The world was distant, distorted, and heavy. Riley followed behind his former mentor. They paced through the halls of Alune Academy, only one possibly destination in mind.

Neither of them spoke, they’d been walking together silently since Haven had sprung her challenge on him. He didn’t even ask her why. He just got up off the ground and followed her.

She still had a smug grin on her face, which she flashed every time she turned to make sure Riley was still wandering behind her.

He was going to wipe that smile off her face once and for all.

Their lives had already been running parallel for some time, but it was real now, more than an electrical edge in the air. They were fated to one another, it was just a question of who would triumph over who.

The two finally reached the courtyard, and Haven disappeared off into the crowd. The first duel of the year was ongoing, fireballs and lightning bolts were flung with reckless abandon. Every spell the leading combatant used was perfectly copied and thrown back at her. It was a tense fight.

Riley’s jaw was almost slack. He didn’t imagine anyone in his year would be capable of that kind of intense magic. The sheer power alone was even rivalling some of his bigger bursts, the kind that didn’t leave him completely drained, but they were blasting each other over and over.

Riley considered turning away, sick to his stomach considering his own position. But where was the harm in watching? It’s not like he was going to lose, he had nothing to fear from the Ritual. Far better for him to see it happen and steel his nerves against it now than when he was in the duelling circle.

He pressed up against the magical barrier that protected the audience from the duel (as well as preventing outside interference), and it shimmered and buzzed with a life of its own. Intensifying and waning as it shifted magical energy to respond to the ever evolving duel, the duelling circle had a life of its own.

The two apprentices fighting one another were really powerful mages, Riley was doubtful he would be able to guarantee victory over either of them.

Then he caught a fleeting glimpse of a face. The face of one of the duellists. She wizzed past in a flash, but Riley was certain.

It was Carenia.

Oh god. He had been about to challenge that monster without a clue how powerful she truly was. Would he have even won? Curses, she was going toe to toe with Alune, one of the top ranked students in the year. Against either of them he would maybe have one opportunity to win, if he messed up at the start it would be over then and there. And it would’ve been a coin toss.

And yes, the other girl in the duel, Alune, was named after the academy she was attending. The incredibly droll naming conventions of the noble class was to blame for the dozen Alunes and Sinclars of the world.

Haven bounced through the crowd, gleefully smiling at her prospective-familiar-to-be.

Riley cursed himself mentally. If he’d been this bad a judge of character of Carenia, then his judgements of Haven must be equally as awful. Combine that with the fact that she obviously had some plan to beat him, and he could be in a spot of bother.

“Guess whaaaaaaat?” Haven beamed.

“I’m not in the mood, I don’t even want to talk to you.” Riley retorted.

“Oh don’t be such a grump, you know Carenia would’ve destroyed you, just look at her go!” Haven finished her sentence perfectly in time with a huge explosion that shook the ground beneath them.

Riley turned, hands grasping angrily at the air, it looked like he was thinking about grabbing Haven and shaking her like a rag doll. “YOU LEFT ME!”

“I came back.”

“That’s not the point! And you challenged me! I didn’t know where you were, and then you show up out of nowhere! I thought you could’ve died or something!”

“Awwh, you’re not even that mad at me for challenging you, are you? You’re upset that I left~” she prodded.

“No, I’m mad at you for both, and more. Where did you even go?”

Haven smirked, and pressed her face up close to Riley’s. “I’ll tell you that…” she paused “…or.” she continued, winking as she drew out the anticipation of the moment. “I’ll tell you what I originally came over to tell you!” She giggled.

Riley looked down at the brunette, she had never been this mischievous in all of the time he knew her. About small stuff, and when it was funny, sure. But this was a very serious matter, and Haven was usually very serious about very serious matters. But right now, in this very serious moment?

She was sporting a sadistic grin.

The pyromancer barely managed to hold back a shudder. What had gotten into her? This wasn’t the Haven he knew. This monster was toying with him, and enjoying it too.

Haven was calm. Calculated. She had plans within her plans, and none of those plans were like this.

Riley was over it. He couldn’t think any harder about it, he was too confused. “Whatever. I don’t care anyway.” Riley cared very much.

“Okay, well, if you’re going to have a tantrum about it I’ll just tell you both. Firstly, I was mostly in Sonia’s room, except for a few expeditions. Secondly-” her face contorted into a terrifying, wide-eyed smile.

“Our duel is next.”