"Stop bouncing like that, Lillian." The carriage swayed to-and-fro as Irwin snatched his sister's arm. With their luck, it was no surprise that the three siblings were forced to stand for the carriage ride, as all the seats were taken by the time they'd hopped aboard. "You're gonna slip and fall off."

"You don't understand!" she squealed. "I skipped both dinner and breakfast to make room for everything I'm gonna eat at the festival. I'm hungrier than that fat-ass raccoon we found in the produce bin that time we didn't put the rock back on the lid."

"Oh, I remember that!" Ellie chimed in. "I also remember Mum shrieking at you to stop chasing it after it finally flopped out."

"He was a big boy and I wanted to keep him."

"Putting aside your dangerous and sloppy attempts to trap a wild animal, I want you to at least try not to spend all your coins on just festival food, Lillian," Irwin sighed.

The air was filled with a dozen mouthwatering food aromas, causing Lillian to yank her hair as she resisted leaping from the carriage and bolting down the street. Irwin and Ellie both wrapped an arm around their sister to keep her stable, but when the carriage jostled to a stop at the street corner, Lillian wiggled free and escaped into the crowd circling the array of stalls outlining the city square.

"Lillian, get back here!" Irwin yelled.

"It's all right," Ellie said, hopping off the carriage. "She's done this before, remember? It won't be hard to find the one person that's short, dressed in all black, and has a face stuffed with food."

The pair merged with the crowd following the first of four streets framing Phiana's central commons. As it was every year, food stalls and ropes draping colorful streamers and flags lined the path. Dangling horizontally above were cloth murals depicting the Sea of Clouds and the known Shards within—while also providing festival-goers frequent shade from the sun.

Aside from the smaller stalls, where customers could step up and purchase smoked or grilled food on wood skewers, there were a select larger few sheltered by tents where people sat and ordered from like a normal eatery. Ellie pointed out a few that'd caught her eye, selling grilled beef and vegetables, grilled perch, fried and sugared pastries, and smoked cheeses. They purchased as much as they could carry—in both their hands and their stomachs—and began searching for their stray sister.

Ellie led her brother across the street to the commons, which brimmed with wide Hawthorne trees and held the enclosed jousting arena. Further down the way, among the people enjoying the shade and their solitude from the crowd, was a lone girl garbed in black and laying stomach-up in the grass.

"Well, would you look at that," Irwin laughed, trotting alongside Ellie to meet their little sister. Beside her were several empty skewers, plus one in her hand that she was still working through. "You absolute monster," he said, and plopped down beside her.

"I am a monster. Queen of the frog monsters," Lillian cackled, then took a bite.

"Frog monsters?" Ellie dropped to her knees and sat on the other side of her sister, careful not to lose her grip on her meal. "Why frogs?"

"Why not frogs?"

The siblings relished in the shade of the low boughs and chatted about the food and their plans for the rest of the day, all while enjoying the jaunty music being performed elsewhere in the commons. Everything felt right to Ellie; her apprenticeship, the wonderful afternoon with her siblings. Yet there was a gaping hole in her heart, not unlike that in her memory. Despite her efforts, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was a missing piece preventing her from feeling whole.

"Ellie." Lillian's tone was stern as she slapped her sister's arm with the back of her hand. At first Ellie thought she was merely playing and grinned at her. But when she saw how Lillian's eyes bore into what had caught her attention, her smile drooped into an apprehensive frown.

Following her sister's finger, Ellie spotted a small balcony overlooking the festival and the figure leaning against the frame of the open doorway. Though her memory of the past week was fogged, Ellie could never forget the days before and the man in black who she now beheld once again.

"Isn't that that freak?" Lillian asked, her inquiry tearing Irwin from his book.

The three watched the man diligently observe the people, as though he were searching for someone among the crowd. So entranced he seemed that the siblings were startled when his gaze jerked toward them—to Ellie.

And it was with that piercing stare that the black wound shot a tremendous pain throughout her entire body. Ellie gasped and clutched the wound, her pained hiss demanding the attention of her siblings.

"Ellie, what's wrong?" Irwin reached out for her. "Are you okay?"

"I think so" she panted, the pain subsiding as she squinted at the now empty balcony.

"This was a bad idea," Lillian said. "Let's go home. This is too much, too soon."

Ellie laughed flatly and shook her hand. "No. Really, I'm fine now. That was the first time it's ever hurt since I woke up." She tilted her head at her siblings and smiled. "Look, if it happens again, we'll consider it. But let's not let one tiny little relapse stop us from having fun."

"That just spells disaster," Irwin sighed.

"I bet that creep has something to do with this." Lillian glared at the balcony.

"Who knows?" Ellie stood up and dusted off her skirt before fetching her empty skewers from the grass. "But let's not worry about that right now, okay? Let's just continue through the festival. We haven't even gotten to the merchant stalls yet, nor the wizards' magic display."

"Oh, I completely forgot about the wizards!" Irwin scrambled to his feet and gathered up his own skewers. "I've been wondering what they'd do this time, after that amazing polymorph duel last year."

Lillian twitched a frustrated finger over her shoulder at the jousting arena. "And I've been waiting all year for the joust, so they better not overlap!"

The two squabbled over which was more important the entire way to the crate at the edge of the commons, where they threw out their skewers. Before Ellie could even corral them down the south street, Lillian jogged up to one more food stall and purchased two skewers of seared beef.

"You're gonna use up all your allowance on food!" Irwin complained upon her return.

"I might as well, because I'm not gonna get much more between now and next year."

Ellie rolled her eyes and fruitlessly paced a few steps ahead of Irwin and Lillian to distance herself from their bickering. Not even the cheering crowds around the performing duo of sword and fire swallowers could drown out their spat.

"Don't tell me you got summer lessons," Irwin groaned. "How many?"

Lillian only shrugged. "Seven."

"You're never going to find an apprenticeship when you graduate if you don't start taking your lessons more seriously!"

"Don't heckle me about apprenticeships when I don't even know what I want to do with my life. I'm thirteen!"

Ellie turned to look behind her while still walking forward. "Enough! Please, we were fine just a few minutes ago. Just enjoy yourselves and don't make such a—"

With a single cry that turned a few heads, Ellie collided with someone ahead of her and fell to her backside on the stone street. The victim of her clumsiness, however, had merely staggered forward, but the scene was enough to halt Irwin and Lillian's bickering as they frantically rushed to their sister's side.

"Watch where you're going, bean pole!" Lillian scolded the man.

"Lillian!" Ellie cried. "Triad's Mercy, it's my fault for not looking where I was going."

The man turned to help Ellie. "Are you all right?" His voice was calm and soothing, but the sight of Ellie had paled his already fair skin, as though he were as stunned to see her as she was him.

Ellie could not surmise why she herself was stunned, other than perhaps at her luck for having bumped into such a striking nobleman. When he managed to stir from his trance, the nobleman extended a hand to Ellie as his loosely tied raven hair tumbled over the shoulder of his deep, wine-purple brocade jacket.

"What a terrible place I chose to stop," he chuckled softly. "The fault is entirely mine."

Ellie could do no more than stare directly into the man's eyes, as cerulean as her dress. It was far from the first time she'd seen a nobleman so gorgeous, yet something was strange about this one. He watched as Ellie watched him, as though he expected her to have a revelation. When she clearly would not, the nobleman's brow knitted in worry.

"Please, do not tell me that you hit your head," he begged.

"What? Oh, no. Gods, I'm so sorry, how rude of me." Ellie took his hand and felt the cold of his touch as he effortlessly brought her to her feet with a single, firm pull. "But, uh, blame yourself all you want; it was definitely my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going." She craned her neck to keep her gaze on the tall, elven man. "Sorry, this might sound odd, but have we met before?"

The smile that had painted the nobleman's face gradually faded, and he glanced away for a moment before looking back at Ellie. "No. I don't believe we have."

She touched her chin in thought. "Really? I could swear I know you from somewhere, but maybe I did jostle my head when I fell."

The nobleman pointed to the ground near her feet. "Is this yours?" He reached down and fetched 'Feyland Tales' from the street. Ellie slapped her hand on her bag and found that the cord that once held the latch in place was now gone.

"Oh, damn it. I've been meaning to replace that forever. Of course it'd break on me now."

"Ah, I've read this one before," he said.

Ellie turned back to the nobleman and blinked. "You have? I don't think I've ever met anyone else whose read it. It's my absolute favorite."

"It's a fascinating tale of misfortune and revenge." The nobleman grinned and returned the book to her.

She returned the smile and carefully placed the book back in her bag. Dangling from the nobleman's neck was a silver chain, which suspended a stunning amber pendant above his breast and caused Ellie to let out a small gasp. "That's gorgeous." She pointed to where it was on herself.

"Ah—" The nobleman shifted his weight and rubbed the pendant between his fingers before swiftly tucking it beneath his waistcoat. "A gift from an old friend," he stuttered, and gave his chest a single pat to verify that the pendant was secure. "I do apologize again for causing your fall. And you're certain that you're not hurt?"

Ignoring that the nobleman still insisted on taking blame, Ellie gave a small nod.

"That is good." With a half turn, he gestured down the street toward where they were originally headed. "Then, by all means, I bid you enjoy the rest of the festival."

Any words that might've stopped the nobleman from entering the crowd had clustered in Ellie's throat. She turned in time to watch him depart, just as her siblings had looked over their shoulders to do the same.

"Damn, Ellie, you should marry him," Lillian said bluntly. "Not only was there chemistry, but he's stunning and looks like he's got more money than the bishops."

With a firm stomp of her foot, Ellie clenched her teeth and glared down her sister. "Why don't you say that a little louder, Lillian? I don't think he was still within earshot."

"What are you talking about? You're louder than me!"

"She might be onto something though," Irwin interrupted. "Did you see that sigil ring on his finger? That was the insignia of House Faust, one of the wealthiest families in Phiana."

"Faust?" Lillian's jaw dropped. "That man was a Faust?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Irwin rubbed his chin as he pondered. "House Faust is known to gift their ring to their most trusted friends and allies. But even if he was just that, he's certainly someone important."

"Well, that'll certainly be a story to tell Mum and Dad when we get home," Ellie sighed, and tapped her forehead. "Anyway, let's hurry. The wizards' display is gonna start soon."

"You're right," Irwin gasped. He turned his elder sister on her heels and gave her a small push. "Hurry, hurry!"

At the corner of the second and third streets boxing the commons, just before the tremendous line of merchant stalls, was a wood stage with many anxious spectators standing before it. The siblings were lucky enough to snag seats toward the back just as men and women of many ages appeared on stage to greet their audience. Each one wore incredible robes donned with magical baubles and pointed hats atop their heads.

Elemental magic was the first to be displayed. A small, trailing wisp of flame was held in one wizard's hand as they tumbled it from one palm to the other before rolling it over their shoulders and tossing it to the next. The second wizard pretended to fumble the ball of fire, dropping it onto the wooden stage. The audience gasped, but it was caught by a small gust of wind at the last moment, now dancing to the clumsy magician's whim with every motion of their arm.

As the winds licked the flame across the stage, the third wizard effortlessly molded entire blocks of stone into an intricate statue of the Triad; Sancus, of Fire and Storms. The fire was swept into the statue's hand, seemingly granting it the spark of life as he began to move. Turbulent winds nearly shoved the audience from their seats, save for Irwin, who scrambled to pick himself up to not miss a single moment of Sancus's dance of gale and ember.

All momentum eventually ceased, the crowd falling silent as the stone being crumbled and the elemental magics fizzled away. The sandy remains unsettled, pulling itself together into the likeness of another of the Triad; Volturnus, of Earth and Sea. The fourth wizard spilled water from their palms before wrapping streams of liquid around the statue. They draped over his shoulders like a shawl, and the statue began stepping gracefully across the stage.

Volturnus raised small earthen pillars, which streamed waterfalls from their peaks and coated the entire stage in water. Soon after, the statue lifted his hands as the liquid pooled into an orb above him. The third wizard motioned again, molding the form of the Triad into another; Diana, of Sun and Moon. Her form now given shape, a glimmering sheen overcame the aquatic orb until it transformed into a sphere of light, resembling the moon hiding itself from the sun. And with that, the wizards bowed, the orb waned, and all structures seemingly collapsed under the sheer intensity of the crowd's applause.

"Gods, I want to learn magic," Irwin wept.

"Maybe you should consider a wizard's apprenticeship instead of a scholar's," Ellie suggested.

A dull thud accompanied his plop back down to the bench. "I've thought about it, but I really want to be a scholar, too. I wonder how hard it'd be to dual-apprentice..."

"Are you joking?" Lillian scoffed. "Whose ever heard of a dual apprenticeship outside of laborers? You'd have a homework load that'd be the envy of every bookworm in the whole Shard!"

Bright light flashed brilliantly above the stage, followed by a great boom that cascaded across the entire festival. It was a fantastic display that terrified the audience and festival-goers, but upon learning that the spell was intended, everyone began clapping and cheering for the next.

"It's just like thunder and lightning!" Lillian hollered. "Too bad we didn't get a real storm the other night when it passed us by."

"Maybe someone broke a promise but made up to the person right away?" Irwin guessed.

Now that her sister had mentioned it, the boom that they'd heard really had brought no downpour or thunderous roar, to Ellie's disappointment. Having a storm barely miss them wasn't out of the ordinary, but to hear it only once was what struck her as odd. Even so, there would be others, and thus the mysterious storm left Ellie's thoughts. She then leaned forward on the bench to better enjoy the spells, idly snapping her fingers with curious satisfaction for each one.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

A narrow street branching from the festival had been emptied of the usual people, as they'd all gone to attend the excitement only blocks away. The only person who remained was the nobleman, who leaned his back against a brick wall and held his forehead in anguished contemplation. He took a deep breath, then drew his hand down his face while staring somberly back at the crowds.

"And yet I must persevere," he muttered. "No matter how it pains me."

The nobleman stared at the same hand he had reached out to Ellie and closed it pensively before pushing further into the quiet depths of the city.