Cateline’s veins stopped glowing after a few hours, and as her leg warranted it, she went for a walk across the academy. Lighthelm seemed quiet since her accident, but she wasn’t sure if that was due to her being out cold for multiple days, or as a precaution to help others avoid such dire mishaps.

After Leolina had given her that concoction, though, Cateline felt something within her tingle. She felt the urge to go somewhere, anywhere, but where her feet took her was another story. Cateline, although healed of her wounds, felt like her mind had grown numb since the injuries. As if something had become disconnected. She turned the corner and caught a glimpse of a girl with long silver hair that waved at the ends, her pale skin glistening beneath the flames that flickered across the walls. Cateline paused, a flash of what had happened days prior rushing throughout her mind like a bad dream.

The memories seemed faded, and even though Cateline knew what had happened to her, it felt surreal. No scars tainted her skin, no mental disarray. She was simply, and undoubtedly, numb.

Seeing Aiora stand at the entryway of Lighthelm aroused this visceral reaction to follow, to discover a little more magic that drifted throughout this Kingdom. Watching Aiora move towards the large, double doors, Cateline only followed suit once she was certain she was far enough away. Growing up in a castle was surprisingly mundane, and often she would spend her days sneaking along the various wings to discover little bits of scandals that bounced between the servants. She knew of Seraphine’s affair with Tomas, a man who her father would never allow her to marry. She also knew of Tomas’s affair with many other women, a likely pursuit of happiness once he found his beloved Seraphine would not take his hand in marriage. Life was simpler back then; from the people she knew and the things she spent her energy on.

Following Aiora was like a test of focus. When they ventured out of the academy, Cateline found herself in awe. Her home, the Kingdom of Axulran, was bitten with frost most days. This kingdom was likely only a hop, skip, and jump away from here, but this environment exuded so much more liveliness. Traburg was chilled yet growing with greenery so vibrant and full of energy it fueled her sense of mischief. The sky sparkled with tiny little balls of light, the stars forming around the brilliant moon in a breath of beauty. As her feet traversed across the gravel, and onto to the town, the homes housed individual lanterns alongside the doors. Each window was blocked with storm shutters, and the roads were still.

The only two walking along this area were Cateline and Aiora. In a silent pursuit to quench whatever desire that resided within her core, she took note of Aiora’s mindless walk. Her hands stayed still at her side, unmoving as she shifted towards her undetermined destination. Cateline rested against a tree as Aiora stopped along a shoreline, reaching her hand to shift the sand around. Deciding this may have been a failed attempt to learn more of magic, the Princess huffed in defeat and turned her eyes towards the green mountains. At the top was an idle flame that illuminated at the peaks, shimmering in and out before it vanquished into the sky.

Just as Cateline was about to depart back towards Lighthelm, a vibration shook the earth. Aiora was dancing across the sand with a long stick in her hand, tracing behind her every movement. The ground glowed beneath her marks, a line of fire ever so slightly appearing at the corners of the symbols. The fog that rested over the water began to shift beneath the moonlight, parting as if forming a path. Aiora’s chants were but a murmur from where Cateline stood, but the power within her voice echoed into the sky. The Princess stood upright and dropped her hands to her side, moving a little closer in hopes of watching this happen up close. As the tips of Aiora’s fingers glowed, so did the whites of her eyes. A blue so vibrant it appeared like lightning, an aura of danger enveloping Aiora and was released into the horizon with such force it pushed the water back in a wave.

The Princess gazed into the distance and saw a tower unravel from the fog. A lone looming construction erected from the mist and came into existence as if it had been there all along. The air grew wavy, and as Aiora stepped forward, she disappeared into the air. Cateline let out a gasp and stepped to the stretch of sand, reaching out her hand in hopes to push through that invisible barrier, but she was met with nothing aside from empty air. The mist began to fall again, residing over the water like it was moments before. She looked down at the sand and gaped at the charred symbols before they evaporated into particles of dirt that wafted away in the wind.

───── ❝ 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊, 𝖊𝖓𝖛𝖞 & 𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖈 ❞ ─────

Cateline wasn’t sure how long she had waited in the foyer. Pacing between pillars in an attempt to ease her wandering mind, she had never seen such power, and when she first met Aiora she wouldn’t have guessed that type of magic would have expelled from her. Aiora was indeed powerful, Cateline had no doubt in her mind that is why Mistress Leolina chose her to mentor scholars, but the Princess had figured it was in the way of lighting a candlewick on fire without a source. A roar of laughter came way from the courtyard, and without a doubt she heeded it and caught sight of Thaddius. He sat alongside a pixie-like woman, her blonde hair short and wavy. They both turned to Cateline once she approached them.

“Thaddius,” Cateline said and nodded towards the girl, otherwise paying no mind to her. “I need your assistance.”

He furrowed a brow and shook his head, “With what, Princess?”

The word ‘Princess’ was acidic. “You see, I saw something. Out in town.”

“Was it a farmer picking weeds? I’m sure you’ve never been so misfortunate to work in a field.”

Cateline felt the apples of her cheeks burn, she had to grit her teeth to stop from attacking this man with her words. If she wanted answers, she had to have allies. “No, Thaddius, it was not. It had to do with that friend of yours, Aiora.”

The satyr’s eyes grew wide, and the girl aside him shifted. Finally, Cateline looked at her before speaking. “And you are?”

The girl had brilliantly blue eyes and a nose that curved upwards. When she spoke, her bottom lip quivered. “I am Avina. And you?”

“Princess Cateline, of Axulran.”

The girl blinked at the Princess, her mouth wide before clamping it shut. “I must go, Thaddius. It was a pleasure seeing you again.”

The girl hopped to her feet and scurried away without another word. Cateline’s brow furrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Alright, now that’s not quite fair. I didn’t even say anything to the girl!”

“As always, Cateline, you just have a presence that is unnerving. What of Aiora, then?”

Thaddius rested his back against the wall, his chestnut hair long and messy. Cateline found herself trusting Thaddius more than she trusted Aiora and Varin, there was a sense of authenticity about him that spoke volumes of his character. “She ventured into town, and I decided to follow.”

“A normal way to spend the evening, I see. Go on,” Thaddius said with a toothy grin.

Cateline pursed her lips before sitting next to the satyr. “She was acting odd, to say the least. The whites of her eyes were blue, and she was chanting something I’ve never heard before.”

“To be fair, what of magic have you heard before, Cateline?”

“That is entirely beside the point. The fact of the matter is she was not acting like herself. To top it all off, she disappeared into the air!”

“Poof?” Thaddius said with glee.

“Yes, Thaddius, poof! I don’t appreciate the lightheartedness. She vanished into another realm. Is that not abnormal?”

Thaddius let out a sigh and shook his head. “Nothing of this academy is normal, Cateline, and neither are you. Perhaps you should spend less time snooping about in others’ lives and put forth the effort required to harness your own magic.”

Cateline’s jaw dropped, she had never been spoken to in such a way. Her fists clenched and looked at him with a narrow glare. “You seem to be preoccupied in your own attempt at comedy that you are missing the point.”

He shrugged his shoulder and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Or maybe… just maybe, I have accepted that anything I put my energy towards won't have an answer unless it’s meant to be. Aiora has her secrets, so do I and so does Varin. If you wish to remain safe, you have to learn what is worth digging up and what is not. Varin has that issue, too. Curiosity seems to consume the both of you.”

Cateline’s eyes watched Thaddius as he stood, brushing bits of dirt off the back of his shirt as he walked towards the academy doors. “I call that cowardice.”

He stopped, peering at the girl over his shoulders before flaring his nostrils. “I have goals outside this academy, Cateline. Whatever goals Aiora has is beyond mine and should be beyond yours. Learn your power, and then leave. That’s best for everybody, I think.”