I opened my mouth to protest, but Fallon didn’t give me the chance.
She turned to leave but stopped in the doorway, glancing back with one last jab. “And for element’s sake, take a fucking bath.”
With a sharp flick of her arm toward the washroom, the roar of rushing water filled the hut. Then, without another word, she slammed the door behind her.
I stood frozen, staring at the closed door as her words echoed in my mind. Water element. She channeled water.
But I’m a mage—channeling both air and fire. Mages haven’t existed since the Battle of Mareki. At least, not to the public’s knowledge. Could it be possible for my twin sister to be one too?
The thought gnawed at me. There was only one way to find the answers I sought.
Stripping down, I stepped into the tub, letting the freezing water cascade over me. The chill bit at my skin, each drop a sharpreminder of my shame. I stayed under its punishing torrent as if trying to wash away not just the grime but the weight of every decision I’d made to end up here.
My hand hesitated midair as I reached for the doorknob.
How many times have I wanted to crawl out of bed and face the world head-on since waking up? Too many to count. But each time, the darkness within pulled me under, drowning me in whispers of powerlessness and worthlessness. Telling me I’m better off vanishing from this world entirely.
And I’d accepted it.
The light within me longed to throw my arms around Rhodes’s neck, to thank him for bringing me to safety. But the darkness sneered, telling me he’d never waste his time on a lost cause like me.
The light within me yearned to tease Lakota about his stress-eating, to help him recover the memories stolen from him. But the darkness mocked me, hissing that I’m nothing but a failure of a bonded rider.
The light within me wanted to craft a plan to help my friends escape Mageia’s suffocating lockdown. But the darkness insisted they’d turn me in for treason the moment they saw my face.
The light within me burned fiercely, aching for vengeance for Laney’s murder. But the darkness snarled, pointing its finger at me—it’s my fault she’s gone.
Every time the darkness snuffed out my light, I accepted it. But the ones I care about are on the other side of this door, and they’re hurting, too.
I would notacceptthat.
Laney chose to shine her light on me with her dying breaths. Her last words weren’t a plea or a goodbye—they were a gift, a spark to keep me going.
Keep writing.
And that was exactly what I planned to do.
My story wasn’t over.
I stepped out of the darkness, letting the door click shut behind me.
My attire had been chosen for me. There was one set of leathers left in my hut wardrobe. Thankfully, I blended in easily with the villagers around me as I made my way through the settlement. But I still kept my head down, avoiding eye contact.
The leathers differed from those at Mageia—these were dark gray, with far more pockets and hidden sheaths worked into the jacket and pants. The material was thicker, lined with a thin layer of fur to fight off the mountain chill. I also noticed an unfamiliar rune etched into the inside of the jacket.
Surprisingly, they were comfortable, fitting me like a second skin. The leather hugged every curve but allowed enough freedom for movement, clearly designed for utility and agility. Judging by the tailored fit, I was certain they came from Fallon’s wardrobe.
The village was much larger than I had imagined, sprawling in every direction. I had assumed it would be a small, hidden place, easy to overlook since it had never appeared on any maps I’d seen. But as I took it all in—its reach stretching for miles—I realized it would be impossible to miss. The civilization was newer than any printed maps of Kalymdor or…
It was hidden deliberately.
That idea sent a trickle of unease down my spine, dragging me back to a memory of investigating Mageia’s library. The morning after Lakota chose me during the Burn Trials, Chief Kalluri canceled all classes. Tatum literally dragged me out of bed, eager to solve our unanswered questions. Cleo, Laney, Tatum, and I spent hours in the oldest history section of the massive library, going through ancient tomes and scrolls.
The only inconsistency we found was in how the Mareki had been transcribed over time. The elemental magic that powers our world was originally referred to as theMareki Essence—notessences.At first, we assumed it was just a misprint. But this was the oldest scroll we’d ever uncovered, and the capital “E” inEssencesuggested something more. It hinted the Mareki might once have been something entirely different from what we know today.
Professor Hogboom urged us to keep an open mind. He also asked our class a question that most of my peers probably dismissed… but it kept echoing in my mind.Who knows what’s been left out of those texts?
He had announced his late arrival that day by slamming an old tome onto the podium, his eyes burning with something close to defiance. That was the last time I saw him—before he was found dead in his chambers, not long before Professor Reynoski met a similar fate.
