Professor Guila wrote the finishing touches to the history exam. She stretched back in her chair as she glanced at the clock. It was already eight. How long had she been here? The last rays of sunlight were leaking from the horizon, prompting Guila to call it a night. She put the test in her desk’s drawer and headed home. A few moments after the office door was shut the window outside creaked open. A small rustle was heard as two masked figures climbed through the outside and into the empty office.

They both fell to their knees and gasped for air. The larger figure punched the other on the shoulder, “You said it’d be a few minutes! We were up there for at least an hour!”

“Ow, dammit Shen! I misjudged, it happens, alright. Mishaps are to be expected in our line of work.”

“What line of work? We’re students, not burglars.”

“I prefer the phrase, ‘phantom-thieves-in-training’.”

“What kind of master thief gets stuck dangling from a rope on the side of a tower for over an hour. Ugh, my arms are killing me. It’s a wonder how no one spotted us.”

“All part of my plan Shen. This side of the tower isn’t visible from below. I already scoped this place earlier, they don’t lock the windows.”

“You mean when professor Guila caught you trying to sneak into the girl’s dorm?”

“All part of my plan.” Jack waved his hand and wiggled his fingers.

“So, which desk is Guila’s anyway?” Shen glanced around the room, there were at least half a dozen desks.

“…”

“Are you serious, right now?”

“It’s fine. We’ll just look through them, no big deal.”

“You said this was supposed to be quick. In and out. Do we even know what we’re looking for?”

“Answers to the upcoming mid-term history exam. Duh.”

“I mean what do they look like idiot.”

“Paper like?”

“I hate you so much right now.”

The room was dark and they didn’t want to risk turning on the lights. There could still be others roaming around this floor. It was difficult to make out the words on any of the documents strewn about the desks or inside their drawers.

“I can’t believe I actually let you talk me into this Jack. My arms are going to be hell tomorrow.”

“What do you want me to do, give you ointment, maybe a dash of perfume while I’m at it?” He mocked. “Besides, we both know why you agreed.”

Shen didn’t respond. After a few more minutes of searching Jack let out a small shout of joy.

“Shen, I think I found it. Yep, ‘Examination on the histories of the Asteri and Gemini empires’.”

Shen looked up from the desk he was searching through, “Nice, now let’s get out of here.” As he spoke the door opened.

Shen and Jack ducked under the desks. Guila had forgotten her jacket and had come back for it. She pulled out her lantern, lighting up the room. As she went to her desk she noticed the drawers were opened. Had she left them like that?

Shen and Jack glanced at each other. Jack clutched the exam papers in his hand, he glanced at the window. Shen saw his reasoning and shook his head. “Don’t do it,” He mouthed silently. Though he quickly remembered he was wearing a mask and tried to motion to Jack with his hands.

Guila looked into her desk and realized her exam was missing. “What in the world? Hey, is someone here!” Guila swiftly looked around the room, glancing under each desk. A blur from her left caused her to shout in surprise as the masked Jack ran across the room and jumped out the window.

“Oh shit,” Shen whispered, they were eight floors up.

Guila spun towards him, but he was already running out the door.

“Hey stop there! Don’t you dare run!”

Shen ignored her and sped through the hallway and down the stairs. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the one or two people still roaming the halls. Once he got to the second floor he turned a corridor, took off his cloth mask and tucked it into his pocket. He jogged down the stairs and headed towards the exit.

“Hey, give it back!” a voice shouted in anger.

Shen was about to bolt for it when he noticed that that the voice was not professor Guila’s. He turned around and saw a male student blocking the hallway from a smaller student. A girl.

“I’m just askin if ya’ll have a drink wit me is all, no reason to git angry.” The man said drunkenly. He clutched a book in one hand.

Shen walked over and grabbed his shoulder, “Hey, can’t you get a hint. She doesn’t want to go with you.”

The man looked over confused, then he frowned, “Who are you?”

“Someone who’ll break your arm if you don’t give the damn book back.”

The man shrugged, “Sure.” He threw the book on the floor. “I whaz just talkin to her is all. Not like I was gonna keep the book or anythin.”

Shen looked at the man who stepped back with hands raised. Shen looked at the girl, it was only now he noticed she was pretty, not beautiful like those noble ladies at court, who idolized the high cheek bones, long legs, and faces caked with makeup. No, this girl wore no makeup, was short, and her face was round like a peach. Not fat, just round. Her skin was bronze, and her short charcoal hair was pulled behind her ears. A pair of large rimmed glasses fell over her button nose and shielded her wary soft oak brown eyes. Realizing he was staring, Shen looked away and reached for the book. A sharp pain hit him from his left, as the drunk student punched him right in the face. Shen gasped in pain as he fell to his knees.

“I don mind givin the book bak. I wazint trying to steal it. Just wanna to talk is all. But threatenin me, Alan Cordon, heir to the county of Cordon. That’sh a whole anotha story.” Alan kicked Shen in the ribs. This time he fell to the ground, but rolled away.

Shen tried to breathe, but it was proving difficult, his ribs were in terrible pain. His head felt light, his vision was hazy and he could taste iron in his mouth. It didn’t help that his arms felt weak after holding on to a rope for an hour. Dammit, what was he even doing, letting his guard down like that. He groaned in pain as he tried to stand. But Alan wasn’t going to give him a chance. He rushed at him and went for another kick. His foot landed straight in Shen’s gut. Shen shouted in even greater pain. Alan threw his foot at Shen’s shoulder, but this time Shen shifted away and dodged. As Alan’s foot landed he grabbed it and twisted with all his might. Alan fell to the ground with a scream. Shen smiled, blood coating his teeth, his frosty blue eyes staring daggers at his foe. He jumped on top of the drunk, ducked under Alan’s flailing punch, and delivered one of his own straight to his face. The forced of the punch smashed the back of Alan’s head into the floor and back up, only to be followed up by Shen’s other fist. Like a piston, Shen continued to punch Alan’s face, each punch stronger than before. After about half a minute he stopped and took a painful breath. His anger now fading, Shen looked at the bloody mess that was Alan’s face. He was unconscious. His jaw hung open, several teeth were missing, his swollen and bleeding excuse for a nose was most likely broken, along with his jaw, Shen noted. He had gone too far, again. He stood up and looked at his bloody hands.

He gulped, saliva mixed with blood. He tried to wipe as much blood as possible from his hands. “Dammit,” he muttered. A noise to his right reminded him of his spectator, he looked at the teenage girl who stood watching him silently. Her eyes calculating.

“Hey, are you alright?” he tried to ask as best he could, though it came out as a garble, the blood and already swelling cheek making it difficult to talk.

She stood silent as a deer.

Shen grimaced as he bent down and grabbed her book. He held it out with one hand and with the other grabbed her shoulder, “Hey.”

“Don’t touch me!” The girl shook him off and jammed her knee straight into his groin. Shen dropped the book and fell to the ground, gasping repeatedly yet making no noise. He looked on as the girl bolted.

“Biiiiiiitch,” he groaned.

The resounding steps of heels hitting into the stone floor echoed nearby. “And what do we have here? You don’t just steal from me but now you’re assaulting a fellow student as well? You have a lot to answer for Mr. Stone.”

Shen turned towards a looming professor Guila.

******

Erica swung the door wide open, “Finally, we’re here.” She sighed in relief as she walked into the new apartment and dropped her duffel bag.

Dek followed behind her, giving a quick survey of the dark living room. He pulled out a lantern from his backpack and opened the side lid, revealing a glowing quartz gem. He shined the light through the apartment. “Not bad, a little smaller than our last place I guess.”

“Don’t complain, Dek. I had to bust my ass to forge our new credentials to get into this place.” Erica opened her duffel bag and removed a bottle of liquor. “All so the spoiled brat here could go to a nice school.” Erica threw herself on the couch and began drinking. A habit that Dek had noticed she was doing more frequently.

“Thank you, Erica. I really do appreciate your efforts.” Dek walked out to the window and looked out into the night. A small town sprawled around a set of large buildings, even from here he could see the outline of the superior craftsmanship of the stone buildings. “It’s not just any school, you know. Emerald Grand Ridge Academy.” He recited the name with pride.“It’s the most prestigious school of the entire empire, barring the one in the capital.”

“That’s the problem. You do realize we’re trying not to gather attention, right? And yet you chose to go to the school with the children of some of the wealthiest and influential people in the entire Asteri fucking empire.” Erica complained.

Dek glanced over, “Well, sorry and thanks I guess.”

Erica mumbled something inaudible.

“What was that?”

“Please, shut up Dek. I’ve already had enough with being in the saddle all day and the damnable humidity, I don’t need to hear you incessant talking as well.”

Dek was about to retort his own insult but swallowed it instead, Erica had done a lot to get them here so he decided to just stay quiet. He silently walked into the room that would become his bedroom for how long? Three months, six months, would he dare hope for a year? He had been moving around so often he didn’t have an inkling of how long he’d be able to enjoy this new school. That was his life now though and as much as he hated it, he had to bare it and try to ignore the rest, as best he could. After all, he had a goal, and he’d accomplish it no matter what. He fell into the bed and closed his eyes. He would need the rest for the next day at his new school.

His mind wandered to that fateful day two years ago. He tried to ignore it and after some minutes of restless turning, he finally fell asleep. He was awakened by a constant dripping sound. Had Erica left the faucet on? He opened his eyes and noticed it was still dark. Sleepily he forced himself out of bed and walked towards where he thought was the kitchen. The faucet was off. He then went to the bathroom, there was no water dripping here either. Dek groaned tiredly and decided to head back to bed. He found Erica passed out on the couch, the bottle of alcohol, next to her, empty. Dek stared at his sleeping guardian. You know, when she’s not complaining, insulting, or speaking I guess, she really is beautiful, he thought. Erica had a voluptuous body and she knew it, evidenced by the form fitting and open clothes she always wore. So much for not sticking out, Erica was always the center of attention wherever she went. Her long bright platinum hair didn’t help. Especially how it framed her heart shaped face, and perky nose. Or the faint freckles that danced around her pale cheeks that Dek noticed she disliked. But personally, he thought they fit just right. Of course, he’d never say it to her face, lest he anger her. Nor would he tell her that despite her general peevish attitude that would occasionally get on his nerves, he was actually glad to have her with him.

As he was about to head back into his room he noticed a faint purple glow emitting from the palm of Erica’s hand.

“What is that?” Dek whispered as he knelt next to Erica to have a better look. Small streams of amethyst light were coursing through her palm and fingers. Was this a part of her ability? He looked at Erica’s sleeping face, then slowly touched her arm, only to have his own hand and arm fall through.

“What the fuck!” he screamed as his whole body fell through Erica, the couch, and the floor. Well, several floors actually. Dek fell through all three floors of the apartment complex and then through the ground. He finally landed on a damp floor. Dek panted in fear but quickly realized he wasn’t injured or in any pain. Slowly he got up and looked around. He was in complete darkness now, save for faint blue silhouette that covered his body. Was he dreaming? No, he quickly decided, this felt too real. Could this have to do with Erica’s ability? But he actually hadn’t touched her, though this was in a way similar to the nature of her ability. So, he couldn’t rule out the possibility. Dek sat on the ground for a while, in contemplation, only to be stirred by the same dripping noise from earlier, only now it felt closer. He got up and hesitantly felt his surroundings, hoping he didn’t fall through anything else. From the feel of the stone under his hands, he guessed he was underground, maybe a tunnel. The dripping sound continued incessantly. Having no better recourse Dek followed the sound. After fifteen minutes, he was still walking in darkness with no sense of change, the sound consistent. It felt he had been walking for hours before he saw a faint golden light, Dek sighed in relief and ran towards the light.

He stopped short when he found the source of the sound and light. A vein of golden liquid slowly flowing out of a cracked rock on the side of the wall. The liquid flowed up to the edge of the jagged rock and dripped down into a puddle on the ground, though it seemed to slowly be seeping back into the earth. The liquid shined bright like a fire, or molten lava. It was dazzling, Dek almost failed to notice the man crouching next to the golden pool. He wore a white bodysuit, a mask covered his face, and his hands were wrapped in thick grey gloves. In one hand, he held a thin metal stick that looked a bit like a thermometer. He dabbed the stick into the puddle and quickly pulled it out. Yep, totally looked like a thermometer. The man then scribbled a few notes on a book he had next to him.

Dek froze unsure of what to do. Worried what the man might do. But the man didn’t notice him. “Um, Hello?” Dek said hesitantly. Still, the crouched man didn’t look up from his writing. Dek cautiously walked over to the man. Dek stared at him for a while, then slowly put his hand on the masked man’s shoulder, only to have it fall through again. Dek quickly stepped back, glanced at his own hand then quickly tried again, to the same effect. He began to speak and shout, but the masked man did not notice him.

“Hahhh,” Dek sighed. “Am I dead or something? Or maybe,” He looked at his own glowing form, “this is some power.” Dek wasn’t sure how to react, he should be happy. If his theory was correct, then he was a quintessence user, like Erica, a human born with the extremely rare innate ability to manipulate ether. And yet he wasn’t excited, sure he was surprised, even amazed. And yet for all that he was still stuck who knows where, with a masked man he couldn’t communicate to and a small puddle of a possibly toxic liquid. This wasn’t how he imagined having an ability, something felt off, out of place. This was supposed to be all any kid ever dreamed of, to have super powers. Was this his ability? To be invisible and possibly intangible, or was he just some ghost, if so would he see his parents again? And there it was, Dek thought. He laughed at himself. Nothing’s changed. His parents weren’t here and he was, alone. Dek’s vision blurred and went black. He blinked. It was morning, the sun peeked through the window. He was back in his room. He laid in bed thinking of what had just happened, had it been real? Or was it really a dream. He slowly got up, damn he was tired, exhausted even, so much for sleep.