The blasts grew louder outside, and Akari followed her friends down the hallway. Relia planned to wait for the Fangs downstairs, while Akari and Kalden struck from the balconies above, putting pressure on the enemy shields as they advanced through the streets.

The lights flickered as they walked, leaving eerie shadows on the plaster walls. Talek. They were lucky Irina Darklight found had them when she did. Another ten minutes, and they might have lost power or internet access.

How had Elend not mentioned his wife was a hacker? And how had Irina not found them sooner? Maybe that proved how isolated Creta was. Videos of Relia flooded the news here, but Espiria hadn’t seen one glimpse of those.

Regardless, Irina Darklight was coming to rescue them. Unfortunately, Koreldon City was thousands of miles from Creta. And even with portals and airships, it was still a chore to cross national borders. Most countries had barriers in place to prevent that, and Espiria couldn’t risk offending its allies by breaking through.

“You guys sure you wanna be here?” Relia asked as they walked. “There are more buildings down the street. It would be way safer.”

“We’ve been over this,” Kalden said. “And didn’t I just ask you the same question?”

“I have to fight,” Relia said. “You don’t.”

“We’ve been fighting together this whole time.”

“Yeah, but this is different. There could be Artisans downstairs.”

“What else is new?” Akari struggled to keep her eyes open as she followed the others. Apparently, Kalden’s super-caffine potion wasn’t working.

“We were lucky to escape last time,” Relia said.

“We’ll be fine up here,” Akari said. “The lobby’s like three levels down.”

Relia spun on her heel, giving them both a flat look. “You guys don’t get it, do you? Artisan fire can melt through stone.” She made an exploding gesture with her hands, complete with sound effects. “This place could be a pile of ash when they’re done.”

Akari blinked at that, turning to face Kalden. Until now, she’d thought of Artisans as stronger Apprentices. She’d assumed she and Kalden would be fine if they weren’t the direct targets. But what if the Fangs brought down this whole building? Relia was probably exaggerating about that—larger structures had mana reinforcements. They had to, otherwise one pissed-off Artisan could wreck a whole city.

But reinforcements could fail if they lost power. Maybe it couldn’t hurt to wait next door. Close to Relia, but not too close. Akari opened her mouth to suggest that, but Kalden spoke first.

“We’re forgetting one thing,” he said. “They caught all three of us on camera. The Fangs might still come for Akari and me, even if we hide.”

Relia looked like she might object, then she slumped her shoulders. “Darn it. You’re right.” She turned to Akari next. “And they know you killed one of them.”

Kalden nodded. “Even if they didn’t, the Dragonlord could use us as hostages. That gives him one more card to play when Irina gets here.”

Akari started feeling lightheaded as the others spoke. Her body swayed, and she stumbled into the wall.

“Hey.” Kalden held out a hand to steady her, and she practically collapsed in his arms.

“The allnighter potion?” Relia asked Kalden.

“It’s been half an hour,” Kalden said. “She should be fine.”

Relia asked another question, but her voice sounded far away.

Kalden muttered something about biochemistry as he lowered her to the floor, supporting her head in his arms. Every muscle in her body grew heavy, from her eyelids to her limbs.

“Her mark’s gone!” Relia said.

Akari blinked her eyes open, trying to focus on her friends through her one good lens. Relia and Kalden had lost their marks too. When had that happened? She reached out with her mana senses and tried to feel Elend's Constructs inside her head. They were weaker than before. He’d said they would expire after a few weeks. Maybe this was it?

“Akari?” Kalden said. “Can you hear me?”

“Uh-huh,” she said with a weary nod. Was she seriously about to pass out? Again? Why was that happening so much lately? Getting knocked out in combat was one thing, but this …

The answer came to her a second later: Elend’s dream Construct.

What if that was fading too, just like her mark? What if her soul wanted her to see something important? This could be the final vision that brought her to Gold.

Only one way to find out.

“I’ll be fine,” Akari told them. “Give me a few minutes before you wake me up.”

And with that, she closed her eyes and let herself sleep.

~~~

Skyscrapers surrounded her on all sides—the sort of buildings you only saw in old-world movies. Each one stood two or three times taller than the buildings in Tureko. So tall, she had to crane her neck to see their peaks. Instead of plain glass windows, each structure had intricate designs of twisting metal along the edges. Some tapered as they grew. Others twisted at their peaks like frosting on a cake.

Rain misted from the sky above, and the streets shone with fresh rainwater, reflecting molten red lines from the setting sun.

A fire Missile tore past her face, colliding with the pale blue shield further down. A burning car flew over her head, rolling through the street, knocking over two advancing enemies. To her left, a Gravity Artist lifted the back of a semi-truck and hurled it through a glass window.

Maelyn Sanako.

This was a team match in Last Haven. Akari and Maelyn had lost their other teammates, but they’d also taken out several opponents.

Two more left.

A Fire Artist hid behind a parked city bus, arcing orange Missiles toward them. Asphalt and concrete erupted on all sides as his techniques struck the ground.

“Move that bus,” Akari shouted to Maelyn. “I’ll finish him.”

She gave a brisk nod. “Cover me.”

Akari slid in front of Maelyn as the other girl gathered gravity mana between her hands. As always, Maelyn’s techniques took time to form. Things would get faster when she reached Apprentice. For now, she was vulnerable while she worked.

Akari raised a Construct of pure mana, deflecting several more fire Missiles. She also kept pressure on the bus’s left side, blocking the boy’s retreat.

“Tell me when.” Akari blocked another fire Missile.

“When!” Maelyn shouted.

Akari leapt to the side, and Maelyn flung her gravity Missile straight toward the bus. The massive vehicle lifted off the ground, flying over two dozen feet into the air.

But the Fire Artist hadn’t been idle. He’d kept them busy with smaller attacks, but he’d been preparing a larger technique in his offhand.

The fire mana flew forward, forming a dense volley, too wide to dodge.

Shit. Akari formed another shield, but her pure mana was no match for that. Power flooded her legs as she moved to retreat, but Maelyn had been building a second technique too. She threw a gravity Construct above their heads. It took on the shape of a swirling, semi-transparent orb, deforming the fire mana is it closed in.

Akari threw a counterattack, and the Fire Artist raised a pure shield

Maelyn hurled her gravity Construct toward him, yanking his shield upward, leaving him exposed.

Rain prickled Akari’s fingertips as she raised her hand and unleashed her next Missile. It closed the distance between her and her opponent, sharpening into a point as it flew under the raised Construct.

The Missile speared the boy through the stomach. His shield flickered out first, then both girls breathed a sigh of relief as he faded into a cloud of dream mana.

But this wasn’t over. Their teammates had kept Kalden Trengsen busy, but he’d be here any second.

Akari glanced at her last surviving teammate. Maelyn’s visor hid her expression, but Akari could imagine it, clear as glass. People always wore the same look before they faced Kalden Trengsen, and Maelyn knew the same thing their audience did.

They were no match for his blade mana.

As if in response to her thoughts, Kalden appeared at the end of the street with a storm of swords moving around him.

Akari and Maelyn raced for cover as several blades closed in. By now, Kalden had faced almost everyone in school, earning himself the second highest spot in the Foundation League.

Akari still held the crown, but that would change if she lost today.

“I’ll keep him busy,” Maelyn said. “You get behind him.”

Akari nodded. She and Maelyn didn’t always get along, but the girl was a better team player than most. Others would have refused to be the bait on principle.

Kalden bisected Maelyn’s next Construct it with a flying blade. Maelyn had already predicted that, and she followed with several smaller versions of the technique, each one arcing from a different angle.

Kalden ripped through them all as Akari flanked him from the right. Even with the element of surprise, no ordinary technique would break Kalden’s shield wall. Dozens of other students had tried and failed.

Fortunately, Akari had saved her new aspect for last.

Three days had passed since the ritual with Ashur Moonfire. Three days were nothing in terms of Mana Arts, but she’d spent years of her life studying this aspect, preparing for this exact moment.

Akari cycled spatial mana as she crept closer. It flowed like air through her channels, meeting little resistance along the way. But this also made her techniques trickier to form. If pure mana was like shaping clay, this was like shaping pure hydrogen.

Fortunately, she’d practiced this part too, going through hundreds of bottles worth of spatial mana, and enduring years of failure.

That failure ended today.

Akari waited for Maelyn to fire her next technique. Then she raised her hand and flung a space Missile straight toward her opponent. The mana cut through the air almost instantly, ignoring anything in its path. It slipped past Kalden’s shield wall and stopped a few inches from his back.

Like many advanced aspects, a single space Missile was useless on its own. But Akari pulled it back and flattened it into a Construct—the first half of her portal technique. Even now—at the upper end of Gold—one Construct took at least half her spatial mana.

Kalden launched two blades toward Maelyn’s cover. They curved around the brick wall, silver and glimmering in the faint sunlight.

They arced back a heartbeat later, as red as the clouds above. A burst of light followed as Maelyn’s body vanished.

Then Kalden spun to face Akari.

Shit. She gathered more space mana in her palm, dropping her next Missile into the road by her feet.

Kalden was quicker, launching a pair of blades toward her.

Akari raised her own weapon and parried the first attack. She considered dodging the second, but that wouldn’t be enough. Kalden was a master of altering his mana’s course. He’d slice her up like a fruit if she tried to run

So Akari gathered pure mana into a shield, focusing it all into a single point. Blade man ripped through most Constructs like wet paper, but it would also ricochet off hard surfaces.

Kalden’s technique sang like an anvil as it hit her shield, deflecting harmlessly away.

In the same moment, Akari flattened the Missile by her feet, forming the second half of her portal. Space bent between the two points. A hole opened in the road beside her, and she saw red clouds in a perfect mirror of the sky above.

Akari plunged her blade into the portal. The tip emerged from the other end, spearing her opponent through his shoulder blades.

Victory.

She’d been weak without an aspect, but now she could beat anyone. Even Kalden Trengsen.

The arena blurred into clouds of dream mana around them, and the urban cityscape faded to reveal Last Haven’s arena.

Kalden pulled off his helmet as he faced her from two dozen yards away. As usual, his hair was perfectly styled, and he hadn’t even broken a sweat. But his wide-eyed expression was a work of art. Kalden had never shown any emotion before today. Now, he looked like a child who’d been given his first Missile rod. He even glanced behind him as if he expected to find his killer standing there.

The audience remained equally silent. Even the announcer didn’t speak for several long seconds. Oh well. They’d figure it out when they watched the replays. In the meantime, Akari yanked off her helmet and bowed to her opponent.

Kalden pressed his fists together and bowed back. He’d obviously recovered from his shock because it was the same bow he gave when he won.

No wonder everyone calls him a mindless drone. But at least he was polite.

Akari turned and made her way toward the locker rooms. Unlike Kalden, she was a sweaty mess, and—

The air warped in the center of the arena. The space cracked and opened, and a man stepped out to meet her.

Akari blinked at him, feeling as shocked as the audience had looked a moment ago. “Dad?”

“That was spatial mana,” Mazren said as he stepped out of the portal.

“You watch my matches?” she blurted out. “Since when?” She knew she’d have to face her parents sooner or later. She’d just hoped it would be later. It would’ve been nice to enjoy her victory for a few peaceful minutes.

“That wasn’t from a potion,” Mazren said. “You aspected your mana.”

Akari shrugged a shoulder. “It wasn’t that hard.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Mazren snapped.

Akari shot a glance at the audience. No one could hear their conversation from this far, but many of them stared openly.

“I learned it online.” Akari made her way back toward the school, hoping he’d follow her.

“Stop,” he said. “What’s done is done. There’s no reason to lie.”

Akari froze in place. Her father was normally so carefree or sarcastic. She’d rarely seen him this serious, even when they argued.

“Someone taught you the ritual,” he said. “Someone from outside this sect.”

She didn’t respond.

“Who was it?”

Akari turned around, still not meeting his eye. “Just some guy. Said his name was Ashur Moonfire.”

Mazren frowned. It looked more like confusion than anger or disapproval. “What did he want?”

“Nothing.”

“This is important,” Mazren pressed. “He didn’t teach you that for free. I need to know what he wanted.”

Damnit. Akari bit her lip, staring down at the arena floor. She’d hoped to avoid this part, but Mazren had seen through her lies far too easily.

Just then, she caught a glimpse of something floating in the clouds above—solid black, and shaped like a man.

What the hell?

The man’s form was as still as the mountains themselves, and wings of shadow and fire stretched out around him, twice as wide as his arm span. Then a weight pressed on Akari’s soul. It felt like standing next to a Grandmaster with his power unveiled. Only this person was hundreds of feet away.

Mazren spun to face the floating figure, and so did most of the audience. The man grew closer with each passing second. The air thickened, and she almost collapsed on the arena floor.

A Mystic.

Mystics were the strongest of all Mana Artists. Most of them ruled ancient clans, if not entire continents. Akari had never seen one in-person before, but that was the only explanation for this power.

“It’s him,” Mazren said.

Several seconds passed as a chill spread over her skin, causing every hair on her body to stand up. The weight of the Mystic’s power froze her in place, and her mana refused to budge. Even her mind went blank.

But her father cycled his mana as he stared up at the figure. Then he shot a Missile somewhere into the mountains. Was he making a portal to escape?

The Missile exploded against some unseen barrier. They were trapped.

Mazren fired another technique toward the town hall. Space warped around them both, and her surroundings changed in a dizzying blur. A heartbeat later, Akari stood with her father at the highest point in Last Haven, gazing down at the panicking crowds below.

Up above, the floating figure began forming his own technique.

Mazren turned to face his enemy, gathering spheres of pure mana in his palms.

Missiles like black shadows flooded out from the Mystic’s outstretched hand. They spread through the sky, covering everything in a veil of darkness. This was nothing like ordinary mana. This was like staring into a pure, endless void. Like the blacks holes she’d learned about in her spacetime lessons.

Nothing could escape that void. It even pulled at her memories as she stared, and each glimpse was like seeing the technique for the first time.

The technique grew wider, and the black veil stretched on for miles from horizon to horizon. It blocked out the sun, shrouding the world in a moonless night.

Mazren unveiled his own soul, and the weight of his power made Akari collapse. Once again, this felt far stronger than any Artist she’d felt before. She’d always thought her parents were ordinary Masters, but he was clearly something more.

Her father raised his right hand, releasing the technique he’d been gathering. The Construct formed into a massive dome, wide enough to protect all of Last Haven from that endless void.

All around the sect, powerful Artists added their power to Mazren’s. Barely ten seconds had passed since the invader had arrived, but they all moved as if their lives depended on it.

In that moment, Dream Akari dared to hope they’d be alright.

But Real Akari knew the truth.

This was her last vision—her final glimpse into her old life. That void wouldn’t kill her sect. It would erase them all from existence. And not just their physical bodies. This would erase every record, every photograph, and every memory. It would be as if Last Haven had never existed.

Several more seconds passed, then Akari’s mother appeared on the roof beside them. Her short black hair billowed in the mountain wind, covering half her face.

“Help me with this!” Mazren shouted at her.

Emiri didn’t even glance up at the floating figure. “It’s too late,” she said. “We’re trapped.”

“Can you give us more time?”

She shook her head. “He’s too strong. Nothing we do can change this.”

Dream Akari tried to speak, but her mouth refused to move in the face of so much power.

Her mother turned to face her, putting her hands on her shoulders. “You might not remember this when you wake up. You might not remember who you are, or even your own name.” Then she seemed to look straight through her eyes, as if she were talking to Real Akari rather than Dream Akari. “But wherever we go, we’re going to escape. They can’t hold us. We will never stop fighting.”

The Mystic’s technique collided with her father’s shield. Mazren held the void at bay, but only for a heartbeat. Cracks spread through the Construct, then it shattered like a frozen ocean, fading into pale blue mist.

Darkness consumed them as the void passed through the cloud of broken mana. Time slowed to a crawl, and everyone she knew vanished like shattered dreams. It was as if they’d always been illusions, and this technique revealed the truth.

And as the people faded, so did Dream Akari’s memories. Even Real Akari felt the effects across space and time. In that moment, she thought she might forget everything she’d learned from these dreams.

When Akari opened her eyes again, she found herself laying on the street beneath the A16 overpass, a few blocks from downtown Elegan. Her mother lay on the street beside her.

They’d both been stripped of their power. Lies replaced their memories, and bronze badges hung from their necks.