money right now. I cannot afford to wait.¡±


    The man had hesitated for a second before swiping the gold chunk and slapping a sheet of paper in the boy¡¯s other hand and running off.


    ¡°Wait, what was that?¡±


    ¡°I suggest we keep moving before he comes back.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You see, I can turn materials into metals. As we entered town, I thought it might be useful to turn a couple of rocks into gold. Course, eventually it¡¯ll be a plain old rock again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful!¡± Elizabeth scowled at the boy.


    ¡°How much did you make?!¡± Her mood shifted immediately from anger to excitement, taking the sin by surprise.


    ¡°Just twenty scrap.¡±


    ¡°Scrap?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. In the castle town of yours, you trade gold and silver all the time, but we don¡¯t have that in the country. We use paper money called scrap, because it¡¯s scrap compared to what you guys have.¡±


    The princess felt a twinge of guilt at those words. She figured it was on purpose, but Westin didn¡¯t seem particularly angry or resentful.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°For what? Not your fault. Honestly, I prefer paper over lugging around coins; not is easy to steal, not as easy to lose.¡±


    As the two continued onward, Elizabeth kept her eyes peeled on the various attire of the citizens, no two people entirely similar. Meanwhile, the girl¡¯s nose couldn¡¯t avoid the bountiful flavors from every store, every stand, and the various perfumes of the people. At the same time, her ears were open to the many conversations she could make scant details from.


    It was one of these conversations, however, that stopped her dead in her tracks.


    ¡°You hear about what happened to the grocery store the other day?¡±


    ¡°How it was stolen? That¡¯s old news.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well, you know Shelly right? The woman who tried to stop the burglars?¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°Her Nephew¡¯s apparently coming home in three weeks.¡±


    ¡°Big deal. People come and go all the time.¡±


    ¡°That boy was apparently traveling two whole years without coming home!¡±


    ¡°What?! What the hell is that dumb bimbo doing making some poor kid stay away from home for two fricken years?!¡±


    Elizabeth had tuned out the rest of the conversation, her attention now squarely on fighting Lucy. As she caught up to Westin, the two began building a plan to find the other sin.


    ¡°Hey guys!¡±


    Westin and Elizabeth jumped when they heard Lucy¡¯s voice. She had just finished her food and discarded the wrapper, dusting off her hands.


    ¡°Oh uh, Lucy¡± the princess couldn¡¯t stop her voice from trembling.


    ¡°That¡¯s my name, don¡¯t wear it out.¡±


    Immediately the crimson haired girl wanted to smack her friend for using her own line against her, but had stopped when remembering how dire the news was.


    ¡°Listen. Your brother is coming back in three weeks.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that. Really, three weeks?¡±


    Lucy had fidgeted with her fingers, her head tilted and eyes staring toward the ground. Her voice was low, despondent.


    ¡°I overheard some guys talking about it. We should warn the others.¡±


    Nodding in agreement, the girls led the way while Westin shadowed the pair. Once Lucy could see Elizabeth¡¯s attention was on the path ahead, she let herself fall behind to join Westin.


    ¡°Your brother? What¡¯s wrong with him coming back?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the queen¡¯s knight. Him and his friends are going to be really mad when they find out the princess was kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°Oh great, what else could go wrong?!¡±


    ¡°I think my aunt was the woman chasing us the other night.¡±


    ¡°Awkward.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not rob this town again, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. I like this town anyways, would be a shame to see anymore places go out of business.¡±


    Westin¡¯s gaze fixed on Sully¡¯s grocery store where a ¡®going out of business sign¡¯ hung on the door.

 Volume 2, Chapter 10: Antsy

    ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯ve been acting kinda funny since yesterday.¡±


    Lucy didn¡¯t know how to respond to the question. She knew Elizabeth was right, that no matter how she tried to separate herself from it, the fact that her brother was to return soon had her mind racing all day and all night.


    ¡°I-¡° the sin attempted to find a response, but just trailed off into the abyss. The silence between the two was deafening, the brunette sneaking away when she felt her friend¡¯s attention drift from the brunette back to the garden.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t wanted to address her friend, she couldn¡¯t help but be fascinated by the redhead. Lucy wanted to thank the shy girl the day prior, but was swept up by an intense game of blackjack. Needless to say, the sin had as much luck as she did mana.


    Before Lucy could reach Alex¡¯s door, she couldn¡¯t help but overhear a conversation taking place in the room opposite.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you down, chum? Steal a bit more than you can carry?¡±


    The sin was confused. The voice was from Xandir, yet she never heard him speak in a patronizing manner before.


    ¡°Put a shop outta business.¡±


    ¡°Just the typical aftermath of a thief.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Xandir, you know I don¡¯t wanna do any damage.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to the people you¡¯ve ruined.¡±


    Without realizing it, the sin of envy was standing before the two arguing teens. It only occurred to her that she was no longer invisible when the conversation came to an abrupt end and both eyes were on her.


    ¡°Do not mind us Lucy! We are merely discussing the problematic nature of our ¡®friend¡¯.¡±


    The girl held her breath and tilted her head in the vain hope it¡¯d help her think. As she tapped her temple, she watched Westin shrink further into a corner. Shuffling in place and cursing under her breath, the words refused to come to her aid.


    ¡°We needed to steal though!¡±


    ¡°To what end? We needed the food, yes, but could we not have hunted for it?¡±


    ¡°We needed other stuff though. Cleaning supplies, fabrics, and more.¡±


    ¡°We could do without. We can¡¯t let others know we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Why not?!¡± Lucy finally barked out.


    ¡°Westin told me you were chased. If that woman found us -and if she were truly powerful- we may not survive. Should the world learn of us and want us gone, how long would we last?¡±


    The sin of envy inhaled as she began to speak, but all that came from her lips was hot air. At this point, Westin was now indistinguishable from graffiti.


    ¡°Do what you will, just remember that what you do affects us all.¡±


    With nothing else to say, Xandir attended his weapon rack, pulling off a giant claymore that would likely break someone of Lucy¡¯s size in half with a single, mighty swing. Breaking away from the scene, the girl realized she was alone in the room.


    ¡°You know, I wish I could trust that guy.¡±


    The knight had stood in front of Lucy now, his figure imposing yet grand as he supported himself using his sword, the point stabbing the tile.


    ¡°You can! He only wants to help.¡±


    ¡°I know he is. The problem isn¡¯t his intention, it¡¯s his competence; even if he¡¯s the world¡¯s greatest thief, what happens when he meets the world world¡¯s best detective? He gets us all caught! And then who knows what will happen to Hayley, Clyde, or you.¡±


    Xandir picked up his sword, slashing at the air beside him, letting the sword land with enough force to crack the tile.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I get on to him about it. That¡¯s why I train. That¡¯s why I want others to train. We must always be prepared to fight. Though if the rest of the world knows about us, we will all perish. That said, I need to fix the tile now, so feel free to go about your day.¡±


    Burying her hands into her pockets and abandoning the man quickly as to hide her chuckle, she found herself running head first into Westin. The sin of greed was staring at the training room before turning his attention to his assailant, tipping his hat and leaving her to her business.


    Several thumps later, the girl was face-to-face with Alex, whom she hadn¡¯t really addressed after their departure.


    ¡°Hey Alex, thanks for helping Elizabeth the other day. She was super happy you could help.¡±


    Instead of a response, she was ushered into the room. Inside, the area was organized and tidy, shelves neatly aligned, no small objects amiss, and paintings hung perfectly along the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help, but may I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Lucy shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Why do you care about her?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The sin was taken aback by the bluntness.


    ¡°She asked us that question the other day. She doesn¡¯t seem to care about you that much, so why do you care about her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend, I think. Even after what¡¯s happened, I guess I still can¡¯t think of her as anything else.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Do you have any special feelings for her? She said you were two were to marry.¡±


    Lucy bit on her lower lip softly using her front teeth while viciously tapping her arm and foot. Her face began to glow a soft red.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know why she keeps bringing that up!¡±


    ¡°I see you are mad at her now. Have you changed your mind about her?¡±


    The sin stopped the tapping, now tilting her head while the color drained from her face.


    ¡°She¡¯s still my friend if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. I mean, I get mad at her all the time, but that doesn¡¯t make us not friends.¡±


    Alex seemed perplexed by the notion, resting her chin on her palm.


    For a moment, nothing was said. Another moment, Lucy watched as she was analyzed by the sin of lust. Taking the opportunity to return the favor, the sin of envy realized her opponent had green painted nails and on her leg was a picture of a fairy.


    Several moments later, nothing had changed, the room was still silent, yet now many words were exchanged.


    ¡°Okay, since I answered your question, it¡¯s only fair you answer mine.¡±


    Lucy had grown impatient with the silent treatment, her aggravation pushing aside the awkwardness of the silence.


    ¡°Is it about talking to the others?¡±


    The girl raised her eyebrows, as if to say yes without realizing it.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s more like a request.¡±


    Now the artist was curious, but at the same time concerned.


    ¡°Would you like to talk to the others? I could help you do that.¡±


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    Elizabeth was starstruck to see the seamstress among mountains of clothes that eclipsed the tiny worker. At the same time, the girl scoffed at the interruption.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m working here?¡± Hayley¡¯s head slowly panned back to her small desk amid a gulf of shirts. ¡°Well okay, I¡¯m actually just stumped on where to go next.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to join me in the garden?¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Hayley stood up from her chair to mock the princess to her face. ¡°Why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°How long have you been cooped up in here?¡±


    ¡°Why would you care?¡±


    ¡°Because I know what it¡¯s like to be a stuck in one place too long. You go crazy and start treating everyone terribly.¡±


    Elizabeth awaited a response, but the short seamstress stood adamant among the funky odors and gaudy mishmash that could create a carpet. The princess was growing nauseous from the strange aroma, not helped by the cold air and near blackness during the morning. As she left the stubborn girl to her devices, she couldn¡¯t help but pity the sin of pride.


    Still, the fresh air amongst her flowers had revitalized the monarch. Many days she had wondered if her gardening hobby was becoming an addiction, but being exposed to such foul conditions had restored confidence that regardless of the problematic time spent here, her garden kept her in good health both in body and mind.


    ¡°What a fabulous foliage!¡±


    After holding her heart in her chest, Elizabeth had turned to see the seamstress standing behind her.


    ¡°Apologies, but after considering your request, I realized I required respite from my designing. I hadn¡¯t meant to scare you, but I couldn¡¯t resist marveling at the flowers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about all I could do at home. At least, whenever Lucy wasn¡¯t around.¡±


    ¡°Really? No ordering others? Deciding decisive matters? Controlling your kingdom?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elizabeth drooped her head, ¡°just doing homework and staying in the castle like a ¡®good girl¡¯. Mom said I would get to do all that stuff when I got older, but I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    Hayley put her index finger to her lip, her eyes staring at Elizabeth.


    ¡°I had always wanted to know the joys of being a princess, but you act as if there are none.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it could be worse. I could be overworked and underappreciated.¡±


    Elizabeth smiled wide at the seamstress, only for Hayley to respond confused by the gesture. It had taken the girl longer than she¡¯d ever let known for her to understand who was overworked and underappreciated.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Hayley had performed a curtsy in her ballroom dress, ¡°but how did you know?¡±


    ¡°You may have brought it up a few times.¡± Elizabeth rolled her eyes.


    ¡°My Apologies. I can¡¯t stop myself some days. The pains of being ignored by friends and family alike.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. My mom was busy, but she did pay attention when she wasn¡¯t. And then Lucy always paid attention.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you. I had three younger brothers, all of which stole my parent¡¯s attention.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that¡¯s true! They probably were just super busy.¡±


    ¡°I had tried to get their attention often, making more and more beautiful dresses and amazing suits, comfortable coats and cozy slippers, but they never so much as commented on them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible! Did you at least have a friend who cared about you?¡±


    ¡°Not a one. Everyone had their own friends, even my brothers preferred to play with each other. Nothing I ever did impressed anyone, until I met Jade. He presented me the ability to wow everyone. I obviously didn¡¯t believe him, I mean who would? But he just gave me the power of pride without question, strings attached, or any prerequisite. He didn¡¯t tell me what it did, he just said to make the city beautiful, make it my own. So I did.¡±


    ¡°Woah, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I made mirrors.¡±


    Creating a mirror from thin air, the sin drank in the aghast expression of the princess.


    ¡°Well, I take glass and make shapes. It doesn¡¯t have to be mirrors, but those are the simplest shape.¡±


    Several mirrors combined and contorted to form a giant glass egg. With a flick of her wrist, the egg shattered to reveal a swan sculpture within.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± The princess¡¯ eyes shimmered as she inspected the bird of glass.


    ¡°I had made tons of beautiful sculptures of glass! But¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    Hayley¡¯s form was consumed by a black energy that departed to reveal Pride. The cloaked sin stepped forward, all five eyes glaring at Elizabeth while her hands were clenched.


    ¡°They saw me like this! I tried to tell them who I was, but they didn¡¯t care. They attack! They chased me out! By the time I got away, Jade was waiting to greet me.¡±


    The anger within Pride diminished, the eye on her forehead closing while the others unfurrowed their brows.


    ¡°He took me here, telling me I would be respected and not judged or feared. Safe to say, I don¡¯t really make things out of glass anymore, unless I use them to fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an impressive statue! Did you make that?¡±


    Hayley was confused by the sound of the voice, but Elizabeth had recognized its owner. Lucy and Alex stood in front of the stairs, the latter preoccupied with the glass swan.


    ¡°She speaks?!¡± Hayley muttered under her breath, trying her best to collect her jaw before the others saw it on the ground.


    Lucy had turned back to Alex, yanking her by the sleeve of her grey jacket. When she refused to move on her own, the pair moved in tandem toward the princesses.


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, Perhaps I could get to better know you, Hayley.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re impressed by my glass fowl, but you needn¡¯t be so formal! That is my job as a princess.¡±


    While Hayley had bowed in respect, Alex¡¯s face had turned to a mix of expression of regret and anguish that Lucy never knew possible. Despite this, Alex had managed to usher Hayley downwards, leaving the other two to stand in the sunset.


    The setting sun had cast long shadows and an eerie quiet sat amongst the two friends, their relationship now a curious balance between former and current. While Lucy wore confidence with Alex around, her face was now more solemn. As a cool breeze grazed the cheeks of the girls, brushing their hair as it dashed to parts unknown, Elizabeth could feel the tension stab straight through her.


    ¡°Are you okay? I know I asked before, but-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lucy pouted


    ¡°Are you sure? Ever since we came back from town, you¡¯ve been really tense and aggravated.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?!¡±


    ¡°Because! Because¡­I¡¯m your friend. When I needed someone to stop me going crazy, you were there. I want to do the same for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going crazy! And unlike you, I have others to help me.¡±


    ¡°Please Lucy, I just want to help! Are you scared? Angry? Please just tell me.¡±


    Elizabeth had grabbed the girl by the arm, only for it to be yanked back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help, I don¡¯t want your help, and you would just get in the way.¡±


    As the last bit of orange began to wane, so too did the sin¡¯s patience. As the darkness overtook the light, she descended the tower, leaving Elizabeth to her contemplations.