Dahlia POV

I train. I do whatever I can to prepare myself for whatever fate throws at me.

Most of the days pass by quietly. Clara and I go on our seperate ways keeping suspicion off us as well as gathering as much information possible. Sadly, not much is given to us. It seems the matters regarding national safety and Mare Barrow are top secret.

Oh and there's another, more important update. It's both A pleasant as well as unpleasant change for us.

We began to train with Silvers.

"I don't want to train with Silvers," Clara says with her arms crossed. She's obviously angry about the news Lia broke to us yesterday. "They're already as bad as we know them."

"We don't have a choice." I sigh. "I don't want to do this either, but we have to."

The short memory makes me sigh. Currently, I'm in the arena sitting on the sidelines. Allison has abandoned me somehow to do something. Both Kiera and Clara have gone somewhere. So here I am, alone with a workimg mind. A waste of time is not a good idea.

I suffer through the stares given to me by other Silvers. Most Reds try to stay out of the Silver group's way, even ducking as they pass them. Some don't even bother and bear with it. Like others, I endure whatever treatment is given to me. So what if they look down upon me? Does their opinion really matter?

To some extent, it does. They still rule part of Norta however small their influence is. The false king is a Silver. Even if I hate him and would very much want to openly express that opinion, I wouldn't want to anger him. I might have already. Still, better late tham never to change myself.

More and more Silvers begin to stare at me with a mixture of fear and disgust. They even take the precautions to sit as far away from me as possible, some using their abilities to create small barriers between us. It's almost as if we're a disease that would infect them. Red and Silver. Mutants. Even with our abilities, we still don't bleed the same colour. Of course they think we're dangerous.

Thankfully both parties have already gone through our necessary exercises before coming here. Hopefully, I'll be able to let my anger off through fighting soon. If this continued any longer, the desire to electrocute one of them might rise inside me.

A couple minutes later, my friends return to my side. We stick together through everything, even if we are on the other side. It's what we do for each other.

"Daly," Clara taps me on my shoulder lightly. "Are you alright? You look a little pale?"

"I am?" A hand goes to my face, feeling the skin underneath. It's a little cold. "I didn't know."

"Don't be nervous if that's what you're feeling," my cousin whispers. She even has the strength to hug me. "Silvers can't beat you."

"And neither can they beat you," I reply optimistically. "Don't worry about me."

"I'm always worried about you in this place." The aura grows cold as I remember everything again. Mom, the Guard, the throne we're trying to take down. I feel it and I'm sure Clara does to.

"Ahem." A cough turns my attention towards Arven. His presence is enough to command respect. After all, his ability can turn a Silver into something they hate most. And newbloods. Cameron had such a powerful ability she could kill with it. I don't know if Silver silences can do the same, but both bloods share the same turn off ability.

"Morritan, Dahlia," the instructor says simply. "You two, first."

I tense up. I hate going first of all things. I'm not alone either. Morritan tenses up too, but not because he's going first. I'm undefeated and he's afraid of losing. We fear people who are better. We fear failure.

With a sigh, I re-tie my hair and take my place in the ring. My opponent shuffles after me, almost apprehensive. Still, he has no choice. And neither do I.

The arena closes with Lia's telky ability, the cage locking the two of us in. I take the next few seconds to examine my enemy. This matchup is one that is slightly in Morritan's favour if he played it right. Lightning is a good spark for fire. However, the same thing can't be said if you turn it around. I might count myself a little lucky this time. Morritan is not as good as Dad. He can't burn me with my own lightning.

I watch him carefully with keen eyes, looking for any sudden movement. It seems to scare him. He swallows and puts on a brave face, getting into position to attack. I merely smile and stand. Maybe if I don't move, I can pressure or bait him into attacking me first. If he does, it won't work. I move to fast for that.

After watching me stand still in such a vulnerable position, Morritan finally attacks. I laugh lightly as I dodge his ball of flame. It still surprises me how they are still not used to this by now. It's become my signature version of a tease. They should know I'm too quick for them to land hits on me. Why still fall for the bait?

Of course there are exceptions; Kiera and Clara are almost impossible to defeat due to the latter having unlimited agility and the former being able to hide forever. And Ally has gotten much better making her a formiddable opponent too. But we friends rarely fight against each other unless forced.

The burner comes at me aggressively, his ball of flame growing with his focus. I watch it expand, the colour of red, orange, and yellow becoming more vivid by the second. And I still don't move.

Those who have never watched me fight might think that I'm going to get seriously injured. But at the very last second. I finally side step, moving just enough to dodge his attack. He barely misses me. Or rather, I barely dodged him. From there, I

I don't move until the very last second. I play it just in front of him, my presence almost like a taunt. He can't touch me and I'm right next to him. My counter attacks are small too, consisting of little shocks within his hands and arms. I don't have enough concentration to do brain lightning in a fight; I need to be sitting down, undisturbed to even attempt such a feat. Still, the visible, mini bolts wear him down quicker.

Once it seems he's out of energy, I begin to engage. Take dangerous risks. Go in like a daredevil. I don't hold back. Each attack is quick, precise and without hesitation. My mind works, predicting Morritan's next moves. From there, I prepare my next moves. What to do, how to do it, and how much power I'll use. Few can keep up with me and Morritan isn't one of them.

Most people have told me, I move too quickly for their liking, dashing in and out of conflict. It's hard to land shots on me. Even Clara who has unlimited agility still finds me a little difficult. Then again, lack of vision is also another weakness we all have. Wards save lives.

Still, I've always prided myself on being more agile than my Mom. She grew up as a thief and had more experience escaping from the law with clever tricks made up while she ran. Perhaps I have inherited her light, stunning, and incomparable fleet footwork as well as her mind for quick thinking.

I dash right behind Morritan, out of his sight line. It stuns him for a bit as he moves his head side to side to find me buying me a few seconds. Still, that precious bit of time is sufficient for me to build up a charge enough to incapacitate. Purple lightning bolt reaches his body and I watch the burner falls. He's still in shock.

It's over.

And I'm barely out of breath.

I don't even bother bowing. I just walk off casually like it was nothing.

"Unmatched," I whisper passing by him. The sparks rise on my hand, a warning but also a symbol of power. A smile soon follows.

Spilling blood is usually not a very happy affair for me. But for some reason, I feel glad fighting. Perhaps being in Whitefire has awakened a more brutal side to my nature. Or maybe I'm thinking too much. It's just the rest of my anger being released. It could be both.

"It's too easy," Kiera whispers to me as I take my place beside her. "They need to up their game."

"What do you suggest?" I say quietly leaning over towards her. "I mean, there is 'no one' else we can use as target practice."

"I mean the Silvers," the illusionist replies, clarifying her implication. "I'll just hope they aren't as boring to play against."

My eyes flutter, slightly worried. "I hope so too."

Arven clears his throat making us switch our attention towards him. "Lord Evgeny, Lord Ashton."

I almost freeze. I almost let my emotions show on my face. Even looking at him will remind me of our first encounter. It takes a couple breaths for me to finally regain control of myself. I focus the rest of my energy on gripping the bench tightly. My eyes are focused on the arena ahead of me. Pretend he doesn't exist.

Both of them pass by me and a cold chill passes down my spine. I felt his gaze on me. I should have expected it. Our relationship didn't start out ideally. The unsaid dislike between us is obvious, even to an outsider. As the two take their places, I decide to focus on Ashton. He wears green and gold. House Welle, I hear Mom whisper in my head. Greenwarden. Controller of plants.

Arven raises a hand to start the match. I have a feeling this won't end very well for the greenwarden.

Like me, Evgeny stands, watching, waiting for his opponent. He mirrors Ashton's actions whenever he moves, creating a deeply unsettling feeling in the arena. The fight seems to be slow going but it also seems to be a routine thing. The Silvers expected this.

Then, the magnetron smiles. It's a subtle signal only a good eye would pick up. Suddenly, a dagger whizzes towards the greenwarden. If not for his sudden instinct, his injury would have been much worse compared to the cut on his cheek. It seeps with silver blood but doesn't drip. Yet.

Evgeny likes to initiate, I note down in my head. Different than me.

And so the real fight begins.

As I watch the fight continue, fear begins to pool in my stomach making my entire body go cold. It's when I realize that it's been about a while since I've played against people way better than the newbloods in my class. Despite all my training, I might be a little rusty from not practicing.

The magnetron leaps up into the air, the dagger attached onto his arm aimed directly at his target's chest. Although he sacrifices some of the lethal damage for the small dash, it is worth it in the long run. The greenwarden does his best to defend himself with a plant shield, the magnetron cuts through it like paper. Blood spills, silver blood dripping onto the sand like mercury.

Evgeny doesn't stop there. He's ruthless like every other Silver noble I know of. Without waiting, he sends out a volley of exactly three daggers which harm everything they pass through. The injured Ashton does what he can to mitigate the damage. It doesn't amount to much.

Despite being injured, Ashton is still able to land some blows on the magnetron, even if they are weak. Even then, it's difficult. Like me, Evgeny is agile, precise, and quick. However, our fighting tactics are very different. I prefer to dodge and wait for the perfect moment to strike from range. He prefers to use his agility to start the fight, using melee attacks.

In this fight specifically, Evgeny parkours over the trees the greenwarden as created, moving like a well trained assassin. The metal along his body reforms, creating whatever tool he needs at that specific moment. Slow wounds appear on the greenwarden, growing as each minute passes as Ashton begins to bleed freely on the sand.

Evgeny has injured his opponent to the point where he deals damage to him without even moving a muscle. Blood loss is a slow death. It won't happen in a controlled environment like the arena but until Ashton stops, it'll be painful.

It doesn't take long until the greenwarden yields to the magnetron. He walks off, ashamed of himself while a healer fixes him up. On the other hand, Evgeny nods his head without a single bit of emotion. There is barely a scratch on his body as he leaves.

I heave in a breath internally as he passes by me again. It's obvious who the best is in both groups. I have a feeling Arven will put us up against each other. If not, will he even decide to challenge me?

I shake my head. Of course not. He's silver, I'm red. He wouldn't go that low.

Out of curiousity, I look behind, wondering if he's staring at me. Do it quickly and don't be seen.

Too late.

Our eyes meet.

We stare at each other for some time. His eyes are filled with intrigue, wondering. A small, faint smile appears on his lips. I watch him calmly without wavering a single bit. Then, I smile too, the same subtle one he showed me. After what seems like forever, I turn back, breaking our gaze.

Part of me wonders what complications this will have for me. Another part of me seems awakened. I wonder how it will be like if I play him for a little while. I want to know how this ends.

But for now, I'll need to focus on the fight before me, both small and big.

Kiera POV

Even as a light bender, I consider myself a little less manipulative than most people . . . and my ability.

I remember my childhood. I remember the training given to me by Montfort. We're stronger than one would think, our forces both Red, Silver, and Ardent. And there's me, another Ardent, fighting for my country. Fighting against the Nortan crown but also sworn to it by the vows I said when I joined.

Most people think they know me. Then again, most people think they know spies. This . . . cheery exterior is partly a product through my experiences but something I use as a defense for my true self. I don't think anyone would want to meet my true self. It has too much of a dark past. But for now, I need to focus on winning this fight.

From across me, Jacob looks at me with his deadly eyes. He's a bomber, a newblood who could kill me on sight. But I'm not stupid. I know what these inexperienced Reds are going to do. They think in such linear ways, part of me wants to insult them to fuel my own pride. Pick out everything wrong with what their doing. Roast them once or twice along the way. Works every time.

But even if it's laughable, I shouldn't laugh. I was once like them, thinking in such a simplistic way. When I first started to use my ability, I only knew of basic fighting tactics and spells. it was easy to sweep me off my feet. Now I'm a fully fledged fighter. Who knows where life will take you? Who knows if the next deadly pawn Maven will use is in this room?

Maven. I've never held a personal hatred towards him, but it does exist. His crimes are too numerous to name. Even death isn't enough of a punishment. Manipulating Reds to join his cause. Killing and imprisoning the lightning girl. I don't believe any of his lies. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Arven raises a hand to begin the match. My eyes meet Lia's from across the arena before shielding myself with an invisible curtain. Lia. The only person I befriended secretly. It wasn't out of kindness. Rather it was based on the sole help she could provide me on this mission. And I consider myself less of a manipulator than most.

I did the same to Ezra. Lia may be a sweet and kind Silver, but Ezra struck me as an even sweeter person. Deceiving him hurts more. Even with all the loyalty towards my country, I don't think I'll be able to manipulate him for long. Some part of me will snap and I think I'll go mad.

The bomber whips his head from side to side, trying to find me. Jacob isn't a bad ardent, especially with the amount of training he had. It's why I lurk, undetected in the light. His learning is good enough that he could kill me with just his eyes. But without them, he doesn't have vision. He can't do anything.

My ways of fighting have grown numerous since I was a child. When I'm ready, I blink back into existence to bait him. Once he catches sight of me, he does his best to kill me right then and there. Luckily for me, he's too slow. It's enough of a tease. The invisible curtain falls again.

Making trades is hard when you have two people who counter each other drastically. Whenever I'm invisible, he can't use his own ability. If he sees me, he could kill me on the spot. The fight will only stay at a standstill until the other gives up, or loses stamina.

After about ten seconds, I blink back into existence behind him. Then, I use an old trick of mine. I turn myself invisible for about a second. It gives me enough time to reposition and prepare for my attacks. Once I show myself, there will be an extra clone with me.

It's a bit of a psychological trick I play on my opponents. If I'm lucky, they'll go after the clone instead of me. The misdirection buys me enough time to catch my breath and reposition. It's more of a matter of luck than anything.

Well, lucky for me, it works. Instead of me, the clone explodes into sparkles, the light refracting all around the arena like shimmering dust. It throws Jacob off for a split second. I send a twisted ball of light right where he stands. It dentonates immediately after reaching its location, blinding and damaging everything that was in it's area of effect.

Now the tables have turned a slight bit.

Without sight, Jacob can't do anything. He relies on his eyes and movement at least to use his ability. Now that he doesn't have that sense, defeating him would be easy. Out of luck, I don't have to waste any more energy. Jacob yields after a few hits. I walk off with a small curtsy, returning to my cheerful outer self in an instant. Like I said, I know how to play it.

I'm stronger than most would imagine. My optimistic exterior is just what I use to disguise everything I've been through. I scoff internally at the word. Disguise. It's what my ability is made of. I hide my wounds with it, both physical and internal. If I wanted, I could hide myself entirely.

My childhood. I have time to examine every moment from years ago. Come to think of it, I led a privileged lifestyle. I was in perfect health. I never had to care about the next time I'd eat. I had an education. I had everything a Red in this country could dream of.

But there was still darkness. There were those girls who used to bully me for being too ugly by the beauty standard. I admit, I wasn't very up to par because I never cared about the way I dressed or looked. The nicknames I got were quite tame compared to the stories I've heard from other victims. Still, they hurt for a person my age. It became an unhealthy part of me, a shadow that stuck to the light I could wield.

Then I had my massive glow up. And somehow, the confidence I didn't have appeared right before me. The chains holding me back began to break. I began to focus on the usage of my ability. I got good, better, and became the best in my year. I had friends, people who cared about me. I was popular. Compliments became normal to me.

I was at my peak . . . and then I fell. All it took was a bunch of my backstabbing friends for everyone to start bully me once more, only this time it was for being too good. I felt like I was at the bottom again. It was then when I realized, all my confidence was built up from the praise of others.

And then now I'm here. I'm a spy for my own country.

You heard me right. I'm a spy. No one knows about me . . . yet.

Still, I'm worried. A king's court is a game, very dangerous game to play at. The white chess pieces the Silvers use are stained with the blood of those who have lost their lives in such a place. I bet there are some who haven't had a proper burial. I won't end up like those people. I can't end up like those people. If I die, I wonder how many secrets about Montfort I'll leak to Maven. It will compromise everything.

I'm better now, always trying my best to spread positivity to those who needed it like I once did. Still, the shadow still exists within me. Like they say, no shadow without light. But there are still times where my insecurities flair up randomly. I think I'm over it, then something appears that tells me I'm not.

When I first saw Dahlia, I felt insecure. She tells me that looks are superficial problems and small wants. In some ways, she's right. We have a war to fight, a throne to end. Still, it feels different when it comes to someone who you think is better than you in every possible way. You feel . . . pitied on rather than comforted by their words.

I shake my head. Dahlia isn't that type of person who would talk behind your back or backstab you like so many others. Even if the time together we had was short, I am sure of that much. And there is something else. I suspect something else of her as well.

I'm not sure when my suspicion started. Maybe it was her sudden spike in learning. Or it could be when she fought to keep Lia out of harm. Or it could have been the first time I met her. There was just something different I sensed. She was far more advanced for a rookie trainee. I later learned, Dahlia could don different masks if she wanted. Sometimes you can even sense the aura of a rebel.

That's it.

The connection between Montfort and the Scarlet Guard has weakened slightly. Our communications are still there, but there are mishaps from time to time. I'm aware that there are spies here with me, but I am uncertain about the Scarlet Guard being in Whitefire. It's a gray screen that could hinder me from doing better.

For one, Dahlia could have just planned this herself without authority knowing. However, the possibilty is too slim. Even if the rebellion lurks in the shadows of Norta, they wouldn't dare break rules to do something as reckless as this. Everything has to go through command. Therefore, this option is impossible. That leaves the second one open.

It is understandable that if Dahlia is a rebel, she would not want to give away her position. She doesn't know who I am. She doesn't even suspect it too. It surprises me. For all her learning, the electricon doesn't even consider the chances of unknown allies being here with her. I guess she's used to doing things alone or with close friends like Clara. Or maybe it's hard to break past the first shell. War makes people mistrustful.

I'll need more time. With enough of it, I can gain her trust. Drop hints along the way. Break past her barriers.

Only then can we truly succeed.

I just hope my guess is right.

Maven POV

It doesn't take very long until I enter my study. The door clicks softly behind me, barely audible. I prefer that. It's not often where a king gets to have a moment of silence to himself, even if it's fleeting.

The sun is setting outside. I watch as the hints of orange, pink, blue and even purple blend together. The moving clouds make the scenic view even more pleasing. The palace view allows me to see my country too. Somehow, the idea that my citizens share the same sky with me today puts me at peace. It isn't often when you can see such beauty.

I breathe, trying to remember everything. I can't even recall when the last time I had such a moment for myself. Perhaps I had one with my father. Or one with my mother. Maybe I even had one with Cal, but if I dis, that would be years ago. More than a decade has passed since I took the throne meant for him. I don't think he would even want to enjoy such a view with me today. If he ever gets his throne back, I would like to keep this moment as a tresured memory.

A knock on the door breaks the peaceful, weightless moment. "Come in," I say. It's a direct order. I should be annoyed by the interruption but I still plaster a smile on me when the servant enters. He places a tray of tea on my desk, careful not to crowd my table. Tea. It calms the mind though the effect is not as powerful as silent stone. I return to my desk, watching the map I've placed on it already. There are chess pieces atop of them like substitute pins. A tracker for my enemies.

Strangely, looking at the map doesn't make me interested in exploring my country. Rather it makes me eager to go somewhere outside of my palace wing. I want to see Whitefire in the eyes of a regular person, not a king.

"Where do you want to go Your Majesty?" asks the servant beside me. I'm already annoyed and he's being a nuisance. Reds aren't supposed to speak unless spoken to. "I can accompany you there if you would like."

"No need," I say. "Leave me for now."

The servant nods his head, bows, and exits the room. The door shuts quietly behind him. Finally. More peace. More time to think about where I will go.

It is a legitimate question. If I were to explore Whitefire again, where would I go? I've lived in this palace for almost my entire life. There is nothing I don't know about it. Even the secret tunnels that I've created can be drawn my me with only a pencil and a piece of paper.

I could explore the hidden escape routes I have. Or maybe I could do something a little more daring.

The arena is a place that fills me with resentment. Cal was always better in this environment. I have a feeling watching people fight would bring back the memories I've tried so hard to surpress. Still, part of me wants to go there. Part of me wants to see bloodshed, both Silver and Red.

I'll make time for it, I'm sure. Until then, I can only wait for tomorrow.

Dahlia fighting against Morritan is one of my playstyles as Ahri, one that i use if I'm against another mana user. Play safe until the other person's out of mana before engaging. Focus on farming and try your best to dodge skillshots before you get Lost Chapter or hit lvl. 3 at the VERY least. Ahri's early game, like most mages, is super weak so you really need to be careful especially when you're against other unfavourable matchups with manaless, or energy users.

Kiera suffers through a lot of the experiences I had as a child. ANYONE who is suffering from toxicity about appearances, I'll tell you one thing: you're beautiful no matter what. Even if I can only communicate through words, I hope you know that :')

Edit: My computer glitched. Sorry for those who read the unfinished chapter because it's my bad T^T

In this chapter, I made a brief reference to Kiera, Dahlia, and Evgeny's fighting style. Some of it holds a reference to League of Legends because Worlds is happening, however, there is a reason to why they fight like that. It's in reference to their abilities.

Firstly, Kiera is an illusionist. And illusion is usually meant to deceive. I watched some LeBlanc (yes League of Legends play) and LB's passive is quite interesting. When she drops below 40% health, she becomes invisible for one second, gaining a clone once she reappears. It's a good passive for repositioning. I cannot tell you how many times I've gone after the clone. But basically, the clone deceives the enemy as well as an illusion does. That's one idea.

Secondly, I mentioned last chapter that Dahlia plays like a burst mage. This is partly due to lightning being an immediate killer; you need one bolt of lightning to kill you as opposed to burning to death which takes way more time. Burst mages are basically meant to one shot you like lightning. Dahlia also prefers to dodge more often until the user runs out of energy. Burst mages usually stay out of combat until they can get their full combo on or until their enemy runs out of a resource. The similarities are there . . .

Lastly, Evgeny likes to initiate and get into the fight. He too is also very agile as seen throgh his parkouring skill when he goes over tree trunks. He's also ruthless and unrelenting in fights, making sure his opponents bleed out and finally yield. Victoria Aveyard once wrote in Red Queen "Silvers aren't supposed to die here. Silvers are supposed to fight bravely, to flaunt their kills, to put on a good show . . . Silvers aren't supposed to die here." and "Silvers have their pride, their strength— and nothing else" In the arena, no Silver needs to worry about death. They need to look honourable and keep their pride etc. That's why Evgeny grows very cold when fighting. He was taught to do that.

I might add in both Clara and Allison's fighting tactics but I need to think about them more. Maybe in the near future :)