My eyes shot open as I gasped for breath. Bile shot up my throat, and my whole body lurched forward. I spewed out the repulsing mixture I drank just a few hours ago. I looked into the bucket full of my bile and scrunched my face in disgust. This was the third time I threw up after Zevlin had a healer check my consciousness. Once just after I sat up, another before lunch, and now right after eating that porridge.

Gross, gross, gross.

As usual, a healer came into the room and took the bucket away from me, replacing it with a new one. Ugh, I hate throwing up like this. Even after choking down the 'rejuvenating' pills Zevlin extorted from the nearby healer, my body still felt fragile, each limb moving flimsily about as I tried to grab at things. That damned blue-eyed lord. The way he shot up each time I dry heaved and kept asking for a healer made me want to cuss him out even more. I eventually told him to leave after I retched the second time and his intensely watchful eyes became overbearing. It actually made me feel worse. 'Bear the brunt of my loathing', my ass. His eyes were already dripping with this strange mixture of guilt and self-loathing and anger. He was good enough at dishing out his own punishment. Besides, if he was going to be this way, then why did he have to push me so hard in the first place?

I poured myself a glass of water from the pitcher and drank two full cups, wiping my mouth. The sour and bitter taste was still there. And possibly for more hours to come and until I throw up yet again.

"Lady Avery? May I have a word?" Galven asked as he walked over to the side of my bed.

"Galven. What's up?"

"What is up?" He looked confused for a while but then grinned, "Ah! Well, I just wanted to tell you that you have homework. Sir Arleur wants us to research on recent Iolaverian developments on mechanical weapons. Pages 12 to 27 in the textbook."

"Thanks, Gal. Anything else?" I asked with a smile after drinking up another cup of water, desperate to taste something else other than stomach acid.

The younger Azurelle lord's smile turned upside down, "Yes. I apologise for how my brother behaved on the field today."

"Oh," I looked down at my hands before smiling back up at him, "don't. This is on him. Besides, in his own weird way, he's apologetic enough about it."

Chuckling, Galven continued, "When my brother sees a tantalising challenge, especially one as irresistible as yourself, it's about the only thing that truly excites him. But he crossed a line today. I hope you make him pay for that."

"Oh, trust me. I'll milk his guilt-ridden ass dry."

"You will learn to hone your abilities, and things like this will happen less. After all, you are prophesied to do great things."

"Yes, but what great things exactly?" I laughed sarcastically before continuing, hands ruffling through my tangled mess of a hair, "I seem to be the least knowledgeable person in any room when it comes to matters about myself. This war my grandmother died for. Feels like I'm facing a brick wall."

Galven's eyes darted around the room. It was empty, save for the healer organising her work desk in the far corner. He takes a seat and looks into my eyes in earnest.

"How much do you know about the prophecy?"

I cast my head downwards and shrugged, "Nothing much at all. Other than the fact that I'm this fabled saviour, my future foretold by a young seer. One I haven't heard mentioned ever since. I barely know a single word to what she said."

Galven nodded slowly in understanding and leaned closer, "It's not my place to say what the High Lady herself has not seen fit to tell you, but Avery, you must know that what your grandmother died to protect is a cause many in Valiron still hold doubts against. The gods have not shown themselves for far too long."

"If you speak of Heildam—"

He brought his finger against his lips, and I stopped mid-sentence. He lowered his voice and leaned in closer, his blue eyes dimming in fear. "Be careful. He has spies everywhere."

"Surely not here."

"We can never be too sure."

I looked at the shadowy figures passing through beyond the thin curtains. The academy, as I learnt over the course of the week, was built on the far edge of the Hordamm Highlands, protected by a veil constantly reinforced by enchantments, created and constantly renewed by Valiron's finest Spell Weavers. All of whom were conveniently laureates of the Academy itself. Sheltered from all the extremities of the nature here in the Highlands, the Academy was built like an impenetrable fortress. Any who dared to infiltrate would hardly find themselves in the right place, and all illegal portals would never lead into the grounds. A place so highly guarded, and for good reason, for the Academy was home to many powerful nobles, and even more powerful secrets— and the future generations of Valiron— would not be an easy target. Though perhaps not impossible for a being so powerful he killed hundreds on Earth, all the while never once showing himself.

"The allied forces subjugated him, and the Valiron United Council assured the people that he would not escape from his cage, his eternal prison. Now that you have arrived, they believe that Heildam's return is nigh."

I suspected as much. "They?"

"The people who never bought into the lie. But most worrisome of all, the people who always believed in what he had to say."

"And what was that?"

Galven sighed and put his hands together. "That the gods have forsaken us. Left us to rot in our own corruption and muck and drive ourselves to ruin."

"What?" I had thought that the people of Valiron loved their gods. Each and every one, recipients of their continued benevolence.

"Less and less Valiants are being born with gifts. People have been restless, claiming that those in power, in the Council, and sitting on the throne of Avillion, must have angered them."

I looked at him, puzzled, eyebrows furrowed. "I thought every Valiant was gifted."

He shook his head. "That may have been the case before the Poterads disappeared four hundred years ago, but since then the numbers of non-gifted  Valiants have steadily increased. Some believed it was a result of cross-breeding between species, mixing between those with different blessings muddying the gifts passed down to offsprings— some believed it was the gods' way of punishing us, a divine reckoning."

The curtain was yanked open, and a healer stood there with a tray. Galven shot up from his chair and turned to look at the lanky man, breathing a small sigh of relief.

"It is time for Lady Alveriana's medicine," the healer said slowly, slightly jarred by Galven's reaction. He went around the bed and placed the tray on the bedside table. I felt a jump in my stomach when I smelled the concoction. I covered my mouth with one hand and waved at Galven with the other.

"Sorry, but we might have to continue— Hurkh!" I gagged, unable to finish my sentence.

"Oh no," was the last thing I mumbled before taking my newly emptied sick bucket and retching. I vaguely heard Galven excusing himself and the healer's warm glow on my back, trying to ease my dry heaving. Fuck, when was this going to be over?

~+~

After being on bedrest the whole day, I was finally allowed to return to my room, assisted by Sienna and Vienna, both ready to catch me every time a gust of wind blew past. Despite my reassuring them that I no longer felt like a paper doll, they refused to let go of my arms until I reached my bed.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sienna asked as she plopped down on the floor, skirt splaying on the ground.

"I guess so," I called out from the bathroom where I was drying my face, "At least I'm not throwing up every five minutes anymore."

"Remember to hydrate. We've all been through this before." Vienna reminded me, her hands busy fixing her twin sister's crooked collar.

"Zevlin was just being a dick. He knows better than to challenge a Helions," Sienna muttered angrily.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow as I tried to find a way to make my hair look less... monstrous.

"Is that written down in a History book somewhere?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Yes." Vienna replied seriously.

My smile turned into a shocked expression, "I was joking."

"Not one single Helions has ever backed down from a challenge. Your family is known for their bravery, their nobility and wisdom, but gods, a prideful bunch, indeed," Sienna laughed. "Legendary for it. Your great grandfather fought for days on end on the battlefield, refusing to yield and went on without his men to the deepest mountains of North Azurelle, all because the Council said defeating the Eyaturan rebel leader would be 'impossible' for an 'old man like him'."

"All recorded in your very own History textbook," Vienna piped in.

I laughed a little. I supposed they were right. My pride had gotten me into fair share of trouble, even in the short time I was here. Always refusing to take no for an answer finally bit me in the ass big time.

"I can't wait for spring break," Sienna groaned, red eyes rolling back in her head as her fingers loosened up her tight bun, practically ripping away the elastic holding it in place.

"The semester's barely begun," Vienna rolled her eyes.

"Do we not get to leave the grounds?" I asked.

"Well, there's nothing around for miles," Sienna shrugged.

"Sometimes the Knight's Table gets missions away from campus," Vienna explained. "We're allowed to handle up until level five of the mid-tier classification. Lots of ceremonial, showy stuff—like acting guards at some ceremonies, folk festivals, maybe the occasional border control."

"Most exciting one was when we got stationed up in Northern Zelte, suppressing the Korilian bandits," Sienna replied, idly playing with the buttons of her dress shirt.

"So you're suggesting that the only way I can visit other places while I'm here is by going on a mission?" I sighed and looked between two of the identical twins.

"Not exactly. Me and Sienna get permits from our parents for home visits once in a while. But the school rarely allows it, even if it comes from one of the nobles."

Just as I thought, Lady Ovette ran a tight ship. No getting in and out without the proper paperwork, no exceptions. Getting up, I walked over to the pile of books and notebooks on my bedside table. I found it strange how naturally my mind drifted to thoughts of reading assignments, essays and reports that I should be submitting in the week ahead. Although perhaps I shouldn't be, considering the packed syllabus the Academy had. I'd been told that first year would be rough, but I didn't expect to actually be losing sleep this early on in the semester. My hand grazed upon the history textbook and I tapped its hard cover, recalling what Galven had said— about the Poterads.

"Vi, Sienna, any one of you know of the lost family of the last Poterads by any chance?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," I laughed it off, "It was in the reading from the first day of History class, and it's just a... a fascinating story. I guess I just want to know everything I can about them. After all, they preceded my family as the High Family of Valiron."

Vienna leaned forward in her seat, "Yes, yes we do. The Pivoteras are direct relatives of the Poterads family, after all."

"They only found a single clue about the case," Sienna continued, "they said the former High Lady Vaserna and her child lived on the edges of Hordamm, not far from here, for a while but there were no traces of them soon after. It's like they just disappeared into the fog of the Highlands. There were no remains nor any news of her husband either. Gone with no footprints, no left belongings and no more identity."

"Their disappearance was seen as an omen by many, as it was around that time that... Heildam," Vienna said the name hesitantly, "began to make his move. The gods had, after all, left not long after appointing the Helionses."

"Is Heildam... Was he a Valiant?" I could sense that neither of them were too pleased to be saying his name, like they were walking on eggshells.

Sienna's red eyes were no longer docile and sleepy, but sharpened with fear. "He was the gods' first creation. The first Valiant. If we were created with fragments of the gods, he contained whole fractions of them. His powers were said to be almost equal to them."

"There are books, you know," Vienna said quietly, and I almost missed what she said next as she lowered her voice further. "In the forbidden section of the Hegeli library."