“Woah you see that?” 

 

“Yeah.. What is a graduate class student doing by the first year classrooms?” 

 

“Don’t stare, they’re all freaks.” 

 

Alarea exited the classroom to a buzz of activity in the hallway, all the students talking to each other in not so low whispers. “What’s going on?” She turned to Coral, thinking it was just some weird academy thing she had yet to experience. 

 

“Not sure,” the woman admitted, looking around the hallway for an explanation, until she spotted the unmistakable cloak that was exclusively a part of the graduate class uniform. “What the fuck? What is a graduate class student doing here?” 

 

“No idea,” Sofia spoke up before slapping at Edwards arm. “Don’t stare you idiot, do you want to get us in trouble?” 

 

“What’s the graduate class?” Alarea questioned, still searching for whoever this person that created all this buzz was. 

 

“It’s final year students, those that stay behind after graduation to further their training.” Coral answered. “They’re all handpicked by the headmaster himself to join the class, only the best of the best get let in.” 

 

Alarea raised her brow at that. It was already a tall order to be admitted to the academy in the first place, something that she could attest to considering she was denied when she tried. It was hard for her to imagine the difficulty of getting into this further education, least of all when it was the headmaster himself that handpicked its members. 

 

“Where is this person?” Alarea asked, still not being able to find them. 

 

“Over there,” Coral pointed and Alarea traced her eyes in the direction, her heart instantly dropping in her stomach as she saw the eyes of the graduate student staring back at her. She broke out in a cold sweat as she and her brother Cassian stared back at one another, his eyes hard and frosty. 

 

Cassian leaded against a wall, the students filing out of their classrooms and down the hallway gave him a large breadth of space, none daring to come close for risk of possibly insulting the graduate student. He flicked his head to the side, pointing out a now empty classroom before making his way inside. 

 

“I.. uh.. I gotta go do something.” Alarea went to excuse herself. “You’ll be in the same spot? I can make my way there on my own.” 

 

“What? Where are you going?” Coral asked, confused. “Besides, it's lunch break. We’ll be in the cafetera.” 

 

“I just need to do something..” Alarea dodged, walking away before they could protest. “I’ll come find you soon.” 

 

“What's up with her?” Edward asked. “She seemed all panicked.” 

 

“No idea,” Sofia added. “Maybe she's just stressed out from being new in the academy. She has a lot to catch up on after all.” 

 

“Hmm..” Coral rubbed her chin, watching Alarea walk away, looking left and right before dashing into a now empty classroom. “Well there is no point in speculating. Why don’t we just find out for ourselves?” 

 

“Coral..” Sofia sighed. “Lets not..” 

 

“I'm down,” Edward agreed, however quickly looked away sheepishly as Sofia turned to glare at him. “I mean.. I would be if-” 

 

“Shut up.” 

 

“Yes ma’am.” 

 

“Anyways,” Sofia turned back to Coral, the woman's mischievous look only growing the more she stewed over the idea of spying on her new roommate. “Are you sure about this? She won't like it if she finds out.” 

 

“Best not let her find out then.” Coral grinned. “I can be sneaky when I want to be.” 

 

“No you can't.” Sofia sighed again, rubbing her forehead. “But as usual, I can’t talk you out of doing something stupid, so let's just get on with it then..” 

 

“I knew you’d come around,” Coral gave the woman back a slap. “Then what are we waiting for? We’ll miss all the fun if we don’t hurry!” 

 

(/) 

 

“What are you doing here?” Alarea was instantly questioned the moment she walked into the classroom, quickly closing the door behind her to make sure no one in the corridor overheard their conversation. 

 

“How did you know it was me..” She questioned. She had hoped her short and different coloured hair would be enough to fool her brother Cassian at a glance, however that seemed to not be the case. 

 

“Don’t act dumb,” Cassian’s voice rose an octave. “You think because you cut and dyed your hair I wouldn’t recognise my own sister? Now tell me why you're here.” 

 

“Why do I have to tell you anything?” Alarea snapped back, her voice raising a notch. “Why the hell do you care what I do now?” 

 

Cassian stood from the table he was leaning on, marching over to Alarea. “Because I know for a fact that when you said you wanted to attend the academy father said no. And yet here you are now.” Alarea took a few steps back as her brother approached, his face contorting in anger before her back hit the wall. “Trying to hide the fact as well.” 

 

He towered over her, trapping her between the wall and himself before running a hand through her hair, the smallest sliver of regret briefly flashing in his eyes. 

 

“So?” He looked down at her. “Why did you run away from home?” 

 

“It’s none of your business..” Alarea looked down to the floor, voice lowering as a frown began to form on her face. 

 

Cassian sighed, taking a step back and running a hand through his own blonde hair. “I'm your brother and I care about you so of course it’s my business.” He began pacing around, kicking his foot against the floor. “You know the last I heard about you was that you ran away from our family estate with nothing but the clothes on your back. That was weeks ago, and since then I heard nothing else, not even a peep that you might be alright. Do you know how much I worried?” 

 

“I'm sorry..” Alarea kept her eyes locked on the ground, hands playing around at the cuffs of her shirt. “I didn’t mean for any of that.. I just couldn’t stay there any more.” 

 

“Why?” Cassian questioned. “I know you’ve always wanted to learn how to fight for yourself, it's why I let you join in on my training, let you spar with me even when father tried to forbid it. But for you to leave so abruptly, with not even a word left behind, I just don’t understand.” 

 

“Do you really not know what happened?” Alarea looked up at Cassian with some hint of surprise. 

 

“What? What happened?” 

 

“Father tried to marry me off to-” 

 

“He did what!” Cassian yelled, his sword aura instinctively rushing out of his body in a tidal wave. Great golden strands of energy radiating out around him. Alarea wanted to back away, however the wall behind her left her with no choice but to face the onslaught of Cassian's aura head on, the force of an Advanced swordsman being too much for a simple beginner like her. 

 

It took a while for Cassian to calm down, his breath coming out in long drawn out wisps of smoke as he forced his aura to reside. By the time it was fully under control Alarea was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, the pressure forced onto her almost too much for her to handle. If it wasn’t for her own aura instinctively coming up to protect her she was sure she would have fainted. 

 

“Sorry about that..” Cassian apologised sheepishly as he saw the state he turned his sister into by not being able to stay in control of his emotions. “I didn’t mean to..” He sighed, shaking his head. “But is what you said true? Father tried to force you into a political marriage?” 

 

“Yeah..” 

 

“Shit.” Cassian cursed, turning and pacing once more. “He told me he wouldn’t, promised me that he’d keep you out of it.” 

 

“You knew?” Alarea looked at him. “You knew he was going to do that?” 

 

“Tsk,” Cassian almost bit off his own tongue for speaking too much. “It’s always been his plan, that’s why he forbade you from training with the sword, and didn’t let you leave the estate. But before I came to the academy I made him promise me that he wouldn’t, told him that if he tried to I’d leave the family and take you with me.” 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Alarea asked, shocked. Her relationship with her brother was always good, at least that's what she had thought. But the moment he left for the academy she had not heard a word from him, making her think that he had left her behind. 

 

“You didn’t need to know,” Cassian admitted. “No, I didn’t want you to know. I know yours and fathers relationship has not been the best, so I didn’t want to further drive a wedge between you too. I know he might seem crass, but trust me when I say he’s doing what’s best for our family. The situation we're in right now is dire to say the least.” 

 

“What’s wrong?” Alarea started to become alarmed, her brother had never looked worried before, but now he seemed extremely so. “What’s going on?” 

 

“It’s best if you don’t know.” Cassian was going to leave it at that but could easily tell Alarea wasn’t satisfied, and was about to protest, and so elaborated. “Look.. The best thing you can do right now is focus on your studies. Even if I told you what is happening there isn’t anything that you can do about it, you’ll only end up worrying. When you graduate and become a powerful swordsman I will let you know, but until then it's best you don't.” 

 

“Is our family in danger?” Alarea questioned however Cassian only shook his head, refusing to elaborate. “Come on Cas you have to tell me.” 

 

“I dont and I won't,” he put his foot down. “But we need to talk about what you're going to do when father finds out you're here. He won't just lie down and let you run away like this.” 

 

“How will he find out?” Alarea asked. “I mean, I get that you recognised me but no one else will.” 

 

Cassian merely shook his head ruefully. “The school is full of rats,” his sword at his hip flashed out, a thin line slicing diagonally through the classroom door before it collapsed into pieces. Three voices gasped in shock as they stood back in surprise, Alarea slapping her forehead as she saw them.  “You’ve been here one day and your ‘secret’ is already out.” 

 

“Ah ha…” Coral began, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. “I can explain?”