It was in the midst of her dreams that Suhara found herself back in her hometown of Welldrop.

Everything in the town seemed to be operating as usual. It was all exactly how she remembered it. Her old acquaintances even greeted her and immediately knew who she was, with no explanation needed.

It completely befuddled her, but she didn’t complain.

She did all the usual things she did back in that old life. Nothing was different. It was as if the past few weeks never even happened. It was a very strange experience.

During her time in the Lyceum, she had come to realize that her old life was in fact quite crude, but she never understood the full extent of it until she was reliving it. It always seemed to be the case with the lives of the poor and the homeless. Constantly neglected by larger society. Never given the chance to truly thrive unless they break the rules.

Just as Suhara did.

Suhara turned her head when she heard a faint voice in the distance. It sounded like it was calling out to her.

“Suhara!” She eventually heard it say. The voice grew louder and louder as the world around her gradually faded away.

=+=+=

Rales continued to shout as he saw Suhara move ever so slightly.

“Suhara! Are you there? Can you hear me?”

Suhara rubbed her eyes as her vision came back to her. “R- Rales, is that you?”

“Suhara! Thank gods you’re alive!” Rales shouted.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in the medical ward. We were so worried about you. It’s been days. Are you okay?”

“Days?” Suhara asked, shocked that she was out for that long.

“Yeah. But that doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is that you’re okay. Besides, you did it! Theema’s gone! You beat her! You won! And she’s never coming back!”

Suhara’s face did not react to Rales’s statement. She already knew that she had beaten Theema. It wasn’t news to her. And it certainly hadn’t felt like a victory. Not after all the suffering and death that occurred across all of Vanasia. All of which she felt responsible for.

And especially not after what happened to Desyi.

Suhara sank into her bed as she recalled seeing Desyi’s vampiric state. She specifically remembered looking at her, and seeing a brief glimpse of humanity before it instantly faded back into a mindless ferality.

Rales laughed awkwardly. “Certainly was one hell of a trip, wasn’t it? I say we got enough research for a lifetime.”

“I know she’s out there.” Suhara muttered quietly.

“Pardon?”

“Desyi, I saw her.”

Rales’s face immediately fell. “Hey, listen. There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

Suhara’s eyes began watering. “I- I…” She couldn’t finish her statement.

Rales became silent as he gave the crying girl a hug.

“Where are Frey and Tricks?” Suhara eventually choked out.

“They’re out with Norman and Deledy, and also some other ace class mages, searching around for…” Rales hesitated for a bit. “Searching around for Desyi.”

“Wh- what? Why? She’s a vampire now. There’s nothing we can do.”

“Not necessarily.”

Suhara’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Hawkshire told us there is only one known way to convert a vampire back to human form. It is incredibly difficult though. It’s this spell called ‘Life Conversion’, one of the most difficult spells ever. You need a dying or unconscious body, and then someone highly trained or powerful can ‘give their life’ to that person. The life of the dying person will be saved, but it will kill the person performing it. Doing the spell to a vampire will turn them back into a human.”

Suhara began stepping out of her bed. “Where are they? I need to help them.”

Rales stopped her. “No. You’re weak and need to rest. They have enough help right now.”

“No! She’s my friend and I need to help her. I- It’s my fault she’s like that anyway!”

“It is the medical staff’s orders that you stay here. It is way too dangerous for you-”

“After what just happened? Nothing is dangerous anymore.”

“Suhara!” Rales stated firmly. “Tricks and Frey were told not to go out. The only reason those other ace class mages are with them is because they wouldn’t back down. Do you understand how hard it is to track down a vampire? They need a TON of people!”

“One more person can’t hurt.”

“They have been out there for DAYS, you will not be able to find them.”

“I’m not going to stay in this room while they are out there risking their lives!” Suhara shouted. “Now get out of the way!”

Before he could do anything, Suhara violently pushed Rales to the side before walking out of the medical ward.

=+=+=

Suhara tried many times to exit the Lyceum, but the guards were relentless. It seemed that in the time between the end of the event and the current day, the Lyceum had stepped up their security immensely. There was no way out.

After countless futile attempts to leave, she finally gave up and began crying on the floor of a hallway, feeling completely helpless.

Aside from the guards, there were virtually no staff members in the building. No one was there to command that Suhara go back into the medical ward, and as such she was left on the floor, crying for what felt like hours.

There was nothing she could do. Tricks and Frey were out there, searching for Desyi in the middle of the night and she couldn’t go out to help them. Or even to see if they were okay. Everything was hopeless.

=+=+=

“Could there possibly be a more inconvenient place for you to lay down and cry?”

Suhara looked up to the source of the voice and saw Raycern holding a box. The sight of him seemed to ignite some life into her depressed state. “Oh my gods! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine.” Raycern interrupted. “I probably shouldn’t be moving things around this late at night anyway.”

Suhara wiped her still damp face. “Where are you going?”

“Just to the storage room over there.” Raycern laid the box on the ground. “Guess I’ll have to take a break. Tell me please, what troubles you so much?”

“I- I- well, it’s just that… my friends are out there… in the forest, and they’re looking for Desyi and she’s a vampire and I can’t help them and I don’t know what to do!” Suhara was sobbing again.

“Yes, I know about that.” Raycern replied. “Hey there lass, it’s alright. They have a lot of people with them. Strong mages. They will be fine.”

“But she’s a vampire now! And… and someone has to die to bring her back! And it has to be me. It’s my fault anyway… I deserve it.”

“Now, don’t talk like that.” Raycern demanded. “We have already gone over this. Desyi’s death was not your fault. Blaming yourself is not helping anyone. It’s certainly not helping you.”

“But someone HAS to die to do this spell. And I have to do it! No one else is more to blame for her death than me!”

“That’s not true and you know it.” Raycern told her. “Answer me this. If Desyi was brought back and found out that you did a life conversion spell to save her, do you think she would feel good about it? Do you think she’d be okay knowing that you gave away your life to her?”

Suhara opened her mouth but couldn’t form any words. Deep inside, she already knew the answer. Even if she didn’t want to admit it.

“Look at yourself, lass. You don’t want to do this. You know you don’t. You aren’t ready to die.” Raycern said. “Can you really look at me and say you want to do this?”

Again Suhara found she couldn’t answer the question. As much as she tried to, she could not bring herself to say anything.

“And you shouldn’t.” He affirmed. “You’re young. You have your whole life ahead of you. You have such incredible potential as a magician. Why throw all of that away because of a misjudgment?”

“But what about Desyi?!” Suhara asked him. “Do you not care about her? How can you say that I’m wrong for wanting to save a life?!”

“Calm down. Everything will be okay-”

“Okay?! My friend is a vampire and you don’t care!”

“Listen to me.” Raycern demanded. “I do not wish to argue with you. I care very deeply about each and every person in this building. And I can assure you that your friend will be fine. Because I’m going to do the spell.”

“Wh- What?”

Raycern smiled. “I know I haven’t thought about it long, but going through everything, this is what feels right.”

“B- but, why you? Can’t someone else do it?”

Raycern sighed. “I’m sorry, but the reality is that someone will have to die for this spell to work. If it wasn’t me, it’d be someone else. I understand you know me personally, but don’t let that get in the way of this decision. The lives of others you don’t know are worth just as much as mine.”

Suhara couldn’t speak. She simply got up and hugged the old man. Slightly surprised by this action, Raycern hugged her back.

“Please don’t go.” Suhara muttered. “You’ve done so much… there has to be someone else… please…”

The old man gave her a pat on the back. “It’s okay. I’m ready for this. I am prepared to die. There are so many young faces in here that still have years ahead of them they deserve to experience. Me? I’m just some old man with a wand shop. I’ve lived a full life. I’m ready to go.”

“Does it have to be now?”

“It has to come some time, might as well be now. It is for the best. I will die knowing that I saved another’s life.”

Suhara eased herself out of the hug. She looked up and saw Raycern’s face without a hint of doubt. He was determined. He was going to do this spell and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

“I’ll miss you.”

“I know you will.” The old man said to her. “I know you’ve had to fight off some guilt because of the event. And if I’m being honest, I’ve had to fight off some guilt of my own too. Bringing your friend back to life will make things right.”

The old man’s eyes grew unfocused in memory. “You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve made a decision like this.”

“It isn’t?”

“No.” He said. “I still remember it like it was yesterday. I told my wife that I would perform this spell for her. And she looked me right in the eye and said ‘if you do that spell I will kick your ass’”. He laughed. “She told me to save it for a time I’d actually need it. Oh, how I’d love to see that woman again.”

Suhara didn’t know how to reply to that statement, so she just nodded.

“Well, I guess I need to get back to transferring this stuff.” Raycern said. “Not like that old wand shop will be much use very soon.”

“Oh… umm… can I help you?”

“Of course, young one.” Raycern responded. “Please do actually, this old body isn’t very fit anymore.

Suhara smiled wistfully as she helped the old man pick up the large box.

Raycern had become something of a father figure to the young girl. The closest thing to a father she’d ever had, in fact.

Raycern was in a similar position. Suhara was the closest thing he’d ever had to a daughter. He liked to imagine that if he actually had children, they would have been like Suhara.

Even in their short time together, they already felt like family. Perhaps in another life, they could have truly been one.

=+=+=

When the guards to the entrance of the Lyceum parted, a group of mages came into the building. The mage in the front was holding a body bag.

Suhara and Raycern, having transferred everything from the wand shop into the storage room, were already there waiting for them.

Upon seeing Suhara, Frey immediately ran over and hugged her. Her face was filled with tears. “Thank the gods you’re okay. I missed you so much.” She said.

Tricks, Norman, and Deledy all walked toward Suhara as well. None of them said anything, but their faces all showed they were more than happy she was alive.

Raycern’s decision to do the spell had already been set before they went out to search for Desyi, and as such the front mage, Fesie, handed the body bag to him. “Get Hawkshire”. She said quietly. “He will give you all the information you need.”

Raycern nodded. He turned around and took one last look at Suhara, who was beginning to tear up again. He smiled and gave her a nod which she returned. As he turned and walked away, she waved “goodbye” to him.

=+=+=

Hawkshire had taken the body to an empty storage room in the Lyceum, cold and dark. No lights, no windows, nothing aside from a few candles.

“The girl has been put under a spell making her unconscious.” Hawkshire said. “It only works for twenty-four hours. Be mindful of that.”

Raycern nodded silently. Hawkshire briefly considered giving him words of encouragement, or wishing him well, but decided against it. Raycern was about to die and everyone knew it. There wasn’t anything that could possibly soften the blow.

Hawkshire did nothing more than give Raycern a knowing nod, before exiting the room.

Raycern was now completely alone.

Slowly, he opened the body bag and laid his eyes upon the unconscious body of Desyi. He had never really gotten the chance to know her, but he wished that he had. He could say the same about a lot of students who had been in the Lyceum.

He took a deep breath. There was no use delaying the inevitable.

He closed his eyes and focused all his power. He conjured up his magic until his entire body felt full of energy. Years of training were finally paying off.

“Take my life away and give it to this soul.” Raycern said these words in his mind and directed his magic to Desyi.

He didn’t know how long it took. It seemed to be a long time, but eventually he could feel a link between himself and the girl. The spell was working.

“Concentrate. All life from me is gone and put into this soul.”

He felt the link between them grow stronger as time went on. Inside the room, threads of light were being connected between himself and Desyi, and Desyi’s body was beginning to glow.

Raycern concentrated all his magic further. He could feel the spell working. Ever so slowly, it was as if a transfer of life was occurring.

Desyi’s body continued to glow, and her vampiric features were slowly fading away. Her body was being reignited with life and humanity.

It was only a short while afterward that Raycern suddenly collapsed. Desyi’s body continued to glow however, and it went on repairing itself.

As Raycern felt his life fade away from him, he saw the face of his wife looking back at him.

He smiled at her.

=+=+=

Suhara walked over to the gravestone of Raycern, all alone in the very fitting rain.

Suhara knelt down, eyes filled with water. What she owed this old man she couldn’t have possibly given back. Giving her the demon root was what made real magic possible to her. This new life of hers, she never would have been able to do it without him.

And it was him who gave up his own life to save one of her friends. Desyi was finally back, because of the selflessness of this old man. In all respects, he was a hero.

Suhara put her hand on his grave. She turned on her winter sight to see all the magic embedded in it. It allowed her to see the coffin underneath, buried in the ground.

Seeing it had actually reassured her. He was in a better place now. There was nothing to be sad about. She smiled through her tears.

She promised that through all her life, she would never forget him.

=+=+=

The Time of Void Skies brought death and destruction all across Vanasia. Memorials were set up across many towns, honoring those who had lost their lives in the tragic event.

The Lyceum had the largest memorial of all. Thousands of names were listed. It didn’t matter if they were rich, poor, a criminal, or someone who had died of causes unrelated to the event. If they died during it, their name was listed.

Of course, after the tragedy occurred, people were quick to direct blame. Suhara Ballad, the sixteen year old who bonded with Theema, was the main person accused of being responsible. She was the one who collected the souls for Theema and allowed her to enter the world, after all.

After a certain mage recorded her memories while she was unconscious, a lot of truth was revealed about Suhara’s life. She claimed to be from Western Beradina, when in reality she had grown up as a poor orphan from Welldrop. In fact, she had actually been a boy named Jaux Ballad before arriving at the Lyceum. Bonding with Theema had apparently transformed her into a girl. The fact that she lied so much about herself drew her more ire. Also, the mage who recorded her memories was assaulted by her, which only made things worse.

There was a case for expelling Suhara, claiming her to be a criminal who entered the Lyceum illegitimately, but it was dropped. Mainly because the memories were recorded against her will by someone not authorized to do so, also a crime. In the end, neither Suhara nor the mage ended up facing any charges.

Understandably, the whole situation had been very hard on Suhara. She had already blamed herself for the event, and when she saw a large number of people also direct blame toward her, she began finding it hard to even get out of bed in the morning.

Fortunately, Suhara has also seen a lot of defense and support. To her surprise, none of her close friends really cared that she used to be a boy. Either way, they supported her and did not believe claims that she was a criminal or a bad person. Furthermore, the fact that she bonded with Theema against her will and did not know of her true intentions made criminally prosecuting her impossible. And the Lyceum itself was criticized for catering too much to the wealthy and the privileged, inadvertently allowing for something like this to happen.

There were other sources of blame too. The old shopkeeper who gave the demon root to Suhara was subject to a lot of criticism, with many claiming it was irresponsible to give such a powerful wand to someone very clearly inexperienced. Some even called his sacrificial death an attempt to clean his image. The Lyceum itself was also further blamed for keeping the statue that allowed Theema to bond with Suhara within its walls. Many people demanded that the staff be more cautious and weary before bringing any “sketchy artifact” into the building.

Whatever people pointed to as the cause of the event, the world was still recovering. Towns were being rebuilt and everything was gradually going back to the way it was before.

The Lyceum has at the moment been fully rebuilt and is set to resume operation.

=+=+=

The first day of classes had finally returned, and with it a feeling of normalcy. And boredom. Lots of boredom.

A lot of the classes so far had just been recaps of what had been taught before the event as a mental refresher, which made the day very tedious and cumbersome. By the time lunch had rolled around, Suhara was already begging for it to be over.

Once Suhara sat down at the table with her friends, she saw him. The mage she had knocked out to get to the Lyceum in the first place. He was staring daggers at her. It made her sink in her seat.

“Hey Suhara!” Tricks exclaimed. “I didn’t see you at breakfast, are you skipping meals again? You know you can’t do that.”

Suhara mutely nodded her head.

“Uh, what’s wrong?” Tricks asked. “What are you staring at?”

The rest of the table turned their heads. “It’s that mage again.” Desyi said.

Suhara nodded again. She couldn’t deny how guilty she felt for knocking him out. He had every right to hate her. She couldn’t even blame him for going through her memories and exposing her entire past.

Now THAT had been a massive pain in the neck to deal with. She had hoped that she would be able to keep her past a secret forever, but alas, it was not to be. Everyone now knew where she came from, and that she used to be a boy. Everyone knew that she had lied about her origins.

Going back to classes was a hassle, as she was on the receiving end of a lot of awkward stares. A few of the other students had teased her about the fact she used to be a boy, and some even called her a pervert for sleeping in the girls’ dorm.

She was beyond thankful that her friends continued to support her through this, and didn’t care about her original gender.

“I’m sorry.” Suhara muttered.

“Sorry?” Desyi asked. “For what?”

“For lying… about everything.”

Frey gave her former novi a hug. “You did what you had to do.”

“If it makes you feel better.” Norman said. “Realistically there was no way you could’ve hidden this forever. The Lyceum gets missing person reports from all across Vanasia, and I receive some of them. One of the ones I got was for someone named Jaux Ballad from Welldrop.”

“Norman, you really aren’t helping.” Deledy said to him.

Norman shrugged while Suhara continued to stare at the mage. It looked like he was contemplating going over and confronting her. She had never been up close to him since she knocked him out, and she was hoping it wouldn’t happen again.

Unfortunately for her, the mage began walking toward her.

Suhara closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was about to happen.

“Hey you, you got a lot of nerve.” The mage said. “Open your eyes! Stop pretending you can’t see me!”

Suhara opened her eyes. “I’m sorry.” She said.

“Not gonna cut it after what you did.”

“Let it go.” Frey stood up, defending Suhara.

“Let it go? Would you say that if she knocked you out and forced you to walk through her shithole of a town? Not to mention all the people that died because of her in the event.”

“I said, ‘let it go’” Frey’s voice took on a more threatening tone.

The mage laughed. “I can’t believe this. Look at her, she’s obviously looking for sympathy right now. It’s so transparent.”

“The feud between you two should be over. It’s you that is continuing it.” Frey said. “Just end it.”

“You do know you are defending someone who used to be a boy and is now sleeping with you, right?” The mage said. “Are you really okay with that?”

“As okay as I will be when this fist collides with your face.” Frey said to him.

“Nice of you to threaten me. Really makes me feel safe.”

“The verdict is already out. Nothing is going to happen to either of you. Keep it at that and leave now, got it?”

The mage grumbled. “Fine.” He turned and walked away.

The rest of the table turned to Frey, shocked.

“Jeez Frey, threatening to beat someone? I didn't think you had that in you.” Desyi said.

“I didn’t think so either.” Frey responded. “What can I say? Pretty protective.”

Frey was caught off guard when Suhara suddenly hugged her.

“Thank you.” She said.

“No problem.” Frey smiled.

=+=+=

The rest of the lunch period went by pretty smoothly. Suhara slowly got out of her silent phase and began talking again.

“I should’ve realized she was evil a lot sooner.” Suhara said. “The forced transformation, putting me in deadly situations, and keeping a living vampire as a slave. It was so obvious! Why am I so dumb?”

“There is no way you could have known.” Deledy assured her. “Besides, all of that is in the past now. Theema’s gone. You won’t have to deal with her anymore. It’s over.”

“I just wish I could’ve done something…”

“You did.” Deledy said. “You beat her. That’s gotta count for something, right?”

Suhara gave a slight smile and lightly nodded her head. As she did, she looked over to Helanna and noticed a detail about her she hadn’t before.

“Helanna! You don't have your collar anymore!”

“Hmm? Oh yeah!” Helanna exclaimed. “I’m a basic class mage now. I just passed my test today!”

“Why couldn’t you have been a novi a little longer?” Deledy whined. It wasn’t long before she laughed. “Just kidding, it’s great that you’re learning so fast.”

“Thank you!” Helanna excitedly replied. “I really hope I can keep it up.”

“So naive, just like I was back then.” Deledy shook her head. “We all burn out eventually.”

“Well, I won’t!” Helanna declared.

“We’ll see about that…” Deledy said.

Suhara laughed.

=+=+=

“I’d like an investigation into that statue, and whoever brought it here.” Rilane stated. “I’ll ask Helsfur about conducting one.”

“Is it still in the research department?” Wenlia asked.

“No.” Rilane responded. “I checked and it seems to have vanished. Not a trace of it at all.”

“Oh, thank gods. It would’ve been real creepy if it was still there.”

“Yeah…” Rilane agreed. “I’m still curious though, does anyone know how that statue got here? Does anyone know who brought it in?”

“I’m not sure. Could be people who are no longer affiliated with us. Or people who wanted to put us in danger. Remember how that ghost Seventy nine was able to locate Suhara so quickly? Turns out it was a mage who told it our location when questioned. So it’s not like there aren’t people who are willing to do that.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Rilane said back. “But if that’s it, then why would they bring that statue here at all? If they only wanted to put us in danger, why would they do something to put the entire world in danger? That just doesn't make sense.”

“None of this makes sense.”

“Yeah. Pretty much.” Rilane replied. “Do you… do you think it’s possible Theema put that statue there herself?”

“No clue. But that’s quite terrifying to think about. Really gives me chills.”

“Absolutely. Either way, I’d like some answers. I’m gonna ask Helsfur for an investigation to find everything they can on how that statue got here and who could’ve brought it here, and I’m also gonna request better regulations and analyses for whatever artifacts are brought into this building.”

=+=+=

During her runnings around the hallways, Suhara accidentally knocked into someone.

“Oh my gods! I’m so sorry!” She said. She looked up and saw none other than Roy Intone. He was unmistakable, with his permanently smug face and his dark blue hair.

There was a naive part of Suhara’s mind that was expecting him to say something along the lines of ‘I never got to congratulate you for your victory’, or ‘I’m sure you’ll turn out to be a great magician’, but that turned out to be nothing more than an unrealistic fantasy.

Roy grumbled as he quickly walked away. Nothing. Not even an acknowledgement. Just straight bitterness. Apparently, that was the kind of person he was.

Suhara took the time to give him a passing glance, then resumed walking.

=+=+=

“Leaving already?”

Joula sadly nodded as she packed her goggles. “I’ve already stayed here longer than I should have, anyway.”

“But you just got here!” Suhara whined. “Well, to me anyway…”

Joula laughed. “We’ll see each other again, I promise.”

Suhara smiled. “So where are you going?”

“I think I’m gonna go back to my homeland first.” Joula replied. “It’s been so long since I’ve been there. I still love those moving islands, even if sometimes I wish they’d blow up.”

“Do you think you’ll see the Kraken again?”

Joula punched Suhara’s shoulder. “Shut up!”

They both laughed for a bit, then went quiet.

“I had it in my hands, you know.”

“What?” Suhara asked.

“The Amber Heart. In that pocket dimension we were in right before things went mad. I snuck into the lake and tore away the leather. And there it was, staring right at me.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah… I almost took it too. I knew it would be bad if I did but sometimes I wonder what could have happened.”

Suhara nodded. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what the Amber Heart is.”

“That’s right, you’re still new here…” Joula remarked. “Well, it’s like insanely powerful and stuff. I don’t actually know that much about it myself, but holding it… I don’t know, it feels so unbelievable but I actually held it. In my own hands.”

“Could give you something to research during your trip.”

“Yeah, as long as I can find a book. I really hate looking around in that library.”

Suhara gave out a weak laugh. She then went in and gave Joula a hug. She had been hugging a lot recently. She didn’t quite know why, but she did know it was fun.

=+=+=

Suhara opened the door to Rales’s research room. He was sitting down, intently studying some relic she couldn’t quite see.

“Hello?” She asked.

“I’m quite busy right now.” He said. “Is it important?”

“Well… I just wanted to say sorry for pushing you in the medical ward.”

“Yes, pardon my rudeness.” Rales turned his chair around to face Suhara. “It’s no big deal. With all that was going on, I understand you wouldn’t be in the right mind. No hard feelings.”

“Oh, thank you.” She said. “What are you looking at there?”

“No idea. That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

“Can I see it?”

“Sure.” Rales handed the relic over to Suhara. It looked like an old stone tablet of some kind, yet the way it reflected light was extremely odd.

“It’s weird to look at. Had my eye on it all day. The words are written in a language I don’t understand. I’ve been trying to find some way to translate it.”

The two proceeded to examine and study the stone tablet for what was probably close to an hour. They bounced ideas off each other, and took a look at other artifacts, but they still didn’t get very far.

Eventually Rales pushed the tablet aside. “That’s enough of that. Probably gonna have to call someone more knowledgeable than me. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I know how that feels.” Suhara said.

Rales hesitated and looked down for a bit. “Suhara… I’ve been meaning to ask you this question for a while. And I- I’ve never been able to find a good time…”

Suhara internally braced herself. She knew exactly what he was going to ask. It was going to be about a possible romantic relationship. She hoped he would forget about that, but alas, it was not to be.

All through her life, she never really had the time to think about romance. She never thought she’d ever have to deal with it, growing up a poor orphan left little time for it. And when she first came to the Lyceum, she was constantly preoccupied with Theema. Romance rarely crossed her mind.

And when it did, she always thought of Frey, not Rales.

That was another part of why she didn’t want to have this conversation. She would have to find a way to tell Rales she wasn’t interested.

She hoped he would take it well.

Rales put his hand on Suhara’s shoulder. “Do you ever have feelings about… us? I’d really like to know.”

Suhara took a deep breath. She almost didn’t want to answer, but she had to.

She could do this, she told herself.

“I’m really sorry but… no.” Her mind gave her an image of beautiful flowing red hair. “I- I have my eyes on someone else.”

Rales pulled his hand away, clearly disappointed. “Oh.”

“I’m sorry! I’m not saying I don’t like you, it’s just not like that.”

“It’s okay. Somewhere in my head I guess I should've realized it was just a fantasy. You never seemed that into me. I promise I’ll back off from now on.”

“We can still be friends though, right?”

“Absolutely, trust me. No hard feelings.” He put his hand on his chest.

“Thank you.” Suhara smiled.

“No problem.” Rales replied. “Just so you know, I do go on trips pretty often, So any time you feel like coming along, please do so.”

“I’d love to. Can I bring my friends along too?”

“Of course. As long as they can handle it.” He smiled.

“Oh please, they can handle danger way better than you.”

“We’ll see about that.”

=+=+=

Marlifa was already holding a crystal ball when Helsfur walked in.

“Ahead of me I see.” Helsfur said. “Searching through stolen memories, thought you would be better than that.”

“She’s quite a peculiar one.” Marlifa said back. “I’d hate to see her leave.”

“And she won’t. She’ll be staying here as long as she can. I see a lot of great potential in her.” Helsfur affirmed.

“A future archmage maybe.” Marlifa added.

“Yes… speaking of which, do you know what happened to the archmages?” Helsfur asked. “Are they still alive?”

“Most of them still are.” Marlifa answered. “Including Melidea, who wishes to not be contacted for the time being.”

“Understandable.” Helsfur smiled. “You know, getting this school back together has been a real headache. But that’s not what’s got me most frustrated.”

Helsfur groaned as she rubbed her face. “It’s just that, even with all that has happened, there’s still so much we don’t know about Theema. I have recently authorized an investigation into the statue that was brought into this building, the same one she used to bond with Suhara. I hope that can give us some answers.”

“Don’t fret about it too much.” Marlifa responded. “You will find that there are a lot of questions in this world that can not be answered. I don’t think we’ll ever learn all there is to know about Theema. She will likely remain another great mystery.”

“I personally wouldn’t call anything about Theema ‘great’”.

“A difference in perspective.” Marlifa said. “Either way don’t be hard on yourself. You have done a wonderful job as headmistress and that will not be ignored.”

“Honestly after all this the only thing I want is a drink.”

=+=+=

As the days passed by, the classes in the Lyceum got back up to speed. They became less tedious and more involved, just as they were before the big event. There was still plenty of grief going around, but generally, everything was getting back to normal.

Almost everything, that was.

There was still one very unsure young girl, staring at herself naked in her bathroom mirror. It was the first time since her first shower in the Lyceum that she had really looked at herself.

A lot had happened in the past few weeks.

Whenever Suhara reflected back on her old life as a boy in Welldrop, she found it hard to think of herself as even being the same person. It was like seeing a blur in her mind. She had changed so much, and not just physically.

Suhara activated her winter sight. Seeing all her elaborate tattoos, as well as the four spirits embedded within her, reminded her of just how different she was now. She had to wonder, what would Jaux think if he saw this? To see how powerful she was now, would he be excited? Or would he do everything in his power to avoid becoming her?

Probably the latter. Suhara already knew that Jaux did not take well to change.

Referring to Jaux as a different person was rather silly. Intellectually, Suhara knew that for the first sixteen years of her life, she was Jaux. But it really didn’t feel like that. There was a huge disconnect between her current self and her past self, to the point where she couldn’t even perceive the two as being the same entity. It was very strange to think about.

It could all probably be summed up in one phrase: life changes you.

There was certainly one enormous change in her new life, and it wasn’t physical. No, it was that in her old life, she never had anyone to really emotionally connect with. She had some fun times with her fellow orphans, but there wasn’t a single person she could say was a true friend.

But now, she had people who she could rely on, who she could trust, who she could have multiple memories with. People who actually liked her back and liked being around her.

Tricks, Frey, and Desyi probably had no idea how much they meant to her. To grow up an orphan, with no family to speak of, and no one to truly consider a friend, it could make a person feel as if they have no true place in the world. Feel as if they have no future. Feelings Suhara was all too familiar with.

She hadn’t had those feelings for a while though. She had a pretty good life now. For once, she did have a future. And people who would support her along the way. She was studying and using magic. It was everything Jaux would have wanted and more.

Did she like all the parts of her new life though? Did she like her new body too?

In the beginning, she found the change annoying, as well as frustrating, and truthfully she still didn’t appreciate being forced into a new body against her will. She had spent a great deal of time early on trying to figure out a way to change back.

But as time went on, she began to forget about that. Becoming male again became less and less of a priority. To be fair, a lot of that could be attributed to Theema and the event, but that had all been over with for a while at this point.

And she still hadn't once thought of finding a way to change back.

Through the reflection in the glass, Suhara examined her body. That same body she had found so foreign just weeks ago. She had, in the past, described it as uncomfortable, or awkward. It was embarrassing to be in such an unusual form.

But when she looked at her body now, she found it much more admirable. Her face was delicately shaped, with high cheekbones and alluring violet eyes. Her long waterfall of ebony hair could now be described as rich, and her lips were full and plump.

The rest of her body, her breasts, her arms, her legs, even her vagina, all seemed so wonderfully crafted. Lean, but graceful. And all covered in soft and fair skin.

It was a body she could describe as elegant, or beautiful.

This was who she was now?

Suhara wondered, if given the option, would she go back? There was a time when she was certain she would, but not anymore. She had to admit that she had grown quite fond of her female body as of late. She wasn’t sure if she could give it up. There were a few things she missed about being a boy, such as peeing standing up, but enough to go back?

She couldn’t believe she was saying this, but she didn’t think so.

Suhara saw her reflection smile beautifully in the mirror. This body… it was hers. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to say that, but here she was. This body was hers. She was beautiful. She was elegant. This WAS who she was now.

And she couldn’t be happier.

A few tears of happiness fell down Suhara’s face. She loved her new life. All parts of it.

=+=+=

“Well, don’t you like it?” Frey asked.

Suhara looked all around her, at the restaurant they were currently in. In all respects, it was very high class. All of the windows showed it was night outside, but in reality it was daytime and the restaurant was using illusory magic for atmospheric purposes. Beyond that, there wasn’t a speck of dirt or dust anywhere on the floor, the ceiling was filled with complex floral patterns that were never too overbearing or distracting, and beautiful chandeliers were hanging all over. How Frey was able to afford such a luxurious place, Suhara would never know.

Suhara shifted in her seat. Frey had encouraged her to dress up for this occasion, to which she did. She was wearing the violet dress that Frey had bought for her in Orouna. Her roommates had believed it would go nice with her violet eyes, and when she put it on, they all said it was a “perfect match”.

Wearing a dress for the first time was weird, to say the least. A few weeks ago she would have adamantly refused, and now, well she didn’t know how to feel about it at all. Even with her acceptance of her female self, dresses still felt like a bit much.

She did like seeing Frey in one though.

“It’s umm…” Suhara was unsure of what to say, or even what to think for that matter. She had never gone to a restaurant before, much less one that was so prestigious. She was truthfully a bit intimidated.

And that wasn’t to mention she had only just begun processing that Frey had basically asked her out on a date. She set aside a day for them to have a meal in a fancy restaurant, they were both dressed up, and they were alone with each other. It was a date. And Suhara had never been on a date before.

Seeing Suhara’s questioning face, Frey began to become worried, wondering if she had done something wrong, or maybe pushed Suhara into an uncomfortable situation. She had taken a lot of time to convince Wenlia to let them go here for the day, and she wanted to make sure that everything was absolutely perfect. She was about to apologize when Suhara spoke up.

“It’s wonderful. I love it.”

Frey smiled before a waiter came by to take their orders. He assured them that their food would arrive shortly before leaving them alone again.

“So…” Frey started. “You doing alright? We’ve all been really worried about you…”

“You have?”

“Of course! You’ve gone through so much since you got here.”

“I mean… a lot of it was my fault…”

“No, stop it!” Frey demanded. “We’ve gone over this multiple times. None of this was your fault.”

“But… but I’m the reason the event happened. So many people would have lived if I had just stayed in my town. But I didn’t…”

Suhara’s head began turning down, and there was a silence that hung about the table for a brief moment.

“You’re not the first person to sneak into the Lyceum, you know.”

Suhara’s face shot back up. “But I assaulted someone to get here!”

Frey shook her head. “Not the first one to do that either. Suhara, I know your history isn’t the best, but some people have KILLED to sneak into that place. And some of them were successful. You’re not a unique case.”

“But that still makes me a criminal, right?” Suhara asked rhetorically. “Why does that stuff even matter?”

“It means that if you hadn’t snuck in, someone else eventually would have.” Frey explained. “Someone else would have bonded with Theema. This all would have happened, with or without you.”

Suhara took in the words that were remarkably similar to the ones the late Raycern had told her. They seemed to be convincing, but every time she heard them she’d slowly start spiraling back into that self-hating and self-blaming state of mind afterward. Would she ever stop?

“We all really wish you’d stop doing this.” Frey said. “Blaming yourself. It’s making you miserable. Everyone can see it.”

“It’s not easy when so many other people are blaming you too.” Suhara said back. “I just wish there was a way to turn back time to prevent this all from happening.”

“There isn’t though, so no point in thinking about it.” Frey told her.

Suhara’s eyes began to water. “What can I do?” She asked.

“Accept it isn’t your fault.” Frey said. “You’re such an amazing person, Suhara.”

“I’m not sure I can… how do I even start?”

Frey stood up and walked toward Suhara’s seat. “How about with a kiss?”

Before she could react, the red haired girl planted a slow, deep kiss on Suhara’s forehead, ending her tears and making her blush wildly.

“Thank you.” Suhara said.

=+=+=

When the food finally came and Suhara sank her teeth into it, she learned what “fine dining” truly was. The food was rich, full of flavor, and exactly the right temperature. She didn’t know how much Frey had paid for all this, but whatever that amount was, it was well worth it.

It was also nice to have some lighter conversations with Frey. Things had been so heavy between the four roommates for a while, and Suhara couldn’t even avoid it at the beginning of the date. But, slowly but surely, they were beginning to lighten up again. Going back to more innocent times. Suhara welcomed it with open arms.

“Okay.” Frey said. “I know this might be a bit of a personal question, but… what was it like being a boy?”

“Huh?” Suhara asked, a bit taken back by the question.

“I know you heard me.” Frey giggled. “Come on, tell me! I’d really like to know.”

“Oh, well, it was…” It took some time for Suhara to search through her mind. “I mean, it felt different… mainly… you know, down there, and… up here”

Frey’s eyes widened once she saw Suhara point to her groin and chest. “Ah… I can imagine that’d be quite the adjustment.”

“Yeah…” Suhara said a bit awkwardly. “Umm, I’m sorry for lying. I kind of thought nobody would ever find out I used to be a boy. I guess I was wrong… I know you wouldn’t like sleeping with a former boy. I should’ve told the truth and not try to trick you.”

“Really Suhara, we’re not mad at you. We understand.” Frey responded. “I mean, if I was turned into a boy and got put in a male dorm room, I wouldn’t have told my roommates I was a girl. Besides, we didn’t have any problems sleeping with you, right?”

“Well, yeah… but-”

“No buts!” Frey declared. “If there was a spell to prevent people from using that word, I’d use it on you in a heartbeat.”

Suhara giggled.

“See? Look at yourself, laughing, having fun, and no self blaming.” Frey said. “Why can’t you be like this more often?”

“I’ll try.” Suhara said.

Frey smiled before asking another question. “Do you like being a girl better?”

“You know what?” Suhara said. “I think I do, but that may just be because my life is a lot better now.”

“Well, whatever the case, at least we can now prove women are the superior gender.” Frey said with a grin.

Suhara rolled her eyes.

=+=+=

Suhara wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Gods, I’ve never had a full coarse meal before. I’m stuffed. How much did that cost?”

“A lot.” Frey sighed. “But don’t worry, I’ve got everything covered. And it was all worth it. You know, you’re really cute when you eat, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Uh… no…” Suhara answered. 'Cute when you eat?' She thought, 'What does that even look like?' Despite her confusion, the comment had hit her deep and her face began the familiar process of blushing.

“Aww, you just don’t stop being cute.” Frey smiled. “I love that about you.”

“Th- thanks.” Suhara said. “You’re very cute yourself. And beautiful. I- I really love your hair. It looks so nice.”

"You're so sweet." Frey happily replied. "And thank you, I do a lot of work on my hair." She laughed.

Suhara gave out a light laugh of her own and then went quiet. For the next few seconds, the two girls stared into each other's eyes, completely in a trance. It wasn't an awkward or uncomfortable stare, but rather a beautiful and thrilling one. A stare that occurs only when something very special is about to happen.

Eventually, Frey stood up from her seat and slowly approached Suhara. She sat down and put her hand on the violet eyed girl's face.

I take it you liked today?"

Suhara silently nodded.

Frey smiled sweetly. "Just so you know, we can't go to these fancy restaurants all the time, too expensive. But whenever we get the chance, would you like to do this again?"

Once again, Suhara nodded without saying a word.

"Suhara, I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to be straight up."

Suhara's heart raced as she waited.

"I love you… Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Suhara's mouth opened wide in shock. Intellectually she knew that Frey would ask something like this at some point, but she still wasn't prepared to actually hear it.

"So adorable." Frey giggled. "Well… what is it?"

'Is this really happening?' Suhara thought through her blushing. Frey had actually done it. She had asked Suhara if she wanted to be her girlfriend. Was Suhara ready for a commitment like that? To be in a romantic relationship?

A part of her felt like this was all moving too fast. It had only been a few weeks earlier when she first met Frey. And now she was going to be her girlfriend? Suhara wasn't even a girl a few months ago! What if they were making a mistake? What if the romance goes wrong or doesn't work and they were left being sworn enemies?

Suhara looked up to Frey's face. That same beautiful and flawless face she had seen so many times. Looking at it had reassured her. There was no reason to feel worried or anxious. Frey had always been a great friend, even in the relatively short time they had both known each other. She was always sure to have her back. If this romance didn't work out, then their friendship wouldn't be ruined. No matter what their futures held, things would work out.

Suhara knew what her answer would be. She already knew the answer as soon as she agreed to go on this date.

"Yes, I love you."

Frey smiled. It was a beautiful smile. One that brought all her facial features to perfection and could charm even the worst demons. Suhara gave a beautiful smile of her own back at her.

The two girls took each other’s hands, and then embraced each other in a deep kiss, mouth to mouth.

=+=+=

The recently made couple entered the wagon in the beautiful dusk sky.

They did not stop kissing for a long time.

=+=+=

As Suhara walked around the halls of the Lyceum the next day, she looked to the walls, to the teachers, and to the other students. And all over she sensed a great atmosphere of not just magic, but companionship and learning. Everyone was there because of a passion for the world of magic. Sure some, such as herself, had been forced into it a bit, but that beauty still remained.

She couldn’t believe that when she first arrived here, she believed it to be a prison. How could she ever think that about such a large and diverse building? It was chock-full of riches, resources, and artifacts. There was so much to learn. So much to see. You could be in that building for years and still not feel like you’ve explored it enough.

As Suhara walked into Sellwall’s classroom and saw Frey smiling at her, she felt something that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She felt at home.

=+=+=

“Is this the place?” Frey asked

“Yes, this is it.” Suhara said.

Suhara departed the wagon, smiling while walking toward her old hometown. She didn’t have many good memories of the place, and she had no desire to return to living in it, but even just seeing it again evoked some feelings of nostalgia.

Really, she was only there because she and her roommates decided to go and visit all their hometowns on their off-days. Suhara had already seen Trick’s, and Desyi’s hometowns, and she even got to visit Frey’s old caravan. Now it was her turn.

“This is cool!” Tricks exclaimed. “I’ve never been to Welldrop before.”

“I’ve been here a few times.” Desyi said. “I found the colors a little disorienting.”

“Well, I think they’re cool. You’re just weird.” Tricks said.

Suhara giggled as her hand interlocked with Frey’s in the universal display of romance. They became open about their relationship instantly, and the reactions around them were all very positive. Tricks and Desyi in particular became ecstatic upon learning about their new relationship, with them saying they “totally called it”.

As Suhara continued to walk, she reminisced over her time in the Lyceum, and how much it had changed her. Aside from the obvious physical transformation, she had a real life now, with a future, actual friends who supported her, and of course, magic.

But she had to force herself into this life illegitimately to get all of that.

It was only through obsessive planning and luck that Suhara was able to enter the world of magic. She had to resort to committing a crime. Assaulting someone and taking their spot to get into the Lyceum.

It shouldn’t have to be that way.

Everyone deserved to have a chance at magic, not just the well off and the rich. Suhara knew there were plenty of people out there just like her, poor and having no means to use magic, and she wanted to help them.

Suhara had a new plan she intended to carry out for the rest of her days. She was going to travel all across the lands, to find all the people she could.

And she was going to show them a world so beautiful they needed to see it.