Sofia stumbled through the main entrance of Royal Prep, cradling the Orb of Winds against her chest with one hand, using her free hand to wipe away the tears streaming down her face. She'd go back for James, as soon as this was all over. She just couldn't risk her brother stopping her from giving the Orb of Winds to Samael and Damien.

To her surprise, the pair of them, and Kalasi, were already there, swooping down from the sky. The two sorcerers were riding on the back of Kalasi, who landed, her talons clawing into the ground just feet from Sofia. Was the thunderbird inside the barrier? Sofia couldn't tell, not without her magiocules, but she could've sworn that the magical barrier around the school had extended farther than that.

Samael spotted her from atop the thunderbird, and he dismounted Kalasi carefully, landing with a light plop on the ground. His brother followed. Samael's eyes flicked to the orb in Sofia's hands, and he smiled, his eyes lighting up in barely concealed anticipation. The taller sorcerer took a step forward towards Sofia, his eyes locked on the orb. He must've been really excited.

"I've got the orb," babbled Sofia, trying to shove aside the memory of what she'd done to get here, alone. "It's yours to take," she said, holding out the artifact towards the pair. Samael lunged forward, a greedy look in his eyes, and Sofia blinked in surprise. He was definitely past the barrier now. Where had it gone? Oh, but that didn't matter. Samael would take the orb, and the two of them would leave. There was no need for the magic barrier, anyways.

"Ferio Humanus." A voice rang out across the front courtyard, cold and commanding, and a magical spell flew through the air, striking Samael just inches away from the orb. The moment the spell reached him, he flew away, pushed back by some invisible force, flying through the air and landing back next to his brother in a heap. Sofia swiveled her head to the sound, and to her surprise, there stood Professor Velova, at the front entrance to the school, her wand in hand and pointed at Samael's form. Her eyes held a deep ferocity, her thin lips set in a hard line, fully concentrated. Sofia's mind reeled, not sure what to make of the situation. Why would Velova cast that spell to blow back Samael? What was going on?

"Velova," spat Damien, straightening his back at once and drawing his own wand. "What a lovely surprise to see you here."

"Get away from the girl, Damien," hissed Velova, her tone icy cold. "You don't know what you're doing."

Damien laughed, not a happy or joyous laugh, but an evil, wicked laugh that set Sofia's spine on edge. "Do you know what the child is carrying?" he yelled back, his voice booming across the courtyard, no longer timid like it had been when Sofia first saw him. "That's the Orb of Winds! One of the sacred energy artifacts that we've spent our lives searching for! It's right within our grasp, just inches away. Why not take it?" Sofia's eyes widened, a deep shadow falling over her. What was he saying? She thought the Orb belonged to both of them. Had he really been lying? Was James right?

Velova's glare didn't budge an inch. "I said leave, the two of you. You don't know what you're doing."

Samael pulled himself to his feet, wand in hand. "Leave, when we're this close to our goal? Not likely." He pointed his wand at Sofia and chanted a rapid rhyme. "Our wicked plans draw ever near, now bring the Orb of Winds to here!" A spell flew from his wand, striking Sofia, and to her horror, the orb gripped in her hands began to slip out of them.

"Rhymus Reversum!" cast Professor Velova in response, her wand also pointed at Sofia, and when the new spell hit the princess, she suddenly realized she could grip the orb again. The princess clutched the artifact tightly with both hands, glaring daggers at the pair of sorcerers. Now she knew for certain. James had been right. They really were evil.

Velova smirked. "Still using doggerel verse, Samael?" she teased. "I guess you still haven't learned how to use real magic."

Samael growled at her. "It comes to this, then," he said, pointing his wand at Velova. "If you do not let us take the orb, then I suppose we meet as enemies, not friends."

"We were never friends," hissed Velova, and that was the last sentence spoken before the courtyard erupted into a full-on magical battle. Samael and Damien cast spells rapidly, too fast for Sofia to keep track of them, bolts of light shooting through the air, towards Sofia, Velova, and anywhere else.

Yet despite Velova casting alone, she masterfully weaved through any light headed her way, all while conjuring a shield to protect Sofia and sending a barrage of spells headed towards the two sorcerers. Sofia's eyes widened in shock. She had no idea Velova was such a good duelist. In fact, she didn't think she'd ever seen her royal history teacher cast more than a few simple cantrips.

"What's going on?" called Sofia to her professor, from behind her shield. "Why do you know those two sorcerers? Who are they? And how are you so good at magic?"

"No time to explain!" shouted Velova between dodging spell fire. "I can handle these two! Just—"

Her response was interrupted by a shout from Samael, cutting through the chaos of the battle. "Kalasi!" he yelled. "After her!" The great thunderbird flapped its wings once and lifted into the air, diving towards Professor Velova.

"No, Kalasi, don't!" screamed Sofia. But Kalasi did not hesitate or slow down, still barreling directly at Velova. Sofia's heart sank. Had Kalasi lied to her, too? Had it all been a trick? She'd thought the wakiya had been her friend.

Velova's eyes flicked to the thunderbird, mid-spell, diving directly towards her. The bird was simply too close. There was nothing the royal history professor could do.

Then, with a careful push of her feet off the ground, Velova leaped, far faster and more precisely than she should have been able to, in a move that Sofia was sure defied the laws of physics. She managed to get just out of the thunderbird's way as it slammed into the ground, lightning emanating from the point of impact. Sofia's jaw dropped open. How had she done that?

"Take care of the bird!" yelled Velova at her, landing softly onto the ground. "I can handle the two sorcerers!"

"Okay!" screamed Sofia back. "But I want an explanation after all this is over!"

"You'll get one," responded Velova, her lips thin. Then she leapt back into the fray, casting spells and curses and countercurses rapidly, keeping up with the flurry of magic from the pair of sorcerers.

Sofia's gaze flicked over to Kalasi, who was slowly starting to pull her dazed head out of the ground. How was she supposed to fight against something like that? Her eyes flicked to the standing clock tower in the distance, and then to the Orb of Winds, still clutched safely in her arms. A desperate plan began to form at the edges of her mind. She knew which button James had pressed that made the whole orb explode, back when the staircase had collapsed. If she could toss it at Kalasi at just the right moment…

The short princess broke into a furious race, running as fast as she could towards the clock tower, hoping to get up there before Kalasi regained her balance. She needed height, more than anything. There was no way she had the strength to toss the Orb of Winds from the ground. Panting, Sofia reached the entrance of the clock tower, then froze. How was she supposed to get up? The trapdoor was two dozen feet overhead, and she knew her floating spell wasn't strong enough to get her up, much less when she was carrying a ten-pound orb.

Kalasi screeched, the shrill noise piercing through the walls of the clock tower, and Sofia knew she didn't have time to think. By instinct, her fingers flew across the Orb of Winds, finding a dial and precisely spinning it, before her other hand gently pushed a button hidden in the cracks of the device. To Sofia's utmost shock, the orb responded by whirring with brilliant green light, but instead of building up pressure and exploding, the orb sent a storm of air flying out through its bottom, sending itself—and Sofia, who was holding on tightly—rocketing through the air, like a miniature jetpack.

"Woah!" screamed Sofia in surprise as the orb carried her upwards, sending her careening through the trapdoor and into the uppermost room of the clock tower. But before she could crash though the ceiling of the tower, the orb abruptly stopped, letting Sofia land on the top floor, her feet hitting the ground with a soft thump. Sofia stared at the glowing device in her fingers, flabbergasted. That had been the most incredibly lucky maneuver she'd ever seen. How had she managed to do that?

Kalasi screeched again, flying directly towards the topmost room of the clock tower, visible through the gaps in the walls where the circle of gnomes entered and left. Sofia's hands reacted by instinct again, this time twisting the orb around physically so one part of the sphere faced Kalasi, in addition to twisting two dials, one with each of her pointer fingers, and hitting an entirely new button, at the bottom of the device. A concentrated blast of air shot out of the artifact like a jet, the momentum sending Sofia flying backwards into the wall of the clock tower. But more strikingly, the bolt of air which had emerged from the orb flew directly towards Kalasi, hitting the thunderbird right between her eyes with a strong gust of wind, throwing her off balance and sending the thunderbird flapping away, disoriented.

Sofia, pressed against the wall but otherwise unharmed, looked down again at the green-glowing artifact in her hands, shocked. It thrummed soothingly, as if the artifact itself were purring. And Sofia didn't know how to describe it, but the orb felt right in her hands, as if it had always been meant to be there.

Kalasi turned, regaining her balance and swooping once more towards the clock tower. This time, Sofia turned the knobs and dials on the device without hesitating, navigating her hands across the machinery as if it were a long-forgotten instrument she used to play, her fingers confidently sliding into the nooks and crannies of its metal surface. Another jet of air shot out of the orb, heading directly towards Kalasi and throwing her off-balance once again, sending the giant thunderbird careening away from the tower. Sofia had no idea how she was doing this, or why the orb felt so right to hold, but the movements felt natural and freeing, as if she'd done them a thousand times before.

Sofia stepped out onto the circle of gnomes outside the tower once more, the structure thankfully staying stable under her weight. Her original plan had been to throw the orb at Kalasi and hope the winds would do something, but even as the orb thrummed merrily in her hands, she knew she wasn't willing to let it go. "Kalasi!" yelled Sofia at the dazed thunderbird. "I know you don't want to do this! Please, just stop attacking the tower."

Kalasi didn't say anything in response, and when the thunderbird focused her eyes on Sofia once more, Sofia gasped. Kalasi's eyes were dull and glassy, not vibrant and intelligent like they had used to be. Whoever was behind those eyes, it wasn't Kalasi. The thunderbird reared back, preparing for another mindless charge at the tower. And Sofia fired another blast of wind, bracing herself against the outside of the clock tower.

Far below the pair, Velova and the two sorcerers were still locked in a fierce stalemate, sending spells flying both directions. The pair of sorcerers didn't seem to be able to land a spell on Velova, yet the royal history professor was so occupied by dodging and blocking spells that she couldn't seem to find an opening in the barrage. Neither side could make progress, and judging from the frustrated expression on Samael's and Damien's face, they both knew it.

Samael's gaze flickered to Sofia, standing atop the clock tower, and she stumbled back out of sight, but he gave a wicked smile, and Sofia knew she'd been seen. "Our victory you shall not thwart, come to me and drop that orb!" yelled Samael, the spell flying through the air and hitting Sofia before she even had time to react. Her legs moved without her input, carrying her a step closer to the edge of the clock tower, then another step. Her arms shook with the effort of keeping the orb held, but to Sofia's horror, she was forced to take a step forward, then another step, teetering just upon the edge of the clock tower. She tried to grasp the orb with both hands, but it was no use. The spell took hold, and Sofia felt her hands release and the Orb of Winds fall from the tower.

"No!" yelled Sofia as Kalasi dived towards the orb, snatching it between her talons. But to Sofia's surprise, instead of gliding on towards Samael and Damien, the thunderbird turned in midair, soaring back up to the top of the clock tower. Sofia stepped back in fear, but when Kalasi reached the top of the tower, she simply released the orb, letting the artifact roll back to Sofia's feet. She picked it up, shocked, and then looked up to see Kalasi's eyes, which were shining with life once again.

"Kalasi!" exclaimed Sofia happily. "You're back!"

"Not for long, little one," rumbled Kalasi in response. "But with the Orb of Winds, you may still have the means to set me free. My hope rests in you, Sofia."

"What?" said Sofia, confused. "What do you mean, not for long? Why—"

The rest of her sentence was cut off by the sound of a haunting melody, rising through the open air of the courtyard. Sofia peered down over the edge of the clock tower once more to see Damien playing a strange tune on a lute, the song reverberating through the air and across the entirety of the courtyard. The notes strung together created a sad melody, as if they were telling a story of suffering and despair, of imprisonment and chains. Sofia was unaffected, but she watched Kalasi as the thunderbird's eyes slowly faded to their dull, lifeless form, and the pieces of the puzzle finally snapped into place. Kalasi really was her friend! But Samael and Damien were controlling her, with that lute somehow. Wait, but if they were controlling her, that meant Kalasi was about to—

Not a moment too soon, Sofia flipped the switches and turned the dials on the Orb of Winds once again, sending Kalasi flying back into the air, disoriented. The more she tinkered with the device, the more familiar its controls felt, even though she'd never seen them before. She could sort of tell which buttons did what now, and what dials and levers controlled what properties of the wind, though many parts of the orb still remained mysterious. Her attention snapped back to the lute, carried in Damien's hands. At the least, she had a goal now: break that lute, somehow, and free Kalasi.

Sofia tried shooting a gust of wind at the lute, but it was much too far away to affect. And she didn't dare leave the safety of the clock tower, not when she still had no defense against the sorcerers' spells. One spell like the one Samael had cast before, and she'd be a sitting duck.

Kalasi reared back, and Sofia fired the orb once more, without even thinking. Kalasi went back, but Sofia had forgotten to account for the recoil. She stumbled backwards a few steps, accidentally hitting a gnome with her left foot, and lost her balance, her body falling back. Sofia scrambled for purchase with her feet, but found nothing but air. She tried reaching for the gnome with one hand, but was just too far away. Her feet slipped over the edge of the tower, and then Sofia was falling.

Before she could drop more than an inch or two, a firm hand reached out over the edge of the clock tower, grasping Sofia's free hand and catching her in midair. "Got you!" yelled James, bracing himself at the edge of the clock tower, both hands holding Sofia up.

"James," sobbed Sofia in relief, still hanging over the edge.

James's face was screwed up in concentration. "Hold…on…" he said, trying to pull Sofia back up.

Then another hand landed atop James's, helping to pull Sofia back up. A round, brown hair face popped into view. "Charlene," gasped Sofia, holding on for dear life as the two of them pulled her back up and over the edge of the tower. The three children landed in a heap inside the circle of gnomes.

"I'm so sorry, James," babbled Sofia between breaths, "you were right, I never should have trusted those two sorcerers!"

"Talk later, deal with giant thunderbird now!" yelled James back, pointing at a point behind Sofia. The princess whirled around, her fingers already moving, and she fired a blast of air from the orb, repelling Kalasi once more. This time, when the orb recoiled, James was there to brace her from the worst of the backlash, keeping both of them safe against the edge of the clock tower.

"You can use that?" exclaimed James, shocked.

"I don't know how either!" responded Sofia. "But we've gotta break that lute that Damien has! It's controlling the bird to attack us."

"How?" questioned Charlene, her hair whipping in the wind. "There's too many spells in the way! We'd never get close."

Sofia's mind whirled, searching for a strategy, even as Kalasi regained her balance and Sofia was forced to fire another blast of air at the thunderbird. Her gaze dropped to the Orb of Winds in her hands. For all its power, controlling the air was useless when it came to blocking spells. If only she had some sort of shield…. Her eyes fell to the circle of gnomes the three children were standing on, and her eyes widened.

"I've got an idea," said Sofia, "but it's gonna sound a little crazy."

"Uh, Sof, dunno if you've noticed, but everything is sorta crazy," responded James, leaning back to avoid spell fire. The sorcerers seemed more focused on attacking the clock tower, now, and Velova was gaining an edge, slowly pushing them back. But Sofia knew they didn't have time to wait. If she didn't act now, the sorcerers would start sending Kalasi after the royal history teacher, and go after the children themselves.

"Yeah," agreed Charlene, looking Sofia in the eyes. "If you've got any plan at all, let's go for it."

Sofia cradled the Orb of Winds in one hand, pulling out her wand with the other. "Floaticus Haver Aboon," she cast, not at herself, but instead at the circle of spinning gnomes upon which the three children stood. She handed her wand to James and turned to her other friend. "I'll keep us in the air with the orb. James, you keep casting the floating spell. Charlene, steer us towards the lute."

"Steer?" asked James, confused. But Charlene nodded, realizing what they were doing. She dropped to her knees, holding each hand around a gnome, facing towards Samael and Damien, so that it looked like she was holding two levers. Sofia turned to the outer wall of the clock tower and pushed a button on the Orb of Winds. A carefully aimed gust of wind shot out of the device, breaking one of the wooden supports that held the circle of gnomes in place. The other support, unable to hold the weight of the circle on its own, cracked too, and the spinning circle detached from the clock tower, all three students standing on it, as it fell through the sky.

The circle, falling slowly thanks to the floating spell, hurtled through the air as if the three students were riding on a midair sled. Sofia aimed a gust of wind backwards and downwards, and to her delight, the force of the outgoing air behind them was enough to propel the sled forwards and up through the air, sending them shooting towards Samael and Damien. James whooped in delight, whipping out a wand and recasting the floating spell so they wouldn't drop like a stone while it ended. Below, Sofia could see Samael and Damien trying to cast spells at the airborne trio, but they were struggling to hit a moving target, and any of the spells which did land hit the underside of the sled, the wooden circle acting as a makeshift shield.

"We need to go left!" yelled Charlene, trying to twist the gnomes and tilt the structure, to send the sled flying more towards the left. James, seeing her, shifted his body weight, helping the sled tilt to one side, and Sofia aimed a second propelling gust of wind right, shooting them far to the left. "No, back to the right!" called Charlene again, and James responded, tilting his weight to the other side. "A little more!" said Charlene, and Sofia aimed ever-so-slightly to the left while sending out a third gust of wind from the artifact.

"We're aiming right at them!" finished Charlene, laughing madly. "Sofia, drop us down!"

"Got it!" called Sofia, and she tilted the next shot of wind upwards, so that the trio, and their sled, were sent hurtling down towards the ground. James recast the floating spell madly, slowing their descent, but it was still fast enough to catch the sorcerers, Samael and Damien, off guard. They backed up, Damien dropping the lute in surprise, getting just outside the crash zone of the sled. Right before they landed, Sofia sent a small burst of wind upwards to slow their descent, but they still crashed into the ground heavily, Sofia gritting her teeth at the impact. She heard the crunch of something wooden, and looked up, seeing James and Charlene unharmed. Beneath them, crushed under the force of the impact, were the broken remains of the sorcerers' lute, the strings shredded.

Sofia bit back a laugh of joy. They'd done it. They'd really done it! Forget swimming straight through a whirlpool, this was without a doubt her most crazy plan ever—and it had worked. Kalasi was finally free.

Sofia looked forward, and the celebration died on her lips. It wasn't over yet. There were still two very angry sorcerers, their wands pointed at her and her two friends. And they were far from the school now. Professor Velova, who had been standing near the entrance, was running towards them, too far away to cast any magic. Damien lifted his wand, a spell forming at the corners of his lips, and Sofia reached, throwing her fingers into the Orb of Winds on instinct. There was no time for carefully aimed blasts or precisely adjusting dials. She spun every dial as far as she could, twisted any lever her fingers came across, pushed every button in the metallic surface, and hoped.

Wind erupted from the orb in every direction, a blast orders of magnitude stronger than anything she'd used before. Sofia could feel the air rushing against her skin, but it seemed to pass over and by her, keeping her in place. Everyone else wasn't so lucky. Damien and Samael were thrown backwards, the twins landing in a heap, far away from the school. James and Charlene, so nearby Sofia, took the worst of the blast, their bodies flinging straight up into the air. Sofia reached for them, horrified, but to her relief Kalasi swooped out of the air, catching the two schoolchildren in her talons, holding one student in each claw.

"Thank you, little one," rumbled the thunderbird, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Samael and Damien have controlled me for most of my life. It is thanks to you that I am finally free. I am in your debt. How may I repay you?"

Sofia smiled back, a tear falling from her eye. "Please keep James and Charlene somewhere safe," she asked. The orb trembled in her hands—she knew it wasn't done. No one nearby would be safe. They needed to get out of here, fast.

"That, I would do for any friend," said Kalasi. "We will meet again, Princess Sofia." And without wasting another word, she flapped her wings, soaring towards the school, James and Charlene held in her talons.

The orb shook in her hands, impatient. Sofia held it tightly, not letting it move, until Kalasi had landed outside the front entrance of Royal Prep. It trembled with anticipation once more. Sofia smiled. "Okay," she told the orb, as if she were talking to one of her animal friends. "You can let go now."

It would be wrong to say wind came out of the orb. More accurately, an entire circle of air, perhaps in a thirty-foot radius around Sofia, began to spin, growing faster and faster and faster. The poor sorcerers, blown a little bit away from the first gust of air, were not nearly far enough. They, too, were swept up into the rapidly forming tornado, spinning faster and faster and faster. Samael looked like he was trying to say something—perhaps that they would be back. Sofia couldn't hear him over the raging gusts of wind. Regardless, after just a few spins in the tornado, he and Damien were sent flying out, far away from Royal Prep. Sofia almost felt bad for them. Almost.

It didn't matter that the sorcerers were gone now. The tornado kept spinning, locked in place. Sofia stood in the eye of the storm, within a maybe four-foot clearing where the winds couldn't reach her. Even so, she wasn't afraid, for some reason. This—the energy artifact, the Orb of Winds, the way she knew how to control it, the whirlwind it had created—it all felt so right, so calming and safe. Even though the attackers of Royal Prep were gone, Sofia didn't want to stop the Orb's whirlwind. This felt right. Standing here, in the center of the tornado, the gentle sunlight across her skin, Sofia felt like everything was going to be okay. They could deal with Kalasi and the broken clock tower and the basement staircase and the room full of magical items later. For now, everything was peaceful.

"Beautiful, isn't it," remarked Professor Velova's voice from somewhere behind Sofia. Sofia didn't even look back. Instead, she gazed up at the spinning wall of the tornado, watching the green energy dance through the wind, free. Like it was meant to be. It was mesmerizing, and as Sofia watched the green light weave in and out of the tornado, she thought she might have finally understood the difference between energy and magic. Magic was useful, it was pretty and beautiful, it could be used for all sorts of things, but it wasn't alive. And now, staring at how the energy moved through the air, Sofia could tell energy was different. It was alive, in some way or another. She'd felt it a little bit in the artifact. Energy had—feelings, or something close to that, anyways. Magic would do whatever you asked of it. Energy would do whatever it felt was right.

"Yeah," whispered Sofia in response. "Beautiful." She stared at the shifting wall of the inside of the tornado, entranced. It didn't even occur to her to ask how the royal history teacher had gotten inside the tornado.

"But I'm afraid all beautiful things must come to an end," finished Professor Velova, her tone tinged with sadness and regret. "Sofia, end the tornado and give me the orb. I'll put it back into the school's storage room."

"I can't stop it," said Sofia. It wasn't totally true. She could stop the tornado. The button at the very top of the orb would do it. But she couldn't stand the idea of forcing something that free back into its cage. So she didn't want to press that button.

"Then give me the orb," responded Velova evenly. "I can end it."

Sofia sighed, wearily. "Okay," she said, turning around to meet Professor Velova in the eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.

There were many things Sofia knew about the royal history professor. She was the coach of the school's cheerleading team. She was energetic and upbeat. She loved filling class with activities and exercises and fun games. She'd given Sofia a chance to truly be herself, even if everyone else doubted her. She was Sofia's favorite teacher.

And she always, always, wore hats.

"Professor?" whispered Sofia, taking a step back. Professor Velova's hat had been torn away by the gusts of the tornado, and for the first time, Sofia could see her midnight-black hair, and her ears.

The long, pointed, elfin ears, which were far taller than those of any human, and extended to either side.

Sofia's legs shook. Another moment of the last few seconds popped to the forefront of her mind, now that she was thinking clearly again. "Professor Velova?" she whispered, her voice hoarse. "You called me Sofia. How…how do you know that name?"

Professor Velova's smile fell away. "Give me the orb, Sofia," she repeated, her voice cold.

Sofia took another step back, now just inches in front of the edge of the tornado. Her head was whirling. How could Velova possibly know that she called herself Sofia now? The only animals Sofia had told had been Clover and Kalasi, and neither of them could talk to people aside from herself. Her thoughts were spinning, spinning, around and around and around like the tornado swirling around the two of them.

"You…you knew those two sorcerers," accused Sofia. "They talked to you like they expected you to—to help them take the Orb of Winds from me. You—you have—your ears—you're not…" Human, Sofia wanted to finish, but she couldn't speak the words. It was getting hard to concentrate. Her head was still spinning. The sound of roaring wind raged around the pair.

Velova's gaze hardened. "Sofia, you don't know what you're doing. Give me the orb, and everything will be okay."

"I…I…" It was hard to focus, but Sofia knew there was something desperately wrong with the whole situation. "No," she managed, the words weak and papery. "I won't give you the orb."

If it was possible, Velova's eyes grew colder. "Then it has come to this," she hissed. She waved the wand held loosely in her right hand, and a section of air in front of her shimmered, revealing the form of a blond-haired princess wearing a chartreuse gown. Sofia gasped. Amber. The princess's limp body leaned against Velova's tall form, her eyes closed.

"A—Amber?" whispered Sofia, staring at her sister, horrified.

"She's only asleep," said Velova. Her hand reached into a satchel at her side. "For now."

With her left hand she drew a long, thin, item from her left pocket. A dagger. A hauntingly familiar, ebony black dagger, the weapon which had haunted Sofia's nightmares for months, the weapon which she knew up and down like the back of her own hand, the dagger which had pierced the shield of the orb surrounding the Heart of Atlantis.

Sofia's senses faded away. All she could see was herself, Velova, Amber's slumped form, and the black dagger, gleaming in the sunlight. She couldn't hear even the sound of the whipping winds over her own pounding heartbeat, reverberating through her ears. Her breaths came fast and light, unable to get enough air.

"You…you…" breathed Sofia, unable to finish her sentence. Velova. Her midnight-black hair, matching the tail of a certain mermaid she knew. Sofia's name, which had appeared in a room hundreds of feet beneath the sea, in a darkened, long-forgotten kingdom. A desperate race for the Heart of Atlantis, an energy artifact much like the one Sofia held in her hands right now. Something Velova had spent her whole life searching for.

Sofia, unable to look away, met Velova in the eyes, and the last piece of the puzzle clicked into place. A voice, back in Atlantis, which had sounded so familiar at the time, if only she had been looking in the right place.

"You're the mermaid thief."

Sofia was falling, falling, somewhere deep and dark, her breaths coming unsteadily. She couldn't see, couldn't think, couldn't breathe, could only focus on Velova as the royal history teacher raised the edge of the black dagger to Amber's still form, a silent threat in her eyes.

"So, what will it be?" said Velova. "The orb, or…"

If Sofia was thinking clearly, she might have tried to use the Orb of Winds against Velova. If she was thinking clearly, she might not have let herself get separated from James and Charlene. If she was thinking clearly, she might have been able to put together all the clues she'd seen and she might have found the truth about Velova sooner.

But Sofia was very much not thinking clearly. The icy sting of betrayal echoed through her chest, subsuming all her thoughts, so raw and painful that she could barely bear to stand. And so Sofia, youngest princess of Enchancia, pressed the button atop the Orb of Winds, letting the tornado fall away to nothing, and handed the artifact to Velova.

The teacher took it in both hands, stuffing the dagger back into her satchel. Her gaze lifted back to Sofia's, her cold brown eyes meeting Sofia's horrified gaze, and Velova instantly looked away. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry," she said, sounding slightly guilty. Sofia couldn't bring herself to care. "I didn't want to bring Amber into this. I enjoyed my time at Royal Prep, truly. We really were friends."

A bubbling wave of anger mixed with hatred burned in Sofia's chest. "No, we weren't," spat Sofia. If she had the energy to move, she would've lunged at Velova for all she was worth. As it was, she didn't feel like she could take a single step without collapsing.

Professor Velova turned away, the Orb of Winds held in her two hands. "Winter is coming, Sofia," she finished. "Are you ready for it?" And then, without another word, Velova waved her wand and disappeared, vanishing into thin air. Amber, no longer leaning against anything, slumped over, and Sofia dove, catching her before she could hit the ground. There, her knees on the ground, holding Amber's asleep form in two hands, Sofia stared at the empty horizon where Professor Velova, once her favorite teacher, had been, and cried.

Author's Note: Thus ends Arc II. More to come, sometime. I'm not totally sure when-I sort of burned myself out writing this chapter, and I don't actually have a well-formed outline of the next chapter. So it might be a bit. But this story will be finished, and I promise that somewhere-somewhere there will be a happy ending.

*cries in betrayal*