I remember the day so fondly.

I was bouncing up and down childishly as we stood at the entrance of the Covention. Edalyn and I had begged our parents for weeks to take us, and thankfully they'd given in, since they knew it would be good for us, the two future leaders of the very prestigious Emperor's Coven. I could hardly contain myself, and while Edalyn was excited as well, she had to keep me in check.

"I can't believe it!" I said in awe once we entered the building. I was immediately overwhelmed by how many covens there were. I had known that there were many, but I had no idea there were over hundreds of covens. At the time, Eda and I were only aware of the main nine (ten including the Emperor's Coven), due to the fact that those were the only tracks that our school had to choose from.

Edalyn snickered at my excitement, mainly to pick on me instead of admitting how ecstatic she was about it. "Careful there, Lily. You're drooling a bit." She said, gesturing to the corner of her mouth.

I rolled my eyes and nudged her arm, since I knew she was lying just to worry me. "Knock it off, Eda."

"Now girls," Mother spoke up, "I know you are here to see the Emperor's Coven, but remember take the other covens into consideration."

"And also remember that the Emperor's Coven is exclusive and reputable." Father chimed in, "Do not make fools of yourselves in front of them, please. It sets a bad example for our family name."

"Yes, Father." I nodded.

Eda saluted and declared dramatically, "I swear on the Clawthorne name that I will cause no trouble and be no fool in front of the Emperor's Coven."

Mother and Father stared down at her skeptically. They knew she would most likely break that oath she'd just made, considering...well, she was Eda. Her middle name might as well have been 'trouble'. However, I giggled at her.

"Edalyn, be serious." Mother sighed wearily, "If you ever want to even be in the coven, you will have to show respect and poise. Especially if you intend to be one of the leaders."

"Yeah, yeah." My sister rolled her eyes, doing the exact opposite of what Mother had just implied. She flipped her bright orange hair over her shoulder and grabbed my hand. "Can Lily and I go look around? Please?"

I looked up at them, "We won't cause trouble, I promise."

They exchanged a look, silently communicating in a way. Father then looked at me directly, "As long as you promise to meet us to see the Emperor's Coven in precisely half an hour, not a minute later. Understood?"

"Understood." Eda and I said in unison, nodding.

"Good. Now go explore." Mother smiled, shooing us away with her hand.

Eda and I giggled before we ran off towards the coven stands, hand in hand. I took in the scent that smelled of chocolate and youth (the chocolate was likely from the Bakers Coven). I was in awe of everything around me. There were so many options, so many paths for young witches like Edalyn and I to take, so many opportunities for us.

But we were dead set on one path and one path only—the Emperor's Coven. It had been our dream since we first heard about it. We were going to join together and become co-leaders, standing at the sides of the emperor's throne. We were going to be the most powerful witches in the Boiling Isles, and nothing was going to get in our way.

"Ooh, look!" Eda pointed, "The Potions Coven. I wonder if my nasty ol' professor is here for them." She smirked and nudged my arm, "I oughta show her how a real potions brewer handles things."

I gave her a look, "Eda, you heard Father. You can't cause any trouble while you're here."

She sighed, "I was just sayin'!"

I shook my head and laughed before I dragged her by the arm, since I knew her urge to show off to the Potions Coven would be tempting. I couldn't say I blamed her, though. She was the best in her class, even if she was the absolute worst student. She was incredibly smart and skilled, but her actions were...let's say, reckless and juvenile.

But that wouldn't matter for long, as she and I would soon be the most respected witches on the Isles.

We spent the entire half hour exploring and observing the entire place, taking it all in. We mostly looked at the main nine covens, since they were the more important ones that a witch was more likely to join. Once our time was up, we met up with Mother and Father in front of the small arena where the Emperor's Coven would hold their introductions.

"See? No trouble caused." Eda said to them, putting her hands up. "I guess I can be trusted."

"The day isn't over yet." Mother said knowingly, lightly patting Eda's head.

I looked up at Father as we started to walk inside. "Do you think the emperor will be here?" I asked with a wide grin.

Father chuckled, "Lilith, the emperor has many other things to do. Attending a covention isn't one of them."

Eda smirked at me and pushed my shoulder. "Aww, does Lily Willy wanna meet the big, bad emperor?" She taunted in a baby voice, "Does she want him to sign her forehead?"

"Eda!" I laughed with an embarrassed blush. Not that I would admit it, but..I did want him to sign my forehead. And I never understood how Eda was able to know that. But that was my sister, she read me like a book (which is ironic, considering she didn't like to read).

We sat down once we found good seats. It surprised me how many seats were available in the arena. This was the Emperor's Coven! How was this place not completely crowded to the point where we had to squeeze our way in? I suppose that no one was as big of fans as Edalyn and I were.

The lights dimmed as the masked, cloaked figures appeared in the center after using their magic. Another figure entered with a floating microphone, and I was surprised to see it was our principal. It never occurred to me that he would be affiliated with the Emperor's Coven.

I couldn't contain my excitement, at all. I squeezed childishly and shook Eda by her shoulder, biting my lip to hold in a goofy smile. My parents had to tell me to calm down, but I just couldn't. This was my future waiting for me. How could I even begin to calm down?

"Welcome, welcome all, young witches." Principal Bump spoke through the microphone. "As many of you know, the emperor has founded this coven as a chance for the young, the powerful, and the most skilled witches to fulfill their true potential. But only the best will be accepted. Do you have what it takes to join?" He asked the audience.

"Yes!" I squeezed excitedly, stomping my feet. Thankfully, no one except my family noticed.

Eda crossed her arms, "Careful, Lil. You'll pee yourself."

"Edalyn." Mother scowled her, then put her finger to her lips to shush us.

Eda was right, I'm ashamed to admit. But I couldn't help myself. I was beyond exhilarated to see the Emperor's Coven up close.

The four masked figures raised their cloaks and spoke in unison, "Come all, the Emperor's Coven awaits you!" They then shielded themselves with their cloaks and disappeared into thin air, leaving behind large blue bubbles to float around the arena. It was such a magnificent trick, I couldn't wait to do it someday.

I stood up and cheered along with the rest of the crowd, while Mother and Father remained seated with amused smiles instead. I jumped excitedly and turned to my sister, ready to pour all my excitement onto her and brag about how this was perfect for us. But to my surprise, I found her appearing uncertain and conflicted, her smile gone.

"Eda?" I spoke to her, "What's the matter?"

She shook her head and looked up at me, suddenly forcing the fakest smile I'd ever seen. "Nothing, I'm fine."

I raised a brow and sat next to her. "Eda, tell me what's on your mind. You know you can't hide anything from me." I said knowingly.

Edalyn let out a sigh as she looked over at the center. "Well, all these covens, they..seal away all other magic."

"Yes, but the Emperor's Coven allows many other kinds of magic. It's the most powerful coven." I assured her. I knew that she loved her magic, it was what made her who she was. She wasn't fond of the idea of sealing away all magic except one kind, which was why the Emperor's Coven was perfect for her!

She looked at me and barely scooted away from Mother and Father, so our conversation could be more private. "Yeah, but..this whole, show they're putting on...I don't know, it just seems sketchy." She said with suspicion and uncertainty, "I mean, isn't it weird how vague the description was? And that those guys were wearing masks to hide themselves?"

I shrugged, glancing to the side. "Well, yes, but that's the whole point. Father said it's exclusive. They keep all the good things for the members. And one day, that shall be us, right?" I asked with an anxious smile. I didn't like that Eda was having doubts about our future now. I couldn't explain it, but it gave me an unnerving, stomach-turning feeling inside.

She barely made eye contact with me and continued looking out into the arena. I could see in her face that she was definitely confused and concerned. I frowned briefly before I held her hand in mine, using my free hand to grab her chin and turn her head towards me. "Hey," I said softly, "Don't you worry about a thing. This is our future, it's going to be good for us. And if they don't want both of us, they'll have neither of us." I said firmly.

Eda smiled a bit, then glanced down. "Yeah, whatever. By the way, you might want to change your pants." She snorted.

I glanced down as well, my face turning red. "Damnit."