This chapter goes out to sevenzeroseven, who is now officially my beta but has always been one of my partners-in-crime. I legitimately would not have written this chapter without her. You guys can't believe how shit the first draft of this was.

Anyway, enjoy!

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Celestina Rai, 18, Blitzerren

The doors of the train hissed shut behind Celestina, Kandice, and Eder, and the three girls exchanged a glance. That was the last Blitzerren soil they'd step foot on for the next few months. Celestina wondered if the other girls felt the melancholy she did. Judging by the way Kandice yawned, and Eder checked her cuticles, probably not.

"Shall we find a compartment?" Eder proposed in a tone that could only be described as clinical. Like she wouldn't care if Celestina suggested they all climbed onto the luggage racks.

"Unless you want to stand for the rest of the trip," Kandice replied coolly.

Tension wavered in the air as the two girls held eye contact, and Celestina held her breath, glancing between them. Then Eder just rolled her eyes and led the way down the train corridor.

Most of the compartment doors were closed, which made sense since Blitzerren was the last stop on the way to Verelys. Celestina didn't get much of a glimpse of the girls in the compartments, much to her disappointment. When they finally found an open compartment, both Kandice and Eder swung their luggage into the rack without issue. Celestina, however, struggled under the weight of her trunk as she tried to lift it into place. Neither girl made a move to help her, watching her with matching critical gazes, so she just gritted her teeth and used all her strength to push it into place. To her relief, the final burst of effort did it, and she sat down on the bench across from the other two.

"It's sort of sad to leave, huh?" Celestina said shyly, trying to break the thick ice in the room. "I'm going to miss my family."

Eder spared her a cold look. "Isn't the Selection of a higher priority than your personal connections? You do realize we're representing our nations, right?"

She blinked. "Yes, of course, but–,"

"You don't have to defend yourself," Eder said with a shrug. "I'm just saying, your family will still be here when you get back."

"That doesn't mean she can't miss them," Kandice pointed out, and Celestina tried to smile in thanks, but the other girl's attention wasn't remotely directed towards her. "By the Wells, Eder, aren't you going to miss people here?"

"I'll miss the familiarity," Eder said with a detached blink. "Everything else I can find in Verelys as well."

Kandice laughed lightly, tossing a lock of ash blonde hair over her shoulder. "How logical of you."

"What will you miss, then?" Eder asked, expression tightening with annoyance. "Family? Friends? Aren't you a criminal?"

"I've never served jail time," Kandice said evasively, crossing her arms. "Anyway, mercenaries still have personal lives. I'm probably going to miss… hm, maybe my boyfriend."

Celestina's eyes bugged. "You have a boyfriend? But aren't we going to the Selection?"

"Those things don't have to be mutually exclusive, dear," Kandice said overly-kindly, turning her attention over for the first time. Her tone was similar to that one would use to talk to a toddler, and Celestina wilted. "As Eder said, I'm doing it for the nation. My boyfriend's a good patriot, he understands."

Eder snorted. "You're probably doing it for a fat paycheck."

Icy rage stole over Kandice's face, and for the first time so far, Celestina caught a glimpse of the terrifying mercenary hiding behind the doll-like mask. Even Eder stiffened, and she averted her gaze.

"Watch what you say," Kandice warned, deceptively cheerful. "I wouldn't want us to end up enemies, Eder. My enemies don't have a very good history."

"History of what?" Eder somehow found the courage to ask.

This time, Kandice's smile looked more like a wolf baring its fangs. "Surviving."

With that, Eder shut up and looked determinedly out the window, her expression blank. Outside, the icy landscape blurred past in one pale smudge. In the distance, the Atan Mountains loomed, coming ever closer as the train raced toward it.

"So," Kandice spoke up, eyes narrowed almost predatorily. Celestina braced herself for what was to come. "Your name was Celestina, right? I love your eye color, it makes you look so… exotic."

Celestina's brows knit at the back-handed nature of the compliment. After all, they all had blue eyes, so what in the Wells did 'exotic' mean? "Thank you? I mean, it's not really exotic. I'm from Blitzerren, not anywhere special."

"Well, yeah, but aren't you from one of those tribes?" Kandice said, tilting her pretty blonde head. "The Oya tribe?"

"Yeah," Celestina confirmed slowly. "But my people came to Blitzerren around the same time as yours. We're about as native to this land as you are."

She glanced at Eder, who she knew to be a professor, hoping for back up from an intellectual. However, Eder made a point of looking out the window, affecting disinterest. Celestina tried not to let her disappointment show, but couldn't keep her shoulders from slumping. Evidently, Kandice had intimidated her into submission. Great. Zero for two on the alliance front.

"I can't say I know much about the tribes and stuff, but isn't your family supposed to be super powerful?" Kandice commented. She seemed to be searching Celestina for a reaction, her lips curled in the barest smile. "I can't wait to see what you do at the Selection, I mean, your family has quite a reputation. When I was at the Primor's Academy, your brother was quite the big shot. Most powerful in three generations, or whatever, right?"

Celestina deflated. Great. Just when she thought she might finally be escaping the constant comparisons to Caegal and his greatness, Kandice wanted to bring him up.

"He's pretty great," she agreed listlessly. "We're very proud of him."

"You two don't look much alike," Kandice observed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I think it's the skin."

Her hand flew up to trace the marbling of white over her eye reflexively, and Celestina felt her face get hot. "I don't have all of my mark yet. But it's supposed to come in soon. My mom didn't get hers until she was older as well."

"Isn't the mark supposed to correlate to power level?" Eder said, her eyes darting to the mercenary to check her reaction. When Kandice didn't offer a negative response, she added, "I heard for the Oya tribe, at least, that the more expansive your white mark, the stronger your magic."

Celestina hesitated. "I mean, yeah that's true, but–,"

"Isn't Caegal albino?" Kandice cut in, her eyes gleaming with surprise that didn't seem organic. "Wow, he really must be something. And you're…" she examined the palm-sized patch of ivory skin over one wide, blue eye and hid her smirk rather poorly. "Well, being a late bloomer isn't anything to be ashamed of."

Celestina felt her eyes prickle with the comment. A wave of memories swept into her mind unbidden, and she felt her heart thudding against her ribs almost painfully. Cel, if you can't even shock me when I'm not defending myself, how are you supposed to fight? Cel, are you even trying? Cel, you're such a disgrace. Even now, she could picture Caegal's sneer, her mother's disappointed frown, the way everyone's eyes skated over her when she stood with her family. She swallowed the lump in her throat, praying for her eyes to dry before tears could form.

"I'm here to represent all the tribes of Blitzerren," she finally replied, but her voice was weaker than she wished it was, betraying her uncertainty. "My family trusts me to do it with the magic I have."

"Of course," Kandice agreed sweetly. "I hope I didn't offend you, Celemina."

"Celestina," she whispered under her breath, staring resolutely at her feet.

Kandice tilted her head. "What was that?"

She blinked and felt the way her lashes dampened. At least she wasn't full-on crying. "Nothing."

"Why don't you show us some of your magic?" Kandice encouraged. "If your family's so powerful, you can show us a trick or two, right?"

"Oh, um, I don't know," Celestina stammered. Inside, her heart rate jumped into the triple digits, and she struggled to control her breathing. "I don't really have any tricks to show."

"Nonsense, show us something!" Kandice said, chilly smile unwavering. "Eder, don't you think she should?"

"You should," Eder agreed. "Didn't your brother show you anything cool?"

"My brother and I are very different people," Celestina mumbled. "I'm not like him."

"You're related, aren't you?" Kandice dismissed. "C'mon, the three of us are supposed to represent the nation. Don't you have anything to show for being chosen out of all the other girls in Blitzerren?"

Her mother's words echoed in her head. How are you going to compete in this Selection if you can't even summon any lightning?

"I–um–,"

"Can you even do magic?" Eder said skeptically.

"Yes! I just–," she tried to swallow down her panic, to no avail. "I'm not my brother. I'm not that strong."

"If you're lightning-proficient, just zap Eder once," Kandice commanded, leaning forward. Her smile had disappeared entirely, and Celestina reared back fearfully at the razor-sharp light in her eyes. "Do it. Or are you just a powerless Oya girl away from home?"

Under her skin, her power bubbled and stirred with her mounting anxiety. She felt it beginning to roil uncomfortably at the taunts. The outside landscape was replaced by darkness as they entered the tunnel that cut through the Atan Mountains. Celestina stared at the electric lights overhead, trying to sense the lighting flowing through them to draw off of.

"You'll be the first to go home at this rate," Eder said, smirking. "You really don't have magic at all, do you? Told you she didn't have magic."

Celestina tried in vain to make lighting arc from her fingertips, with no result. She tried again, suppressing the urge to hyperventilate. Kandice and Eder watched, one amused, one bored—both equally unimpressed. Her power seethed and burned in her chest, but not even sparks appeared.

"Come now, Celemina, we can't have this." Kandice tutted chidingly. "I mean, you're not just an embarrassment to your family, but to your tribe. To Blitzerren. Maybe we should write the Primor and just tell him to send someone new."

"I have magic," she blurted out, her voice cracking. "I do, I swear I do! It's just not working right now."

Kandice laughed mockingly. "Just not working? What happens when it doesn't work in front of the prince? Face it, sweetheart, you don't really deserve to be here, do you?"

Her magic roared in response, rushing through her body like a tidal wave. She tried to control it, but Kandice and Eder's taunts echoed in her ears, alongside years of Caegal's insults.

"Maybe you should–"

Celestina tried to utter a warning, but her tongue was paralyzed in her mouth,

"–just go back home."

The strangled gasp that escaped her was accompanied by a wave of electricity that exploded from her body and swept through the compartment. For one isolated moment, her veins turned to pure fire, and the world became one blinding light.

And then–

nothing.

When Celestina opened her eyes, the darkness flooding the room was stark and terrifying. Something smelled acrid, like burning, and her heart sank as she realized what had happened.

Kandice's quiet laughter sounded like a blade being sharpened.

"Well, well, well. Now you've done it."


Nysa Haimbu, 19, Haixin

The wave of electricity slammed into Nysa so fast that she didn't even have a moment to prepare herself. She jolted as it passed through her, and by the time it was gone, she was already sitting in darkness. Somewhere outside, screams split the air.

Nysa placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her heartbeat as her eyes adjusted to the new darkness. Barely anything was visible; all light was blocked out by the tunnel around them as the train carved its way through the Atan Mountains.

"Stay calm, Nysa," she muttered to herself. Okay, think. What should she do?

She figured it was best not to be alone at this time, and got to her feet. They'd stopped in Lumetierre, maybe someone aboard had some light to spare.

Nysa left her things where they were and eased the door open carefully, peering outside. She couldn't see or hear anyone out there, and ventured further into the hallway, sliding the door shut behind her.

"Hello?" she said, with no answer. To be fair, she was in the final car of the train, and she doubted most people had walked all the way back here. Most of the girls probably just occupied the first empty compartment they could find.

She made her way to the front of the car, groping through the darkness. The car was entirely empty, almost eerily so. Trying not to be spooked, she squeezed through the door into the bridge connecting her car to the next.

Nysa stepped into the next car apprehensively, trying to sense any other presences. "Hello? Anyone there?"

She took a few steps forward experimentally, growing more paranoid by the moment. It wasn't that she was afraid of the darkness, she just hadn't expected she was so alone back here. Where was everyone else?

She tried to peek into a couple of compartments, but they were still empty, as far as she could tell. Subconsciously, beads of water were gathering around her with the more nervous she got. She could sense the water in the air, and under her magic, it multiplied.

"Next car it is," she said to herself. She strode up to the set of doors and pushed through them.

Instantly, her field of vision exploded into pure light and heat, and without missing a beat, she screamed and pelted the source of it with all the water she could produce.

Nysa continued screaming with her eyes squeezed shut and her hands thrust in front of her until gradually she became aware of the noticeable lack of retaliation. She cracked an eye and found another girl sputtering through the torrent of water that had just assaulted her. Her scream very quickly lost pitch and volume, and her hands dropped in surprise.

"What in the First Well is wrong with you?" the other girl shouted, and Nysa winced at the invocation.

"Okay, okay, no need to curse," she said sheepishly. "It's just a little water."

"Just a little water!" the other girl growled. "I'm soaked!"

Water sloshed around her boots as she stomped.

"Well, you were on fire!" Nysa protested, skittering backward. "And you startled me! I'm pretty sure it just saved my life and yours, so a 'thank you' would be nice!"

"You idiot, it's my fire," the other girl snapped. "I was controlling it!"

Nysa lost momentum very quickly as she realized what had happened. Oh.

"Oh," she said, feeling very silly. "You're Mortefierren."

"Wow, what clued you in?" the girl spat. Her hands lit with a wobbly yellow flame, illuminating the two of them and the hallway. It didn't look very stable, but that was probably Nysa's fault.

"Look, I'm sorry about the whole getting you wet thing," she said honestly. "I was just surprised. My name's Nysa, I'm from Haixin."

"I never would have thought," the girl mocked. "I'm Emiko. Mortefierro, if you were still confused."

"You're really taking this seriously, aren't you," Nysa said, raising her eyebrows. "I said I was sorry, it's not that big a deal."

"Not that big a deal?" Emiko repeated, furious. "Look at me! I'm literally dripping! I can barely create a flame."

Nysa tried to summon the water back to her, but at best, it only resulted in Emiko going from drenched to damp. Still, she was proud of her handiwork and beamed. "There! That's better, right?"

Emiko glared.

"My specialty's in making things wet, not drying them," Nysa said defensively. Then, quieter, she muttered, "Eleven Wells, if I'd known Mortos were this uptight I would have just stayed in my compartment."

"You realize I can hear you," Emiko pointed out, scowling. "We're literally the only ones in this car."

"Look, I'm just going to go to the next car," Nysa said, rolling her eyes. "You're welcome to stay here in the dark by yourself. I won't keep bothering you."

"Great, looking forward to it," Emiko sniped.

Nysa shook her head. Boy, this girl had anger management issues. She needed a trip to the beach, or something because she really liked to hold a grudge. Well, good riddance. Maybe she'd find a friendlier one in the next car.

However, apparently everything had decided to work out in her favor today, and when she tried the knob of the door to the next car, it refused to give way. For a moment, she didn't believe it was true, and she tried again. Then reality set in, and Nysa groaned.

"Great."

Emiko scoffed. "What's wrong, aren't you leaving?"

"Door's locked," she said grimly. "I'm not going anywhere. Maybe something in the lock broke when the shockwave came through."

"Whatever." Emiko turned around, on a trajectory back to her compartment, and Nysa followed her, resigned. She looked up when Nysa stuck her foot in the door as she tried to close it. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Coming into your compartment," Nysa said blankly like it was obvious. When she caught Emiko's repelled expression, she laughed. "C'mon, you're not seriously going to abandon me outside in the dark, by myself?"

"On the contrary," Emiko grunted, trying to shut the door on Nysa's foot and failing.

"No way." Nysa wedged herself into the crack in the door, for once grateful for the slender build that usually screwed her when she was out sailing. "I'm not sitting alone until the lights come back on."

"Yes. You. Are." Emiko punctuated each word with a push that nearly sent her out the door. Luckily her years of experience fighting with the might of the ocean on the deck of the boat meant she was stronger than she looked. Comparatively, Emiko wasn't too much of a challenge to fight off.

"Nope," she said, popping the 'p'. She evaded another push and slid around Emiko to plop onto the vacant bench. "It's going to be ten minutes, tops, you can take it. I refuse to sit in the dark alone."

"Because you're scared?" Emiko sneered.

"Yes!" Nysa agreed earnestly. "I thought that was obvious!"

Evidently giving up, Emiko huffed out a sigh and sat down across from her. Her flames had migrated from the palms of her hands to her forearms, and they were burned a steady orange now. Probably because she was drying off with the heat of the fire.

Nysa's attention wandered as they sat in icy silence. Her lips parted to ask a question, but Emiko caught sight of it right away.

"No small talk," she said flatly. "No talking at all. I'm not talking to you."

Nysa rolled her eyes. "Very mature."

Emiko's eyes flared. "You know what else is mature? Hiding in someone else's compartment because you're afraid of the dark."

"I'm not afraid of the dark, per se, I just don't see why I should sit in it when you're a perfectly good source of light," Nysa sniffed. "You're like a human night-light."

Emiko's lips pulled back in a snarl, the flames flickering on her forearms burning blue. "Like a human what? Say that again, I dare you."

Nysa jutted her chin out. "I said, you're like a human–,"

A knock sounded at the door, cutting the brewing fight short, and both girls jumped to attention.

"Are you guys okay in there?" came a voice. "We're checking on everyone after the power outage. Everything all right?"

"Thank the Wells," Nysa said, relieved. She pulled the door back to reveal a girl with a thick braid and kind eyes, holding a candle. "You rescued me! How'd you unlock the door?"

"Oh, it wasn't locked, the door was just jammed," the girl said with a reassuring smile. "Some of the mechanisms were on the fritz after the outage."

"Does anyone know when the lights will be back on?" Nysa asked.

"The crew is working on it," the girl said. "But we don't have an estimate. It was caused by one of the Blitzerren girls, and she fried the wiring pretty good."

"Hey look, this is all fine and great, but if the door is unlocked, you are free to vacate my compartment," Emiko pointed out.

Nysa bristled. "What if I don't want to? What? Is it harming you if I stay here? Huh? Is it bothering you?"

"Yes, it's harming me, your mere presence makes me want to set you and this whole train on fire, you absolute–,"

"You shouldn't talk so much," Nysa snapped. "When you open your mouth that wide, I can see the tip of the pole that's up your ass."

Emiko's face purpled with rage. "GET OUT!"

"Fine!" Nysa yelled back. "But not because you told me to!"

She stepped out and slammed the door, enraged.

"Wow," said the braid girl, her raised eyebrows nearly at her hairline. "That was… passionate."

"Sorry about that," Nysa said off-handedly, beginning to make her way to the doors to the next car. "I just met that girl, and I'm pretty sure she's my arch-nemesis. You ever met someone you just know is going to piss you off from now until the end of time?"

"Not really," the girl said with a chuckle. "I'm Cyra, I'm from Prithvi. Hopefully, I don't meet any arch-nemeses here."

"Nysa Haimbu, Haixin," she said, shooting a grin over her shoulder. "And trust me, as long as you keep being this friendly, you definitely won't find an arch-nemesis in me."


Akira Komatsu, 20, Kaze-Han

When the lights went out, it took Akira a second to notice. She'd had her eyes closed anyway, trying to take deep breaths to ease her motion sickness, but needless to say, when she opened her eyes, she had been quite confused.

For a moment, she blinked several times, half-convinced she hadn't even opened her eyes, to begin with. Then she became aware of the smell of something burning and glanced up reflexively at the now-broken lights. That was technology for you, she supposed. So breakable.

If the steady chug of the wheels wasn't obvious, they were still in motion, so that was a small relief. Luckily the steam engine didn't require electricity, or that would have been fried too, and then they'd all be stranded somewhere under the Atan Mountains. A knock sounded at the compartment door, and she stood up to open it.

A crew member in a pale grey uniform stood outside with a candle burning in a dish and a grimace. "Apologies, Miss Akira, the crew is working very hard to resolve the matter of the lights," the man said. "Please keep this candle for light until we can solve it. Thank you."

"Oh, thank you." Akira reached out to take it, but just as she touched it, the train heaved, and they both stumbled.

"Begging your pardon, I believe I'm needed in the conductor's car," the crew member blurted out, once they'd both regained their footing. He hurried off, not noticing that he'd left a box on the floor.

"Oh, sir!" she called after him. "You forgot your–!"

But he had already disappeared into the next car, and her cries fell on deaf ears. She sighed and bent down to search the box, hoping it wasn't important.

"Everything alright out here?"

Akira looked up to find a kind-looking girl with a thick braid. "Oh! Yeah. One of the crew members just left the box of candles here when he went back to the front."

"They stopped passing out candles?" the girl said, frowning. "What about all the girls in the next cars?"

"I don't know," Akira said honestly. "I guess they're in the dark for now."

"We should help them," the girl decided. "If we each take a couple of unlit candles, we can use our own to light them. I don't want the others just to sit in the dark."

"That's a good idea," Akira agreed. She passed a couple of fistfuls of candles and candle dishes from the box to the other girl and put a bunch in her own pockets.

"I'm Cyra, by the way," the girl said as Akira stood up. "Of Prithvi."

"Akira," she replied with a smile. "Kaze-Han."

"Okay, Akira, why don't I start from the last car, and you start with the next car, and we'll work towards each other?" Cyra suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed. They parted ways, and Akira began knocking on the compartment doors.

The first couple of compartments were fine. She encountered two Mortefierro girls who were happily lighting up their own compartments, as well as one of the poised Haixin girls. Two of the Lumetierre girls sat together, lighting themselves up, while the third gratefully took a candle. Everyone seemed friendly, which gave Akira a little hope. Even though this was technically a competition, she wasn't emotionally prepared to be in a den of wolves for the next few months. Luckily, everyone else seemed to have a similar intention of at least feigning civility.

"No problem," she cheerfully told one of the other Kaze-Han girls as she closed the compartment door behind her. She was running out of candles, but she figured she could still get to three or four compartments.

Akira stepped into the bridge between this car and the next one, and strode into the next car, only to be met by the sound of metal biting through the air. On instinct, her hands flew up, and a gust of wind knocked the object off-course, where it was headed for her throat. The flame of her candle blew out, and she dropped it to fend off her attacker.

"What are you doing?" she yelped, narrowly avoiding another slash with a forceful wind push. "Is that a sword?"

She heard a harsh command in a language she didn't understand but recognized as Haixinese.

"I don't know what you're saying," Akira cried in Vere. "I don't speak Haixinese."

"What are you doing on this train?" the girl demanded in a cold voice. "Who sent you here?"

"I'm a Selected!" she protested. "Can you stop attacking me, now?"

To her surprise, the girl actually stopped. Akira was honestly just impressed she could see anything at all in this dark. In the dim half-light, she could see that her blade had not been lowered, and gulped.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" the girl asked, her voice even.

"What do you mean, how do you know?" Akira exhaled a disbelieving laugh. "Why would I lie about that? How do you think I got on this train?"

"Hold on." This time her blade really did lower. "We're not being attacked by train-jackers?"

Akira squinted into the darkness, perplexed. "You thought we were being attacked?"

"The lights went out," the girl defended. "I heard footsteps to the back of the train to secure the perimeter. These are classic train-jacking tactics. And it's not like we're a low-profile group."

Akira sighed as her heart rate finally began to regulate. "Let me assure you, we're not being attacked. The lights just went out."

"So what are you doing here, then?" Eleven Wells, this girl was paranoid.

"I was passing out candles to those who needed them." She held one up for proof, even though it could barely be seen.

"Without a flame?"

"You blew it out when you attacked me."

On cue, light flooded back into the hallway, and they both looked up at the skylight. Looked like they had just emerged from the tunnel. In the new light, Akira could see her companion in full detail, as well as the gleaming curved sword she held loosely with old practice. She tried not to take a step back.

The girl hummed thoughtfully. There was a rasp of steel, as the blade was stowed away. "Well, I suppose I don't have a reason not to believe you. Sorry about the sword. I'm Lian."

"Akira, and it's alright," she heard herself saying faintly. "No harm, no foul."

As she was saying it, she suddenly felt a hot trickle down her cheek, and she gingerly reached up to touch it. Her fingers came away scarlet.

"Okay, well, some harm," she amended. "I guess you got me after all."

"Sorry," Lian said mildly. Akira wasn't sure she was sorry at all, but she didn't sound malicious either. "I might have something in my bag for that."

Akira followed her to the end of the car, wincing at the sting of the cut on her cheek, and trying to wipe away some of the disproportionately copious amounts of blood. That was head wounds for you.

They had just reached the last compartment when the door to the next car swung open. Before Akira could even blink, the sword was back and on a deadly downward path towards the newcomer.

"Lian, no!" she shouted. Somehow, through some superhuman show of reflexes, the sword adjusted its course and stopped dead at the new girl's throat. Akira tried to remember how to breathe again, a hand clutched to her chest.

"First Well!" the other girl gasped, her blue eyes wide. "You nearly took my nose off!"

"I told you, we're not being attacked!" Akira scolded. "Put the sword away!"

"Do you know this girl?" Lian demanded. When Akira shook her head, Lian turned back to the girl. "Are you responsible for the lights going out?"

"Um, well, actually yes–,"

"LIAN, NO!" Akira shouted again, and this time, she grabbed Lian's elbow as she swung back with her sword. Lian glanced back at her, her expression curious.

"What are you doing? She just said she was responsible for the train-jacking," Lian said, puzzled.

"Train-jacking?" the other girl squeaked, starting backward.

"Can you even give her a moment to explain herself?" Akira admonished. "Look at her, she's not a threat!"

"I'm really not," the girl agreed hurriedly. "The lights were a fluke."

"So you did put out the lights?" Akira asked, looking at her. She didn't let go of Lian's sword arm, wary of more snap judgments the over-eager girl might make. "Why?"

"I lost control," the girl said miserably. "Sorry, um, I'm Celestina, I'm from Blitzerren, and I just… accidentally blew the fuses. I swear, I didn't mean to."

"We believe you," Akira said soothingly. She gave Lian a stern look, and the warrior girl rolled her eyes, sheathing her sword again.

"Are you bleeding?" Celestina said, her eyes wide and concerned. Akira hastily reached up to catch the droplets rolling down her jaw.

"It's okay, it's not a deep cut," she assured her. "I'm fine."

Actually, it hurt fairly badly, and the sight of the rusty-red drying on her hands wasn't doing wonders for her constitution. She was starting to feel a little motion-sick again, or was that just dizziness from the cut?

"Oh, hang on." Lian disappeared into her compartment for a moment and then reappeared with a roll of cloth. "I usually use this stuff to wrap my knuckles, but it should work."

"Thanks." Akira pressed it to her cheek, trying not to think about how the cloth almost immediately went sticky with absorbed blood.

"You look kind of pale," Celestina said nervously. "Maybe you should sit down for a second."

"No, I'm fine," she repeated weakly. Actually, this was a lot of blood, now that she was thinking about it.

"Take a seat, Akira," Lian said firmly. "You look like you're about to keel over."

She hesitated, head swimming. "Well, maybe just for a second."

Akira took a step and promptly swooned right into Lian's arms. The last thing she heard was Celestina's scream, and rapid footsteps approaching. She dizzily hoped Lian didn't kill anyone while she was out, and then succumbed to the darkness.


Crown Prince Silas Gaffrey

"We're going to meet the Selection at the station, not attending a gala," Silas reminded Fitz, who was alternating between holding two equally outrageous suit options up to himself in the mirror.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression," Fitz quoted sagely. "Do you like the butterflies or the backless one?"

"You're not wearing a backless suit to meet my Selected," Silas told him flatly. "I absolutely forbid it."

"Boo, you're no fun," Fitz said, sticking his tongue out at Silas in the mirror. He sighed, returned the backless one to his closet. "Butterflies it is, then."

Silas gave up on arguing. Fitz had always had a… unique taste in fashion, to say the least. Silas applauded his bravery because one certainly had to have quite a bit of courage to pull off the things Fitz managed to. Not all of them were awful, but the ones that were, well… they were scarring, to say the least.

"Cheer up, Si, at least he's not wearing the Technicolor Nightmare," Madi pointed out. Silas briefly checked out from the conversation, as he had flashbacks to that fashion hate crime. He and Madi gagged in unison.

"A monstrosity," Silas agreed with a shudder. "I didn't even know that many colors could exist on one man."

"I'll have you know I'm just waiting for another opportunity to wear it again," Fitz said haughtily. "You're just jealous because I upstaged you at your own birthday ball."

"What about the Flaming Flamingo Suit?" Anliu spoke up, from where he was lounging on the couch in the corner. "That has to be Fitz's worst decision."

Silas thought fondly about said hot mess. It had been a truly alarming shade of hot pink which had looked striking on the Prithvian model who wore it at the fashion show and proceeded to look like absolute shit on Fitz after he purchased it to wear to some charity event.

"It was couture," Fitz snapped. "Not that any of you would know anything about that. Go on, keep wearing your drab blacks and greys. Ooh, maybe if you're feeling spicy, you'll wear blue! Or is that too much for you cowards?"

"Mock the drab colors as much as you like," Silas said dryly, "–but it's very difficult to go wrong in them."

"I'm a pioneer," Fitz sniffed, pulling the butterfly-emblazoned suit jacket on. "You're all just jealous."

"Better hurry up, pioneer," Anliu advised, smoothly checking his watch. "We're leaving in three minutes."

Fitz cursed and hurried to shimmy into his matching pants. In a record-breaking amount of time, he raked some product through his hair, slid a few silver rings on, and smudged a little eye paint on.

"Alright," he said with a final once-over of his reflection. "I'm ready."

On cue, Faris knocked on the door and poked his head in. "Time to go. If you're ready, the carriages are waiting downstairs."

He made to leave, and then turned back to add, "Hey, Fitz, nice suit."

Fitz lit up with a beam as the rest of them groaned in unison. "Ha! See! See! Thank you, Faris, you have impeccable taste! You see, boys? Faris likes it."

"Shut up," Silas grumbled, balling up his discarded shirt and throwing it at him. "And Faris, you shouldn't encourage him."

"Just calling it like I see it," Faris said, shrugging. "At least it's not the technicolor one."

Fitz promptly went beet-red and crossed his arms. "Okay, it really wasn't that bad, you guys are exaggerating."

When they all looked away, scratching their necks and whistling innocently, he looked around indignantly. "Hey! It wasn't that bad! ...Right? Right? Hey, answer me, was it that bad?"

...

The ride to the station was short, and soon they were all standing on the platform, weathering the brisk wind that whipped around them. Silas almost wished he'd brought an overcoat or something, and hunched his shoulders against the breeze.

"Here they come," Faris murmured, and Silas's gaze snapped up.

The trains were barrelling in from both directions, and Silas's heart jumped into his throat. This was it. Once the girls arrived, he could no longer pretend this wasn't happening. Somewhere among these thirty girls, his future wife was waiting. The thought terrified and fascinated him in equal parts.

As they slowed to a stop, everyone on the platform seemed to straighten.

"Are you sucking in?" Madi hissed at Fitz.

There was an affronted sputter in response. "No! Shut up!"

"He is," Anliu confirmed, amused.

"I'm going to throttle you both in the carriage," Fitz muttered darkly.

Something about the little interaction comforted Silas, and he took a deep breath. On his left, Faris gently knocked the back of his hand against Silas', and sent him a reassuring smile when he glanced over.

The doors on either side opened at the same time, and there was a quiet rustle as everyone tried to see the Selected who emerged.

From the first train, the girls stepped out, looking like the picture of composed poise. Each of them had an air of dignity, of assurance. He heard the breath whoosh out of Fitz's lungs, and even Madi marveled softly under his breath. Some of them were downright intimidating.

Silas turned to see the girls from the second train. The first few had the same silent confidence and magnetizing auras. One of them was so beautiful Silas could barely look away from her. But then they kept coming, and–

"Why is she wet?" Fitz whispered, as one of the girls stepped out with wet hair, her expression like iron.

"Better question, why is she bleeding?" Madi pointed out, and Silas turned to see a pale girl holding a bloody wad of fabric to her face, supported by two other girls.

"That car is leaking," Anliu pointed out, and sure enough, car number seven appeared to be filled with an inch or two of water that was slowly dribbling onto the rails.

A murmur started up across the platform as the girls stood in front of them, in various states of disarray. Some of the girls had hair that looked like they'd stuck their fingers directly onto a live wire, and it floated around them, frazzled. Silas couldn't conceal his bewilderment as he took them in.

"What in the First Well happened here?"

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Review if you want to! Sending love and prosperity to you all!

Also I really hope my humor translated because I'm not always sure that it does haha. See you in the next one~