A sigh escaped my lips. “I can’t train.”

  Louize rolled her eyes. “Excuses again. That’s why you have no draconic spirit.”

  “The healers literally sealed my starpower! What do you want me to do?”

  The girl chuckled. “You’re always hiding behind someone’s back.” She stared at me with contempt. “You will never overcome Ivaldie, Magnus.”

  “Sure, sure, say those things.” I sighed. “Like I’d care.”

  “You do care, human.” Her smirk was getting on my nerves…

  I clenched my fists, thinking of a way to get her off her high horse. I had to play on my strength. “Fine… I have a training method that I can use. Would you like to try it? Or maybe you’re afraid?”

  “Unlike you, I’m ready for anything. Bring it on!” Her body glowed with a copper aura.

  I grinned. “Let’s visit the requisition hall. We’ll need some things.”

  The idiot accepted my ‘training’ without hesitation, and we swiftly moved towards the requisition hall. It looked different than the other places in the station – there were no art pieces surrounding it, in fact, it was the most bureaucratic thing I’d seen.

  Lines of dragons of all ages stood in lines, leading towards the supply clerks, who constantly handed out things. Some received cores, some got weapons, some got data-pads. My mouth dried up at the thought of all I could receive… The question is – would they give it to me?

  “What are you going to need?’ Louize asked unceremoniously.

  “I shrugged. Some of this, some of that…” Her glare was easily ignored.

  “If this is a trick, you will regret it.” It was a trick, but I doubted it would be that bad.

  The line moved quickly, and soon it was our turn.

  “What do you need?” The clerk had a pale face with few scales and SE that was far too low to be a dragon’s. Only 50, yet she was older than the oldest of students.

  I cleared my throat. Behind her were boxes filled with cores. “I need a stack of paper, two pairs of drawing utensils, the Archive Surfing book, a baron rank onyx core, high elf primer, and I need to send a message to another student.”

  Her eyes widened, and she looked down at her data-pad, tapping something.

  Louize bumped my shoulder. “What the Source do you need all that for?”

  “Training, duh.” I shrugged.

  “You cannot requisition a core of that level without your curator’s permission; you can trade it for lesser onyx cores that add to at least 250 SE.” She spoke calmly. “Everything else will be ready in three minutes.” It was worth a try. She tapped again on the data-pad.

  “You have several messages unread.” Her words were lazy; she probably repeated them a thousand times before. She extended the data-pad to me.

  Suddenly, Louize slapped my hand. “I have a feeling that you won’t be training with me.” She glanced at the data-pad. “I knew you were a coward.”

  “Can you be patient for a minute?” I sighed. “We’ll train, don’t accuse me of that bullshit.”

  I turned my eyes to the screen. Three messages. One from Ivaldie, one from Kory, and the last one… I clenched the data-pad hard enough it would’ve cracked if I still had my starpower – It was Vogelgesang. I didn’t hesitate and opened it.

  “Hello, Magnus.

  I hope you are having a good time learning ‘magic’. Your parents are searching for you all over the system, turning over every rock. They even captured me, trying to get out the information about where you are…”

  “What the hell?!” With a shivering breath, I continued reading.

  “Your secrets are safe with me, young master. No one in seven nearby sectors is capable of making me speak. Your academic life is safe. Keep learning and become stronger. O, how glad I am that your dreams are finally coming true! By the way, I think you might have a little sister soon.

  Best Regards, Vogelgesang.”

  “Fucking bitch.” I held back the urge to spit at the message.

  “What did you get? Let me read.” Louize pulled my arm, smirking.

  “No, I won’t let you-” She easily took the data-pad from my hands. “-read…”

  Her expression shifted from a curious gaze to a frown. “What do you mean ‘locked’. Hmpf, I didn’t want to see it anyway.” Shaking her head, Louize returned the data-pad to me.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Has no one taught you manners?”

  “I know all the manners I need - the draconic kind.”

  “Whatever.” I opened Ivaldie’s message.

  “I am disappointed.”

  “Oh well, fuck you too!” Damn dragons and their idiotic standards. When I make God’s Flesh, all of them will regret.

  “I don’t want to look at all,” Louize mumbled, staring at the wall nonchalantly. She really wanted to look. I was not going to give her the pleasure.

  I suppressed the pang of nervousness and read Kory’s message.

  “I won’t be a burden anymore, Magnus. You don’t have to care about me, but I will not give up that easily. Next time we meet, I will be better. I don’t need your pity.”

  My eyes opened wide. This was a strange letter, even stranger than Ivaldie’s. It made sense. Kory was a dragon; they all had their sense of pride, even if twisted. I glanced at the girl who impatiently tapped her leg. They really were clones.

  Placing the data-pad on the table, I stared at the clerk. She took the pad and handed me a big box. “These are your requested items. Return the book by tomorrow or face repercussions.” She waved for the next person to come along.

  I grabbed the box and scuttled away. Louize followed me closely. “So? What’s the training, human?”

  Walking slowly, I shook my head. “It’s a practice for a kind of starpower manipulation, though we’ll need a location for it. Follow me.”

  With barely contained interest, Louize ran after me. Soon, we reached an open corridor with a window. A perfect place to do some drawing. I opened the box, grabbing two wide pieces of paper and two weird brushes.

  Artist’s Brush

  Type: Initiate Artifact

  Description: A brush with the ability to produce pain of any color imaginable.

  “How are these going to help with training?” Louize scoffed. I extended her a brush and a piece of paper.

  “Simple, we each will draw a painting, and whichever Ivaldie likes most wins.” I smirked.

  Louize narrowed her eyes; they darted between the paper and the brush. “Win what?”

  “Let’s say a core of 50 SE. Does that work?”

  She frowned and grabbed the artifact. “Yes. I cannot lose to a human like you.” I was going to crush her confidence.

  “One hour to draw anything. Countdown starts – now!” I straightened my paper, putting it against the box. Louize stumbled around, looking around the room in panic, as if trying to find something to draw. With a quick form, she summoned herself a table, looking at the wall in determination.

  The “training” started. It’s been a long time since I drew anything, but the skills wouldn’t disappear into nowhere. At its core, architecture requires both artistic skill and an understanding of the materials, and in my past life, I was about to graduate with honors.

  In a way, art was like magic, with simple movements you channeled your feelings, giving them a physical form… Well, maybe not at the same level of connection, but art was magical. My first strokes were uncertain, not even that straight, but quickly the muscle memory came back.

  I wasn’t going to draw anything in particular, but with each line, with each stroke, a familiar picture emerged… No, not that. It demanded to be released. My deep-seated longing, the converging sadness, and the horror I held within.

  Like a dam broke, I poured feelings into the paper. Why couldn’t I have just had an easy life? Why did I have to lose everything? Why was everything so difficult? I didn’t need to know the answers to those questions – I simply had to let them move my wrist.

  It was a childish tantrum combined with existential despair and a fair dose of self-hate. Just like all good art. Before I could blink, an hour passed. The painting shone. Literally.

  Your SE has increased by 1. From 28 to 29

  The Brandenburg Gate burned into my eyes with otherworldly energies. The darkness itself seeped from the picture, the image twisted in the background. It looked nostalgic, it’s been so long since I’ve been in Pariser Platz, witnessed the elegant curves of the building, and the calm chatter of Berlin’s people.

  Even with the unfathomable magic, I still couldn’t let go of my past. And who could? Earth was a pearl amidst the void of despair, even with all the terrible atrocities that happened there, she still called to me like I was her lost son. I missed everything… Missed the pizza, missed my course mates. Here I was an alien, running out of time.

  Cursed Painting of an Otherworldly Gate

  Type: Growth type Initiate Artifact

  Description: Inflicts a powerful feeling of awe and nostalgia on anyone who witnesses it. Due to the lack of starpower used in its creation, it will slowly absorb energy to reach its intended level.

  “Show me what you have, hum-” Louize’s eyes opened wide as she stared at the drawing. She flared her aura and turned away from the painting. “This is…” Her fists clenched. “How did you make an artifact with sealed starpower? What sort of trick is this?”

  I tilted my head. “What do you mean? It’s my first drawing!” I chuckled, enjoying the frustration. She grunted.

  Pointing my finger, I asked, “Show me yours, proud dragon. Surely you wouldn’t be outdone by a little human.” A grin plastered itself on my face.

  Louize scowled, still she reached for the paper and gave it to me. It was a portrait of Ivaldie, a very nice one. The lines were wriggly and the colors were mismatched, but I could definitely recognize what she did.

  “Ho! That’s good. Have you painted before?” I didn’t expect such a nice result from a first timer. She had a real talent.

  “D-don’t flatter me. What kind of fiendish ritual did you do to make that thing!”

  “It’s called skill.” I stared longingly at my painting. They never turned out like this before. All the little schematics I drew back in Glanzvoll were just that – drawings. This was special. I should’ve been drawing more.

  She fumed for a few seconds, breathing deeply, trying to suppress her anger. “Fine.”

  “What did you say?”

  Louize groaned. “I said fine! Your painting is better than mine. I. Owe. You. A. Core.” She grabbed it from the table. “I’ll take the painting, I want Professor Isahue to look at it.”

  According to VITA, that’s the Artifact Crafting professor… Do they do drawing there? I didn’t want to spread myself too thin. There were far too many forms to learn.

  “Do whatever you want, just get me the core.” The image of Brandenburg Gates was still ingrained in my mind. Just looking at it made me dizzy.

  “Maybe Varaxis was wrong…” Louize shook her head and turned around. “See you at ELEVATE, human.” With steady steps, she walked away.

  “Goodbye to you too, Louize.” I didn’t feel like doing anything today. The stars silently shone at me, as I stared at space. I should’ve been reading a book or drawing again or doing something, anything, but all my motivation was gone…

  “Magnus.” A familiar voice resounded in the distance. Kory. She showed no emotion, but behind her eyes there was a burning spark. Steel stood quietly, staring at me with disappointment.

  “Oh, hello…” A lump rose in my throat. I had to focus, had to apologize.

  “We need to talk.”

  For some reason, my heart sank.