POV: Mabel

  11th Day - Morning

  The light came through the window, soft, inviting.

  I woke up early, which was rare,

  normally I needed to be practically dragged out of bed,

  but today I was restless, anxious, nervous.

  I didn't know why.

  Lie, I knew.

  It was the last day here,

  tomorrow I'd go back to the castle, and then Clemearl would go there to evaluate Sekire,

  everything was happening too fast.

  I dressed simply, nothing formal, just a comfortable light blue dress,

  went down to the back garden, where they usually had breakfast when the weather was nice,

  and found Ferme.

  He was already there, sitting in one of the chairs, steaming cup of tea in hand, looking at the horizon where the sun was rising,

  he saw me, waved.

  "Good morning, sleepyhead."

  "Sleepyhead? It's six in the morning!"

  "And you normally wake up at nine," he smiled, "so yes, you woke up early."

  Fair.

  I sat beside him, a maid appeared immediately with another cup of tea.

  "Thank you."

  She bowed and disappeared, silent as a ghost.

  We sat in comfortable silence, just drinking tea, watching the sunrise paint the sky orange and pink.

  "Nervous?" Ferme asked, casual.

  "About what?"

  "About everything, Clemearl meeting Sekire, the test, going back to the castle."

  Pause.

  "About the accident."

  My face went warm instantly.

  "We're not talking about the accident."

  "Why not?"

  "Because it was an accident!"

  "A very specific accident," there was amusement in his voice, "that lasted a suspiciously long time."

  "FERME!"

  He laughed, genuine, that rare laugh that completely transformed his face.

  "Sorry, sorry, but your reaction is hilarious."

  "You're impossible."

  "And you're very easy to provoke."

  I huffed, but couldn't manage to be truly irritated.

  There was something different in the dynamic between us, something lighter, more comfortable,

  as if the accident, as embarrassing as it was, had broken some invisible barrier,

  now we were just, us,

  without excessive formalities, without the weight of title and duty always present,

  just Mabel and Ferme.

  "So," he continued, tone more serious now, "really nervous?"

  "Yes, what if Sekire doesn't pass the test? What if Clemearl decides she isn't suitable?"

  "Then you deal with it when it happens, but for now, trust your vision, trust Sekire."

  "What if I'm wrong?"

  "You rarely are," he took a sip of tea, "and when you are, you always find a way to fix it."

  "You have a lot of faith in me."

  "I have reasons for that."

  Something warm in my chest.

  "Thank you, Ferme."

  "You're welcome."

  Silence again, but different, charged with something unsaid.

  "You know," he began, hesitant, "after all this is over, when we're back to normal routine, do you think you'll miss it?"

  "Miss what?"

  "This, the adventure, the unpredictability, not knowing what comes next."

  I thought about it.

  "Maybe, but I'll also appreciate the peace, being able to wake up without thinking about demons or curses or diplomatic tests."

  "True."

  Pause.

  "But yes, I think I'll miss it, this feeling of doing something that matters, you know?"

  "I know," he looked at me, "but you always do things that matter, even the small ones, the routine ones."

  "How so?"

  "Like caring about a refugee nobody else bothered with, like insisting on learning about Kitsumi's problems when it would have been easier to ignore them, like writing letters to a frightened girl even while busy with diplomacy."

  He smiled, small,

  "You matter, Mabel, you always have, regardless of demons or adventures."

  I didn't know what to say,

  so I said nothing, just smiled back,

  and we stayed there, in comfortable silence, until the sun finished rising.

  Footsteps behind us.

  I turned.

  Clemearl.

  Dressed impeccably as always, silver hair shining in the morning sun, golden eyes serene.

  "Good morning," she said, voice soft.

  "Good morning, Lady Clemearl," we answered together.

  "May I interrupt? I need to speak with you, Your Highness, in private."

  Ferme stood immediately.

  "Of course, I'll check the—"

  "No need to go far, Sir Ferme," Clemearl interrupted him, gentle, "just a few meters of distance will do."

  He blinked, surprised, but obeyed, moving far enough not to hear, but still visible.

  Clemearl sat where Ferme had been, posture perfect, hands crossed in her lap.

  "I've made a decision."

  My heart quickened.

  "About Sekire?"

  "Yes, I'll go to the castle tomorrow, with you."

  "Really?"

  "Yes, I'll take the opportunity to resolve some pending diplomatic matters with Queen Caliope and King Harven, matters related to Kitsumi and other commercial cooperations," she paused, "and while I'm there, I'll evaluate Sekire personally."

  "The test will happen there?"

  "Yes, I prefer to evaluate her in her natural environment, to see how she behaves on familiar ground, with people she knows."

  It made sense,

  a lot of sense.

  "When will we arrive?"

  "Around midday, approximately, I'll spend the afternoon with the monarchs, and the entire following day with Sekire."

  "I understand."

  "You'll be present during the evaluation, if you wish."

  "I want to be."

  She smiled, slightly.

  "Good, now that that's settled, there's another matter."

  "What?"

  She looked at Ferme, who was standing a few meters away, politely watching the garden.

  "Your knight."

  My face went warm.

  "What about him?"

  "The two of you have something," it wasn't a question, "or you're developing something, you're not fully aware of it yet, but it's there."

  "We don't, it was just an accident, and—"

  "I'm not talking about the accident," she cut me off, gentle, "I'm talking about the way you interact, the ease, the comfort, the mutual trust."

  Pause.

  "That's rare, especially between a princess and a guard, there's usually an insurmountable barrier of class and protocol."

  "Ferme is different."

  "Exactly," she agreed, "and so are you, you complement each other well."

  "Where are you going with this?"

  "Unsolicited advice," she smiled, small, nostalgic, "don't waste time worrying about what should be, or about protocols, or about what others will think."

  "My father—"

  "Your father married the woman he loved, even though she was of lesser nobility, he faced criticism, disapproval, but never regretted it," she looked at me directly, "follow his example."

  Silence.

  "Besides," she continued, tone lighter, "today is your last day here, and you've spent all these days focused on diplomacy, on curses, on responsibilities."

  "It's our job."

  "It is, but you also need to live," she stood, "Umbralis is a wonderful city, the third most developed in Axoland, full of culture, excellent food, entertainment."

  "And?"

  "And you should explore it, with your knight, as ordinary civilians, without the weight of titles."

  She took something from her pocket, a hood, white with small turquoise blue lines embroidered on it, with cat ears sewn into the top,

  adorable and ridiculous at the same time.

  "This is...?"

  "A magical item," she explained, "when worn, it distorts others' perception, people can't recognize your face, they see only an ordinary person, not a princess."

  She placed it in my hand.

  "Wear it, explore the city, have fun, take a break," pause, "court your knight without the weight of being a princess for a few hours."

  "We're not courting!"

  "Yet," she said, simple, "but you could be."

  And before I could respond, she turned and left,

  leaving me with the ridiculous hood in my hand,

  and a confused heart,

  and Ferme approaching.

  "Everything alright?"

  I looked at the hood, then at him.

  "How do you feel about exploring Umbralis? As ordinary civilians?"

  He blinked.

  "What?"

  "Clemearl suggested, well, more or less ordered, that we take a break, explore the city," I showed him the hood, "and gave me this."

  He looked at the hood with cat ears,

  tried not to laugh,

  failed.

  "You're going to wear that?"

  "Apparently yes, it's a magical item, it makes people not recognize me."

  "A magical item," he repeated, still looking at the hood, "with cat ears."

  "Don't comment."

  "I wasn't commenting," but he was smiling, "though you have to admit it's hilarious."

  "Are you coming with me or not?"

  "Of course," he said, without hesitation, "someone needs to make sure you're not kidnapped while wearing that, fashion statement."

  "Idiot."

  "Princess."

  But I was smiling too.

  One Hour Later - Gates of Umbralis

  The hood worked,

  it actually worked,

  we passed three guards, two merchants and one noble, nobody recognized me,

  it was strange, liberating, frightening,

  but mainly exciting.

  Umbralis was impressive,

  not the size of Ursoft, the capital, nor as ancient as Ashoria, but it had a unique charm,

  wide, clean streets, paved with colored stones that formed intricate patterns,

  two and three story buildings, architecture that mixed functionality with beauty,

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  shops of all kinds, from blacksmiths to tailors, bookstores, restaurants, open markets,

  and people, lots of people, but not chaotic, organized, flowing naturally.

  "Where do we start?" I asked.

  Ferme looked around.

  "Are you hungry?"

  "Always."

  "Food first, exploration after."

  Market District

  We found a stall selling something called "Honey Roll with Melted Cheese,"

  it sounded strange,

  but it smelled wonderful,

  we bought two,

  and it was divine.

  "How is this so good?" I murmured, mouth full.

  "Because it's not palace food," Ferme replied, also chewing, "real food is always better."

  "I completely agree."

  We walked through the market, looking at stalls, watching products,

  fabrics, jewelry, books, minor magical trinkets,

  a vendor tried to sell me a "true love potion."

  "Only three silver coins! I guarantee it works!"

  "No thank you."

  "But miss, you and your boyfriend here—"

  "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Ferme and I said together.

  The vendor blinked, then smiled, mischievous.

  "Of course not, dears, of course not."

  And winked at us.

  We left quickly,

  faces red.

  "That's going to happen all day, isn't it?" Ferme asked.

  "Apparently yes."

  "Great," but he was smiling.

  Central Square

  There was a performance happening,

  jugglers, musicians, even a mage doing minor tricks,

  we stopped to watch.

  One of the jugglers was particularly impressive, five fire torches at once.

  "Can you do that?" I asked.

  "With torches? Yes," Ferme replied, "with fire? I'd rather not risk it."

  "No sense of adventure."

  "No singed eyebrows."

  I laughed.

  The mage called for a volunteer from the crowd,

  and pointed at me.

  "You! Young lady with the adorable hood! Come help!"

  Oh no.

  "I don't—"

  "Come on, don't be shy!"

  The crowd began to applaud, encouraging.

  Ferme nudged me lightly.

  "Go on, enjoy it."

  "I'll kill you later."

  "I'm terrified."

  I stepped up onto the small improvised stage.

  The mage was old, long white beard, bright eyes full of amusement.

  "Good, good! Now, I need you to choose a card, any card," he showed a deck.

  I chose one, three of hearts.

  "Memorize it, don't show me," he tucked the card back into the deck, shuffled elaborately, "now, with magic, I'll find your card!"

  He made dramatic gestures, whispered nonsense words, and then,

  pulled out a card.

  "Is this your card?"

  It was the seven of spades.

  "No."

  "What?" he looked confused, "but I was certain that—"

  Then he smiled.

  "Ah, of course, I forgot a step!"

  He snapped his fingers,

  and pointed at Ferme, who was in the crowd.

  "You! Knight! Check your pocket!"

  Ferme frowned, but obeyed,

  and pulled a card from his pocket,

  three of hearts.

  The crowd exploded in applause,

  me too, impressed.

  "How did you do that?"

  "Magic!" he winked.

  I stepped down from the stage, still laughing.

  "That was incredible."

  "It was," Ferme agreed, looking at the card, "but how did he get that into my pocket?"

  "Magic."

  "That's not a real answer."

  "It's the only one we have."

  Artisans' District

  We found a shop selling small wooden sculptures,

  animals, people, mythical creatures,

  there was a tiny dragon, incredible detail, every scale carved individually.

  "Beautiful," I murmured.

  "Do you want it?" Ferme asked.

  "No need, it's just—"

  He was already buying it.

  Two minutes later, I had the little dragon carefully wrapped.

  "Ferme, you didn't have to."

  "I know, but you wanted it, and it's only a few coins."

  "Even so..."

  "Mabel," he looked at me, serious, "accept the gift."

  "Thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  We kept walking, and I held the small package as if it were a treasure,

  because it was,

  not for its value, but for the intention behind it.

  Lunchtime - Small Restaurant

  We found a cozy place, not fancy, but clean and welcoming,

  we ordered the local specialty, meat stew with vegetables and fresh bread,

  it was delicious.

  "You know," I said between forkfuls, "we should do this more often."

  "What? Eat?"

  "No, idiot, go out, explore, without thinking about protocols or responsibilities."

  "That would be nice," he agreed, "but you're a princess, there will always be responsibilities."

  "Not always, sometimes I can just be Mabel."

  "Sometimes yes," he smiled, "like today."

  "Like today."

  Comfortable silence.

  "Ferme?"

  "Yes?"

  "Thank you, for being here, for doing this with me, for everything."

  He looked at me, those serious green eyes.

  "Always, Mabel, I'll always be here."

  And I believed him,

  completely.

  Afternoon - City Lake

  Umbralis had a lake in the middle of the city, artificial but beautiful, surrounded by trees and benches,

  we sat on one of the banks, just watching ducks swimming.

  "Do you think Sekire will pass the test?" I asked, breaking the silence.

  "Yes."

  "How are you so sure?"

  "Because you believe in her, and your intuition is rarely wrong."

  "But what if this time it is?"

  "Then we'll deal with it," he threw a small stone into the lake, creating ripples, "but there's no point worrying about what hasn't happened yet."

  "Easy to say."

  "I never said it was easy, just necessary."

  Pause.

  "You're irritatingly wise sometimes."

  "Thank you."

  "That wasn't a compliment."

  "It sounded like one."

  I pushed him, lightly,

  he laughed, and pushed back,

  and then I was falling,

  toward the water,

  I grabbed the first thing I found,

  which was Ferme,

  and pulled him with me.

  SPLASH.

  We both fell into the lake,

  which was shallow, thank the gods, only waist deep,

  but still cold,

  and wet,

  very wet.

  We stood there, soaked, staring at each other,

  in absolute silence,

  until I started laughing,

  uncontrollably,

  Ferme too, loud laughter, genuine, free,

  and there, in the middle of the lake, soaked and ridiculous, with people staring in confusion, it was one of the best moments of the trip,

  maybe of my life.

  Late Afternoon - Back to the Mansion

  We walked back, still slightly damp, clothes drying in the sun.

  "Clemearl is going to kill us," I said.

  "Probably," Ferme agreed.

  "Lizbeth is going to laugh at us."

  "Definitely."

  "Was it worth it?"

  He looked at me, smiled.

  "Absolutely."

  "Agreed."

  We reached the mansion gates, the guards recognized us (even with the hood still on my face), opened them without questions,

  but there were restrained smiles,

  the news would spread fast.

  We entered the front garden,

  and found Lizbeth,

  who looked at us,

  soaked, disheveled, smiling,

  and burst out laughing.

  "WHAT DID YOU TWO DO?!"

  "We fell in the lake," I said, simple.

  "YOU FELL?!"

  "It was an accident," Ferme explained.

  "Of course it was," she was still laughing, "you two are walking disasters."

  "Thank you."

  "That wasn't a compliment."

  "It sounded like one."

  She shook her head, but was smiling.

  "Go change before you catch pneumonia, and Clemearl wants to speak with you, Mabel, about tomorrow's preparations."

  "Now?"

  "Yes, but after you dry off, she doesn't need to see you two looking like drowned rats."

  One Hour Later - My Room

  Dry, in clean clothes, the little wooden dragon on the bedside table.

  I looked out the window, where the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky orange and purple.

  Tomorrow we'd go back,

  Clemearl would meet Sekire,

  the test would begin,

  everything would change.

  But for today, I had this,

  a normal day,

  a free day,

  a day as Mabel, not as princess,

  with Ferme, not as knight, but as friend,

  maybe more,

  someday,

  maybe.

  A knock at the door.

  "Come in."

  Ferme opened it, also dry and clean.

  "Clemearl asked me to fetch you."

  "Coming."

  But I stopped at the door.

  "Ferme?"

  "Yes?"

  "Today was good."

  "It was."

  "We should do it again."

  "Definitely."

  I smiled.

  "Then it's settled."

  "It is."

  And we went to find Clemearl,

  to discuss the future,

  but with memories of the present kept carefully,

  like treasure.

  POV: Sekire

  12th Day - Morning, Training Field

  The air was cool, a light breeze carrying the scent of flowers from the nearby garden,

  but I wasn't paying attention to that,

  I was focused,

  completely focused,

  on Queen Caliope standing before me.

  She was relaxed, posture casual but alert, hands loose at her sides, bright blue eyes observing my every movement,

  she wore simple training clothes, nothing elaborate, blond hair pulled back in a high ponytail,

  she looked more like an instructor than a queen,

  which, at this moment, she was.

  "Ready?" she asked.

  "Yes."

  "Then begin."

  I breathed deep, concentrated my mana, felt it flowing inside me, chaotic but present,

  extended my hand, visualized the shot, released,

  the mana sphere left my palm,

  fast,

  but disorganized, trembling, losing form as it flew.

  Caliope raised her hand, casual,

  bright pentagonal mana shapes materialized in the air, aligned perfectly, forming a complex geometric shield,

  my shot hit,

  and was deflected, easily, the energy dissipating in the air,

  as if it were nothing.

  "Again," she said.

  I tried again, concentrated more, released another shot,

  same result,

  deflected without effort.

  "Again."

  Three times, four, five,

  all deflected,

  frustration growing.

  "Stop," Caliope commanded, lowering her hand, the pentagons disappearing, "you're concentrating your mana too disorganizedly."

  "I'm trying..."

  "I know you are, but trying isn't enough, you need to understand the problem," she approached, "when you release mana into a shot, you're just pushing energy outward, with no structure, no cohesion."

  She created a small mana sphere in the palm of her hand, perfect, stable, glowing softly.

  "See this? The mana is compressed uniformly, every particle aligned with the others, that creates potency, direction, impact."

  Her sphere fired, hit a distant tree, leaving a scorched mark on the bark.

  "Now you."

  I tried to replicate it, created a sphere in my hand, but it was trembling, irregular.

  "See? Disorganized, that makes you lose all and any potency, no matter how much mana you put in, if there's no structure, it'll be useless."

  Frustration transforming into determination,

  I need to do better,

  I have to do better.

  Caliope returned to her starting position.

  "Again, but this time, breathe, visualize the structure before you release."

  I closed my eyes,

  breathed,

  visualized the sphere, every mana particle aligned, compressed, organized,

  opened my eyes,

  extended my hand,

  released.

  The shot left my palm,

  better than the ones before, more stable, more focused,

  still not perfect, but better,

  it hit Caliope's pentagonal shield with more force.

  She smiled, small.

  "Better, still weak, but better."

  Small pride bloomed in my chest,

  but it didn't last,

  because Caliope moved,

  fast, very fast,

  coming directly at me.

  Instinct took over,

  I activated the Sensor enchantment, the mana expanding around me, creating a field of perception,

  I felt her movement before I saw it, the flow of mana around her body, the direction, the intention,

  she was coming from the left,

  I turned, extended my hand, released the Restriction enchantment,

  a single chain of mana materialized, shooting toward her, wrapping around her left arm,

  her mana became disorganized, for a second, just one second,

  but it was enough to make her pause,

  surprise crossed her face.

  "Impressive."

  But then the chain dissolved, my control wasn't strong enough to hold against her potency,

  and she continued the movement,

  brought me down, gently but firmly, to the ground.

  I lay on my back, looking up at the blue sky, breathless.

  "You caught me off guard," Caliope said above me, extending her hand, "I didn't expect you to use Sensor combined with Restriction."

  I took her hand, stood up.

  "I learned it from Fuyumi, she said enchantments can be combined if your control is good enough."

  "And she's right, and you executed it well, considering the difference in power between us, managing to disorganize my mana, even for a second, is an achievement."

  Something warm in my chest,

  real pride now,

  not just small, but real.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty."

  "Caliope, when we're training, you can call me Caliope."

  "Thank you, Caliope."

  She smiled, genuine, maternal.

  Clapping behind us.

  I turned.

  Fuyumi and Hinata, sitting on one of the nearby benches, having watched the entire training session.

  "That was incredible!" Hinata shouted.

  "You actually caught her off guard!" Fuyumi agreed.

  I smiled, couldn't help it,

  they had come to watch, as they'd been doing lately,

  supporting, cheering, being present,

  my friends,

  real ones,

  it was still strange to think about, but good,

  very good.

  Caliope clapped her hands, drawing attention.

  "Very well, practical training is over, now we move to the theoretical part."

  "Theoretical?"

  "Yes, it's time for you to awaken your first spell."

  My heart jumped,

  a spell, a real spell, not an enchantment, but a complete spell.

  "Really?"

  "Yes, your mana control has improved at a good pace, there's still disorganization, still weakness, but the foundation is there," she gestured for me to sit, "and with an adequate foundation, awakening spells becomes possible."

  I sat down, Fuyumi and Hinata came closer too, curious.

  Caliope stood before us.

  "First, you need to understand what spells are, they're different from enchantments, enchantments are direct and immediate mana manipulation, shaping energy in real time for specific effects."

  She created a small flame in her palm.

  "Spells are manifestations of your natural magical affinity, complex mana structures engraved in the soul since birth, but dormant."

  The flame disappeared.

  "Each person has a unique affinity, mine, for example, is Compass," she extended her hand, and small glowing symbols appeared floating around her, directional marks, cardinal points, "my spells all involve location, direction, mapping."

  The symbols disappeared.

  "I can't teach you my spells, because we don't share the same affinity, but I can teach you how to awaken yours."

  "How do I discover my affinity?"

  "You've already shown it," Caliope smiled, picked up a small stone from the ground, "remember that time, during our first mana control sessions, when you transformed a stone into something resembling a sword?"

  I remembered, it had been an accident, I'd been trying to shape my mana and somehow the stone had completely changed form.

  "Yes."

  "That wasn't an enchantment, it was an instinctive manifestation of your affinity," she held the stone, "Transmutation."

  "Transmutation?"

  "Yes, the ability to alter the form and properties of matter using mana," she placed the stone in my hand, "it's a rare affinity, powerful, and incredibly versatile."

  I looked at the stone, just an ordinary stone, gray, rough.

  "But I couldn't maintain the form, it went back to being a stone after a few seconds."

  "Because it was instinctive, without conscious control, without understanding the pattern," Caliope explained, "awakening a spell is different from using it accidentally, it's about understanding the pattern engraved in your soul, bringing it to consciousness, and then controlling it."

  "How do I do that?"

  "Through focused meditation, visualization, and repetition," she sat down before me, "close your eyes, breathe deep, and search within yourself, in your soul, for the pattern."

  "How will I know when I've found it?"

  "You'll know, it'll be like a memory that was always there, but that you never consciously accessed."

  I closed my eyes,

  breathed deep,

  and searched.

  At first, nothing, just darkness, just the sound of my own breathing,

  but then, slowly, I felt something,

  not visual, not auditory, but present,

  like a web of light interwoven into my essence, complex patterns, geometric, pulsing softly.

  "I found something," I whispered.

  "Good, now observe, don't force it, just observe, let the pattern reveal itself."

  I observed,

  and the pattern unfolded,

  lines connecting points, circles overlapping, shapes changing, flowing, transforming,

  it was beautiful,

  and terrifying,

  and completely mine.

  "The pattern is about change," Caliope instructed, voice distant, "about taking something that is and transforming it into what it could be, visualize that, feel that, understand that."

  I visualized,

  the stone in my hand, not as it was, but as it could be,

  harder, sharper, more useful,

  a weapon.

  "Now, keeping the pattern in mind, open your eyes, and release the mana through it."

  I opened my eyes,

  looked at the stone,

  called the pattern, that web of light in my soul,

  and released the mana.

  The stone glowed,

  intense, almost blinding,

  and then it changed,

  it twisted, elongated, sharpened,

  in seconds, I had a knife in my hand,

  not perfect, the surface was still rough like stone, but it had a defined shape, a handle, a blade, a point,

  a weapon,

  a real one.

  "I did it," I whispered, voice trembling.

  "You did," Caliope confirmed, pride obvious in her voice, "your first spell, Armament Transmutation, congratulations, Sekire."

  The knife began to crack after twenty seconds, my control still wasn't strong enough to maintain the transformation stably, the durability was still that of the original stone,

  but it didn't matter,

  because I'd done it,

  I really had,

  I'd awakened my first spell.

  Fuyumi and Hinata erupted in celebration.

  "YOU DID IT!"

  "THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!"

  They hugged me, all three of us falling to the ground in a disorganized pile of laughter and joy,

  and for the first time in a long time, I felt it,

  pure accomplishment,

  not survival, not relief,

  but real achievement,

  real progress,

  I was getting better,

  truly.

  Caliope officially ended the training session.

  "Very well, that's enough for today, rest, practice visualizing the pattern mentally when you can, but don't force it, your body and soul need to adapt to the consciousness of the spell."

  "Yes, Caliope, thank you, for everything."

  "You're welcome, you're progressing well, keep it up."

  She turned to leave, stopped.

  "Oh, and Sekire? Princess Mabel will arrive in three days, with Lady Clemearl Netherheart."

  My heart went cold.

  "Three days?"

  "Yes, so prepare yourself, the test is near."

  And she left,

  leaving me with renewed anxiety,

  three days, just three days.

  Afternoon - Castle Kitchens

  Fuyumi had an idea.

  "We need to celebrate!"

  "Celebrate what?"

  "Your first spell! That's big, huge!"

  "She's right," Hinata agreed, "you need to celebrate achievements."

  "But how?"

  "Food," Fuyumi said, simple, "always food."

  We went to the kitchens, a place I had helped out a few times when I was bored or anxious, it was therapeutic, doing things with my hands, seeing immediate results.

  The head maid, Mrs. Marta, a stout middle-aged woman with a warm smile, saw us arrive.

  "Sekire! And the girls! What brings you here?"

  "Sekire awakened her first spell!" Fuyumi announced, proud.

  "Really? My goodness, that's wonderful!" Marta clapped her hands, "that deserves a proper celebration!"

  "There's no need to do anything special..."

  "Nonsense," she cut me off, "Chef! CHEF!"

  A tall, thin man appeared, tall white hat on his head, serious expression but gentle eyes.

  "Yes, Mrs. Marta?"

  "Young Sekire awakened her first spell!"

  "Is that so?" he looked at me, a small smile appearing, "that's quite an achievement, congratulations."

  "Thank you."

  "We need to make something special," Marta declared, "a cake, no, The cake, your specialty!"

  "The chocolate cake with cherry filling?"

  "Exactly that one!"

  "But it takes three hours..."

  "We have time, the girls can help!"

  And so we found ourselves helping make an elaborate cake,

  well, trying to help.

  Fuyumi was surprisingly competent in the kitchen,

  Hinata was a walking disaster, almost knocked over the batter bowl twice,

  I was in the middle ground, following instructions carefully.

  "No, no, like this," Chef corrected my mixing technique, "gentle circular movements, don't beat it, incorporate it."

  "Like this?"

  "Better, keep going."

  Marta was making the filling, fresh cherries cooking with sugar, sweet smell filling the kitchen.

  "You know, Sekire," she began, casual, "you've changed."

  "How so?"

  "When you arrived, you were so quiet, so scared, barely spoke to anyone," she stirred the filling, "but now, you're smiling, laughing, you have friends."

  I looked at Fuyumi and Hinata, both focused on their tasks, but clearly listening.

  "Yes, I've changed, I think."

  "And it's a good change," Marta continued, "I'm happy for you, child, you deserve happiness."

  Something warm in my chest, but also a tightness,

  because happiness was new, fragile, and I was afraid of losing it.

  Two Hours Later

  The cake was ready,

  and it was a work of art,

  three layers of dark chocolate, bright red filling between them, creamy frosting on top,

  Chef had even decorated it with crystallized cherries.

  "Perfect," he declared, satisfied.

  We cut generous slices,

  and ate right there, in the kitchen, sitting on the counter.

  It was delicious, rich and intense chocolate, sweet and tart cherries, perfect balance.

  "This is incredible," I murmured, mouth full.

  "I completely agree," Hinata, also chewing.

  Fuyumi just made a sound of approval, too busy eating to speak.

  Marta and Chef watched, satisfied.

  "Nothing better than seeing people appreciate well-made food," he said.

  "True," Marta agreed.

  We stayed there, eating cake, laughing, talking about trivial things,

  training, castle gossip, plans for the future,

  it was normal, so wonderfully normal,

  and I loved every second.

  Night - My Room

  Lying in bed, looking at the ceiling.

  The day had been good, very good,

  progress in training, first spell awakened, celebration with friends,

  but the anxiety was still there, growing.

  Three days, Mabel would return in three days, with Lady Clemearl Netherheart,

  the test would begin,

  and everything would change,

  for better or for worse, I didn't know,

  but it would change.

  I turned on my side, looking out the window where the moon shone,

  picked up the stone I had kept, the one I had transformed,

  now it was just a stone again, but I kept it as a reminder,

  of what I had achieved,

  of what I could do.

  I closed my eyes, visualizing the pattern again, that web of light in my soul,

  Transmutation,

  my affinity,

  my power.

  "You can do this," I whispered to myself, "you trained, you improved, you have support."

  "You can do this."

  Repeating it like a mantra,

  trying to believe it,

  and eventually, with the anxiety still present but a little more controlled, I slept,

  dreaming of tests, of curses, of possibilities,

  and of hope, fragile but persistent,

  because I had to succeed,

  I had no other choice.

  POV: Fuyumi

  Same Night - Corridor

  I was walking back to my room when I saw Hinata leaning against the wall, looking out the window.

  "Still awake?"

  She jumped, slightly.

  "Ah, Fuyumi, yes, I couldn't sleep."

  "Worried about Sekire?"

  "A little, the test is coming, and she's so nervous."

  "She'll manage," I said, confident.

  "How are you so sure?"

  "Because she's Sekire, she survived the impossible, and today she awakened a rare affinity spell in a matter of hours, this? This is just one more challenge."

  Pause.

  "And because she's not alone anymore, she has us, she has Mabel, she even has Queen Caliope supporting her."

  Hinata smiled, small.

  "You're right, she'll manage."

  "Of course I am, I always am."

  "Modest."

  "Realistic."

  We laughed, quietly, so as not to wake anyone.

  "Let's sleep," I said, "tomorrow she's going to need us focused."

  "Agreed."

  And we went, each to our own room,

  but before closing the door, I looked back down the corridor,

  toward Sekire's room.

  "Good luck," I whispered, "you're going to need it."