"So how'd you get to Diamond?" Damien asked while laying across one of the most expensive white couches he'd ever been on in both of his lives.

It felt like a cloud. When he'd leaned onto the backrest portion earlier, he'd sunk in as if nothing was there until a gentle caress rebounded his body.

'Maybe I don't actually have a thing for Alexa, but really, really soft stuff.'

"I kicked some cocky guy's ass in a duel," she responded, sitting beneath his legs a little further down on the couch.

Damien laughed.

'Na, she's alright too.'

He lifted his head a bit from Kastra's lap and looked away from the ceiling to see Alexa smirking at him. She was massaging his calves as Kastra ran her fingers through his hair. They were spoiling him as a means of apologizing, and he was loving every minute of it.

"Brought to you from the same mind that claims not to be violent."

Alexa rolled her eyes at his response and shrugged.

"So, you can beat someone up and move up in the school's ranking system?" he questioned.

"That's basically how it works... at the higher levels," she said, trailing off slightly.

He set his head back down.

"Must be perfect for you then."

He felt her hands lift up from his shins, probably to smack him, before they set back down and he heard her lean into the couch.

"I'm not that... whatever..."

She sighed and he laughed.

"So tell me more about the ranking system and beating people up," Damien said.

"It's not beating people up, it's taking their spot in the tier through dueling," she said defensively.

"Well, that then. Tell me about it. You only explained there were ranks that gave rewards whenever you came home," he said back.

"Well, that's what they are for essentially. Better treatment throughout the academy. Not from the teachers, but as a whole. Better housing, more access to higher tier books, bigger practicing grounds, higher monthly allowance for food and other things... the list goes on. It basically makes your stay here more comfortable and is a show of power once you leave," she explained.

"A show of power?"

"Yeah. When your seven years in the academy is up, the only way you can graduate with your seal, the ring on your finger, is if you make it to gold. The seal states that you met the requirements the academy demands and that you are a Mage they recognized in your younger years. If you make it to diamond, you can leave the academy early with the ring meaning you don't have to stay a full seven years to keep it. No one ever really does that though. Most prefer to spend the full time here to continue improving in a safe environment."

Damien nodded. It made sense. If their acceptance was based on whether or not the person was dedicated to magic and had excellent talent prior to making it in, why wouldn't their graduation be just as stringent, if not more so?

"What is the rate of graduation anyway?" he asked.

"I think it's around seventy percent," Alexa said. "Most people make it to gold and every Celestial that gets in has made it. A bit unfair, since we are given more time to practice before coming, but that's just how it is. Most Celestials test into bronze still though, just higher up in the system."

She finished her response and he continued to stare at the ceiling, processing the information. It basically meant that Celestials always had a place here if they wanted it when they turned eleven.

"Wouldn't that mean Celestials could just slack off once they got here?" he asked.

"No. The academy requires constant improvement on yourself and the magic you possess or you'll be kicked out. If you test in at gold, your requirements are the same as any other person who starts out at gold. If you start out at bronze, you have bronze requirements," she said.

"Well that's just great!" he said, sitting up with a scowl. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, now I have to try or reveal what I can actually do. I was planning on just learning basic magic and things I would have trouble with on my own..."

"Oh boo hoo, you don't get to slack off," she replied with a grin.

"Well, what about if you slack off once you reach diamond?" he asked.

"If you reach diamond b tefore you're seventeen, it's seen as more than competent enough to not have to advance your magic for thirty years and you'll still be on the stronger side of the mages of the world. You can leave any moment you want. They don't care what I do anymore, they just want me to stay afterward and continue to support the academy. I've already been offered a spot teaching water and ice magic," she said.

"Wait, really? Why?" he asked.

"I'm just stronger than a ton of people when utilizing them. When you taught m-"

"Stop," Damien said, sitting upward abruptly.

He turned around to Kastra behind him.

"Did you ward this home yet?" he asked in a serious tone.

Her eyes widened as she shook her head no. Damien sighed as he felt Alexa tense up beneath his legs.

"Fuck. Ok. Do it right now please," he said, rotating his body up into a seated position.

"Damien, I'm sorry I-"

"Not your fault, Lexi. We all forgot," he interrupted while Kastra stood up from the couch. "How long will it take?"

"Less than a minute," Kastra said as he felt the mana in the air begin to gather.

"Less than a minute?" he asked, eyebrows raising as he sighed again.

"I've been training these past few years too, you know. I didn't just fool around out here," she replied defensively.

"No just... less than a minute and we forgot. That... that sucks," he said, rubbing his temples as he leaned forward.

Alexa was still tense and he tried to smile at her but couldn't. It wasn't that she was about to spill something extremely important that was irritating; it was that he'd stated he could do more than what he'd shown. There was a chance that the school as a whole would pay closer attention to him now, moreso than what they'd planned to do with where he'd tested already. Hopefully, they'd believe he was just blowing smoke, but he doubted it. First Human in the history of the school to test into gold and here he was saying he could do more, running his damn mouth.

"I'm done," Kastra declared, sitting back down, looking tired.

"Thanks for that. Could you tell if anyone was watching?" he asked nervously.

She nodded.

"There was one person whose vision I cut off, coming from that direction," she said, pointing in the opposite direction the lake was.

Alexa groaned, "That's where the school is."

"It makes sense," Damien stated while inwardly cringing. "They probably only spy on Diamond students and those that are intriguing from other tiers. You'd want to know how someone got that strong, so young."

Looking at her, Alexa was still stiff as a board and her eyes were concentrated as if in thought. She was probably blaming herself.

Damien scooted his body towards the right and leaned toward her. He reached over and starting rubbing her wings, causing her to jump slightly, following which Kastra laid across both of them and rested her head in Alexa's lap.

"It's fine, Lexi. It wasn't anything really important and I'm the one who said it anyway. Don't worry about it."

"But if I wasn't in Diamond this year-"

"Then they would still pay attention to me for being the first Human in gold on entrance. It isn't your fault, I'll just have to be careful with what I say outside the house," he declared.

"I should have been scanning for it too," Kastra said. "Those men that watch us haven't tried to listen in for a long time so I stopped paying attention all the time. If I had been scanning-"

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even have the opportunity to stop prying eyes," he cut in, scratching her stomach and causing her to tense up from the slight tickle it brought on. "It's fine guys, really. Stop worrying. Blaming yourselves isn't going to help. Would you be able to track who it was though?" he asked, stopping his poking and tickling when she smacked him.

She shook her head, "I could if we were out of the school but with all the different mana signatures in the air I couldn't pinpoint it."

"We'll just be careful then," he said. "Any idea who it was Lexi?"

She shook her head no with a grimace and he smiled at her. The tension had slowly begun to leave her body as he massaged her wings, at least.

"Well, anyway. We'll figure that all out later. If anything, we'll find out who it was soon enough. What were you saying about beating people up to become diamond?" he asked.

Alexa looked over at him with a questioning face before seemingly deciding to let him change the subject as she thought for an answer. He poked her in the side and she yelped, then glared at him and gave one.

"You don't beat people up, you duel them," she said while reaching down and running her fingers through Kastra's hair.

Kastra's eyes closed and her expression softened.

"And the goal is to beat them up in the duel?" he asked with a grin.

"...basically yes, but I don't like what you're implying. You duel someone above gold to take their spot. There can only be five diamond students at a time and forty platinum ones, twenty Mages and Twenty Combatants. If you want more privileges, you move up in the ranks."

"What about the noncombatant mages though? Isn't that a little unfair?" he asked.

If you were a support Mage or a Healer, how would you get access to all that stuff?

"Noncombatant classes don't study in the same area as the rest of us. They have a private building further back and are given their own set of privileges," she commented. "From what I understand though, their system is a little similar, if much smaller."

Damien nodded.

"Who holds the top five spots here, then?"

"Well, I'm currently number five. Rias Ahlers is at the top right now, she's an Elf who is in her seventh year. She's a combatant specializing in ground manipulation as a Knight. Kasper Farello is in second and a Kreel, specializing in Ice as a Rogue. Yosef Barnes is a Dresmyr and specializes in illusory magic as a sword dancer. He's th-"

"What is a Dresmyr?" Damien asked.

"No interrupting!" she chided before continuing. "It's a race from across the ocean though, similar to Hellials. They're rare here, and even more rare outside the country. They're a dark-skinned race that are born fishermen and very good swimmers. You'll see when you meet one, but they have two extra arms above their waist and a bit of webbing between their fingers. Many believe them to be related to the Nivari, in fact," she explained as Damien nodded along. "Anyway, he's third and his sister Sharla, an ice sword dancer, is fourth. I'm fifth and the only Mage to be in Diamond. Eita Musian, a Dwarf Katana wielder who specializes in fire, is the one I beat to take this spot, knocking him back into Platinum. I was only able to beat him because my element directly outclassed him and because of what you taught me at close quarters combat," she said, finally finishing her earlier statement and smiling at him.

"Are Combatants really that strong?" Damien asked.

"Up until Mage communes, they are far stronger than them, especially in solo combat. Until I arrived, not a single Diamond slot had been held by a Mage for over fifty years. The academy is meant to refine a mages knowledge and skill before they commune and most do during their seventh year. The number of graduates would be about five to ten percent higher if they waited until after they left, due to there being more than a few deaths during the process, but the medical staff here makes it more appealing to attempt a commune in the country."

Damien stopped scratching her wings and considered the information again. He had originally thought that the academy was just for Mages until last year and still thought they were dominant, but since Combatants used mana for body strengthening and close quarters magic as well, it made sense that they'd be the top dogs of the school. The fact that the school allowed them to remain the only ones in Diamond, dominating and discouraging Mages, was confusing though.

"Why not set up separate tiers for Mages and Combatants? Isn't it kind of unfair that Combatants take all the best digs?" he asked.

"Digs? If you want something work hard for it," Alexa replied. "That's the motto at this place, so they basically instigated a rivalry between the two groups. I'm enemy number one right now and will be receiving a challenge from the best competitors weekly when the year begins. I'd... well... I'd planned to try and commune by then," she admitted after some hesitation. "I was going to bring that up today, actually. I wanted to try today... or tomorrow," she finished, looking down slightly.

Damien's body went rigid.

"Shouldn't you wait another year?" he asked. "You still have one more to go after this."

"Why, though?" she asked, turning her body and facing him directly. "I haven't learned anything new and am extremely comfortable with where I'm at in my element. I've even read all the documents elite water mages have left behind. They all give me nothing compared to what you did, and I actually understand what you explained to me now," she said, holding up her hand and continuously rotating a ball of water between ice and steam. "If I didn't, we wouldn't be in this home. I would have done it last year, but I wanted you and Kastra to be there for it," she admitted as he noticed her body beginning to tense up.

Damien sighed and rubbed his forehead. It made sense. It didn't, but it did. This world was backward in its thinking, but that was part of its beauty. If everyone followed the path of science, the world would be destroyed from what communed Sentients could do alone. It was war-torn and governed by gods who gifted them strength based on how comfortable they were with an element. People sought power from that, not understanding.

It also made sense for Alexa to do it sooner rather than later. He'd taught her everything he'd remembered about water and its different states, but not as much as he wished he could have. Absolute zero, atomic states... he didn't know the specifics of them, only that they existed. He'd wished he'd paid more attention in chemistry, but it was too late now.

Alexa would not get any more diverse or powerful with regards to manipulation if she didn't commune. They had not the tools or power to study atomic theory. If she didn't commune, she'd still be very strong, sure, but not quite at the level of someone who had communed in this world. He hadn't known enough to give her that much of an edge. She'd grow stronger as her manipulation quantity improved and her control increased, but ultimately she'd be limited by what she could fathom.

And there was no way to ensure she'd survive.

"There is no way to absolutely make sure you'll come out ok?" he asked again after sighing, just to be sure.

"Well, I think I like my odds. It's always seemed the gods favor people who are stronger but... there is no surefire way to ensure that I live, no."

"... there is no surefire to ensure that I live, no," Alexa said nervously, glancing at Damien.

The thought scared her. She didn't want to die, but she knew she had to go through with it. It was something that was a part of this world as much as breathing, and not something she could avoid. Still, she couldn't help but come up with reasons to avoid it.

She hadn't told the full truth about last year, either. She had almost gone through with it alone. She had gotten so far as walking into the lake, but without Damien or Kastra, hadn't been able to push herself to go further. It felt wrong. What would they feel if she didn't make it? A sudden vacancy in the pact? Pain? Would they come running for two and a half months only to find out she'd died alone?

No. She wanted them there for good or bad; they deserved that much from her for everything they'd been through together. She wouldn't kid herself, either. She needed them here. In fact, telling them about it now was her way of being unable to back out of her decision, and a way to receive support.

Damien looked at her nervously and she knew exactly what he'd say next. She also knew what she had to say in response.

"You don't have to-"

"No," she declared.

"But-"

"No, Damien. I won't be a damsel. The world is full of dangers and I want to be able to protect those I'm close to. I won't allow you to talk me out of this," she stated with finality.

He meant well. He'd probably say that he would protect her, and he probably could. She wasn't even sure if she was stronger than him at this point. Hell, Kastra could probably protect them both, and though it would be nice, it wouldn't work out.

Alexa refused to be the girl that stood behind their tall backs, nor her families. She would fight and die if she had to. She would never be happy always being the one under protection, though the scared little girl in the back of her mind wished she could.

"Al-"

"You think I don't know you plan on communing?" she shot back in an attempt to get him to stop trying to change her mind. "I know you, Damien. We both know you. You'll risk your life because that's what will ensure your families safety the most in the future. I'm going to do the same. I won't-"

Her words were silenced as Damien tilted her chin toward him and stole her lips, kissing her much longer than she'd ever kissed him. Her mind blanked out, clearing all the anxiety and fear she'd been holding as her shoulders began to relax. Her heart pounded in her chest harder and harder the longer it lasted. She'd always wanted him to kiss her but this... not like this.

It felt... wonderful.

Her face began to burn up at that thought as she sank further into it, becoming more and more confused but captivated the longer it lasted. After what felt like an eternity but in reality was only a few seconds, he pulled away.

"I know, Lexi," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her body against him. "I was going to say alright."

She looked at him in a daze.

"Wh... what-"

"You wouldn't stop yelling, so I improvised," he interrupted, slightly red in the face as she felt his heart pounding through her arm. "Did it really feel that good?"

She considered the question before absently nodding, unsure of what to say or do. It was no doubt she'd lost control of her heart and spilled over everything she was feeling at the moment. She couldn't lie even if she wanted to as in this moment, she felt she'd tell him anything. Give him anything.

Alexa felt satisfaction, joy, love, and pride all coming through from Damien. She looked down to see Kastra grinning at her while emanating a feeling of warmth and happiness.

"Wanted to do that before you try, anyway," he said, scratching the side of his face as she rested against him, still at a loss.

Her mind began a constant cycle of tearing itself down while building itself back up. Why hadn't it ever felt like that when she'd teased him? Why did it last so long? And why had it felt so warm in her stomach?

'What the heck was that?'

She did her best to quell her new thoughts but found it was hard to do, especially with him so close, but was unwilling to push him away. The fear of trying to commune had disappeared underneath everything else, and even when thinking about death, it didn't resurface. Warmth spread throughout her body from his and Kastra's as she found the resolve she'd been lacking.

"I want to try it now," Alexa said, sitting up then standing, making a b-line for the back door while Kastra rolled off her legs with a yelp.

"Wait what?" Damien called out from behind her.

"Now, it has to be now," she yelled again from the hallway as she heard his and Kastra's footsteps beginning to follow her.

She moved through the new house at a quick pace until she found a sliding back door in the kitchen, and immediately walked out it, almost jogging over to the large pool that sat outside near their patio furniture. The sun had begun to dip on the horizon and was casting an orange glow over the yard, just above the pool line. She made it as far as the edge of the pool where she stopped, staring down into the dark water while her heart pounded once again in trepidation and nervousness.

"Why now?" Damien asked from behind her as she felt the two approaching.

"Just... now. It's the best time to... I'm... do it again," she said, turning around to face him while blushing.

"Do what again?" he asked.

"Kiss me. Do it again," she demanded, tilting her head down in embarrassment.

'Why is this so embarrassing?'

She felt him step forward and wrap his left arm around the small of her back, pulling her against him. His right hand found her chin and pulled her eyes up to meet his.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked.

Alexa nodded, unsure of if he was referring to the kiss or commune, but her answer would be the same either way whether or not she understood why. A kiss was a thing shared between members of a family, yet it had felt so much different.

His hand moved from her chin, lightly tracing along her jawline until it rested on the side of her neck as he pulled her face to his. Their lips met and she felt as if a jolt of electricity had traveled down her spine and throughout her body at the contact, bringing warmth everywhere it touched. She lifted her arms and placed a hand on his shoulder and one on the bicep of his hand touching her neck.

She felt weightless and realized it was because he had started lifting them with his air mana, a zone of pressure beneath their feet holding them up as if it were ground. The kiss deepened as he pulled her closer, her trying to follow along as his lips moved against hers, drawing the air slowly from her body. Her entire being had begun to heat up as she felt her hands begin to clench on his toned muscles, drawing herself into his embrace seemingly without her conscious design. Her lips parted further as she reached for more of him when she once again felt a feeling of weightlessness as his arms let her go and the wind disappeared from beneath her.

She fell while looking up into the beautiful, cloud grey eyes of the most important thing in her life as he smiled down at her. She hit the water feeling regret that the moment had ended, wishing she'd have chosen to do this at another time. But there was no turning back.

She stared up at him through the swaying water she was slowly falling deeper and deeper into.

'I Ask The God Of Water: Feel My Resolve'

A loud ringing sound from a bell rang out, creating a single, dominant ripple over the top of the pool that stabilized every wave her drop had created, and Alexa's consciousness was robbed of her.