After a brief day of rest, Sera and Qrow prepared to head back to Vale. The night after she slayed the Hydra, a group of the villagers held a large dinner in thanks for her and Qrow. Of course, she obliged them. And after a night of eating and answering questions from the locals about huntsmen and herself, she slept like a log.

However, the price for her rest came with a nightmare.

It's been a long time since the mysterious woman visited her, and she was not looking forward to the conversation. Sera's dreams started off normally. She drifted through the fog of her dreamscape aimlessly, reflecting upon the events of the previous day.

Then the fog turned red, and she felt a sinister presence invade her space. A sense of dread overcame her—it felt like being turned upside down really fast. Just like before when the woman visited her dreams, she was granted a corporeal body in her dreamscape.

"Ah," the voice rang out. "Make a discovery today, did we?"

"How would she know about that?" Sera asked herself. And why would she go through the trouble of confronting her?

"And?" she replied.

A shallow rumbling shook the area around her. After a moment, the huntress figured out that it was laughter.

"I forget that you have a mouth on you," the woman said. "I felt your power today. Congratulations, you're becoming stronger much faster than I expected. The future will be more interesting that way."

"What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck are you talking about?"

"Soon," the woman said intensely. "Until then… Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. All that matters is the end."

Sera faltered. "What does that mean?"

"All in its own time… Kassandra," the voice said. A rumbling laughter emitted from her while the presence withdrew from her mind, and Sera woke up in cold sweat.

She sat bolt upright in bed, her chest heaving while she looked frantically around the room. Sunlight filtered in through the window and washed over her face, and she winced at the bright light. Sera ran her hands through her white hair and sighed heavily.

"I hate that lady," she exhaled.

"What's that?" Qrow asked.

Sera jumped, her heart skipping a beat. "Jeez, old man! Don't do that?"

"Sorry," he chuckled. "What'd you say, though? What lady?"

She sighed. Reluctantly, the amnesiac recounted the events of her dream. Qrow listened intently, and once she was finished, he simply sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"That doesn't sound too good, Snowball," he held the back of his neck and exhaled. "I don't like the implications of what she said."

Sera sat up straighter in bed. "You know who she is, don't you?"

The huntsman glanced out of the window as if considering his next words carefully. When Sera was about to give up on getting an answer, Qrow spoke. "We do."

She relaxed slightly. "Why does she keep visiting my dreams?"

"We don't know," he replied. "That's why Ozpin is keeping such a close eye on you."

The huntress stared down at her lap. What was she supposed to make of this? She had no idea. All she knew was that she wanted answers.

"What're you thinking?" Qrow asked.

"I'm thinking…" she held the blanket on her lap tighter. "Someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on."

"I thought so," Qrow smirked. "That means we should get ready to leave."

Sera pointed at her packed bag with her coat and gear hanging on a chair and ready to go. She'd packed up before she went to bed and while Qrow was passed out in ale-induced slumber. "Way ahead of you."

. . .

The airship from Beacon finally arrived half an hour later. It touched down in the same spot they'd been dropped off, and Sera could hardly wait to jump onboard. She may not have been gone for as long as she was expecting, but she was definitely ready to get back to her dorm. Before she could climb onto the ship after Qrow, someone called out and made her stop.

"Hey!" a sort of familiar voice said.

She turned around, a puzzled expression on her face. Being called out to was quite literally the last thing she was expecting, apart from maybe spontaneously combusting, or something.

One of the kids from the village was running towards the airship. She says "kid," but he looked about Ruby's age. What he was doing, she wasn't sure, but as he got closer, she recognized him as the stubborn one that had the broadsword.

"Hold up!" He panted when he nearly reached her.

Sera blinked. "You're that kid that wouldn't listen when I told you to run."

"Yeah—Hey, I'm not a kid!" he said.

"What do you want?" she asked sort of impatiently.

He straightened up. "I just wanted to say thanks again for killing that Grimm. Before it came to our town, none of us had ever seen one like it before."

"Yeah, me either," she said. "But I was just doing my job. Besides, it was pretty fun."

"Fun?" the guy blinked. "We were fighting for our lives."

"That's why I told you to run, dude," she replied. "It's fine to be brave and defend your home, but what good is getting killed going to do? You realize how easily that Grimm could've destroyed the town?"

The teen's shoulders sank. Maybe he was realizing just how close he was to being killed.

Sera sighed. "What's your name?"

"Jade," he responded.

"Jade," Sera repeated. "Where's that sword you had?"

"Back at home," he hooked a thumb in the direction of the village. "It was my dad's."

She crossed her arms. "Uh-huh. Well, take care of it and practice if you really want to protect the town and yourself."

"I will," he nodded.

"Good," she nodded back and turned to climb onto the airship.

"Can I ask what your name is? Since you saved the town and all, and I don't think you ever mentioned it yesterday."

She stopped just before making it inside. "It's Sera. From Beacon Academy."

Jade smirked at her. "One day, I'll be a huntsman too, and I'll be able to protect everyone."

"That's good," she nodded. "But you better get to work, you have a long way to go," she smirked.

The airship pilot looked over his shoulder. "Are we leaving or not?"

"Yeah, just a second," Qrow said to him.

Sera rolled her eyes. "Well, take care of Tseldora. And if another Grimm attacks, don't do anything stupid," she told the younger boy.

"You got it," he said confidently. "Just you wait, I'll be at one of those huntsman schools, too."

The huntress smirked and climbed onboard before shutting the door to the airship. The Bullhead lifted into the sky while she took the seat sitting across from Qrow. He chuckled at her and crossed his arms.

"What?" Sera asked, leaning back against the wall of the airship.

"I think you have an admirer, Snowball."

"Pfft," she laughed. "That kid? Please," she crossed her arms.

"Anyhow," he said. "You handled that nicely. You might just make a good huntress after all."

"As if there was any doubt?" she folded her arms behind her head.

The huntsman laughed. "Whatever you say, kid."

"Say, Qrow," she said. "Where were you during that fight? You just disappeared halfway through it."

"Ah," Qrow stiffened slightly. "I was… Uh…"

"I knew it!" she pointed at him. "You disappeared to watch how I'd fight it, didn't you?"

He laughed. "You caught me. I told you-I was supposed to see how you'd handle a real assignment."

"By letting me fight that thing alone?!" she said.

"Hey, you beat it. Took a while though, but you figured out its weakness pretty quick. Faster than I did the first time I met one."

"But-! You said you'd never seen a Grimm like that before!" she shot to her feet.

Qrow held his hands up. "I lied. It was practice that'll be useful to you in the future."

"Like what?" she asked, still kinda mad that he'd just watched her fight.

"To study your opponent and find their weaknesses so you can take them down," he said simply.

"…Uh-huh," she sat back down. "Still, kind of a dick move."

"Yeah, true," he shrugged. "Won't do it again though… Maybe."

Sera sighed and put her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "Are we there yet?"

Qrow chuckled and crossed his arms. "Get comfortable, Snowball."

. . .

After a few hours of flying, the edge of Vale appeared on the horizon and Sera shot out of her seat. She didn't calm down until the airship landed in front of Beacon and she could get off.

The huntress slung her bag over her shoulder and practically ran towards the main campus. Qrow had to hurriedly get off and follow after her.

"Hold up!" he called. "Where are you going? Did you forget that we had to go to the tower?"

"That's where I'm going!" she yelled back.

"Then slow down!" Qrow sighed.

She didn't. The two of them had been cooped up in that ship for hours, and she wanted to stretch her legs. Sera ran right through the courtyard and up to Beacon Tower, ignoring the strange looks that students were giving her.

"Hey, Sera's back!" one of them said. She'd forgotten that a good chunk of the student body knew who she was now—probably because of what she'd done at the school dance.

She made it to the elevator in the tower and had to wait for Qrow to reach her. He looked at her with a twinge of irritation, but it passed quickly. The huntsman smirked and ruffled her hair, now taking his turn to irritate her.

"Quit that!" she smacked his hand. Qrow hit the button in the elevator to start the elevator, and it began to ascend.

The elevator dinged quietly every time they passed another level and faint music played through the speakers. After a moment, Qrow spoke up.

"So, what are you planning exactly?"

Sera gave a half shrug. "Really just to explain what happened in Tseldora and ask about that woman. This time, I want a real answer."

"Hm," Qrow grunted. "This should be interesting, then."

Sera pushed open the doors to Professor Ozpin's office and stepped inside with Qrow following behind her. Ozpin was at his desk, like usual, and seemed unsurprised that Sera and Qrow had returned.

"Sera, Qrow," he said. "Hello. I trust the mission was a success?"

"It was," Qrow nodded. "The kid did good, Oz."

"Excellent," he replied, his eyes turning to Sera. "Are you ready to give your first official report as a huntress, Miss Calypso?"

"I am," she said, sitting in the chair in front of Ozpin's desk. She began to retell what had happened the previous day, starting from when they first landed in Tseldora and ending when she'd killed the Hydra. Ozpin listened patiently, his eyes never leaving the huntress in training before him. Once she was finished, the headmaster unfolded his hands and gave a nod to her and Qrow.

"Very nicely done. The Hydra is a tough species of Grimm to deal with, and you handled it as any huntsman or huntress should. And with minimal damage to the town, as well."

Sera shrugged. "It was really nothing. Once I figured out how to beat it, it was easy."

"Hm," Ozpin nodded. "Then congratulations on completing your assignment. Usually, I'd send a full team of senior students, but it seems you and Qrow did just fine."

"Whoa, whoa," she said, then pointed at Qrow. "That guy didn't do anything to help."

Qrow rolled his eyes and scoffed.

Ozpin chuckled. "No, I suppose not, but that was only because of my instruction. Is there anything else you'd like to report on your assignment?"

The huntress faltered. "Actually, yeah. But it doesn't have anything to do with the Grimm."

"And what's that?"

"…That woman was in my dreams again," she said.

"…I see," he interlaced his fingers once more.

Once she was finished explaining what had happened in her dreams, the headmaster tightened his hands and considered her words carefully. "That is certainly disheartening. I don't know what she's planning, but it—"

"You know who she is," Sera interrupted. "Qrow told me."

Ozpin gave a pointed look to the scythe wielder and tapped his fingers on knuckles while his hands were interlaced.

Qrow shrugged in response. "Couldn't keep lying," he admitted with a light chuckle.

"Hm," Ozpin's lip curled slightly. "No, you're right. At this point, she deserves to know. She's put her trust in us and has patiently waited for answers, so it's only right that we tell her."

"Wait, really?" she sat forward. "I didn't think that would work."

"Oz, you're really going to tell her… you know?" Qrow asked.

"I am," he said. "You know as well as I do that, we need allies. I think Sera would be a fine addition to this 'inner circle.'"

"Inner circle?" she blinked. "Does that mean I'm in the cool kids club now?"

He smirked slightly. "Don't get your hopes up. What I have to tell you may very well alter your perception of the world for the rest of your life."

"…What?"

Approximately seventeen and a half minutes later…

Sera sat in her chair with a rather blank expression on her face after Ozpin was finished with his explanation. Of course, he didn't tell her everything, just what he'd told Qrow and the others about Salem—the evil woman who was hellbent on destroying humanity. However, Sera was less worried about the existence of this woman than she was about why she was regularly paying a visit to her in her dreams.

Professor Ozpin and Qrow were letting her process this new information, but they were starting to get worried. After a few more moments of silence, Ozpin spoke up.

"Are you all right, Miss Calypso?" the headmaster asked.

"…I think so," she answered. "This woman, Salem, why exactly is she trying to you know, kill everyone?"

"We're not sure," Qrow said. "We're just the ones trying to stop her."

She sat back. "But why is she talking to me?"

Ozpin's face turned even more serious. "I don't know. That's why you need to be even more careful from here on out. Do you understand?"

Sera nodded. "That's just… a lot to take in," her hands held her knees tightly. "Do you have any guess as to why I'd even be on her radar? I mean, I don't even know who I am."

The headmaster shook his head. "Maybe it has something to do with who you used to be, but the way she talks to you makes us think otherwise. Perhaps she's using you."

"For what?" Her back straightened as anxiety rose in her chest.

"There is absolutely no telling, Miss Calypso. Salem is an intelligent and crafty woman, and there's almost no way to predict what she's planning until it's too late," Ozpin said. "To be honest with you, we're at a standstill in regard to progress on Salem. We know she's planning something, but we don't know what. Because of the intruder you found on the night of the dance, it's clear that we have enemies inside Beacon. It's almost certain that they weren't working alone, but we have no way of finding out who," his eyes seemed to narrow on her.

After a moment, she understood what he was implying. "Do you mean me?!" she shot to her feet in surprise.

"It's entirely possible," Ozpin remained seated. "Perhaps you being there was a ploy to gain our trust and take suspicion off of you, so that you can enact what Salem truly had planned."

Sera couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her ears rang and she felt like she'd just been splashed with cold water. After all this time, all her effort, and now she was being accused of being a spy. There was no way.

"And do what?" she responded. "All the shit I've been through, and you think I'm working for her? I didn't even know who she was until five minutes ago!"

Ozpin studied her quietly, that familiar aura of steely calm exuding from him. "…No, I don't think you'd intentionally cause any sort of harm against anyone. I'm just considering all possibilities. Please, sit back down."

Sera relaxed, a huge weight disappearing from her chest as she eased herself into the chair. "Then why bring it up? Almost gave me a heart attack," she muttered.

"To see how you'd react," the headmaster said. "Miss Calypso, when you get to be as hold as me, you learn how to read people, and to trust very few." He took a sip from a thermos on the desk.

"It was a test, Snowball," Qrow spoke up.

The huntress sighed. "And… Did I pass?"

Professor Ozpin smirked. "Yes, Sera, you're in the 'cool kids club.'"

She grinned, her body relaxing. "Awesome."

Ozpin put his palms on his desk and inhaled. "Now, you're free to return to your dorm if you want. I'm sure you're ready to see your friends and tell them about your mission."

"Actually," Sera sat forward slightly. "I wanted to ask something else," she shifted uncomfortably. "Since I'm in this 'inner circle' or whatever, I was wondering… have you found anything about me yet? Or is it still a goose chase?"

Qrow shot Ozpin a look, and after a brief moment of eye contact, the headmaster nodded. "No," he said. "We haven't found anything about your true identity."

Sera's shoulders sank. All this time, and still nothing?

"…Because you don't exist," Qrow finished.

A look of confusion washed over her face. "Wait… What?"

"I know it doesn't make much sense," the headmaster said. "But no one could find anything at all about you. The only explanation is that there are no files or information to find, ergo, you don't exist."

"But…" she blinked, uncertain of anything at this point. "What?"

Qrow smirked slightly. "I don't think I've ever seen you this stumped, kid."

"Just… How?" she asked. "How would I already know to fight, at least a little, if I hadn't been at any huntsman school?"

"We don't know," Ozpin admitted. "That's why it was taking so long. I apologize that it turned out this way."

"It's fine," she said, half-lying. "Just… it might take some time to process. What is there to do now?"

"Finish your training," the headmaster answered. "Be ready for anything. If Salem does stage some sort of attack, all you can do is prepare for the worst. 'Soon,' she'd said. How soon, we don't know."

Sera gulped. "So, I can stay even though I'm not a real student from anywhere?"

"Of course," he said. "It'll be our secret," Ozpin winked. Sera smirked in response, glad that she wasn't about to be kicked out of Beacon. "Speaking of secrets," the headmaster continued, "I trust that nothing we discussed about Salem is to leave this room? We did tell you of that in confidence."

She hadn't even considered telling anyone about Salem, but now that she thought about it, telling her friends wouldn't be a bad idea if there was imminent danger. However… she couldn't break the newfound trust she had with Professor Ozpin. Who knows what would happen if she did?"

"Of course," she nodded. "I won't tell anyone. You can trust me, Professor."

"Good," he nodded. "If you want, you're free to leave. Rest—you still have class to go to tomorrow."

"Don't remind me," she laughed. "Okay. Thanks for answering my questions."

"Of course," Ozpin said. "I hope it deepened your trust in us, Miss Calypso."

Sera nodded gratefully, then got up to leave the office. Finally, she'd get to see Ruby and the others again. Once she closed the doors to the office, Ozpin turned to Qrow with a curious look in his eyes.

"So," he said. "No progress on unlocking her semblance?"

Qrow sighed. "Pretty much none. But… something interesting happened."

"Interesting how?" he raised an eyebrow.

The huntsman smirked, remembering when Sera's eyes had morphed from violet to red during her act of rage towards the Hydra.

. . .

Sera ran to get across campus and to the housing buildings. After quickly throwing her gear into her weapon locker, she dashed through the hallways towards team RWBY and JNPR's rooms. A professor yelled at her to slow down, but she didn't care.

Turns out she should've listened, though. She turned a corner and immediately slammed into another person, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

"Hey!" the other person exclaimed. Sera rubbed her head, wincing at the dull throb from the hit. When she recovered, she looked up to see that the person she'd run into was none other than Pyrrha Nikos.

"Pyrrha!" she said.

The redhead blinked. "Sera! You're back!"

They both got to their feet and swapped grins. "Sorry for running into you."

"It's fine!" she replied. "When did you get back?"

"Like, twenty minutes ago," she said. "I was just on my way to see you all!"

Pyrrha smiled warmly like she always does. "I was heading to the cafeteria; the others are already there. Would you like to come?"

"Of course!" she said, then faltered when she heard her stomach rumbling. She chuckled lightly, "Seems like I might just be hungry, too."

The Invincible Girl laughed. "Then let's get a move on. I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you!"

The huntress smiled. She'd forgotten just how much she felt she belonged at Beacon. That's when she realized something—she didn't care if she didn't have a past, or even if she never learned who she truly was. Beacon and the city of Vale was her home now.

Her name wasn't 'Kassandra,' as Salem had said—it was Sera, and when she finally met that woman, she was going to give her a piece of her mind.

So, apparently notification emails aren't being sent out for when a new chapter of this is uploaded? I dunno there's something up with my email stuff for the website and no matter what I do it gives an error message and says that because of it story update notifications won't be sent out. It's weird and kind of ticking me off. So if anyone's getting the notifications after all, feel free to let me know in a comment just so there's one less thing to worry about.

In other news, so far Weiss is winning the poll mentioned before! It should be interesting if she wins. I'd have to come up with a cute ship name and everything. Neo is in second place somehow lmao not sure how long the poll will go on for, probably around when I reach the end of Volume 5.

Thanks for keeping up with the story so far! The comments/messages I've gotten so far have been uplifting, but if there's anything anyone has a problem with it don't be afraid to bring it to my attention. Constructive criticism is welcome if it improves how the story goes. s\