The clouds swirled below my feet like a great fire. As I glided from each, as the night sky called and bellowed, I felt a cool breeze sweep over.

Behind me was a trail of white fabric. A loose dress that flowed like waves, like it'd encase me.

There was nothing. The moon wasn't there. There were just clouds and sky, a scriptures' writing on pages.

The wind was calling my name, whispering it into the night like a forgotten melody—a forgotten lullaby.

Fire.

Fire grew beneath me. It rose up, burning the very tips of my dress. I clutched my chest as I ran through the darkness. Ran toward a dark figure at the end of the trail of clouds.

"Blessed child," it said. "Beautiful thing, you are. Stop running from the flames. Let them wrap you."

The voice was foreign. I heard screams. Screams of children echoed behind me. Slowly, the clouds disappeared from below me, and my bare feet touched ground. Solid ground.

Chaos.

Children ran around me, carrying what they could. A little girl dragged a doll missing its leg behind her as she ran.

The dark man stared at me, no emotion, no kindness behind those hollow eyes. It was as if something had been there—something far worse than this—but before I could tell what it was, a child tripped, falling onto me.

I tried to pull myself up—pull the little girl up—but another pair of arms lifted me up, and I spun around—

Fires.

They were everywhere.

*~⚜️~*

My eyes flew open, my body drenched in warm sweat, my arms trying to feel if I had burned. I wanted to scream, but the sea had clogged my throat, and I couldn't breathe.

Sharp pings of pain prickled my eyes, but I couldn't cry.

I was trapped against my bed, not able to move, not able to grasp onto anything, anyone, for help. My body was still, a rock against nothing. I wanted—no, I needed to scream.

There it was. My yell was loud, deafening, almost piercing. I pulled myself off the bed, holding my knees, shaking, quivering, still yelling. I needed Whila. I needed her to hold me and caress my hair and tell me I'm all right—that it was all a dark dream.

Instead, the woman I had seen in Avaloryn's tent came in lazily, her hair disheveled. "Are you mad?" she said bluntly. There was a subtle annoyance in her voice, but it vanished when she looked at me. "Why are you shaking?"

My mouth didn't answer. I snapped my neck away from her, looking at my knees. I didn't need her help—I needed to leave this place. I knew that. "Who are you?"

"We both have questions, but I asked first." I heard her set herself down on the ground. "Bad dream?"

Just tell her and get it over with, the voice told me.

"Nothing," I said. "I thought a snake crawled on me. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You know that's a lie. You wanted them asleep, and you know it too," the voice told me.

"You're lucky they're all training right now. They would've killed you had they heard your scream," the woman said. Slowly, I looked at her, admiring her beauty. Dark hair that curled slightly at the ends, her eyes a darker shade of green than leaves at night. She was frail; no muscle, perfect skin, no calluses. She wasn't one of Ashe's assassins. "Kallia. House Rebloe." A common House. "And you're of the prestigious House Daen?"

I stayed silent. Say something. You'll give yourself away. "Of course I am," I quipped. "What other House could I be?"

Kallia shrugged and combed her hand through her hair. "Just curious. There are rumors that Manea de Mertaire was actually of House Cadice, you know?"

A lie she spread years ago after Kace nearly found out about me. "She obviously isn't," I muttered back. For one of Ashe's slaves, she sure annoyed me.

"I'm not stupid. Cadice never died, and so his House never dies. I pity those that cannot end their miserable life. Imagine how many ran from their own horrors—their own fears." She frowned, but not before she leapt up and held her hand out toward me. "Let's go."

I decided then that I didn't like her one bit.

"Where?"

"Training. I want to watch." Excitement bloomed on her face.

*~⚜️~*

Kallia stayed quiet, which I appreciated. Morning light began shining, and I couldn't help but smile. Then I remembered how long I had been here: a few hours.

People just started exiting their tents from either side of our trail. I'd never seen so many unfamiliar face at once before. They all looked different, and I wasn't sure what it was. Most were leaving the opposite direction we were walking, their children following behind them. "Where are they going?" I asked.

"They're harvesting," Kallia answered.

Rotten liars. Prodos had lied to Father, said that the ground here wasn't fertile enough to grow crops. Little did he know that he had a whole farm here, his own people taking our food.

I turned and continued walking, wondering where this "training area" was. I didn't wonder for long as we halted and entered a forested area that had no trail. Admire this, Valarya. Your kingdom. That voice needed to leave.

I was about I ask why we had entered before something fell next to me. Kallia carefully pushed me aside, watching as Avaloryn picked herself up. "Morning, dear," she said, but not to me.

Kallia nodded her head in response. "Where are the rest?"

Avaloryn smirked, a wicked thing it was. I shuddered, thinking about how she could've killed Kace with it on. "I'm about to find out—"

A faint scream was let out of my mouth when I saw an arrow nearly drive itself into Avaloryn's back. She pulled herself to the side, turning over a shoulder as she threw a dagger, hitting the center of a tree. "You're in the middle of our competition, ladies," Avaloryn hissed annoyedly.

Kallia pulled me back and sat me down on a log, handing me gloves. "It gets chilly in the afternoon," she said.

"It's not the afternoon," I whispered.

"It'll be by the time they finish," she said, almost surprised, but not quite as Henneh fell onto Avaloryn, pinning her head down.

Another arrow was shot, this time grazing Henneh's ankle. She stepped over Avaloryn's body and peered her head from her shoulders. "I thought you were one of the boys," she merely said to Avaloryn. "My mistake."

A branch fell onto Henneh, knocking her onto the ground, but not alone. Perched on it was Ashe, an intimidating sort of grin playing on his lips. "Apologies, thought you were Rysdan."

It finally clicked for me: they're trying to get Rysdan.

The three of them kept their backs against each other's, moving around the area together and in sync. I couldn't hear a sound—a breath—

Until an arrow went right by my head and landed beside me on the log. A warmth came against my ear, and then they whispered: "Keep this secret between us." His hand wrapped around the arrow and pulled it out of the log.

Rysdan stood on the log, completely balanced and focused as he shot toward Henneh.

As if Ashe knew, he pushed Henneh to the side and revealed a sword. The arrow hit the blade, bouncing off. Within seconds Rysdan was running, Ashe and Avaloryn chasing after.

Rysdan wasn't fast. It was a matter of time before Ashe tackled him against a tree, pinned his arm on the ground, and Avaloryn tied him to the tree. "Next time," Ashe murmured, "don't waste time talking. That'll get you dead."

Ashe pulled away, sweat coating his body. You know that was because of you? the stupid voice said. You should've never allowed him to speak to you.

Kallia clapped, standing on the log. "Best one yet! Rysdan, you're too cocky," she yelled.

"I'm cocky because I'm good," he shouted back.

They all made their way out of the wooded area. Kallia stayed behind, picking up a necklace that I had seen Avaloryn wearing when I first saw her.

I could've sworn it shifted colors when the ray of light hit the gem.

~~~~

Quick little Author's Note:

I would've never finished this chapter hadn't nelz_diamond04 constantly reminded me to write. Without her, I don't think I would've ever gotten with chapter out. When I first started writing this story, I promised I'd pump out one chapter per week. Well, a lot of stuff came up, and it's getting harder and harder for me to be able to. However, I still will be trying.

Please go check out nelz_diamond04's works. She's an amazing person and an amazing author!