“They’re frightening,” Ella-Mai said to Yuriko after one of Master Alfein’s classes. “My family has a storm shelter under the house with the walls almost completely covered in runescript to bleed away the ambient Chaos.” She shivered. “When it gets too much, mini bolts of lightning would jump from the walls and strike whatever was around.”

“It’s that bad here?” Yuriko asked.

“Worse than what happens after you’ve gone into a secured room,” Ella-Mai grunted, “is that, outside, the first thing that happens is an increase in ambient Chaos. That’s usually where the trouble starts, not during the storm, but afterwards.”

“Ah, Chaos-touched?”

“Beasts, insects, any of those can change,” Ella-Mai grunted. “The Eye of a Chaos Storm rarely enters a plane,” she continued, “but I heard from my old man that this one is likely to.”

“Ah.”

Yuriko brushed dust off her bag. Sharom’s uniform that she’d thought was too warm turned out to just be enough to ward off the cold of the Season of Air. With the blustery winds and the intermittent rains, she considered adding a few more layers of clothing. She could use her Field to warm her body up too, though that was a bit wasteful.

Ella-Mai shivered in her coat too. The shorter girl was painfully thin. The two of them had struck an easy friendship, though it was mostly based on the fact that they each minded their own business. Besides, the Rumiga City native knew quite a bit about the underlying currents in the Academies, and even more important, between the noble houses.

“They won’t leave you alone?” Ella-Mai asked. “I know you’re beautiful and all that but I’ve never heard of your lineage. Looks alone isn’t enough for the scions of the Ducal Houses.”

“What are you talking about?” Yuriko asked idly. “I’ve no interest in that right now.”

“Hie hie, you may have no interest but that’s not stopping them from trying,” Ella-Mai giggled, “Well, my House is nominally aligned with the Kinnock but I’ve seen how dismissively you look at Emyr. Heh, you’ve a better impression of his older brother, don’t you?”

“Kale? I suppose. He’s an excellent fighter.”

“Ah, I see.” They arrived at Asmund Hall’s front entrance. “Well, goodbye for today.” With a quick wave, Ella-Mai headed to Learner’s Pass, which was the main thoroughfare from the campus’ main gate to the Central Reserve.

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Yuriko waved absently.

It was still early in the afternoon on the 25th Day of Air.

Social Studies was really a pain in the neck, she thought to herself. Quite literally this time, since they’d gone through posture training today. Balancing a book on top of her head was easy, but not when the Instructor added a filled glass of water, another book, then a steel ball on top. Then she asked them to dance.

Wincing at the sudden memory, Yuriko rubbed the back of her neck and glanced behind her. Most of her classmates were still in the lecture hall, nursing sore muscles. Krystal, Mikel, Heron, Braden and Orrin, were probably still inside.

She spun on her heels and headed back inside, finding Krystal and the others already headed out.

“Headed back to the Willow?” Krystal asked and when Yuriko nodded, she added, “I heard a storm could last for several days. Everyone on the Upper Ring has to go into a shelter.”

“What about those on the Mids and the Lower Ring?”

“The cliff face mostly protects them,” Orrin answered for Krystal.

“The Chaos storm loses strength the further one is from the planar barrier,” Braden added. “Those in the countryside don’t have much of a problem.”

“Ella-Mai said that the storm’s eye will enter the plane,” Yuriko said after a moment of silence. “When was the last time that happened and how bad was it?”

“Our instructors should know,” Heron grunted.

“Right.” Yuriko shook her head. “I’m a bit worried about it.”

“Why would you be? Our instructors and the dorm leaders will tell us what to do. Emergency measures are in the handbook,” Heron said firmly.

“Yeah, all students, well, all of us living in the dormitories, will have to stay in the Storm Shelter,” Krsytal affirmed.

“Er, really?” Yuriko chuckled awkwardly. “I haven’t had a chance to read the handbook…er, thoroughly.”

The six of them decided to go through the Central Reserve instead of around the Academic Roundabout. The tall trees cut the winds there and it wasn’t raining at the moment. The cobblestone path was a circuitous route around several of the Reserve’s features. From the western side, it was mostly small clumps of trees, each one with a small clearing at the centre, perfect to have a picnic or a small gathering.

Smaller paths led around the area though they mostly followed the main path. After a while, they would come across a brook that was about a pace deep along most of its length. The brook’s current was quite rapid today, as the normally clear water was cloudy with mud and bubbles.

The eastern side of the Reserve was a hilly terrain with the brook cutting right across it. The path went around this area, which was of lower elevation. Yuriko saw a few groups of students, squads from their number, playing war games. The path gave them a good view of the peripherals.

“I wonder how long we’ll have to spend in the shelter?” Orrin mused. “Maybe we should ready a grab bag of necessities. Just in case, you know?”

“I agree,” Mikel nodded. “I don’t want to spend days in the same pair of underwear again.”

“You had a change of clothes back then, Miki,” Krystal said drily.

“Yeah, but the lack of sanitary facilities was annoying.”

“When do you think it’ll come?” Yuriko asked.

“A week, I think our instructor said,” Krystal answered.

“That’s enough time, I suppose.”

The boys and girls separated ways when they came back to the Academic Roundabout, with the two girls heading south to the Golden Willow.

“Want to spar a bit?” Krystal asked.

Yuriko cocked her head at Krystal, “Why not, I guess. You seem unusually eager, these days.”

Krystal grinned. “What are you complaining about? Weren’t you the one pushing me to train more?”

“Well, I’m always up for it.”

They changed out of their uniforms and into training clothes. They met each other at the courtyard and exchanged blows with wooden swords. While Krystal wasn’t a challenging opponent, Yuriko practised using braided Intent on her sword dances while fighting.

As before, her Animus was sluggish to the point that her own movements were affected but she was still fast enough that she presented an even match with her friend. After a while, Krystal backed off and asked with a guarded expression.

“Are you even trying?”

“Yes. I’m testing a new technique.”

Krystal’s frown deepened for a moment, before she sighed, “Oh, alright.”

They continued the spar with Yuriko working on smoothing out the flows of her Animus. The thicker Intent strands needed a certain trick to it. She managed it every now and then and the difference in her performance was obvious enough that Krystal backed off, whining.

“What was that?”

“The new technique.”

“You’re combining your sword dances.”

“Yes.”

“Please teach me!”

“I tried to!”

“Argh! Well, teach me how to get there then!”

“Fine!”

Yuriko had had enough anyway. The two of them returned to Yuriko’s suite and sat in a meditative pose in front of each other.

“You need to work on your Animus manipulation skills.” Yuriko held out her hands, palms facing each other a couple of inches apart. “I practised this during the training camp when I worked on inlaying my Facet. It took controlling eight different strands at the same time to do it, while the sword dances require at least five. How many strands of Animus can you control at the same time?”

“Er…one?”

Yuriko blinked. “Try to control two at a time.”

“I’ll give it a shot.” Krystal closed her eyes. As the minutes passed by, her face tightened and frowned, her cheeks puffed out and it looked like she was holding her breath. A string of blue Animus jumped from Krystal’s right palm to her left. A minute later, another one, or probably the same strand, jumped in the same direction. Krystal’s face had turned bluish from holding her breath.

“Haaah!” Krystal gasped and she fell on her back. “Tha-that’s harder than I thought!”

“Keep it up.” Yuriko shrugged. “I don’t know any shortcuts to it.”

“You’ll teach me as soon as I can control five?”

“If you want to.”

“Alright! Well, I’ll go back to my room. We’re not allowed to stay the night in other rooms after all.”

“Let’s have dinner first.”

“Aye.”

The cafeteria had a tense, nervous air. Yuriko could see it with the other dormers who scarfed down their food. She could see the cafeteria ladies with faraway looks in their eyes, and the cashier forgot to stamp Yuriko’s meal notebook. She had to call the woman’s attention twice before the other chuckled sheepishly.

Maryn, Danika, Ishika, and Millie joined them at a table. All of them except Millie looked tired. The blue-haired girl sniffed at their dinner, muttering imprecations about the low quality.

“Give it a rest, Mills,” Maryn groaned. “Yeah, you’re learning to be a great chef but you don’t have to critique everyone else’s food.”

“I’m training to be a patissiere,” Millie announced proudly. “After three weeks, I’ve already learned seven ways to improve our family’s parfait.”

“Oh, how about a sample?” Yuriko asked eagerly.

“Sure, I’ll make some this Restday.”

“Hear, hear!” Krystal and the others cheered.

“Well, help me shop for ingredients though,” Millie continued.

“What are you looking for?” Krystal asked.

“Well, cream, for one. Fresh citrus fruits or berries, sugar or honey. Refined sugar is a bit expensive so unless you lot are willing to fork over, we’d have to do with cheaper alternatives.”

“What do you use at home anyway?” Yuriko asked.

“Well, we use…wait.” Millie’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not trying to get the secret recipe from me are you?”

“What? No, no, ‘course not." Yuriko muttered over her spoon. “Still, I miss having the Sweet Shoppe’s parfaits. Honey cakes don’t just cut it anymore.”

“Says the one feasting on chocolate truffles,” Krystal snarked.

“Ehhh? Where did you get those?” Maryn and Ishika said in tandem.

“Hand delivered by her suitors,” Krystal said primly.

“What suitors?!” Yuriko blurted out. “It’s my winnings when I play against the twins on Tracer Board.”

“And they always offer you chocolate?” Millie asked pointedly. “Isn’t a single one worth a gold mark?”

“According to them, their Emporium has a cheap source,” Yuriko admitted. “And well, I kind of got addicted to them, ehehe.”

“Hoh hoh hoh, looks like someone’s getting trained,” Maryn smirked.

Yuriko blinked. “Yeah, well I train them to fight in exchange too.”

“I’m sure...” Krystal drawled. “Well if anything does happen, do let me know.”

The other four girls giggled while Yuriko finished her dinner.

“Well, those two are quite cute,” Ishika giggled. “They’ve got some pinchable cheeks, and Orrin’s so earnest!”

“Yeah, but Braden’s a bit intense sometimes. He’s gotten broody ever since the training camp.” Millie shrugged, “Well, not that we know them all that well, anyway. Have you seen how Zeyn danced this afternoon? I didn’t know he was that good!”

“Eh,” Maryn mumbled, her face flushing slightly. “He said he’d been doing extra practice sessions.”

“Oooh!”

After dinner, Yuriko headed back to her suite for one last bit of meditation and Animus manipulation practice before she turned in. She did her evening ablutions and then settled on top of her bed in her pyjamas. She was actually quite close to achieving Master Alfein’s requirement to unlock the next level of the meditation technique. In her desk was the vial of Zoi, tucked securely inside a drawer.

She’d left it on the tabletop last time and was horrified to come into her room one evening to find the cat knocking the vial to and fro on the floor. The cat that just abruptly leapt from the floor and settled over her crossed legs, holding a dead mouse in his maw. Before she could react, he plopped it on her knee and looked up proudly at her.

“Nyaaa!”

“Ugh, well you’re quite the hunter aren’t you? How ‘bout I call you that?” Yuriko picked up the mouse gingerly with two fingers and offered it back. The tabby cat, who didn’t seem to mind the name, gave her an imperious look, took the mouse in his mouth then went off to a corner to eat.

The darkened skies beyond her window briefly lit up with sheet lightning. A peal of thunder rumbled a moment after.

The cold breeze blew into her room, giving pinpricks across her skin. Yuriko sighed, giving Hunter an amused glance before she settled into her routine. He’d been a constant visitor the past few weeks and thankfully, he never left a mess in her suite. Well, as long as she didn't make the mistake of locking him inside anyway.

She sent Animus rushing into her Facet, and just before she blacked out and entered the dreamscape, she told herself that she needed to hash things out with the Golden Silhouette. She’d been practising fervently but she felt she was no closer to raising her Anima strength than she was a season ago.

When she opened her eyes, she was in the dreamscape. The Golden Silhouette, as if reading her intentions, stood easily before her. The feminine figure smiled, put her finger across her lips, and then the next moment, she morphed in the large masculine silhouette.

The man’s eyes were closed and he looked like he was in a deep meditative trance. Yuriko couldn’t find it in herself to disturb him. Instead, memories rushed into her mind. Dreams, and thoughts, words and…techniques.

She had almost forgotten it but when she confronted the Chaos Lord back in Shillogu Woods, she had lost. And…Armsmaster Byrne and Leader Yoran were losing. Avos Shillogu was a huge pig about to be slaughtered. How did they win?

“Because of me, obviously,”

The Golden Silhouette spoke, and for the first time, it was clear instead of garbled. And more importantly, it had that same androgynous feel as the voice in her head.

“Who…who are you?” Yuriko asked, her mouth suddenly dry.

The Golden Silhouette smiled, showing even white teeth. His eyes seemed to go right through her, and Yuriko shivered. In fear or excitement, she didn’t know. But finally, she would have her answers.