Pieces

  The first thing Ty thought upon waking was to see if Theo was still beside her.

  He was awake. “Did I wake you?” he asked softly.

  She shook her head and looked behind her to check the time. Two hours had passed. Nowhere near dawn.

  Theo hugged his legs, resting his head on his knees and watching Ty. “You had a scary dream again, didn’t you?”

  “It was just that night.”

  He continued watching her. “The first one with Elias, or the second one?”

  “First.”

  He chuckled, a glimmer of recollection in his eyes. “I always remember how Darius had to hold back your beloved caster while you were gone. Alex had to raise her voice. It was pretty scary.”

  “And you?” she grinned back, already knowing the answer.

  “I went back to sleep, of course. I trusted you.”

  “Couldn’t have caught Nate.”

  “No one saw him until you came back.” His voice quietened, his expression soft. “Maybe it really was him in the woods, testing us for the exam. If they told us about something like that beforehand, it’d probably ruin the point…though the fact that it only took two people is pretty disappointing.”

  “Maybe.”

  They both sat there, listening to the crackling of the burning fireplace and the ticking of time.

  Theo leaned against Ty again, closing his eyes. “It’s nice and quiet when you’re here.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  It’s my fault, after all.

  “I think…I’ll take another nap.” His voice was barely audible as she pulled the blanket around him one last time.

  “Mm.”

  “If I dream about that night again—the other one—promise me you’ll wake me.”

  “I promise.”

  From under the blanket, he reached for her hand, and she took it, leaning her head against Theo’s again, thinking about the brightest pink flowers surrounded by the most brilliant golden glows, the gentlest of rain that kissed the skin so softly you could barely tell it was there.

  Yes. That night. That trek back from the drop-off.

  * * *

  One, two. One, two. It was the only way she could keep herself from falling asleep.

  “Here, lemme carry ya. You’re teeterin’.”

  “No, that’s okay,” mumbled Ty, too tired to even turn her head to Kor behind her.

  “Hey, Darius, maybe if you offer, she’ll say yes.”

  “We can stop,” the Ancient offered gruffly, also looking somewhat haggard. “Almost afternoon. Many hours now.”

  After the MATS officials took away the carts, and Nate exchanged a few words with them, the class had actually gotten some shuteye. Those who had been on night watch slept, and many of those whose slumber had been interrupted beforehand did the same; Ty, however, ever wary of the professor and the dark shroud, could not. She stayed awake, keeping watch over everyone.

  The entire time, a part of her had wanted to ask him about what had happened, but another voice in her mind told her it wouldn’t matter; no evidence had been left. It was a test like everything else, perfectly calculated—the Headmistress’s way.

  “I could do with a rest too,” chirped Alex, turning around to look at the rest of the class from the front of the group. “We should be close to the next checkpoint, right?”

  Theo, who was also in front, examined the map in his hands. “We’ve got an hour before we reach the Township of Caspos, I think it’s safe enough to stop for a spell.”

  Elias joined in, the first to stop and look to the right, at some trees not so far in the distance. “Look, there’s some shade over there, too.”

  Following his eyes, Ty shrugged and rubbed her eyes. A thirty-minute break sounded heavenly, even though she hadn’t wanted to concede—they had been making good time and could have likely made it to the village without stopping. “Okay, let’s take thirty.”

  And just like that, the group stepped away from the side of the road to sit in the shade of some trees in the distance, each in their own little groups.

  “You really didn’t sleep, huh.”

  Ty groaned and covered her eyes with the back of a hand, feeling an awful sense of déjà vu.

  “I told you it was nothing to worry about.”

  Another groan left her lips.

  “He doesn’t really have any reason to hurt you, same with the Headmistress.”

  Ty ran her fingers through her hair as she watched Faris, Cyril, Kor, and Selene sit in a group not so far away.

  Faris was the first one they heard out of the boisterous group. “We could play a game in ten minutes.”

  “Yeah, but it wouldn’t be a full game without Elias,” complained Cyril.

  “Where’s the little noble, anyway?” Kor mumbled into her palm while scouring the area the class had occupied.

  Sel, who had been nodding off, mumbled, “Probably sleeping somewhere.”

  “Oh, he’s with Darius and Alex.”

  Everyone in the group was quiet for a moment as they turned their heads to watch the three others sitting under a tree deeper in the forest.

  “Are…are they reading?” giggled the chemist in disbelief, the first to break the silence.

  “Graces, he’s changed a lot.” The healer followed suit, laughing along and reaching into his bag to take out a small deck of cards.

  “Yeah, so have you.” Turning his head back to the group, the caster watched Cyril deal for a game with three. “What happened to all your escapades?”

  “Eh, been lying low since the incident,” he shrugged in response.

  Kor elbowed Cyril in an effort to cheer him up. “Hey, it ain’t so bad to study once in a while.”

  That didn’t quite do the trick, so Sel tried her far blunter approach. “Yeah, and all the guys in the school probably already know you like the back of their hand.”

  Cyril smiled and stopped mid-deal to give Faris a look. “I can think of on—”

  “Shut up and finish dealing,” snapped Faris, watching his pile of cards with a bored look on his face.

  “Hey, maybe if you think of it as research, it won’t be so bad,” Kor laughed as she watched Cyril finish distributing the cards.

  “Mmm, what do you say, Ferry?” Cyril was grinning from ear to ear now, not even trying to conceal his interest. “I’ve seen the way you—”

  “I’m going to beat the ever-loving shit out of you, that’s what,” the caster growled, putting down the first card.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” commented Theo finally, looking back to Ty as the group started their tense game of Fairakarta.

  “Yeah.” It was the appropriate, non-worrisome response.

  “You know why I’m asking, right?”

  She closed her eyes. “I do.”

  * * *

  “Callie?” called Ty from a few steps away, watching her support wipe down her arms with a cloth, a water pouch beside her.

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

  “Oh!” exclaimed the support, jumping up from her spot and narrowly missing the water container to her side as she stared at Ty with wide eyes. “Hi!”

  “I wanted to let you know that we’re about to set off soon,” the tactician responded quietly, blinking and looking at the stained cloth in Callie’s hands.

  Her arms.

  “Oh! Yes!” she exclaimed again, turning back around and hastily wiping down the rest before stowing the cloth and putting back on her support tunic. “Sorry for going so far. I was hoping to clean myself up a bit. Didn’t want people to watch.”

  Ty watched Callie sling her bag over her shoulder and reach up to pull at the red ribbon holding her hair up. “Your arms,” she whispered once her support stood beside her, feeling impulsive and truthful. “It’s been almost two semesters, and yet I still feel like I know so little about you.”

  Callie shook her head, her smile never wavering. “You don’t need to know everything about me to be my friend.”

  She considered the words for a moment. “But then…how do I help you?”

  “You’re our tactician. You help me just by being here. Now, let’s go.” Callie took Ty’s hand in hers and began to walk.

  All I’m learning now are just pieces, the tactician lamented quietly to herself as the sobering truth finally hit her. Pieces of a puzzle I’ll never finish. If only I had the time. If only I could be by their sides forever. If only I could spend eternity with them, redo everything over and over again, until I can figure out everything. Complete the puzzle.

  * * *

  An hour after resuming their walk, they finally arrived at the Township of Caspos. The class had already passed it once, so it wasn’t anything novel, but they still dispersed for a few minutes to do their own things.

  “Alex, look. Pan-cake.”

  Beaming delightedly, Alex suppressed a jubilant squeal. “Oh! Oh, look! Pancakes! In the afternoon!”

  Chortling to herself, Ty stopped outside the bakery that Alex had run into with Darius lumbering like a giant behind her.

  “Do you think if a stranger came up to her and offered her pancakes, she’d follow them?”

  Ty continued to chuckle, watching Alex take out her purse to pay. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”

  “Darius sure has a thing for her.”

  “Her kindness is magnetic.” Ty gave Faris a wry smile. “Something many people think you lack, by the way.”

  He shrugged. “Being nice to people isn’t going to get me to where I want to be.”

  “And where is that?”

  While he searched for an answer, his expression passive and unreadable, Alex began to split her serving into two.

  “Somewhere where I matter.”

  “You already matter.”

  “You and I have different definitions of the word.”

  Alex held the other half of her food up to Darius, who looked comically astounded.

  “Does it have to do with what your parents did to you?”

  Faris clicked his tongue. “That fucking son-of-a-bitch chemist.”

  The two inside the store were now talking and laughing, trying to hurry and gobble up their goodies.

  So silly. So innocent.

  “It has something to do with them, doesn’t it?”

  “If you think I care about my parents’ opinions, you’ve been seriously misled.”

  “No, but they must have raised you.”

  “They did no such thing.”

  Ty had to take a moment to digest his acrimonious words.

  “Someone must have.”

  “I raised myself.”

  Alex and Darius were finishing up now, respectfully putting away their waste before bowing politely to the store owner.

  “Did you really have no other family?”

  He stiffened, finally taking the time to craft a response.

  “I had a sister once. That’s all you’re going to get out of me.”

  And then he turned to walk away just as Alex and Darius bounded out of the store, not looking back while his companions caught up.

  * * *

  With her hands firm on the ground, Ty gazed up to watch a faint light-blue circle slowly descend upon the grassy area her class had decided to camp within for the night.

  From the other side, Korinna was doing the same to create the other half of the circle to meet up with Ty’s, a bell-like chime ringing softly when it was sealed.

  “Wow,” breathed Kor, brushing the dirt off her hands and standing up, eyes following the fizzling blue lines running around the camp before disappearing entirely. “That’s the first time I’ve done that.”

  Theo, who had been standing a few steps away to watch, walked over to where the line had been to test the barrier. He walked in and out of it several times before nodding contentedly. “It’s good.”

  The chemist let out a sigh of relief and returned the book she had been holding to its rightful owner, giving a thumbs up to Ty on the other side.

  The tactician smiled and awkwardly did the same before rushing away to check up on the tents.

  “All good?” asked Alex, knocking the pole she had put into the ground with her boot.

  She nodded, taking one end of the fabric that was connected to the top of the pole to stick into the ground a few steps away. Alex did the same with the other side. “Yes. As long as we’re within the circle, we should be undetectable.”

  “Does that mean we can go wash up now?” inquired Selene, standing up from beside the campfire she had just finished starting. Her hands were dusty, her hood was off, and there was a bit of dirt on her cheeks.

  Scanning the group, Ty approved the request reluctantly. “If you’d like to go right now, you can take Callie, but if you want Kor, you’ll have to wait until she’s done talking to Theo.”

  Originally looking offended, the botanist ran off to Kor once she heard she was an option.

  After letting out a small sigh, Ty looked around the campfire and noticed that Darius was beside her. “Hey Darius.”

  “Hi.”

  While Ty watched everyone else finish up their preparations, the Ancient uncharacteristically initiated a conversation with her. “Long day.”

  “Yeah.”

  “It will be long night, I think.”

  Though they were only a few hours’ trek from the Academy—and coincidentally about one hour away from Hythe—the collective vote had been to spend the night camping instead of forcing the last few hours. This was free time that had been given to them to complete the exam, after all, and there was a delightful, serene beach along the way that made for an excellent camping spot.

  “If we rest for five hours, we’ll definitely arrive at the Academy before morning,” she mused quietly.

  “Is nice and safe here.”

  “Yes, I agree. I think I’ll keep watch tonight.”

  At this, Darius shook his head, staring at the tactician intensely. “No. Ty sleep. Nate and I watch.”

  She blinked dumbfoundedly. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. You sleep. Long night.”

  Those two words again.

  “Alright, then. You and Nate can keep watch,” she articulated slowly, her eyes moving from her classmate to the professor standing far away from the group as usual, wondering how much of this had been planned.

  * * *

  Within the hour, everyone had finished washing up, eating, and preparing the sleeping arrangements; some were already asleep under the tents, while a few sat by the fire to watch it die out.

  “So, you two.”

  Selene looked up obliviously from her tea.

  Korinna almost choked on hers.

  “Oh yes, this is payback,” Theo grinned, quickly shooting Ty a mischievous look.

  “What do you mean?” squeaked Sel.

  “Come on, everyone knows you two have been inseparable. What’s the deal?” Theo continued to pry.

  “Hold up, I definitely did not ask you for this much information,” retorted Kor in as loud of a voice as she could while half of the class was asleep.

  The words went in one ear and out the other. “You two have been this way since day one—you can’t tell me that’s not suspicious.”

  Kor groaned, and Sel started to anxiously attend to her piping hot cup of tea again.

  “Out with it, come on.”

  “Sel…how much am I—” asked Kor, grimacing while putting down her mug.

  “None,” responded Sel with a pout.

  “Yeah, but it’s Theo and Ty,” whispered the chemist, unnaturally adamant.

  “Mrgh. A bit.”

  Ty still wasn’t sure what was going on, but she was all for obtaining more information about her students. She had also just refilled her piping-hot coffee, too.

  “…W-what does ‘a bit’ mean?” stuttered Kor, palming her face with a free hand.

  Sighing testily, Selene finally put down her mug. “Well, we mostly grew up together and had always intended on going to the Academy together. What’s so wrong with being close?”

  Theo and Ty could barely get out a word before Kor groaned, putting down her hand and staring at the botanist with wide, knowing eyes. “Sel…” she began through gritted teeth.

  Realizing she had messed up, Selene put the back of her hand to her mouth and turned beet red. “O-oh no?”

  Kor buried her face in her hands. “N-nothing…”

  “Well, then,” shrugged Theo. “Slightly anticlimactic, but that’s neat.”

  “I wasn’t supposed to say that, was I?”

  “No, Sel.”

  “I’m sorry, I’ll go now,” squeaked the small student, trying to keep it together as she bolted away before Kor could even reach out to stop her.

  “No, wait—”

  Silence.

  “Has she always been like this?” Theo asked, following her gaze.

  “Yeah, pretty much.”

  There was little to hide now, but the gears in Ty’s mind kept turning. There was something important she was missing, something she was on the cusp of finally connecting.

  Kor looked at her classmates, unjaded. “We grew up together, spent a lot of our childhoods together. We know everything about each other. No secrets, nothing. There isn’t really anyone else that compares.”

  “Ah, I see,” mumbled Theo, a faraway look in his eyes.

  Kor grunted and got up from her spot, pouring the contents of both her and Selene’s mugs into the fire. “Anyway. I’m gonna make sure that Sel is okay and then get some shut-eye. You two get some sleep, too.”

  It finally hit her. Something she had heard in the beginning of their first semester. “Wait.”

  Both Theo and Kor looked at Ty, who still had a curious look on her face. “You’re a Saryan child, though. How does that work?”

  Theo’s eyes widened.

  Kor stopped in her tracks briefly before exhaling loudly and chuckling faintly. “Almost thought it went over your head. Yeah, I come from a long line of court chemists. My family has only ever served the main, pure royal line. I lived and grew up in the royal palace, believe it or not. Kinda like a knight for a princess, don’tcha think?”

  She walked away to let the words sink in.

  “Well, fuck,” cursed Theo under his breath.

  * * *

  Night carried on. A lone figure sat in the light by the beach, alone. The waves were quiet as time stood still, as the earth slumbered. The moonlight, bright but not enough to illuminate the unconscious students in their tents. At the edge of the class’s magical barrier, the Ancient and the Professor sat beside each other though they were meant to keep watch on opposite ends, unspeaking as they listened to their branch of time finally break off. A messy break, but a break nonetheless.

  It was done.

  * * *

  “Oh Graces, what is this fog?”

  That’s Elias’s voice. Ty opened her eyes, looking out into the distance. Sure enough, it was foggy. She had hardly gotten enough sleep, like barely any time had passed since she had turned in for the night.

  Selene got out from under the tent and squinted at the sky, breathing in deeply before recoiling and getting back inside. “No, this is smoke.”

  Most of the class scrambled to get up at that point, standing outside the tents and looking at the misty sky. The moon’s rays were diffused by the dense haze, turning the air a light gray even though morning hadn’t hit yet.

  And the smell. The smell of burning.

  I think I’m going to throw up. Ty clutched her pounding head with a hand and rummaged through her pockets for some medicine to quell the pain. I’m going to throw up.

  That was when Professor Moriya walked out of the smog and into the class’s view, his voice lacking urgency, but his message containing enough to send everyone into dreadful panic. “There’s been a fire about an hour away. We’re going back to the Academy. I’ll lead the way; our original route is too dangerous to use.”

  * * *

  The Headmistress’s face was full of conflicting, unreadable emotions, her hands clasped politely in front of her.

  “It was Hythe. The entire village. We sent the fourth-years out to evacuate those we could once we received the news, but the fires were too strong. It’s all gone. I’m so sorry.”

  I’m going to throw up.

  “MATS is already aware of the situation and will be investigating it posthaste. Until then…the visits will have to stop indefinitely. Please rest for now, everyone.”

  Ty walked with her classmates back to the dorms and watched them all shuffle inside after giving them weak words of reassurance. Then she rushed to the side of the building, where the path ended, where evidence could easily be washed away, and threw up black until there was nothing left.