the excited conversation of my friends filled the table in the dining hall with a light, cheerful energy. Their faces animated as they talked over each other, and the chatter was punctuated by bursts of joyous laughter, competing with the clinking of forks and knives as they enjoyed their meal.
But none of it seemed to make much of an impression on Nathaniel, who only seemed to withdraw further into himself.
“Guys,” Celine called for our attention, pulling me from my thoughts. She glanced around at all of us until the entire table was quiet. “I talked to Professor Braddock today and found out some interesting info about the thing that attacked us at the dance.”
My breath quickened with anxiety and anticipation at the mention of the attack. Since the Founder’s Ball, rumors of evil spirit sightings had spread through the academy like wildfire, though none had been officially confirmed by the administration. I was just grateful there hadn’t been any further attacks. I composed myself, waiting for her to continue.
“The spirit was actually the last Elysium Warrior,” Celine said.
“Last what?” Dean asked.
“Elysium Warrior,” Celine repeated. “According to the legend, the Elysium Warriors were an Em couple destined to protect the world from evil. Each generation of Ems would bring forth a new pair of Elysium Warriors. The last known Elysium Warriors were Lysander and Pryia from thirty years ago. The evil spirit at the dance was Pryia.”
“How does Professor Braddock know?” Jessica asked.
“Several people saw the spirit in human form like we did. Professor Braddock showed me a photo of Pryia in the history book. It was the same girl we saw at the dance.”
A chill went down my spine, remembering how she looked so normal sitting at the table with Nathaniel.
“So what happened to the couple?” I hesitantly asked.
“They protected the world for decades, but after years of fighting evil, Lysander became disillusioned by his duty and believed the only way to truly protect the world was to become the most powerful Em himself. Ambition and the thirst for power consumed him until, eventually, he traded his soul in order to wield dark magic with the intention of ruling the world. To stop him, the Empyrean Council sealed his soul in an ancient artifact.”
“But what happened to Pryia?” Sara asked, her voice shaky.
Celine sighed. “Not long after, Pryia died of a broken heart.”
The group fell silent as we struggled to process Celine’s words and their implications.
“Let’s assume she’s seeking revenge,” Alan finally said. “Why would she attack the academy? It was the Empyrean Council that sealed Lysander’s soul, not anyone here.”
Celine shook her head. “That’s what Professor Braddock and the rest of the staff are still trying to figure out.”
“Maybe someone who works at the academy was on the Empyrean Council?” Dean offered. “But I think they’d have to be pretty old by now.”
“Regardless of why she’s doing it, it’s clear that she’s after something here,” Nathaniel piped up. “We need to be careful, especially since no one has a clue what or who she’s after.”
Everyone nodded and sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating the gravity of the story.
My heart ached for Pryia. Love and duty had bound her to a man who descended into darkness, and she paid the ultimate price with her shattered heart. She had been just another Em, like us, once but carried such a heavy burden on her shoulders. How torn must she have felt to see her lover become one of the Ems she had sworn to protect the world from?
An overwhelming feeling of sadness and compassion flooded me. I never thought I would find myself feeling so deeply for what I’d always considered an “evil” spirit.
Although we knew who she was now, the reason why she had attacked the academy still eluded us. Even in death, Pryia had been unable to move on. And now, it seemed her sorrow and heartbreak had twisted into a thirst for vengeance.
Like every morning, I woke at dawn and headed outside. The cold air stung my cheeks as I made my way to the training field. I spent the next hour putting myself through a series of warm-up exercises strung together from Professor Lee’s training.
I focused on my ice powers first. They had always come more naturally to me. With a flick of my wrists, a blizzard of snowflakes swirled around me, generating a dazzling flash of blue-white light and a powerful gust that lifted my hair off my shoulders. Images of Nathaniel’s energy shield flashed through my mind, recalling how the gold threads of light entwined with each other to form an impenetrable barrier. I stitched hundreds of ice crystals together to create a shield of solid ice and suspended it over my head. I spread my arms wide, and the sheet of ice broke into uneven pieces that flew in all directions.
Then, I worked on manipulating my flames. Conjuring them was no longer a problem, but now I needed precision. I practiced containing the blaze within a small space, then shaping it into a sphere of orange-red light that glowed with intensity as I slowly increased its size until it was larger than a beach ball. Satisfied with my progress, I began drawing intricate patterns in the air and attempting to produce the thinnest flame I could.
The feeling of being able to create something out of nothing was exhilarating, and it made me embrace my abilities more than ever before.
Finally, it was time. My hands curled into fists, ice crystals forming around them. I strode to the center of the field, where holographic combat drones hovered, waiting for their next command.
“Begin training program Epsilon-3,” I said, ordering the level that I hadn’t been able to pass for the last month.
The drones whirred to life, three of them circling around me. I summoned a blast of fire and launched it at the nearest one, but it dodged easily. Of course—these drones had been programmed to anticipate my every move. I’d have to do better than that.
“You call that an attack?” one drone taunted in a metallic voice. “I’ve seen better fireballs from a matchstick.”
It was like Dean programmed his dad jokes into these things. My annoyance flowed like fuel in my hand. An icy spear grew like a vine in my grasp until it was the length and thickness of a baseball bat. Sharp points formed at each end, and the ice turned crystal clear as it solidified into one large shard. I hurled it at the drone, shattering it into a million flickering pieces.
“One down, two to go,” I muttered.
The remaining drones darted forward, firing stun rays. I rolled to the side and created a shield of ice to block them.
The heat of the stun bolts passed me by as I hurdled to the side. My hands shot up in a defensive gesture, and a thick wall of ice materialized in front of me, blocking the drones’ blasts, but it wouldn’t hold for long.
“You cannot defeat us,” another drone said.
A red-hot force burned in my chest, and I clenched my fists, the power of fire and ice gathering in my palms, ready to be unleashed. Bright yellow and orange flames shot out in a fiery arc from my right hand, streaking across the field and leaving a trail of crackling embers in their wake. From the other hand, a storm of icy blue light erupted, piercing and sharp like a thousand daggers. Both consumed the two drones and left nothing but charred pieces of twisted metal in their wake.
“Epsilon-3 has ended,” the computer said. “Congratulations.”
I stood alone on the scorched training field, panting. The holograms of the destroyed drones disappeared and reappeared whole, ready for their next opponent.
By then, other students began to arrive for their morning training sessions. My muscles quivered from the exertion, but I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. I mopped the droplets from my forehead with the back of my hand. I’d done it.
As I started toward the locker room, I peeled off my damp shirt, revealing a modest sports bra and a sheen of sweat that clung to every inch of my hot skin. The cool air suddenly felt amazing.
“Evangeline,” said that familiar gruff voice that I hated to love.
I turned toward Nathaniel, who stalked up to me with his hands in the pockets of his blazer.
“You can’t train like this every day,” he continued.
“Mind your own business,” I said, giving him a taste of his own medicine. “What are you doing here?”
“Celine said you’ve been training nonstop. I came to see for myself.”
“Did you see that I beat Epsilon-3?” I beamed proudly.
He nodded.
A fireball sparked to life in my hand. The burning orb cast a warm glow over Nathaniel’s face. “Then, you know I’m not the girl who needs you to protect me anymore. I can take care of myself now.”
He glanced at the fireball, and then his eyes narrowed at me. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying.”
My fireball disappeared as I paused in surprise, searching his eyes. “Nathaniel…”
He looked away, refusing to meet my gaze. “You’re pushing yourself too hard. You’re going to burn yourself out.”
My cheeks blazed with anger and indignation. I’d been at this for a month now. Where did he get off lecturing me?
His body went rigid, and, sensing my objection, he spoke in a low voice. “I’ve been doing this longer than you. I know what I’m talking about. You can’t just keep doing this day and night without a break.”
Clenching my fists, I stepped closer to him, trying to make him look at me. “What do you care?” I grumbled.
I crossed my arms over my chest, unimpressed by his lecture. I wanted something else from him—an acknowledgment that he had been ignoring me or an apology—but he didn’t give it to me.
Instead, Nathaniel plastered a scowl on his face. “I don’t. Do what you want,” he said with finality as if the conversation was over. Without giving me another chance to argue, he turned and walked away without another word.
My blood boiled as I watched him go. Coming here to lecture me like a child and then leaving without giving me a chance to say anything else. Not like I had anything else to say, but still.
As I continued toward the locker room, my steps stomping with outrage, a little flutter of hope snuck into my chest. He came here because he was worried about me. Despite him saying otherwise, I knew deep down he cared, even if it was in his own abrasive way.
As I showered the hard-earned sweat off my body, I pushed him out of my thoughts again with a sigh. He wasn’t going to spoil my victory. I beat Epsilon-3!
I was ready. Whatever came next, I could face it. Vengeful spirits, jerk-face grouches, anything this whole crazy world of Ems could throw at me—bring it on. I wasn’t helpless anymore. I could protect myself and the people I loved. My heart burned with determination like the fires I could summon. I was in control of my powers now. And there was no going back.
As much as I tried to encourage myself with the mental pep talk, when I finally stumbled back to my dorm room, I collapsed onto my bed and buried my face in the pillow. Nathaniel’s words echoed in my mind, harsh and unyielding. I don’t care. Do what you want.
How did things go so wrong?
That evening at the Founder’s Ball, he seemed like a completely different person. I thought I had glimpsed his soul, the real him. Somehow, that Nathaniel slipped away from me, though I guess he was never mine to begin with. Now he wanted nothing to do with me. I thought back to our conversations, searching for clues, but found none. I doubted my feelings and memories. Had I imagined our kiss? Did he really hold my hand by the lake?
Celine walked through the door and startled me from my brooding. She took one look at my face and pulled me into a hug.
“Eva, what happened?” she asked, hovering by my bedside. With tears that I couldn’t stop, I told her about my conversation with Nathaniel.
“I still don’t understand what happened between you two,” Celine said. “You both looked so happy together when we went to the lake.”
“That makes two of us.” I sighed. “He won’t even talk to me about it.”
“Yeah, he won’t talk to any of us about you. We’ve tried.”
I squeezed her hand gratefully and tried to hold back more tears. “I just need to move on. He obviously doesn’t care about me.”
“He definitely cares about you, Evangeline.” Celine squeezed my hand back. “I’m sure of it.”
I looked at her with watery eyes. “What makes you so sure?”
She smiled. “Because I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is looking.”
Sure, I’d caught his gaze more than a couple of times, but hearing it from someone else meant that I didn’t imagine it.
I fiddled with the edge of my sleeve, my heart pounding. “What do you mean?”
“He watches you like some overprotective bodyguard.” She elbowed me teasingly. “The way his eyes follow you whenever you enter a room. How tense he gets when other guys so much as glance your way. He always sits next to you, even though he supposedly doesn’t like you. He’s such a hypocrite, telling you to leave him alone when he’s the one that can’t stay away from you.” She shook her head with a smile.
“Why does it have to be so complicated?” I groaned.
She smirked. “It’s Nathaniel. You expected anything less? He cares about you, Eva, and he’ll come around eventually.” Celine’s face became somber as her brows furrowed and her lips thinned into a straight line. “But I don’t blame you if you don’t want to wait. If you are sick of him, I’ll do whatever I can to help you move on. Just say the word.”
“Thanks, Celine.” I gave her a tight hug.
I took a deep, steadying breath as Celine’s words sank in. Maybe Nathaniel cared for me and just wouldn’t admit it. He had been watching me all this time. He caught me when I almost fell in economics. He came to lecture me about training too hard that morning. He would only do that if he was worried about me, right?
This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Nathaniel thought he could push me away, but he had no idea how stubborn I could be. I wasn’t about to give up on him—not when there was still a chance.
“It’s going to be all right.” Celine patted my hand one more time.
I closed my eyes and sighed, allowing myself to hope. “Yeah,” I said softly. “I think it will be.”
