I awoke from my hyper-realistic dream of the doomed planet called Laiternia with tears streaming down my face. I slid out of bed, parted the curtains and stepped to the stained glass window. I grabbed the handle and pushed the window open.

I climbed onto a small balcony and simply stood there staring at the view.

Thick clouds swirled above the chasm in circular supercell storm patterns, flickering with lightning. It was raining down there, but up here in Illatius the sky was clear. I looked up.

A billion violet, alien stars twinkled in the sky above me. Countless entwined galaxies, planets and stars orbited the gigastructure of Eureka captured by its impossible size, tinted bright violet by the resonance of the Magisphere of Desire.

"Status," I whispered.

The menu with my stats came up. There was a new entry there among the other listed Infinite Mirrors:

[+1] [Dead Zone barrier boundary, void-jump transit. Cali Terri of Werth - connected]

I took a deep breath and let the cool night air fill my lungs. I felt the tension in my body slowly dissipate as I watched the stars.

I closed my eyes and let the distant rumble of thunder fill my ears.

I saw the world of Werth in the back of my mind, recalled it as if it was my own.

Ruins of cities buried in a frozen wasteland filled with monstrous, gargantuan abominations. Humanity clinging to life in leviathan, steel citadel beneath the ice. A world on its last breath. The last city hidden within glaciers, its heart powered by void engines. Deep Searchers in gray uniforms standing in a straight line, a stylized W on their shoulders. The final, parting words of their Captain, being given out the order to find a new home for the people of Werth.

I saw the doomed universe through the eyes of Cali, my mind fluttering through memories of a multitude of dying worlds. I saw the ossified face of the Eurekan Admin covered in fractal roots, turned into living dust, a corpse that somehow continued to cling to life with the power of the Save Point.

I opened my eyes.

The violet, brilliant stars of the sky of Andross were still there, twinkling at me.

The galactic constellations and nebulae above me were purple, just like Infi's eyes. I briefly wondered whether she was these stars or if they simply reflected in her holographic eyes.

Each star here was beyond the prison of the Dead Zone boundary… held potential for something new. I knew that somewhere out there was Novazem, the future Novazem where the Necromages were dead for a thousand years. My grandfather was there, still alive, waiting for me. It wasn't the man who raised me, but if I met him, I was certain that he would be my best friend and teacher.

With that in mind I suddenly realized that Infi didn’t just tell me about the nightmares, didn’t just show me the endless doomed worlds within Eureka. The very first thing she showed me was… hope.

I felt a sense of sanguineness wash over me as I recalled my vision of Vladislav Kerenski at the Shogun Gate. I knew that no matter how dark the universe seemed, there was still hope here on installation Rozaline. My little Sunshine Archipelago persisted, hung in the sky above the world of death, fed on the Resonance of Desire pouring from the System Errors that refused to be bound.

Installation Rozaline's orbit intersected the dreams and nightmares of countless murdered worlds comprising the Dead Zone. Right below us was the cadaverous mesh, a wall forged from corpse worlds that sang the morbid epicedium, wove the foundation of the algid, all encompassing, weary currents of the Astral Ocean.

Rozaline was my new home. If Installation Rozaline made it out here, escaped from Eureka... then so could Cali Terri, my reflection from Werth.

I wasn't alone... I...

I heard a noise from behind me. I turned to discover that Voltara had climbed out of the window.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I asked.

"I am a light sleeper," Voltara shrugged. "My job is to watch over and protect you. Inspector Lambert said so."

I sighed.

The sky became tinted pink. Sunrise was coming. I stared at the horizon, watching the stars slowly fade away and leaned into Voltara. My knight-maid knew exactly what I needed. She hugged me as I watched the sun emerge from the edge of Illatius, igniting the gold spires with brilliant flares. I momentarily wondered whether this sun was something that belonged to Rozaline herself, a fake star that orbited her to produce the night and day cycle.

Voltara started to hum Infi's song.

"But you and I shall stand together,

Against the Never Never..."

I joined in and soon both of us were singing it on the little balcony as the city beneath us woke up.

"Shall we get the rest of the gang up and get some breakfast?" I stood up and looked down at the streets filled with early workers and glittering skyships.

"Sounds good," Voltara nodded.

. . .

At noon, as the central tower of the highborn Arcanarium began to ring its lunch bell gong, Galissi Seven docked to a truly colossal, gold-plated skyship hanging right above Nemendias. Agatha stayed within her glider as Emerald, Voltara and I stepped into the interior of the large ship.

"Good luck," Agatha closed the glider's door with a nod, her face set and silver hair tied into a tight bun, the celestial pin glittering on her chest.

My own 3-piece, unfinished crest was now sitting on my black lapel.

Voltara and I stepped through the hallways of the opulent skyship. We walked past the guards, entering into the seating area filled with students in black robes. I couldn't help but stare at the elaborate, fanciful interiors of the ship I was now in.

I let Emerald walk far ahead of us as I admired the colorful, stained glass, gemstone-covered chandeliers hanging above arched windows.

Voltara smiled at me. She looked at the students in their black robes and elegant outfits. From her expression I could tell that the maid felt somewhat out of place among all of these highborns - I was the only one to bring my maid to the student seating area. Voltara held her head high and continued to walk beside me as we moved past occupied seats, searching for an empty couch.

I spotted a trio of kids sitting in one of the alcoves. The boy was reading the Imperial Tribune. There was another article in the newspaper with my face on it with yet another detailed interview outlining my accomplishments and future plans.

“Can you believe this?” The brunette girl next to the boy asked. “A freaking lowborn at…”

The trio suddenly spotted me and Voltara.

“It’s her!” The girl barked. “Grogtilda! The girl from the newspaper!”

At the declaration, numerous heads turned towards us, student gazes directed at my face, focused on my blue, shimmering scars.

“Look! She… she’s at minus one hundred points already!” Someone laughed. “It won’t be long before she gets expelled!”

“Is that… no that can’t be! That looks like a 3-piece pin! What?! How? There's no way that's real,” Someone muttered. "School hasn't even started!"

“Look at those blue curse-scars! I can’t believe she spent three months in the Folding Forest! I thought that it was all bullshit!”

“Hang on... she’s got a maid with her! What?”

“How can a peon like that even afford a maid?”

Voltara didn’t even flinch at the accusations. She looked down at the teens as if looking straight through them. The maid showed no fear or concern on her face at their words, stood beside me like an immovable mountain.

A girl with gold curls and silver eyes stood up, staring directly at me. A fanciful dress with white and gold silk sat beneath her black robes.

“So it’s all true,” she announced. “A lowborn at Nemendias. Look Ignius!”

A boy stood up from the seat beside her. His hair was orange and eyes sky-blue. He looked like a younger copy of Emperor Bolsh and also looked a bit like his older brother. Ah, this was the Second Prince of Illatius, Emerald’s fiancee.

Ignius stared at me. His face scrunched up as if he tasted a lemon.

“Truly disgusting,” he uttered. “How did our standards fall so low as to admit a deplorable rat?”

“I know, right?” The golden-curled girl laughed.

“I recognize young Prince Terny, but who might you be?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

The fact that I had a voice and dared to use it in her presence, made the golden-haired, angelic-looking girl flinch ever so slightly.

“I am Seminarian Akadia Solas!” She said pompously with a flourish. “No wonder a lowborn mutt like yourself does not know of me! My grandfather is Grand Archbishop Vox Solas of the Church of Saint Eunisii!”

“Your grandfather's the Grand Archbishop?” Voltara suddenly voiced her opinion on the matter. The maid looked the girl up and down, not looking impressed. “My friend Arouetta prays to the Saint daily, so I know the verses quite well. Let me offer you this piece of advice since your grandfather is the Saint's Voice. Try following the teachings of Saint Euniusii. The church teaches to love and respect your fellows!”

I saw Emerald’s silver, crystalline hair in the seat directly across from Akadia. Green, diamond-shaped eyes looked up at me. I smirked at her, urging her on as Voltara made her little speech in my defense.

Emerald stood up.

“The verses don't freaking apply to this situation! This lowborn trash isn’t our fellow, she's not equal to us! She’s my damned roommate, my worst freaking nemesis,” she growled dramatically. “At least you will only have to deal with her in class, Akadia! I have to see her stupid, blue, bloated face all day long!”

“Oh my, how unfortunate for you,” Akadia shook her gold locks at Emerald. Voltara’s words seemed to have made a small impact on her. Her lips twitched as she contemplated a clever insult for me that would fit into the church’s dogma.

Not having arrived at one, she decided to attack me from another angle.

“How did this lowborn chaff even get into Nemendias? I bet she cheated on the entrance exam,” she turned to Emerald.

“Undoubtedly,” Emerald’s eyes turned into thin, angry slits. “There is no way this dirty ruffian could have passed it without some sort of fraud!”

Voltara continued to stare down at Akadia from her indomitable height. “Do you think that the high-mage teachers and Administrators of Nemendias are so easily fooled? How exactly did you get into the school, Akadia?”

"What's it to you, maid? Why are you not in the servants section where you belong?" Akadia asked with a scoff.

"She's my security detail," I said.

"Security? A maid for security? I've never heard anything so penurious..." Akadia laughed.

"Indeed! Impecunious Groggy has to rely on a maid to protect her," Emerald smirked.

"Voltara," I said. "If Akadia says another accusation against my person, punch her in the face as hard as you want to. Don't hold back."

"What?! Y-you wouldn't dare!" Akadia puffed up.

“Yes, ma'am!” The knight-maid snapped out a reply like a well trained guard dog, taking a step towards the golden-curled teen.

"Go ahead, Akadia, just say one more thing," Voltara’s determined expression said. Her fist closed into a knuckle.

Akadia gulped staring at the fist, backing away from the tall maid. The crowd of first year students were staring excitedly at our confrontation. Many of the teenagers in the crowd whispered things to each other, pointing to Voltara.

“My maid is a high level vitality maxer,” I confided. “She could knock you straight into tomorrow. It would be such a shame if you missed orientation just because you can’t keep your derogatory mouth shut.”

"Misem is a wild beast, a dastardly ruffian, who does not follow the rules," Emerald sighed dramatically, shaking her head. "She does not respect authority in any shape or form. Dealing with her is... most unfortunate."

Akadia stared at minus one hundred floating above my head and then at minus ten floating above Emerald. She realized that I didn’t give a damn about losing points. She understood that if she kept pushing against me here and now, she would get punched in the face by my maid.

"This isn't over," she hissed as she retreated back to her seat.

I shrugged at her and looked over at the student crowd. Some lowered their eyes in fear, some stared at me in amazement, others looked at me with hatred and derision. Only a few of the teens had determined that I was wearing a 3-piece celestial pin and a lawmaker’s armacus. Their eyes were unable to draw away from my shiny pin and bracelet. Gears were turning in their heads as they whispered to each other. I was a powerful enigma, a mystery, a vortex of impossibilities. Their eyes glittered with curiosity, as they wanted to figure me out. The ripple I cast with my actions into the future of the city was starting to make waves.

“Don’t worry,” Emerald whispered at Akadia. “We will destroy her academically! There’s no way this beryl hog-beast can last more than a week at Nemendias. We won’t even have to do anything. Soon enough everyone will see what kind of a dumb brute she is and she will get expelled for failing to keep up!”

“Too true, mon chéri,” Akadia nodded, a malicious smile forming on her face.

Prince Ignius shook his head and also sat down. The way forward was clear. We passed by the trio and finally found an empty seat at the back of the fanciful cabin.

Now that the confrontation ended, Voltara relaxed, turned to me and shot me a wide smile. She reached out and gently placed her hand over top of mine, squeezing it in support.

“We make a great team, right?” She whispered, wanting reassurance.

“Damn right we do,” I whispered back and nodded at her.

A musical tone produced from a magitek speaker resounded across the ship. The Keeper of the Keys stepped out into the middle aisle at the front of the cabin, smiling at everyone.

“My dear first years,” she said, spreading her hands wide and nearly resembling the pose of Nemendias on the banners hanging within her halls. “Today is a holiday and a celebration, called the Day of Knowledge. Today is the day when you start your path of ascension to glory and power!”

The skyship shuddered and started moving. I saw that it was making a wide circle around the dark towers of the Arcanarium, staying within the interior of the protective shield-dome. The students excitedly stared out of the windows.

“This is the beginning of your journey towards becoming archmagi and leaders of our Empire. Many great paths lie ahead of you,” Nemmy said, her voice trembling with unconcealed excitement. “To your right is the Infinite Dungeon, filled with mighty dragons and fraught with danger, the mysterious, limitless well of power that grants us our way of life. To your left is your home, the best, brightest and biggest city on all of Andross.”

I looked at the view below us with the rest of the students, immersed in the collective sense of awe and wonder as the skyship pivoted towards the endless Chasm and then slowly and majestically turned towards the gold spires of Illatius.

“Remember these words, my children: Nemendias noiumaru sic adimas! Entruci, casohu, un gallefi!" Nemmy announced. "The Grand Archmage Saint Innocentai spoke these words six thousand years ago when he laid the foundation of Nemendias. Lord Lamanche Innocentai wished to give the children of Illatius a home, a place where Merit, Justice and Knowledge rule supreme. Show Nemendias your noble dedication to integrity, wisdom and justice and she will open the way for you and show you secrets lost to time, reveal her hidden rooms filled with archives of the long gone archmagi! Nowhere else in the world will such an opportunity of a lifetime be presented to you! Today your adventure begins in earnest!”

The opulent Skyship kept on smoothly circling around the school. Maids emerged from the back room, bringing the students their lunches on silver patters.

Voltara noticed that everyone was starting to eat, gave me a stern look that said “don’t do anything reckless while I’m gone” and rushed off to bring us lunch from the chefs.

Nemmy walked from the front of the cabin and suddenly stopped in front of the golden-hair-led trio.

“Miss Solas,” She said. “Did you think I would fail to hear your accusations against another student?”

“I… um, er,” Akadia’s face turned red. “She…”

“Minus ten points from Novitiate Akadia Solas for failure to be an impartial judge,” the magic-woven avatar stated. "Minus ten points from Ignius Terny for failure to show wisdom. Minus ten points from Emerald Amadea for failure to act noble."

“B-but… I,” Akadia’s face turned even redder as she choked on her words.

Ignius blinked in misapprehension. It looked like this was the first time he had been knocked down, got punished for being wrong.

Emerald rolled her eyes. She knew this was coming and accepted it.

“Nemendias noiumaru sic adimas. Entruci, casohu, un gallefi,” Nemmy repeated, her cold, hazel eyes boring into the highborn trio. “Nemendias protects her flock. Merit, Justice and Knowledge. Carve these ancient words of wisdom into your souls. From this moment onward you are all under the ever-watchful eyes of Nemendias, being judged on your performance by her... hrm... Keeper and other staff. If you fail to display noblesse oblige to me again, the consequences will be most dire.”

I started to giggle.

Nemmy briskly walked over to me.

"Minus ten points from Grogtilda Misem for threatening to assault a fellow Novitiate," Nemendias said. "Also, I'm confiscating one of the rays of your Celestial Crest!"

Her hand grabbed at the pin on my lapel and removed one of the rays.

"Damn it! I just got that one for saving the school from an evil ghost!" I huffed, crossing my arms.

"I am the hand of Justice and I won't tolerate rule-breaking. I'm certain that you can catch another evil ghost or something, Novitiate Misem. You've got potential for greatness, stop wasting it on bullying other Novitiates," Nemmy said with a casual tone as she walked off with 1/3 of my shiny pin.

The crowd around me exploded in hushed whispers.