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Cereisa wiped the sweat off her forehead as she wobbled to her bunkbed. The professors were being cruel today and that resulted in her losing nearly all of her strength. Cereisa had told herself not to be rude, but somehow she always found an excuse to break free from her own rules.

The Professors in Garland Academy hated her, she knew. She had gotten into the school in the most unconventional way, and she dared to challenge most of them while being one of the poorest students here. Her crude mouth had never been her best qualities, but at least she practiced hard enough to keep up with her boasting words. If Lady Faye hadn’t recommended her privately, Cereisa wasn’t sure if she’s going to stay long.

She undressed and lied on her back. Usually at this time of day, she’d be at the Fire Palace, sucking up to Lady Faye to ensure her position in the Akademy, but today she’s too tired to do that. And she knew that she’s not at all charming when she’s tired.

Her eyes had just been closed for roughly ten minutes when her bunkmate crashed in. Terry’s eyes widened as she saw her naked state, but she recovered fast.

“Have you heard? Lady Faye’s long lost granddaughter has gone back! I haven’t seen her myself but people have been raving about her striking similarties with the late Lady Riva.”

Cereisa’s eyes immediately opened despite of herself. She gulped, suddenly fear came rushing through her body hearing this news. This was the news she’d dreaded for years. The granddaughter coming back! How unpleasant for her!

She grounded her teeth and dressed in her casual clothes. “Is she with Lady Faye?”

“No, I think she’s taking a tour around the house.”

Cereisa’s biting her lips, an annoying habit she can’t seem to get rid of. She looked at Terry, all merry all happy. But then again, Terry wasn’t directly affected by the return of Maye. She’s of Wind territory and her parents were wealthy enough to pay her education.

As for her..

Cereisa needed to keep Lady Faye on her favors. She needed someone to pay for her. What she didn’t need was a rival that had stronger connections and better chances to win against her.

“You know where she’s from?” Cereisa asked fearfully. She hoped that Maye hadn’t spent her childhood in the Underworld or the Nightworld. The people who inhabited those places could hone her to be as strong as newborn Cyclops.

“No,” Terry put her fingers under her chin. “I hear rumors that Lady Faye brought her to the Underworld, though. You know, to practice really hard. Lady Faye wanted her granddaughter to be the greatest fire wielder in the universe, surely you know about that.”

Yes, Cereisa knew, and that’s the very thing that bothered her. Other people didn’t know her business with Lady Faye, and she had no intentions to make this known. She had a reputation to keep and this scandal would clearly bring her to be those people’s doormat.

Cereisa refused to be stomped again.

Ignoring the throbbing pain inside her head, Cereisa put on her best dress and groomed herself. As a fire-woman, she was queer looking with her dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Fire people usually had flaming red hair and eyes as green as grass. Her difference hadn’t given her much trouble, though, and Cereisa rather liked her being different. She needed to stand out of the crowd. She needed to be noticed and acknowledged.

After murmuring her thanks, she immediately hurried to the Castle of Ember. The sensation that licked on her skin when she entered the gate still gave her chills, despite the heat, and Cereisa shuddered. One of the guards asked for proof that she’s of fire descent and Cereisa showed him by creating a small blaze dancing on her hand. Her palm was burnt and scathy when she’s done, but at least she’s allowed in.

The rooms inside the castle had always amazed Cereisa, no matter how much she’d been here before. She tried to remember the path to Lady Faye’s room and when she arrived there, she sucked in air. Her hands flew to slap her cheeks a few times to give back the color that’d been drained from her and she forced the muscles around her mouth to loosen up and form a smile.

Finally, after she’d done her preparation, Cereisa rapped on the door three times. “It’s me,” she said.

Lady Faye had recognized her voice, so she herself opened the door for her. As always, there’s a large bluish fire all around her body, functioning not only as shield but also a weapon to those who attemped an ambush. Cereisa knew that that fire cost Lady Faye her hair, and she unconsciously pulled on a strand of her own blonde tresses. Would she love her more if she gave up her hair for the eternal flame?

She couldn’t even contemplate with the answer because Lady Faye was now smiling at her. “What is it, child?”

“I’ve beaten a seventh grade student with empty hands today,” Cereisa reported, and she wasn’t lying. The boy was large, twice as large as her and his body was even heavier with all the weapons he attached onto his cloak. He’d managed to leave a cut down on her back, but at least he’d gotten worse with broken limbs and burnt wounds on three fourth of his body. “He’s of Earth territory. Real weak, though.”

She’s exaggerating a bit and she hated herself for getting good at it for everytime she performed it. Lady Faye nodded, a proud smile blossomed on her wrinkled face. Earth students in the Akademy was rare, since the other people from other elements often shunned them due to their King’s behavior. But if there was an Earth person, then rest assured he’s rich and arrogant and strong. That’s the only way they could have survived under such tremendous pressure.

“Is that the only reason why you’re here?” Lady Faye asked, as she gestured Cereisa to sit on the edge of her bed. Cereisa nodded profoundly, honored that she could have the liberty to sit on the bed which bedsheet was made from phoenix feathers.

“Of course not,” Cereisa grinned, “I want to spend more time with you, Granny..”

The nickname made Lady Faye’s fair complexion became ruddish and Cereisa tried he rbest not to break the smile. To say that she didn’t love Lady Faye would be a lie. The old woman had helped her a lot and she had loved her like she would have loved her own granddaughter. The fact that Cereisa could never really consider her her grandmother but kept calling her one was such a treachery, though.

Lady Faye smiled and then sat beside her. She put her hand around Cereisa’s shoulders and she snuggled closer on her bluish fire. Since she’s a fire wielder herself, her defense against it was much stronger than if she was any of any other elements. They started chatting about trivial things when Lady Faye abruptly stopped.

“I almost forgot!” she said. “Cereisa, have you heard? My granddaughter has just gone back. She is taking her first trial now, and I am to watch how she’s doing.”

“Oh, really?” Cereisa smiled, though it was a chore to do it. “Maye? She’s in my age, is she not?”

“Oh, yes. A little bit older, though.”

Cereisa bit her lip as her next question would be tough. “Is she going to go to the Akademy, too?”

“That I doubt,” Lady Faye said, her tone was weary and her exasperation was shown through the deepened lines on her face. “She hasn’t produced any fire ever since she stepped her feet here.”

“Really?” Cereisa forced herself to use the tone of concern.

“Do not tell anyone, Cereisa,” Lady Faye hissed, suddenly alert again as she backed away from her.

“No, of course not,” Cereisa answered. “Is she a…” she considered the word ‘flunkie’ but decided to go against it. “anomaly, too?”

Lady Faye seemed to appreciate her choice of word. “I still do not know. That’s what I’m going to find out.”

She smiled again to Cereisa, and then she got up and both of them went out from the grandiour room. She didn’t ask Cereisa to come with her, though, so she knew that her presence wasn’t wanted when the older woman watching the undecided fate of her so-called granddaughter. It’s only natural, Cereisa thought. Lady Faye had spread a huge rumor about her fire-empowered, extremely powerful granddaughter thorough the world to hear. Now that the arrival of the child really happened, it’d be worse than humiliating to let the world to know that she’s a flunk.

She said goodbye to the old lady and then went back to the Akademy. This time, however, she didn’t resume her nap. The knowledge that Maye Havykhan may or may not be a flunk excited her to the point her energy was fully recharged. If she hadn’t discovered her power, then it’s likely she’d be able to wing Cereisa in any sort of duel. That’s what she needed to keep: her superiority against the real child.

In her little relief she wondered through the Akademy halls. At sixteen years old, Cereisa was a bit too young to feel bitter at most of things, but despite the ill treatment she received from the professor, despite the constant-work she had to do to keep her place here, and despite of her own distate to the earth People that flocked haughtily here, she was very fond of this place. She loved the feel of the gray bricks, old and mouldish they seemed. She loved to lok up to the high ceiling ad wondered if there’s a time when she could show people that she too, can fly.

That second idea was stupid, though. Her late mother had once said that no matter where they were, the people in which they had to mingle with always hated anomaly. Cereisa was fine physically, she had two eyes and one mouth and one nose and the right amount of limbs. Most of her family, however, would always have at least one wrong thing going on them. Her late father was so short he could be easily mistaken as a dwarf. The siblings she once had were all hardly human, with animal characeristics stronger than their human qualities. The sister that never bothered to come home or take care of her, she had a pair of wings she couldn’t hide.

And as for she, even though people wouldn’t notice anything strange from her, she had a secret that she kept discreet for the last eight years.

She’s a hybrid.

Cereisa scoffed despite of herself. She had liked flying when she’s a kid, and had hated lava and fire. But since the Air nobles were all in abundance in terms of kids, she couldn’t use her power to entice them. So she used her secondary power as a desperate act to survive.

It had been a very hard decision for her. The Air people were generally a much better flocks than the Fires. They could fly, but they didn’t feel the need to flaunt their specialty in every damn seconds, and neither did they hold their chins high even though they’d just been defeated fair and square. Execisive amonunt of pride was the very weaknesses of most fire people, and their ever-burning hair was the proof of this.

By this point Cereisa was already trying to keep her reactions under control. As much as she hated the Fire people, she had to admit that she’s more of a fire person than a air person, personality-wise.

Her senses went alert when she heard someone calling for her.

“Hey, Cereisa!”

it took her a while to recognize this, but once she realized that it’s Demarkus calling for her, her heart went atwitter. She bit her own tongue in hopes to pulverize any ill thoughts that had been creeping up in her mind. The last thing she wanted was for Demarkus to realize that she’s not as kind and talented as he thought she was.

“Hey, Prince,” she said cordially. It was an inside joke between them. Demarkus hated being reminded that he’s a prince when he’s on the school grounds, and Cereisa liked teasing about his bloodline.

“Shut up, you. I can get your head chopped off,” he growled, though in friendly manner.

Against her will Cereisa blushed. She peered around him, searching for a figure of a redtailed bird or a ridiculously tall man who usually followed him around. While she liked conversing with Demarkus, she disliked his counterpart Demitrius with all her might. Rude and condencesing and garrulous, Demitrius was the constant reminder as to why Cereisa hated most nobles.

After she made sure that there’s only the blonde prince, she could revert back into being upbeat. “Oh, you wouldn’t do that, Demarkus. You’re way too kind to kill people.”

“Is that supposed to be a mockery?”

“Quite the contrary, but I think you couldn’t grasp that,” Cereisa retorted, and then mentally kicked herself for blurting that out. While killing other people was highly prohibited, there were times when that’s the only thing that nobles were settled to do. Demarkus’s inability to ignore his conscience was the very main thing that drew him back for taking the throne of his father. He’d got all the ingredients, charm and brains and ability and looks, but he still maintained his heart.

That quality, despite the commoners’s affinity for it, was considered proletarian among the blue-blooded.

“Don’t you remind me,” Demarkus sighed heavily, and then they walked together through the school halls. Cereisa kept an alarming distance of one feet between him. She liked having Demarkus around, but being too close to him would result to her loss of self-control. Before she knew it, she could lose a heart or a set of ribcage due too much cardiovascular exercise.

“While you was out I was beating that huge Gronie’s ass off,” Cereisa boasted, trying to make noise so that she wasn’t as nervous.

“Oh, really?” Demarkus sounded interested. While he’s noble, he still had a strong dislike against the earth people. “Does he writhe under your arm?”

“He could hardly do that. I knocked him unconscious in the third strike, and maybe up until now he still hadn’t discovered why he had an exceptional blackeye and a sore ass.”

Demarkus laughed, and again Cereisa blushed. Sometimes it’s beyond her how this boy never realized how odd she acted around him. A lot of people had already predicted about her supposed crush to the Air Prince, and Demitrius had taken an instant hatred to her the moment he found out about her feelings to his master.

“While you’re beating that kid do you know that I was saving a princess?” he said.

The word ‘princess’ took Cereisa aback. He was laughing when he said that, and her feelings told her that he actually sounded wistful when he pronounced the word ‘princess’. Plus, she just didn’t like how he, a prince, said that he saved a princess. That sounded too romantic and too… meant-to-be.

“Oh, really?” Cereisa restrained her annoyance and responded with a smile. “Is she Lady Faye’s granddaughter? The so-called Maye?”

“She prefers to be called Marla, I suppose. What a queer name for such a feisty lady,” Demarkus commented, and that made Cereisa fumed inwardly.

“Is she any strong? Does her grandmother’s blood ran through her veins?” she asked, hoping for a negative answer. It was evil, she knew. But even Durres were capable of thinking such wicked thoughts when they’re agitated. Out of all four kind of people with elemental power, the one that’s the hardest to pass on was the ones of the Fire nation. Only an alarming statistic of one fifth people who possessed the power, and all in all only about seventy who managed to use it well.

Even three of four Lady Faye’s grandchildren were flunkies! If such qualified blood don’t even guarantee power, what else can?

“That I don’t know,” Demarkus answered, and he scowled as if disappointed. “She does resemble the old lady in some ways, though. I hope she has even the least of power. It’d be disappointing if she turns out to be a flunk.”

“Yes, much disappointing,” Cereisa nodded. “She is taking her first trial, isn’t she?”

Demarkus nodded. “In the third house of the Fire palace. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, nothing important,” Cereisa said, waving her hands. “Don’t you have some things to report? I think your father is waiting for some good news.”

“Good gracious. Thank you for the reminder,” he put both of his hands on each of her shoulder. “I really think you should try to join the military force. I ought to make you my personal calendar.”

Oh, that’d be a pleasure, Cereisa wanted to say, but reined herself from doing so. Joining the military equals more test, which equals bigger possibilities of her being discovered. She wouldn’t risk getting exiled to the Village of The Aberration, no matter how dying she was to be Demarkus’s calendar.

Demarkus threw her another dazzling smile, and then flew away, still graceful even though around the air. Cereisa watched him until his back was no longer seen, and then headed back to the volcano.

She needed to be the first to know if Maye or Marla, or whoever she was, inherited the power. And if that knowledge must require her crashing the gates, then it’s a risk worth taking.