“Y-you have magic…” I stammered.

  She stared at me, her expression impossible to make out. She seemed neither happy nor sad, nor regretful nor relieved. Her eyes gazed off at something in the distance, as if she were lost in thought.

  “How long did you know I had magic?” I asked. Demanded.

  “From the beginning.” Her gaze snapped at me, yet her body was still turned away.

  “You’re from the Magus of Historia, aren’t you? Why didn’t you kill me when you had the chance?!”

  “What makes you think killing you is a simple feat?” Her attention was turned fully towards me this time. “You’re not a weak insect one can merely squash. You’re an Ethereal—one of the most powerful beings to exist. Even if you don’t know how to use your magic correctly, it would likely come to your aid whenever you’re in danger. Besides, provoking you would only ignite the wrath of your friends.”

  “Then why did you bring me here if not to kill me?” I asked. Though part of me still suspected she had other means of doing that. Maybe their leader was here waiting in the shadows for her time to strike. Maybe isolating me from my friends was their goal. Maybe they would attack Aidan first—he was the weakest, after all.

  “Because I wanted to talk to you alone, without your friends interfering,” she answered. “The war between us is senseless. I don’t pretend to know what has you chasing after us this time, but I assure you that our goal was not you.”

  “Not… Not me?” I blinked. Rosalie and Maverick had been so certain that I was their end goal. Why else would they have chosen Earth if not for me? Gosh, I sounded so self-centered thinking like that.

  “No. We’re here because—”

  “Elaina?” The sound of Lumi’s voice crushed my heart. No… If Zuri was a member of the Magus of Historia, then that meant... Lumi was one, too…

  “Lumi?” I called out before Zuri grabbed my wrist. Her tight hold on me caught me off guard, freezing the two of us and causing her to wince in pain.

  “Don’t hurt her!” Lumi shouted louder than I had ever heard her before. A sharp pain pinched at my head, and I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. Instantly, the ice turned to water, and I collapsed on my knees, a puddle of water surrounding me.

  “You’re… You’re the one manipulating my emotions!” I cried out. I could barely make out her blonde hair from her tan skin with how blurry my eyes were from the tears.

  “Serves you right after manipulating me! How long were you going to pretend to be my friend? I bet you knew all along who we were! That little verish you work for must have plotted it all along!” She spat some Meridian word I had never heard of before.

  I screamed through the sadness; the guilt and disappointment strangled me in a chokehold, and I couldn’t breathe. I gasped and gasped through the tears and the screaming, my body rapidly convulsing from the pain of failing to live up to… whatever it was I was supposed to live up to.

  “I didn’t manipulate you!” I pleaded. “I had no idea what you were! Or where you were from!” Another wave of tears hit me as nausea rose up to my throat. I wouldn’t be able to handle much more of this.

  “Enough, Lumi! If you want to blame someone, blame me.” Zuri gently grabbed Lumi’s arm, lowering it down to her side.

  “You?” Lumi asked.

  “Elaina didn’t know who we were until just now. But I knew who she was, and I kept that from you. For that, I am truly sorry…”

  “Why would you keep that from me?!” Lumi yanked her hand out of Zuri’s grip, and I felt my emotions start to stabilize once again.

  “Because I needed you two to trust each other! I needed her to trust us! Master says they’re here to kill us, but when I look at Elaina, I can’t bring myself to believe that. But I know they have Maverick and Rosalie with them. And we know those two will stop at nothing to destroy our Master. This is our only chance to convince Elaina to join our side.”

  Lumi looked between the two of us, hurt evident in her eyes. Was this what Zuri meant when she said there might come a time when Lumi didn’t trust her?

  “I’m willing to listen.” I pushed myself off the ground, my body weak from the emotional turmoil. “For what it’s worth, I don’t believe you two are the monsters my friends make you out to be.”

  Zuri smiled at me, but Lumi still looked hesitant.

  “We’re here because one of our members has gone missing,” Zuri explained.

  “Dimitri?” I asked, wondering if he was who they were after all along.

  “No. Someone else. Master and I have long been aware that Dimitri is with you. Our member was taken through a portal to your world for reasons we don’t know. We’re here investigating that on top of rescuing them.”

  “I see,” I replied. I didn’t know if I could trust her. I wanted to trust her, but what if this was all a lie to manipulate me? Or what if she hadn’t been told the whole truth, and their "Master" was manipulating both of us?

  “I’ve told you all that I know about our goal. Can you tell us about yours?”

  “We’re here because Rosalie had a vision that your master destroyed Earth.”

  “Master would never do that!” Lumi was eager to defend. Zuri placed a defensive arm in front of her, settling her down.

  “Tell me about this vision," Zuri said.

  “I don’t know the details.” I shook my head. “It looks like your master fights someone, which triggers the destruction of this world.”

  “Then you would be best advised to avoid any confrontations with us. If it’s a fight that triggers your world’s destruction, then any fight could be the catalyst, could it not?”

  She had a point. Here we were trying to prevent the master of the Magus of Historia from fighting…by fighting the Magus of Historia.

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  “It could. But who’s to say she doesn’t have her own intentions? You mentioned one of your members was taken to this world. What if whoever created the portal followed them here and is holding them hostage? Your master would need to fight them to retrieve your member,” I explained.

  “You would have us abandon our member? Our family?” Zuri clenched her teeth. I could tell this was a touchy subject for her.

  “If Earth ends, your member will die with it. …Still, I’d prefer to not have an encounter with your master. Or have to fight you—”

  “Elaina! Stay back!” A lance landed directly in front of me, creating a sort of border between me and Zuri.

  No… Why now?!

  Finn turned from me to Zuri and Lumi, then back to me. He pulled his lance out from the ground and held it close to him, seemingly troubled by the minds he was reading.

  “I know you want to trust them, Ella. But they’re our enemies,” Finn whispered to me.

  “Why? Why is the Magus of Historia really so bad? You guys keep saying they want to kill us, but have never given a reason!”

  “Please enlighten us. I would also like to know.” Zuri crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

  Finn sighed before his expression became more serious. “One hundred years ago, poison infiltrated our water system and nearly killed three dozen of our students. Sixty-five years ago, one student was assassinated. Both events were linked to your members. Twenty years ago, your master faced Rosalie directly, nearly killing her.”

  “The first two were constructed by members who… were rather eccentric in their way of thinking. The last I cannot speak of, though I am surprised you know this.” Zuri’s voice held a hint of suspicion.

  “Rosalie didn’t keep her memories guarded until she knew I was a mindreader.” Finn shrugged.

  “While I cannot deny our role in your casualties, I can speak confidently that your destruction is not our overall goal.”

  “Then what is?” Another familiar voice entered the conversation. Maverick teleported to my side, a protective hand placed on my shoulder. “What reason do you have for infiltrating our manor time and time again?”

  “I… I cannot tell you.” Zuri clenched her fists at her sides.

  It was then that I had realized Zephyr and Aidan had joined us as well. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that Zephyr was alive and unharmed.

  “Our goal is the destruction of the woman you call Sylvis.” The smell of chrysanthemums overwhelmed me.

  It was then that I saw their leader. Her long brown braid was a stark contrast to Zuri’s flowing auburn hair. She wore a mask that concealed one eye; her long bangs concealed the other. Her lilac cloak formed a vague shape of an “m” at the end. The rest of her attire was a mix of white, beige, and lilac—a long-sleeved shirt and battle shorts with high boots. Her appearance looked just as ethereal as I’d expected.

  Maverick drew his sword immediately. Zephyr quickly grabbed Maverick’s arm, holding him back from doing anything reckless.

  “Why?” I asked, hoping that maybe, just maybe, we could talk things out. Stupid, I know. If I were reading a book about someone trying to do this, I’d roll my eyes because that obviously wouldn’t work. Not that it would work here either.

  Their master turned to face me, and I froze. If Rosalie’s gaze was commanding, then this lady’s gaze could kill people where they stood. I felt myself die a little inside.

  “Sylvis’ existence is an unnatural one. By all accounts, she should not exist. A creature that defies the very laws of nature obviously threatens our world’s stability. After all, if she can exist, what is stopping other mutations of life from existing?”

  “Mutations?” Zephyr’s eyes narrowed.

  “Enough. Your mind games won’t work on us—” Maverick was quickly cut off.

  “What is Sylvis?” I asked, to Maverick’s utter shock. He described her as something other than an Ethereal, hadn’t he? She certainly wasn’t a normal human.

  The tip of the master’s lips perked up into a smirk. “Now you’re asking the right questions. Unfortunately, you could say that my silence is the only reason I still draw breath.”

  So Sylvis was powerful enough to kill her, but hadn’t. “Why do you think that is?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “Sometimes I wonder that myself. After all, I’m no longer the person she once loved.” She smirked.

  Once loved…?

  A sword whizzed by the master’s head, though she kept completely still. I recognized it to be Rosalie’s blade, and behind it was a furious Rosalie. “What did you say?” Her teeth were clenched so tightly that her words were barely legible.

  “I said I’m no longer the person she once loved.” The master’s smirk only grew after repeating what she had already said.

  Rosalie quickly withdrew her sword from the master’s neck. Her sword seemed nowhere near as deadly as her gaze.

  “Elaina.” Rosalie’s gaze shifted to me, her violent eyes still burning. “You’re well acquainted with this girl, aren’t you?” She cocked her head towards Lumi.

  “Yes, but how did you know…?” I asked.

  “I saw it in a vision. I know you two are close. This woman before me,” she drew her sword again, pointing it at the master, “is responsible for the slaughter of her family.”

  Silence. I immediately looked at Lumi, who seemed to shrink behind Zuri. She knew, and yet she still followed?!

  “Why?!” I snapped at her. “Why would you follow someone who killed your own family?!”

  Lumi frantically shook her head, her eyes closed shut.

  “Enough. Lumi was young at the time and doesn’t remember much, though she is well aware of what occurred.” The master used a gloved hand to push Rosalie’s sword down.

  “There was no other way to save them…” Lumi’s words were so quiet I could barely hear them.

  “There’s always a way…” I murmured. I couldn’t imagine any situation where death was the only option.

  “Are you satisfied, Elaina?” Maverick stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the others. “The Magus of Historia have shown their true colors. What will you do now?”

  I placed my hand on his arm, pushing him aside as I took several steps forward. I wasn’t interested in what he, or Rosalie, or anyone else thought.

  “Do you intend to fight us?” I asked their master.

  “That depends. I imagine your lot won’t turn a blind eye to what we’re doing here.”

  “Can you promise us that you won’t destroy Earth?”

  “I can’t promise you anything. If Elyucis’ captor is here, they aren’t making it back to Etheria alive.”

  “You would be willing to destroy this world over petty revenge?!” Rosalie shouted.

  “My intention isn’t to destroy this world. I have little interest in your powers or in fate itself. If my actions destroy this world, then that was its fate all along.”

  “You wouldn’t even try to prevent the deaths of billions of people?!” Finn added.

  “Why would I seek to defy fate? If that is this world’s natural order, then my actions are of no consequence. Have you ever considered that by acting on these visions, you cause them?”

  “Like a higher power subtly influencing you to take action…” Zuri wondered aloud.

  “Our goddess is dead,” Rosalie stated sternly. “There is no higher power that could influence me.”

  “How very little you know of Etheria.” The master clicked her tongue. “Very well. I can see that your mind is made up.” She flicked her wrist, and a golden whip appeared in her hand. Its length doubled her height, and the hook was the shape of a claw. Zuri summoned a lance similar to the one I had seen her use before as Finn.

  “So we’re really doing this after all,” a familiar voice entered the warehouse.

  “Dimitri!” I exclaimed in surprise.

  “I imagine you haven’t come to help us.” Finn’s eyebrows narrowed.

  “Sorry.” Dimitri grimaced. “It's true that I left the Magus of Historia shortly after arriving on Earth, but when I see Lumi in danger... I can't help but want to protect her."

  I didn't want to fight Lumi either, but...

  "You said you wouldn't try to stop us..." I murmured.

  "I'm not stopping you. You're more than welcome to fight them. I'm just... How do you say, evening their odds?"

  “Then let the battle begin," Finn spat.