“You three are crazy,” Zander shook his head. “I’m outta here,” he added, turning and storming out, his thudding steps echoing down the stairs a second later.

  “Leaving already?” Daedrik's muffled voice came from the living room as Zander reached the door.

  “Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Jakari,” Zander could be faintly heard. “Mom doesn’t like me staying out too late, so I better be off.”

  “Oookay then,” Daedrik said, and the door slammed behind him. “It’s only five… that’s some tough parenting. Noble families, huh? Poor kid.”

  “Wow, he actually left. That’s one way to go about it,” Ellie chuckled, turning to the other two.

  “Yeah, Ellie. That’s exactly what we wanted.”

  “Well, Arix is fine, isn’t he?”

  “I’m better than fine,” Arix jumped off the bed.

  “Hey! No jumping,” Daedrik shouted from downstairs.

  “Ooops,” Arix grimaced.

  “Good to see you okay, Arix. And Ellie–”

  “What?”

  “Can you please stop trying to antagonize Zander?”

  “Huh, antag-on-ize?” Ellie tilted her head.

  “Stop trying to start fights!” Kal said.

  “Hey, he’s the big dumb mop-head starting fights, not me.”

  “Ellie.”

  “Fine, I won’t fight with the mop-head,” Ellie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

  “I’m being serious. He is the captain of our club, remember? You two might not care, but I want to learn something about fencing. Not to mention he’s a freaking noble. Who knows what trouble he could cause if you keep it up.”

  “Fencing, why? You’re like really good at magic, and you’re only a kid. What good is a stupid sword?” Ellie said.

  “You know what, I dunno, Ellie. But here’s the thing: preparing for the unexpected is smart. And I don’t plan to remain held up in a tiny town like Ebenshire or stuffed away in a magic academy like my father. I plan to see the world and have adventures. That means I need to be prepared for everything that’s out there. And that means learning skills like sword fighting.”

  “Yeah, yeah, fine,” Ellie huffed. “I get it. I’ll try to be nice to Zander, I suppose.”

  “Good.”

  “Wow, it’s getting dark already,” Arix said, looking out from Kal’s window as the sun slowly crept below the horizon, casting blood orange through the room. “I feel like I lost a few hours.”

  “What a surprise,” Kal said.

  “Beetle,” Kal's mom called from downstairs. “Dinners ready.”

  “Your mom calls you Beetle?” Ellie snickered.

  “Yeah, is that embarrassing?”

  “Well, obviously,” Ellie rolled her head. “Jeez, Kal, why don't normal things embarrass you like everyone else?”

  Damn, kids, that’s not normal. It’s cute. Appreciate it while you can.

  Kal had lost his original parents years ago and had long recovered from the trauma of it, but these little things brought it back. Despite not feeling the same bond for his second parents as his first, he still very much enjoyed Yandi’s affection.

  “It's fine,” Arix said. “My mom calls me Little Lemon.”

  “Oh, that's cute,” Kal smiled.

  “What's going on? I don't like this,” Ellie wrinkled her nose. “You two bonding without me.”

  “What about you, Ellie?” Arix said. “What pet names does your mom call you?”

  “None. Well, El. But that’s not the same.”

  “Maybe I should call you El,” Kal grinned.

  “How about—no.”

  “What about Melon, then?” Arix raised his index finger.

  “Melon? I like it. From today onward, you shall be known as Melon,” Kal nodded.

  “Shut up, that's stupid!” Ellie's cheeks reddened.

  “Sorry, Melon.”

  “Shut it. The next person who calls me Melon gets a punch.”

  “Dinner,” Yandi called out again. “Don't make me tell you a third time, Beetle Bug.”

  ***

  “What happened to your eye, Arix?” Yandi said. “Do you need me to fetch the ice?”

  “No, I’m fine,” Arix gingerly patted his bruised eye as he poked the vegetables on his plate with a fork.

  “This is really great, Mrs. Jakari,” Ellie said, shoveling lasagna into her mouth. “Sooo cheesy,” she added, eyeing a rubbery sting of cheese stretching out as she pulled a fork full away from her plate.

  “Acting innocent,” Kal sighed.

  “I'm glad you all like it,” Yandi beamed a smile.

  “I hope your parents aren't going to get worried about you two staying this late,” Daedrik said.

  “Oh, Daedrik. Tammy's like a sister to me; she'll be fine,” Yandi said, patting his arm.

  “What about the boy?” Daedrik muttered from the side of his mouth.

  “Arix, dear, your parents…”

  “You’re right. Thanks for having me over, Mr and Mrs Jakari.” Arix pushed away from the table and bowed his head. “Thank you for the food.”

  “We didn't mean now,” Yandi raised a hand.

  “No, you're right. They're going to be getting worried. Besides, I had a great time. Thanks for having me over.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “Let me,” Daedrik rose, walked to the door, and held it open for Arix.

  Night had fallen, but an oil lantern filled the entrance with light.

  “Are you going to be okay walking home alone?”

  “I'll be fine. It's only a few minutes to the city watch outpost, and after that, there's street lamps the rest of the way home.”

  “You're a brave kid.”

  “Well, that’s easy in a sleepy town like Ebenshire.”

  “See you at school tomorrow, Arix,” Kal waved.

  “Bye,” Ellie added.

  “I suppose I'll take you home once you've finished eating, Ellie,” Yandi said. “I need to catch up with your mother anyway.”

  ***Next Morning***

  “Hey, Kal,” Ellie waved as she spotted him weaving through a cobbled alley on his way to school.

  “Hey, Ellie.”

  “I can't believe we've all awoken our cores now. How cool is that? You know, I didn't really believe we'd all become mages back then. But we actually did it.”

  “Yeah, kinda hard to believe, huh?” Kal nodded. “Life has a habit of being strange.”

  “Yeah, when you’re around,” Ellie grinned. “By the way, Kal–”

  “Huh?”

  “You're not going to leave us, are you?”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Magic examinations. It doesn't happen often, from my understanding. What if it comes around, and you know—we’re not ready.”

  She had a point. Examinations for Magic Academy only came around once every four years, and there was no way Kal would miss them. However, it wouldn’t be easy for Arix and Ellie to get through at their age, even if he did help them.

  “I dunno. I hadn’t thought about it too much.”

  “Yeah, right. Liar. There’s no way someone magically obsessed like you hasn’t been thinking about the examinations.”

  “Okay, fine. I have. If I’m being entirely honest, I will be taking the exams when they come.”

  “Oh,” Ellie sighed and looked down at her feet. “I get it.”

  “Don’t look so glum. I’ll do whatever I can to help you and Arix. I’m not trying to run away.”

  “That’s good, at least. I don't want you to leave, Kal. At least not without me and Arix by your side.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

  Damn, I didn’t realize how much these kids relied on me. They’ve done well to both awaken their cores, but there’s a gulf of knowledge and experience between that and learning the magic required to pass the exam.

  “Ellie–Kal—there you are,” Lydia waved, her face twisted into a panic as she ran toward them with a man at her side.

  “Oh, hi Lydia,” Kal waved.

  “Have you seen Arix?” She said between panted breaths.

  “We haven't seen him since yesterday,” the man said, his face creased and brow furrowed inward.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Sorry, I'm Damien—Arix’s father.”

  “Didn’t Arix walk home last night?” Ellie crooked her head.

  “Last night?” Lydia's eyes widened. “Alone… Damien, what's happened to our baby?”

  “We need to let the guard know immediately. Ask around. I'll head to the watch house,” Damien said, nodding to Kal and Ellie before turning and running down the street.

  “My baby,” tears traced Lydia's cheeks as her knees began to tremble.

  “Are you okay?” Kal said, rushing toward her and strengthening his body with his mana as her knees collapsed, catching her before she hit the cobbled road. “Lydia!”

  “Kal… is it true?” Ellie whimpered behind him. “Is Arix really missing?”

  “I dunno, but I plan on finding out,” he replied, checking for a pulse and then checking her temperature by patting Lydia's forehead.”She seems okay. Probably just fainted.”

  “Hey, what’s going on over there?” said a couple of patrol guards, spotting Kal hunched over Lydia.

  “She fainted.”

  “Yeah. Kal caught her,” Ellie added.

  “You did good, kid. But you can leave it to the pros now.”

  “Here, let her down softly,” the guard said, helping Kal ease her down against the ground. “You two better rush off to school. It should have started by now, if I’m not mistaken.”

  “What about our friend?”

  “What friend?” The two guards shared a puzzled glance.

  ***

  I can’t believe those two bozos made us go back to school when Arix is out there somewhere.

  “Quiet now,” Mr. Doltz raised his pointing stick at the class. “Which of you know how our country got its name—The Kingdom of Lynnis? Come on.”

  No one answered.

  “Someone besides Master Jakari, please.”

  “Ahh, you know Kal doesn't have his hand raised, right?”

  “He what?”

  “Huh?” Kal raised his head from the table.

  What do they want now? Kal groaned internally. He couldn't keep his thoughts straight since hearing about Arix, and everything seemed so damn irritating.

  “Okay, well, Miss Tigari, since you interrupted my class, do you know the answer?”

  “I ah–I dunno,” the classmate said, shrinking behind her table.

  “Please, Miss Tigari, know the answer if you intend to interrupt my class in the future.”

  “Sorry, Mr. Doltz.”

  “You better be. Anyway, as I was saying,” Mr. Doltz tapped on the blackboard. “The etymology of the Kingdom of Lynnis traces its roots back to the great champion and first Archmage, Alton Lynnis. It may be hard to believe now, but once a great Archdemon and his hordes ruled this land. It wasn't until a party of great heroes led by Alton Lynnis drove them from their dark citadel atop Mount Kargil that the land was free.”

  “Boring,” a kid interrupted. “Everyone knows this tale.”

  “Well then, why weren’t more hands raised?” Mr. Doltz growled as he turned back to the class. “And where are you going, Master Jakari.”

  “Sorry, I need to step out,” Kal waved and exited the room.

  “Master Jakari, you get back here this instant!” Mr. Doltz screamed after him, his eyelids twitching and face turning red.

  “Sorry, I gotta go too,” Ellie bounced from her chair and ran after Kal.

  “Miss Draper, where do you think you're going!”

  “Kal, Kal,” Ellie called out, chasing him down the old, ornate corridor.

  “Oh, you came.”

  “Of course I did. You're not the only one thinking about Arix, you dummy.”

  “Sorry, you're right. It’s just that…” Kal trailed off, staring through one of the windows that lined the school’s corridors into the courtyard. “You’re not the one who showed him how to awaken his core.”

  “You think he’s missing because of that?”

  “I dunno. I didn’t say anything before, but when he awoke his core, I saw something.”

  “I did, too,” Ellie nodded. “Something inside me.”

  “No,” Kal shook. “It’s different. Something happened to him, probably because of the mana spheres. And it’s all my fault.”

  Kal was certain it wasn’t all a coincidence. The sensation he had felt was too similar to the Dimvale Woods.

  “There you two are,” interrupted Principal Dore. “Mr. Doltz said you two walked straight out of his classroom. Do either of you two have anything to say for yourselves,” he added, waging a finger.

  ***

  “First time I’ve had the school’s top student in my office. But I suppose there has to be a first for everything,” Principal Dore glared across his hardwood desk at Ellie and Kal as he tapped a pile of papers together. “So? Spit it out.”

  Ellie stared at her feet while Kal’s gaze snuck out through the window at their side.

  “It’s not too late to reverse the damage you’ve done. But if you’d prefer disciplinary action, then keep treading this path.”

  “It’s our friend,” Kal said distantly. “He’s been missing since yesterday.”

  “Friend?” Dore’s voice softened, and he placed the papers down.

  “Yeah, a student named Arix Maestrom.”

  “I see,” Principal Dore sighed. “That is troublesome news. Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “Sorry, my mind has been elsewhere.”

  “Sorry, Principal Dore,” Ellie blurted out without raising her gaze.

  “It’s fine,” Dore waved and rubbed his temples. “Situations like this cause stress. I’ll have your parents come pick you up. I’ll even advise them to let you have a couple of days at home. But ultimately, it will be their decision. Hopefully, your friend will be found soon.”

  “Thank you,” Kal murmured.

  “Just take it easy, okay?” Dore’s brow furrowed empathetically. “Leave difficult situations like this up to your parents and the city guard. They’re trained for this kind of thing. What you two need to do is rest and recover. Stress is no good for a young mind.”

  “Yeah, we’ll try,” Kal forced a smile.

  I have to go in there. The chance that the woods and Arix are related can’t be a coincidence. Daedrik didn’t even notice Arix’s possession; I doubt he’ll notice this. I can’t sit around and hope someone else picks up on it.

  Kal wrestled his thoughts back and forth, considering whether or not to seek help from Daedrik. It wasn’t just about avoiding a scolding. If Arix had been possessed somehow, would he be safe around Daedrik and other mages?

  He had read enough books about exorcisms and demon-slaying to know that they were often a death sentence for the unfortunate people who got caught in the middle.

  No, I have to do this alone. Everything that’s happened is my fault, and I can’t let Arix take that risk for my failures. I won’t let him die.