AuthorSME

  The scent of butter and herb hit Sora’s nose as she leaned against the food stall, the rich aroma swirling with hints of earth and sunlight that she couldn’t quite pce. Nerida had guided them to the Dryad District for breakfast, having already eaten here with Wendy before she split to talk with Mary.

  Her tail swished zily behind her as she watched the dryad volunteer deftly wrap her creation in a rge, vibrant leaf. She seemed to be an aged woman by her voice but appeared to be no less than twenty.

  “Here ya are, dearie.” The wooden nymph’s notes creaked like an old tree bending in the wind, her bark-like fingers extending the package. “First time with dryad cuisine? You’re in for a treat.”

  “It smells amazing,” Sora admitted, accepting the warm bundle; everything here was provided by the academy, but the food was prepared by those who loved to cook—students, themselves. “What did you call it again?”

  “Oakroot medallions with forest butter.” The woman winked, leaves rustling around her face. “The meat ain’t really meat, mind you. Just looks and tastes like it, or so I’m told.”

  That expins the weird earthy undertone, Sora thought, sniffing the package again.

  Her sharp fox nose picked up on subtle hints of what y underneath. The scent reminded her of expensive steaks her father would grill, but with something else—something wilder, more alive. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that st part.

  Nilly appeared at her side, already halfway through her third helping, cheeks bulging. “Mmph—so good! It’s better than the st one.” Golden eyes sparkling with delight as she swallowed, the teen smiled, showing perfectly human teeth. “Can I have another? Please?”

  “Uh… Sure, but this is the st one,” the dryad returned with a forced smile. “I need to be off to the new dragon instructor’s tournament soon. Have you heard about it? It’s the talk of the district here. How is it in the Vulpes District?”

  “Oh, it’s everywhere,” Sora ughed, taking a bite, chewing, and swallowing as Nilly anxiously waited for her st snack. “Mmm. Really good, and it does taste like a chicken lettuce wrap. Cool… And, Nilly, I thought you didn’t have to eat as much when you’re stable?”

  “I don’t,” she protested, ears folding back defensively as she gnced to the side, where Nerida and Eyia were talking with several rge ents, who appeared interested in her luxury car that they’d parked not far off. “It’s just… It’s harder when Wendy isn’t here. She somehow grounds me. Kind of like you do, but just…”

  “Better?” Sora finished with a small smile, looking at the golden earrings in the cat’s ears that gleamed, and caught the bell attached to the cat’s ankle. “Well, whatever it is, I’m happy to see you actually enjoying yourself. Not that you didn’t always look like you weren’t enjoying yourself!” she snickered, thinking back to all the various versions of Nilly she’d come to know over the st few weeks.

  Nilly’s gaze drew distant, yet there was a fond softness to her face. “I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve been able to…just talk to other people. Like…talk normally. Usually my brain is so clouded with so many other things…other timelines and people.”

  She looked up at her with real joy. “As weird and spontaneous I can be, I’m happy Amy had a granddaughter like you. I didn’t know her long, at least with how old I am now, but…I think she would have loved to see how you break away from the typical vulpes mold.”

  Sora took another bite, thoughts returning to what little she knew about her grandmother—the First Vulpes. Maybe there was more to learn and explore from Nilly. Plus…wouldn’t she know how the Founders came to be?

  She looked up at the excited Nekomata as she accepted her food with a beaming, thankful expression.

  Maybe there are some cool bedtime stories we can get into… Nilly is in the First Generation. Her memories may be fractured to a certain point, and maybe she doesn’t know much from before she met me, but that doesn’t mean it will stay like that. What if talking about it helps? Obviously, she’s remembering more about my grandmother. So…who knows?

  “Anyway,” she redirected, bumping tails with her while throwing her weight into her shoulder to get her moving back to Eyia and Nerida. “I swear your stomach is connected to a different dimension. You and Wendy!”

  The Nekomata’s ears flicked forward eagerly as she eyed another student setting up to make food for others to enjoy. “But there’s so much to try! It would be rude to not partake. Right?”

  Sora shook her head with a grin, watching as Nilly’s gaze darted between food stalls like a kitten tracking butterflies. The Cat Mother had been particurly energetic after she’d rejoined the group and Wendy left to talk to Mary.

  For whatever reason, the proximity to her brunette ‘master’ seemed to stabilize her shifting forms. Well, at least Nilly acted like Wendy’s pet sometimes but she was starting to think she used it as cover. Wendy pyed along with it. Heck! She would, too, if Nilly allowed it.

  Joking a little with the cat, she watched the ents move away as they approached Eyia and Nerida, sitting cross-legged on a wood bench near her car. A tingle at the tip of her tail told her Wendy was using the little light guide she’d given her to return.

  Sora sat across from the valkyrie, watching her meticulously dissecting her food with the precision of a warrior studying an opponent. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders as she leaned forward, blue eyes narrowed in concentration.

  “This substance,” she decred, holding up a piece of ‘meat,’ “is most confusing to my senses. It appears as animal flesh yet contains no blood essence nor leaves trace residue of mammal spiritual essence.” She sniffed it cautiously. “Is this deception intentional? A test of perception? There was a dark elf on the Isnd that would leave such food around for me…poisoned.”

  Sora stifled a ugh at Eyia’s serious analysis but the tter expnation solved why she’d be paranoid; she hadn’t touched it since Wendy and the others first came here an hour or two ago. “It’s just dryad food, Eyia. Not a poisoned dark elf trap. Apparently, they shape pnts to look and taste like meat here for some of the carnivores to get them to try it.”

  The Valkyrie tilted her head, considering this information with grave importance. “I see. So it is a trap. A tactical advantage for them to spread their lies. Consuming pnts that provide the strength of meat without requiring the hunt… A strategy to weaken their society into compcency before snatching it away from them?”

  Nerida was choking on her food with barely stifled ughter. She seemed to be getting closer to Eyia and figuring out the unique way her brain operated.

  “Uh… Maybe that first part could be seen as a trap to get cultures who don’t eat pnts to try it…if you want to call it that. But that st part… I highly doubt it.”

  “Mhm!” Nerida joined in, sitting beside Eyia while nibbling delicately at her food. Her French accent lilted through. “It certainly is fascinating. Mother would be surprised. They really taste like fish, like I asked for.”

  The siren’s aquamarine hair caught the sunlight, shimmering slightly as she shifted her posture. Her shoulders hunched forward, trying to make herself smaller as a group of ughing dryad students passed by, looking her way. Sora could hear them.

  Kind of rude… What’s wrong with her hair or the way she smells? They didn’t say anything about our looks or scent. Maybe it’s because she smells like sea salt…and some pnts don’t like that? Whatever. Not worth our time.

  “It’s delicious,” she whispered as Eyia gnced between them, a frown on her face and thankfully not having the hearing to know what had just happened. There was getting a few harsh words for harsh words thrown…and then there was having your head chopped off. “We have nothing like back in our cave,” she continued.

  Sora gave her a small nudge, leaning in to mutter, “You smell fresh, so don’t let them get to you.”

  “Thanks…”

  Eyia nodded solemnly, totally oblivious. “Indeed. Land-dwellers possess unusual but acceptable sustenance practices. I have undertaken many crafting of foods throughout the dimensional shifts within the Isnd. I needed to adapt fastly when the extraordinary weather blew its nose at me.”

  Sora smiled while picturing a sick rain cloud sneezing into another cloud.

  Nerida hopped in to have her fun with Eyia, though.

  She stared at the odd pair—the valkyrie Primordial warrior and the shy, sheltered siren—bonding over food criticism. Eyia had taken it upon herself to “train” Nerida, whose physical stamina was practically non-existent. The arrangement appeared to be producing surprisingly positive results, though Nerida often looked like she’d been through a war after their sessions.

  A fsh of golden light caught Sora’s attention—the tracking charm she’d left with Wendy, pulsing and flying toward them. Her tail perked up immediately.

  “Wendy’s on her way back,” she announced, ears swiveling forward.

  Sure enough, within minutes, her sister emerged from the crowded cafeteria pathway, Mary walking beside her. Even from a distance, Sora could see the lightness in her sister’s step, the way her fluffy tail swished with more energy than it had this morning.

  The session must have gone well. Nice! She needed it.

  “Found you!” Wendy called, jogging the st few steps. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes bright as she reached them. “Your little heart beacon thing works perfectly!”

  “Of course it does,” Sora winked. “After I learned how spooky it can be if the wrong person gets it, I had to do a bit more research and practice with it.”

  Mary approached more sedately, smoothing her blue dress. “Hello everyone. My, what a fascinating selection of cuisine… And this pce is quite…wild,” she noted, observing the very lush and vibrant district.

  “Mary, you have to try this,” Sora insisted, holding out her half-eaten food. “Tell me how you think it tastes.”

  The psychiatrist accepted a small piece, eyes widening slightly as she sampled it. “Remarkable. It’s like a perfect sirloin with hints of… Is that truffle?”

  “You got it! That’s what I was tasting,” Sora agreed, finishing her portion. “Anyway, we should probably head to Jin’s tournament soon. It starts at ten, and we still need to figure out how everything is going to happen.”

  “I thought Eyia said it was individual battles and a free-for-all?” Wendy jumped in, snagging a piece of Nilly’s food despite the cat’s protests—she’d slipped to another stall to snag a little more at some point.

  Sora nodded, making sure there weren’t any stains on shirt—there were none.

  Nice.

  “Yeah, but we’d better get going. It’s Jin we’re talking about. She is the definition of ‘doesn’t give a crap’ and would totally swap things up on us out of the blue. Plus, the parking spots might fill up fast that are close to the…whatever she has pnned.”

  Eyia’s eyes grew big as she surrendered her dissected food to Nilly to scarf down. “Now that you mention it, Sister. Jin is rather spontaneous. Her pns often do the switcheroo game. I am good with it except for with the snake-tongued Jin.”

  As they gathered their things, Sora noticed several students pointing and whispering as they passed. She caught fragments of conversation—”vulpes founder,” “Miami,” “dragon’s event”—that made her ears twitch. Word had spread about Jin's tournament, and apparently about her involvement too.

  Great, more attention, and now outside the Vulpes District. Just what I need.

  “Everyone staring and talking about you gives me the creeps,” Wendy muttered, moving closer to Sora as they walked toward her car. “How does everyone know what a Founder even is?”

  “They’re probably just curious,” Sora reassured her, though her own tail bristled slightly. “And the old goddesses of this world were Fae Founders, so…I can see how they’d know.”

  Students and professors alike paused to stare as they neared and there was a rge crowd now gathered around her car. Conversation was buzzing:

  “What is that contraption?”

  “Some kind of metal carriage?”

  “It must be. She rode it here.”

  “It is humming with…incredible magic.”

  “The vulpes brought it from the human realm!”

  Sora's ears fttened slightly at the attention, but she straightened her shoulders and approached confidently. “Excuse us, please.”

  The crowd parted reluctantly, students continuing to stare as they climbed into the vehicle. Inside, shielded from curious eyes by tinted windows, Sora let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

  “Well, that was awkward,” she muttered, sliding behind the wheel.

  “They’re still looking at us like we’re zoo animals,” Wendy grumbled, settling into the passenger seat.

  Eyia, Nilly, and Nerida squeezed into the back, the Valkyrie looking comically rge next to Nilly’s teenage form. Mary hesitated, but Wendy swiftly got out to trade pces with her, making the older woman smile thankfully and slide into the passenger side seat.

  I guess, even if we’re in a fantasy world, Mary wants to keep a certain decorum with us. Or maybe she’s just embarrassed to squeeze into the back? Her cheeks are a little colored and her spiritual aura feels…a little shame? Maybe something about how she grew up.

  “Your transportation device may not have drawn much attention on Earth but here it is—what do you call it? A pot of honey and bees?” Eyia observed, running her fingers over the leather seats. “Can this model be used as a war machine?”

  “Wha—no?” Sora couldn’t help ughing. “No, it’s just a car. A fancy one, with a few magical bells and whistles, but still just a car…for now!”

  “I can imagine you will do your own magical upgrades to it like a teen should to make it her own,” Mary mused, observing the excitement of the throng. “They probably haven’t seen automobiles before. From what I understand, Avalon was sealed off long before cars were invented.”

  Sora’s ears brushed the ceiling as she looked in the mirror at Wendy, who returned the look. “Huh. I hadn’t thought of that but it makes sense. Avalon closed its doors like…three hundred years ago, I think? Maybe? Man, I should go to an Avalon History lecture.”

  She started the engine, smiling as several onlookers jumped back in surprise at the sound. “Although, Eyia, I wonder if Noelia enchanted it so no one could mess with it because…I could see it. So maybe it is a secret war machine.”

  “Oh, definitely,” Wendy ughed, shifting a little to get a better position beside Nilly. “Mom seems to like privacy with all her sound-proof spells around the suite.”

  “True!” Sora snickered, thinking back to how her mom had practically dragged Noelia into sleeping in the same room. She still wasn’t quite sure what to make of the strange retionship her mother was creating with the tanuki, her, and her dad. “I’m sort of for it, though.”

  “No, I’m 1000% for it!” Wendy joined in.

  Nilly’s ears perked up. “Ooh, like a magical shield that protects if it crashes? That would be cool! Uh, Nerida, Eyia, you two okay?”

  “Just…meditating,” Nerida breathed. From the rearview mirror, Sora saw her eyes were closed. “I’ve just…never been in a car before. Things are passing…really fast.”

  “Oh, I’ll slow down… Eyia?”

  Wendy leaned forward, lips pursing. “Meditating, too, I think. Probably consulting with her father or something.”

  They dropped the topic as they pulled away from the curb, Sora’s mind wandered back to her tanuki…stepmother? It was hard to pce what Noelia was now. Noelia was still adjusting to her new life in the penthouse…babysitting her mother.

  From caretaker to mother… I guess it is good that we’re not there right now. It gives Mom and Dad time to figure out things with Noelia… Whatever Mom’s intention is with her. I…sort of just want to not think about it. Wendy’s my sister. That’s good enough for now!

  The vehicle sped off toward the nearest teleport gate, Mary absently engaging Nilly to get a better understanding of how the Cat Mother was settling in.

  Many openly gawked at her sleek bck paint job, or maybe it was them—a vulpes Founder, a tanuki that was sisters to a vulpes, a valkyrie, a siren, and a legendary Nekomata Mother of the Cats, all in the company of a human therapist who decided to join them.

  We really are an odd bunch, Sora thought with amusement. Humans in Avalon, too? That has to be a big change… Didn’t Wendy mention something about the Kumiho not requiring human flesh? Wouldn’t…Mom have something to do with that? Mom… What are you doing?! No, what DID you do? You didn’t even give yourself the answers…

  Her mind drifted back to that first visit she’d had with her awkward mother. A woman who had supposedly incinerated multiverses on a whim, if some stories she’d heard were to be believed. Yet, a lot could happen in millions of years of living…and a lot of baggage could come from that.

  Dad… You really chose quite the woman. At this point, I’m not sure if you were the one who seduced Mom or she seduced you… There’s so much mystery behind our origin. A topic for another day… She gnced at Nilly through her mirror, ughing and joking with Wendy. And maybe you’ll have the answers for me.

  “You know,” she added, jumping into the conversation, “I wish there was a way to make this thing pocket-sized. Like, shrink it down when we’re not using it. I could put it in my purse.”

  Eyia opened her eyes, the blue glow leaving them as she blinked and looked around. Her opulent diamond neckce across the front of her tank top caught the light as she moved.

  “We are on the topic of convenience? Why not attempt such a feat, Sister? Would this not be excellent practice for honing your magical precision and talents?”

  Sora blinked. “What, just…try to shrink my new hundred-thousand-dolr car? On a whim…”

  “Indeed!” Eyia nodded vigorously, blue eyes gleaming with excitement. “One often does their best work when there is, how do you say it…skin in the game? You are most capable, Sister! Your magical prowess grows daily. Such an endeavor would surely demonstrate your increasing mastery to the instructors!”

  “I—that’s not—” Sora sputtered, caught between ughing and genuine consideration.

  “Don’t you dare try to shrink this car while we’re inside it,” Wendy warned, though a smile tugged at her lips. “Do apples first. C’mon!”

  “I wasn’t going to!” Sora protested, though the idea had pnted itself firmly in her mind and what it would be like if she could shrink them to run around and explore.

  Could I do it? Maybe after the tournament, when everyone’s safely outside and I do a quick test run… I could see what a bug’s life is like… Oh! Now there’s a training ground I can do! The Bug Extermination Project is realized!

  They approached the transportation gate of the Dryad District, which was different from some of the others around Avalon: a massive stone archway etched with runes that glowed faintly in the morning light.

  Sora guided the car onto the circur ptform at its base, aligning with the central sigil.

  “Okay, everyone ready?” She gnced back at her passengers. “We’re heading to Jin’s training grounds. Mary, we need to say it all together for it to work in a group.”

  A chorus of affirmation answered her. Sora pced her hands on the wheel, focusing on their destination, and they all said it at once.

  “Jin’s training grounds.”

  The runes fred to life, glowing brilliant blue around them. A sensation like electricity danced across Sora’s skin as the magic took hold, and then—

  The world blurred, colors swirling together before resolidifying. They were no longer in the Dryad District but on a high ptform overlooking an expansive field that stretched toward distant towers of another district. And before them rose a massive wooden structure that hadn’t been there the day before or else she would have likely heard about it in the dorms.

  “Whoa,” Wendy breathed beside her. “This…is bigger than I thought it would be… Are we in a Tournament Arc?”

  The arena dominated the ndscape—a colossal amphitheater crafted from living wood that twisted and spiraled upward in impossible patterns. Moss-covered seats floated in the air around it, providing viewing areas at various heights and angles. Transparent, gss-like ptforms shifted and rotated around the central battle area, barely visible except when light caught their edges.

  And the crowds—thousands upon thousands of beings filled the stands and hovered in the air. Dragons in humanoid form, fae of every description, elements incarnate, beings Sora couldn’t even name—all gathered for Jin’s impromptu tournament.

  “I think we’re a bit underdressed,” Nerida whispered, shrinking back in her seat. “How many people were supposed to take part again?”

  Sora followed a goblin who had glowing sticks in his hand, directing her away from the portal and toward a ramp that would take her to ground level. She followed the directions, guiding the car toward what appeared to be a designated area for mounts and vehicles.

  Nearby, a massive airship was tethered, its balloon shimmering with enchantments. What appeared to be ‘less intelligent’ unicorns, griffins, and stranger creatures milled about, tended by their riders. She had to wonder how the ‘intelligent’ versions of those races processed that since she’d seen a very intelligent unicorn as the secretary for the Grand Chancellor.

  “Yeah, this is…bigger than I expected, Nerida,” Sora admitted, parking carefully beside what looked like a carriage pulled by eight-legged crabs.

  As she shut off the engine, a familiar scent hit her nostrils, cutting through the cacophony of smells around them—earthy, wild, with hints of pine and something distinctly predatory. It had changed as she’d gotten to know it, becoming more…refined.

  Kari.

  Her ears perked up instantly, swiveling to locate the source. The wolf’s scent was unmistakable, powerful enough to stand out even among the thousands gathered here.

  “I can smell Kari,” she said, almost to herself.

  Wendy’s eyes met hers in the mirror, Mary gncing between them. Now, Sora had to wonder if the psychiatrist had come in order to observe them in real time.

  There was a mixture of emotions flickering across her sister’s face. However, instead of a gre, her gaze settled into resigned acceptance. “You want to go check on her, don’t you? And don’t think I don’t smell the two boys here, too.”

  Sora hesitated, feeling suddenly caught between her sister and her newfound friendship with their former bully. And, Wendy was right, a certain firebird and tattooed fae were around somewhere… Potentially a part of the tournament. She wouldn’t put it past Jin. “I—”

  “Go ahead,” Wendy interrupted, causing Nilly and Nerida to release a stream of anxiety.

  Sora proceeded tentatively, though, gncing once at Mary who was wearing a gentle, proud smile. “Really?”

  “It’s fine,” she repeated, rolling around her neck and likely trying to control her puffy tail fur from bristling. “I’ll get everyone settled. I did my sisterly duty hanging out with you yesterday, so get out of here! Give me some space. Geez,” she offered a small smile. “Had a good talk with Mary. It’s still hard, but…I’m trying. Which means—”

  Relief and gratitude flooded through Sora.

  She reached back to squeeze Wendy’s hand. “Thank you. And I know we have more to talk about… I know I need to do better. Talk to you ter?”

  “I said go already, before I start yanking out fur!”

  “Going! Going!”

  They climbed out of the car, giggling and blinking in the bright sunlight fruit overhead caught them. All of them had to take a moment to absorb the spectacle around them though.

  The air hummed with magic and excitement, voices from dozens of nguages creating a symphony of sound.

  Eyia adjusted her white top, the movement causing her neckce to shimmer. The diamond seemed to hover impossibly between the golden threads, defying gravity.

  “Ah, Sisters, I would enjoy a reserved seat, but I must speak with Jin,” she announced, her voice taking on the formal tone she used when discussing matters of honor…which wasn’t concerning at all. “We have an agreement that must be settled during this week.”

  Sora nodded, understanding without needing the details. Eyia and Jin’s retionship was complicated—first friendship, then betrayal, now something in-between that both were working to define. And who got the waves from that fallout? Basically all of Avalon with Jin in the picture, evidenced by this tournament she spontaneously made happen.

  “Will you be okay?” she asked, moving around the car and gently touching Eyia’s arm. “You don’t need anyone to come with you, right?”

  The moment s he said it, she wanted to bite her tongue. Not like anyone coming would make a difference. In fact, it would probably annoy Jin.

  The valkyrie’s expression showed heart-felt gratitude. “It is…noble of you to offer, Sora, but it would be unwise. Unwise, indeed. Jin and I… We are finding our way through the tempest. She cares more than she admits, I believe.”

  “You know… I think you might be her only friend,” Sora added, gncing at Nerida, who was now hovering beside Nilly and Wendy, reflecting on what Wendy told her.

  Maybe I have been really open about new friends, but… No. No, Wendy has her reasons. And she’s right. Look what Jenny did to Kari. This world is viscous and you do need to have a heart…but also a brain!

  Eyia paused, brow creasing. “Only…friend? I had not contempted this possibility. Jin had a life before meeting me…but I know so little about her battles. You may be correct that she is one of those lonely cat dies that Wendy is becoming.”

  “I’m a what?!” Wendy choked, Sora erupting into ughter as Nilly’s tail bristled as much as her sisters. “You—oh, that is a good one, Eyia, and I don’t even think you know what you said!”

  Nilly colpsed to her butt, eyes wide as if she’d been traumatized. “I’m a pet… Am I a pet? I sleep at her feet at night. She keeps me safe in this form… I’m a pet!”

  A smile touched Eyia’s lips as she watched the breakdown. “Most…curious. I had not noticed my bronze tongue has evolved to such heights, as Jin would say. The socks does seem to fit the hand! As for Jin, she is most challenging to befriend, so I should not be bewildered at her total ck of a social circle and antisocial behavior. Bullish, antagonistic and hard to approach is just like a dragon’s nature. A most challenging friend.”

  Mary seemed to be trying to hold back her own smile as the others ughed, and even Eyia joined in, likely realizing how her blunt assessment might sound.

  “I’ll catch up with you guys ter,” Sora said, already stepping away. “Wendy, can you—”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ve got them,” her sister waved her off with a grin. “If I’ve got my ‘cat pet’ then you go find your wolf pet. She’s probably brooding, contempting how best to avoid us.”

  With a grateful nod, Sora turned and began weaving through the crowd, following Kari’s scent. Maybe I should have been a little more forceful to not call Kari a pet…ever. She’s already self-conscious enough about her agency… Wendy doesn’t know that, though.

  She pursued the scent past vendors from outside Avalon Academy who had set up shop, selling exotic foods and trinkets, past groups of students practicing st-minute spells, and through throngs of spectators pcing bets on potential winners.

  The instructors were the favorites, it seemed, for obvious reasons.

  The wooden arena loomed rger as she approached, and she could see the intricate magic woven into its structure—protective spells, endurance enchantments, barriers to contain damage. At least, that’s what she assumed. Whoever had constructed it—Jin herself, perhaps—had created something truly remarkable.

  No… Not Jin. Every time she uses her real power, she hurts herself. This has to be the Grand Chancellor… Interesting. It does feel a lot like her magic.

  As the crowd thinned near the competitors’ area, Sora spotted a lone figure sitting cross-legged on the ground, staring up at the arena with an unreadable expression. Kari’s absurdly thick, bck hair fell loosely along her back, her tail lying motionless behind her.

  Sora approached quietly, dropping to sit beside her without a word. Kari didn’t acknowledge her immediately, continuing to stare ahead as if lost in thought.

  “How are you doing?” Sora finally asked, stretching her legs out in front of her.

  Kari grunted, leaning back on her hands and closing her eyes. “Not making as much progress as I’d like… I hope Jin’s right and this is what I need.”

  Sora id down beside her, taking more care with her copper hair than Kari, who simply let hers fan out beneath her.

  This is Jin’s advice, huh? Well, that makes sense. I can see her changing everything for something like this… Maybe there’s some connection she has to the fenris family she doesn’t want to talk about. Would Ylva have reacted if there was? No…that woman is practically made of stone. Utterly impossible to read.

  She shivered, remembering all the scars and damage the gray-furred fenris wolf’s body had sustained. They would all heal, but it said a lot that someone as powerful as her needed time for them to go away.

  There really is a war happening beyond Mom’s safe territory.

  Linking her fingers across her belly, Sora gazed up at the creatures soaring overhead—dragons, griffins, winged fae, and beings she had no names for.

  “It’s crazy how much has changed,” she mused. “A few months ago, we were just teenage girls at Miami Beach Senior High, and you were shaving off my head at the end of the school year…”

  She gestured vaguely at the supernatural spectacle around them. “Now we’re in a magical academy, preparing to fight in a tournament where we might get our arms ripped off.”

  Kari's mouth quirked into a humorless smile. “What, first time?”

  “Grim!” Sora growled, smacking tails together in protest. “…This isn’t like what Eric did to you, so don’t even think about it. And I know I still need to get in contact with Diane. Sorry. Umm. Did…talking with Mary help at all?” Sora carefully asked.

  The wolf’s amber eyes opened, staring upward. “It’s not that she didn’t help. I talked to her about…what we found. Honestly… No, I can’t be honest,” she snorted, rubbing between her eyes. “I just…don’t have crity. I know what I need to do…but I don’t know what I’m doing.” Frustration edged into her voice. “It’s hard to expin.”

  “You do have a direction,” Sora offered, trying to be helpful. “It’s clear. Just the steps to take are a bit murky.” Her tail twitched as she spoke. “I feel the same way about a lot of things I’m dealing with. I’ve had to table most of it—let things stew—but…I know that’s not really an option for you… She—”

  Sora caught herself before saying more, aware of how careful they needed to be when discussing Tiri. Even here, in the open air, there was no telling who might be listening. Plus, there was a lot they didn’t know.

  She gnced over. Something in Kari’s face had changed—a resolve that hadn’t been there before. Sora studied her profile, realizing that what the wolf was seeking wasn’t just a path forward, but her own confidence in that path. The assurance that she could face whatever came next… Even against her older brother.

  If she wants to protect Tiri…then that means going through Eric. And that trauma…that one runs deep.

  Before she could offer any words of encouragement, a commotion drew their attention. Jin was walking toward the arena, Jian at her side. The Korean founder cut an imposing figure despite her small stature. Golden accessories glinted on her fingers and wrists—rings and the watch she’d received from Green in Miami.

  Abruptly, her image was broadcast in a giant hologram above.

  Jian, the white tiger baihu, followed half a step behind, his white hair stark against his tanned skin. He seemed to be going over notes on a tablet, occasionally leaning in to whisper something to Jin.

  A hush fell over the nearest section of the crowd as Jin approached the arena entrance. She cleared her throat, the sound amplified by magic to echo across the entire field, as if a colossal beast was setting their sight on everyone present.

  A burst of wind swept outward from where she stood, the pressure of her constrained power ebbing outward to lock tongues to the roof of mouths.

  Jin grabbed a microphone, offered by a tiny fairy who was quaking under her aura, her expression bored yet somehow commanding. “Shut up!” she announced bluntly. “That’s right. We’re done talking. I said it’d start at 10, it’s starting at 10. Welcome to the massacre.”

  Her dry, sarcastic tone carried easily over the nervous crowd as she continued. “This wasn’t pnned. Just sounded interesting to me after some details came out. Got bigger than expected. Not a terrible turnout, I’d say.”

  Kari and Sora exchanged gnces, figuring the wolf’s chest was as tight as hers. Of course, she knew how deadly and dangerous Jin was. Their first meeting, she was going to rip out her heart for just being associated with her aunt.

  “Initial battles will be battle royales,” Jin decred. “Rules are fluid. My word is w. Anything goes—try to kill your opponent if you want. If you can… Don’t be weak.”

  A murmur ran through the crowd at this, some excited, others nervous.

  Sora had to look at Kari at that decration. Those are Eric’s ws… This is like a repeat of the Hell Amphitheater, only…without hostages. And the st person standing…will likely face Jin herself… No, that’s definitely going to be Eyia. But getting there… How far can we go? Can we actually kill now?

  The answer came next, causing Sora to breathe a sigh of relief.

  “Grand Chancellor Elowen has set measures in pce,” Jin dismissed with a wave of her hand, sounding almost disappointed. “If you would have died or received mortal injuries, you’ll be transported out and eliminated. How mortal? You’ll have to find out! Also…anyone who touches the grass fails.”

  She paused, her gaze sweeping the audience. “This allows for trickery, illusion magic, and the like. It’s not just about brute strength, even though that’s generally the best metric,” she shrugged. “Boring talk, yada-yada-yada weaklings.”

  Her eyes nded on a section filled with vulpes, all of whom straightened immediately. “This ruling could provide some upsets,” she added, her tone slyly challenging. “Can the vulpes outpy the fae?”

  Sora felt her own tail bristle slightly in response.

  “Ten individuals in each bracket. Quick fights. Get it done. Kill each other. Have at it.” Jin’s voice took on a harder edge. “This is your chance to prove you have what it takes to survive if The Darkness returns. It’s not just self-defense—it’s survival. If you can’t show you’re willing to kill to survive, maybe you belong in the SCC Foundation reserve on Earth. At least it would be less dangerous,” she snorted.

  Her yellow eyes gleamed as she delivered her final warning: “If you can’t break the cage, you’re doomed to live in it. So, clip your wings forever…or break free.”

  A cold silence followed these words before the dragon Founder continued with the practical details. “Your position on the arena will appear over your head when it’s your turn. And yes, those who showed up today without pnning to participate…will participate.” A cruel smile curved her lips. “Not everyone, but many. The instructors have recommended individuals.”

  She chuckled. “Last week probably wasn’t the best one to pull pranks on instructors, elders, professors, or student teachers. Some faculty will also be joining the competition voluntarily. Isn’t that fun?”

  With that ominous statement hanging in the air, Jin raised her hand. “Day one starts now. Begin.”

  Sora almost choked when the number 7 came over Kari’s head. Not her own.

  Kari’s smile grew, though, amber eyes illuminated as her fenris blood quickened.

  “Right off the start… I like it.”

  AuthorSME