I felt hopelessly alone.

  Maverick wanted nothing to do with me — he’d made that much clear. Aidan and Marge spent most of the time training together. Sometimes I’d join in, but it felt kind of like being a third wheel, considering… I couldn’t participate whatsoever. They’d try to include me, of course, but it was pointless.

  I really needed to make some new friends. I wasn’t good at that back home, and I wasn’t much better here. It also didn’t help that most people only wanted to be friends with people stronger than them. Being an Ethereal wasn’t something I was ready to announce to everyone else either. How would they believe me when I couldn’t even get my magic to manifest?

  Maybe I should look for Finn. I hadn’t seen him since that day at the fountain. It was almost as if he had disappeared from the manor.

  The dining hall was more crowded than usual, especially when it had been empty this morning. I brushed up against several people trying to get to the center of the crowd to see what they were crowding around. I got one glimpse before instantly squeezing myself back out. Nope. Didn’t want any of that.

  Apparently, Rosalie was sitting at a table alone, and people had taken that as an opportunity to bombard her with questions. She kept her eyes on her food and spectacularly ignored the chatter. Her table also seemed a lot smaller than the tables I was used to… Was that table designed especially for her? And why didn’t she just eat in her room at this point?

  I should just ask Sylvis about that money I’m supposed to get and pick up something out of town. I had been to town once on my own but felt instantly out of place. Everyone was staring at me…or at least it felt that way. Not to mention, shopping by yourself is boring and awkward.

  I was about to put my plan into action when I saw Finn and his group of friends sitting at a table in the corner. Guess none of them were interested in Rosalie. I guess eating in the corner away from the crowd wouldn’t be so bad…

  “Mind if I join?” I tapped Finn’s shoulder, and he jolted, his head spinning to look at me. Did he not know I was behind him…?

  “Sure,” he smiled before turning back to his conversation.

  I took a seat across from Aqua, who smiled at me and gave a small wave. I really need to stop assuming she hates me for no reason.

  There were several people at the table that I hadn’t met. Thankfully, Frenica was nowhere in sight. Was she also trying to talk to Rosalie? Part of me felt they'd get along. So many people were trying to talk to her — or even just catch her attention. It made me almost feel special in a way for having had a conversation with her before. Multiple, at that.

  It also felt weird knowing I was the same as her. People crowded around her because she was gone often. Maverick garnered quite a lot of attention, too. Would people seek attention from me once my magic developed? No, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.

  Ugh, what was I doing completely zoning out from the conversation I had just willingly entered?

  “No way! You actually fought a mhelgaria on your own?!” Finn’s eyes lit up as he leaned against the table, inching himself closer to the girl seated directly across from him.

  Said girl nodded her head eagerly, her stiff, long brown hair moving lazily with her nods. “What, you don’t think you’d be able to do the same?”

  “Well, obviously I’d be able to. But it’s impressive that someone like you, who just arrived a couple of days ago, was able to pull it off.” Seriously, was this Finn or Maverick talking?

  I could see Aqua rolling her eyes from the corner of my vision. “Here we go again,” she mumbled, softly enough that I’m sure I was the only person who could hear her over the crowd.

  “Awww, you’re too sweet!” The girl sweetly cocked her head to the side in glee. That wasn’t a compliment. That was insulting.

  “So, where did you say you came from, again?” Finn asked with the most innocent-looking grin I’ve ever seen on that man. Just read her mind!

  “Aejeria.” She rested her chin on her folded palms.

  “Right, right, I remember now. I wanted to ask you more about riding clypsops. Like, how does that work? Do they just let you ride them?”

  “No, of course not! You have to bond with them first. And of course, you need their consent before mounting them. We’ve only recently discovered that the mackaherb has a calming effect on them, making them easier to bond with.”

  “Interesting,” he seemed genuinely intrigued by what she was saying. “I wonder if it would have the same effects on other animals? Like, imagine riding a mhelgaria.” He chuckled. Ugh! This was so frustrating! I didn’t understand a thing that was going on!

  The seemingly nameless girl chuckled back annoyingly. “Mhelgarias tend to be more aggressive thanks to the effect of ether poisoning if you remember. So no, I don’t believe riding mhelgarias is in our near future.”

  “Aw, that’s too bad. Oh! What about a wharrack?”

  “Ummmm, how would you even go about riding one…?”

  The rest of the table had long tuned out of the conversation, likely before I even arrived. I had hoped to talk to Aqua, but she was seemingly engaged in conversation with someone else by the time I turned back to her. Ugh!

  I got up and left. It was obvious I wasn’t going to get anywhere talking to any of them. Stupid Finn didn’t even notice I had left! Well, neither had Aqua…

  Why was I so jealous? Was it because of what Marge had said? Maybe she was right. Finn really did just leap from one girl to the other. Why did I let myself believe he actually cared about me…? And why did it bother me so much when he didn’t?!

  Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

  I let my feet carry me out of the dining hall, down the hall, and to who knows where. I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t care about this stupid place, or magic, or Finn, or Marge, or Aidan, or anyone! I should just run far away from here! Maybe then I would find something worthwhile in this prison of a world I’m stuck in.

  “Elaina, wasn’t it?” someone called out, but I couldn’t care less. I kept walking. I made it outside of the double doors of the manor. Now I just need to reach the town and—

  “Elaina,” they called out again. This time, I felt a buzz throughout my body before I completely lost feeling and collapsed to the ground.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  I tried to move, but my body would become paralyzed every few seconds. I thought the manor was supposed to be a safe place?

  “Maybe now you’ll listen.” Where had I heard this voice before?

  Eventually, I was able to crank my head up at my perpetrator. Oh, him. The guy I had to duel against. What was this name again? Ernest?

  “What do you want with me?” I asked, trying to hide the fear in my voice. If he tried to use his magic again, I wouldn’t be able to dodge.

  “You made me look like an idiot! Duels are supposed to be taken seriously. If I’m put up against someone like you, then it’s proof that Sylvis thinks I’m weak!” he shouted at me, and I could’ve sworn I felt his spit on my cheek.

  “Sounds like you have a problem with Sylvis, not me.” I tried to redirect his rage. It’s not like I’m the one who asked to be pitted against him.

  “I can’t take down Sylvis. But you’re the next best thing.” He smirked, and the scenery around me expanded. Suddenly, I was at eye level with the top of his shoe.

  Wait, what?! Had he… made me small?! I thought he could only make himself small! He could shrink other people?! Did that mean he could shrink items too?! That’s OP!

  His foot lifted in the air, and I ran for my life. I barely made it out of the way of his foot as he laughed at me. He wouldn’t actually kill me… would he?

  I ran to the stairs of the manor, unable to hoist myself up. Crap, I’d have to find another way to get in. Thankfully, it didn’t look like Ernest was following me around anymore.

  Maybe I could try the elevator? It was outside around the manor and didn’t have any steps that I recalled. Maybe I could get to Sylvis’ office from there.

  Running there took forever. Everything was so big compared to me! I had always complained about being too short at 5’3”. Never again. I would appreciate my height and all the space it allowed me to conquer.

  I eventually made it to the elevator. I had to hoist myself up onto it, but I made it— How was I supposed to pull the lever?! Ugh! This was a stupid idea!

  Or was it? I could wait for someone else to get in and catch a ride to another floor. But would anyone be visiting Sylvis? Well, I’d rather be inside than outside.

  So, I waited in the elevator.

  It was incredibly boring, but some random guy eventually came in, nearly squashing me in the process! Unfortunately, he only went to the second floor. I stepped out for the time being, trying to see if maybe there was someone who could help me.

  The door to the library was open. Maybe some smart person would be inside. Wait, isn’t Zephyr usually there? Just my luck. He isn’t here this time. Or maybe I’m too small to see him.

  “Elaina?”

  The loud voice caused me to jump, literally. Was everything this loud when you’re this small?!

  “Zephyr? You can see me?!” I exclaimed, happy that I might finally be getting help.

  He nodded and crouched down on his knees, placing both of his open palms on the floor for me to step into. Once I was secure, he put me on top of a windowsill next to a plant. At least I shouldn’t get squashed up here.

  “What happened?” He frowned at me, pulling a chair closer to the windowsill to sit in.

  “Ernest happened.” I crossed my tiny arms and plopped myself down next to the plant.

  “Ernest?” he said with genuine surprise and confusion. “But he’d know that’s against the rules… And why would he go after you?”

  “Apparently, Sylvis humiliated him by pitting me against him in a duel.” I was sure to emphasize the Sylvis part.

  “I see… I’ll have to speak with her about this later. Unfortunately, she’s presently wrapped up in another matter.”

  So, going to her office wouldn’t have helped. Noted.

  “You can turn me back to my normal size, right?” I pleaded.

  He shook his head solemnly. “The only person who can turn you back is the person who shrunk you to begin with. Or an Ethereal. I could find Maverick and—”

  “No!” I shouted, not wanting to interact with Maverick after our last conversation. He'd pick me up and play with me for fun, I just knew it. “I’ll just wait for Sylvis.”

  “That could be quite some time. How about Rosalie?”

  Rosalie was almost as scary as Maverick… Almost…

  “Fine…”

  Zephyr nodded and turned to leave when the library door opened wider. A man with short gray hair and a girl with long, golden brown hair barged in.

  “I thought you said you were going to take care of everything?” the girl said through gritted teeth.

  “Your property was returned to you, yes?” Zephyr straightened his glasses.

  “You’re an empath for crying out loud! I want you to teach him a lesson he’ll never forget! One that will shake him to his very core! I thought that’s what we agreed on?!” She got louder and louder, stepping into Zephyr’s personal space.

  “Dude, my flowers still haven’t grown yet. I found some old dirt lying around that I had trekked in. Doesn’t seem to be working.” The guy next to her shrugged, seemingly unfazed by her rage.

  “…You need soil,” Zephyr answered calmly.

  “Soil? Isn’t that just dirt? I put dirt.” The guy scratched the back of his head. Could he be any more of an idiot…?

  “No, it’s…” Zephyr pinched the bridge of his nose.

  “Oh, and Sonia wanted to know if you found her book yet. She had errands to run. …How do you run a concept? Like, errands are a concept, right? You can’t touch them?”

  I started to feel bad for Zephyr. Not only did he have to deal with idiots like this guy, but he seemed to be taking on everyone’s problems. Including mine… The poor guy needed a break.

  He somehow managed to convince the two weirdos to leave before leaving himself to find Rosalie. A few minutes later, both had returned.

  “You found her already?!” I gawked.

  “It wasn't very hard. I just followed the crowd." He shrugged. Right... "Can you return her to her normal size?” Zephyr asked Rosalie, motioning to me.

  “Of course I can.” She looked at him as if insulted. She closed her eyes for a couple of seconds as I felt the area around me shrink — my head hitting the ceiling of the sill in the process.

  “Thank you! Thank you so much!” I cried. For once, Rosalie didn’t seem so scary.

  “Is that all?” she asked in her characteristic monotone voice.

  “Uh, yeah,” I answered.

  “Goodbye.”

  Aaaand she was gone. Way to end a conversation.

  “She’s not much of a conversationalist.” Zephyr smiled at me knowingly.

  “I’m sorry,” I apologized, feeling guilt deep in my stomach.

  “For what?” His eyebrows raised behind his glasses.

  “For putting more on your plate. You’re always helping others, aren’t you?” I frowned.

  He inhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on mine as his smile widened just a little. “You say it like that’s a bad thing. I help people because I want to help them — not because I’m obligated to. Your little conundrum today was a breath of fresh air, actually. I don’t remember the last time I spoke to Rosalie. It’s also nice having someone who appreciates others.”

  Had no one ever thanked him before for all the effort he went through for them? No, that was ridiculous, and I was making myself out to be some sort of hero. Perhaps it was just rare… Or maybe he felt taken for granted after what had happened earlier today.

  “Do you have any friends?” I asked, not recalling seeing him with anyone in particular. Most of the time he was in the library — alone. “Do you have any hobbies other than reading and helping others?”

  Zephyr chuckled. “Is helping others a hobby now? Perhaps it’s naive of me to say, but I consider everyone in this manor my friend. You included. The manor is… one big family to me. I am, however, blatantly aware that not everyone here feels the same.”

  “So, you don’t have any friends.” I simplified his statement.

  He scratched the back of his head, chuckling at me. “Well, when you put it that way…”

  “Well, I need more friends. Why don’t we become friends? Perhaps we should try this again.” I extended my hand out to him to shake. “It’s nice to meet you; I’m Ella.”

  He took my hand and shook it firmly. “I’m Zephyr.”