I’m not sure it’s a good thing.
With a sigh, I push myself back to my feet.Listen,I say to the presence in my mind.I would appreciate it if you didn’t get in my way while I attempt to get you the hundred souls I owe you.
I would never, Phoenix Wildarrow,Lorca purrs.You’re excellent at that yourself. No help needed from me.
I scoff.
Great.
Another sassy bitch, as if dealing with my bow’s attitude for months wasn’t enough to last me a lifetime.
I wander the streets of Jaakii for a long while before I’m ready to return and face my reality. By the time I get back to Vera’s studio, the early sunrays are painting the dark sky in yellows and reds. I enter and freeze. Vera stands in the middle of the studio, wrapped in a satin robe, a cup with steaming coffee in hand.
Her lips part when she realizes I’m not blind anymore. “Your eyes!”
“You’re up early,” I say, closing the door behind me.
I remove the shoes.
They are, in fact, mismatched.
Vera ignores my comment. “Where did you go? Your sight is back? How?”
I sigh, tired, as if I just spent the night running four marathons.
“Come on, Phoenix. Tell me.”
Vera sits on one of the plush sofas in the conversation pit and I join her. She lifts the cup in her hand. “Coffee?”
I shake my head. I’m charged from tonight’s events as it is. I need to sleep at least a couple of hours, even if it’s morning already.
“Do you remember now what happened during the Trial of Truth?”
I nod.
“Do you want to share?”
“I faced Lorca, who forced me to uncover the deepest parts of myself,” I say. “And…it didn’t go as well as we could have hoped. However, everything is fine now. I have found my way, and learned what Lorca wanted me to learn.”
Vera regards me for a moment in silence. I can see it written all over her face—she wants to press for more details. But she respects my boundaries. So, she clears her throat and asks, “So, Oka Oya was right about that part?”
I nod again.
“Phoenix, what did you see inside your mind during that last meditation?”
I’m quiet for a heartbeat, staring into the wall. Finally, I say, “I…I don’t know.”
I truly don’t. And I have no desire to try and figure it out. As far as I’m concerned, I’m staying as far from my subconscious mind as fucking possible.
Vera brings the cup to her lips and hums. After a pause, she says, “I’m glad you passed the second trial, Phoenix. And I’m glad you found your way back to yourself, whatever that may mean. You look more determined than ever.”
I smile a little. “I’m glad, too, Vera. Trust me. And you’re right, I’m even more determined to win. I can’t let down my patron and my mentor.”
Vera’s lips quirk upwards.
“You know, when Noire and I were choosing our champion, he was very keen on supporting you, but I was hesitant,” she says.
“Ah, regretting your decision now?”
