~ ~ ~
"In my career I have seen very few initiates so powerful or so well-attuned to Darkness." Though the dean didn't seem to be speaking loudly, his voice carried over the room. "But I have never seen anyone who has put forth so little effort."
Keisha frowned. None of the results of other students had been made public. As little as she liked Blake, it wasn't fair for him to be singled out like that. But Blake had his hands in his pockets and a crooked grin on his face.
"Thanks, but I'm just playing to my strengths." Many in the audience laughed and the dean gave a slight smile. Blake wandered back to his seat, apparently pleased that he had gotten a laugh and unconcerned about his results. And while he did seem apathetic, the raw power had been greater than any of the other Darkness candidates.
How could that be? Keisha had always resented those who were given things without working for them, but at least skills had to be earned. That had been a small comfort to her for many years, yet it seemed that Blake had power like hers without any work at all.
The real problem would be as he slowly fell behind. She didn't want even someone like him to end up like Roger. Though she considered giving a warning, from what she had heard she didn't want to begin a conversation with him. Besides, she shouldn't make any major decisions before she understood her situation fully.
Most likely she would barely be able to save herself.
~ ~ ~
Finally, her name.
Aki moved forward as confidently as she could. Though Emile's revelation had encouraged her, she'd had enough time to wonder if he might have been lying. And climbing the ancient stone steps was enough to drain anyone's confidence.
She jumped slightly when the power flooded from the stone, but it was only a soft warmth. Her training kicked in and she formed her own magic to resist the waves. In an instant it would be over and it would have been even easier than she had expected.
Instead of fading, the light retreated into the stone. When it left her, claws tried to pull her apart. She thought she was screaming but couldn't hear the sound over the crackle of power. Something was wrenched out of her and she grabbed at it desperately. Except her body was writhing in pain, so it was her magic that stretched out and struggled with the opposing force.
For just a moment she thought she was triumphant, then she shuddered with the cold. The magic had shifted, draining the life from her slowly. She was sapped from all sides and she was already exhausted. Though she didn't remember falling she was staring at the ceiling high above. It seemed to be getting further and further away.
Then someone else entered and the magic assaulting her disintegrated. She recognized Emile's power, but she had never felt it so sharply. Though she was safe, her body was still shaking involuntarily and when she tried to open her mouth her jaw was welded shut.
Someone pulled her to a sitting position and wrapped a blanket around her. It was the woman who had given the introduction, but Aki was too far gone to remember her name. She was carried off the podium. As weak as she felt, she wasn't about to complain. As her senses returned, she realized that some students were laughing, thinking she had failed miserably.
Anger burned through her body and she ground her teeth even tighter. Whatever had happened, it was an attack like nothing she'd ever felt before. It had to be an attack, because the alternative was to think there was something wrong with her and she had triggered some kind of reaction to the stone.
Magic was all around her and she felt a twinge of fear, but she was too weak to resist anyway. Some of it might have been healing, others were analyzing, a few doing things she didn't understand. Several of the professors were standing nearby, though the initiation seemed to be continuing as if nothing had happened.
"Is there anyone who wants you dead?" She wasn't sure who asked the question and all she could manage was shaking her head vigorously. It was an attack, then. There was nothing wrong with her. But then why...?
Someone else was speaking. "There doesn't seem to have been any permanent damage. It was some kind of dismantling mechanism, possibly very high level Maleficium."
"Not to be callous, but isn't the biggest concern how someone penetrated this place?"
"It wasn't someone in the hall, I can confirm that. Not unless we're dealing with a psychopomp, and I think we all agree that's unlikely."
"No, it's going to be some kind of hybrid, but that would imply..."
They continued discussing her case, but the danger had passed and she no longer wanted to listen to them. Though she felt exhausted, there was too much magic running through her body for her to sleep. So instead she focused on the dean, who was standing on the edge of the podium and addressing everyone.
"Some of you may be pleased with your results, some of you disappointed. There will be no retests. All of you have become the newest class and will join the rest of us and our long tradition of scholarship. Welcome to Axis University."
Aki grinned bitterly. What a wonderful beginning.
Chapter 7
When the door opened, Aki almost didn't look up. It was just the doctors, who would ask her how she was feeling and maybe run a few tests. She was disappointed how few of them were magical and bothered that no one ever told her if she was fine.
This time, though, it was the woman from the initiation ceremony. "Are you feeling well enough to talk?"
"I feel just fine, but they won't let me leave." Aki swallowed. "Uh, I'm afraid I still haven't learned your name."
"Dehateh Locklear. I teach Propitiation classes here."
"I think you know my name, so... glad to meet you." Aki took a better look at the woman now she could see straight. Dehateh's hair was just beginning to turn silver, but most of it hung around her shoulders in rich black. She wore a dark blue woman's suit and immaculate makeup. Possibly an American Indian, but Aki wasn't sure.
"The good news is that you're completely fine and you can go now. However, I'd like to talk about your experience a little. Have you remembered any more details?"
"I told them everything I could sense. Sorry."
"Don't apologize. All the faculty present couldn't get much more than you did, and you were dealing with a magic you haven't come close to studying." She held up a hand as Aki opened her mouth. "No, we haven't learned anything. However, we think you were simply unfortunate, not specifically targeted. That was the dean's conclusion."
She shifted to sit on the side of the bed. "That's what he said?"
"Well, Pavel phrased it unpleasantly." Dehateh gave her a wry smile. "You're a good student, but there's no reason for anyone to use that much firepower to try to kill you."
In other words, she wasn't special. Well, if nearly being killed was the closest she came to being special, Aki wasn't complaining. With the big questions out of the way, she immediately shifted to the next concern. "What does that mean for my results? Do I have to take the test again?"
"No. What little we saw indicated that you would have passed with flying colors. While some argued over the exact rating, we agreed that since you suffered for our security failure, you should be given the benefit of the doubt. That earns you the Legacy Scholarship."
"Really?" Aki wanted to jump to her feet, but forced herself to nod as if this was expected.
"Why don't you come with me and we'll talk along the way?" Dehateh gestured for her to follow and Aki quickly did so. They left the basement of Axis Hall before the professor spoke again. "If you haven't already seen it, too much of this university is consumed playing silly war games. We need more good students like you, without allegiance to a side. Since I hope this experience hasn't made to reconsider, I've taken care of some of the red tape."
"Thanks. I'm not sure what to think about all this 'war between light and dark' stuff either."
Dehateh sniffed. "Scratchings on cave walls from thousands of years ago should be of historical interest, nothing more. It's like the earliest of all creation myths: two forces in a battle for the universe. I'd
encourage you to ignore it and focus on your studies."
"I'll do my best." And as she said it, she knew it was true. Aki wanted to succeed, and not simply because this was her only chance to make something of herself. Here she could learn something that mattered instead of giving in and accepting a meaningless life.
They passed out the front doors and Aki's gaze was immediately drawn to the plaza. Her resolution felt weak compared to the two sides, facing each other in stark black and white.
~ ~ ~
It felt uncomfortably final to have everything moved in. For so many steps along the way she had been distracted by the changes, but now it was real. Keisha found herself just standing in the center of the small apartment, staring at everything.
She was living in a different dimension to attend a school for magic she didn't believe existed not so long ago. Her goodbyes at the flat had been surprisingly brief; she felt odd realizing how few relationships she'd built there. Everything she owned was in this apartment now and her life was decided for the next several years.
No. The world seemed natural and the academic setting was comfortable, but she couldn't let herself become complacent. For now she would progress as necessary, but she needed to learn the truth about Axis University. Her life could still be in danger.
Still, it was probably best to lay low for a period of time and get her bearings. Keisha locked the apartment and slipped the key in her pocket. Since she had done well so far, she could afford to take the individual housing instead of the group dorms. Living in such proximity to a random selection of people would not suit her well at all.
Classes didn't begin until Monday, which left her with free time. There were more books to read, but there were limits to how long she wanted to study. Instead she decided to find some place to clear her head. During the brief tour of the apartments she had been told it was possible to reach the roof, though only by an advanced command at the elevator.
At the end of the hall she found the metal plate and experimented. After a while she was able to get the doors to open and take her to the roof. It wasn't so difficult, but she couldn't feel proud of herself. When she had walked with Pavel, the doors had opened for him without any indication of effort.
That reminded her of the initiation ceremony. Another reason she needed to clear her head. The faculty had kept silent about what had happened with the Asian woman and most seemed to assume she had been overwhelmed by the test. Yet in the first moment, while things had seemed normal, the woman hadn't had any trouble. Only later there was a change, the entrance of a malevolent force, and she had screamed in pain. So far she hadn't appeared again.
When the doors opened, she knew the roof was worth it. The top of the apartment complex was higher than most of the trees, giving her a full view of the sky. It would be interesting to see the campus from this vantage point, but first she wanted to properly enjoy the clouds. Unfortunately, they were still the normal white fluffs, which weren't very interesting. Probably artificial.
She felt the presence before she saw anyone, like a shadow in the corner of her eyes. Keisha turned to find Blake lying on his back on the roof. He had been staring at the sky, but when she looked toward him he met her gaze.
"Why are you here?" She regretted the tone of the question, but she disliked the interruption to her private space.
Blake sat up and pointed toward the sky. "Looking."
He didn't say anything else and Keisha hesitated. If she had been willing to talk to Fredrick Hall after he killed someone, perhaps she had jumped to a conclusion too quickly with Blake. They hadn't ever interacted, so perhaps she had gotten him wrong.
Another presence interrupted her thoughts. There was a bright glimmer in the sky that quickly grew into a sphere of light. It landed and melted into Bianca Manunta, who was staring at both of them."What are you doing on the roof?"
"Hoping women in skirts fly overhead." Blake gave her a crooked grin. "If only you hadn't noticed me."
Keisha had been about to offer her own explanation. Instead she pressed her mouth into a thin line. Her opinion about him hadn't been wrong after all, and she was already firm in her dislike of Bianca. She turned on her heel and went back to the elevator. It was rude to leave without saying anything, but she didn't care when it came to these conflicts.
Let them wage the war between light and dark. It wasn't her fight.
~ ~ ~
Aki made her way through a labyrinth of beer cans and comatose bodies. She almost wished she had a backpack, since she was afraid she would drop her brand new books into something that would ruin them. That would be a fitting start to her first day of classes, given how well everything had gone.
She had taken the lowest level of housing that was offered. After last night, she found herself crunching numbers and wishing she could afford to upgrade. Before, she had thought of herself as a person who stayed up late. In bed but still awake at four in the morning, she had reevaluated herself. From the looks of her mod's main room, things had only gotten crazier after she left.
When her shoe squished something she tried not to look but couldn't help herself. Of course it was a condom, and of course it was used. "Ew. Ew ew ew." She got out the main door as quickly as possible and headed down the staircases to ground level.
Once away from student housing and into the main campus, her mood improved slightly. The campus really was beautiful; the trees and grass were a vibrant green, the sky was as blue as always. New books, new school, new opportunities.
There were some others heading to classes as well, but she didn't need to ask for directions. Her first class was Basic Maleficium, which was appropriately housed in the Maleficium Complex. It was the newest-looking of the buildings around the central plaza: all wave-like curves of steel and glass. Though it didn't seem very practical, it certainly looked nice.
Since everyone had to take the class, it was in one of the larger lecture halls. She was a little early, so nothing seemed to have begun and Emile hadn't even arrived. That was good; there would be a little time to find a seat and relax.
Unfortunately, she knew basically no one. Blake was sitting in the middle, sleeping with his feet up on another chair. Just as she was about to go sit near him, someone called from just beside her.
"Hey, it's Aki, right?"
"That's right." She turned to face a guy with greasy long hair, the closest of a large group against one wall. A few faces were familiar from the initiation, but none had made any impression.
"You want to sit on this side, otherwise he'll ask you questions."
"And that's... bad?" Since they were talking to her, she was obligated to walk closer to them. The group didn't seem to have anything in particular in common, other than that they seemed relaxed. Well, she wouldn't meet anyone if she didn't make an effort.
"Word is the prof has to make the tests for this class easy, so he takes it out on the students during the lectures. And if he notices you skipping too many he'll fail you."
"Really? I didn't think Emi- Professor Martin was like that."
One of the women rolled her eyes. "He's young and all idealistic about education."
Unlike the students here, Aki realized. But she had already set her books down and it would look rude to move elsewhere. She began to suspect Axis had as many cliques as an 80s high school, and she'd apparently joined the slackers. That was fine, since she spent a lot of time procrastinating, but she doubted she saw eye to eye with this group.
It looked like all the good students were sitting in the front. Keisha was there, reading the text with an open notebook on her desk. Aki would have been uncomfortable in that group as well, but she did want to put effort in this. She couldn't afford to waste her time here.
At exactly the starting time, Emile swept into the classroom. He was at the front almost immediately, examining the class. His abrupt entrance had quieted most of the conversations, so by the time he leaned one arm on the podium there was silence.
"This is
Basic Maleficium 101C. Also known as 'magic for dummies' though the fact that you're in C Group means you have a certain level of experience or you're from a background where the basics are taken for granted. We'll move a little more quickly, but if you get lost the textbook takes things nice and slow."
He breezed through the introductions, saying very little about himself. Aki realized it was the first time he had worn a wedding ring, the diamond winking whenever he gestured. But she didn't have much time to think about that, because he seemed to be starting the lecture and it didn't look like he was going to write anything down.
"We could start by asking 'What is magic?' but you won't get anything meaningful out of that question until upper level classes. Everyone knows what magic is, even if they just think of wizards throwing fireballs - you can learn to do that, by the way, but not in this class.
"You can find a thousand forums online that claim to teach you how. It's possible to learn that way, but the problem is that almost none of those people have any clue what they're doing. Half their difficulties are trying to shove square pegs into round holes. You there, what's the difference between a hammer and a drill?"
The startled student glanced at the people around her. "Uh, their function?"
"Decent answer. Anyone else?" Emile let people call out answers for a while before waving them to silence. Meanwhile, he stepped up to the students in the first row. "May I borrow two books for a moment?"
They quickly gave him their textbooks. No sooner had Emile picked them up than they both began floating. He leaned against the podium again and watched the students.
"What is the difference between those two?" This time there were no answers. "Some of you might be able to tell the exact details: one is being held up by air pressure, the other is no longer being affected by gravity.
"Both methods have the same effect, but that doesn't mean we should group them together. That's where our hammer and drill come in. You could probably pound a screw into wood, but the drill would be easier. If you're following the metaphor, where does a screwdriver go?"