Thank you to everyone who read the prologue! This is the first chapter, and it takes place 4 years after the prologue. I hope you enjoy it so far!

"When do you think I'm going to get an ability?" Zarina averted her eyes from her friend as she pulled Rei towards physical education. They were already in Level 4, and although Rina had manifested as a Charger the previous year, her best friend hadn't shown any signs of an ability.

If you want my honest opinion? I don't know if you'll manifest at all, Zarina grumbled to herself, but kept it inside. Lyrei had already voiced this concern many times over the 3 years of their friendship, but Zarina didn't think agreeing with her was going to help.

"Well, you still have a whole year of ability detecting, and I'm sure you could ask your parents for an ability detecting tutor. Don't worry, Rei, I'm sure you'll have an awesome ability!" Rei smiled, but Zarina could tell it didn't reach her eyes. "Now come on, we have to get to physical education! We're doing levitation, and I hear you're the best at levitation in all of Level 4." Lyrei reluctantly allowed Rina to continue pulling her towards physical education.

"Race you!" Rei called out, and the two friends scrambled through the hallways, both ending up at the girl's locker rooms at the exact same time. They each went to their respective changing room area, changed out of their fancy half-cape uniform, and exited wearing the standard gym clothing.

After they both had entered the physical education room, Lady Isolde turned her head and smiled at them.

"Welcome, girls," she said. "Today we are practicing our levitation skills. Since you got here early, I was hoping you would help me set up some precautionary pads." Lyrei and Zarina shared a tentative glance, then shrugged and began helping Lady Isolde set up. Zarina looked across the room and saw the physical education mentors for the rest of the school also setting up.

Soon enough, other students began filing into the physical education area, crowding around their respective level's mentors. Each of them began to instruct their prodigies on what they were doing, then had everyone spread out. Lyrei and Zarina found a large pocket of empty space nearby Lady Isolde and began levitating themselves, which many other prodigies were struggling to do. Lady Isolde even came around to compliment their skills, and when the session ended and everyone headed to their other classes, Zarina could hear scattered whispers and see people pointing as they walked along the hallway.

"See you," Zarina called out, waving and smiling as she walked to her Charging session. She gained a slight bounce in her step, and felt like jumping around in the air as she moved closer to the room where her Mentor was waiting.

"Zarina!" her Mentor boomed when she walked in, jumping to his feet and grinning. Sir Lorcan wasn't the type of person who seemed to notice how loud he was.

Zarina shrugged and smiled politely, immediately sitting down to receive her instructions for the day. Since it was her first session, and she'd only manifested as a Charger at the end of Level 4, Sir Lorcan had decided to start off the year with a lecture on elemental abilities, and how dangerous they could be. If she wasn't careful, he said, she could wind up letting the electricity take control and, at some point, seriously hurt someone.

"Next week, be prepared to practice aiming electricity at a target," Lorcan instructed as the bell rang, indicating that it was time for lunch. Zarina nodded and hurried away to the cafeteria, where she joined Lyrei in line to get their food.

"How was your session?" she asked. Rei shrugged.

"Same as usual–ability detecting. They tested us for Telepathy, which I didn't know was even possible, and it turns out three of the other prodigies manifested! I'm hopeless," Rei moaned. Rina shifted uncomfortably, grabbing a tray and dishing out food to avoid responding. She wasn't exactly the best at consoling people, and the fact that she herself already had an ability would probably make it seem like she was rubbing it in her friend's face. Lyrei's mood swing would pass soon.

"Zarina, Lyrei! Over here!" They both turned towards the lunch table where the rest of their friends sat. Alden, the reason they had become friends with everyone in the first place, was waving at them.

Rina and Rei changed directions as they made a beeline for Alden's table. All the usual people were there; besides Alden, there was Alden's new girlfriend, his girlfriend's handful of friends, and some of Lyrei's childhood friends from before Foxfire. All of them had ended up there by chance, mostly during Level 1, where all of the lunch tables were formed. Zarina had found that after the first day, there was absolutely no changing where everyone sat.

When they had both sat down, Zarina noticed that Alden and his girlfriend, Alina, were wearing cuffs around their wrists. Each one had the words Alden Vacker + Alina Ashe embroidered on it.

Zarina and Lyrei exchanged wary looks. They already have crush cuffs? We're not even eligible for matchmaking yet! Alden beamed at them, oblivious.

"Um…nice crush cuffs, Alden and Alina," Zarina said awkwardly. She avoided making eye contact as she began shoveling food into her mouth, slowly inching away from her friends. But Alden and Alina didn't notice, only moving closer together and smiling wider. Rina didn't understand why people felt the need to begin dating, when they were only 14. They had plenty of time! Elves did have indefinite lives, after all, and they had all been told to wait until after they graduated Foxfire to enter the matchmaking process.

"So, Lyrei, I hear you're still in ability detecting," Alina piped up, grinning smugly. Like Zarina, she had manifested the year before, as a Beguiler. Despite the fact that nobody cared, she acted like it was her greatest accomplishment ever made, as if she was higher than anyone who hadn't manifested yet. Besides Lyrei, there was only one other person at their lunch table who didn't have an ability yet, which added extra salt to the wound.

Lyrei clenched her fists, her face turning red. She pierced Alina with a smoldering glare, slamming her hands against the table as she jumped to her feet. Without saying a word, Rei stormed away with her food and sat down at the end of an empty table.

Zarina's friends just looked at each other for a few seconds, then began snickering. "I…I have to go," Rina said, grimacing as their confused looks swiveled towards her direction.

"What, you want to join the Talentless Table?" Alina howled with laughter at her own joke. "Aren't you a Charger? What business do you have, being friends with a Talentless? You should be hanging out with people who are actually contributing to society."

Glaring, Zarina stood up as well. "Lyrei isn't Talentless. She still has a whole year to manifest. And I'm sure that when she does, it will be way better than any of you stupid jerks." She turned around, picking up her food tray and running over to where Rei was sitting.

"Rei! Are you okay?" she asked as she sat down, turning to face her best friend.

"I'm fine, I just…what if they're right? What if I never manifest? We're already in Level 5, and I'll be Talentless, and then we'll never be together again! You'll go on to the Elite Levels, and I'll be stuck in Mysterium, working as a shopkeeper for something stupid! I…I don't want to leave you." Her voice broke, and Zarina could see that Lyrei was turning away from her. Despite this, she could make out a few tears streaking down Rei's face.

"Lyrei, look at me." Zarina's voice softened, and a lump caught in her throat. She swallowed and tried to compose herself. "You're going to manifest, and even if you don't–which you will–I don't care! I'll hang out with you every day, and when we get our match lists, I'll start dating you just to spite them." Lyrei's lips tugged at a smile, and she wiped away the tears. Zarina smiled in relief, wrapping her arms around Rei's shoulders.

"Thank you," Lyrei murmured. Rina felt her heart beat faster, and every place that Lyrei came into contact with her sent tingles down her spine.

"You're welcome," Zarina replied. Lyrei yelped, and Zarina realized that she had unknowingly zapped her friend with electricity.

"Oh, um, sorry about that," she mumbled, blushing.

Lyrei and Zarina took one look at each other and burst out laughing.