The spring break began, and Juniper found herself nearly alone on campus.

Evie, Faro, and the majority of her classmates had left on the field trip the Academy sponsored for any interested second year. For many, it was the highlight of the semester.

Juniper didn’t see the point.

The trip had been advertised as a chance to practice their combat abilities on live monsters in the wilds somewhere away from the Ebonhollow mountain. References had been made to some trip a few decades before, when a lucky student or two had made off with some rare herbs or other advancement resources.

Everyone, however, knew it for what it really was. A way to relax a bit, to unwind after their most daunting series of exams yet, and to gather their wits before they had to choose their Path.

A waste of time, in Juniper’s view. Why not strike the iron while it was hot? She was still undecided on her future Path, so the best way to resolve that conundrum was to keep studying until she had her answer.

Not everyone had gone, of course. Some had opted to spend the break back home with their families, while a few more had remained at the Academy.

One particular student, Juniper had been extremely surprised to see.

What’s he doing here? she thought as she peeked over her copy of On the Motion of Bodies.

Juniper had camped out in the library again, as she often did in her spare time, and having found a great spot that overlooked most of the main hall, when she spotted a familiar clay colored mop of hair at the edge of her sight.

Varis Braccus cut a rather imposing figure as he walked through the library’s main hall, which annoyed the abyss out of Juniper. He was well built, and his uniform had been tailored to fit him like a glove. He walked like he owned the place, which wasn’t too far from the truth.

As the first son of the Duke Braccus, whose domain included the Skystrall Academy, Varis was everything she was not–rich, well-connected, good looking–

The last one stung the most. Not that she liked him, of course. To Juniper, Varis was everything that was wrong with the world.

But, in the quiet recesses of her mind, she had to admit she was jealous.

She did find it odd that he was here all by himself, though. Juniper would have put down gold that Varis would be on the class trip with the rest of his buddies.

Suddenly, he turned around with a rather confused look on his face. Juniper ducked behind her book, grateful that the gigantic tome was more than enough to shield her from his view.

The last thing she wanted was for Varis to catch her glaring daggers at him.

Juniper waited a minute for him to give up his search, then peeked over the book again. It took her a moment before she found him again–to her puzzlement, Varis had gone to the medical section, where he was browsing the various rows.

Juniper looked at him askance. With the Path choosing coming up in the next couple of months, year two’s shared curriculum was over–and the current semester had only Psychotronics and Herblore as the from among the living sciences. So, the only reason he’d be studying medicine was–

Of all people, him? A healer?

Juniper’s eyebrow twitched.

***

Juniper was on her way to the Academy’s main gate for the first time in almost a year when she heard a timid voice call out, and after a quick glance around the plaza and seeing no one else, she realized it was addressing her.

“I’m sorry, miss, do you have a moment?” a young woman asked.

“Yes?” Juniper replied, clearing the permanent scowl off her face. A moment later, she remembered her manners. “Can I help you with something?”

She took a moment to give the young woman a look-over. She was younger than Juniper by a few years, and garbed in rather plain, cotton clothes–of good make, however. Not a student, Juniper thought, as the uniform was mandatory on campus, even during their free time. Probably a commoner too, as the more privileged kids would have a guardian with them.

“You’re a student here, right?”

Juniper raised an eyebrow, then bit her tongue before she could make a biting remark. “I am, yes,” she said instead.

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure…” the girl said hesitantly. “I’m looking for the admissions office, I think,” she said, making it sound almost like a question. “There was supposed to be a tour for prospective students.”

Juniper nodded, recalling having passed a few more kids on her way here, and she felt a twinge of sympathy for the girl. She’d been in her shoes, too, once. “Right that way,” she said, pointing over her shoulder. “Take a right at the fountain. There were some other kids headed that way, you might catch up to them if you hurry.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Thanks,” she said as she broke off into a run.

Juniper shook her head, lips curling into a slight smile. Cute kid, she thought, then let out a laugh. The girl was probably no more than two years her junior, but after two years in the Academy, it felt more like a decade.

Juniper continued out of the gate, nodding at the guards as she passed.

Skystrall Academy, much like its name suggested, was really high up. The entire area was mostly mountains, but the Academy had found the highest peak to prop itself on. This meant the road down to the city of Ebonfell was long and winding–by foot, it was about a three hours walk.

If you weren’t a practitioner.

Juniper hadn’t yet learned how to fly–that was part of the fourth year curriculum, she’d actually checked–but that didn’t mean she was helpless. As a practitioner of the Soul Connection stage, she’d already nurtured her Soul to its current limit–and where the Soul went, the body followed.

Even without casting anything, Juniper was about as fast as a man in his prime; and when she drew on her Will, amplifying the forces her legs generated, she could do the trip just about as fast as a car–though a car would leave her in the dust on a straight road.

She grinned as she ran through the wooded path. It was invigorating–exhilarating, really. She rarely had the chance to let loose like this, as people tended to look at you weird if you went on a mad dash on Academy grounds.

Juniper reached the city within the hour, no more winded than when she’d begun. She’d collected a few leaves in her hair, which she picked out while jogging the last hundred feet before the Sky Gate.

As the road exiting the Sky Gate led only to the Skystrall Academy, it was open at all times–there was no need for guards. Juniper entered freely, merging with the mass of people crowding the streets of Ebonfell.

She’d missed the bustling of the city, Juniper had to admit. She was right at home with being just another face in the crowd.

Juniper followed the familiar streets, forgoing a shortcut through the seedier parts of the city–while she was confident she could at least walk away unharmed from a scuffle with one of the gangs, she couldn’t afford to mess up her only good clothes: her uniform. Where she was headed, appearance meant something.

The crowds thinned out visibly as she got closer to her destination, and soon she was at the gates to the Jardiniere. She pushed her apprehension down–she’d need to do some fast talking to make the guards let her in.

Pretend to be a haughty noble lady? She scratched that idea immediately, she wasn’t wearing nearly enough silk. A messenger in a great hurry? She’d used that one before to great effect, though not

She approached the guards with more confidence than she was feeling, and before she could even open her mouth, her plan fell to pieces.

The guard gave her a single disinterested glance then suddenly snapped to attention. “You can go right in, miss,” he said, motioning to his colleague above to open the gate.

Juniper walked through, somewhat dumbstruck. She’d expected at least some resistance–the Jardiniere was one of the most exclusive sections of Ebonfell, second only to the Ducal palace. They weren’t supposed to let in any riff-raff like her–

She paused. Except, she wasn’t riff-raff anymore, was she?

She was wearing the easily recognizable Skystrall Academy uniform. In Ebonfall, which was built around the Academy, this meant something–even as a neophyte practitioner, she was part of a different social class than before.

She felt uneasy at the recognition–as if it were undeserved.

Shut up, you idiot, she told herself. If you don’t deserve this, then who? Those stuck-up nobles?

Deep in thought, Juniper didn’t realize she’d walked straight past her destination. She backtracked until she reached a sprawling mansion, clutching the piece of paper in her pocket. It’s the right place, June. Just go in already.

Steeling herself, she walked up to the door. There was no bell or ringer, as she was used to, except for a single brass knocker in the middle of the door that looked like a dragon’s head holding a ring.

Juniper raised her hand, but before she could touch the knocker, the dragon’s face moved.

“Please keep your hand away,” the door knocker said, its voice coming from inside Juniper’s head. “It makes my teeth rattle.”

“You have teeth?” Juniper asked before she could think any better.

“Of course I have teeth,” it said with a hint of derision in its voice. “Now, what is the purpose of your visit?”

Juniper blinked. “Um, I’m here to see Doctor Shivala.” Then she added, “Evangeline Hale sent me here.”

“Young miss Hale, hmm?” the dragon asked rhetorically. “And what is your name?”

“Juniper Lorn.”

“Wait just a moment, please. I will inquire with my Mistress.”

“Alright,” Juniper nodded, feeling slightly dazed. Today just wasn’t her day, was it?

Half a minute later, the dragon stirred again. “Mistress will see you now,” it said, and the door opened by itself. Juniper expected an ominous creak, but she supposed they had well-oiled hinges in the fancy parts of town. “Go forward until you reach the end of the hallway, then take the first door on the left. You can go right in.”

“Thank you,” she said and took a step into the mansion. “And, I’m sorry for the rude question.”

“‘Tis no issue,” it said, sounding slightly surprised.

Juniper followed the plush carpet through a darkened corridor to the room the door knocker had indicated. There were electrical lights on the walls, though they seemed to be there for ambience more than lighting. She was about to knock, when a voice from behind the door called out, “Come in!”

Well. At least this one hadn’t come from inside her head. The door opened into a large, bright room. Juniper blinked twice as her eyesight adjusted to the brightness, and she realized the room was a solarium.

A few armchairs, chaise lounges and sofas were arranged in a circle in the middle of the room, interspersed with planters containing small trees and climbing vines. Combined with the dense vegetation outside–the Jardiniere was naturally known for its vast gardens–it created a cozy ambiance that put Juniper at ease,

A middle-aged woman sat one one of the chairs. She was dressed smartly, wearing a pants suit, and her hair done in a bun. She gave Juniper a smile as she entered. “Hello, Juniper,” she said. Her voice had an odd quality to it–a kind of sweetness, but not so strong as to be called sugary. “Sit down wherever you’d like.”

Juniper sat down on a chaise lounge, some of her apprehension returning. “I’m surprised you could see me on such short notice,” she said, unsure how to begin.

“My schedule’s not that busy, most of the time,” she said with a curl of her lips. “Though I do have to say, I was expecting you sooner.”

Juniper started. “You were?”

Doctor Shivala nodded. “Yes. Your friend, Miss Hale sent word you’d be coming a while back. She wanted to make sure everything was in order.”

“Oh,” Juniper said. “Yeah, I was still debating whether to come. I don’t…” she trailed off.

“You don’t think there’s something wrong with you, is that right?” Doctor Shivala said, giving Juniper a knowing look.

“I–how did you figure that out?” Juniper frowned at the woman.

Doctor Shivala gave her a slight shrug. “It’s something I hear rather often. You might even be right–but that’s something we’ll have to determine here, together.”

“Alright,” Juniper said, her voice small.

“So, Juniper,” Doctor Shivala said as she crossed her legs, putting her hands in her lap. “Tell me what’s been bothering you.”

“I’ve been finding these notes in my things,” she began, her hand reflexively going into her pocket, touching the last note she’d discovered–note number four, which she’d found in the bathroom cabinet when she’d opened it to take out her toothbrush. “At first, I thought someone was pulling a prank on me–I found it during an exam. But the second was under my pillow, and that’s when I started to get scared.”

“You don’t think Miss Hale could have been the culprit,” the doctor surmised.

“No. She’s not the type, and–she offered to help.” She paused. “Actually, I did suspect her for a bit, but then the third note showed up–in my locker. My soulbound locker.”

“What do you think happened?”

Juniper gave her a tight laugh. “Well, I’ve been looking into ghosts, but that didn’t really pan out. Which means it had to have been my doing,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “But it could still be a curse.”

The doctor was thoughtful for a moment, then asked. “What do these notes say? Are they threatening you?”

“No,” Juniper said, shaking her head. “No, there was nothing of the sort. They were blank, except for some dots. One more dot, each time.”

The doctor tilted her head to the side, raising her eyebrows slightly. Juniper began to worry. Did the doctor not believe her?

“Do you have any of these notes with you?”

Juniper’s hand was out of her pocket before the doctor had even finished her sentence. “Yes. Here,” she said, offering her the note.

Doctor Shivala took the note carefully, holding it by the edges. She looked it over, turning it on all sides. Then, Juniper felt a resonance in the world, and she realized the doctor was casting a spell.

It brought Juniper some amount of joy that the doctor’s first idea was to test the note.

“Hmm, interesting,” she said, giving Juniper the note back. “Now, aside from this, have you had any other occurrences you might have thought strange?”

“Just another thing. I felt, a few times, like I was being watched, but whenever I checked, there wasn’t anyone in my field of view.”

“I see,” the doctor said, looking thoughtful. “Now, I’m going to cast something on you–it’s only a diagnostic spell, and it won’t be too uncomfortable.”

“Are you going to read my mind?”

“No,” the doctor declared vehemently. “I’ll be looking for patterns in your mind, but I won’t have access to your actual memories.”

“Alright,” Juniper said with a nod. Moments later, the resonance returned, this time converging on her head. The doctor hadn’t been wholly wrong–it wasn’t too uncomfortable, but it was still a feeling she could do without. It felt as if someone was touching her brain with a spoon.

After a minute that had felt much longer, the feeling receded, and the resonance dispersed.

“Well, Juniper, I have good news for you,” the doctor said, and Juniper perked up. “There isn’t, at the moment, anything wrong with your mind. There’s nothing that indicates any kind of memory loss–of either the natural or magically induced kind.”

Juniper’s eyes widened; then she bit her lip. “I feel like there’s a but coming.”

“There is, indeed, a but coming,” Doctor Shivala said, her face turning a shade more severe. “A few of them, in fact. I’ll begin with the one I’m in a better position to help you with.” She took a deep breath. “Your mind, right now, is still acting within normal parameters. It is, however, evident from even a brief look that you are under a tremendous amount of stress right now. You need to find a way to unwind.”

Juniper grimaced. “Isn’t that normal for a practitioner student?”

“To some extent, yes. I was in your shoes some thirty years ago–I know what it’s like, the struggle to be the best. But you need to find a way to release some of that pressure.”

“Pressure is what makes diamonds,” Juniper shot back. Why was everyone obsessed with taking breaks?

“That’s true–if you’re a chunk of carbon. But what does too much pressure do to a copper pipe?”

Juniper looked away. “It bursts.”

“It bursts,” Doctor Shivala repeated. “You are not a chunk of carbon, Juniper. You’re a human–and humans come with all sorts of annoying limitations. Ignoring them doesn’t make them disappear. You’re simply borrowing against your own future–and in the end, you’ll still have to pay.”

Juniper sighed, still not looking the doctor in the eye. She knew the doctor was right, logically. But she still felt like if she succeeded in her goals–if she managed to leave this world–she’d be in a much better position to deal with the consequences.

“What’s the other thing?” she asked, masterfully–not–switching the subject.

The doctor was silent for a moment, until it was clear Juniper was not going to budge. “I ran some tests on your note. I assume you did the same, did you not?”

“I checked it for magic, yeah, but it came back mundane.” Juniper perked up, looking at the doctor. “Is that not right?”

“No, your assessment was perfectly right, if not entirely complete. There is nothing magical about your note. However,” she paused, looking Juniper straight in the eyes. “none of the materials that went into this note came from Esanys.”

Juniper’s eyes bulged, and after a moment she realized her jaw was hanging open. “What?”

“Your note,” the doctor said, somewhat amused. “It did not come from this world.”

Juniper’s mind struggled to come to terms with this new information. “It came from Cassia?”

“I did not say that. I merely said it did not come from this world,” she said. Then, sheepishly, “though it could have come from there. I cannot say.”

Juniper contemplated this, new theories popping up and being shot down by the second. At the very least, she had one definite victory–she was not going insane. At least, not yet.

But the idea that the note had come from a different world opened up a million new questions, none with an obvious answer–but all of them boiled down to three essential questions: who, why, and how.

She didn’t know where to even begin unwrapping any of them.

Juniper swallowed nervously. “What do you think I should do?”

The doctor blinked. “Do? I don’t think there’s anything you can do. This is not my Path, so all I can offer is an educated guess.” She shrugged. “Perhaps you caught one of the Cassian official’s eye. They visit, sometimes. Or perhaps it’s just a cosmic accident.”

“So it’s nothing to worry about?”

“I don’t know. Whoever or whatever this is, though, doesn’t seem intent on causing you harm.”

“So I should just wait and see.”

“That is an option. You could also take the note to a diviner, if you want to find out more. Divination is only tangentially related to my Path, so my ability with it is middling.”

“I see,” Juniper said, rising from the chaise longue. “Thank you, Doctor. This is… a big weight off my chest.”

“You’re welcome,” the doctor said, rising to shake her hand. When Juniper tried to take back her hand, the doctor squeezed, not letting her go. “But Juniper. Don’t forget what I told you about the stress. Unlike the note, this is something I can help you with.” She released Juniper’s hand, who took a step back.

“I’ll… keep that in mind.”

“That’s all I want you to do,” the doctor said, giving Juniper a sad smile. “Take care.”

***

As soon as she was out the door, Juniper sat down on the stairs, cradling her head.

“Was it that bad?” a voice rang out in her head. Juniper jumped, looking around–then her eyes fell on the dragon-headed door knocker, looking all too pleased with itself.

She glared at it, without any real heat behind it. “It wasn’t bad, just… world-shocking revelations.”

The door knocker tapped its ring a few times, but all Juniper got out of that was a sense of… amusement? Was it laughing at her?

“Everyone feels that way at first,” it said. Juniper sincerely doubted anyone had problems as strange as hers. “It’ll pass, like everything does.”

“I’m sure you know all about that,” Juniper muttered.

“I do,” it said, a stout assurance in its voice. “I don’t sleep, you know. Day by day, night by night–I am here, and I watch. Decades, centuries–different people, all the same worries, all over again. It gets better. Usually.”

“And when it doesn’t?”

“Then it doesn’t. We all have our burdens to bear. But sometimes they’re too heavy.”

Juniper snorted. “What’s your burden?”

“I have to deal with recalcitrant little children,” it replied without missing a beat. “Terribly bothersome.”

Juniper stood up, brushing the dirt off her pants. “Then I’ll get out of your… hair.”

“You do that,” it said, almost gleefully. “Though, young lady,” it said after a pause, “I do hope I’ll be seeing you again soon, yes?”

“Maybe. Probably,” Juniper said with a grunt. “Jury’s still out on that.”

“Then let us hope it comes to the right decision.”