Chapter 1

There was something eerie about this place. I wasn't sure what it was but it made me uneasy. Perhaps it had something to do with the outrageous size of the campus. No matter how you looked at it, I couldn't get used to it, especially compared to the lifestyle I was used to. I didn't belong in this place. I knew that very well, but I had no choice but to attend. My grandfather went through great pains to get us into this academy. Whether I liked it or not, I was indebted to him so I went without much fight.

It's only been a month since Sage and I came to this school but somehow it seemed more than that. I noticed it was much easier for my eight year old brother to adapt than it was for me. Whatever the case, I was going to graduate at the end of year so suffering through this wouldn't be too bad.

Maybe.

I leaned against the tree, staring out across the lake that shimmered in the setting sun. It was far away from the school and my personal haven. Very few people ventured out this way so I didn't have to worry about being discovered.

"Calla, are you there?"

My ears twitched and I opened my eyes. Sage was standing under the tree, his hand pressed against the bark. He was still wearing his uniform, though unbuttoned and rolled up. His blond hair seemed to sparkle in the setting sun and he looked strangely like a cherub, even with the disorganized appearance.

"Calla, I know you're here somewhere. Come out."

I slipped off the shoes I was wearing and jumped from the branch I was sitting on. He swung around just as I stood from the crouch. "Should've known." He mumbled. "You're just like a monkey. You were hiding in the tree again."

It wasn't phrased as a question but I nodded anyway. "So what does my cute brother want at this time of day? Don't you have homework?"

"Unlike you, I like to get things done before they're due."

"Hoho, is this the mouth used to mock me so?" I teased, stretching his cheeks in a manner he hated.

"You're the devil." He said, rubbing his cheeks when I let go.

I raised a brow with small smirk and walked over to the docks. I sat down and dipped my feet into the water. Sage followed after and settled beside me, leaning his head against my shoulder. It's been a while since it was just the two of us. I ran my fingers through his hair. "So, what brings you here?"

"I had a nightmare." He said. "And I wanted to talk about it."

"What kind of nightmare?" My heart squeezed a little in panic. After our parents died, Sage was plagued with nightmares that would wake him up screaming. Grandfather didn't know what to do so he tried getting him to see a child psychologist but he always hid before the appointment. He didn't want some stranger trying to analyze him on issues that didn't concern them. After a month, the nightmares started to lessen but sometimes he would come to me and tell me about his dreams. Just like now.

Sage didn't answer. I saw his hands clench and I knew.

"It was about the accident, wasn't it?" I asked gently. "You dreamed about it again."

He didn't answer but the slight nod of his head made me release a breath I didn't know I was holding. I leaned back on my hand. It was difficult to talk about the accident since I knew Sage carried a heavy burden of guilt on his thin shoulders.

He took my left arm, running his fingers very gently over the white tape that wrapped around my hand to the middle of my arm. It was no longer painful but I kept a special tape on it because the scar that was there was hideous and unbecoming. Grandfather offered to have it fixed with surgery but I refused. It was proof that I had survived. It was a contradiction to hide it after refusing to get it fixed, but I didn't care. It was an ugly truth, one that, if displayed so openly, would only cause more isolation. In a place where beauty and money was everything, this scar would only add to the ugliness of my existence in their world.

My parents might not be there for the important things but there is nothing worse than living in a shell, too afraid to take chances on the off chance that something might happen. That lesson, however, is something that Sage had yet to realize.

I loved Sage and I could never blame him for our parents' death. He wanted them to come home early. It wasn't his fault that they died so suddenly.

With that in mind, I looked around to make sure no one was watching. I needed something to break the high strung tension, and there was only one way to do so. Satisfied that no one was around, I grasped his arm, still on mine and pushed him into the water with a splash.

He struggled for a while until he realized what had happened. He looked at me with a look of betrayal. I leaned forward and laughed. "You look like a drowned cat." I said, running my fingers through my hair. "It's most amusing."

"This isn't a time to be joking around, Calla! I'm really upset about this."

I rolled my eyes. "Sage, you need to learn to take things in stride. I don't need to tell this to you again but the accident was not your fault! Please stop blaming yourself. The guilt is going to keep eating away at you until all that's left is a man no one recognizes. You're eight years old. Please, I'm begging you; let it go."

Sage didn't make a noise. I waited for his usual snarky comment but instead—with surprising strength—got pulled into the water.

I sputtered in surprise. The unease that marred his face recently disappeared and in front of me was the same boy I remembered. I could still see the haunting look in his eyes but the relief at seeing him more like himself overrode it. "What was that for?"

"You wanted me to be spontaneous, didn't you?"

With a raised brow, he started swimming away. I suppressed the smile of relief and swam after him, ready to dunk him.