Hello, everyone! I'm excited for this chapter. How are things going for you all? Get ready for the next installment!

Previously on AUP…

"I'm sorry, guys," Layla frowned. "I can't come to Linphea."

"What?" gasped Musa. "Ms. Faragonda needs us!"

"I'm sorry," Layla winced. "My parents are coming to Magix City today. They need to speak to me about something urgent."

-o-o-o-

"We've practiced this spell for weeks now," Palladium said. "Tecna, you should be able to do this. You haven't been applying yourself at all." He reached into his desk and pulled something out.

"And these," he said, "are your quizzes from Advanced Battle." She'd gotten a 74% on one and a 52% on the other.

"You've never gotten below an 80% on theory exams before." Palladium frowned at her. "Tecna, is there something going on in your personal life that we need to know about? Something that's preventing you from doing your work?"

"No," said Tecna instantly. "Absolutely nothing."

"You disappeared from campus a few weeks ago," Palladium responded, "for no apparent reason. You never do anything without a reason. That gives me good reason to believe something's going on." He sighed. "I'm going to give you extra coaching after class."

"But" – Tecna gasped.

"No buts," he said firmly. "I've spoken with Headmistress Faragonda, and she's agreed. You need to learn these spells, Tecna. How do you think you're going to learn to defend the Magical Dimension? Great evil is coming, and we need every student on campus to be able to apply herself if there's any chance of defeating Valtor. Do you understand?"

-o-o-o-

"Princess of Domino," Valtor jeered, "want to face it off?"

"No!" Faragonda zoomed towards him. "You will not attack any one of my students. Your quarrel is with me, and me alone!"

I knew it! thought Tecna. Something happened between the two of them, something horrible. But what?


CHAPTER 16: SEMESTER FINALS

I can't do this, Tecna thought, her head spinning. I just can't. She stared down at her desk, feeling exhausted and drained.

"We have midterms coming up in a few weeks," Avalon said, "and you haven't even learned spells we went over in the first month of school." He frowned at her. "Apply yourself, Tecna!"

Apply myself. Words she'd heard from Palladium, Faragonda, and just about every teacher at this point. She suppressed a groan.

"You can do it," Avalon repeated. "You just have to try."

Tecna groaned. I don't want to do this… I hate being here. She stared down at the floor.

Avalon had finally gotten his way with the extra coaching. He'd spoken to Griselda, who'd been acting as temporary headmistress; she'd agreed to make Tecna go for extra help. And now Tecna had no choice but to work with him, alongside Palladium and Wizkiz, both of whom had noticed her inadequacy in class.

This leaves me even less time to do Vasiliev's work. How could she, when she had three hours of extra-coaching every night? It didn't help her, and it certainly didn't help her with all the work that was piling up on her shoulders.

"Go ahead," Avalon said. "Focus on your energy within. Focus your magical reservoir."

Tecna concentrated. I need to connect with my source… She focused inward, gritting her teeth as she tried to get in-tune with herself.

"Focus on your breathing first," the professor said. "That will help you."

Okay. Tecna closed her eyes, gasping in air. I'm so tired… She heaved her breath in and out, not feeling any calmer than before.

"You can't force this," Avalon said calmly. "Let it in, and let it out. Don't force anything."

Shut up! thought Tecna, gritting her teeth. You're so annoying! Letting out an irritated breath, she slammed her energy into herself.

Electricity zapped through her. She screamed as she fell down, pain shooting through her limbs. No… Avalon ran to her and knelt down.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Tecna didn't answer. Her headache was magnified, and white-hot pain shot through all her joints. No… Avalon helped her up.

"I'll get you to the infirmary," he said.

"No," Tecna said, pulling away. "I'll be fine."

"I don't think so," Avalon frowned. "Your energy just combusted. You need to be checked to make sure you're all right" –

"No," Tecna said forcefully. There was a reason why she avoided Nurse Ofelia as much as possible, and it was because she was a cyborg. I can't have her find out… That would be a complete, utter disaster.

"Okay, then," Avalon said warily. "Get some sleep, then."

Tecna forced down the bitter laugh in her throat. Sleep… yeah, right… She stalked off, lowering her head as she disappeared out of his classroom and into the hall.


That night was extraordinarily difficult. Tecna continued working at her sets; she had finished the eleven-hundredth and twenty-fifth of the week. Not nearly enough… Gritting her teeth, she stared up at the board in front of her, her eyes dull.

There were just too many distractions. If she didn't have to do so much work, and complete all Alfea obligations, she'd be fine. But now she had so many things going on around her, as well as Vasiliev's rules. I can't do this. I can't I can't I can't I can't…

BREAKING NEWS, suddenly flashed across her screen. SUMMIAN PRESIDENT HILARIOUSLY GAFFES, TWEETS 'DEATH TO VALOR' INSTEAD OF 'DEATH TO VALTOR' –

And there's that! Why did feed always have to pop up in front of her vision when she was working? I swear, if I get one more of these…

As if on cue, the Magix Modern Matrix sent out another alert. BREAKING NEWS: ZENITH MISSILE-LAUNCHES DISCOVERED ON REMOTE PLANET.

Tecna sat up straight. What? Zenith was testing missiles now?

Please don't tell me what I think is going on. A bad feeling was settling in her gut, unavoidable and painful. She scrolled through her feed, trying to focus on that and her coding at the same time.

Zenithian missile activity has just been public. For the past many months, the superpower has been testing missiles and other weapons under the radar. However, Triple M experts have just uncovered missile activity on the remote planet of Kronos, near the Kingdom of Eraklyon, amid heavy enchantments cloaking the activity.

Space, function(t48595) = 450; If function(t48595) = true, function(t48595(x)) = 393.6; function(t48596)…

This activity has been a cause for concern of many world leaders.

"This is very troubling news," a spokesman for Queen Isabel of Linphea said in a statement. "The Disarmament Treaty of 126 declared all missile activity to be illegal, and ordered disarmament of all UR nations. This is a clear violation of that treaty, as well as unacceptable for any progressive realm."

() = verified; (t48610(x)) = 85494; function(t48611)…

Zenith's clear violation of the Disarmament Treaty may lead to ramifications from the UR itself. It is not clear exactly what those ramifications might be, but the UR has never been afraid to step in as a governing body and sanction realms that do not follow to its creed. Zenith, as a signatory to the Disarmament Treaty, must adhere to all terms set by said Treaty and act as a proper realm in UR standing…

= true; binaryCode93002 = 01010001; .document…

"Ms. Faragonda's back!"

Tecna jumped, completely startled. What's going on? She stared blankly at Bloom, who'd just arrived in Tecna's dorm room. The pixies trailed behind her.

"Flora, Musa, and Stella succeeded," Bloom continued. "She's addressing the school now. We're all needed in the quad!"

"All right!" Digit cheered. "Three cheers for them!"

Tecna glared at the pixie, who was pointedly ignoring her. You won't own up to what you did? Fine.

After seeing the Faragonda tree in the forest, Tecna and Digit had gotten into a fight. Tecna was, naturally, furious that Digit had told the other Winx what she'd done.

"You promised you wouldn't tell!" she snapped at Digit. "How could you betray me like that?"

"Well, you promised me it'd be a few weeks at the most," Digit fired back, "and it's Octomensis already!"

"You know I have a lot of work to do!" Tecna snarled. "This was the least you could do for me, Digit! I can't believe I trusted you!"

"You know what?" Digit snarled. "I can't believe I didn't report you to Ms. Faragonda the moment you asked me to do your stupid homework! This is ridiculous, Tecna! It has to stop!"

"Well, I didn't force you to do my homework," Tecna retorted. "I don't even need you! I'll do my homework on my own!"

"Fine!" Digit flew out the window, slamming it shut behind her.

"Fine!" Tecna yelled, kicking the wall with her nonmetal foot. Oww, that hurts… She fell down to the floor, gasping at the pain in her toe.

And now, she got up as quickly as adrenaline would let her, tiredness overtaking her. I guess I'll have to finish my coding later… of course, another interruption… She changed quickly, and she and Digit followed Bloom out the door.

Girls were standing in the quad, staring. They cheered as Musa, Stella, and Flora walked by her side, shouting.

"Ms. F's back!" they chanted. "Ms. F's back! Ms. F's back!"

How do they have so much energy? thought Tecna, staring. She couldn't even remember what energy felt like, how it was like to be fully awake. There's nothing to even be excited about...

"Of course," Eris smirked. "It must've been easy, not having that witch-girl tailing them."

Tecna glared at Eris. Shut up… But she was too tired to do or even say anything about her. She stared up at the headmistress, who smiled and waved her hands for quiet.

"Thank you, girls," she said. "First of all, I'd like to thank Musa, Stella, and Flora, who journeyed courageously to Linphea. I was trapped in a tree, and they needed a special type of Linphean water in order to reverse the spell Valtor put upon me. I also have a special shout-out for Flora, who earned her Enchantix in the process. As she flew towards my tree to release me, she was cornered by Valtor. She successfully managed to trick him, and freed me just as twilight descended upon us."

She did what? thought Tecna in amazement. Flora smiled modestly, her cheeks turning as pink as possible on her brown skin. The fairies' cheers changed, and they began to chant, "Flora! Flora! Flora!"

"Now," Faragonda continued, and the chants hushed. "I apologize for calling you so late, out of your dorms. But I have decided that it is time for you girls to know the truth. It was a mistake to ever shield it from you, and if anything should ever happen to me, you will need to know why he's like this so you can step it up. I need you all to know about Valtor."

The tension increased; not a single eye strayed from Faragonda. It was clear that she was giving them the information they'd wanted to hear for so long. Digit stopped tapping her phone and stared up at the headmistress.

"Two hundred years ago, the wizard we now know as Valtor was born," Faragonda said. "He was born in Whisperia, the son of a witch named Ahmya. He was named Basan, after the fire-breathing beast of Whisperia. Although his mother was Whisperian in birth, for a time, she lived in a realm that is now buried in ice and snow. In fact, she was a servant in the Palace of Domino."

Everyone gasped. Tecna and the Winx turned to stare at Bloom, who had a stunned expression on her face.

"King Ludwig had a wife, Queen Helga," Faragonda added. "However, their marriage was unhappy, and he was known to have many mistresses. One of them was Ahmya. The infant boy was, in many ways, more wizard than fairy-man; by age three, he could cast spells. He is not a true Dominian, because he mostly has powers endemic to Whisperians. However, the young Basan had inherited one power of his father's, one which the Ancestresses coveted: the Dragon Flame.

"The Ancestresses soon found out. When the boy was three years old, they murdered his sickly mother and snatched him from her dead body. With their extensive training, he turned into a strong warrior, one of the strongest wizards in Whisperia.

"When Basan found that he was the son of King Ludwig, he felt cheated. He became determined to claim his throne, and the Ancestresses helped him. Travelling to Domino, he spent many years inciting anger against his brother, King Oritel."

Oritel, thought Tecna, her head spinning. Why does that name sound familiar? Digit gasped in amazement and horror.

"That's Bloom's birth father!" she hissed.

"So Basan staged a coup on King Oritel. His charisma and charm convinced many peasants, and even a few nobles, that his brother was weak and useless. It didn't hurt that he promised many gifts to better the peasants' lives. He also had magic, which Oritel had never had. With their help, he was able to storm the Palace of Domino."

Every girl that wasn't already staring at Bloom was staring at her now.

"A bitter and bloody war ensued. The Civil War of Domino, from Year 922-940, was one of the longest and deadliest wars Domino had ever seen. Basan was defeated, but at a high price; Oritel had lost six hundred thousand men, as well as the faith of his people."

That's nearly a third of the kingdom, Tecna realized. Before eternal winter had set upon Domino, the population count had been about two million; it had been one of the largest, most thriving realms in the dimension. No wonder Domino lost to the Ancestresses so easily!

Now she thought she remembered studying the Dominian Civil War. They had talked about Basan, and how he'd almost destroyed the realm. However, no one ever told them that Basan had the Dragon Flame, or that he was connected to the monarchy. No wonder he's so angry…

"Fifty-five years later," Faragonda continued, "The Ancestresses broke Basan out of prison. They were angry with him for failing, and sent him on their next mission. He no longer wanted to rule the kingdom; instead, he sought to destroy the nation his brother had worked so hard to build. This time, they were successful, and although Oritel banished his half-brother to Omega, the Ancestresses finished the job, at the cost of their lives.

"I was one of the warriors who aided Oritel and his wife, Marion, to defend the kingdom. I was part of the Company of Light, an elite task-force of seven warriors formed by the UR. Although there are records of Basan's incarceration, there are no records of this man called Valtor; he assumed this name after breaking out of Omega not too long ago. My only regret is that I lived to see the realm's destruction. But I promise you, girls, that I will defend this school with my last breath." Her eyes flashed. "I need you to promise me, in turn, that you will not go out of your way to fight with Valtor." For a moment, her eyes rested briefly on Bloom, and then the other Winx girls. "Promise me you will not put yourselves in danger."

"We promise, Ms. Faragonda," two hundred girls said in unison.

"Good," Faragonda nodded grimly. "This is one of the worst threats the Magical Dimension has ever seen. I commend the teachers and seniors who worked together to re-construct the magical barrier. I shall add some of my own power to it, and under my watch, nothing or no one else will penetrate through." She let out a long, heavy sigh, one with the weight of a thousand realms. "You girls are dismissed."

Everyone left the quad, exclaiming to each other in loud voices. Tecna stayed rooted, staring up at the headmistress in disbelief. She can't have... Oh, how is this happening... She turned around and saw that Stella was standing with Bloom, an arm around her shoulder.

"I can't believe this," Bloom said confusedly. "Valtor – he's my half-uncle?"

"Seems like it," Musa said grimly, joining them.

"Don't worry, we're going to fight him," Stella declared. "We're not letting this bitter rothead get my Bloom. You with me, Winx?"

"Yes!" said all the girls. Tecna silently echoed with them, not having the energy to say anything more.

"Hang on a second, we're missing someone," Flora said suddenly. "Where's Layla?"

"She's still with her parents," Musa answered. "But I thought she should've been back by n" –

As if on cue, Layla ran through the gates, crying. The girl's hair was everywhere, and tears were streaming down her face.

"Layla!" gasped Flora. "What happened?"

"It's... it's just"... Layla sobbed, trying to regain her composure. Musa held her as she sobbed, letting it out. "My parents have this tradition on Andros, but I didn't think they'd enforce it."

"What is it?" asked Tecna, a bad feeling settling in her gut.

"I'm coming of age next week," Layla cried. "They've picked out the man they want me to marry."

"Who?" Stella exclaimed.

"He's from a very wealthy family on the island of Hosseini," Layla wept. "A fairy-being. I don't know anything about him, except that his name is Nabu and my life is completely ruined."

Layla continued to sob, her cries piercing the air. All Tecna could do was stare, feeling more and more hopeless as she watched her friend cry.


If Tecna had to marry a man she didn't love, how would she react? How torn would she be, as if she could never accept or know herself?

If anyone had asked this to Tecna two years ago, she would have said it was commonplace. After all, the very notion of love where she came from was ridiculous. People married for logical reasons, such as wealth and attractiveness. And Tecna would someday marry a faceless stranger on Zenith, if nothing else, for the sake of procreation.

But now Tecna felt very much differently. She knew a lifetime without Timmy would be a lifetime of stabbing her own heart out. She could barely imagine the pain Layla was going through at having to marry a man she didn't love.

Of course, it was not like love was such an intrinsic quality for Tecna. In fact, it was fairly new for her to even consider it a possibility, an important part of life. After all, it had been only a few months ago that Tecna and Timmy hadn't even been dating; in fact, they had been as far apart from one another as could be…

She still remembered that day last summer, when Bloom, Stella, Layla, and Musa had gone to Earth for a weekend. Flora and Tecna had elected to stay on campus, and Flora had joined Tecna in her room. Flora was having problems with her phone, so she showed it to Tecna.

"I don't understand," she said. "I have this so I can connect with Mirta instantly if she has any problem. But it's not working."

"Let me see." Tecna picked up the phone and opened it. "What's the problem?"

"I can't connect with Mirta's cell," Flora answered. "I don't understand why. She called me a few nights ago to talk, but I didn't even know until I went to the hospital to visit her."

Tecna frowned as she gazed at the phone. Faulty connections… She opened Settings and clicked on 'Connections'. Suddenly, it occurred to her.

"You need to reroute your connector," she said. "It's not working properly. If you fix that, then you'll be able to receive calls at any time."

"Can you fix it for me, Tec?" Flora asked. "Please? If it's not too much" –

Tecna was already tapping on the phone. "Here." She found the coding dialog, typed in some lines, and then handed it back to Flora. "Bingo."

"Tecna, thanks so much!" Flora squealed. "You're the best."

"I'm not really," Tecna said, her cheeks heating. "I mean, I'm great with computers and all, but I still don't understand this emotional stuff you guys keep talking about."

"I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit, Tecna," Flora said. "You're so much more laid-back than you were last year. It's been really fun hanging out with you."

"I hope," Tecna said moodily. She gazed out the window.

"Tecna, what's wrong?"

The pink-haired fairy turned to her friend, who was staring at her with concern in her eyes.

"Nothing," she said, attempting a small smile. "It's just… Timmy gets on my nerves sometimes."

"What do you mean?" Flora sat down on her bed, and patted the spot next to her. "Come sit next to me."

Awkwardly, Tecna stood up and sat next to Flora. She'd never sat on someone else's bed; back in Zenith, it was just considered rude. But she saw the other girls do it all the time, though it'd taken her a while to accept that this was a norm between close friends.

"He only talks about computers," she confessed. "Every time we meet together, we keep talking about different OS systems, phones, and computers. It's aggravating, and I don't know why" –

"I get it," Flora said. "You want him to speak to you like a girlfriend, not like a robot."

Tecna stared at Flora. "What? That's absurd! I don't think of him like"… She sighed, gazing down at her feet. "Okay, I suppose I do."

"Of course you have feelings for him," Flora said. "You two are compatible in so many ways. You'd be perfect for one another."

"But I can't have a boyfriend!" Tecna cried out. "My parents would be furious. The only reason they let me come to Alfea is because it's a girls' college. It's not proper, Flora, to date anyone!"

"What do you mean?" Flora stared at her in confusion.

"Zenithians don't date," Tecna answered. "Our parents choose who we are to marry, based off of wealth and compatibility. We don't fall in love."

"And yet, you clearly have," Flora pointed out. "Don't you see, Tecna? If you live life the way everyone tells you to, you'll be miserable."

Tecna did see. She could imagine a life without Timmy, a life without love, and it was too painful. She sighed, lowering her head. "But then what do I do?"

"Don't tell your parents anything," Flora advised. "I can't imagine why they wouldn't love you for who you are, but… if you're not comfortable having them know, then don't let them. You shouldn't get in trouble."

"Okay," Tecna sighed. "But then what do I do about Timmy? He's so infuriating! He won't talk about me like he cares about me – he only sees me as another one of his computers. He's a coward, that's all it is! He won't even treat me like" –

"Have you ever thought that you might be projecting your own nervousness onto Timmy?"

Tecna stared at Flora. "Nervous? That's absurd! I'm not"… She searched her computerized brain for a definition of nervousness.

NERVOUS, her computer read. EASILY AGITATED OR ALARMED; TENDING TO BE ANXIOUS; HIGHLY STRUNG.

"No," she declared to Flora, who was sitting patiently next to her. "I'm not nervous."

"Then what's stopping you from asking Timmy out?" asked Flora. "Tell him you like him. If you're not nervous, then you can take the first step."

"But"… How can I do that if my parents won't allow me to have a boyfriend in the first place?

"Tecna, I think you're really frustrated right now," Flora said. "You're rebelling against the restrictions of your realm, but at the same time, you find it hard to let go. And then you're also angry with Timmy for not taking the first step because you can't; therefore, you label him as a coward. That's why you're having so much trouble."

That makes more sense, Tecna thought. It's almost… logical. I didn't think of things that way. She stared at Flora.

"How are you so good at this stuff?"

"I don't know," Flora smiled. "How are you so good with computers? That's just who you are, Tecna. So? Are you going to ask him out?"

"No," Tecna said, getting up and walking to the window.

"What?" Flora asked, sounding startled.

"I can't," Tecna said. Her voice had changed, and she stared frostily out the window. "My studies come first, and so does saving Magix. I can't let Timmy get in my way."

And that's what she'd convinced herself, all the way up to the Resort Realm. That time had been a turning point for her, one where she'd finally learned to let go.

And yet, I still don't feel happy, Tecna thought. I still don't feel empowered, or strong, or brave. Why can't I do this?

"Tecna!"

Tecna shot open her eyes. Bloom was standing in front of her, a smile on her face. "Do you remember what day it is?" she asked cheerfully.

Tecna frowned, looking in her digital calendar. "Octomensis 15?"

"Layla's birthday!" Stella shouted. "Come on, let's go cheer her up!"


To celebrate, the girls went out to the beach, the sun shining brilliantly on them. Tecna had tried to smile as they swam, sat, and talked together, but she truly wasn't in the mood. The brightness of the sun kept bothering her eyes, after weeks of staying indoors for so long. Plus the heat is going to make me sweat all over my rusty joints… She sighed, feeling miserable.

She didn't seem like the only one, though. Layla was happy to be celebrating her birthday, but very nervous about the prospect of marrying someone she clearly didn't want to be with. So much for cheering her up.

"I'm definitely calling this marriage off," she told the other girls.

"Well, you should try him out first," Bloom suggested. "If you really don't want to be with him, your parents can't force you."

Wow, looks like someone's naïve, Tecna thought, holding in a snort. She has no choice. She might as well surrender her autonomy right now! Bitterness overtook her, and she slammed her spoon into her half-melted ice-cream. On the other side of the table, she saw Flora cast her a worried look.

"He may be a nice guy," Layla said, "but that's not the point. I don't want to get married so soon! This is ridiculous!"

"I'll talk to your parents," Stella suggested, "and check out the boy myself."

"No thanks, Stell." Layla looked at Musa. "What do you think?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Musa frowned. "You're in a mind-slappin' situation right there, Lay. Just like the one on Melody." She let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't go back home for break."

"Musa, I'm so sorry," gasped Layla. "How bad is the situation?"

"It's taken interrealm media attention," Musa answered. "Apparently the portal's become something like a tornado, sending violent winds and destroying houses in the area. Some people have been injured from contact with it. The news-crews are tryin' ta enter, but the Melodian government has banned them. Even UR Defense forces have been banned from entry, now that two hooligan criminals snuck onto a ship and are jammin' up Summa. It's gotten so bad that a radical sect has gained traction, claiming that we should relocate to another planet."

"What?" Bloom gasped.

Good luck with that, Tecna thought, wincing as the heat burned her arms. I'm gonna have sunburn now… She lowered her head, wishing she cared more for the Melodian situation at hand. But she was unable to concentrate, with all the heat and sweat over her metal joints.

"Well, the Realm of Melody owns a few planets in the same galaxy, so it wouldn't be too hard," Musa answered. "They have very harsh environments, but with the right potions and spells, they could make it work – somehow. It's not going to happen, though. Nobody wants ta leave Melody. But the king's got real 'tude, that's for sure. I spoke ta Galatea, and even she doesn't know why things are like this."

"Do you think something's going on with that portal?" Flora asked urgently. "Something so sinister, they can't tell anyone?"

"I was kinda hopin' ya wouldn't say that," Musa answered. "But I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Yeah," Stella agreed. "It's not like that portal's gonna blow up the whole realm, right?"

"Are you joking right now, Stell?" Musa groaned, putting her face in her hands.

"What do you think, Tecna?" Bloom asked. "You've been silent all this time, but you're always up-to-date on the news. What do you think's going to happen?"

Tecna gazed down at her ice-cream. It had now completely melted in the sun's gaze, and was completely inedible. "I don't know."

After eating tarikh baskuit, a kind of Androsian cookie with dried fruits and nuts, Flora pulled Tecna aside.

"Tecna, we're really worried about you," she said. "You haven't eaten much, and you barely talked while we were on the beach. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Tecna insisted. Why did everyone insist on asking her that question?

"No, you're not," Flora said. "What's going on?"

Tecna racked her brain, trying to think of an excuse. She thought of all the work she had to do for Vasiliev.

"Avalon gave a lot of work," she finally said. "That's all it is. I have a lot of work from Palladium, too."

Flora nodded, though Tecna could tell that Flora knew she was lying. She let out a sigh.

Another few weeks passed. Tecna continued working on her sets, pushing herself even farther with her skills. Apply yourself… The same words Avalon had used pushed her to work harder on Vasiliev's work.

She could no longer hide the black circles around her eyes, but she didn't care to. She'd learned to cast an illusion spell so that it looked as if she was sleeping, when in reality, she was doing her work under the covers. It was fooling Musa for now, but she didn't know how long it would work.

She closed her eyes. I can't think about this… please, let me survive. She sighed.

Please, let me get through this week…


Unfortunately, Tecna was not going to get through the week. In fact, things were spiraling further and further down, more and more out of her control.

The second of Novemensis arrived, which meant finals. Enchantix fairies were excused from them – meaning, all the Winx but Bloom and Tecna. There were about ten girls in their class so far who'd gotten their Enchantixes, and were therefore exempt. The forty of them remaining groused about not being exempt and stood in line, waiting for their room assignments to commence. They would be in this room for the rest of exam week, and would get their results promptly by Sunday.

"Surnames A to F, you're with Professor Patel," Griselda called. "G to K, you're with Professor Avalon. L to O, you're with Professor DuFour. And P to Z, you're with Professor Palladium."

Just my luck I had to end up with him, thought Tecna as Avalon ushered them into the room. Bloom gave her a thumbs-up while following Palladium, which she returned halfheartedly.

All that week, she was in a state of panic. She guessed on half the written portion for Palladium's class and all for Wizkiz. The Internet, as always, was shut down during exam-week. Her mind was abuzz the entire time, overflowing with confusion, then anxiety, then terror.

I must pass, she thought feverishly, scribbling on the paper. I MUST. I cannot fail. Focus, Tecna, focus! But no matter how hard she tried, her mind went blank, and more often than not, she collapsed on the desk.

Then came the practical part. It was administered in all four of Tecna's classes, and proctored by each respective teacher. Girls stood in alphabetical order, waiting for their names to be called. The other girls spoke to each other feverishly, panicking about the exam.

"I'm gonna fail."

"I swear I haven't studied enough."

"I'm not going to graduate."

"Oh, why didn't I study plant transformations harder?"

SHUT UP! A storm was brewing in Tecna's mind. I don't want to hear about it! You're making it worse! She glared at the girls, but they took no notice; they were all too worried about themselves.

She was unable to transform into a lily when Wizkiz asked her to. Palladium asked her to duel a foe tailored specially for her; she was slammed unceremoniously into the wall. She was also unable to merge two sticks into the same entity, something she would've been able to do before.

But the worst performance, by far, was in Avalon's exam.

It was Friday, Novemensis 13, the last day of exams. It was mainly for all the students taking electives; therefore, many of the others were gone by now. He had her sit down in a mat, and sat down next to her, directing her to look into a crystal ball. "Reach into the recesses of your mind. I want you to perform a hypnosis spell, one which will require great attention and calm. Empty your mind."

But Tecna couldn't empty her mind. She stared at the crystal ball, her head whirling with tasks she had to do. Reach my six-hundred-thousandth set. Go out to lunch with Bloom. Reach my six-hundred-thousandth set. Do a makeover with Stella. Reach my six-hundred-thousandth set. Meet Palladium for extra coaching. Reach my six-hundred-thousandth set...

Something black obscured her vision, starting as a dot in front of her, then expanding all across her view. Then her neural networks buzzed, and she yelled in pain. The electricity was consuming her, eating her alive...

She woke up again in the infirmary, breathless and exhausted. Nurse Ofelia was standing over her, hands on her hips.

"What have you been doing, young lady?"

"I" – Tecna stared at her. What happened? Why am I here?

"You've been working too hard," Ofelia said severely. "This is what happens when you don't pace yourself! You haven't given yourself rest at all!"

"That's not true!" Tecna cried. "I haven't studied at all!"

"Indeed." Faragonda stood in the doorway, looking unusually grave. "You failed all of your exams, Tecna. Your highest score was a 38% in Magical Connections and the lowest a 4% in Magiphilosophy. This was with both the written portion and practical part combined." Her gaze skewered the girl lying on the bed. "Do you understand what this means?"

Nurse Ofelia blocked Faragonda, her eyes flashing. "The girl needs rest now, Faragonda, not more stress! You can talk to her about exams later!"

"This cannot wait," said Faragonda severely. "Normally, I would agree, but with Valtor on the rise, the situation is much more grave. Tecna, listen to me."

Tecna unwillingly met the headmistress's eyes.

"You have always been a good student. In the few classes I've had you, you've been a pleasure to teach, innovative and a skilled learner. This year, everything has taken a turn for you, and you've been on a downward slide from day one. Therefore, I ask you: what is going on in your life that is preventing you from applying yourself?"

The same question Avalon and Palladium asked me, Tecna thought. She stared up at Headmistress Faragonda.

"I cannot say."

"Then you will remain on campus for the rest of the year," said Faragonda. "You will not leave for any reason, not until you tell me what's going on. You are on academic probation until your grades come up."

Tecna couldn't answer, couldn't even muster any feeling at this. The truth was, she was beyond caring at this point. Nothing really matters anymore... Faragonda left the room, leaving Nurse Ofelia to force Sleeping Potion down Tecna's resisting mouth. She eventually gave way, allowing the potion to force her into a dreamless sleep.


"Tecna!"

The pink-haired girl jumped as Digit flew into her arms. She stared tiredly at the pixie, too exhausted to even shoo her away.

She had just been discharged from the infirmary, on Ofelia's severe warning that she'd better rest and eat well from now on. Not going to happen... Digit stared up at her, her voice a squeak as she spoke.

"You know, I think you should tell Ms. Faragonda everything."

Tecna stared at Digit in horror. All she could say was, "What?"

"Tecna, she'll understand," Digit answered. "She'll understand that you're a cyborg, and that you have some work to do for Mr. Vasiliev's company. That's all it is, right?"

Tecna grimaced. Although Digit knew that Tecna worked for a man in Zenith and had computer wiring, she didn't know about the threats she was constantly hoarded with under his guardianship. Or about what he'd done to her. She shuddered at the memory, purposefully keeping her face blank. I can't, I can't...

"Tecna?" Digit was staring at her. "What do you think?"

"Digit, this is completely illogical," Tecna said. "First of all, if Faragonda finds I'm a cyborg, she'll expel me from Alfea. There's a reason why we've been keeping it a secret, and it's because cyborgs aren't allowed at UR defense schools." Barely any school will accept us, because our computerized brains give us an advantage over everyone. Supposedly.

"So?" Digit asked. "Faragonda won't care. Besides, she can't expel you now, not after you've proven yourself so many times!"

"Digit, the answer is no!" Tecna snapped, rage building up in her. "You are so naïve! I'm not going to jeopardize myself just because" –

The sound of a door slamming open made her shut her mouth, and she turned around and stared. Flora was walking into the room, followed by Layla, Musa, and Stella.

"We heard voices yelling," Musa said uncertainly. "Um… Tec, are you okay?"

Flora walked forward and took Tecna's hands. "Sweetie, what happened? Faragonda said you were in the infirmary. We tried to come in but Nurse Ofelia wouldn't let us, because you were sleeping."

"What'd you do?" demanded Layla.

Tecna looked up hopelessly at her friends. "I failed my exams," she said.

"And?" Stella prompted her.

"I'm not allowed to leave campus."

Silence. Every girl stared at Tecna, at a loss for words.

"So, what are you going to do?" Layla asked finally.

"I have to work harder," Tecna answered. She could feel the stares of the girls on her face. "I need to get my degree. There's no other way."

"But you work too hard!" Stella exclaimed. "Seriously, girl, you need to just chill and sit back for once. If I worked this hard, I'd" –

"No," Tecna cut her off. "I have to do this."

"Enough is enough." Musa glared at her. "You're killing yourself, Tec. Ya bonkers, doing all this for Symphonia-knows-what-reason. Ya need ta stop, or else we'll" –

"Stay out of this!" Tecna fired; Musa took a step back, alarmed by her tone. "It's none of your business, all of you! Stay out of this, or else I'll" –

Bloom burst into the room. Tecna stopped herself as she saw Bloom's red hair over her face; she was clearly crying. Flora walked up to her roommate and stared at her. "Sweetie, what's happened to you?"

"Ms. Faragonda just told me everything," Bloom sniffed. "It - it's horrible."

"What happened?" Stella demanded, sitting her friend down.

"She told me more about Valtor," Bloom sobbed. "He's more than just my uncle – he's one of the deadliest enemies the Company of Light ever faced. And... he – he" – She put her hands over her face.

"Go on," said Layla gently.

"He's going to come after me," Bloom cried. "We're mortal enemies. And – I won't be able to fight him, girls. I'll never get my Enchantix! The entire Magical Dimension is going to fall, and it'll be all my fault!"

"So what?" Tecna snapped suddenly. "So what if you don't defeat him? He's going to win anyways! And it doesn't matter whether it's you or someone else."

Musa turned around slowly. "Have you gone insane?"

"Maybe I have," Tecna snarled, "because I am sick of hearing about everyone's problems! First you with your stupid arranged marriage" – she pointed to Layla – "then you with your precious Domino!"

"I don't know what's with you!" Bloom grounded her teeth in fury. "You're being totally unsupportive right now, Tecna!"

"Yeah," Stella added. "And that's totally not cool. Friends don't diss friends like that."

"Maybe you should all just stop loading your emotional baggage on everyone!" Tecna snapped back. "I may have problems, but I don't load them on people!"

"Aha!" said Musa suddenly. "So there is a problem!"

Tecna said nothing. All she did was get up and slam the door to her room, throwing herself facedown on her bed. But the accusing glares of her friends burned into her head all night, and she just couldn't do sets for Vasiliev. She was asleep by the time Musa opened the door.


Yeah, that was intense. I feel bad for Tecna now – I've put her through a lot! Now her friends are angry with her, too.

Next chapter:

- The second semester starts at Alfea.

- Flora tries to console Tecna.

- An important Linphean holiday arrives.

See you all next week!