I Will Defy

by Rook837

"You're just another Ionian coward, too weak to stand on you own, but too proud to bow down. I can see it, plain as day, and now... everyone else can too." (Rated M for Intense Violence and Dark Content. Nothing Explicit)

18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

The grassy clearing is filled with the sounds of battle, minions slamming their weapons and throwing crackling orbs of energy at each other in smooth, precise chaos. The line of battle made by them is directly in the middle of my lane, and I step forward in my heavy armor, moving towards the enemy melee minions with purpose.

Sweat forms thousands of little droplets on my body, partly from exertion and partly from the heavy armor's heat. Well, technically this is all on my shell's body, but I guess that doesn't really matter. Perception is everything.

"Get ready," I say, the odd feeling of talking with one body while controlling two giving me silent shivers. "He'll bite in two seconds."

I swing my sword, my motions slowed by the armor, but I still manage to cut into one just before its health drops to zero, rewarding me with the killing gold. As I step back from the minions, Jackson suddenly emerges from a patch of tall brush close to me, his spear sparking with viridian energy.

Jackson stabs forward at me, his glaive sparking off my armored side as I jerk myself out of the way reflexively. The force is still enough to crush my armor painfully into my side, and I hear a shriek of metal. Jackson's lunge takes him slightly past me as his ability finishes pushing him forward, and I take advantage to quickly sheathe my katana, instantly bringing up an image in my mind of the framework for the spell I need.

Scarlet light explodes from my sheath and rips into the ground, and in another quick second I'm in my martial uniform, twisting to face Jackson as I do. He twirls his glaive, getting ready to stab at me again, but I slam my palm into his chest with a shout before he can, releasing a burst of energy.

My strike sends him skidding away from me, but he manages to recover quickly, twirling his glaive above his head and jumping at me. He makes up the distance I sent him back quickly with that ability, but I'm already on the move, heading sideways towards the river. I hear Jackson land with a slash of his spear right behind me, and his boots stomp against the ground to follow me.

Just as my sandaled feet splash into the water of the river, I see the large brush to my right rustle with movement. Seth steps out in a crouched position, unleashing a swing with his axe that sends a crescent wave of shadow energy in my direction. It passes through me like I don't even exist, and I look over my shoulder just in time to see Jackson blink in surprise. The crescent hits him right in the stomach, slicing into his armor and flesh as it pushes against him. The crescent shrinks to nothing as it uses up the entirety of its energy damaging Jackson, and it disappears with a sucking sound.

Jackson stumbles forward, obviously slowed by the attack, and I turn on my left heel, arching a kick with my right foot into his shoulder. He braces for the attack, but that makes no difference to how much health damage I do, dropping him down another few percent to around half health.

Seth walks forward, a shadowy and menacing afterimage hugging his form like a cloak of living darkness, and he draws back his axe to attack again. I bring my foot splashing back into the cool water of the shallow river, getting ready for a punch at him.

Jackson falls back into a wide-stanced crouch, drawing his glaive back so his right hand grips it near the hilt, and he holds his left hand out towards us in a fist. I blink in surprise, quickly turning my right hook into a strike against the ground, releasing sapphire energy just as Jackson's glaive stabs out towards us with a hungry green aura. Dozens of phantom glaives made of green energy mimic his thrust at us, creating a wall of death.

His phantom glaives strike me just as my clothes finish changing back into the plate armor, each striking with enough force to send me reeling backwards. My vision is filled with green light from Jackson's continuous barrage, but it's all I can do not to fall down as he charges ahead fearlessly, pushing me back further and further.

The stabs from the wall of glaives slam into my body painfully, each one sending a jolt of force and rattling the layers of armor on me painfully. I backstep wildly, pinwheeling my arms as I try not to fall into the mud and shallow water of the river. That leaves my face unprotected though, and I feel glaives hurtle by my head with sharp whistles. It's all I can do to jerk my head to avoid them as I all but fall backwards.

I snap my head to the left just as a phantom glaive flies dangerously close to my face, but my foot slips in the mud underneath me, sliding my body slightly to the right.

A gasp of pain escapes me as the glaive cuts a deep, burning line through my right cheek. I have all of a quarter second to recover before one last glaive come stabbing at my head, forcing me to twist my face to the left and pull my head backward. I'm just a little too slow, though, and the glaive grazes my left temple, the glaive flying past with a shriek of sound. A few strands of my black hair that it snagged spiral off, and I blink, turning back to my opponent.

The strikes seem to have stopped, and I take the moment to desperately try to find footing in the river, finally falling into an awkward crouch as I regain my balance. The spots of light begin fading from my vision, and I see Seth on one knee next to me, shaking his head and standing up with a grim expression on his face. My face burns, and I feel something hot spreading above my left eye and on my right cheek. Something thick and liquid falls into my left eye, and I close it, looking around blearily as I try to focus with just half my vision.

I see Seth glance at me quickly, his face setting into grim determination when he sees me. He rushes forward at Jackson, pulling his axe back for a strike as he goes. I try to stand, but I slip, my body throbbing with pain as it awkwardly responds. I hold out a hand to keep myself up, looking up at Seth and Jackson through my daze.

Seth reaches Jackson, bringing the momentum of his charge into a one-handed overhead swing. It crashes down into the shaft of Jackson's glaive with enough force to slide him away, and a second later, the mirror shadow image of Seth slashes down at Jackson with even more force, jarring his grip. Jackson twirls his glaive away, breaking the block and sending Seth stumbling back.

Seth steps forward again, flipping his unkempt hair out of his eyes and adjusting his handhold on his axe.

There's a sudden explosion of thick, black energy from right next to Seth, the wave of darkness washing over him and seemingly slowing his movement. From the center of the small explosion, Cody steps out with wide eyes and the slightest of grins on his face. He crouches down, holding out blades of condensed black energy to either side, and then he suddenly slides forward, more sickly energy engulfing him as he almost instantaneously dashes past Seth, a large cut opening up on his side and spraying crimson.

Seth stumbles slightly, looking down at his cut with a grim and slightly pained expression as he holds his left hand to it, slowing the bleeding. He holds his axe out to his side at an awkward angle, and I'm confused until Cody comes dashing by once again, his blade barely being parried off by Seth's well-placed axe.

I look up into Seth's eyes as he stumbles from the blow, and he meets my gaze for a second, giving me a reassuring nod.

A sudden burst of crimson and green erupts from his chest, and I let out a gasp as I see Jackson's glaive thrust through Seth's body. He stiffens for a second, but then his health bar reaches zero, and his eyes roll into the back of his head, his body falling to the ground as Jackson retracts his glaive.

I want to scream as I watch his body fall to the ground. It takes all that I have to remind myself it's just a shell, and Seth is safe. Still, a violent shudder wracks my body as he falls into the shallow river, scarlet stains spreading around his body.

It's just his shell.

Seth is fine.

He didn't actually die.

I need to focus.

I stand up with a jerky motion, my feet sliding in the mud as I do. I quickly wipe at my left eye, smearing the blood across my face so I can at least see my enemies. Cody and Jackson face me from their respective positions, readying their weapons. Cody's mouth widens into an actual smile now, and I see a glint in his eyes.

I blink.

That's all the time I need to prepare the ridiculously simple spell in my mind and release it. Only a spark of energy disappears from within me, creating the swirling sigil underneath me that will transform my armor. I feel a slight pull from the sigil, draining more of my energy as purple and golden light winks in and out of existence around me, leaving me in my black kimono.

I flick my sword from its sheath, releasing the small shockwave of purple energy in a circle around me. Jackson and Cody flinch in slight pain from the energy, and that's when I move. I imagine my muscles being filled with energy, being enhanced and filled to the brim with magic, and then I put will to my thoughts, making it a reality. I push energy into my body, my clothes humming in response as I do, and time suddenly screeches to a halt.

I dash forward, slashing my sword to either side and tagging both Jackson and Cody with cuts as I go. My dash ends just past them, a sudden explosion of sound marking the end of my spell. I flip around, now within range of both Cody and Jackson, and begin cutting both of them. I switch who I hit each time, taking advantage of my sword's momentum to keep up a continuous dance of singing metal that whispers through the air.

Three or four more cuts open up on each of their back before they turn to face me, bringing up their weapons to block my onslaught. Cody's shadow weapons flare at each hit, pieces of black energy falling off from the sheer force. Jackson's glaive sparks and shrieks with each parry, and he tries to disarm me with complicated twirls and spins.

I manage to escape through sheer speed, but it leaves me open as my continuous attacks are interrupted. Cody takes advantage, jumping into the air and spinning with his blades around him. I push more energy just in reflex, and time slows just as Cody's jump over me brings his blade inches from cutting into my face.

I slide underneath him, cutting him shallowly from belly to neck as I go, and I let the momentum of my dash carry me away from both of them, back to where I started. I let out a gasp as Cody lands, splashing into the water behind where I was standing seconds before. He lets out a snarl, spinning to face me along with Jackson, both of them looking severely disoriented by my speed.

I give them both a smile, hoping my blood covered face makes me look more fierce, and I quickly glance up at their health bars. Jackson's rests at an easy thirty percent while Cody's down to a low twenty. My own is at only forty percent, and I feel myself tense up.

One mistake here, and I may just receive my first death in a League match. The amount of damage the two of them can dish out together is probably enough to take me down. At best, I can take one down with me. I could try to run, but they might be able to catch me, giving them an all but free kill.

My heart beats loudly in my chest, sweat dripping down my face and mixing with the blood from my now magically healed cuts. Exhaustion has started creeping into my shell, partly due to the fact that I'm pushing my shell's inhibited physical abilities to the limit. Even if I achieved the max level, I doubt my shell would be as good as my body.

I'm tired, hurt, and alone. Nothing new, really, but still not a great spot to be in, especially in a two versus one.

So what do I do? Do I stand my ground, or do I run, hoping I can get away?

Before I can make another move, I suddenly see a form rise behind Cody and Jackson, a form made of living darkness and shadows, headless except for two pitch black flames floating in the air where his eyes should be.

The phantom is identical to Seth, except it's made completely out of blurred shadows, dripping like tar into the water. He pull his axe back, and then swings it in a horizontal arc, a solid crescent of darkness expanding out and slicing into the two of them. They shout in surprise and pain as it cuts into their backs, and I take advantage to move once more.

I condense energy within myself for a third time, my muscles beginning to ache from exertion, but I ignore the burning sensation, pushing the magic to course through my veins. Everything halts once more, and I take a quick look at Seth's phantom form, his head, well, his eyes anyway, seem to be turned slightly more towards Cody, whose health has dropped even more after Seth's crescent ability.

So, I turn towards Jackson, dashing by and opening up a cut along his arm. I skid to a halt, low to the ground and twisting it one hundred-eighty degrees to prepare a horizontal strike from left to right, Jackson turning to face me and blinking in surprise.

I spring up, putting even more force into the strike. Jackson takes the blow full on the haft of his glaive, and I almost manage to wrench it from his hands. Instead of trying to overpower him, I use my sword as leverage, pushing on my katana to spin myself around on my left foot, ducking low and sweeping my right leg as I go.

I feel a rush of air over my head, Jackson's glaive passing dangerously close as I cut him again, this time in the chest, and my sword's tip cuts through his leather armor with ease. I pop back up into my fighting stance, throwing a quick attack at his glaive to block his next attack. Boh our health bars start dropping as we start trading blows, a storm of sparks flying as we take turns parrying and attacking.

I don't even try to follow my own attacks. I don't need to, really. I just let my speed guide my strikes, always pivoting and turning my blade and body whichever way feels most natural. I do keep my eyes on Jackson's glaive, using my overwhelming and unnatural speed to fend off his attacks.

He may be stronger, more skilled, and an overall better fighter, but this isn't a fight. This is a match of power, and right now, my magic gives me the advantage.

So I push it, my vision blurring as I try to go faster and faster, striking with more force each time. Jackson tries using his thrust ability to stab through me, but the sluggish attack and recovery gives me time to get more and more free hits on him, opening paper cuts all along his body as I twist my own to evade his ability.

Green light cuts through my left side, leaving a burning sensation as I barely manage to slide out of the way. I flick my sword at his face in desperation, and he manages to pull his head back in time, escaping with only a small nick.

Still, any blow does the same damage so long as it hits, and it's finally enough to drop his health down to zero. There's a flash of light from his body as his eyes go glassy, and his shell drops to the ground. I let out a gasp, half in fatigue and half in surprise. My legs shake, but I force myself to flick my sword into a neutral ready position, holding it with both unsteady hands as I turn to my right, facing Cody and Seth.

Seth stands in scarlet stained water, his shadowy form poised over Cody's motionless body. His axe shines red, and I follow the dripping blood to the ground, where I see the stump of Cody's neck, his head severed and lying somewhere in the muck. Seth's form slowly straightens, and light appears from Cody's body, swirling towards and around Seth's shadow clad form. The light seems to disintegrate the shadows, and it leaves Seth standing in the river exhausted but alive.

He should be gone, but his ultimate allows him to defy death for a short period of time, reviving him as a shadowy revenant to extract vengeance. If he manages to take down an enemy with a special ability only activatable in that form, Decapitate, he gets revived with a low health bar. I know because I helped him finalize the design on that ability.

I swallow, looking away from the water and back to Seth as he walks towards me, giving me a nod.

"You okay?" He asks, shifting his eyes across the battlefield warily.

I give him a nod, barely able to keep myself standing upright.

"That was a little too close," I say with a sigh, shifting on my shaking legs gingerly as fatigue continues to sap my strength. "You should probably-"

Everything flickers ever so slightly, a sudden burst of motion from everything at the same time that leaves me dizzy, and then the sound of the world around me suddenly stops with complete and utter finality. Everything is suspended in perfect stillness, like it's completely frozen.

Then I feel the familiar but still jarring motion of my consciousness being suddenly snapped from the league match, leaving me with the overwhelming feelings of my body in the real world. My body's weight, the feeling of actually being in only one place and not split between two, and the slight exertion from keeping up the spell all smash into my mind, instantly flooding it with completely different sensations and overriding my previous ones I had in my shell.

I let out a gasp, my vision swimming with the new colors and images suddenly appearing. My muscles suddenly reporting to me with their full sensations. My balance wavers, and I stumble, desperately trying to keep myself on my feet. I draw in a quick, surprised breath of the cool underground air, dropping the summoning orb I was holding onto the ground.

I manage to keep myself upright somehow, and as I begin processing what's actually happening, I see Seth, Molly, Xander, and Alex all staggering and getting up from the ground groggily. The orbs roll on the ground, their iridescent glow lost without our concentration. The others slowly push themselves off the ground, standing up on shaky legs, and I realize I was the only one not to fall down by some small miracle.

"What?" Alex asks, slurring the word and blinking his eyes in confusion.

I squint, trying to ignore the intense motion blur that accompanies even the smallest turn of my head, and I try to make my brain process what's going on. I hear the loud, grinding sound of the heavy door to our summoning room, and I look blearily with everyone else. I vaguely recognize Dumont standing there, his bald head and goatee being the only distinguishable features I can make out besides his usual dark brown robe.

"Everyone, please stay here for a moment," Dumont says, his voice calm and uninterested. "It would seem our connection to the League's magic network was disrupted. I will go find out what is going on and be back shortly."

He leaves as suddenly as he came, his robe flapping behind him as he goes. I look around at the others, my vision slowly coming into it's usual focus. They seem to be recovering fairly quickly too, and I feel the sensation of my muscles and skin begin to fade to its usual and almost imperceptible state.

"Wait," Xander says, moving his jaw a few times. "What just happened?"

"Our connection to the League's network must have been disrupted somehow," I say, my mind beginning to click the pieces and words together.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The League controls and hosts all of the matches played," I say, struggling to find the right words through my fuzzy thoughts. "Only they have the exact network of spells and crystals to properly create the aether and shells we use. Anywhere that's not the Institute of War where the actual framework physically is has to connect to it. It's sort of improvised ley lines, sending magical energy back and forth as information."

"That's possible?" Xander asks, scrunching his eyebrows. "To create an artificial ley line?"

"Yeah," I say rubbing the back of my neck. "The thing is, it requires a bunch of energy, and that energy all has to be stored. Normally gems or crystals work best…"

"Like the crystals we saw being carried in that one day we were in the city?" Alex asks, snapping his fingers."

"Yes," I say slowly, thinking it over. "But they probably already had one set up for the other students. If I were to hazard a guess, they were probably using those to make a more stable network, probably expanding the current network to the ley lines in Ionia to make it more powerful."

"How does that help it have a stronger connection?" Molly asks, looking lost.

"Think of it like talking," I say. "The network of spells here has to be able to hear and receive the information from the League's network. Then it also has to be able to talk back and give the information of what we are trying to do. Basically the stronger the network, the louder the information get shared and the better chance of it being delivered quickly and correctly."

Molly nods, looking thoughtful.

"That's insane," Alex says, shaking his head. "I mean, think of everything that has to be shared between the two. Our sensations, thoughts, movements, abilities, and every constant thing we do has to be given and coincide with what the League is trying to tell is happening. How is that even possible?"

I smile at him.

"Magic," I say, wiggling my fingers mysteriously with a light smile, and he laughs. "Seriously, though, that's why the League has only one central location with the framework. It's not that they are being possessive or anything, it's just that the underground of the Institute of War is the only place with enough crystals and connecting ley lines to create it. I mean, they're creating another world basically, even if it is just one for our consciousnesses."

"I never really thought of it like that," Xander says with a frown. "I mean, it just sounds so Insane."

I shrug, rolling my shoulders a little to regain feeling. I honestly never thought it was that weird or strange considering magic is basically just a manifestation of will. If we can imagine ourselves doing things that we aren't doing, then why is it so strange that we would be able to manifest those worlds and places into something we can fully immerse our thoughts in? It's basically just making a thought-world or even dream-world become more tangible.

The door reopens, pulling me from my thoughts, and I see Dumont reappear, an annoyed look on his face.

"It looks like we will be unable to continue our match," Dumont sighs. "As some of you may have noticed, we have have construction going on in the forest area. We're trying to add more crystals to the existing network to connect more ley lines to the academy. However, it appears the miners made a small mistake in their planning."

"A small mistake?" Xander asks questioningly.

"They broke through part of the academy and destroyed some major runes transferring energy to the summoning rooms here," Dumont answers with a sigh. "So when you see a giant hole in the cafeteria, don't be too shocked at their incompetence."

I blink, frowning at his words as my classmates chuckle. Something doesn't quite seem right about that. I mean, sure, it explains the large machinery I saw when I fought Sadon in the woods and all the equipment they shipped in, but for them to make that big of a mistake… I mean they dug into part of the academy. The normal accuracy and discipline of Noxians doesn't allow for such massive mistakes, or even if it does, heads usually end up rolling. Literally.

So how does a highly planned and careful operation to enhance a crystal network to reach into ley lines get mess up so badly?

"Anyway, it looks like we will be unable to reestablish the network connection until tomorrow," Dumont says, rolling his eyes. "You have the rest of today to rest while I inform the team that when I say they need to dig deep, I mean into the earth, not the academy."

He shakes his head, mumbling some creative sounding curse words and threats as he leaves. There's a few more chuckles, and Molly lets out a tired sigh.

"Well I don't know about you guys," Molly says, rubbing her eyes. "But I'm going to take this moment to catch up on some much needed shut eye. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Xander says, a tired grin forming.

I start heading out with them, following the group out of the room. I'm the last exit, right behind Alex, and he stops in the doorway, looking at me with a grin.

"Hey, Aria," he says. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of the whole splitting my focus thing. Do you think you could train me a little more, though? You know, just so I'm prepared for the next match."

"Sure," I say, ignoring the slight apprehension biting at the back of my mind. "How about we go to the classroom area, and I'll show you a few more tricks."

"Sounds great," he says, visibly relieved.

We walk to the study room together, and while we do, I force myself to ignore the apprehension, the biting nervousness. Inaction will get me nowhere here. If I have any hope of surviving, I can't be afraid to take risks, if this can even be considered that. I'm helping an ally which, in the long run, is only going to strengthen my League team. Nothing I'm about to teach him can backfire against me.

This is the safe choice. For once, helping a Noxian is the best thing I could do.

So I will. Just like I did when I got him and the others the books. I'll teach them, and then I'll see what they do with my help. How they use it. It's a test, of what, I'm not sure, but that's okay. Whatever it is, their humanity or something else, I need to know just how much of it they have, just how Noxian my allies really are.

This isn't a risk. It's a necessity. One that I can take.

So I will. I'll take the risk, because deep down, I hope I'm right about Alex and the others. I hope they really are as good as they seem. That they really aren't completely Noxian. That they could be my friends, even if I can never let them that close.

I just hope that I'm not wrong. Please. Don't let me be wrong.

---

"I think that about covers it," I say with a sigh, getting up from the floor in the classroom and stretching.

"So you really think this will help me?" Alex asks, rolling his neck and also standing up.

"Definately," I answer back with a nod. "I know meditating seems weird, but it really does help with your concentration. It should show you how to selectively focus"

"Which will help me focus less on pain during the League matches," Alex says, snapping his fingers. "Right, okay. Makes sense."

Something in his voice seems a little disappointed, and I wince.

"Sorry," I say, rubbing my arm. "There's not really any surefire way or anything…"

"Nah, I get it," Alex says with a sigh. "It's just one of those annoying things that comes with practice. I'll get it. Thanks for all the help, Aria. It really does mean a lot."

"It's no problem," I say quickly, looking away from his serious gaze. "I just wish-"

The door opens, creaking loudly enough to interrupt my words, and I look over as Seth enters the room.

"Aria?" He asks, eyes flicking around the room quickly until they land on me. "Molly's looking for…"

He trails off as he finally sees Alex, and I see him tense up, his jaw slowly closing around his words. His eyes snap between me and him quickly, and I can all but see the calculations and thoughts behind his gaze. The air seems to thicken with the tension, and I hardly dare to breathe at the intensity behind the silence.

Alex crosses his arms, looking away from Seth. I try to open my mouth to say something, to diffuse the silent feud between the two, but nothing comes out. Nothing I can say can clear the bad blood between the two, and nothing can explain the situation except the truth, something I can't share. I shift my eyes away.

All of this, over Alex trying to protect his sister, and I can't say a word. No matter how bad it gets between them, especially lately with Seth's frosty glares and short remarks to Alex, I can say nothing. I'm helpless to ease their pain, to do anything but play along, to watch as the conflict rages on.

Just like I have been my whole life.

"Can I talk to you?" Seth finally asks, his crisp words cutting through the stillness. "Privately?"

I give a shaky nod, moving to step away from Alex.

"No."

The word rings out, raspy but sure, and it's enough to make me stop, blinking as I turn to Alex with wide eyes. He stands there, looking at Seth with a determined expression touched with something else, sadness, maybe, and he shakes his head slowly.

"No. I think it's time we stopped sneaking behind each other's backs and talked about this openly. I'm tired of fighting in the shadows."

My heart starts racing, half in surprise and half in fear as I realize just how bad things have gotten between the two. The distrust, the silent strife, and the constant competition have finally pushed the two towards confrontation, even if they both are on the same side. I open my mouth to interrupt, to diffuse the situation, but I'm too slow.

"She is not part of this," Seth says, his words firm but barely louder than a whisper. "Don't drag her into our fight."

"Whatever you have to say to her about me," Alex insists, putting weight behind his words. "You can say to my face."

They stare at each other, and I can feel the electric anger in the air radiating from Seth like a storm. Alex's silent bastion contrasts with it, creating an invisible war of will between the two. I swallow, my throat suddenly dry.

If I don't do something, this could be bad.

Really bad.

"Look," I say weakly, looking quickly between the two. "We can't…"

I trail off as I see Seth's eyes. They burn. Not with raging hate, but with something more dangerous, the quiet, subtle flames that consume mind and soul. He believes with all his heart that Alex wronged him. Hurt him. Even more than that, Alex hurt what he wanted to protect.

And that's not something that someone forgets.

"Fine," Seth says, his words crisp. "I'll say it then."

He steps over to me, looking down at me. His dark hair that once was cleanly cut has grown sloppy, becoming messy enough to lend a few stray hairs to veil his face. He looks at me, and when he does his dark eyes seem to soften.

"Aria," He says, his voice quiet. "You need to stop helping him."

"Oh come on," Alex says, shaking his head.

"Do you remember our conversation, Aria?" Seth asks, ignoring Alex.

People can turn on each other in a second . . . It's ingrained in our bones, to do anything to win.

The words from the beach come back to me, and I shiver. I know it's true, but… this is… different…

Isn't it?

I give a simple nod, my throat too tight to speak. Seth lets out a quiet breath of relieved understanding.

"You helping him is only hurting you. Every second you waste on him you could be using to make yourself stronger. You've barely survived this long, and you can't afford a distraction right now. I don't say this out of anything but truth, Aria. You can not waste time on him."

"Seth," I say, struggling for words. "He asked for my help…"

"I know, Aria, I know," Seth says, his words gaining strength. "You see someone in pain, something you know all too well. What you need to see, though, is that he isn't your friend. He's your enemy, just like everyone else here. We all end at each other's throats eventually. It's just the way this place is, and he's no different. He's your biggest enemy here, Aria, because you want to make him stronger. You don't know him, but I do, and believe me when I say he will turn on you."

"Why do you hate me?"

The words echo through the air, and I blink, turning from Seth to Alex. He stands there, his fists clenched and head slightly lowered. His face is neutral as stone, but his eyes say it all. They show the pain. The loneliness. Even Seth seems stunned, too wrapped up in our conversation to see his reactions until now.

"I asked you a question," Alex says, saying the words slowly, steadily. "Why do you hate me? I mean, that's why you're doing this, right? Because you have a grudge against me for something I didn't even do."

Something in Seth changes at Alex words. The softness, the almost pleading tone disappears from him completely. His muscles clench back up, and something dark enters his tone.

"I'm doing this," Seth says slowly, his words ice in the air. "Because I'm tired of seeing innocent people get hurt."

"And what?" Alex says, a look of disgust on his face. "I'm not innocent? Because I tried to help you and it backfired? Because someone hurt both of us?"

Seth looks at him, taking a slow deep breath and letting it out as the silence passes.

"You are drawing her into a world she doesn't belong in," Seth says, his voice strained. "Our world. It's cruel, and cold, and above all else calculating. People like her, like Molly and Xander, they don't deserve that."

"And I do?" Alex asks, raising his voice. "Because you don't like me? Because I was born in the wrong nation? To the wrong family? Because of things that aren't my fault and things I can't control?"

Seth lets out something akin to a snarl, and steps up to Alex. Seth's body is rigid, a container of barbed wire barely containing the rage inside.

"No," Seth growls, "You deserve it because you're a parasite. You feed off others to get stronger, and if the time should ever come to help them in return, you just leave them to rot."

"I'm asking a friend for help!" Alex shoots back, his frustration turning to anger.

"You're using her," Seth spits out, words dripping with contempt. "Just like you used everyone else to keep yourself safe. This story has already played out once, and I know how it ends. I will not let you bring down anyone else because you can't be strong on your own!"

"What, do you want me to apologize for being weak?" Alex asks, gnashing his teeth. "Is that it? You want me to admit that you're stronger than me? Fine! I'm sorry I have to rely on others! I'm sorry I thought I could try and do something good!"

"That is not what this is about!" Seth yells, eyes flashing.

"Then what do you want from me?" Alex asks, shouting back.

"I want you to pay for what you've done," Seth seethes, staring right into Alex's eyes. "I want you to deal with the consequences and not slide them off onto someone else!"

Silence echoes after Seth's words. He stands there, looking at Alex in almost disgust. Alex just fumes silently, his face contorted into a sneer. They stand there for awhile, staring, and then Seth shakes his head, turns, and starts walking away, heading for the door.

"You mean like you're doing right now?" Alex asks, his words dark, and Seth stops in his tracks, turning only his head.

Through the stray hairs I see his eyes, darker than a starless night.

"What?" Seth whispers, something dangerous in his voice.

"You heard me," Alex spits, his eyes shining. "You can pretend to be as noble as you want, but when it comes down to it, this is just you taking out your anger on me because you were too weak and cowardly to help Illyria yourse-"

I barely see Seth move, a dark blur of precision hate and intent, and there's a loud crunch. I see Alex fall backwards, blood arching from his nose as he falls to the ground, landing in a sitting position. He quickly reaches a hand to his nose as blood gushes out, staining his face.

I let out a gasp, almost taking a step to stand between the two, but a sudden stillness takes hold of everyone in the room, including me. Seth stands there, still, his fist still outstretched to where it connected with Alex's face, breathing quickly. He looks down at Alex, slowly relaxing his stance until he simply stands over him, his eyes wide and shaking.

"Don't ever say that name," Seth seethes, his clenched hands shaking.

Alex slowly stands, shaking his head in disgust.

"What happened doesn't just haunt you, Seth," Alex spits back, clutching his nose. "It haunts me too. Every day. So stop putting your blame on me, and deal with the consequences of what happened."

I look between the two, the beginnings of a dozen insufficient words forming in my mouth, making barely a whimper of sound. Helplessness seeps into my bones, choking the air in my throat. I can only stare at the two as they blame each other for the pain that belongs to themselves, and… I do nothing. I don't know how to help them, how to end a conflict that exists for a perfectly good reason.

I clench my hands around my arms, hugging myself tightly as my heart pounds in the silence.

Seth breaks it first.

"Tomorrow," he begins, his eyes sharp, "During our match, I'm going to do my best to make sure our team wins, but from now on, this is war. I will duel you every chance I get, I will take away your points one by one, and I won't stop until you're gone. That's how I'll deal. I'll make sure you never hurt anyone again."

"I never hurt anyone in the first place!" Alex snarls, spitting flecks of blood.

"Even if that were true, everything you did led to what happened!"

"Read my lips! I didn't do anything!"

That's when I notice it, the fact that Seth has been holding something back this whole time, avoiding saying something by using the same argument over and over. It never made sense to me, that Seth would suddenly rekindle his conflict with Alex. After all, to me he always seemed to be a Noxian who was tempered by logic when he didn't beat up Seth because he had no proof. Most wouldn't let that stop them. So Seth wouldn't just start trying to keep Alex from me and the rest unless…

...Unless he had an entirely different reason for hating him besides his suspicion about what really happened with that girl, Illyria.

"Oh?" Seth asks, something in his tone finally snapping. "So everyone who said that you were the one to talk to, that you had the power to convince anyone because you had connections everywhere was just, what, a coincidence? It just happened by itself?"

A cold chill settles on me as everything suddenly makes sense. Seth never tried to get retribution on Alex before, and the conflict only started up when Alex started becoming friendly with the rest of us. Seth's recent anger isn't about him suddenly having proof or deciding Seth directly hurt that girl Illyria, it's about Alex doing what Seth knows he did before, the thing that he thinks Alex is definitely guilty of: having and depending on allies, even if it cost others.

"I-I didn't start those rumors," Alex says weakly.

"You didn't stop them," Seth retorts, eyes narrowing. "You knew those rumors would protect you, and when I foolishly believed them and came to you for help, you were too scared to tell me the truth."

Alex bites clenches his teeth and looks away, saying nothing.

"Tell me I'm wrong," Seth pushes.

Alex lets out a shaky breath, looking up with teary eyes.

"I never meant to hurt anyone," Alex manages to choke out.

"But people got hurt all the same. Just like you're going to end up hurting Aria, or Molly, or Xander, or Devon. You put self-preservation first, just like any other Noxian, no matter what you pretend."

"I'm just trying to survive," Alex mumbles numbly, looking at his bloody hands.

"I know," Seth says, "And I don't care, because you're a monster no matter what I think you did. I won't take vengeance, not for something I have no proof you did, but I sure as void won't let you keep hurting people when I can clearly see you doing it."

"I'm not trying to…" Alex starts, but stops as Seth slams his hand against the wall.

"You're not listening to me," Seth says. "Either you're a deceptive piece of trash who ordered Illyria's torture, or you're a disgusting parasite feeding off the strength of everyone around you until you drain them dry, until they get hurt in your place. Either way, I will end this. I can't get my revenge for the first option, but I sure as void can get justice for the second."

They stare at each other as the silence stretches on until Seth finally shakes his head in disgust and turns away, walking towards me.

"I've done nothing wrong," Alex whispers, his voice wavering in doubt, "You monster."

"No, I'm not," Seth says, his stride never breaking, "And yes, you have."

He reaches me and stops, taking a few breaths, as if composing himself. His hands constantly twitch, his one set of knuckles still fresh with blood.

"Aria," He starts, his voice startlingly gentle. "You have to see what he's doing. He could have asked anyone for help, but he chose you, the person that is constantly being targeted. Whether he realizes it or not, he's taking your power to add to his own, and that will lead to you getting kicked out. He's Noxian through and through and he's always competing, trying to win, playing an angle, even if he doesn't want to admit it. He's using you just like he used everyone else back at his school. The only thing he cares about is himself. This isn't about me getting back at him, it's just me trying to protect you, to protect all of us, even if it means hurting him."

Something inside of me snaps, and anger starts bubbling in my veins. I don't know where it comes from, if it's just me hating the whole situation or something else. All I know is I suddenly feel like I'm on fire, and I need to release it somehow.

"No monster thinks that they're a monster," I blurt out, my words sharp enough to cut.

Shame floods through me the second the words leave my mouth, and I look away, but not before I see him blink in surprise, his face twitching ever so slightly with a hint of hurt. I hear him take a deep, shaky breath as I try to figure out a way to take back the words, to apologize, but he breaks the silence before I can.

"I'll take that risk," I hear him say hoarsely.

I hear his steps as he leaves, opening and closing the door with the faintest of sounds.

For awhile, I just stand there, a mix of shame, embarrassment, and helplessness mixing inside of me.

I don't know what to do. I've managed so far by keeping everyone distant but now… now I have to make a choice. Do I keep my distance and forsake Alex for just surviving, for doing what I've been doing this whole time?

Or do I help a Noxian, people who have proven they are all monsters in one way or another?

Do I dare risk what might happen again?

I shiver, looking at Alex. He walks over to me, giving me a wavering, weak smile.

"Are you okay?" I ask, my words whispers in the loud silence.

"Yeah," he says, laughing, a hint of hysteria seeping in. "My nose already stopped bleeding."

"That's not-" I begin.

"I should go," He interrupts, taking a step away, not catching my gaze.

"Alex, wait," I say, fumbling over my words, and he stops just at my side, looking at me with one shrouded eye. "Why don't… if you just told him… about your sister…"

He chuckles, giving a helpless shrug.

"I think we're a little past that," he says, gesturing to his scarlet face. "Besides… he… I'm sorry, Aria, but he's going to find any reason to hate me. First because I arranged the duel to be that bad for Illyria, and now because I tried to gain enough allies to keep myself safe… with the pain he's in, I don't think any reason I can give is going to matter, and… I guess I don't really know if he's wrong."

I bite my lip, looking away. He did it to protect someone, to protect family, to protect his little sister.

But does that really change Seth's assessment of him?

Guilt instantly hits me at that thought. Of course it does. What wouldn't anyone do to protect their family? I've never seen anyone besides Noxians forsake their own blood… which is why Alex seems less and less like one to me every day…

"You believe me, though, right?"

I look up at Alex in surprise, my thoughts interrupted by his quivering words. He looks at me, desperation in his eyes, and I can't look away, not from so much pain.

"That I would never purposefully hurt you," Alex says, tears entering his eyes and voice. "That I'm not a parasite, not a coward. That I'm just trying to be a friend."

He reaches out his unbloodied left hand gently to grasp my shoulder, as if to reassure himself as well as me of his words.

Something in his motion manages to surprise me, startling me and making my heart skip a beat, and I reflexively pull away before I can even think about stopping myself.

My eyes widen, and I stop breathing.

Alex stands there, hand outstretched for support and laying on nothing but air. His eyes get big, and he lets out a few choked, unbelieving sounds. He retracts his arm slowly, grasping his other elbow across his chest while his bloody hand remains limp, twitching.

"Oh," he gasps, his lips trembling.

"Alex, no," I say quickly, the words catching in my tight throat. "It's not that I don't believe-"

"It's alright," he whispers, looking at the ground, his long blond hair covering his face. "I wouldn't trust me either."

He walks away quickly while I stand there, trying to say something, to do anything, but I only remain still, stuck in pain. I hear the door open and close, and I look at the ground.

Drops of smeared blood mar the floor, transforming the once peaceful atmosphere of the classroom into something heavier, something darker.

I walk over to the wall and lay my back against it, sliding down until I don't have to stand anymore, until I don't have to hold up my own weight, and I stare at the blood, my heart slamming in my chest painfully.

I stare at the blood.

---

Aria,

I know you still probably don't want to talk to me, but I really miss you sister. It really hurts me knowing I hurt you. I hope you can forgive me someday.

Anyway, this is going to be a shorter letter. I just wanted to tell you Zane wrote to me a few days ago and he seems to be doing better. I've asked a few of my friends about what mining company he could be working for, and they should be able to figure it out based on the details he's provided, just so we can keep an eye on him and make sure he's safe.

Also… things have been a little rough for me. Things have been odd recently, so the Rune Guard has had me investigating. I'm not supposed to get into details, so I'll stay on the vague side.

There's been four incidents of Voidborn wiping out entire groups of people, all within the past few weeks. It's hard to tell exactly when they happened because of the condition they left the bodies in, and they were all in isolated areas. Of course, things can't be easy for me, and all the victims, almost fifty in all, are Ionian. If that weren't infuriating enough, the Noxian guards in the area have been less than forthcoming. As far as they are concerned, dead Ionians are the best kind of Ionians, even if one of them might be the next target of the Voidborn.

I was hoping you could ask Fairfax to reach out and get them to be more cooperative. Also, I'm kind of lost here. I mean, you were always good with this kind of magical stuff, but I just can't see why Voidborn would stray from their usual tactics of hunting down one or two people. I could really use your help and insight.

I really wish you were here. I just feel useless, always arriving too late to make a real difference. Besides that, there's a dozen things bothering me about this that I can't quite put my finger on, and I'm sure if you were here we'd be able to figure it out. Some things just don't add up… argh, it's driving me crazy.

Anyway, I would really appreciate any insights you can spare. I know you're probably busy beating all those weaker mages and showing them just how good you are time and time again, (a thought that continues to make me laugh and smile as I imagine their surprised faces) but if you have time I could use your help. And… well I miss you. A lot.

Stay strong, little sis,

Akira

I put away the letter, rubbing my temples once again as a slight headache threatens. It's not like I've forgotten how much I miss my family, no matter how Zane, Akira, and I left things, but the feeling is just so pervasive that I barely noticed it anymore. Sort of like breathing, I had gotten used to the constant pangs of loneliness.

I shake my head, grabbing the two letters I wrote, one to Akira and one to Fairfax to request his aid. I don't want to ask him where someone might overhear considering all he's already done for me, but slipping a letter under his door should be low key enough.

Besides, I needed something to do. Something to try and lull me to sleep.

Something to try and make me forget.

I walk out of my room and lock it behind my, shivering as the cool air bites through my simple nightgown and loose pants. My feet making a little pitter patter sound against the stone as I walk, going up the stairs that lead to the cafeteria. Instead of entering, I instead go to the other door marked as the teacher's living quarters, and open it.

It's a long hallway that curves, doors lining either side of it. I quickly, trying to remain quiet as I read the plaques on each door. I find Fairfax's six doors in, and I quietly slip the two letters under the door, holding my breath as I do so.

I don't know what I expected, but nothing happens, and I let out a quiet sigh, heading back to my room and closing the door to the hallway behind me silently. Before I can walk down the stairs, I stop, looking at the door to the cafeteria.

I never did get to see that giant hole that interrupted our match earlier…

That's when I hear a faint sound. I frown, straining my ears. It seems to be coming from the cafeteria, so I walk closer, cracking open the door as quietly as I can, peeking inside. It looks odd being so empty, and the dark cavern forces my eyes to adjust.

Two figures stand in the middle of the room, the huge hole in the lunchroom looming behind them ominously. It takes me a second, but when I finally recognize them I stop breathing.

Sadon and Dumont stand ten paces away from each other, facing the other with a tension I recognize. Before I fully realize what I'm doing, I'm straining my hearing, pushing energy and creating a spell with my will to hear what they're saying.

"Are you sure we should be talking somewhere so… open?" Sadon asks, trying to pass off as nonchalant, but I hear the wariness in his tone.

"Yes," Dumont says gruffly. "After all, If I have to kill you I would like to do so in a place where I won't end up destroying the academy."

I almost let out a gasp, covering my mouth with a hand quickly as the two stand, silently looking at the other.

"Excuse me?" Sadon says, his words dripping with venom.

"You didn't think you could honestly keep it from me, did you?" Dumont asks, sounding unconcerned at Sadon's malice. "That I wouldn't figure out what your plan was?"

"If I remember correctly," Sadon says slowly, as if talking to a child, "This was part of the deal. Don't try to tell me you were honestly ignorant of what was going to happen here in exchange for the funding you needed. Old man, you made this deal, not me, and it's almost time to pay up."

Dumont doesn't so much as move. He doesn't have to. A sudden force seems to fill the air, making it heavier with sheer magical power. I see Sadon stiffen, clenching his fists as the force intensifies, making it hard to even breathe. The sheer force of Dumont's will fills the cavern, so strong I can feel what can only be described as killing intent from even where I stand.

"Talk to me like that again," Dumont says, his tone still just as calm. "And I don't care who your master is, boy. I am your elder and your superior here. I am in charge here. Do. Not. Forget. That."

Sadon winces slightly, almost as if in pain, and bows his head slightly, in concession.

"Apologies," he says, spitting the words out.

The force in the air disappears as quickly as it appeared, and Dumont gives a slight nod, accepting through Sadon's obvious scorn.

"I am no fool," Dumont continues, hardly missing a pace. "Nor am I blind. Good Noxians always have a plan…"

"...and the best Noxians always have plans," Sadon says, finishing the saying.

"And I've figured out your true goal," Dumont says. "I know what you really want to achieve here."

Sadon stares rigidly, saying nothing.

"You're playing a dangerous game, boy," Dumont says, drawing his words out.

"Possibly," Sadon concedes, choosing his words slowly and carefully. "But it's high time for change, for Noxus to be strong again, and you and I both know it will only stagnate the way it is right now."

"Think carefully," Dumont pushes. "This isn't a game you can lose and live to learn from."

"The enemy would have to figure out what game is being played first," Sadon responds. "Something that took even you this long to figure out, and you're the only one with the experience and information to figure it out."

"Maybe," Dumont says. "Maybe not."

"This plan will work," Sadon insists, shaking his head. "It has too many layers supporting each other for it not to. No matter how it plays out, no one can possibly stop all of them."

"You could be right," Dumont nods. "That is, no one could stop you in time unless they already had it figured it out. Someone like me."

Sadon's flinches, his hands clenching.

"I told you I'm not a fool," Dumont continues, ignoring him. "Which is why you must also know that now that I know what you're going to do, if you were to betray me, to tie up 'loose ends,' I've made sure everything would be let out."

Silence stretches, and then I see Sadon give a wolfish grin.

"We expected nothing less," Sadon says. "But you have nothing to worry about. We kept up our end of the deal, so you keep up yours. You got your academy, didn't you?"

"I've been playing this game long enough to know when to keep quiet," Dumont acknowledges. "And I'm not about to go against someone with as much power as your master. I just had to see how smart your master really was."

"Ah," Sadon says in realization. "This wasn't about confronting me. It was about seeing my reaction."

"I had to make sure we were on the same page," Dumont says. "That you wouldn't try to take me out if I knew the truth."

"So you brought me here," Sadon says, gesturing to the cafeteria. "A place where it would be a fair fight, something you and I both know I can't win."

"More or less," Dumont agrees. "But I also wanted to give your master a message."

"Oh?"

"If you ever try to cross me, to conceal something from me again, I don't care how smart or powerful he is. I will do everything in my power to take him down."

"Tough words," Sadon says gleefully. "No offense, but you and I both know it's too late to stop us. I understand the tough guy act, I do. I know you're trying to save some face, to throw one last punch to get yourself out of a corner, to show you still have some say in the situation."

Dumont says nothing, and Sadon lets out a laugh.

"Lighten up. There's a place for you and your talents. Just because we outplayed you doesn't mean we plan on making an enemy out of you. We won against you this time, but the next we won't have to because you will be on our side. Even you, someone part of the old guard, won't go up against us when this is all over."

"But it isn't over yet, is it?" Dumont says, getting a chuckle from Sadon.

"Your part is," Sadon says, clearly enjoying this. "You're cornered. You've lost, Dumont. Your noble ideals just don't have a place anymore. It was a good fight, but it's time to admit defeat. Otherwise… well, you may just end up with the rest of the losers, something a survivor like you can even recognize as a bad move."

Sadon walks, heading towards one of the doors exiting the cafeteria.

"You've lost, Dumont," Sadon yells as he leaves. "If you truly have figured out all our plans then you have to know you can't do anything without us being able to destroy you. So drop the ideals and join the winning side. We both know you're a survivor not a fighter. You go with the flow, you always have, and that's why he picked you. Your bluff here was a good one, but it just didn't work out."

Sadon opens the door and exits, leaving Dumont alone in the cafeteria.

He shakes his head, letting out a growl.

"Arrogant little prick," Dumont sighs, shaking his head as he begins moving towards a different door, all but slamming it shut behind him as he leaves.

I stand there, letting the enhanced hearing spell fade as my nerves tingle in equal parts fear and confusion.

What the void was that about?

I get that Dumont was trying to fight his way out of some corner that Sadon put him in, but what did they mean by plans? What did Dumont exactly do? Who is this other person Sadon works for, the master Dumont mentioned?

And why do I feel like something very bad is about to happen?

I open the door further, stepping into the room as I try to sort through my thoughts. The big empty space is perfect for me, and so I walk slowly stopping in front of the big hole in the room that opens up to a long tunnel that leads who knows where.

That master must have been the other person Sadon was talking to in the woods the day he tortured me. That is, assuming Sadon was one of the cloaked figures, something I think is a safe bet. Why else would he have been out there and able to find me so quickly?

So that just leaves the conversation. What exactly is Sadon planning? It has to complicated if it was able to hide from Dumont so long, especially considering how intelligent he always came across to me, and complicated means dangerous.

Secret meetings, a threat by the academy's headmaster in a desperate attempt to stop something, and a mastermind who was able to outsmart Dumont and control Sadon.

Just what is going on in this academy?

"Aria?" a soft voice asks. "Is that you?"

I jump in the shattered silence, bringing my magic to bear and focusing my thoughts on a catch-all defensive spell as I spin around in surprise, lifting a hand in preparation to release my magic.

A skinny, young looking girl with medium length black hair jumps in surprise, raising her hands defensively.

"S-sorry," She stammers. "I didn't mean to startle you."

I look closer at the girl wearing simple pajamas, and it takes another second before I recognize her as Molly's friend I was introduced to before our first run.

"Anna?" I say in surprise, lowering my hand slowly but not letting of my spell.

"Just Ann," She says with a bright smile. "After all, my friends call me Ann, and any friend of Molly's is a friend of mine."

"Right," I say, trying to calm myself as I eye her suspiciously.

"It's nice to see you again after so long," She says cheerily, seemingly oblivious. "Could you not sleep either?"

I raise an eyebrow, and she giggles.

"I come up here occasionally too when I can't sleep, you know, just to clear my head" She says. "I thought I was the only one, but I guess great minds think alike, right?"

"I guess so," I say, letting go of a little more power. She may be Molly's friend, but I'm not exactly going to leave myself defenseless in the middle of the night while I'm alone.

"Wow," She whispers, looking past me at the hole. "They really did miss their mark, didn't they?"

"Yeah," I say slowly. "It's pretty complicated work, though."

"That's true," Ann says thoughtfully, brushing back a strand of hair. "I mean, they have to not only make tunnels in the dark but also have to create ley lines that will work. I mean, how do they get a sense of direction when they have no reference points? Geez, I do not envy them. How have you been doing?"

I blink, trying to adjust to her sudden shift in topics. I shouldn't be thrown considering Molly's equally bubbly personality, but it's still a little weird to see a Noxian act like that.

"Fine," I say quickly, wincing at the obvious forcefulness I say it, but Ann doesn't seem to notice, nodding her head happily.

"That's good," She says, worry entering her voice. "And… what about Molly?"

"She's doing really well," I say, thankful to move on to a different topic. "I was worried about how she would handle League matches, but she's adapting well."

"You have no idea how much that relieves me to hear," Ann says, letting out a deep sigh. "I haven't talked to her in forever so I really was starting to worry…"

"You two are really close, aren't you?" I smile with a tinge of sadness.

"Yeah," Ann smiles, a faraway look in her eyes. "At first I didn't think we would get along, but she was way different than what I thought."

"What do you mean?" I ask, an edge of curiosity beginning to form.

"Well, you know," Ann says almost bashfully. "I kind of thought she would be all stuck up, what with her being a diplomat's daughter and all. Then I met her, and, well, she kind of grew on me. You know how she is."

"Yeah," I laugh. "I know what that's like."

We stand there in silence for awhile, just looking at the giant hole in the cafeteria while the smiles play out on our faces. Memories of our times together, the good and the ugly, flash through my mind, but with them, others begin to sneak their way in, memories better left forgotten, so I force myself to stop and just focus on the giant hole.

"I know I have no right to ask this of you," Ann says quietly, her voice suddenly serious. "But… look out for Molly. She's… not like us."

I look at her, my eyebrows furrowing with worry.

"She's just…" Ann begins, letting out a frustrated huff of air. "She's nice… too nice. Ya' know? I'm just worried about her being surrounded by people who could take advantage of her, and… I just don't want her to get hurt."

"Why me?" I ask, trying to figure out any possible angles she might have. "Why would you ask me? How do you know I won't take advantage of her? Why trust me?"

Ann looks up at me, her brown eye soft but calculating. The bubbly, young personality seems to evaporate with that look, one that seems to know things it shouldn't… one that has seen things no one should.

"Because," she says. "I know the look in your eyes, which is how I know you need a friend here as much as she does."

I tense up, stopping myself from drawing up any of my power at the last second. I stare at the unassuming girl, my eyes searching for anything I could use, but she gives away nothing. Her words aren't threatening, in fact, they sound downright empathetic, but how could she possibly know I don't have friends here? I mean, sure I'm an Ionian… unless she really does know the look in my eyes… which means…

"Why should I trust you?" I ask, trying not to sound too defensive. "How do I know this isn't some plan to get me to lower my guard? To get me to watch out for Molly instead of myself?"

That's when I see it, a slip in her mask. Her eyes flicker for the briefest moment with sadness, a wince barely concealed.

"Because," She whispers mournfully. "I know what it's like to be lonely, to not trust anyone, to be in pain, and to long for your family.'

Her words hit like a warhammer, and I all but stumble backwards. She gives a sad, sad smile, one that couldn't possibly be fake. One that holds too much truth in it.

Just what happened to Ann?

"I'm not asking you to sacrifice yourself for her," Ann says, swallowing her feelings. "She doesn't need that anyways, if she really is doing so well in training. I'm just asking you to keep doing what you're doing for her. Just keep being her friend."

Shame stabs through my heart, painful and strong enough to make me bite my lip as I nod at Ann. If she only knew how much distance I've really been keeping from her, from every one of my allies. If only she knew how I really felt.

"I hope things keep working out for you, Aria," Ann says, turning and walking away. "I really do."

She exits the cafeteria, leaving me with my swirling thoughts. I clear my throat, and then start heading back to my room.

I hoped that the walk to Fairfax's room would clear my head and give me a solution to Alex and Seth's strife, someway to dissolve the fight and remain allies with both. Now, all I have is more questions about what's really going on here, about Molly's kind and insightful friend, and about what I have to do to survive another day.

As I finally reach my bed, I realize that I shouldn't be worrying about all these different things. I need to focus on the most pressing issue at hand, and that's Alex and Seth. If I don't figure out a way to bring them together, everything may just fall apart, and I don't have the points to let that happen.

Everything hinges on how the match goes tomorrow, on if Seth really can look past his differences to help our team win, and, more importantly, if Alex can manage to finally separate himself from the majority of the pain his shell endures.

Tomorrow's going to be a big day, and I have a bad feeling if I make even one mistake, things are going to fall apart very quickly.