That night everything occurred in excess.

They drank in excess, they laughed in excess, they lived in excess. It was fun, it was exhilarating. Nerluce loved every moment of it, especially after so long living in Ethera. Nothing there was done in anything close to excess - besides perhaps studying and training. It was such a barebones existence Nerluce thought the shock of slipping back into his old ways might fry his nerves.

Instead, it felt like shrugging on a familiar set of robes. The color might not be as bright, the fabric not as soft, and sometimes it even had stains or tears, but at the end of the day it was familiar and it was yours and it would always welcome you no matter how much had happened.

The tavern was that familiar set of robes. It was dull and rough. It was stained and torn. It smelled odd and it was too small - though it was the largest structure in the town - to fit all of its usual patrons along with all of Ethera's second and third-year Fire Affinity disciples. They had to cram around three tables, sitting on mix-match benches, pulled up chairs, barrels, boxes, and whatever else not fixed to the floor.

Nerluce was on a barrel. Lyana was on a box, next to him. Most of the second years didn't get proper seats. Corbett had somehow secured a chair, though Nerluce had a feeling that Hamelin did most of the securing. Eko and Jurine didn't even have permanent seats. They kept standing and replacing and trading seats with anyone who abandoned theirs.

Drinks were poured. Everyone was talking loudly, in anticipation of the alcohol that would soon enter their veins but no one drank just yet as Doite got up on the table, raising his cup.

"Let's celebrate this year and just how far we've come and will continue to go," Doite said with a crooked grin. "Let's drink to ourselves - and if one of your friends hasn't made it this far, you ought to drink double for them." A howl of laughter and clapping came from that. "And most of all, let's drink to the Chosen Light, who brought us all together and will continue making many more miracles!"

Another cheer. Nerluce rolled his eyes and tipped his drink back in one go.

"Who would've suspected that the popular Fire Affinity third year was the religious sort," Nerluce said.

"I know," Lyana said, shaking her head. "Even the best men have their flaws, though."

Nerluce snorted and raised his glass to Lyana. She clinked hers against his - though Nerluce could not say why she did so, he also didn't care - and they both downed their drinks before calling for a refill.

The tavern maids rushed to and from their table at such a rapid pace Nerluce was half worried they might trip on the hems of their flowing, colorful silk robes. They were pretty - pretty in the way that all women were. Nerluce had certainly been waited on by much, much prettier women. Yet, he flirted with them just as shamelessly as he had with the women who served him in the Hebikoti clan.

These maidens had some bite to them, unlike those Hebikoti maids who knew exactly what Nerluce's family name was and what it meant.

"Young mistress," Nerluce said, "Come over here again."

The maid laughed as she refilled Jurine's drink. "Have you already finished your drink, young master?"

"No, young mistress," Nerluce said. "I just wish to gaze upon your beautiful face once more."

"Then gaze from afar," the maid said.

Lyana snorted as the maid walked away. Nerluce laughed and tipped his drink back. He loved the play-acting that he was allowed to engage in taverns. Nothing anyone said in taverns really mattered anyways.

Another drink. And then another. Lyana was laughing and Nerluce started to laugh too but he didn't know what exactly they were laughing at.

Corbett stood up at one point and started yelling at Nerluce about... something. Nerluce couldn't quite remember what it was but he had found it funny and laughed about that too. The next thing he knew, he and Corbett were in the middle of a drinking contest and they were both laughing with their arms wrapped around one another like they were best friends.

Lyana appeared in Corbett's place at the table. A deck of cards was between them. They were both laughing and piling coins into the pot. Nerluce's hand was shit. He laughed at this and raised. The cards went fluttering up in the air. The coins disappeared and drinks appeared in their place. Nerluce laughed and tipped his back.

Then the cards were gone and Jurine was there and she grabbed Nerluce's hand, pulling him from his seat and onto his feet. There was music and everyone was dancing. Nerluce didn't know who asked who to dance but Jurine and he were pressed together. She smelled nice. Nerluce found this funny too. He lived with Jurine but he'd never noticed how she always smelled like rose petals.

She probably had some nice perfume... no that wasn't right, Jurine didn't wear perfume. Nerluce would've noticed if she did, right?

And then Nerluce woke up on the floor.

He sat up with a groan. The candlelight stung his eyes as Eko helped pull him to his feet. Nerluce squinted and looked around but he didn't know what exactly he was looking for. Maybe his memories because he wasn't sure where they went. Gods he hadn't been that drunk in... a while now.

"What time is it?" Nerluce asked, rubbing his head.

"About a candle mark until sunrise," Eko said as they roused Jurine as well. She mumbled something unintelligible before waking up. "We need to leave now if we want to get back to Ethera in time."

"In time for what?" Nerluce asked. He still wasn't processing things quite right. He barely even remembered what had happened after he entered the tavern.

"I feel like shit," Lyana grumbled, coming up to Nerluce.

"How long have you been up?" Nerluce asked, looking her up and down. She looked like a wreck, her curly hair practically a ball of frizz. However, Nerluce would guess that he probably didn't look that much better.

Lyana shrugged, gesturing to Hamelin, who had Corbett draped over his shoulders once again. "He woke me up."

"The drink here is good, though, right?" Nerluce asked, cocking a brow.

"Yeah," Lyana said, nodding. "That delayed effect thing just about killed me." She shook her head. "I think I was one drink away from dying tonight." Her lips parted in a wry smile. "We've got to do this again."

"Totally," Nerluce said, bobbing his head.

"If you do I'm not helping," Eko said, narrowing their eyes at the pair of them. Jurine was on her feet but looked a little unsteady. They were probably all still half drunk. "Alright Hamelin, you got Corbett? Let's head out of here."

Hamelin grunted and their little party made their way out of the tavern.

They walked in pairs up the mountain. Eko - who Nerluce learned hadn't drunk anything last night - and Jurine lead the way. Then there was Nerluce and Lyana who ended up clinging to one another just to stay upright. Bringing up the rear was Hamelin - who had only drunk a reasonable amount - carrying Corbett - who had learned nothing and was out cold. Though the drinking contest probably hadn't helped.

Nerluce smiled.

"It's way too cold," Lyana said. Beside him, Nerluce felt her start to shiver. "Who's bright idea was to do this in the middle of winter. We should do it in the summer. That way we won't die of frostbite trying to get up the mountain."

"Maybe they do it in the summer too," Nerluce said. "'Sides, we're fire disciples. We should be warm."

"That's a stupid myth," Jurine said.

"Focus on walking," Eko said, rolling their eyes. "You're going to slip if you don't watch where you're going."

Nerluce scoffed. "We're run up this mountain way too many times to ever slip."

And then, because the gods hated him, the ground disappeared beneath Nerluce's feet.

He felt his body drop. His stomach lurched as he tried to choke out a scream but he hit the ground - knocking the air from his lungs - before he had time to. All at once, the world went dark and pain flared in Nerluce's leg. He gritted his teeth. This wasn't the worst pain he'd ever felt before. Nowhere near the pain of having a wolf sink its teeth into his forearm.

Nerluce forced his body up as he looked around. His ears were ringing. He didn't know where he was. Was this a nightmare? He clenched his jaw and forced himself to focus. He'd fallen. Not slipped but fallen. The ground had given out beneath the weight of his... no their feet. All six of them had taken the plummet. They were in a... hole or cave of some kind. Had they accidentally strayed off the path? Taayir had warned them of the dangers of the mountain but...

Another wave of pain caused Nerluce's body to shudder. He clenched his jaw even tighter and winced. Slowly the ringing in his ears was fading. It was replaced by something much, much worse. Screams of pain.

Jurine. Nerluce turned to her and saw her leg had been twisted at an unnatural angle. She was practically howling. Eko was by her side, clutching their skull. They were clearly dizzy and possibly concussed. Hamelin was on the ground, unmoving. He'd taken the brunt of the fall, using his body to protect Corbett's. Both of them were breathing but unconscious. Jurine kept screaming, screaming, screaming.

Gods, Nerluce wished she'd just pass out. For both of their sakes.

"Lyana what-"

Lyana. Where was Lyana? Nerluce turned around, looking for her. He didn't have to look very far. She was close to him but... but she must've hit her head on something because she was bleeding. The snow around her had become a crimson halo. Nerluce's eyes widened in horror. She needed help. She needed help right now.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

Nerluce turned to look at Eko, his eyes wide and desperate for some sort of answer. Eko was one of the smartest and most talented people in the Fire Affinity dorms. Yet, Eko stared right back just as helpless as Nerluce was at this moment. Eko was just a kid. They were all just kids. This shouldn't be happening. They should be allowed to be kids and get drunk without something like this happening.

"Help!" Nerluce cried as loud as he could. It came out as a croak and was completely drowned out by Jurine's wails. "Help! We need help!"

"Nerluce," Eko said, shaking their head. "Stop."

"But..."

"It's unstable," Eko said, pointing at the walls of the hole they were trapped in. "We have to be quiet or else it will cave in and we'll all die." Their eyes were glaringly fierce as they tried to coax Jurine to stop screaming. "We just need to wait for someone to find us."

"But-"

Nerluce looked at Lyana. She could be bleeding out. She could be dead before help came. Not to mention the cold. Hamelin and Corbett. They were both out and showed no sign of waking anytime soon. Their body temperature would drop in no time. What if they froze to death? Or what if this place collapsed and they all suffocated. Nerluce shook his head.

They had to get out. Now.

"We can't wait that long," Nerluce whispered to Eko.

"What else can we do?" Eko snapped. They sounded just as frustrated as Nerluce felt. "It's not like we can use our magic unless you have a match on you."

Nerluce didn't.

He bit into his cheek. Gods. He could figure this out. He would figure this out. He wouldn't let anyone die. He tasted blood. He didn't feel any pain though so he just kept chewing on his own flesh. Figure this out. Find the answer. He could. He would. He needed to. No one would die. No one had to die. Gods, please don't let anyone die! Gods, please give him the answer so that no one died.

And that was when he stopped sinking his teeth into his cheek. Instead, he let his jaw go slack as he stared up at the sky. And then, he reached inside of himself. He started moving in the same way he would when manipulating fire. But there was no fire. Instead, there was something else, something bubbling with energy... yet oddly timid at the same time. Nerluce didn't care what it was, he just grabbed hold of it and didn't let go.

He told it to save them. He told it to make sure no one would die.

It did as he told it.

Eko let out a gasp. They were the only one conscious enough to properly realize what was happening. Even Nerluce didn't have words for what was occurring. Vines were coming down, creeping into the cave and wrapping their thorny grip around them. Where they went, red flowers bloomed after them. Roses.

Slowly the rose bush - Nerluce could remember it from the springtime - lifted them up from the hole and set them softly on the snow outside of it. Nerluce stared at it, in awe. He reached out to touch one of the roses as the vines set Lyana gently onto his lap so he was cradling her injured head. Nerluce watched as the flower bloomed before his very gaze and just like that, something inside of Nerluce changed as well.

His eyes bloomed, just like the rose. Crimson filled them slowly, petal by petal, opening up and revealing its lovely color to the world. His eyes were red like roses. Red like blood. Red like life itself.

And it was with those rose-blood-life-red eyes that Nerluce turned around to see an utterly horrified Aristide.