Nightshade Academy: Belladonna, #1

PROLOGUE

HIDE AND SEEK

Two years and four months ago…

Yahshi Konya was an easy target. His scarlet coat restricted his movement, crinkled with every step, and stood out against the evergreens. The further he ran, the louder the tracer’s cackling echoed through the woods.

You’re wearing red! he yelled, tackling Yahshi onto the dirt. Like a bullseye! The tracer laughed in his face before darting off to hunt his final target.

Stupid coat.

Yahshi dragged himself to their imaginary Detainment Facility, a designated area marked with an outline of logs—courtesy of Quax Avarium. He stepped over the boundary to join his fellow thirteen-year-old detainees.

Welcome back, Yahshi. I’m surprised he didn’t trace you faster with a coat like that.

You look like a tomato with arms and legs.

That’s it. Yahshi flung his coat to the ground.

You’ll get sick, Quax warned.

It’s either get sick or get caught, he said, clutching his arms with a shiver.

Silly move, Yahshi. Alora Valentine marched toward him, her short hair jumping on her shoulders. Now your teeth will chatter, and I’ll hear you.

I bet if I borrowed your mittens, you’d trace me even faster. Yahshi eyed the bright fabric around her hands, the cause of her equally-pathetic performance.

"They’re light green," she said, convinced her mittens camouflaged into the woods.

They’re yellow. He leaned in with a smirk. Truly, banana yellow.

Her smile faded as the other detainees burst into laughter. Everyone knew she was color blind, a fact about herself that she hadn’t fully accepted.

Quax… Alora said. Are my mittens really yellow?

Ugh! Can we start the round already? Lunch break doesn’t last forever. Quax pointed at the previous tracer, who was already back with his final target.

Fine, Alora said, leaving the Facility to assume her new role. The criminals got into position as she pressed her forehead against a tree. One, two, three…

They shot off, scattering about the woods. Yahshi was searching for a clump of thick bushes to hide between when a whisper interrupted him.

Psst! I’ve got the perfect spot.

He trailed behind Quax, brows high. What’d he do this time?

They weaved around tree trunks and stepped over mossy logs, traveling so deep into the woods that Yahshi feared they wouldn’t hear the bell ring.

How far are you taking me? he asked.

Oh, stop whining. We’re already here. Quax crouched by a low pile of logs. Well? Have a look for yourself.

It wasn’t until Yahshi leaned over and squinted that he noticed the strings binding the logs together. He opened the makeshift door, revealing a secret ditch large enough to hold two people.

Yahshi’s jaw dropped. You’re kidding. No wonder you stayed late after school yesterday.

"No, no. I was studying. At first. Then I realized I really wasn’t in the mood to read, but I was very much in the mood to build the best hiding spot in the history of Sitra, which is probably a nonexistent standard, but I digress. He climbed into the hole and hugged his knees. Now hurry up and get in! She’s stopped counting."

Yahshi was a full head shorter than him, so he didn’t have to hunch over, even after they dragged the door shut. Light streamed through the cracks between logs, illuminating Quax’s proud grin.

If only you put this much effort into your scores, Yahshi muttered, earning an elbow jab from Quax.

Shut it.

He chuckled, leaning his head against the dirt wall—but the vibrations of footsteps chased his humor away. Something’s off. Those strides are too long to be Alora’s.

Do you hear that? Yahshi whispered.

Shh!

They held still as the clunky footsteps approached, causing pebbles to trickle down the walls. Yahshi waited for the disruption to pass, but it halted right above them.

A bronze eye peered through a gap in the door.

I know you’re in there, taunted the intruder, sending a chill down Yahshi’s spine.

The voice gave him away. Sixteen-year-old Chima Fernis made a hobby of tormenting students, identifying one target and destroying their dignity before cherry-picking his next victim. And his current cherry was none other than Quax’s older sister, the girl who never snapped back, no matter how many bruises he left or insults he dished.

Yahshi understood exactly why Chima was here. If he couldn’t destroy Cal Avarium directly, perhaps targeting her little brother would change the game.

The door shifted, and Yahshi gritted his teeth. I have to do something.

As light flooded the hideout, he sprang at Chima, knocking him down with pure momentum.

Quax! Yahshi yelled. Run!

Chima stared up at him with a smile, making no effort to get up.

Run! he yelled again, pinning Chima beneath him. He heard Quax jump out of the hideout, but the laughter of two boys cut his fleeing short.

Let go of me! Quax shouted, his boots shuffling against the ground.

Chima’s not alone.

Yahshi threw a fist at the bully, but Chima snatched his wrist before it could land.

Better not be after my eyes, he sang, wrenching Yahshi’s wrist until his skin burned.

Before he could retaliate, someone grabbed him from behind.

Leave us alone! Yahshi elbowed the boy and broke free, but Chima was already back on his feet to capture him.

He struggled as they threw him against a tree, binding his arms behind it with scratchy rope.

Keep the little one out of my way, Chima ordered, slapping the dirt off his pants. He crept toward Quax, who another boy was pinning down.

Yahshi settled to catch his breath.

You can mess with me, Quax said, but leave Yahshi out of this!

Oh, relax, Chima said. We won’t hurt him if you cooperate.

As strong as Quax looked, he was a dramatic boy, the kind to complain for ten minutes about a paper cut, and he wouldn’t stand a chance against them. Yahshi pushed his fingers into the knot, hoping to undo it without the boys noticing.

Ah, Quax Avarium. It is so nice to finally meet you. Chima towered over his prey. Although, I’m sure your sister’s told you enough about me already.

She—she doesn’t care about you, Quax spouted.

Yeah? You guys hearing this? Chima paused, cueing his friends’ laughter.

Yahshi applied more pressure to the knot, wincing as the rope scraped a layer of skin.

Alright, she doesn’t give a damn about me. Chima leaned over. But what if I spit in your face, huh?

Quax shut his eyes when he spat.

More laughter.

Huh? Chima wiped his lips on his sleeve. Would she give a damn about that?

Quax tried to launch himself into a seated position, encouraging Chima’s friend to drill him down harder. The twigs beneath him dug into his wrists, and he cried out in pain.

Yahshi threw himself forward, trying to leverage his weight and snap the rope.

Let him go!

Chima faced him with a jolt of his head, and Yahshi froze.

"Shut it, convert. His piercing gaze lingered for only a moment before he grabbed a pocket knife from his coat, refacing Quax. Cal thinks that if she ignores me, she wins."

Yahshi’s heart raced as he resumed tugging, but the rope refused to give way.

She wants me to believe there’s nothing I can do to make her fear me. Chima slammed his shoe into Quax’s stomach, leaving him choking for air. "But there is one thing, isn’t there?" He squatted and pressed the rusty blade to his neck.

No, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t dare.

Please, don’t hurt me, Quax said, the color draining from his face.

Alora! Yahshi yelled, spotting two yellow dots in the distance. Help!

Chima’s friend held a hand over Yahshi’s mouth, muting him. His pleading eyes tracked Alora as she sprinted away, hopefully to alert their instructors. The school staff never interfered with social matters outside the classroom, but they would need to step in today because Chima had taken his bullying too far. Murder was illegal, a violation of Imperial Law.

Illegal. That’s when it dawned on him. To kill was to buy a one-way ticket to the Detainment Facility—the real one. Surely Chima knew that. There was no way he’d destroy his life just to make Cal snap.

Yahshi’s eyes widened. He’s bluffing.

P-Please. Tears rolled down Quax’s cheeks. Please don’t hurt me.

Okay, Chima said, nodding. Alright, deal. But in exchange, why don’t you tell me one good reason why you deserve to live, huh?

Quax cried harder. Please!

"If you wanna live so bad, tell me one reason why I shouldn’t bury you in the grave you dug up for yourself. He nudged him with his boot. Go on. You have ten seconds."

Chima! Yahshi shouted.

Ten, nine…

Don’t do this! he continued.

…eight, seven…

"The guardians will find out!"

…six, five…

They’ll lock you away. You know that!

…four, three…

Chima trailed off, his countdown swallowed by the hammering rhythm of approaching footsteps. His friends jumped and backed away like they’d seen a ghost.

As a figure shot toward them, Yahshi’s stomach folded into itself.

Chima was raising his chin to face the interrupter when a stocky log struck his skull. He collapsed, the knife slipping from his grip.

Cal Avarium dropped to her knees, log in hand. You can’t win, she spat.

The air flew out of Yahshi’s lungs. He watched, petrified, as Chima’s fingers searched the dirt for his pocket knife. Cal waited until he grabbed it before swinging her log down a second time.

The forest screamed with Chima’s friends—branches swaying, leaves rustling. Yahshi could hear every squawking bird, every distant footstep, every panting breath. The air tasted like iron and salt and⁠—

Blood. It rolled down Chima’s face, pooling into his ear.

Cal roared through gritted teeth as she reeled her log back.

Stop! Yahshi snapped to his senses, yanking at the ropes again. Don’t⁠—

He gasped as warm blood splattered across his face.

Cal, he whispered, "please."

Chima’s friends grabbed her log. She resisted, grunting as she clung to it, but they managed to yank it free.

Her black hair thrashed in the wind as she curled over and sobbed.

He was only bluffing. Yahshi’s head trembled and ached. It was only a game to him.

While the boys backed away, her brother sat up next to her, blood mixing into his tears. Cal had never been the warmest older sister, and Quax had sometimes expressed concern over whether she cared for him at all. But at that moment, he stared at the girl who saved his life with unconditional admiration.

Yahshi looked away from the siblings, gagging at the sight of Chima’s brain.

Cal, he choked out, what have you done?

PART 1

CORRUPTION

In embracing your duty as a guardian in the Force, you shed the trivial pursuits and heavy burdens of your prior life, reborn through devotion and discipline as an embodiment of the Empire’s unyielding glory.

— THE GUARDIAN HANDBOOK

ONE

RABBIT HOLE

I vow to serve the Empire with absolute devotion.

♫ SPANISH SAHARA - FOALS ♫

Cal Avarium was not human. Even in her recent portrait, featured in the latest issue of Capital Weekly, she looked exactly like she had two years ago. From her porcelain, ageless skin to her silky, midnight hair, Cal was nothing but a lifeless statue of perfection.

Seeing her name gave Yahshi goosebumps. Cal had been the only student from Sitra selected for Belladonna Guardian Academy in decades, so the community relished her success. They’d pasted her Capital Weekly article by the door to Sitra Market, ensuring her inked face greeted every resident entering the busiest building in town.

The Belladonna Prodigy, Yahshi read. Commander Cal Avarium of Sitra, 18, breaks record as the youngest unit leader in guardian history.

The four-petaled flower emblem branded into her forehead marked her as a member of the Force. She was wearing their iconic uniform—a dress shirt and tie, armored vest, and black overcoat with golden lining. Her hair was slicked back into a low bun, not a single strand out of place.

And yet, despite her powerful presence, she still looked like a child.

Lightning struck. He glanced over his shoulder, ensuring the road was clear, before peeling the article from the wall and tucking it into his book bag.

The market door creaked open.

Hey, Alora said. Just saw your father in there.

Yahshi snapped his bag shut. What are you doing here so early?

Better question… she said, drawing out the phrase. What are you hiding in your bag?

Homework.

"Homework, on Selection Day Eve?"

I mean, I have a lot of missing assignments, so…

Alora ran her fingers along the wall, humming in curiosity. Her hand paused right where the article used to be.

Silly move, Yahshi. I saw the news about Cal on my way in. The paper’s gone, but the glue residue isn’t. See? Right here.

Sorry. He wiped his palms on his pants. I’ll put it back.

No need.

You won’t tell anyone about this, right?

It never happened. She faced him and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. I just hope you remember how awful Chima was. He hurt a lot of people.

But he never killed anyone.

He probably would have. Eventually, considering the path he was on. She looked away. "Maybe if I tried to fight instead of running for help, he’d still be around right now—bullying people, hurting them, killing them."

Yahshi raised his head as the clouds darkened, and a few sprinkles met his cheek.

Yeah, he said, it’s much easier to believe that, isn’t it?

Her eyes jolted back to his, and he strangled his bag strap. Good going, Yahshi. He knew better than to question the Force’s narrative publicly. Chima was evil. Cal was a hero. That’s what the guardians ruled after she spent four months behind bars. That’s why they pardoned her and gave her a spot in the Academy program. That’s the Force’s story, so that’s the only truth.

Alora’s gaze softened. Droplets dotted her black hair like stars, and for some reason, Yahshi decided he could trust her to keep this discussion between them.

Remember when we were in primary school, she said, and we’d compete for the highest scores?

He tucked his hands into his pockets, concealing a grin. That was a long time ago.

She chuckled. I miss it. Everything was simple back then. Things just worked without a thought, you know?

I do, Yahshi said, recalling his life before the incident. He missed studying after school until the sun vanished, fueled by the challenge. Students would return his smiles in the hallways, and instructors would praise him and Alora for their scores. But with a few swings of a log, it all slipped between his fingers.

Alora opened a yellow umbrella when the sprinkle turned to rain. She owned a lot of yellow things. I wonder if her favorite color’s actually green.

"Maybe it’s odd to say this, considering we’ve hardly talked since…the incident, she said. But I still feel like I know you. And the people who say you lost your way are the same people who never really had the best scores back then. Sometimes I wonder if that means something."

The rain dampened his shirt. Why are you telling me this?

Because I think you’re smart, Yahshi. You always have been. And it scares me.

When he realized what she was hinting at, it scared him too. He would never wish to drag Alora down his rabbit hole—not when she still had everything in her grasp.

Sorry. I’ve gotta go. You know, help with the bread.

Sure. Okay. Alora smiled under her yellow shield, protected from the rain. He envied her.

I’ll see you in class, Yahshi said, and opened the door.

He trudged into the bustling market, instantly weighed down by the roaring discussion about tomorrow afternoon’s selection ceremony. Two years had passed since Cal entered the program, and six months had passed since her graduation. It was time for the guardians to announce the next cycle of fifteen- and sixteen-year-old trainees.

He kept his head low as he rushed for his father’s bread stand, ignoring stares from residents theorizing whether or not he’d be selected. Despite his visible discomfort, their eyes tracked him like he was a lab project.

Yahshi, my man! Take in the spotlight!

Yahshi, Yahshi, Yahshi! We’re famous this week. Famous!

Two classmates appeared on either side of him, matching his pace. He made a point not to look at them.

Rumor has it you failed every selection exam. A failure that grand deserves a medal!

"Maybe it’s time to go home, convert."

You could join the Underground. Jar up some eyeballs.

Yahshi’s jaw tightened, and his classmates scattered before his father could spot them. How ironic that they had no problem shaming him for being born in Eastern Territory but wouldn’t dare offend adults. The word convert had become a cheap insult among teenagers—many of whom couldn’t even remember the Eastern raids.

Morning, Father. Yahshi joined Martu behind the stand. Nearly sold out already?

Everyone’s in a good mood today. Optimism does wonders for business. Martu’s smile widened as a customer set two coins on the table. My, you’re just in time. Bread’s going fast. He slipped the money into a velvet pouch. Yahshi, get a wheat loaf ready.

The woman grinned. You remembered.

He leaned forward and winked. I wouldn’t dare forget a smile like yours.

Yahshi cringed as the woman burst into laughter. He could feel her eyes drift to him as he began to wrap her loaf in brown paper.

I remember when you were just a little one, she said. You’re of selection age now, aren’t you?

Yeah, I am, he replied, forging his enthusiasm.

I bet you did wonderfully on the exams. You were always a clever one.

Yahshi secured the paper with a string. I did alright.

Humble as always, I see.

No, not humble. He handed her the wrapped loaf. Just a liar.

The woman smiled at Martu before leaving, and Yahshi flinched as a girl stepped into her place. He nearly thought it was Cal pointing to a loaf of sourdough. She had the same silky hair and narrow face, but her skin was slightly darker, and when he stared into her sea-foam eyes, they seemed real—not like Cal’s, which he’d always described to himself as marbles.

Yahshi peeked at the girl as he wrapped her loaf. She looks a bit older than me, but I don’t recognize her from Sitra Secondary. He could have identified her hometown by the color of her shirt, but she wasn’t dressed in a uniform. Why would she skip school on Selection Day Eve?

Yahshi smiled, offering her the bread, and she snatched it before bolting away.

Hey! He stepped forward, but Martu stopped him by the shoulder. Father, let me⁠—

No.

He pulled his shoulder free, scanning the crowd for the thief—but she had vanished.

As the Eastern saying goes, Martu continued, have faith in kindness, and it will always repay you.

So that’s it? We let everything slide? He faced his father. People do horrible things, and we gloss it over like it never happened?

Before Martu could reply, applause erupted in the room, and customers dispersed to make way for fifteen-year-old Quax Avarium. He was wearing a sage green shirt and khaki pants identical to Yahshi’s, but his school uniform had been tailored flatteringly using money from Cal’s family pension. A designer bag from Vakoi City hung from his shoulder—and his face, as usual, was beaming.

The applause died off as he approached Martu’s stand, but the stares and chatter lingered.

Morning, Martu, Quax said.

What a pleasure to see you! Martu ruffled his hair. My, how you’ve grown.

I know, I know. Quax cringed through a smile as he flattened his hair back into place. "It’s been ages since I last came to the market. I’ve been so busy studying for the selection exams, but now that I’m through with them, I can’t stop thinking about your bread. I’ll take one of my favorites—if you still make it."

Of course I do. Martu started to wrap a cheesy bread. You’ve earned yourself a big day tomorrow.

Yeah, tell me about it. He forced a grin. Thought I’d walk to school early with Yahshi today, for old time’s sake.

Yahshi shook his head. I need to help with⁠—

Don’t be ridiculous, Martu cut in. It’s a special occasion. I can manage alone for one day.

Thanks. Quax set four coins on the table and took the bread. Keep the change.

Why thank you, Quax. Martu glanced at Yahshi as though he were saying, I told you so. Kindness always finds a way to repay us.

The two boys walked down the road toward Sitra Secondary, only a few minutes from the market. To their right stood the woods where the incident occurred.

What are you looking at?

Sorry. Yahshi pried his eyes off the trees. I thought I heard something.

Quax frowned before blinking his confusion away. Well, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Tried to find you at school yesterday after we got our scores back, but you disappeared during lunch. And I wasn’t able to stop by your house last night either. We had my tutor over for supper.

Sorry about that. It was an empty apology, and they both knew it.

Quax bit into his cheesy bread, his stare pressing for an explanation. Yahshi broke eye contact to signal that he wouldn’t be giving one.

The silence between them deepened with every step. I can’t remember the last time we walked to school together like this. Ever since Cal’s selection, Quax had been obsessing over scores, fitness, and social status to increase his chance of getting selected.

Everything’s changed.

Memories of pre-incident evenings at the Avarium household flickered through his mind. He recalled how Cal would take her plate to eat and read in the other room, leaving Quax picking at his food. Yahshi would suggest they go outside after supper to cheer him up, which always worked.

Quax would demonstrate his latest contraptions like tripwire-activated diversions or cleverly-concealed ditches. Then they would lie on the grass, and he’d tell him about his grand dream of designing buildings with the most elaborate secret passageways and security mechanisms. Yahshi would listen in fascination, because a grand dream was something he never had.

Yet here Quax was, throwing that precious dream away.

When they arrived at Sitra Secondary, the other early students were watching a guardian unit secure a Happy Selection Day banner to the outdoor stage. Their strapped primary tools demanded fear, but their smiles drew people in. If Cal’s a guardian, what does that say about them?

While Quax smiled at the unit from afar, Yahshi scowled at the fence dividing the school courtyard from the woods. The community infrastructure bonus from Cal’s time in the program had funded its construction not long after the incident.

Alright, look, Quax said, his smile fading. I know you’ve been avoiding me.

Avoiding you? Yahshi asked. Why would I do that?

Because you don’t want me to get selected.

"No. I mean, not no like I don’t want you to get selected. Of course I want you to get selected."

Really? Because I’ve been preparing for tomorrow for nearly two years, and you’ve hardly been there. Quax crossed his arms. I really wish I could leave on good terms with you, because after tomorrow, who knows when I’ll see you again? It could be months, and if I graduate, it could be years before⁠—

"Have you ever considered the possibility that you won’t get selected? And honestly, would that be so bad? What if the guardians aren’t who you think they are?"

I knew it. You’re still thinking about Chima.

No. Yahshi stepped back. No, of course not.

You don’t trust the guardians, so you’re trying to stop me from becoming one.

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have⁠—

"No, Yahshi. You don’t get to do that anymore. You don’t get to sneak around and make ridiculous claims and take it back with an I’m sorry or an I didn’t mean to. So for once, just once, tell me the truth—did you sabotage my selection exam?"

What?

Quax handed Yahshi a score sheet from his bag. Have a look for yourself. High nineties in every category except for our most recent exam. Do you really think I’d get a sixty-three on a multiple choice test about the Atherus War?

I didn’t do this.

It’s not that you don’t want me to succeed. You’re just…so brainwashed that you think you know what’s best for me. This is your weird, twisted way of trying to save me.

That’s ridiculous. Yahshi’s grip on the page tightened. I didn’t sabotage your exam. How would I possibly pull that off, anyway?

I don’t know! You’re the one who broke into the Fernis household last year.

"I didn’t break in. Yahshi scanned the courtyard, paranoid the other students had heard despite the distance. The door was unlocked."

He had slipped inside, hoping to find something that would paint Chima as a murderer and put his doubts to rest—but the house was empty.

And I know that was wrong, okay? I was being obsessive, but I’m past that now. I swear.

Yeah? You swear? Quax asked. Open your bag then. Let me see what you’re keeping in there, because I doubt it’s the hundreds of homework assignments you didn’t turn in this term.

He shielded his bag without thinking, and Quax scoffed.

Great going again, Yahshi. Keep defending yourself, and he’ll assume you’re lying anyway.

With a sigh, he returned the score sheet and opened his book bag. Inside were over a dozen Capital Weekly articles about Cal—two years of collecting and analyzing.

Quax snatched the papers and began to flip through them.

You’re right. I haven’t moved on completely, Yahshi admitted. But you have to believe me when I say I had nothing to do with your low score. Whatever happened, I wasn’t involved.

His eyes widened. This isn’t healthy.

Quax…

"You were at the top of our class once. Remember that? Now your grades are in the pits. You’re throwing away your future, and for what? To read too deep into something my sister did to protect me? Something she did to save me, because she loves me?"

She didn’t save you because she loves you, Yahshi wanted to say. She saved you because she hated her circumstances. She saved you because students bullied her for being quiet and eating lunches alone. She saved you because she was tired of being the victim.

I’d like to leave Sitra knowing you’ll stop this. He fished for Yahshi’s gaze, but he wouldn’t look at him.

I’ll stop. Let’s just—let’s talk about something else. Yahshi reached for the articles. Here, let me⁠—

"You’re not getting these back."

Hey! He stepped toward him, but Quax maintained his distance. Really, I-I need those!

That’s exactly the problem. Quax stopped, his expression hardening as he tore the stack in half. The ripping noise sliced through the air.

Yahshi gritted his teeth and lunged, sending a fist flying. Torn pages fluttered around him like confetti as Quax yelled out, cupping a hand over his eye. It took a few seconds for Yahshi to realize what he’d done.

Quax! I-I’m sorry! He hobbled as though he’d taken the hit himself. I didn’t...mean to.

Typical, Quax said.

Yahshi unraveled his fist, his knuckles tingling from a punch he’d thrown out of impulse. He thought of Cal in the woods, swinging that log down over and over.

What have I done?

As muttering students closed in on the scene, he fumbled to gather the pieces before they could read his annotations.

Are you okay? Alora asked.

Yahshi looked up as he grabbed the final piece.

Yeah, Quax replied. Thanks.

Shoving the articles into his bag, Yahshi jumped to his feet. The students parted, allowing a convenient exit as he ran for the road. How dare they allow me to flee?

He’d nearly reached the end of the courtyard when a calloused hand snatched his wrist.

Yahshi Konya, a stranger called, stopping him.

He looked back at a middle-aged man with a trimmed beard, a bandaged forehead, and eyes that burned to stare into. He was wearing the uniform of a Sitra Secondary instructor, but Yahshi didn’t recognize him.

You did well, the man said, and with a grin, released Yahshi’s wrist.

TWO

SELECTION CEREMONY

I vow to partake in Imperial ceremonies when called upon.

♫ BABYLON - BARNS COURTNEY ♫

Yahshi and his father lived on the outskirts of town, where grassy fields and evergreens stretched between houses. This was the first place Martu had moved to after the Atherus War, and it was the only place Yahshi had ever called home.

Leaving his sandals on the porch, he made a beeline for the kitchen, where he chucked his tattered articles into the trash. There has to be a way to fix this.

He brought a stack of dusty homework assignments to the oak dining table—a gift from the Avariums. Quax’s parents had helped Martu settle into Sitra after he converted twelve years prior, assisting him with housing, furnishing, and securing a market stand. But in return for their kindness, I hurt their son.

For hours he sat there, searching for a manageable assignment, but the concepts flew over his head. The sun was setting when Martu returned, empty bread baskets in hand.

Are you...doing homework?

Yahshi slammed his pencil down. I’m trying to.

What happened?

I…punched Quax.

What?

He got a hold of my articles about Cal, and he ripped them, and I…punched him. He shook his head, turning to meet his father’s widened gaze.

You promised to keep those articles at home.

I shouldn’t have had them in the first place.

Martu’s grip on the baskets tightened. He set them on the countertop as he eyed the ripped pages in the trash. It was silent for a while before he clasped his hands together.

Why don’t we get some practice in? His tone was oddly cheerful.

Right now? Yahshi asked.

Why not? We can talk about this. Move around a little. It might help you sort your thoughts.

He glanced at his homework assignments. I guess I could use a break.

On their way out, they stopped on the porch so Martu could light the brass lantern that hung by the door. Its wiry exterior strained the candlelight into flickering shapes.

I still don’t get why you light this lantern every evening, Yahshi said.

It’s an Eastern tradition. Martu smiled, his eyes glowing. Your mother adored these kinds. Her father was a lantern-maker.

Really?

He nodded. She helped your grandfather make this one.

You never told me. Yahshi studied the lantern, its light warming his face. I assumed you didn’t bring anything to Sitra when we converted.

Well, I didn’t bring much. Just this lantern. Martu paused. And you, of course.

I see. Yahshi cracked a grin. I come second to high-quality craftsmanship.

I’m glad you know your place, Martu said, and they laughed.

As Yahshi led the way, he hopped from stone to stone—a childhood habit he couldn’t shake, even on the worst days. His final jump landed him barefoot in the backyard, surrounded by shrubs and flowery weeds. The unkempt grass tickled his ankles as he left it behind, stepping onto a slab.

Show me your stance, Martu said, his voice merging with the chirping of crickets and birds.

Yahshi raised his hands.

Shoulders?

Right. He loosened them with a sigh. Bad habit.

Stop and Go?

Sure.

Martu joined him on the platform and mirrored his stance. "Now tell me—why shouldn’t you keep the articles? Go."

Yahshi sprang forward with a jab, which his father leaned back to dodge.

Stop, Martu said, and they held their positions.

Those papers are ruining my life, Yahshi answered.

How exactly are they ruining your life? Go.

Yahshi tried a combination this time. Martu dodged his first two punches and blocked the last.

Stop, Martu said.

I’ve fallen to the bottom of my class. Yahshi’s posture softened, letting his guard down. And I didn’t wanna tell you this, but if I don’t show progress this term, I’ll be held back a year.

Would that really be the end of the world?

What? Yahshi frowned at his father, expecting him to dismiss the question as a joke, but his blank expression proved he was serious.

I’m failing. You’re supposed to be angry. A surge of blood rushed to his head. Why aren’t you angry? He threw a few distraction punches before pivoting into a kick.

Martu caught his leg, stealing control of his balance. With a few steps away, he sent Yahshi pummeling backward.

He winced as the hard platform pressed into his shoulder blades.

"I didn’t say go, Martu said, peering down at him. If you stop now, you’ll never find answers. How are you okay with that? Go."

Yahshi attempted to spring to his feet, but Martu crouched, shoving his chest down. He held a pocket knife to his neck.

Stop.

The blade sent a chill down his spine as he recalled what little he knew of Quax’s older sister. As cold-natured as Cal was, he couldn’t deny her talent. She would study far more than he ever had, and when she wasn’t studying she’d be reading, solving puzzles, or going on extended runs—all while distancing herself from bullies