Such a thing has only occurred once before in history, and that is when the last world ended. I must impress upon you the magnitude of our desperation. When I now gaze upon the end times, I see fewer and fewer threads in which our cause prevails. Still, there is hope — hope in you.

  The Temple of Ascension teaches that the barrier separating this world from the underworld is at its weakest before the Tempest. Followers of the Risen Faith are permitted to ascend one of the four seance towers for a small offering to the temple. There, believers could speak to their departed loved ones. Though they did not talk back, many found tremendous comfort in the tradition.

  The sun had long since set in the hours before Evran’s turn arrived. He had spent the time contemplating what he wanted say to his family. A veiled Daughter ushered him inside, passing statues depicting the three gods. Sygelion, the elven god of wisdom and order, stood proudly at the entrance, his hands resting upon a sword. To his left, the goddess Alithia held a torch in her claws. The goddess of the beastkin was said to represent power and fertility. Further inside stood the last statue, depicting the dwarven god Yeneb playing a fiddle. The god of music and ingenuity had always been the favorite of the Wright household.

  As the story goes, these three defeated a fourth god at the cost of all of their lives. That fight brought about the fall of the previous world. Evran wondered why anyone still bothered worshiping dead gods. The conflicts of long-dead deities mattered little to him.

  Evran set his pack and new staff in a small cubby the Daughter would look after during his communion. He made the standard nobleman’s offering of a single silver coin and climbed the seance tower. After ascending a narrow spiral staircase, he found himself in a cramped and windowless room with a small stone altar. He knelt in front of it. The thick smoke of incense stung his eyes, though its scent was pleasant. Evran placed four small candles on the altar and lit two of them with a small conjured flame. After taking a deep breath, Evran was ready to speak to his lost family.

  “Hey Dad, hey Corrum. I'm sorry I didn't speak with you the last two times. I wasn't ready to accept it… that you're dead. I'm still not, really. Life has been difficult since you two left. I got mom killed. I'm really sorry about that. Bailey hates me now, though I don't blame her. I feel bad for leaving her all alone, but I'm sure Ms. Telson and the others are taking good care of her. I will try to visit her someday… repair things... I hope she forgives me. Now I know how Leyta must feel.”

  Evran turned his attention to the third candle and lit it in honor of his older sister. Bitterness welled up from deep inside him, but Evran took a deep breath and decided now was the time to resolve his feelings.

  “Hey sis. I guess you're dead, too. I still blame you, Leyta. But I... I guess I forgive you. It's selfish of me, I know. I'm only forgiving you for getting Dad and Corr killed because I did the same to Mom. We're really the worst, aren't we?”

  A sense of genuine relief washed over Evran as he let go of the resentment he held toward his older sister. And for the first time in eight years, he smiled while thinking of her. It quickly faded, though. Evran lit the fourth and final candle on the altar.

  “Hey Mom.” He paused. “I’m sorry.”

  Evran wept in silence for a time. He had so much he wanted to say to his mother, but every time he tried to speak, he couldn’t find the words. Finally, Evran cleared his throat.

  “Anyway, I just want to let everyone know I'm doing okay. I'm about to graduate from a magic academy and become a mage, just like Mom. I've made some really good friends here. My best friend is Lerrum. He's amazing — a lot like you were, Corr. I wish you could have met him. He and my other friend, Narro — they're going to be adventurers when we graduate, just like I always wanted to be back then. Lerrum really wants me to join him. He's always pestering me about it. Even bribed me with a cool new staff. …I think it worked.”

  “Lerrum is the closest thing I have to family now, and I don't think I'm ready to leave him. So that's what I've decided. I'm going to live as an adventurer, at least until I find my way back home. But I'm also going to keep my promise to you, Mom. I'm not going to throw away the sacrifice you made to save me by risking my life on something stupid. No labyrinths! I know Lerrum will respect that.”

  A knock echoed up the stairwell from the wooden door below.

  “Looks like I’m out of time. Thanks for listening. I really miss all of you.”

  Bowing his head in reverence, Evran ceremoniously extinguished his candles one by one, offering a last goodbye to each of his family members. He wasn’t sure if they actually heard what he had said to them, but Evran was nonetheless glad to have spoken with them. He had finally voiced his decision, one that Lerrum was eager to hear. Evran Wright was going to be an adventurer.

  ***

  Evran caught himself twirling his new staff in his hands as he walked back to the academy. He grew more accustomed to its weight and feel with each spin, but he felt undignified for playing with it as a child would. Gripping it firmly in hand, he marched up the dim moonlit path to the academy gate.

  As he passed under the portcullis, Evran heard a shout from the nearby guard post. A young castle knight clad in weathered steel armor popped out from the booth and approached Evran, spear in hand. “Um, Evran Wright?”

  “That’s me. Is there a problem?” Evran responded.

  “Um, well…” The guard stuttered. “Professor Merrilus asked me to direct you to her office, but that was hours ago.”

  “Understood. Thanks,” said Evran, nodding to the guard. What could the professor possibly want with me? He was returning quite late, so he wondered if she would still be in her office and what he ought to do if she was no longer there. The grounds were mostly empty at this hour. Only a few students could be seen returning to their dorms from the library.

  Evran made his way to the faculty offices and entered the corridor on the second floor. It was surprisingly lively. Warm light spilled from several open doorways as administrators darted in and out of the various rooms. He located the office of the school’s most beloved instructor, Professor Corta Merrilus. Her door was closed, but Evran could see light peeking out from under the door.

  “Excuse me, Professor. It’s Evran Wright,” he said, knocking on the door.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Upon opening the door, Evran was greeted with a rush of warm air with the scent of freshly baked gingerbread. He quickly entered the room and closed the door behind him. Evran admired the cluttered yet cozy atmosphere of the office. The sound of the professor’s quill scratching away at parchment was occasionally interrupted by the crackle of the fireplace. Professor Merrilus looked up from her desk and gestured Evran to a plush chair opposite her desk. Evran politely bowed his head and took the offered seat.

  “Have you been out preparing for the practical?” asked the professor.

  “Yes.”

  “Good, good!” She took a deep breath and continued. “I have some unfortunate news. All students are to be confined to school grounds until the Tempest arrives.”

  “What!” shouted Evran. “Why?”

  Professor Merrilus raised a hand to calm Evran down. “It’s nothing you’ve done, dear. There’s been an incident.”

  Evran sat back confused. “An incident?”

  “Yes, something quite terrible, I’m afraid.” The professor stood up and plucked a piece of rolled parchment from a container at the edge of her desk. “We’ve just received a pigeon from the neighboring colony New Pellant. A few days ago, a ship carrying some of their guardian mages fought their way out of their harbor, and when their government performed a headcount of the remaining mages, they found there weren't enough.”

  “So they need to find more mages or their island will fall when the Tempest arrives?”

  The professor looked Evran directly in his eyes. “Not exactly. The prevailing sentiment is that they won't be able to find enough willing mages. They expect it to fall.”

  Evran let out a gasp. “That’s terrible!” He’d heard tales of the chaos that occurs when an island’s populace learns that their home will fall. Looting, riots, and far, far worse. The particularly depraved stuff generally doesn’t happen until all hope is lost, and Evran desperately wished for a safe evacuation. By his estimation, fast ships should be able to make it there and back in time for the Tempest. “Is anything being done to help?”

  “We are preparing to receive refugees, and we are currently assessing the viability of a rescue mission. There's a strong possibility that there are a few of our former students on that island, after all. Speaking of, you were friends with Kestie Bennison and Narro Tane, yes?”

  “Indeed,” Evran responded. “And neither of them are on New Pellant anymore. Narro returned last night, and he told us that Kestie had left months ago.”

  The professor smiled in relief. “Ah, that's good to hear. I'll make sure that information is shared with the rescue team. Now, about your confinement. We're only doing this out of an abundance of caution. We're asking you to remain on school grounds until the day of the Tempest. If there's anything you still need to do in preparation for the practical, we can assist you. Just let us know.”

  Fidgeting with his staff, Evran wondered if it was selfish to ask for some flexibility on the issue. “Does that include the preserve? I just got this new staff, and I was hoping to test out some high-level wind magic tomorrow with my friends.”

  “Yes, the preserve is considered within school grounds, after all. I'm terribly sorry for all this. Given the circumstances, I hope you can appreciate why. In the past there have been incidents of mages being kidnapped in vain attempts to save a doomed island, and we don’t want anything like that to happen here.”

  “I understand, and thank you.” Sensing an end to the conversation, Evran bowed his head and made to leave.

  “Wait just a moment, Mr. Wright. I’m not quite done with you yet. I have some good news as well. You’ve been selected as an alternate for the crystal. Congratulations. Though highly unlikely, if anything were to happen to any of the students on crystal duty, you will take their place.”

  The self-doubt he’d felt earlier vanished. That he wasn’t chosen for the crystal must have weighed more heavily upon him than he realized. Now he felt a curious mix of validation and nascent ambition. He might not be as strong as Lerrum anymore, but he was still in the hunt. “Wow, thank you. I am honored you chose me for the task.” Evran bowed.

  “Your talents have earned you this honor, though I do wish you would apply yourself more. Talent alone will not carry you through life, Mr. Wright. Had you been a bit more diligent in your academics, you’d have earned the role outright. Please make the most of these final months here. I expect great things from you.”

  “Yes, professor. I’ll make them count!”

  “That’s good to hear, Mr. Wright. One last thing before you go. Pay closer attention in herbology. Oh, but that’s none of my business! Anyway, I have a lot of work to attend to. Off with you!”

  The professor donned a polite smile and waved Evran out of her office. The sharp stench of miasma filled his nostrils as he breathed in the chilly night air. He hastened back to the dorms, eager to finally tell Lerrum of the decision he came to. All the while, Evran thought about the plight of New Pellant.

  Upon arriving at his room, Evran found Lerrum hunched over his desk, face buried in his palms. Lerrum had made tremendous progress on his thesis, whereas Evran’s had stalled entirely. It was one thing to simply add mana fluctuations to produce beautiful striations when growing marble using earth magic. It was quite another to describe the mathematic principles at play. In any case, he had far too much on his mind to make any progress tonight. Ambition can wait for tomorrow.

  “Hey!” shouted Lerrum, sounding cheerful despite his dreary appearance. Life returned to his face. He swiftly stashed his writing utensils, eager to be done for the evening. “Did you hear the news? New Pellant is gonna fall!”

  “Yeah, Professor Merrilus just told me,” said Evran, as he tossed off his boots and changed out of his uniform. The enchantments had worked their magic, and the uniform was now free of the holes and stains incurred from the pitcher plant. Evran tossed the pristine uniform onto the floor and dove onto his bed.

  “By the way, you know that ship fire we saw at dinner?” asked Lerrum, sitting down on his bed. “They fought their way out of New Pellant with some mages on board. I heard they’re being charged with abandonment.”

  “Really? There's a very fine line between abandoning your duty and being the first group of refugees.” Evran sat up and faced Lerrum. “That reminds me, Merrilus asked me about Kestie. I told her she’d already left.”

  Lerrum’s face lit up at the mention of her name. “Narro said their nobles were awful, so it doesn’t surprise me that a lot of their mages left. Still, it’s one thing to leave like Kestie did, it’s quite another to do it right before a Tempest. I hope everyone can evacuate.”

  “Ever think about what you’d do if you were stranded on a doomed island?”

  “All the time!” said Lerrum, not even attempting to hide his morbid excitement. “I figure I can make a raft of sorts out of this door and use my bedsheet as a sail. Oh, and I know where to find some unused float crystals. The only question is whether or not I can make it to a launch without being mobbed.”

  “If I help, can I come with?”

  “We’d have to make the raft bigger, which would be heavier. No, wait, if it’s the two of us, it’d probably be less awkward to carry. Yeah, I suppose I’ll let you join me.”

  “Good, because I’ve decided to go with you,” said Evran. He took a deep breath and finally gave Lerrum the answer he’d been desperately waiting for. “Lerrum, can we go adventuring together after we graduate?”

  A confused Lerrum raised his head and looked Evran in the eyes. Evran met his gaze and smiled. Lerrum leapt to his feet, tears welling in his eyes. “Seriously, Ev? Don’t joke about this.” Lerrum’s voice cracked.

  “Serious!”

  He threw his arms around Evran and started crying. Evran gladly hugged him back, but felt overwhelmed by his friend’s tears.

  “Hey, hold on a second. I do have a few conditions!” said Evran.

  “Anything!”

  “First, no labyrinths! And no jobs involving fighting people. I reaffirmed that vow I made to my mother earlier, so nothing too reckless! You and Narro — he’s coming too, right? You two can still take those jobs, but you’ll have to leave me behind when you do them.”

  “That’s fine,” said Lerrum, beaming with joy. “I already expected that much.”

  “Promise? I can’t have you pestering me down the line, either. This is non-negotiable!”

  Lerrum stood back and dropped to one knee. “I vow on our friendship to never pressure you into a labyrinth.”

  “Good.” Evran responded. He usually disliked Lerrum’s theatrics, but a vow was exactly what he was hoping for. “My second condition is that the moment we learn where my home is, we have to go straight there.”

  Lerrum froze. “Will you stay there?”

  “Maybe,” said Evran. “Probably not. Regardless, I need to check up on my little sister. It’s been five years already.”

  Relaxing, Lerrum stood. “Thanks, Ev. This means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

  Evran hugged his friend again. “I do, though.”