Chapter 37
My mirror image stood across from me, a crooked smile curling at the corners of her lips.
No.
Not exactly.
Alicia had cut her hair to her shoulders and dyed the ends blood red.
The color of her magic.
Just as I had done with mine.
Though she'd never admit where she'd gotten the idea.
“What's with that face?” she asked. “Don't tell me you're not happy to see me.”
Her Cheshire smile widened as she strolled toward me with slow, effortless grace.
If I could ever be compared to a cat...
Alicia wasn't a cat.
She was a lioness.
Patient.
Dangerous.
“Oh, I'm thrilled,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “My neck is especially excited.”
I forced my voice to stay light.
That was one thing we had in common.
We both knew how to wear indifference like armor.
“Oh?” Tilting her head, Alicia let her eyes travel slowly over me. “Did you bring it another gift?”
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
She gave her thick blond hair a careless toss.
I frowned.
I had no idea what game she was playing now.
But I decided to keep pushing.
Yes.
I was terrified of her.
Terrified beyond reason.
Because the moment Alicia realized she was in control—
The moment she saw me as prey—
She would follow her instincts without hesitation.
Without breaking eye contact, I reached for the zipper of my top.
Just enough to reveal the scar.
The one I was forced to see every single morning in the mirror.
The one that never let me forget the day my own twin sister had tried to kill me.
“For someone with such a terrible memory,” I said, “I figured I'd give you a reminder.”
I searched her eyes for something.
Anything.
The smallest flicker of regret.
But Alicia had never possessed that emotion where I was concerned.
And I'd spent years wondering why.
“Nice work, Milo.”
I let out a quiet breath.
“Why did you follow me?” I asked, letting my smile fade. “What do you actually want from me?”
“I simply came to remind you whose territory you're standing on.” Her lips curved ever so slightly. “And how you're expected to behave while you're here.”
“I'm afraid I don't need your advice.”
My sweetest smile slipped back into place.
“Or any reason to be afraid of you.”
God, I wanted to enjoy this.
To remind her that I'd made it into the Strongest Class.
That she hadn't.
To prove—to both of us—that I was capable of more.
To make her fear me for once.
So maybe I'd finally stop being the target of this endless bullying.
“Careful,” Alicia said, a cold smile touching her lips. “For your information, I've spent the last two years perfecting my magic.”
Her hand lifted.
My throat tightened instantly.
Invisible fingers closed around my throat.
I gasped, clawing desperately at empty air as my lungs screamed for oxygen.
I hated her magic.
And I still couldn't believe we'd inherited different gifts from our parents.
Gifts that had turned us into enemies.
Gifts that had forced us to compete for our parents' love in every possible way.
Alicia had inherited our mother's magic, bound to the world of Maliarus.
Illusions.
I had inherited our father's gift.
The magic of Vuduarus.
Panic clawed at the edges of my mind.
But something deep inside me refused to surrender to it.
Fight.
The word echoed through me.
So I swung my arm, releasing a cloud of venom straight into Alicia's face.
Her grip loosened.
Only slightly.
Not enough.
She staggered back, coughing violently as her eyes squeezed shut.
At the same time, slender poisonous vines burst from the ground, winding around her body and pinning her in place before she could regain control.
“I'm not the helpless little girl you tried to kill anymore,” I said, keeping Alicia trapped in the grip of my vines.
“I'm not someone you can destroy with the blink of an eye.”
I paused deliberately before continuing.
“I've grown stronger. And I'm only going to become stronger. I'll do everything in my power to make you fear me the same way I once feared you.”
My heart pounded so violently it felt ready to burst from my chest.
Fear.
Triumph.
Both surged through me at once, creating something entirely new.
My hands trembled.
But for the first time in years—
I didn't back down.
“I should've finished you off in that cabin,” Alicia rasped. “Then I'd still be living my perfect li—”
One of my vines coiled around her throat.
Tightening.
Cutting her words short.
“That's enough.”
Joel's voice rang across the courtyard.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw strands of golden spider silk creeping toward my vines.
I had no intention of fighting her.
With a flick of my wrist, I released Alicia, and the vines retreated into the earth as though they had never existed.
“You saw what that bitch was doing?” Alicia coughed, clutching at her throat.
Joelle met my eyes for a brief moment before turning back to my sister.
“I saw everything.”
Her voice was calm.
Smooth.
And unmistakably cold.
“As you may know, I'm responsible for several of the recruits.” She folded her arms. “And I'm not about to let some spoiled brat ruin my reputation in front of the Overseer.”
“I simply think recruits should know their pla—”
A familiar male voice cut her off.
Miloran.
He approached at an unhurried pace, but there was unmistakable fire burning in his eyes.
“I think,” he said evenly, “that we should report a third-year student for attacking a first-year recruit.”
His tone never rose.
It didn't have to.
The anger beneath it was impossible to miss.
His gaze shifted to me.
To my neck.
For the briefest moment, his lips pressed into a thin line.
“It seems I should be reporting this not only to Istmond's administration,” he said quietly, “but to the authorities as well.”
“You don't have any proof,” Alicia shot back.
But I caught the faint tremor in her voice.
“I'll create proof myself if I have to,” Joelle said without the slightest intention of backing down.
“And if that isn't enough,” Miloran added, nodding toward my neck, “Stasia's memories will be.”
His eyes settled on me.
“They'll show exactly how she got that scar.”
A rush of panic washed over me.
I quickly pulled the zipper of my top back up, concealing the scar once more.
I stared at Joel.
Then at Miloran.
I hadn't expected either of them to react like this.
Especially Joel.
We barely spoke despite sharing the same room, yet here she was, stepping in to defend me without hesitation.
I drew a slow breath, forcing myself to regain control of the conversation.
“Let's make a deal,” I said, looking directly at Alicia. “Stay as far away from me as possible.”
I held her gaze.
“Otherwise, I really will report everything.”
For a moment, neither of us looked away.
Alicia's jaw tightened.
With an irritated scoff, she turned on her heel and headed back toward the training arena without another word.
But my body refused to relax.
My gaze shifted from Joel...
To Miloran...
And back again.
I already knew what I had to do.
No matter what it took—
I couldn't let this go any further than the three of us.
Gianna Elern's POV
The moment my eyes met Draksen Ardevayne's, a chill swept through me.
Heat was something I rarely felt.
I'd always assumed it was because of my water magic.
He remembered me.
And the way he looked at me made me feel as though every thought in my head had already been laid bare.
I'd made a mistake.
I should never have listened to that quiet voice urging me to step out of the shadows.
The memory of that meeting resurfaced instantly.
The one where I had done exactly that.
Draksen's office wasn't nearly as grand as I'd imagined.
There were no extravagant paintings.
No marble statues.
No gold-plated pens or expensive ornaments people used to prove their status.
Their importance.
Their power.
The Headmaster watched me patiently, waiting for me to speak.
The exhaustion on his face hadn't faded since Stasia had been brought to Istmond an hour earlier with half the bones in her body broken.
“So?” he asked at last. “How much longer are we going to sit here in silence?”
He tried to sound welcoming.
But fatigue was written all over him.
I looked away.
I'd chosen the wrong moment.
I should've thought this through more carefully before walking into his office.
But it was too late to back out now.
“I've come to report a violation of the Academy's rules,” I said.
“It's not something I can stay silent about.”
His thick brows drew together until they nearly met.
“Go on.”
“My roommates and I were reassigned.” I swallowed. “It wasn't my decision... and no one asked for my opinion.”
An edge slipped into my voice despite myself.
More hurt than angry.
To my surprise, Draksen let out a weary sigh and covered his face with both hands.
A second later, he lowered them again, as though catching himself.
“I won't tell anyone,” he said quietly. “You have my word.”
I froze.
That wasn't the response I'd expected.
Not even close.
“But... the rules...” I protested, hating how small and uncertain my voice sounded. “What about everyone's safety? What about the consequences if incompatible types of magic are forced to live together?”
Without a word, the Headmaster picked up the small tablet that had been lying on his desk the entire time and began typing.
A second later, his fingers paused above the screen as his eyes scanned the information.
“Your suite currently houses a fire mage, a water mage, a plant-and-biochemistry mage, and a Fateweaver whose spider silk carries poison.”
I silently committed one detail to memory.
Joelle's webs weren't merely poisonous, as she'd told us.
They were Fatewoven.
“I don't see a problem, Gianna.” Draksen looked up from the tablet. “You're free to switch rooms within your suite if you'd like. Those four magic types aren't capable of triggering a large-scale magical catastrophe simply by living together.”
I pressed my lips together.
I wasn't ready to give up.
“But what about discipline?” I asked. “How will the other students react when they find out the rules don't apply equally to everyone?”
Draksen narrowed his eyes.
He set the tablet aside without taking his eyes off me.
A shiver crept down my spine beneath the weight of his gaze.
“Is there another reason?” he asked quietly.
I exhaled silently.
What answer was he looking for?
I'd been taught to read people.
Usually, I was good at it.
Not today.
“I...” My voice caught for a moment. “I'm afraid of poison mages.”
The confession escaped before I could stop it.
“I don't want to share a room with one.”
I lowered my eyes.
“I was perfectly comfortable sharing a room with a fire mage.”
In the end, I left empty-handed.
Well...
Not entirely.
Draksen had sent me back with a single piece of advice.
“Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to overcome that fear. Every fear we cling to only weighs us down.”
I chose a different approach.
When I returned, every one of my roommates believed we'd been caught breaking the rules by switching rooms without permission.
By the time I made it back to the arena, everyone who'd been sitting with us earlier had already returned to their seats.
Ria and Stasia were whispering to each other.
And for the first time in a long while, I found myself wishing I were part of that conversation.
The moment I sat down beside them, the two girls fell silent, turning their attention toward Draksen and the three other instructors gathered in the center of the arena.
“We've divided you into several groups,” the Headmaster announced. “The assignments were made primarily according to your magical affinities, though each group has been given one unique element.”
Standing beside him, Azriella snapped her fingers.
A translucent list appeared in the air before her.
“The first group: Seris Norths, Illariana Arden, Gianna Elern, Loretta McBee, and Taylor Forsten.”
I recognized every one of them.
I knew what kind of magic each of them possessed—
Except for the last.
Taylor Forsten was the blue-haired boy with the scorpion perched on his shoulder.
No one had explained what his magic actually was.
Iceflame.
Fire.
Water.
Shadows.
And one unknown element.
“The second group: Anastasia Lang, Kaeron Dreival, Pria Haradas, Aaron Castle, and Azalia Liarance.”
Plants and biochemistry.
Density.
Lightning.
Blood magic.
A mermaid's hypnotic voice.
I barely listened as Draksen announced the third and fourth groups.
I needed to focus on my own.
“I'm so glad we ended up together,” I said quietly, unable to stop myself from smiling.
And this time, the smile was genuine.
For the first time since arriving at Istmond...
I felt lucky.