ATHENA'S POV
Arius and I locked eyes. I knew Reiya was watching us now.
"Are you okay?" Arius asked, closing the door behind him. I just nodded.
"What happened?" he continued. I told him the same story I'd just shared with Reiya.
"You two know each other?" Reiya whispered to me, and I nodded again.
"Reiya, this is Arius Mnemosyne." Reiya just nodded in response. I couldn't help but smile—the two people with me were so alike.
If no one makes the first move, nothing happens between them.
"Are you two…?" If I'd been drinking water, I might have spit it out at Reiya's question.
What the freak? Hell no! Never!
"No," we both answered in unison, making Reiya laugh at us.
What's so funny, girl?
"Okay, well, if there were a mirror here, you'd see your faces." Reiya stood up, grinning.
"All right, I'll leave you two. If you need anything or want some company, just come find me at the dorm," she told me, and I nodded.
She really is a good person. Turns out she's an S too.
"So, what are you feeling?" Arius asked, sitting where Reiya had been earlier.
"I feel better," I answered with a small smile.
"Come on, Athena. I know that's not the whole story," he said. I just rolled my eyes at him.
"If you don't believe me, then just leave," I shot back, pulling the blanket over myself.
"Are you still mad at me?" he asked. I lowered the blanket and looked at him.
"Yes," I replied, watching for his reaction, but he didn't even flinch.
Same as always.
"How's your dad?" he asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
"He's okay," I replied, and he nodded.
"About the girl who was here earlier…" he began, frowning.
"What about Reiya?" I asked.
"I can't read her mind," he said quietly, his head bowed.
"You tried to use your power?" I asked. He nodded, so I glared at him. "It's all white and then suddenly turns black," he said with a troubled look.
"To tell you the truth, I can sense her power. It's really strong. I wanted to ask her earlier what exactly she can do," I admitted.
"Anyway, you should go. You have class, right?" I reminded him, and he nodded.
"All right. I'll come check on you later." He stood up and left.
REIYA'S POV
As soon as I stepped out of the infirmary, I saw Vryx waiting for me.
He walked up and grabbed my hand, pulling me along so quickly that I couldn't protest.
We ended up at the library—a far cry from an ordinary library, overflowing with books everywhere.
"Professor Mycroft assigned me." He looked serious.
"Assigned for what?" I asked. "To find out your power," he replied, catching me off guard.
"Why?" I asked, but he didn't answer.
I just followed him as he picked up a book and handed it to me.
"Read this."
"The Healer?" I read aloud from the cover. "Yes. There's a possibility you're a healer since your mother was one. Yes—I know your parents. Everyone does." He looked at me as he said it.
"Everyone?" I repeated, and he nodded.
"You really don't know?" he asked. I shook my head no.
He climbed up a ladder but I didn't follow. He came down carrying another book and looked right at me as he descended.
"Here, read this. Professor Red told you to read the History of Starfall." He handed me the book.
"Well, actually that book is kind of special," he said when he noticed my curiosity.
"Why?" I asked, meeting his gaze.
"Open it." I did as he said but found the pages blank—almost all of them empty.
"It will show itself only to the one who truly needs it," he explained. I nodded slowly in understanding.
"That's why you can't see anything—it's not meant for you yet," he continued. Again, I nodded thoughtfully.
"What if when I do need it, it's already too late?" I asked anxiously.
"That won't happen," he said sharply. His tone surprised me.
"What do you mean 'that won't happen?'" But he didn't answer—just pinched the bridge of his glasses in frustration.
"Anyway, you need to know Starfall's history, so let's borrow it for now." I nodded and trailed after him.
He sat down so I took a seat across from him.
"Here—read this." This time he handed me a notebook instead of a book.
"That's my notes… Part of it covers Starfall's history. It'll help you." Again, I nodded and flipped through it.
His handwriting was beautiful—cursive and easy to understand. Almost like a woman's script.
One line in particular caught my eye:
'Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.'
I looked up at Vryx just as he recited the quote that was running through my mind.
"That's my favorite quote," he said with a small smile. I nodded in return.
Suddenly there was an explosion somewhere nearby—the whole library stirred into alarm.
"What happened?" I asked Vryx but he looked as confused as I felt.
I left him behind in the library and rushed out to ask some students running past me what was going on.
"What happened?" I called out to someone in the crowd.
"There are dark spirits outside campus!" came the reply, making me frown in worry.
Dark spirits?
I was about to rush toward where they said the trouble was when someone grabbed my arm.
"What do you think you're doing?" came his voice—he looked visibly upset.
Is he angry?
"Let go of me," I ordered. He did as told but kept following as I started walking again.
"You're really going toward that explosion?" he asked. All I could do was nod in response.
"You know that's dangerous." I ignored his warning and kept walking.
We saw some professors outside campus but Vryx pulled me into some bushes to hide.
"Shh—if they catch us we're straight to detention." I fell silent—I definitely didn't want detention either.
Vryx kept his eyes on the professors but my attention lingered on him instead.
Why is he coming with me?
I quickly glanced away when he looked back at me. My cheeks burned with embarrassment for some reason.
"So why are you helping me?" I finally managed to ask quietly.
"In case something happens to you." It made sense—he was coming along because I was weak and still had no idea what my power was. Yeah, right…
"Is that Arius?" Vryx was looking somewhere else now; following his gaze, I saw Arius with the professors too.
What's he doing there?
I watched Arius' restless expression. "Something must have happened," I said to Vryx, but he just shrugged—no answer there either.
After talking with the professors Arius suddenly ran off with them—I quickly grabbed Vryx so we could follow too.
"Curiosity kills the cat," Vryx muttered teasingly, raising an eyebrow at me when I glanced his way. He grinned so I just rolled my eyes at him in return.
We reached an abandoned building on campus. "This place exists here?" I asked but as usual got no answer from him.
We hid behind some bushes and watched Arius and the professors from afar. Suddenly a strong gust of wind swept through—I felt something strange in the air.
"Did you feel that?" Vryx asked quietly—I just nodded in response.
My eyes widened when I saw Athena standing alone in the middle of it all—the wind swirling around her motionless form.
"She looks unconscious," Vryx commented—but she was standing upright?
Arius was trying desperately to wake Athena but she wouldn't move an inch.
"This is freaking me out," I whispered. Vryx just raised an eyebrow at me. "What?" I asked defensively but he just smirked back at me instead.
Then Archstar approached Athena—after a few words she finally collapsed but Arius managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Let's go," Vryx whispered urgently—I followed quickly; we'd be in big trouble if we got caught here now.
As we walked away my thoughts were still spinning from what happened back there…
"Care to share?" Vryx was looking at me now as we walked side-by-side again.
"I'm just thinking about what happened earlier…" He nodded slowly for me to continue. "But what puzzles me is…" He glanced at me again, waiting for what came next.
"Why is it always Athena? First last time—and now this again. Do you think someone wants to hurt her?" My voice was low as I turned to Vryx for answers.
"If you're that curious… let's ask Arius," Vryx suggested—and I agreed with a nod.
We headed straight for Starhearth—or what most people call the clinic—since that's where Athena had been taken after everything happened.
When we entered we found Arius sitting by Athena's side—watching over her closely as she lay unconscious on the bed.
"What happened?" I asked Arius directly; his brow furrowed as he glanced first at me then at Vryx beside me.
"A couple?" Arius asked suddenly—which caught me completely off guard for a moment there…
"What happened to Athena?" I repeated quickly to change the subject. He sighed deeply before finally answering my question:
"I don't know… We were walking and suddenly she disappeared—I found her in those ruins: standing there but totally unresponsive. So I ran for the professors—I didn't know what else to do." He looked genuinely worried now as he spoke quietly to us both.
"I don't know why they keep targeting Athena… There are so many questions." Arius gently held Athena's limp hand as if hoping she'd wake up soon enough…
"When will Athena wake up?" Vryx asked softly. "She should be fine soon—the Archstar helped make sure she didn't fall into a coma." Vryx just nodded at that reassurance…
Then Arius turned to look at me directly: "You're a healer, right?"
Even now—I wasn't sure if that was true or not myself…
"Your mom is a healer," Arius reminded gently…
"I don't know… Honestly—I'm not sure if I am one or not," I admitted quietly under his gaze…
"I can't read your mind—it feels like there's some sort of barrier there," Arius admitted next, so…he could read minds?
Vryx put a reassuring hand on my shoulder: "I think…I know how you can find out your powers." He looked at me seriously—
How?