Anthem of the Four

Elements
Volume 1

Margarita Skvortsova
2018-2021
 Yesterday Tim was called away on a mission. I cried all night. It was the night of
the twenty-second century, with no stars at all. Only a cool breeze rippled the light
curtain at the window. And the dim light of a street lamp fell into the room. It disturbed
me that night. As if I could only cry in total darkness.
I know where they sent Tim. It's dangerous there. I know what awaits him there.
Anything. I know he might not come back. Just like every other time.
We never see each other again. I swallow a stream of swear words. Replacing them
with the word "unfair" in my own head.
All I managed before the separation was to reach into his mind and feel with warm
relief that he was letting me in.
I'm getting all misty eyed.
The outline of my small room with the pink wallpaper slowly melted away, and the
setting of a dirty toilet in a train car appeared before my eyes.
It's so uncomfortable, talking through my mind without a mirror. I see all the
things the conversation partner sees, but I don't see the person I'm talking to. I see
through his eyes.
This mirror was quite worn, but I could look into Tim's green, playful eyes. And it
always made me feel so much calmer. Alive.
-Why are you panicking? It's not the first time, Kathy," Tim whispered, looking
through my eyes. - I know what to do. And you can always join me and watch.
-Watch what, Tim? - I became angry at his nonchalance. - How are you bleeding
again? - my voice echoed in his head as I lay in our bedroom with a gray veil over my
eyes. Anger was setting in. - Why on earth did you agree to this?!
-There was a reason, Kat," the green eyes flashed with excitement for a moment. -
This is the last case. The last call. And that's it, they're letting me go, can you believe it?
Tim's lips parted in impatience.
I believed it.
Tim had been asking for his resignation for a long time. Insistently. And the chief
knew that one day he would have to give it. Tim's productivity had been dropping over
the years, his age had already taken its toll.
 -We can live like regular people, you know? - Tim smiled happily in the mirror. He
was already anticipating his return. - We'll be able to study normally, to act like young
people. Like we really are young, Kat! Build a career, plan a life, without fear of the
phone ringing and the next assignment. - I imagined the picture. - You're gonna have
my baby.
-Baby? - I even choked. Tim, I'm a hundred and twenty-five, I don't want kids. I
just want to rest... like a human being.
-But your body's not that old, and we can finally start a normal family! - he was so
enthusiastic that I decided to give in.
So I imagine walking into the kitchen. There's Tim at the stove, frying pancakes
that smell all over the house. The radio is playing or cartoons are muttering. And
someone little, so much like him, is sitting at the table, tapping impatiently on the
surface with his fingers, and at the sight of me he shouts: "Mommy's here!"
I blinked.
-But we're not human, Tim," I mumbled under my breath. - Who are we going to
have? Not children, not people. Who?
Tim hummed and looked at me carefully in the reflection of the worn corners of
the wagon mirror.
-They will be different. Yes," he looked more serious. - Like us, Kat," he grinned,
and pulled the brown bangs away from his face in that familiar motion. - And we'll
never let them go to serve like I did.
-Do you promise? - I squeezed the blue sheet with my fingers.
-I promise.
That was our last conversation.

It had now been twenty-four hours since he'd made contact. I knew I could reach
into his mind, and he would let me in. But that was a dangerous idea, because my
appearance could distract him.
 So I didn't reach out. I waited in silence. That familiar, ticklish feeling somewhere
in there. When you unconditionally know exactly who is asking to see the world
through your eyes.
I knew that Tim was very tired after his last trip, and that he had little energy left to
conjure. I knew the chief might have equipped him with some kind of weapon or
amulet. The chief was an expert at that. A collector, you might say.
But that's the little things. Nothing replaces the natural power of a good night's
sleep, a good meal, or sweet sex.
For twenty-four hours without news, I stayed home, nervous, didn't even go to
study . Before the year began, though, Tim and I made a promise to each other, standing
under the shade of the broad leaves of the trees in the local park. We promised that if we
were going to be educated in the second hundred years, we wouldn't be as thoughtless
as in the first. And that we would have a normal human life.
But now I didn't have time for that. What nonsense it was, when I was here and he
was there.
I put another cup empty of coffee in the sink. On top of it was a pile of them.
Which one is it? Number seven? Nine? Never mind. We're out of milk. She sat down at
the table. I glanced around the evening street, illuminated by a tired, dim streetlamp.
I couldn't wait any longer, I couldn't stand it.
So I reached out.
To him. Tim.
Let me in. Let me in. Let me in.
He let me in. The shroud over my eyes.
A sigh.
-Tim, honey," I whisper in his head, trying to see something. It's dark all around. I
can't make out anything. - Tim, answer me. Where are you? - My heart clenched into a
tight lump, my fingers dug into the edges of the tabletop.
-Kathy," the voice I loved pumped a rush of adrenaline into my bloodstream. -
Kathy," she fainted, as if distancing herself.
 -Tim, where are you? I can't see anything," I stop understanding what's happening.
It's dark all around, no sounds, and Tim is muttering my name, and only, like a spell. -
Where are you?
Silence. A few seconds of silence almost gave me a heart attack.
-Kathy, I think this is the end.
My heart has stopped beating. I hear a cricket chirping outside the window. Sssh-
ssh-ssh. Ssssssssssss. The growl of the refrigerator. And at Tim's, silence.
-What is it? Tell me! - I yell, panicking.
A rustle. I realize Tim is getting up. A flash of light. I turn on my flashlight. I see
the forest around me. Black, dead. Bodies somewhere, branches somewhere. Blood
everywhere. There's a lot of caked blood on Tim's hands, too.
-Whose blood is this? Where the hell are you?!
He doesn't answer, staggering, unable to stand straight. Strands of straight, soft hair
block his view. My favorite hair, now covered in dust and blood and leaves.
-Tim," I whisper, almost desperate. He finally sits down again and answers me:
-Kathy. We've lost. I don't know how many of them are still here. I hid
temporarily. But they will find.
-Are you hurt? - I went cold. Emotions were gone, leaving cold reason to speak for
me. Sssh-ssh-ssh. Ssssssssss.
-Yes. The blood won't stop.
I remain silent, trying to think of a way to get Tim out. But I know there's no way
out. You either come back from a mission with a win, or you don't. And Tim knows
that, too.
-Did the chief talk to you? - I can barely get the words out. - Is he gonna take it?
-I reached out to him myself, asking for help. When I was wounded, and I found
this hiding place. He sends a detachment, but Keti... there are too many of them. I'm not
sure what...
Noise. Darkness. The veil left my eyes too abruptly. Not in the usual way. It was
instantaneous.
I look at my room again.
 I couldn't reach him anymore. Unable to talk to Tim or find out how he was, I fell
into apathy. And HQ still thought he was keeping all his assignments a secret from me.
Those were the terms... but let them shove them up their asses!
Where's my Tim?!
I went over the pictures I'd seen through his eyes a hundred times in my head. I
remembered the blood on his hands, tried to understand the sources of the noises and
rustles at the very end. What was that noise?
After three days of tossing around the room, I could feel the magic inside me
drying up. I wasn't eating well, and I hadn't slept much the whole time. The freezer was
empty. I didn't go out to the store. In the morning I threw out the last stale bread. The
trash is by the door. I had to take it out, for the first time in years.
I turned away from the door and went to the mirror. The bruises under my eyes had
darkened. My hair was pulled back, and I hadn't combed it in a long time.
Three days in the near certainty that Tim was dead had aged me a few years. The
playful brunette with the long curls and the carefree blue eyes was no longer in the
mirror. She was replaced by a grown woman whose eyes could easily read the wisdom
of a hundred years.
Realizing that I would give myself away if I continued like this, I decided to leave
the house. Garbage in the trash can. Whiskey bottles clinked. There were cars driving
by, hopefully no one I knew. I threw on my hood.
It wouldn't do. Came back, locked the doors. Went up to the room. A sweatshirt
flew to the floor, then her jeans, then her underwear. Stepped over the bathtub rim,
turned on the water. How amazingly it takes away everything unnecessary. The stuff
inside us. I took Tim's shampoo. That's what his hair smelled like. It did.
That's what mine will smell like now.
I put my stuff in the hamper. I forced myself to make the bed. His favorite blue
sheets. Tears spurted, I didn't even notice how, but I pulled myself together quickly. I
had to move forward.
 The first thing I wanted to do was fulfill my promise to Tim. Whether he lived or
died, we wanted to get a human education and try to live a human life.
Without magic. Without war. Without death.
Over the next few days, I cleaned the house, shopped for groceries, washed and
ironed all of our clothes. I washed my face thoroughly, whispered spells, tried to eat
more and get enough sleep.
I couldn't sleep. I could see Tim's face, his laughter, his green eyes, in the darkness.
A couple of times it even seemed to tickle me, trying to connect with me somewhere.
But no. It was just an impression.
My attempts to reach him turned not so much to knocking on a locked door as to
search for that door. Every night, realizing that the fatigue was getting worse, I
whispered a short spell and fell asleep.
Every day I dreamt of Tim, sometimes laughing, sometimes bloodied, sometimes
with our nonexistent children in his arms.

A week later, I went out to study. The car didn't want to start, like it was talking
me out of it. I drove without thinking, I don't even remember which way. I walked
through the corridors on autopilot, unable to understand what to do. The questions of
my classmates seemed incomprehensible, and the subjects seemed pointless and empty.
Now that Tim wasn't sitting a couple of rows away from me, occasionally winking
while no one was watching, everything lost its meaning.
That was our common goal. A human, simple life together was a warm dream that
I didn't need now.
I wandered the floors, remembering how we used to pretend we were just
classmates so we wouldn't let anyone know we'd known each other for a hundred years.
How Tim sometimes voiced my words at the blackboard, which I dictated into his head
from the classroom at the other end of the building. How he would purposely bump my
shoulder in the hallways so he could apologize and smile and touch me. How he
reached into my consciousness in lectures, whispering mind-boggling images of future
nights that interfered with my thinking.
 And then nights together. Years together. Dreams of a century together.
Tim.
What audience? One hundred and eleven? Tim. One hundred and twelve? Tim.
First floor, I think.
I walk in, light in my eyes, sluggishly pushing the crowded students away. But
what is that? The smell is familiar. I turn around, but I don't see anyone. Where is he?
WHERE?!
I squeezed my eyes shut. The boys' voices made it hard to concentrate. I exhaled. I
opened my eyes.
There he was. There he was, walking toward me, laughing with his desk mate.
Happycheerful. Alive.
If I hadn't fallen into a stupor and stopped in the middle of the classroom, I
probably would have screamed.
But I'm standing.
It was as if time had slowed down. A cricket sounded somewhere. Sssz. No, he
can't be here. Can Tim?
I look at him. He and his roommate walk past me into the hallway. He doesn't even
look at me. Didn't say hello, didn't make any sign. Didn't wink like he always does.
Passed me by, as if I wasn't there at all.
I turn around. Sssz.
The boys are standing by the window sill, chatting. I look straight into his eyes.
We're only a couple of meters apart. The air is getting kind of thick. I blink slowly,
staring.
I don't know how long I've stood staring at them. Hot tears tangled in my black
curls and flowed somewhere under my clothes.
Cold reasoning slowly takes over my mind and reminds me how dangerous it was
to come here and pretend to be students. How bad it would be to slip up somewhere.
And what the consequences might be if someone not completely stupid figures out that
Tim and I have known each other for a long time.
Calmly. I wipe my tears away with my palm and go to my seat.
 Lecture. Tim sits a little ahead of me, taking notes, whispering with his neighbor. I
sit with pen in hand and stare at his crumbly brown hair, glistening in the sunlight from
the window.
He hasn't turned around a single time yet.
I even wondered if he wasn't Tim, if he'd been switched or bewitched or something
worse. Why wouldn't he talk to me? What kind of a joke is this? Tim would never do
that.
The thick air is impossible.
I can't stand it. Reaching into his mind, I find the door and knock quietly.
Nothing.
Metaphorically speaking, his door no longer has a handle. I can't get in. No one
can.
What is this...?
I don't know what to do. Tim gets up and walks out to the board. I think he's been
summoned. He chalks up some words in his big round handwriting. I remember he used
it recently to write notes in the bathroom for me. I think there's still one left.
I can see his face now. He's still not looking at me. Talking to the teacher, adding
sprawling words on the board.
Time has frozen, the sounds are gone. The cricket is gone, too. I look and don't
know if it's my Tim in front of me.
Who's there, behind the forever locked door?
A look.
Green eyes collide with blue ones. He notices my tears, stumbles halfway through.
Apologizes to his teacher. Coughs and tries to keep talking, but he can't anymore. Often
he talks and gets confused. I know it's because of me.
I can't. My consciousness is completely blurred, I no longer understand anything. I
can't breathe at all. I get up and walk out into the hallway, muttering something about
the toilet. I walked past Tim, smelling his perfume. It is unbearable.
 The light in my eyes from the window makes me feel a little bit. What's going on?
Right, the toilet. I go in, it always smells like chlorine. I look in the mirror.
The bruises under my eyes are gone, thanks to good nutrition and enchanted sleep.
No, I don't look twenty any more, it's too late for that. But it didn't get any worse, either.
I wrap my tired curls into a ponytail and tie them behind me. I sigh.
I don't know what happened with Tim. I don't know what's going on. Why didn't
he contact me, stop by?
Who is he? Who am I? What's ahead?
I have to go. I walk out of the toilet and meet his gaze.
Tim stands in front of the door, arms crossed over his chest, and looks very stern.
-What the hell are you crying for? - He growled in a way that made me flinch.
I looked into his eyes. Silent. Neither did he. His stubborn temper wouldn't let him
repeat the question or change the subject until I answered. My resentment and pain
pushes me to stay silent, to let him agonize for at least a minute without my answer, just
as I've been without news of him for a week.
Tim looks the same as before. He hasn't aged. That's a good thing. Some
unfamiliar gray shirt. Tall, nose just up to his chest, slender, even his gaze unchanged.
He glared at me confidently, waiting for an answer. Don't make another move, don't say
another word.
Let it go. I enjoy watching him.
How I'd missed him...

I don't know how I ever got through it and didn't throw myself on his neck, either
to hug him or kill him. But I didn't. And so I won. A slight smile from me was the last
straw of his patience.
-Kathy," he whispered in the same way he had before. In a loving, soft voice. Not
at all the way he'd asked about tears. The way he described our future human life.
-Tim," I whispered back, starting to cry again. I rushed toward him, into his warm,
loving embrace, crying even harder. I don't want anything else right now.
Let us stay like this forever, inseparable.
 I roar, burying my nose in his clothes. Tim holds me silently against him, swaying
slightly.
-I know. It's been hard. You didn't know where I was, if I was alive. But I didn't
really know either.
I lifted my eyes, trying to make out the look on his face to see what he meant. I
don't understand, and I frown.
-The wound was deep. I was losing not only blood, but magic. I knew they were
coming for me. But by whom? My own or someone else's? - he spoke as if he were in
pain remembering. - When the connection was broken, I ran out of strength. There
wasn't even enough magic to reach you. There was no magic at all. I became mortal. I
couldn't defend myself, couldn't attack, couldn't even rise to my feet.
I listened to him silently, my fingers clutching at the shirt on my chest. As if afraid
that he would run away or disappear into thin air. I couldn't believe he was here.
-Some time later, backup came," Tim continued quietly. - I was very lucky, honey.
They took me to the hospital. I don't know how long I was there. Probably a week. But
there was nothing the healer could do," he smiled encouragingly at me. - He patched up
the wounds. But the magic... it was all gone. Along with the blood, the strength, and the
last hope.
I shuddered, not understanding.
-You mean it's gone?
-Kathy, he poured dozens of potions into me, whispered volumes of spells, but I
never felt a speck of magic," Tim sighed deeply. - I can't even move a pencil off my
desk without using my hands, Kathy. It was funny at first. Then it was scary. Now I
don't care. When I saw you...
-Where were you? - I interrupted him so loudly that Tim recoiled. - When they let
you go, where did you go? Why the hell didn't you come straight to me? - I screamed,
anger surging back at me.
-Kathy," a warm hand slid down my cheek. I instantly stopped crying, as I always
did when he touched me. - As soon as I was discharged, the chief sent me here. I knew
it was class time, so I decided to check in here before I went home. I didn't want to lose
any time.
I clawed at Tim's chest:
-Why the hell didn't you talk to me! - Tim opened his mouth, but I immediately cut
him off. - I don't give a damn about secrecy! Let them find out about us, we'll run away
again! I don't care, there's still time! There's plenty of time! You knew there was still
time! And that I was waiting for you.
-Kathy," Tim gently removed my frozen fingers and put his hands on my
shoulders. - There's no more time ahead. There's only one life ahead," he looked at me
intently. - The chief pulled me away. There is no magic in me anymore. I am human
now.
There is only one life ahead.
One human life.

I remember the first time I met Tim. When I was young, I didn't understand magic,
the world, or myself.
I didn't know much about witchcraft back then. When I was a kid, toys flew around
my room because I was in a bad mood. And dandelions bloomed under the window in
February because of a child's sudden laughter.
My mother was quick to shovel snow on them and laugh about how I couldn't do
magic consciously. But she didn't have time to explain everything. Life took her away.
And I realized that the magic would have to be hidden. Bury all inner impulses to
witchcraft in the snow, like my mother did with February dandelions.
As the years passed, I was sent from one orphanage to another, not understanding
why the other children were afraid of me.
The teachers didn't know that the boy who tripped me was seeing a scaly tail
peeking out from under my skirt for another week. They didn't realize that the girl who
blamed me for her broken cup had stopped reflecting herself in the mirror. The adults
didn't realize that I was just joking, when every angry word I said to them made the
whites of my eyes seem to turn black.
 It was fun, in a way, but the human children called me deviless, witch, and
demoness because of my petty magic. Sometimes even a monster. For that, the redhead
in the next room had to eat all kinds of food for a month, and only taste garlic.
I didn't fit into any group. I couldn't make friends with any children. And all
because I was different.
I was growing up and slowly learning how to use magic. I did not know spells, I
did not know about the existence of potions, amulets and artifacts. I acted intuitively,
and all my thoughts became real, no matter how improbable they seemed.
By the time I was eighteen, I had been released from the orphanage, trying to get
me into a residential boarding school. But I was so reluctant to reacquaint myself with
groups, obey stupid educators, and learn meaningless science that I decided to run
away.
One or two, and I was gone.
It wasn't hard. It took me half a minute to convince the director of the orphanage
that Kathryn Carper didn't exist, and to erase all the records about her. I didn't care
about the rest of them. Let them look.
I gathered my meager belongings. In a small travel bag went books, a mirror, a
comb, and a couple of dresses. I had nothing else. I thought, averting the stares of
everyone I met along the way, and stepped through the main gate of my former abode
and straight out into the big world. The gate didn't creak, as it always did. Shh. Escape
must be quiet.
From here on out, my life was unpredictable, unstable, and based on the ability to
compel thought.
I rented apartments while landlords considered me a distant favorite relative and
took no money. I drove through cities, slipping past the unseeing stares of the
controllers. I dined at cafes, but not a single waiter suspected I needed to charge money.
This went on until I asked myself the question: what's next? At eighteen you still
do not know how to live. You do not know what you want, and you want to get
everything at once.
 I had everything. And even at once, no matter how ridiculous. But I did not know
where to put myself. Youth pushed for adventure, and I was carried around the country,
like a tumbleweed. I didn't make any friends. I didn't understand people, and they
probably didn't understand me.
And I didn't care about them.

I met Tim at a concert five years later.

I remember that it all started with a little magical nudge. It was as if somewhere
out there a finger had touched me quietly to draw attention to myself. The unfamiliar
sensation made me anxious. But I didn't realize that I felt a knock on my inner doors.
And I didn't know how to unlock them.
The crowd, the music, the little woods by the water. I even decided to try some
alcohol, and the mood immediately turned into a combative one. I danced as well as I
could. I galloped across the grass, my hair and blue dress flapping in the wind. I was
very happy then.
One more drop of alcohol, and I'm sure the magic would have burst out of me
against my will.
That must have been how he noticed me. There was energy raging inside me.
Young, unspent, real.
A gentle nudge of the shoulder. An apology. The look in my clear green eyes. It
was probably after that we had this silly tradition.
Holding me by the shoulder, smiling slightly.
I knew right away that he was just like me. I felt his magical power as much as he
felt mine. I could feel Tim's power wafting off of him. It raged inside him, longing to be
used.
I remember him silently taking my hand and leading me. And I followed him.
Followed the stranger into the dark woods, away from people. After someone who was
like me. Followed someone who understood me. Who felt me. And as if he had known
me for a long time.
It was a feeling that came from the first time we touched. Immediately.
 -Tim," he held out his hand to me away from the dancing crowd and the stage
where we could talk. His smile was genuine, and my feeling that we were the same
inside was inexplicably confident.
-Kathy," I smiled back, clearly aware that I now had someone close to me. And
that there are very few people like us.
-Are you here alone? - he asked.
-Single," I regarded him and fell in love. Even then, from the first meeting, I knew
that we would never be separated again. Tall, leather jacket, brown straight hair falling
over his eyes. A glint of mystery in his eyes.
-Me too," Tim hesitated for a moment. - I guess we'll always be alone, since we're
different.
-I used to think so, too," I answered. - But not anymore.
He smiled and nodded in agreement.
We weren't separated anymore.

It was no accident that we found ourselves in the World of the Four Elements. Two
young wizards couldn't hide from the authorities for long. It wasn't long before we were
caught by the wizards and sent to the mercy of fate, having learned to use magic, which
I hardly ever used alone.
Fate turned out to be a group that allocated wizards to parallels. And it was decided
that there was too much magic in Reality, as for a world without magic. And we were
sent to the World of Four Elements.
I remember the packing. Back then, all the stolen junk seemed so necessary.
Realizing that you would never read those books again, watch those videos, laugh at a
movie, it was hard to say goodbye to the familiar.
We knew that a new life awaited us, and that there was nowhere to run from it.
And we didn't want to run. As long as we weren't separated. This new friendship
seemed the most precious thing to us.
 We packed our clothes in a small bag and decided to leave the rest in the past.
There's no technology in the Four Element World, so we watched a couple of our
favorite movies one last time. Then I cried all night in Tim's arms, regretting something
that will never happen again.
And we left.
The move was painful, as warned. Nausea, withdrawal in all bones, dizziness.
And there it was, the new world.
I remember the sensations. I opened my eyes at the train station. Yes, that's what
it's called here. A large square with a ten-meter diameter portal in the center, surrounded
by guards. Apparently travel between worlds is tightly controlled.
I looked around. There were benches and fountains everywhere, stalls with
goodies. After wandering around a bit, I was surprised not to find the usual pies fried in
oil and smiling grannies poisoning people with their culinary masterpieces.
But there was local cuisine: bagels with agacia grass seeds, cakes in magic glitter,
toad meat pie. Nothing made me hungry, though I knew I'd soon get used to eating such
delicacies three times a day.
Tim and I were ordered to wait for an escort to take us to our new home. We
stopped at one of the shops and looked around, trying to figure out who was coming for
our souls.
The government of the wizards of Reality (or whatever they're properly called) had
decided that we should join the ranks of the martial mages of the Four Elemental World.
It's a highly sought-after profession there, since the war between the kingdoms has been
going on for centuries.
Fighters had to be trained in special schools. I listened almost attentively as the
skinny lady with the thin lips described our immediate future in a tedious voice. I
remember Tim sitting up and frowning while I looked out the window through the
curtain, dreaming of learning to fly.
She told us in a slightly husky voice about the educational institutions of the
Water, Air, Fire, and Earth kingdoms. And also about a special institution that taught at
an accelerated pace and with innovative programs designed specifically for soldiers.
 It was the Elementum School, which belonged to no kingdom. That's where we
were headed.
It was explained to us that Elementum was attended by the magical inhabitants of
all the kingdoms: humans, elves, dwarves, and mermaids. And that only they were
capable of magic.
Since Tim and I were born in Reality, witchcraft was unfamiliar to us. We didn't
meet wizards and were used to hiding magic. But in the Elemental world, this skill is
akin to cooking.
I knew it would be different here. And I was looking forward to my new life.
Without the cursed orphanage and ruthless caretakers. Without a small room in a
high-rise and meaningless wandering through cities. No loneliness.
By meeting Tim, I had found a friend. Here I was confidently preparing to find a
family.

My first brother was Leonardo the elf. He was the one who picked us up from the
station square on that memorable day that changed everything.
He approached with a confident gait, such a wide stride, waving papers with our
description. His image made it clear that this was a man who knew what he was doing.
He smiled, introduced himself, and shook our hands.
It turned out that he was in close contact with the Fire element royal family and did
some of their errands. He was also going to enroll in Elementum, since serving for the
king required more qualifications. In time, professional mastery of magic became
essential to him, and Leo was enrolled in the school.
We, the new candidates for the army of fighters, were also chained to that
elemental, despite the fact that the main people there are elves. Toss or fate, Leo and the
elves became our first friends.
The humans were the inhabitants of the air kingdom. It was disconcerting. Because
I still thought of myself as a human cub. But Leo reassured us, explaining something
about the parallels between wizards. I didn't understand, so I didn't listen. Tim was
attentive and asked me questions that I didn't understand.
 All that was clear was that our fate had already been decided by others. And that in
the future we would be trained as fighters.
It was a good thing we had met Leo. He would always be the closest thing I had to
family. Or rather, me to him. That's funny. Because elves are immortal, but humans
aren't. And soon we would be parted.
Leo was tall, though a little shorter than Tim, a broad-shouldered blond with
smooth, flowing hair that covered his pointy ears. His slightly cocky smile and jerky
arm movements made him especially masculine. The elf's green eyes, much brighter
and lighter than Tim's, invariably sparkled with some kind of special inhuman luster. I
stared into them often in the years that followed, but I couldn't figure out the mystery of
his alluring gaze. It must have been some kind of elven genetic magic, but when I
looked into Leo's eyes, I was always lost in the wells of light green and couldn't find the
way out.
On the way to Elementum, Leo told us that he was over fifty years old, which
made me stare at him even more closely. And that the nature of elves is different from
the other races. Elves mature externally along with the development of their own
personalities. That is, the wisest and most experienced look older, while those who do
not attend to their own heads remain children for years to come. Such behavior is
shameful in the Kingdom of Fire. That's why all the little elves try to learn and grow up
faster. Tim and I chuckled as we listened to him, because Leo looked twenty-five at
most at the time.
And so our little story began.
Katherine Carper, a young witch who couldn't use magic and dreamed of floating
in the clouds.
Tim Hawke, the same newcomer to the new world who wants to be the best of the
fire elemental fighters and to wield magic professionally.
And Leonardo McLeon, whose enigmatic soul I had never been able to unravel.
Who enjoyed every moment of life, laughed a lot, and wizarded masterfully and from
the heart. He was probably the same in bed.
 Elementum turned out to be a huge house for thousands of people. As we arrived,
we stopped a hundred yards away and stared at it in silence. Only birds somewhere
were shouting strange slogans.
All stone, with towers to the heavens and large stained-glass windows to the floor,
it gave me a slight shiver.
Behind Elementum were the mighty mountains. They resembled big brothers,
protecting her from everything. To the right was a dense forest, so desolate it was a
wonder. It seemed as if no man had ever set foot there. Impressive in size, the forest
climbed up into the mountains, offering an amazing view of the green crowns of trees.
On our left hand from the school was a small but clearly deep swamp. The
bubbling green surface didn't bode well.
I turned my gaze to the castle, covering my eyes with the palm of my hand against
the warm afternoon sun.
A thousand ghosts seemed to stare at me from the glittering, huge windows. No
one seemed to know the history of this castle in its entirety. It seemed that Elementum
had its own soul, character, and vagaries.
At the top of my head, I was lost in the towers as high as the clouds and the
hundreds of harpies around the windows. They wrapped their wings around the frames
as if to protect them. And the glass in the windows shimmered in different shades,
casting colored shadows on the walls of the corridors.
I fell in love with the school from that very first day. Everything here was filled
with magic and power. The magic that I had felt the first time I met Tim seemed like a
grain of sand now. I could feel the power of this building, the power of the thousands of
wizards in it. It all coalesced into a solid vortex of magic that swirled and swirled
around.
I only got used to it over time, when I learned to shield myself from the touch of
power. Leo had taught me, after a few lessons that had irritated him stubbornly to no
avail, how to block and protect myself from the effects of other people's powers.
Leo waved, and, with a deep sigh, I walked with the boys to the big metal gate of
the castle.
 Trimmed bushes with flowers I didn't understand were growing around the porch,
and a maze-like hedge enclosed the benches and fountain in its center. A few steps up
the porch brought me into my new and exciting life as a witch.

We were met at school by a bright young girl with red braids. She turned out to be
Leo's younger sister, Christian. She threw herself on his neck and didn't let go until
she'd healed him.
I found out that Christiana was already a sophomore, even though she was younger
than Leo. Because he was busy serving the royal family most of the time.
Christiana turned out to be very friendly. Turns out she's only in her twenties, like
us. And she looks her age. Even though Leo always said it was time for her to stop her
education before she started getting old.
-It was only out of concern for her appearance that I didn't dare to get an education
until now," he said feignedly, throwing his straight white curls back in a picturesque
way. Christiana laughed and claimed that she would soon look older than him, and Leo
interrupted and got angry.
Christiana explained to us that Elementum's dormitory was not divided into men's
and women's dormitories. And that the rooms there are small two-bedroom apartments.
On the way to the dorms, while Christiana fought off her brother and gibbered that
she already had company for the year, Leo got her sister to agree to live with us. And at
the same time, he brought their childhood friend, Miranda.
As we climbed the endless staircases, wandered the immense halls, and wandered
the miscellaneous hallways, Leo and Christiana told us about Miranda. She was their
neighbor's girl of incredible magical power with the rarest crystal in the parallel of the
four Elements.
And though we were able to conjure without the crystal, for professional magic
you had to buy it at the local shop. The crystal stored the wizard's power and released it
when used in great quantities without taking away the wizard's own powers. It also
made spells more precise and powerful.
 A great invention, and one that would help you accumulate power over the years.
But the crystals also had a great disadvantage. According to Leo's story, when you give
a crystal your power, you lose it inside you. In other words, you couldn't part with the
crystal. It takes every bit of it. Without magic, in the Elemental World, a wizard would
die. In Reality, without power, one can simply become mortal. Tim and I were
immediately frightened.
-How so? - Tim was indignant. - I buy a crystal, it takes away all my powers, and
what am I left with? If I lose it, will I die?
We'd already entered the living quarters and were looking for an empty room.
-Not right away," Leo answered calmly, peering through the open doors. I noticed
rooms with different renovations behind each of them. - You'll get weaker, there's a few
days to spare. And crystals are sold everywhere. The basic energy of a new one will
keep you from dying.
-What's wrong with Miranda's crystal? - I asked, walking boldly into the spacious,
wood-paneled living room. The boys followed me in and looked around.
-She has one of the most powerful crystals in the Elementals," Leo explained,
dropping his bag on the floor and strolling around the bright room. - It's a perfect five-
pointed star, completely transparent. I can count them on my hands. It's very difficult to
make, costs half a fortune," he ran his hand over the wood paneling on the walls.
-Well, why not do without it? - I wondered why I had to buy such expensive
trinkets. I had managed to buy (okay, steal) so much stuff myself in Reality that I wasn't
at all impressed with some magic store.
-You don't have to when you're the most powerful sorceress in the realm," Leo
grinned as he sat down at the large rectangular dining table in the middle of the room. -
The queen was quick to get it, finding out Miranda was born. I don't know how, but she
figured it out.
-What do you mean, figured it out? - Tim asked, running his hand across the
smooth surface of the chestnut table.
 -That kind of power imbalance, like the birth of a great sorceress, can be felt by
everyone, even us mere wizards," Leo answered, staring at the carved legs. - I
remember the day when it turned white in my eyes.
I listened to him in surprise, imagining what it felt like to be born a great sorceress,
and I couldn't imagine.
-It felt like I was going to faint,‖ Leo stood up and began fumbling through the
light wood cabinets, peering out the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the view of the
garden and the flying practice area.
I got up, too, and looked out the window, almost losing my balance from the
dizzying view.
I remember my first room at the orphanage. There were no floor-to-ceiling
windows. And no light wood cabinets. No friends there either. And there couldn't have
been.
A skinny lady with tightly pulled back hair held my hand tightly. So tight my hand
hurt. I guess she was used to the kids she took always pulling away.
She led me to the girls' dormitory and let go of my frozen hand. I looked around
the room and rubbed my fingers. Everything in there was gray and lifeless. It was as if
no one here knew what joy was.
My aunt pointed me to my bed. Things could be put in a box under the mattress,
which was rusty in some places. She promised me that I would soon be given a bed and
a bath. She asked me to wait for the caregiver and left.
I took my giraffe out of my bag and hid it under my pillow. Then I changed my
mind and hugged it. For the first few years, I didn't separate from him in fear that he
would be stolen. I took out a picture of me and my mother. The only one I ever got. I sat
down on the mattress, which immediately creaked mercilessly. I looked at my mother
and cried.
-We were living next door to the Wrens at the time," the elf's voice snapped me out
of my memories. - I was in a hurry to say hello to the family, and I almost spilled baked
pies all over the kitchen," Leo grinned. - It's been a long time since anyone great was
born. It's a shame she's human and not an elf, of course," he paused, sighing. - But it's a
good thing she was born," Leo turned away from the window, his silhouette framed by
the light of the setting sun. - And we've only gotten used to shutting ourselves off from
this girl's power over the years.
-She's eighteen now," Christiana added, twisting the thin red braids in her fingers. -
She's already allowed to study at Elementum.
-What did she do before? - Tim asked and raised his dark eyebrows.
-Before today Miranda was taking courses in the elemental schools of Air and
Fire," Christiana replied in a high, still slightly childlike voice. - The Air let her in,
despite the war, because she's human," the girl held up a finger. - And by law has the
right to be present in the kingdom and enjoy its benefits. Fire, because the Warren
family has no intention of returning to the flying Isle of Air. They're already welcomed
here as one of their own.
-Flying Island? - I opened my eyes, realizing that I didn't know anything about the
parallel of the elements. Immediately imagined the dense forests with cats on chains,
mermaid kingdoms, and the depths of the swamp near the castle with toothy monsters at
the bottom.
We sat down at the table, looking around the room and waiting for details. The
room was upholstered in white wood, with windows occupying the entire wall to the
right of the entrance. On the left was a large closet with books, dishes, and a door to the
bathroom. At the back of the living room were two simple bedroom doors. I looked
around, marveled, and already loved my new home very much.
-Since I'm your first friend from the parallel," Leo smiled, "it's up to me. - The elf
tucked his white curls behind his pointed ears, put his feet on the table and began to
speak, looking at his fingernails: -Our parallel is not the same continents as in Reality.
There is no progress or technology here. Magic reigns here.
-No technology at all? - I asked hopefully, wishing I could see Jim Carrey a few
more times.
-"Just the little things, remnants of the migrants from Reality," Leo answered,
dashing my hopes. - Almost everyone of them tried to combine technology and magic,
and sometimes they succeeded.
 I thought about the flying board from Back to the Future, the portable refrigerators
that shrink at the snap of a finger, and the indelible cosmetics.
-There's only one continent," Leo explained, raising his welling eyes to me. - It's
made up of two kingdoms, Fire and Earth. On the land is us, the elves. Underground are
the dwarves, their dens, palaces, and caves. I've never been there," he waved his long
fingers indifferently and stared out the window.
Tim frowned again, and Christiana stealthily went into one of the bedrooms to
unpack her bag. I tried to imagine a picture of a planet with one big piece of land on the
endless waves of the ocean.
-In the ocean is Water, the realm of mermaids. Their weakness is a dependence on
water. That's why most of them live in the ocean. There they have whole cities,
separated by magic bubbles from the ocean waters. They live there, build themselves,
even somehow grow crops on the wet sand. I've never been there either," Leo gleamed
his eyes in the light of the setting sun.
-There must be a magical life there," I surmised, imagining city-sized bubbles with
life inside them.
-It's magical everywhere, you can't deny it," Leo chuckled and continued: - Well,
above the ocean is the Air. It's a giant piece of land floating above the water. People live
there.
I imagined an entire continent splitting in two. One part of the land slowly rises
into the air, piles of rocks. And the other is bobbing on the water, making miles of
waves.
-Why the war? - I asked, remembering the purpose of our presence here.
Leo sighed and paced the room, breathing on the windows:
-Because there's not enough territory for everyone. And not enough benefits. If
everyone just shared everything, there would be enough food and resources and tools.
But we are used to selling. And who determines the price of milk for an Earth kingdom
where cows don't survive?
 I lowered my gaze, pondering. I remembered selling my evening bagel to a
redheaded neighbor in that very gray room for an hour's reading of a book. "Dandelion
Wine." And it was worth it.
-That's why there's a war. It's been for centuries," Leo came to the door to the
men's bedroom, about to leave to unpack.
-What do wrestlers do? What's our goal? - Tim, who was now frowning even more,
put his fist in front of his face, spoke up.
-Mainly not to die," the elf answered calmly, and walked into the bedroom, swung
the door open with a swift movement.

Over the next few months, I got to know the whole school. Before school had even
started, Leo and Christiana had taken us around the neighborhood, the shops with
ingredients for medicinal tinctures, the food and drink stalls.
I'd guessed many times how many students the school had, but each time I got lost
in the floors and the courses. At first I thought I'd never get around the castle. But I felt
that way about every orphanage, too.
Of course, only with Elementum was the assumption correct. There were so many
staircases and halls that there didn't seem to be enough students to fill them.
But closer to the start of school, the castle was packed with people of all sorts of
races and stately, tall elves who had long hair that was fashionable. Leo often combed
his own and amused himself by checking how fast it was growing, trying to get the ends
to his shoulders. But they were stubbornly out of reach. And Christiana and I laughed at
him, offering to braid his hair or share a special shampoo.
My first encounter with a real gnome shocked me. He was a man about my
shoulder height, stocky and good-natured-looking. After watching fairy tales and The
Lord of the Rings in Reality, I'd built up many theories about what gnomes and
mermaids looked like. And so I immediately began to look at him and compare him to
the movies, which made the man feel embarrassed and cast oblique glances at me until
Leo yanked me away.
 Gradually I got used to being surrounded by magical races, and I even began to
distinguish mermaids from humans. The greenish hue of their skin, their hair sometimes
floating in the air if they were thinking about something, the deep chested voice, as if
through the thickness of water.
I knew by special technology or spells, I don't know exactly, but they breathed
water. Somehow they fill their lungs with it. How to speak while doing so was unclear
to me. But I was getting used to not asking stupid questions about magic. Because the
damn elf made that face every time, like I was asking why the grass was green. Tim had
more constructive questions, and Leo reacted more calmly to them, which only made
me angry.
At the school supply stores, we bought slug tongues, field mouse tails, and toad
legs, which turned out to be popular in cooking. French, too.
I tried not to ask anyone about the composition of the dishes in the dining room
either, or to consider them. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to eat. I silently piled
delicacies of various strange hues onto my plate and moved the food around, enjoying
the smells unknown to Reality. One thing I would note is that it was always delicious.
Until Leo whispered to me that my favorite pie was made of slug tongue. I hope he was
joking, to this day.
In the process of getting used to the parallel of the Elements, I had many questions
for Leo about the ways to get the wool of centaurs, the wings of bats, and the tentacles
of octopuses. But he smirked habitually and only hummed back.
I learned that dragon eggshells are very valuable and are used in healing. And that
dragon scales are money in the world of the elements.
Soon the authorities sent us each a small sack as a stipend. As I took the mail from
the long-haired courier, I stared at the cloth sack, unexpectedly heavy and slightly
jingling. Leo explained that the Fire Kingdom would provide for us until we finished
our studies. Convenient, thank you. And I spent that night going through the hard
tinkling flakes of various shades in my fingers, trying to deduce their exchange rate
against the dollar.
 Tim took a chance on the first day and bought banezilla extract flavored yellow-
leaf ivy cigarettes at the little store behind the school. Well, just to try them out. I
smiled and admired him more every day.

A couple of days after we arrived, I met Miranda. I had been looking forward to
this meeting. Somehow I'd admired Miranda even before I'd seen her for the first time. I
guess knowing how much magic was behind those thin shoulders was a source of inner
respect. And even, in part, a slight fear.
-Leo! - The blond girl shrieked, throwing herself at his neck. Her long golden curls
fluttered through the air, embracing them both. I immediately thought she'd never let go
of the elf, so mesmerized was she looking at him.
-Hello, darling," he smiled, pulling Miranda away from him affectionately, "meet
them.
And we met. She was the friendliest person I had ever met. She wanted to know
everything at once. About me, about Tim, about our past, about Reality. We got tired of
answering her questions, but we were glad we were interested.
Leo would often rattle off answers to questions about Reality instead of us, which
amused Tim with mistakes in his knowledge and amused Miranda with his attention.
And even though she understood us in half a word and asked only follow-up questions
because she was very bright, she never interrupted Leo's stories or looked away from
him.
I chuckled and wondered how the elf didn't notice Miranda's attention. The deer is
pointy-eared. But later it turned out that the deer was just me.
The power of the great sorceress I had only seen in class. She didn't like or know
how to brag about it, and she nodded modestly at the compliments of the transparent
star hanging around her neck. Pretty soon Miranda told me it was worth enchanting
accessories that kept the crystal with you so you wouldn't lose it.
Then Tim and I got ourselves a magic pebble, too. And Miranda cast spells to
securely fasten a brown leather strap with a flattened delicate blue oval attached to the
front of Tim's wrist. And a perfectly shaped bright blue parallelepiped on a thin chain
was on mine.
That day was the first time I felt the power pouring into me. I knew it was only the
base energy of the crystal I'd bought. It's a small thing. Right. But since we had picked it
out long and meticulously, it must have really suited me. Then I could barely stand on
my feet, so shaky was the wave of magic in my veins. Leo rolled his eyes and muttered
something about resistance. I could feel the magic filling me, invigorating me, inspiring
me. Twisting the blue glass in my hand, I loved my crystal as if it were my own.
Tim's pupils dilated, too, as he touched his flattened oval. It felt like he'd inhaled
cocaine, no less. I chuckled up my sleeve, and Miranda put a tight spell on our
bracelets. They never came off again.
Leo immediately rubbed his palms together, announcing that it was time for
witchcraft.
And it was.
On the first day of study, we had already seen some of the teachers in the cafeteria.
We looked back at them so much that we pushed each other's trays on the serving table
and almost caused a mayhem.
Tim walked to class serious, occasionally leafing through his healing textbook.
Leo hummed something indistinctly to himself and looked around. Miranda walked in a
low heeled, quiet flighty gait a little ahead of us. Well, I was shaking. I was so scared
that I wouldn't be able to conjure with purpose that the blood poured out of my head.
I remember my first medical checkup without my mother. It was a very similar
feeling then. An impending anxiety.
The fat teacher with the short haircut at breakfast that day told us to wash our faces
well. I was six. I didn't know how to do it, I always had help.
But this time our trainer only fussed between the faintly warm water jets and the
trembling children's bodies. She shouted at us, got annoyed, and handed the thin blue-
striped towels to those who had already finished fiddling.
 I was the last one. I was the last one in trouble. One of the blue striped towels on
my back. It was already soaked from the humidity and the splashing in the shower,
which hurt a lot.
I had never been hit before. And now they would.
I realized this, accepted it, picked up the towel from the floor and threw it over my
frozen shoulders. The teacher had already taken her fat ass out into the corridor. I
staggered after her, barefoot on the tiles.
The girls on the bus were completely silent. Some didn't know what the doctors
were going to do to us at the checkup. Some did.
The road was endless. I stared at the dirty autumn leaves on the sidewalks and tried
to guess what was in store for us. A crow crow cawed warningly somewhere, and I
woke up. Olivia's cool hand brushed over my arm. She smiled at me lightly. We rode in
silence.
Olivia was twelve, already so grown up. Though I knew she was hiding two old
dolls from everyone, just like a lot of the younger girls. One doll had a purple dress, and
the other had none. The other looked like Olivia: sharp cheekbones, big eyes, and her
hair was lush and blond and curly.
Olivia loved her dolls, but they didn't love hers.
Being a twelve-year-old in an orphanage is hard. No one wants an adult daughter.
Everyone wants toddlers who will be raised to suit them. And most don't want anyone at
all. Olivia knew she was unlikely to love her new parents.
That's why she loved her dolls. And they didn't love her.
When we were ushered into the clinic, a fat caregiver with a short haircut put us in
line at the first of the doors. Then to the second door. Then she led us through the
corridors and told us to wait, if there were other patients to see the doctor.
We spent the whole day doing this. I was bored. It smelled unpleasant. And the
people were all moody and annoyed.
At the doctors' offices, it wasn't really that scary. Everyone looked at me from
different sides, wrote something in my card, and then let me go, handing me this
checked notebook with an elephant on the cover, and told me to move on. The fat
teacher showed me where to go, without the help of words.
A strange thing happened that day. No, not to me, to Olivia. Though it must have
happened to me, too, in part.
In front of the door to the gynecology ward, our hushed company was divided into
two groups. I was in the one with the younger girls. I was told to come back next year.
But the older girls stood in line and lingered behind the white, peeling door in some
places. Before the door they were given small, opaque packages in their hands. The girls
returned without them.
When Olivia entered the office, a smiling woman in a white robe and holding a
phone ran out of there. I saw Olivia standing in the center of the office, looking
questioningly after her. The woman in the robe shouted that she would be temporarily
replaced and ran off. A few minutes later, a man in a white robe came up and shut the
door behind him.
Olivia was gone for a very long time. I was tired of looking at the elephant in my
notebook. I flipped through it, and there were a lot of cardstock and blue stamps, round
and rectangular. And then there were the numbers. I knew the numbers well, but I didn't
understand the little blue squiggles, though I guessed that they were just letters for
adults.
Then Olivia came out of the gynecologist's office. Already without the opaque bag.
She didn't say anything. She hardly said anything at all after that day.
That night she threw away her dolls.

On the day of the first class, a similar feeling of anxiety overtook me. I didn't know
what was waiting for me, and someone already did.
We walked through the garden in front of the school porch with benches and
hedges, smelling the unfamiliar scents of the flowers here, and turned the corner where
the greenhouses were located. I was immediately reminded of mandrakes and a potion
against basilisk magic, and I smiled broadly at the thought.
 The large glass structures, obviously enchanted because they reeked of power, like
just about everything else in the school, were filled with a variety of green fireworks.
Lianas and branches filled the entire space, obscuring the sun and forming a mysterious
half-dark greenhouse inside.
We entered and were lost in the aromas. Some of the plants stood behind bars, as if
they could escape or attack us. As I looked more closely at one of them, I even noticed
grayish teeth that immediately clanged in my direction. I shrieked and clawed at Tim's
hand, which he looked at rather skeptically, and I let him go instantly.
I was used to not being offended by his indifference, though it hurt me. The
mocking look, the flying auburn bangs. Tim walked over to the cage and stared at my
abuser. I, biting my tongue in resentment, sat down at my desk.
Slowly, the class filled up with people chattering, and I opened the magic book for
the first time in my life. I hadn't touched it on purpose before. I was afraid I wouldn't
understand or be able to tear myself away. Two extremes, neither of which came true.
Pretty soon I was just a regular witch.
-Congratulations! - There was a ringing voice a few minutes later, and I turned
around in surprise. A tall woman in her thirties walked through the door. Her heels
clattered on the tiled floor, and everyone fell silent as they stared at her. - My name is
Rowenta, I'm your healing teacher and school doctor," the girl stood behind the pulpit,
tossing her red lacquered purse on it.
Rowenta was dressed in a lettuce short skirt, red stiletto shoes, and a frank white
blouse. I smirked, and Tim and Leo looked at each other meaningfully.
The teacher's black hair was beautifully picked up and tied in a lettuce ribbon with
a bow on top.
-Today your journey into the world of professional magic has begun," Rowenta
announced solemnly, looking around the classroom with a welcoming smile. - Today
you will begin your studies as wrestlers. Today is the start of your journey to a great
future! - She opened the magazine.
As roll call went on, I glanced from a peaceful Miranda, flipping through a
textbook somewhere in the middle, to a giggling Tim and Leo, which made me feel like
a crow, to other excited students. Her thoughts on the subject were interrupted by the
whisper of a favorite voice from the neighboring desk, then by the sudden movement of
an emotional Leo.
Rowenta was a competent and cheerful girl. In the first lesson she told us a lot
about the plans for the semester. She told us that healing also uses magical beasts,
which are kept on the school grounds. And that we would be learning all of their
characteristics in animal science class.
-So, the first plant we will study is the flossomnia," Roventa announced after
introducing the group and the program. - Each of you knows what it is and has probably
even used it.
The group chattered in agreement, and I felt unfulfilled and glared in Tim's
direction. He listened intently, making little notes in his notebook. Leo was doodling in
the margins, and only Miranda noticed my confusion:
-You're from Reality," she whispered to me. - Of course, it'll be hard at first, but
you'll catch up. You need wrestlers here," she nodded convincingly at me. - Not in
Reality. Everything will be all right," and she smiled at me with her charming, soft blue
eyes.
I stretched a smile back, but my heart was really relieved.
-Flossomnia is an evergreen flower that's in every home," Rowenta dictated,
strolling in high stilettos across the tiled floor of the greenhouse while the girls took
notes and the men craned their necks at her.
And I was immediately reminded of a frail cactus given to me for my tenth
birthday by my fat teacher. I remember how it quickly turned yellow and withered
away, because she didn't explain to me that cacti also need to be watered. Also, a nasty
redhead from the next room once butted in on it, for which I considered the unfortunate
plant's duty completely fulfilled.
-It is used as a sleeping pill in the form of tinctures, decoctions, and teas, - Roventa
revealed America to me, leaning beautifully on the pulpit with her round ass. - Open
your textbooks and familiarize yourself with her care for those who are not yet aware of
it," the group rustled the pages.
 I stared at the beautiful flower in the picture, with many leaves on the stem and a
lush, peony-like bud. I was afraid to look at the description, but my torment was
interrupted by the teacher:
-Is there anyone in the group from the other classes? - she suddenly asked, driving
me into a blush. There was silence, which was interrupted almost immediately by Tim's
confident voice:
-Tim Hawke," he stood up and pointed his hand at me, "and Kathryn Carper, from
Reality," I stood up, too, my nose up proudly.
-Wow, it's nice to meet you," Rowenta glowed. - Reality is my favorite parallel. If
it weren't for the limitations of magic, I'd have gone there for good. How did you come
to be sent here? - she asked, looking at me for some reason.
I was confused, and I started mumbling something incomprehensible, not
understanding the question. But Tim interrupted me with a slight hug on my shoulder,
which made me shut my mouth immediately.
He told me about the commission and the orphanages where we grew up. And he
explained that we didn't know how to channel magic with crystals yet. That our power
was wrenched into Reality often against our will. And that we were realizing what we
wanted with our thoughts, not realizing how we were doing it.
Roventa listened to him attentively and nodded, smiling slightly, while the class
whispered and glanced at us.
-I understand, I was like that myself," the teacher answered unexpectedly when
Tim stopped talking. - But that was over a hundred years ago.
I gawked at her, forgetting to embrace Tim:
-Are you an elf? - I blurted out my first guess, and there was laughter all around
the greenhouse, and Leo chuckled quite openly, and then he got it from me during
recess.
Rowenta laughed, too, but immediately answered me, coming closer on her long
legs:
 -You haven't had history class yet,‖ she put both hands on our shoulders like
naughty grandchildren. - And you don't even know the basics. Don't worry, Catherine,
you'll get the hang of it.
Rowenta smiled at me, and I was completely relieved that I didn't know anything
about the Elemental world.
-Here in the Four Elemental World, people live up to two hundred years," the
teacher said as she continued to pace the tiled floor. - And, staying here, you will live a
couple of hundred, too, aging according to your development and stresses. You can't
stop aging in your last ten," Rowenta stepped behind the pulpit again, and Tim gestured
for me to sit down. - So welcome, Tim and Kathryn! - she announced and started
applauding, which was quickly joined by the rest of the group.
I blushed and stared at my desk, feeling different. I was. But not for long. Pretty
soon we really got into it, learned a lot about the Elements, and stopped wondering
about magic at every turn. We almost stopped.
For the rest of the lesson, we saw flossomnia with our own eyes, and I even
stroked its petals with my fingers. Rowenta promised that very soon we would learn
how to brew soporific tinctures from it and learn the dosage of decoctions for different
races, ages, and purposes.
I read the entire chapter on the plant, making a few notes in my notebook. I was
surprised at how easily I absorbed the magical material. Miranda gave me half-
whispered comments on every number in the book, which confused me. But later it
turned out she had been giving the right advice, as Roventa and our own experience had
confirmed.
After the lesson, I exhaled, satisfied. I packed my bag, and the boys and I headed
for the exit of the greenhouses. At the door, I glanced over at the cage of biting shrubs,
where Tim came up again and asked Leo something. Miranda and I, meanwhile, waited
for them and watched our whole group go by.
-Roventa! - There was a cry from the street. I ducked behind the nearest tree,
pulling the others with me. Our group was already stomping toward the school when the
headmaster, Eldar, burst into the greenhouse, unleashing a hurricane of energy that I
didn't yet know how to shut out.
I staggered, heart pounding like crazy, and Leo picked me up under his arm,
rambling something about blocking rules and how I never listened to him. Tim looked
fine, only slightly dazed.
After a minute, Leo shut up, snorted a little, almost immediately tired of moving
his ears toward the classroom, and boldly stepped out from behind the broad trunk of
the tree we were huddled behind, making a sign for us to follow him.
We walked up to the school, chatting about the principal. The long hallways
looped, circling us. A moment, and Leo had already swung open the heavy doors to the
spacious but creepy classroom where the demonology course awaited us.
Surprisingly, it was quite messy. I noticed some weird long feathers on the window
sills, a bloody stain on the stone wall, and the mark of huge teeth on the teacher's metal
desk.
The desks took up only a third of the classroom, the rest of the space empty,
forming something like a stage. There, I understood, were lessons in fighting demons
and other creatures of the area.
-Demons are the most fearsome creatures of the Four Elemental World," the
teacher said after a few minutes in a steely, creaking voice, pacing between the rows of
desks.
They called him Decentius, and the students added "bite, bite, bite," because the elf
was notorious.
A long-lived man of six hundred years, gaunt and unkempt on the outside, he
taught at the school for most of his life. Christiana told us later that he had fought
during the Battle of All Kingdoms, when the armies of the Elements fused, melting the
rocks and drying the oceans.
Then all the Elements almost died, because the battle was unstoppable, and the
strongest mages of the parallel gathered in the fight.
After seven days of bloodshed, when the water level in the ocean had already
dropped several dozens of meters, and the unhappy Island of Peace (which, by the way,
was now the seat of Elementum) looked like a huge lump of coal in the middle of the
waves, the troops dispersed to their kingdoms to heal their wounds and mourn the
fallen.
I had read a lot about the war, preparing myself morally for life in the army, and I
knew that that battle had greatly changed the worldview of all the inhabitants of the
parallel. Because it was then that they realized that the forces were equal. And that
without a truce, this war would never end.
Decentius was a tall, strange, silent teacher. It was only by lecturing us that he
revealed his potential, his knowledge, and his bad temper.
He was so cruel and indifferent to his students that he used transformation into
toads as punishment. I was always very afraid of that, and so I acted like a
demonologist, like a mouse. Unlike Leo, who, thanks only to his diplomatic talent,
always managed to wrangle Decentius and avoid punishment.
Each time, I was imbued with a respect for the justice of a teacher who did not
unleash his anger on everyone. And I marveled at Leo's innumerable talents, which
were revealed more and more over time.
-A demon is a phantom, an illusion, a morass," the teacher's voice rumbled as I
waved my pen absurdly across my notebook, squinting at Miranda's equally slanted
letters. - It's a wizard-created tool, endowed with a semblance of intelligence, to kill.
Goosebumps stomped all over me in armies as I stared at the encyclopedia pages
with pictures depicting the varieties of morons. Demons appeared to be the most
terrifying and dangerous of them all, whose only function was to kill, maim, destroy,
smash.
-Each demon has a magical power, drawn from the accumulation of the wizard's
crystal," Decentius explained, while we were scribbling notes at breakneck speed, not
having time to flip through the pictures in our books. - Each demon can use one spell of
the magic of the element to which it belongs.
I looked up at my teacher, realizing for the first time that magic wasn't common to
everyone.
 -Wizard, when he creates a demon, he chooses the Element, the kind of demon,
and the way it will destroy the enemy," Decentius said slowly, looking at the students'
notes. - Naturally, those mages who know the magic of one of the elements are not able
to create demons from the others. Demons and other morlocks are a high level of
witchcraft that not everyone can do. Unfortunately, at the front, you'll have to face them
anyway.
In any case. In any case. These words stuck in my mind.
-"Usually the weapon is a spell," the teacher went on. - Less often it's a mechanical
weapon. Even more rarely, firearms from the world of Reality. Very dangerous, because
there are few spells of protection against them. And the rarest gift of a Morok is the
peculiarities of its physiology, which it can use to kill.
The goosebumps that had been tangoing on my back began to march, stomping
loudly and preventing me from concentrating.
-Such as poisonous tentacles," the teacher explained. - Or spiky tails. Or teeth and
claws and scalding fur. Whatever Elemental magic and wizard's imagination could do.
Already that day I realized, somewhere inside, that we hadn't been sent here to
make jokes.
It was strange to receive an education that would really come in handy in life.
Towards the end of the class, I was completely discouraged. I kept seeing images
in my head of long green tentacles choking Tim. And of a huge demon coming at me
with a six-shooter in his huge paws.
What lay ahead of us?
We wandered the polished wooden floors of the school after lunch, as I silently
imagined Tim's various deaths. Miranda glanced at me obliquely, but didn't ask me any
questions, instead asking Leo about something, which made me smile slightly. Tim
listened to them and didn't look at me at all.
The humid air hit my face as we walked out into the courtyard of the school, along
with a stream of chattering classmates. It smelled like rain, but not like in Reality. Wet,
delicious, full.
I took my mind off my fear and looked up into the sky.
 Big red-burgundy clouds gathered above us, with a dark purple sky peeking out
from behind them. I stopped in the middle of the garden on the school porch and looked
up at the sky with my nose up.
The sun was peeking out in some places, illuminating the purple clouds and
turning them scarlet around the edges.
If I were an artist, I would only paint the sky.

-Kathy? - Tim seemed to notice that I'd stopped. But I couldn't hear him anymore,
completely immersed in the flying magic clouds.
Sometimes my mother and I would go to the river. We had a soft plaid blanket.
And a basket, just like in the movies. Mom would invariably put bananas and kiwis in
there, which burned my lips. But I couldn't stop eating them until they were gone. And
then we would lie together and look at the clouds of Reality.
The boys came closer and looked up into the sky, too. Leo and Miranda were
almost immediately distracted and started waving at us to hurry to class. But Tim didn't.
He, like me, couldn't look away, squinting at the magical sun that was new to just the
two of us.
For a few moments we stood like that, looking up at the sky. Understanding, and as
if even feeling each other's delight. Then he became even closer to me. Especially when
he lowered his eyes to me, smiling slightly, letting me know that there was no need to
say anything. And he led me to the field, holding my wrist lightly. We understood each
other then. And I was happy.
The practice field was behind the school, just under the window of our room. It
was a big playground with a mowed lawn that took on an unusual hue under the light
because of the brown clouds. A two-meter hedge had been planted around it, shielding
the study area from the wild forest. It was dangling its dark paws over the fence, as if it
were trying to spy on us.
 We turned our heads and walked over to a chattering bunch of classmates, waiting
for class to begin. I chuckled to myself, finding no brooms or stupas in the field. And I
began to imagine myself getting airborne without the help of magic.
-I can't do it at all," Miranda argued with Leo, who was pushing her, claiming that
she'd already learned everything in other schools. - Flying is the highest level of
sorcery, you know. Besides, only adults are allowed to learn," Miranda smiled as she
interacted with the elf, though he argued rather forcefully.
-I can't believe you've never once broken the ban and tried to get off the ground,"
Leo looked down at her skeptically, his arms crossed over his chest. All he needed was
a desk lamp to make the conversation feel like an interrogation.
Miranda opened her mouth, but immediately changed her mind, turning her back to
the flock of girls beside us.
-Good afternoon and welcome to the sky," came a low voice from somewhere on
the castle side. I spun around and saw a black man approaching with a magazine and a
loudspeaker in his hands. - My name is Kamil, and I'm going to teach you how to fly.
A bunch of students turned toward the short, sturdy and flexible-looking handsome
man. The teacher smiled and, I am sure, won several women's hearts at once. Kamil
looked about forty years old. Completely bald head and confident look spoke of
firmness of character.
-Please leave your things there," he waved a hand toward some benches at the edge
of the field. The students threw their bags into the pile and walked back to their teacher.
I was beginning to worry. Flying had been a dream of mine as soon as I found out that
wizards could do it. I could do it, couldn't I?
-I should warn you right away that the school grounds are enchanted so that you
can only fly here, over the field," Kamil's words caused a buzz of disappointment. - It is
necessary because you have no measure," he grinned at our reaction. - Rowenta is tired
of patching up fractures day in and day out.
I pictured a graceful Rowenta, disheveled and running among patients wrapped in
bandages from head to toe, and grinned.
 -So, before we begin, I want to give you some perspective," the teacher spoke
loudly, glancing up at the darkening sky. - Flying is not just a way to travel quickly
through the air. The skill of flying has saved hundreds of lives in war already. Most of
the monsters in the parallel are terrestrial, as you know, and that's a big plus," the
students murmured in agreement.
I pictured the big demon with the six-shooter, and myself hovering around him like
an annoying bee, shooting lightning bolts at him that made him itch.
It made me feel good.
-There's one more wonderful thing to cheer you up," Kamil announced over the
loudspeaker. - It's the upcoming flying competition," the students squealed as if they'd
been promised a mountain of gold and immortality. - I know, I know, you all love to
watch them," Kamil looked very happy as he talked about the upcoming tournament. -
This year, every one of you will have a chance to compete in them," there was another
wave of shrieks.
I looked at Leo and Miranda, who were also exchanging enthusiastic glances and
whispers, while Tim frowned and looked tense.
But then lightning struck. Lightning of such magnitude that, for a moment,
everything around became colorless. The girls squealed, and so did I, out of surprise.
There was silence for a few seconds, and then there was thunder. It was like nothing I
had ever heard before. It felt like all the glass in the school was going to shatter, and my
ears were going to fail forever.
The girls started squealing again, snuggling up to the boys, and Kamil quickly
covered us all with a magical, translucent shield, like a giant umbrella. Then he waved
his hand toward the bags, and they were under the dome in one fell swoop.
I took my hands off my head and moved closer to Leo, feeling the brotherly
protection in him. The guys were all looking up at the sky through the dome, waiting for
more lightning and whispering. And the sky grew darker and darker, turning black.
-Everyone follow me! - Kamil shouted, drowning out the sound of the sudden
downpour, which rattled the shield as loudly as if it had been stones, not water. The
teacher stepped ahead of the group, making the shield a couple more meters in diameter,
and quickly led us toward the school.
-I'm going," Miranda shrieked somewhere nearby and raced toward Camille. In a
minute the magical shield was stronger, tighter, and the noise of the rain stopped, thanks
to the girl's soundproofing charms.
The students seemed to calm down, and I began to peer through the shield,
cautiously snuggling up to Leo. He was hugging me, explaining to Tim the specifics of
fat rockfall.
-What?" I asked when I heard the new concept, and stared beyond the shield. The
rain was pouring down a wall. I could see almost nothing. But when I looked closely, I
realized that, in addition to the water, stones the size of my fist were also flying from
the sky.
Leo always answered my questions about the parallel of the elements with
incredible speed. After looking at me like I was a brainless child and snickering, the elf
pulled me closer to him and told me:
-Thickening stonefall is a consequence of the wizards' experiments with magic and
the weather. It began when mountain wizards once tried to change the weather by
themselves. In the end, part of the nearest rock fell on them with the rain. I don't know
the details, but heavy rock falls are commonplace here.
-Yeah?" said Tim, surprised. - That's dangerous!
-Of course it is," Leo grinned back, nodding at the piles of boulders in the grass. -
That's why we enchant glass, buildings, structures. Rockfalls destroyed a lot of things
before they invented reinforcing spells.
I imagined enchanting an ordinary tarpaulin tent, and it became a real fortress. A
bear can't tear with its claws, a maniac is surprised by a melted knife in its hands. It
became funny.
-It always begins as a normal thunderstorm, - Leo spoke in a curt voice. - But
already after the first lightning is supplemented by phantom debris of rocks, which
disappear immediately after the end of the rain.
-Really? - I stared at the elf. - They disappear?
 -These aren't real rocks, they're a maelstrom," he explained calmly, catching his
breath. - A confluence of magic and weather, I told you.
I thought it was the first time I'd ever seen anything that wasn't real, so I stared at
the stones around me. Illusions came for me every day during my first time at
Elementum. Gradually I got used to not being surprised by anything and to seeing
magic as something everyday. It was nice.
Not hiding from anyone. Not hiding anything. Pouring my inner power out into the
world and even receiving praise for it from my mentors.
In the meantime, we'd made our way into the walls of the school, and I'd seen
Camille and Miranda roll up the magic dome. Soaking wet, but scared, we were sent to
our rooms. And the blighted flying lesson was rescheduled for Friday night.
Stirred by the elements and out of breath, we entered the now almost familiar
abode. The still red sky left strange brown shadows on the pale wood of our walls, and
they were alarming. I glanced at Tim and made my way to the bedroom.
I sat down on the bed in my and the girls' bedroom. It was very nice in here. It was
like it was meant to be a girl's bedroom.
The walls were painted beige. The windows had translucent cream tulle that
glowed crimson today. Three large beds with carved headboards, the footboard in the
center of the room. Two stood against the left wall of the room, one against the right.
This one was obscured from the door by a huge two-door closet where both my meager
dresses and Miranda's countless garments and Christiana's frank outfits easily fit. That
bed was mine.
Under the window there was a dressing table, which quickly became filled with all
kinds of makeup, perfume, and other girlish gibberish, which I only added to with a
picture of Arnold as the Terminator on the mirror.
The girls immediately fell in love with the dark glasses, leather jacket and broad
shoulders, which amused me and made me yearn for the movies even more.
But to open a new door, you always have to slam the old one. Goodbye, dear
Arnie. I'll miss you.
 I was awakened that same day by the loud voice of an elf:
-Who will be there, I ask you? - He seems to be shouting at his sister. - I'm almost
three times your age, and I know what drinking is," the rest of the text was
incomprehensible to me. I reached out and went into the living room.
-Leonardo, I'll decide how to party," Christiana, dressed in a short leather skirt and
a colorful sleeveless blouse, put her hands to her sides. Her red hair was styled in soft
waves and her eyes were defiantly painted black. - And yes, while you're mature for
your looks, I won't look at the fact that you're over sixty. We both know what really
matters and what is just a number!
Tim was sitting quietly on the big beige couch under the window, leafing through
some textbook. On noticing me, Christiana sensed support and declared:
-Kathy might want to go, too! - and she pointed her hand at me, picking up the
second scattered hair.
-Where?" I'm always a little fuzzy when I'm awake. I glanced at Tim, looking for
an explanation, but he was staring at his book, pretending that nothing was going on. I
could feel the anxiety coming from him, though.
As I found out later, conflict had been bugging him for years. Until I learned how
to calm him down. While the emotional ones, Leo and I found the arguments only made
me stronger.
-The kid's in town for the pool party," Leo announced, splashing his arms, turning
to me and crossing his arms over his chest, ready to argue with both of them at once.
-What town? - I felt like a fool, because the damn elf made the same face again.
-Medford," Christiana beat him to it, and Tim took his eyes off the book and raised
his eyebrows at us. - There's a kick-off party tonight. There's a newt visiting," she
dropped down beside Tim on the couch, her bracelets jingling on her thin arms. - It's a
male mermaid," the girl added, noticing our confusion.
-You're getting drunk again, you're embarrassing yourself! - Leo, who looked like
a grumpy old woman, snapped at her.
 -Who could use a drink around here, it's you," Christiana jumped up and scurried
out the door, slamming them loudly as she left.
-Fool," Leo hissed through gritted teeth, hissed a little angrily around the room
aimlessly, shooting little bolts of energy in all directions, and then ran out into the
hallway, slamming the door, too.
Tim and I were alone. Just like in Reality.
-Trunks," I concluded, looking at the closed door, which reeked strongly of the
magic left behind by the inner power of an angry Leo.
-You didn't have any sisters or brothers," I heard a mocking voice behind me. -
And you wouldn't know what it's like to worry about them.
-Do you have any? - I wondered, sitting quietly next to Tim.
-No," he answered, closing his book and looking at me. - Don't you know?
-I don't know anything about you," I mumbled, turning away from the window. -
And you don't know anything about me.
-You're wrong," Tim grinned, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. - I know what
you are. And what was in your past is the details that made you that way, that's all.
I stared into the dark green eyes again, deciding whether to argue with him or give
in and believe him. What would he know?
-What am I? - I asked in a whisper, expecting to hear some nonsense in response. I
turned my ears up.
Tim hummed something under his breath and put the book aside. Then he looked
me in the eye and said:
-You're young, you haven't had a real life yet. And even though I'm twenty-five,
it's not a big difference, but I've been through a lot more.
He didn't take his eyes off me, and I couldn't bring myself to look away either.
-You've never really loved anyone, and you don't know how, either. - I know you
barely remember your parents, but you miss your mother very much. I know she was a
witch, too, and that makes her seem even more family to you.
I blinked for a moment and stared into the eyes again, studying the depths of my
soul.
 -You didn't want to move here, but you love magic so much that you sacrificed
everything else you had for it," I held my breath, and Tim continued. - I remember the
night before I left. You'd never cried like that before. And you'd never cried like that
before you met me.
It was true, and I shuddered, almost feeling Tim stirring inside me. Gently pulling
out pieces of my personality and showing me how for the first time.
Then we spent the night in some hotel by the road. We bought sweets, and there
was even some alcohol. We watched our favorite movies, with Kerry and Schwartz and
Willis. In a row, avidly, flipping through only the best moments. Afraid of missing the
most important moments, of wasting time that was inexorably running out.
When DiCaprio drowned, Tim held my hand. And, when Chandler made a joke, I
cried for some reason. Then I cried all the time.
And Tim was quiet. He was just there with me, going through the same things,
hiding inside. How could I think I knew him?
-You're afraid of everything in the world, but you don't show it. Though I do notice
how your eyes open with fear at the sight of everything new and incomprehensible,"
Tim smiled slightly at me. - And every time I'm ready to protect you. Even against the
harmless biting bush in the greenhouse.
I lowered my gaze.
Protect.
-And now you're crying because you haven't had people in your life who really
understand you," I felt the eyes of my love glaze over my face. I try not to breathe.
That's where you're wrong. You see a lot of things, but you don't see the elephant
under your nose. That is not why I am crying.
We sat in silence for a long time, thinking about things that will never happen
again. I don't know how much time passed. With him it always flew like a frantic,
inexorably ending, while being the most important thing there is.
-Did I get it wrong anywhere? - Tim asked quietly, after a momentary eternity. I
knew he was an achiever, and even in a moment like this he wanted to be right to the
end.
 -Almost," I whispered. The sun was shining directly in my face, making me squint.
-What did I miss? - I saw a spark of surprise and interest.
-I won't tell," I whispered, barely holding back. For a few moments we stared at
each other.
The door slammed loudly, causing both of us to wake up.
Leo burst into the room, surprisingly drunk, and with Miranda in his arms. In his
hand was a bottle with strange beasts on the label, already half-empty. Miranda looked
dazed and happy, not trying to break free and at the same time piloting a whole crate of
bottles toward us.
-Drunk, so drunk! - Leo exclaimed and waltzed across the room with Miranda,
miraculously avoiding the furniture. - It was going to be a party! - he announced, tilted
his partner back to signify the end of the dance, and gave her a peck on the cheek that
made the box of liquor fall to the floor with a clang.
I chuckled, glad that this strange conversation with Tim was over, so I wouldn't
have to make it up. I ran over to the box and made sure the glass was intact, and that the
animals on the labels were really weird. Tim chuckled too, twirled the bottles around a
bit and opened the window, smoking.
We all smoked the occasional magic cigarette, which the locals assured us had
been completely unhealthy for centuries.
Miranda began unpacking what she'd bought (or stolen, which I wouldn't have
been surprised) and putting it on the table, rummaging through the cabinets and looking
for utensils. I took a cigarette out of Tim's long fingers and took a drag, watching him
stare at me intently, still trying to figure out where he'd gone wrong. He didn't dare ask
again in front of the guys. I couldn't help but smile, keeping my feelings to myself, safe.

-Great wine! - I was in the middle of a couple of hours, and Tim was ready and
climbing onto the table with Leo, who hadn't even bothered to get off yet. He only
gestured to Miranda and me to let us know that he was running out of another bottle. -
Strange animals on the label, who are they? - Tim struggled to get his shoes off, pulling
them off the elf as well.
 The music from the magic radio played some tune, delighting me with unfamiliar
motifs.
-Manticores," Leo hiccupped, waving to Miranda to open the window. - An extinct
species, they're gone. A hybrid of lion and scorpion with wings.
-What?" I clutched at the bottle, but the treacherously ambiguous beast was
stubbornly resistant to any kind of analysis. - I leaned back on the cushions of the sofa,
admiring the outline of the broad-shouldered boys in the dim light of the floor lamp.
-You know, I think Rowenta's a great teacher," Leo said suddenly, hugging Tim to
keep from falling over on his side. - And so does the woman.
I giggled and rolled my eyes. And Miranda looked away embarrassed.
-Do you like brunettes? - I decided to add fuel to the fire and smiled innocently.
Miranda glared at me and hid her nose behind her manticore wine glass.
-Me?" Leo wasn't sure who I was talking to anymore.
-"You, you," I giggled openly, hiding the smile in my auburn curls, embarrassing
Miranda even more. She stood up and walked away to the open window.
-Blondes," was the reply of the drunken elf, who tried at last to get off the table
and headed for the bathroom, humming a cheesy song to himself.
Miranda turned abruptly and blushed thickly, then glared at me angrily.
-Such as Miranda? - I couldn't stop myself from cackling and getting ready to run
away from the great wizard to the other side of the school.
-Miranda is the limit of my dreams," the bathroom door slammed shut, and I
laughed, turning to my roommate, who was standing stunned and clinging to the
window sill.
-What?" she whispered.
-"Dream on," Tim repeated slowly, unable to make sense of the conversation, and
he clinked on his bottle, forgetting about the glasses.
Miranda stared at the bathroom door in a stupor, as if she were waiting for them to
open, until it opened abruptly:
 -Where exactly are you? - Yelled the sobered-up elf at the small object in his
hands, which answered in Christiana's voice. - I'm out," he slipped the object into the
back pocket of his light-colored jeans and looked at us all seriously.
-What happened? - Tim seemed to be starting to come to his senses, too. - What
was that thing? - He nodded at the elf's ass.
Leo thought tensely for a few moments, then answered decisively:
-You're coming with me. Christiana got mixed up in some nonsense. We've got to
get her before it gets any worse.
Tim stared at Leo, not comprehending anything, but immediately began to put on
his shoes. Leo, evidently noticing our confusion, habitually mouthed off, showing us the
hidden object:
-It's a disputator, a way for wizards to communicate at a distance. It looks like your
phones from Reality, only with an image," he tucked in his shirt, tied his hair at the back
of his head in a ponytail, and pulled on his shoes. - It's a mix of tech and magic, doesn't
discharge, doesn't break. There's also an extra feature, a spell that lets you look at the
world through the eyes of the person you're talking to. But it has to be conjured from
both sides at once for it to work. It's handy, it's often used in war.
She nodded, and Miranda took the exact same device out of her purse and started
making a call.
-Where?" she asked Leo after a moment. - Medford?
-Yeah, uptown, I'll show you," he answered, already swinging the doors open into
the hallway. I got up, too, tying my hair back and heading for the exit, but Tim reacted
instantly:
-You're not going," he blocked my path and looked as menacing as I'd ever seen
him before. - And neither are you," he glanced sternly at Miranda, who had just
announced that her dwarf friend would be coming with us. - We'll pick him up on the
school porch, and you stay here.
Tim turned around and walked briskly toward the exit. Leo let him go ahead and
told us one last thing:
 -I'm going to beat my ass. One or three, I don't care," and he closed the long-
suffering doors with a loud slam. I guess they'll be cracking soon.
I blinked in shock at the guys' determination for a couple of seconds, then turned to
Miranda, who was already collecting empty bottles and tidying up the room.
-Fair enough! - I shrieked, looking for support.
-Fair is with me, I'm the magician of the world," Miranda handed me a glass of
magic wine and sat down next to me on the windowsill, pulling up a long beige skirt
and exposing her knees. - You can't do magic, you can't fight, and you can't negotiate,
either, judging by your feisty disposition," she chuckled. - You're useless.
I snorted resentfully.
-So now I have to be on the home front forever? I'm learning to be a soldier, a
fighter!
-Then study," Miranda was adamant. - They don't count me without a diploma,
either.
-"Tim can't do magic," I blurted, looking for someone to blame.
-"But he can punch. Did you see his hands?
Of course I did. I remember him talking about his life before he met me. When we
met, we started doing magic almost every day, looking for new adventures.
Until that day, he was selling books in a little store on the outskirts of town. And
practiced martial arts, which made me respect him even more.
I scowled and stared out the window, where the view at night was spectacular,
imagining whether Tim would be punching faces or getting magical beating tonight.
Below, a field of dark green in the darkness, evenly trimmed and gleaming with
the light of the moon. Above was the black forest from afar, rising up a mountain that
completed the landscape, ending with a white rim of snow and a blue starry sky above
us.
So the two of us sat alone, talking about boys, for several hours. Miranda tried
many times to get through to Leo with the dispatcher. But he didn't answer, and the
screen was a blurry darkness.
 Miranda wrung her hands, made hysterical assumptions, and kept looking out the
window. I soon fell asleep on the living room couch, dreaming that Tim was flying over
the woods and laughing.

We were awakened by a rather annoying door. I jumped up at once, ready to fight

off my enemies. But on the threshold stood a disheveled Tim, a distraught Christiana,
and a half-naked Leo.
-What the...? - I couldn't find the words.
-What happened to you? Why didn't you answer me? - Miranda went after Leo,
completely ignoring everyone else. - How hard was it to just open up? I didn't know
what to think! - Her hands were shaking and her voice was cracking. - I was about to go
to the teachers for help!
-Relax," the elf shoved her aside, unceremoniously, and touched the bottle she'd
taken from the table.
Miranda wept and fell silent, concentrating now on making sure Leo didn't see her
tears. I walked over to her and shielded myself from the elf.
-Tell me everything in order," I suggested, looking at Tim, who had also taken
hold of the wine and was tearing the label off the bottle in shreds.
-Yes, tell me," Leo said in agreement, nodding at Cristiana. - I'd listen to the
constructive reasons why the firehorse was unleashed on me, too.
I groaned and gawked, and Miranda sobbed softly behind me.
Christiana looked up, sat modestly on the edge of her chair, bowed her head, and
began babbling while Tim poured the rest of the wine and handed it out to everyone
present.
-I came to the party, and it was crowded. Everyone from wherever, not even
everyone from Elementum. It was fun, we drank, we swam in the pool," she gibbered
almost very much like her brother.
 Leo listened and drank and snorted loudly, examining his shoulders and hands for
burns. I turned to him and noticed the very deep scar from the giant claws across his
right shoulder, chest, and arm.
Who could have done such a thing? How terrible was the pain? How had it
happened? A shiver ran through me.
Leo noticed my gaze and squinted his eyes, hinting not to ask questions. I looked
away, embarrassed, but continued to glance surreptitiously at the steel muscles that had
been scarred by someone else's paws, trying not to make assumptions.
-A couple of hours later, the landlord suggested a tournament," the elf continued in
a trembling voice. - A mock tournament. Choose a princess and the knights who would
fight for her. It was just a game!
-Further," Leo interrupted her in an icy tone.
-Farther chose the princess," Christiana murmured, looking at the floor. - And two
knights, a newt and a man. I did not see that coming! - She shrieked, beginning to
whimper softly.
-Further," followed the same cold tone of her brother, who was now never taking
his eyes off her.
-But they couldn't decide on a weapon. And I suggested we compare taming
skills," the girl looked at him pitifully.
-Further," I shuddered in anticipation of the climax.
-The master, it turned out, had a fiery horse in the paddock," Christiana said in an
almost whisper. - He offered to take her. The duel began, and she let out a puff of fire
on the newt.
The pause lasted forever.
It was the same last time Tim and I had the decision to move to the Parallel of the
Elements. That woman was obviously expecting a reaction from us. But how could you
respond to something you didn't understand? We were silent.
The aunt looked at us, twirling her rectangular-rimmed glasses in her fingers. We
were silent. She leafed through the papers from which she had read the decision. She
looked at us again. She coughed.
 -What?
I stared at Christiana, wondering if the wretched knight was dead. Christiana was
looking down at her feet. Leo, cursing with a three-story swear, came to the window,
flung it open, and lit a cigarette. And Miranda sobbed behind me and sat down on the
floor.
-I'm listening," Leo's words made everyone flinch.
Christiana sighed unevenly and continued without raising her eyes from the floor:
-He's almost dead," she said quietly. - The fire had transformed him. Its legs were
turned into a tail, black with heat. The newt had no more strength to hold his
transformation. Everyone squealed, rushing to the sides, then to help. The tail slammed
on the tiles with such a sound...
I began to feel queasy, and the elfin went on, already almost crying:
-Then the host of the party declared that it was my fault! - She squeaked. - That I
shouldn't have used the flames against the newt. And that I was responsible for
everything!
Leo's mate from the window again. Already louder.
-I ran right away to the bathroom, I locked myself in and contacted you, I was
scared," Christiane began to cry, and her speech ceased to be articulate.
-That's it! - Leo announced forcefully as he walked over to his sister and hugged
her tightly, which made her burst into tears. - No more crying. - They stood like that for
a minute. - Go rest," he pushed her toward the door to our bedroom.
Christiana waddled slowly in and shut the door quietly behind her, still sobbing.
Only now, in the resulting silence, did I hear Miranda cry.
-What is it? - Tim wondered.
Miranda pulled her hair away from her face, her eyes red and puffy.
-You could have died," I could barely make out the words. - Leo hasn't been in
touch at all! I thought...
Her voice trailed off, Miranda breathing deeply as Leo stared at her in shock.
 I turned toward the bedroom and headed to bed, deciding to leave them alone and
nodding to Tim to leave, too. I shut the door quietly behind me, just in time to see Leo
walk over to Miranda.
He was standing over her like a rock, looking even angrier than he had when he'd
listened to Christiana's story. His long blond bangs touched the flushed cheeks of the
girl, who looked at him bewildered and did not move at all.
For a few moments Leo gazed angrily into Miranda's face and remained silent.
Then he spoke clearly and very slowly. One word at a time:
-Don't. Be afraid. For me.
Miranda continued to stare at the elf as he blinked, as if awake, and headed off to
sleep with determination.

-Don't be afraid for me,‖ was my greeting the next day.

Miranda sat on her bed in her funny pajamas, absent-mindedly combing her long
blond hair with a large wooden comb. - The limit of my dreams," she repeated these
phrases like an incantation, and stared blankly into the distance.
-Don't mind her," said Christiana, who was pulling a tight, dark blue dress over her
slender body. She looked sleep-deprived and sad. - He is strange, always has been. I do
not always understand him. And you should know that if you ask him, he'll definitely
refer to a joke.
-Don't be afraid for me," Miranda repeated, barely able to focus her eyes on the elf.
- Chris, what was that supposed to mean?
-Don't mind me," she repeated, hastily lifting her eyes with her blue eyeshadow. -
She waved good-bye with long fingers and sniffed her nose as she left the room.
-What do you mean, not afraid? - Miranda asked me now, as I tried to squeeze into
a thin white dress to my knees.
-It means he doesn't want you to worry," I answered, checking my books in my
bag. - He cares.
-About me? - Miranda's soft-blue eyes widened as she set her hairbrush aside next
to her.
 I'd been in this situation once before. When you can't stay neutral. On the one
hand, you mean well. On the other, you don't know what's good for the other. What if
what I think is good is not good for her?
That time Tim asked me if I should let a little magic into the movie. It was some
bad action movie. We sat in the penultimate row, hearing in the pauses of dialogue the
grunts from the last one and the loud crunch of popcorn from all sides.
The ending was supposed to be corny, predictable, boring, and Tim wanted to
tweak, just slightly, so that the groom would say the wrong bride's name before the
altar. And then it would turn out that he was marrying his ex, which would be funny,
well, never mind.
Tim just wanted to have fun, so he reached out to me for support. And I told him
off. Stupid, afraid something might come out about us. So I told him I'd better stay out
of it. Let it be as it was meant to be, it wasn't such a shitty movie, even though it had
been that way from the beginning.
And Tim got kind of deflated then, upset, and that night he didn't offer to pick up
any goodies for the night. He went straight to bed and even turned off all the lights,
even though he knew I didn't fall asleep well in the dark.
And that day we didn't talk at all before bed, as we always had before. He just fell
asleep. I guess so. All I had to do was stare at his dark silhouette on the next bed.
I took a deep breath, making a decision, turned to Miranda, and let out:
-Sweetie, I don't know what Leo's really thinking. Everything he said yesterday
was weird. But that's Leo. No one understands him completely," I threw my bag over
my shoulder and looked seriously at my roommate. - You'd better forget about him and
focus on yourself. And you'll notice that there are plenty of decent men out there
besides him.
Miranda got up, went to the mirror by the window and quietly looked at her
reflection in the mirror for a while. Then she said quietly:
-Could you forget about Tim?
 I staggered, hesitated, rummaged in my half-empty bag, and mumbled something
incomprehensible. The great sorceress smiled slightly, and adjusted the picture of Arnie
on the mirror:
-Tim would have looked good in that jacket.
I imagined the picture, overcame my excitement, and silently stormed out of the
room.
-Damn it, someone seems to be sick today. - What year is it? - mumbled the elf,
resting his cheek on the cool surface of the table. Even his pointy ears seemed to wilt.
-Breakfast! - I shrieked and laughed as I watched both muzzles squirm. Tim had
just come out of the bedroom in a wrinkled blue shirt, muttered a few curses at me, and
we staggered into the dining room.
I was feeling a little queasy, too, but I managed, clinging to the walls and banisters
of the stairs from time to time. Tim wasn't happy and clearly wanted to sleep and drink
and die.
Leo complained all the time. He was always complaining about nasty Christiana,
who was nothing but trouble. Or the uncontrollable horse that breathed fire in all
directions, burned his shirt, and kicked him with its hooves. Or a bruised rib.
After breakfast, we crawled for air, making our way to the school zoo, where we
were to be shown all the animals we would study, tame, and use in magic.
-Wyverns? - I couldn't believe Leo's incoherent, half-drunk story. - What's that?
-Roughly speaking, flying lizards with long necks," he replied languidly, and I was
reminded of Tolkien's zazguls and their airborne transport. - It's a kind of dragon, an
endangered species.
I couldn't imagine how fairy tale monsters could become extinct, but then I
remembered the war, and I shuddered, picturing demons with six-shooters and riding
dragons.
We wandered through the schoolyard, where there were no more rocks after the fat
rockfall. I looked around for the zoo walls, and I spun around so much that I ran into
someone walking toward me.
-Oops," I yelled, waving my arms and almost losing my balance.
 Leo deftly picked me up under his arms and began to reprimand me, to which I
calmly replied with a slight smile:
-Don't be afraid for me,‖ and put the elf into a moment's stupor.
-Hello!" I heard the welcoming voice of the offended gnome. It was the man who'd
been in the battle with the fire-horse the day before. He knew Miranda, who had just
caught up with us.
-Sebastian," she murmured, hugging the dwarf. - I'm sorry I got you into this
yesterday. I was afraid for the boys.
-No problem," he replied, showing a beautiful smile. And he took Miranda's hands,
which Leo immediately squinted at, and I squinted at Leo. The elf noticed my grin and
turned away defiantly. - It was nice to meet you guys.
Sebastian shook their hands and left for school, and we continued stomping toward
the forest.
Later, I got to know the dwarf better, and I understood why Miranda had been
friends with him for years.
Sebastian turned out to be a very good-natured and sympathetic guy. His kind
qualities were strangely in harmony with both his sometimes unwarranted courage and
his disorderly... uh, attraction to girls. Because the dwarf was quite the Casanova. He
had a charm, a sense of humor, and a courage that put girls at his feet in piles.
-Twenty-four years old, how many have you managed to fall in love with? - Leo
often joked and stared intriguingly into his comrade's dark brown eyes.
-Don't be jealous, -the answer was always the same, accompanied by a charming
smile.
Strangely enough, despite his promiscuity in girls Sebastian was very respectful to
us, his friends, and was a real gentleman. Sometimes I smiled gratefully at the firm hand
given to me in time, and realized that it would have been easy to fall for him, too, if he
had made me his target.
Reflecting on my new acquaintance, I and the boys were already entering the dark
and desolate woods near the school. It turned out that there was an ennobled stone path
to it, from which it was strictly forbidden to turn off. We entered under the paws of the
trees, and at once it became almost completely dark.
Ahead of us I could see the backs of similarly frightened students, who were even
whispering with exertion.
The path was a couple of hundred meters long, and led us to a sunny glade.
It was the first and last time I'd ever been to the school zoo. The cages, pens, and
aquariums stunned me so much that I never dared to come back here again.
I felt too sorry for the magical animals that were more likely to study us than we
were to study them.
In the years that followed, Tim and the boys would run around here collecting hair
and scales samples, drawing body structure, and studying the habits of the animals
being studied. I, on the other hand, was used to making do with encyclopedias and
Tim's stories of what he had managed to learn in practice.
I couldn't forget the sights of human souls from the depths of animal bodies.
Miranda had told me more than once that here, though locked up, the animals were
safe. Peace Island is the only territory where hostilities have been forbidden.
And, of course, no dangerous beasts could roam free here. All were caught and
moved to zoos, laboratories, estates, circuses, farms, and slaughterhouses. Placed
wherever they could be useful.
In time, I came to terms with the fact that war kills everything around me.
It's like reality. You take a frozen fillet off a supermarket shelf and try not to think
about the huge knife cutting up a recently still-living carcass.
It's the same in the World of Elements. Ruthless natural selection.
But I never went to the zoo again. Only once, but about that later.
I only remember that it was quite large. We wandered the corridors of cages,
looked into the intelligent eyes of humanoid minotaurs and the almost feminine faces of
harpies. I almost got lost among the dozens of aquariums, but Leo came running after
me in time to pull me back to the edge.
Even then I was shaking, and my mind was tangled with thoughts of the fate of all
the animals left to survive in the warring realms.
 I couldn't concentrate on my teacher, and I huddled against Leo, frightened by the
rustles and growls and groans on all sides. The elf hissed at my every sudden
movement, distracting me even more. In the meantime, I managed to get a good look at
the teacher, and even heard some of his words.
-Today will be an orientation session," the gray-haired dwarf said in a squeaky
voice, not tearing himself away from a thick notebook with notes in his hands. -
Examine unfamiliar species, ask questions. All represented here varieties we will use in
the army.
I was instantly reminded of Leo's scar, a piece of which I could still see from under
the rolled-up sleeve. Dragon? Wyvern? A manticore? No, they were extinct.
-Leo," I whispered, making sure no one could hear us. The elf glanced at me and
leaned in closer to hear my whisper. - How did you get the scar?
-Asked a lot of questions," he snapped and continued listening to his teacher. - By
the way, it's mean to eavesdrop," he added without holding back.
-I accidentally," I mumbled, blushing.
I was silent for a few moments, hesitant to ask something that interested me more
than the scar. After a few moments of fumbling and composing the wording of the
question, I decided to take a chance.
-You didn't mean what you said, did you? - I whispered, getting on my toes and
pressing my nose into the elf's ear so that no one else would hear my words.
-When? - He didn't understand, distracted by his teacher.
-Yesterday, in the living room," I added more quietly.
Leo was silent for a while, and I decided not to rush him. Then he turned to me and
looked at me very sternly with light purple well eyes. I was silent and waited for
righteous anger.
But instead of getting angry, Leo glared at me for a long moment. Apparently,
deciding whether to tell the truth or joke around again. And then he suddenly became
very sad, and asked me quietly in my ear:
-What do you want to know? What do you all want from me?
 -Who? - I didn't understand, and I was confused. - It's nothing, I'm just saying.
Don't answer that.
Leo lowered his gaze and raked the grass with the toe of his boot for a while. Then
he took me quietly away from the group, to the corner of the corral with the fire horse,
which was surrounded by some kind of magical barrier.
-Kathy," he began, taking a deep breath. - Don't, don't bother me. It's hard enough
as it is, can't you see?
I didn't see anything.
-What?" I flattened my eyes, confused as to whether we were talking about the
same thing.
-I'm tired of pretending to be insensitive, of keeping a mask, of pretending to be
interested in someone else," Leo said very seriously, and I got more and more confused.
- But you can't mess with a human. She'll die before I do. So will our children.
I was completely taken aback, and I opened my mouth to stare at the elf, who
looked down at me, apparently expecting support.
-Leo," I exhaled, sharply aware of the point of all his taunting glances at Miranda.
-Don't, Katie," he interrupted me, covering his face with his hands for a few
moments. He lowered his hands and looked me in the eye. - I watched my own father
grow old and die. And how my mother still hadn't gotten over it. I swore I wouldn't let
that happen again.
I digested the information for a few moments, then gathered myself and began to
argue:
-But you and Kris were born. Two beautiful wizards. Isn't that enough? Wasn't that
enough of a happy life that your father had lived for two hundred years?
Leo looked at me very carefully. He was silent. And I went on:
-A human life is already a lot. And the ones you can create are even more," I kept
my eyes on the elf's face, too, emphasizing the seriousness of my words.
-Kathy," Leo sighed and turned to the group. - I don't want to watch my loved one
die.
 I hurried after him, trying to find the last argument against his logic. I grabbed his
sleeve, exposing the deep scar even more. I whispered:
-But how happy you would have been all these years,‖ Leo stopped and clenched
his eyes tightly, turning away from me. Apparently, he was chasing away the image he
had formed. - A lifetime of happiness! - Leo didn't open his eyes. - All of us mortals
have nothing else.
My heart was beating very fast.
He stood for a while, struggling with his emotions. Then he threw his blond hair
back with a violently trembling hand. Without looking at me, he walked quickly toward
the group.

We never spoke of that conversation again. I was too embarrassed to bring up a

subject that had hurt my dear friend. I kept noticing all the looks and emotions Miranda
and Leo showed each other. And each time I averted my eyes for fear of embarrassing
one of them.
It seemed like it would never end. It seemed like they would spend the rest of their
lives imagining, what if?
Days and weeks and months went by like that.
I only realized when the first unfamiliar orange leaf fell on my shoulder. In the
Four Elemental World, there were hardly any plants at all like those in Reality. As I
twirled it in my hands, I looked up into the dark green with brown flecks in the sky and
realized that autumn had arrived.
A magical autumn, in the truest sense of the word. Because this time of year was
filled with magic to the brim.
Flowers and plants wilted here in a very different way. They would fade, shrink in
size, and in a flash they would crumble away in glittering fireworks, leaving no trace
behind.
One day, on a very cloudy day, we all witnessed the hedge in the garden by the
porch bloom. It was a magical moment in the memories of Elementum.
 We stepped out into the yard and gasped with glee as the whole maze exploded
with millions of sparkles and vanished into thin air in an instant. The garden was now
just bare tree trunks and benches between them.
I remember Miranda tears of delight. And Leo's hand trembled as he motioned for
Miranda to come down from the porch.
Leo couldn't stand her tears.
We were on our way to spelunking class, which always made me stressed. And not
just because, compared to Miranda, I was completely crooked. Everyone was. It was
also because the instructor demanded nothing less than flawless performance from us.
Guinea was a short-haired dwarf. She wielded her enchantments so perfectly that I
often didn't notice a finger pass or lip movement. Only the flight of magic fluttered my
hair and made my inner shield against Guinea's magical influences vibrate slightly.
Leo, of course, quickly taught Tim and me how to put it up. But while Tim's shield
worked reliably, I clutched the dark blue crystal on the chain, remembering the elf's
instructions every time magic raged nearby.
I was most wobbly in the presence of the Eldar headmaster, whose power could
easily knock me off my feet. At least not for me, who wasn't used to the constant
influence of other wizards.
But there was someone else, too, whose magic was bending my knees. And not
just magic. And not just under me.
It was Elementum's best student of all time, Velcom. He was the strongest and
most skilled in the school. That's why he immediately tried to establish a relationship
with the owner of the transparent crystal.
I remember him coming up to us in the hallway. Or rather, Miranda, of course.
That's when my shield shook and my ears rang. No, he and I had met in the
hallways before. But today he wanted to be friendly, and that threw me out of my
magical equilibrium.
Velcom introduced himself, showing a smile, and spoke to everyone at once,
expressing his pride in being acquainted with Miranda and her friends.
 -The crystal is just an accessory," she argued and blushed under the gaze of the
impenetrable black eyes. - It doesn't give me any superiority.
-The crystal is matched to its magical powers," Welkom reassured her in a low,
calm voice. - And only the greatest among us could get a clear star.
He was a tall, slender elf. His long black hair was pinned back that day, making
him look like a rock musician. Tight dark shirt, good posture, hands behind his back,
friendly look, manners. Everything about him was impeccable. For everyone.
But not for me. Because any emotion, anger, doubt, or admiration that Velcom
might not outwardly express made my frail shield shiver.
I was never used to feeling calm in his presence. Miranda explained to me later
that she was the only one who had no effect on me, because her crystal took all her
power. And that that's what magical artifacts are for.
Soon Welkom became a true companion to us. Like Sebastian, he was in his third
year, and he often told us before the tests what to expect from the upcoming tests.
In his mid-twenties, Velcom looked his age, which, at a young age among elves,
was a great achievement. Miranda glowed in his presence and even seemed a little
oblivious to Leo.
Tim and I tried to get as much out of him as we could about his training and
practice at the school. We couldn't get that from Christiana, who never took her studies
seriously, often not sleeping in our apartment and not answering her angry brother's
questions.
And Leo.
Leo was always silent in Velcom's presence and avoided him. I could see the
jealousy stirring in him. But what was the point of jealousy if you deliberately gave up
everything you could have?
I didn't say anything to him about what I thought for a long time, but I always
noticed the slanting look in his mysterious light green eyes. It was like he was afraid I'd
make fun of him. But I kept quiet.
What was so funny about not being together with the one you loved?
 So Velcom and Sebastian, who I was always glad to see, joined the group. They
distracted me from all the usual pleasant male attention. I purred at the compliments of
the gallant Sebastian and listened keenly to the stories of the wise Velcom, who always
had something to surprise us.
I learned that he came from a highly respected elven family. And that it wasn't
customary among elves to build relationships with other races. Leo hummed loudly
then, and mumbled something. I grabbed his hand right away, and he stopped talking.
Every decent elf looked for an elven mate, and it sometimes took hundreds of years
to find one. There was almost no divorce among them, either.
I wondered, then, what it would be like to choose not a life partner, but a partner
for eternity. For me it would be a grinning Tim, or would it not?
Welkom also told us that he had high hopes for the Fire Kingdom. And that his
family is friends with the royal couple, to which Leo frowned and remained silent. And
I guessed he knew exactly what that family was.
Velcom confessed that he was happy to study wrestling, but that he really had his
heart set on something else. And, if he had his choice, he would pursue levitation and
competitive flying.
-You want to fly, fly! It's a source of happiness for you," I raged that day, spilling
wine on the carpet and waving my arms.
-"Enjoying your family is also a source of happiness," Velcom's low voice
answered me. - And I'm too young to choose my own activities. I owe it to my father to
listen.
I wasn't familiar with the elven order and the concept of being too young. What
difference does it make if you can be killed in the army at any moment?
By winter, I'd gotten Velkom to sign up for the flying competition Kamil had
promised us.
So, we were on our way to spellcasting class, which had already moved from the
classroom to the training maze. It was hard to get lost in it, the walls weren't that high.
But hiding was easy.
 The purpose of the training was to practice my spell technique to perfection in
near-realistic conditions, to develop reflexes, to react to danger quickly and clearly.
I wasn't good at all. Every student that jumped out from around the corner would
paralyze me, or knock me down with one of the spells allowed in class.
No, I attacked sometimes, too, but I couldn't defend myself. We'd split up into
pairs, or into teams, or we'd fight on our own.
I only won once, when I was paired with Miranda. But my contribution to the
victory was limited to looking back, like a frightened rabbit, covering my rear.
As I entered the maze that day, out of habit, I ran behind the big thick bush where I
liked to hide. I wondered if Leo would remember my hiding place again before it was
time and come running to expose me.
The boys enjoyed the exercise more than we did. It's a man's business to play war
games.
Miranda hardly had any competition at all. They could only take her by surprise,
because they weren't allowed to use magic shields in practice.
I know these lessons are the most important of all. Here we learned how to react to
danger. And it is what Guinea teaches us that will be most useful at the front. But when
I thought of war, I was scared and preferred to imagine that I would not live to see it.
-Hear that," the branches of the bushes suddenly hissed, and I almost squealed. Leo
flew into my hiding place and sat down next to me, covering his head with the big green
leaves. - I knew you were here," he grinned, and played with the lightning bolt he'd
prepared for the discharge in his palm.
-What do you want? - I gave the elf a small jolt of force and knocked the weapon
out of his hand.
-It's Halloween," Leo stared at me with green wells, as if waiting for a response to
his words.
I stared at him for a few moments, inhaling the pleasant scent of male perfume, but
he just waited silently for a reaction.
-I know," I finally answered uncertainly, not understanding what he wanted.
 -Do you have an idea yet? - Leo threw a small fireball at someone who was
coming toward us. - Who are you going to be?
Then I realized it was probably going to be a big party. I wanted to party on a royal
scale, distracting me from doing my homework, practicing my spells, and bandaging my
wounds.
-Will there be a party? - I asked.
-Christian says the school organizes a masquerade every year," Leo rubbed his
palms together in anticipation. - I'm not sure which costume to choose, but I can't
decide.
I hesitated for a moment, mentally trying on all the different puffy dresses, and
then on Leo. I chuckled.
-What did I have to do with it? - I stared at him, still undecided.
-I can't think of one, either," the elf snorted, shooting back at someone behind me.
-It's a masquerade," I said indignantly, rising from the floor. - You're not supposed
to know who I am. That's the point of masks.
-Yes, but we have to go in pairs," Leo opened my eyes. - And I can't think of
anyone else but you, since Christiana's going out in Medford.
-So no one else? - I raised my eyebrows as I watched him get up off the floor, too.
- No one at all?
-First of all, Tim already called Miranda, in case you didn't know," Leo put his
hands to his sides. - And second of all, I don't want to complicate things with an
invitation like that.
But I wasn't listening to him anymore. Tim invited Miranda? How? We're from
Reality together. It's always the two of us. Why the hell didn't he invite me?
-Tim invited Miranda? - I repeated bluntly, as if I didn't believe Leo.
-Yes, just now," the elf said with surprise.
So he waited until I was gone before he invited someone else?
-Are you inviting me? - I stared at the elf, demanding formality.
-Yes," he knelt down jokingly on one knee. - Be my princess! - Leo chuckled, and
I had a great idea for a costume.
 On the day of the masquerade, we had a clear schedule of who dressed up and
when. Only Miranda and I agreed that we wouldn't hide who we were dressed as from
each other.
-Who are you going with? - my roommate pestered me all night, styling my hair
and pinned it with beaded pins. - You're not telling me because I agreed to go with Tim?
I should have said no, shouldn't I? - she wailed.
I didn't have time to get a word in.
-I thought I'd rather have him come with me, as a friend, than invite someone else,"
she excused herself as she put the little tiara in my hair. - I'd be a lot safer if Leo went
with you, but he wouldn't admit who he invited, either.
-Don't ask," I finally interjected, fixing the soft curls that Miranda had left framing
my face. - It's a masquerade. You don't know anyone there at all.
I stood up and looked myself over from head to toe in the big mirror on the closet
door. Yes, it fit perfectly.
Being a princess at least once is every sane girl's dream. And I also have the most
wonderful partner tonight.
I chose a delicate cream dress, lightweight, with a puffy skirt. It was below the
knee, leaving my ankles exposed and my feet exposed in the beige high-heeled shoes
Christiana had lent me. The top of the dress was covered in beads, and the slit left my
shoulders and back completely exposed.
Yeah, no matter how many dragon scales I threw away on this beauty. I was
destined to be a soldier. But today I am a princess, no matter how much it costs me.
Satisfied, I wished I had a camera, or that sophisticated disputator app with which
to shoot everything and look at the world through other people's eyes.
With a sigh, I turned to Miranda, who was nervously curling her long white curls
in front of the mirror. My roommate was dressed as an angel and looked stunning. Yes,
if I were a man, I wouldn't have passed her by.
 I looked around at the delicate translucent fabric the angel's dress was made from.
It shimmered so enigmatically that it only showed off the silhouette and nothing in
particular. I wish we could use one of those in Reality for striptease.
I looked up at her, and then I saw the little fluffy wings attached to her back, and
they completed the image. I stared at her, and I couldn't imagine a more appropriate
costume. I'd never known anyone as pure, sincere, and bright as she was.
-Gorgeous," I whispered, staring at the shimmering golden curls and soft blue eyes.
Miranda was embarrassed and blushing, simultaneously gibbering back
compliments to me.
-Leo's a deer," I announced loudly, interrupting her and sitting down on the bed.
Miranda opened her eyes and was silent for a while, staring at me.
-Thank you, Kathy," she replied, already opening the door to leave. - They're both
reindeer," she chuckled, and Miranda ducked into the living room.
I sighed and went to the mirror one last time. I had to wait until the guys were gone
so I didn't have to see images of each other. The Terminator looked at me seriously
from the frayed photo.
Arnie, you'd come with me to the masquerade, wouldn't you? Tim didn't.
I opened the door at the knock of an impatient Leo.
-I'm coming," I stepped into the living room, dumbfounded as I stared at the elf's
bold image. I had to admit that he looked just as stunned, eyeing me up and down.
Cheeky.
Leo dressed up in the style of the 1930s Chicago mob. From Reality. He was
wearing a brown striped three-piece suit and a white shirt. The jacket was nicely fitted,
accentuating the guy's broad shoulders and narrow waist. The cheeky guy shoved his
hands into the pockets of his pants and shamelessly looked at my outfit.
-Wow, he's handsome," I commented, taking Leo under my arm.
-Didn't you expect that? - He chuckled, craning his neck and trying to see me from
behind.
-Don't stare," I hissed, pulling up my skirt, which the Greyhound elf had lifted in a
light magical breeze.
 -The finishing touch," he announced, ignoring my indignation. - The masks.
Leo opened the box he'd prepared beforehand and pulled out two strange jellyfish-
like matter.
-Are those really necessary? - I hesitated, rubbing the cool fabric in my hands.
-Look," Leo put the mask to his face, and it stuck, transforming and blending into
the elf's overall image. He pulled his hands away from his face, and I could see the thick
fabric in the tone of the costume. - Come on," he said softly, and took my mask. Then
he came up behind me and put the cool fabric against my face, causing a storm of
goosebumps with that half hug.
I felt the mask warm and harden, as if it were clinging to me. I blinked to make
sure I couldn't get it off, and wailed and rushed to the bathroom. In the mirror, I saw the
lacey, luxurious fabric in the tone of the dress, completely hiding my identity. It was the
cut or the magic, but it was the magic that made us unrecognizable.
I could tell only from the disgruntled tone of Leo, who had followed me in, that he
was annoyed by my panic. I couldn't make out a face or an emotion that way.
-Come on, I'll take it off after the masquerade," he pulled me along
unceremoniously.
I sighed, smiled at him, anticipating a wonderful evening, and let Leo lead me into
the upcoming fairy tale.
The masquerade was held in the schoolyard. Where there used to be a hedge maze.
The small park was already packed to the brim with motley people.
Long tables of refreshments stood near the school porch, covered with white tents
floating in the air. Music seemed to be in the air.
A ring of lanterns surrounded the grounds, which on closer inspection turned out to
be glowing drifts in the grass. Leo and I wandered stupefied among the guests, either
grabbing food and wine from the tables or marveling at the ingenuity of our fellow
students.
-Are you afraid of war? - Leo asked, looking me straight in the eye after another
drink. We were standing near one of the lanterns, which made the elf's eyes glow a
bright shimmer.
 I gasped and choked on my agacy flour bun, which Leo ignored, and continued to
stare at me calmly, waiting for an answer.
-It's crazy," I finally answered, and then I got frustrated. Every thought of the
bloodshed to come spoiled my mood and made my heart beat faster. - Crazy," I even
repeated louder to emphasize the seriousness of my feelings.
But Leo believed me anyway. He took a sip from his glass and continued to study
me, keeping his gaze on me and making me blush.
-What?" I blushed, not knowing what to do with my eyes. - Why do you care if
they take you back to the King's service?
-Of course I am," he nodded without blinking. - Sure," he nodded without blinking.
"That's all I was sent here for.
-What were you doing there? - I asked, filling my curiosity and imagining the royal
mansion.
-A lot of things," he answered vaguely, finally withdrawing his piercing gaze from
me. I exhaled and didn't ask him any more questions. - Mostly guarding.
-How was it possible to do magic without school? - I wondered, imagining an elf
with weapons and everything.
-The same way you did in Reality," he answered, grinning at my stupidity. Leo
pulled a thin silver chain with a small bright scarlet crystal on it from the collar of his
shirt. I nodded understandingly, admiring it.
-And you'll be back there after Elementum, won't you? - I clarified the obvious.
-Yes," Leo confirmed quietly and dropped his eyes into the grass. - And I want you
to come with me.
-What? Who? - I almost dropped my glass, which the elf deftly picked up and
shoved back into my hand.
-You, Tim, Miranda," he said in a low, quiet voice, as if there was no hope.
-And Chris? - I was even more surprised by the incomplete list.
-Chris is going home! - Leo was suddenly furious and started waving his arms in a
way that wasn't very good in a suit. - No wrestling! No war! I don't care what she's up
to. Leo seemed to calm down as he watched me nod in agreement.
 -That's right," I said.
We stood by the lantern for a while, thinking about our own things. I was thinking
about walking around the royal palace, looking for ill-wishers in the bushes of the great
courtyard garden. And Leo, what about Leo? I could never fully understand his
mysterious soul.
-Do you think she would? - he asked after a few minutes.
-Yes," I answered at once, not even specifying what he was going to propose to
Miranda. - She would. Well, just do it!
-What do you mean? - he looked up at me and squinted his eyes.
-Everything," I couldn't take it anymore, and I sighed deeply in irritation. - I
couldn't watch," I wanted to clutch at his chest and shake him until his brains were back
in place.
-What? - he asked, unable to take the hint.
-You! - I shouted, and a few of the dancing couples turned in our direction.
Leo pouted, and then got angry again, because he reeked of magic. And I knew
Leo was just as knocked out by his inner power as the calm headmaster when he was
angry.
-Stop it," he asked after a brief pause.
-I see her every day in the bedroom," I was unstoppable. - Real, not as indifferent
as she wants you to think she is. The way she is when you can't see her," I paused,
noticing the look in Leo's eyes, the intonation of which was hard to convey. A mixture
of sadness, anguish, and tenderness.
-Does she say something about me? - I couldn't see his face behind the mask, but
his mood swings were starting to scare me.
-Yes, all the time," I admitted, realizing that there was no turning back. - You only
stopped when I told you to get out of my head.
Leo was silent for a long time. Too long, and I couldn't tell if he was mad at me, or
disappointed, or what was on his mind. I waited in silence until he came quietly close to
me and whispered:
-Do you want to dance?
 I put my hand in his warm palm, and Leo led me to the center of the court with a
pressing sense of understatement. He hugged me around the waist and began to lead me
slowly, pulling me close to him and staring through the mask with his piercing elven
eyes.
-I'm sorry," I said, realizing that I couldn't physically tear my eyes away from him.
- I won't talk about her anymore. I understand. I just can't accept that this is the way it's
going to stay.
-Do you understand? - he asked, still staring and spinning me around faster and
faster.
-Yes, Leo," I answered confidently, no longer distinguishing between the bottom
and the top. - I know what it's like not to be with the one you love.
Leo was silent and kept circling me, as if waiting for my revelations to continue.
-And what's more, I know what it's like to be unloved," I continued under the
onslaught of the piercing gaze. - And you are loved. And I'd give anything to trade
places with you. To have at least one human life with him, not nothing!
Leo stopped abruptly, making my head spin. The lights swirled around me, and
only the elf's light green eyes stayed where they were, studying me deeper and deeper.
-With who, him? - he asked harshly, which made me feel ashamed and frightened.
-With whom? - I started to move out of the way, trying to pull away, but Leo had a
firm grip on me.
A few lingering seconds, and I was saved by Miranda. She flew over to us and said
hello, winking at me and offering to trade partners for a dance.
-Great idea! - I got excited and pulled myself out of the elf's steel grip, searching
my eyes for Tim. Leo, who kept throwing leering glances at me, led Miranda to dance,
and almost immediately got carried away by his new partner.
When I saw Tim, I was even more freaked out than I was by Leo's outfit. He'd
chosen the Terminator look. The leather black jacket, just like in my fantasies, the dark
glasses, and the tight pants made me stare at him for a while, impressed.
Without counting the minutes, I stared at Tim like I was seeing him for the first
time.
 Tim reached out and took my hand away from the spinning Leo and Miranda. We
began to waltz slowly to the keyboard music. With each step, I melted in his arms,
snuggling more and more. With each note of the music, I loved him more, I swear.
I was happy then. Dancing with Tim in the raging, half-drunk crowd. Dancing with
my lover who wasn't here because he had to be.
He smiled and twirled me under his arm, making me laugh and trying to remember
those moments forever.
The mask only hid Tim's eyes, so I could admire the happy smile and the lips that
occasionally joked something in my ear.
It was probably still one of our happiest moments.
When the song ended, Tim stopped smoothly. Not at all like the unceremonious
Leo. He thanked me and kissed me softly on the cheek goodbye.
Miranda, who had seen my confusion, probably even through the mask, laughed
happily for me. She indifferently let go of Leo's hand and followed Tim somewhere in
the crowd.
-Cute," the elf commented as we walked toward the tables. - Do you know who
that is? It's an angel.
-No," I barely squeezed out, turning away and breathing deeply.
And that was how the night ended.
For Leo, it was a new look at Miranda, a dance I was dying to tell them both about.
For Miranda, it was indifference to the strange guy who turned out to be her lover.
For Tim, he seemed as happy with me as I was with him.
And for me. For me, it was the happiest night I've had in a long time. Arnie, you
did come with me to the masquerade after all.
-I'm not going to be able to get you into a group of three or six," Eldar said at a
meeting about the upcoming practice. - I was worried sick, and my hands were wringing
in my head.
I was freaking out and wringing my hands, wondering what we were going to be
forced to do during the winter internship. Miranda was talking quietly to Velcom while
we waited our turn, giggling and blushing at the sight of his black eyes. Leo and Tim
were talking about something on the sidelines, only intimidating those secrets even
more.
A small crowd quickly began to gather around Rowenta, and she distributed her
tasks.
We decided that the four of us would be practicing. Christiana was already doing
very different tasks, as were Sebastian and Velcom. As freshmen, we were promised by
our seniors that we would be given the simplest tasks, and thinking about them made
my blood run cold.
Of course, I was winding myself up, picturing demons, vampires, and the awesome
power of the elements upon us. But still, I noticed that all the students were a little
nervous.
I could see Leo's hand fixing his hair nervously. Then I saw Tim frowning, as
always in a stressful situation.
-Warren, McLean, Hawk, Carper," Tim announced in a calm voice after a while.
The director nodded, put our names on some complicated chart, leafed through the
thick folder that lay in front of him, and my mood completely soured.
-Go to this address," Eldar held out a thin folder to Tim. - Here are all the details.
-Thank you," we muttered, and quickly left the line.
Tim was so caught up in the documents that neither I, nor Leo, so stubborn, could
tear them out as we went out of the office into the corridor.
-Wait," Tim said sternly, only quickening his step and leading us to a large window
around one of the corners.
After looking through the pages at the light and still not letting us stick our noses
into the folder, Tim slammed it shut and exclaimed with relief:
-We'll be on duty.
There was a pause for a few seconds. Do you want me to scrub the floors?
-On the border, on the fires? - Leo asked, immediately becoming serious.
-That's right," replied Tim. - Only three weeks.
-What? What bonfires? - I interrupted, tugging the boys by the sleeves of their
sweaters.
 -Let's go to the room," Leo suggested, breaking free of my grip and heading for the
dormitory block.
-So do you know where they sent us? - Miranda asked, following the boys.
-We're going to guard the border of the kingdom," the elf said, and then he was
silent all the way to our room.
A few minutes later we entered the warm living room and stopped shivering. It was
already winter outside the window. The forest had turned from black to silvery white,
and the mountains above us looked like huge snowmen.
We threw our bags on the table and sat down, our eyes fixed on Leo, who was
quietly pouring water into the kettle.
Tim opened the folder, and I saw a picture of a small hut on the edge of a cliff.
There were woods all around, and a giant pile of brushwood in the hut's yard.
Apparently, the wood for the fire.
Leo came out of the bathroom, snapped his fingers, instantly boiling the water in
the kettle, and poured it into cups, sprinkling everyone with large teaspoons of some
herb I didn't know.
-Every kingdom watches its borders," the elf began, sitting down beside us and
stirring the tea with a light swirl of magic. - The war has been going on for so many
years that there is no longer enough strength or resources to do so. But the watch is
there.
-The fire needs to be stoked to give someone a sign? - I guessed, looking at the
picture in the folder.
-Yes, there are watchmen standing all around the perimeter of the kingdom," Leo
answered, nodding his pale head. - They each have a bonfire to alert their neighbors of
danger. But it's been a long time since I've heard of anyone so brazenly crossing
someone else's border.
-What does our assignment say? - Miranda asked Tim, pulling up the file.
-It starts in two days, we have to fly," Tim said, sipping his tea. - I don't like it, the
weather is not flying," he threw a glance at the blizzard outside the window.
We also looked at the landscape and got depressed.
 -Practice lasts for three weeks," Tim continued. - There's not much to do, not much
danger. If we see anything suspicious, we build a fire. Any questions or problems, we
send a message to the school. There's provisions and an address.
-So we just sit on the edge of the cliff and watch the scenery? - I got excited.
-I hope so," said Tim, for some reason, with a wary look on my face.

The flight was disgusting. As exciting as levitating was for me, it was the hardest
trip of my life. We tossed our warm clothes into our bags and said goodbye to
Christiana, who was being sent on some secret mission. I guessed she was lying so as
not to alarm Leo, but it still sounded disturbing.
After wrapping ourselves in all the scarves we managed to find in the school's
stalls, we walked out the doorstep of the school and hit the road. We had to get a few
miles away from the school in order to take off. And already that part of the road had
exhausted me. The snow was whipping in my face, my hat kept slipping off, and I could
hardly see anything. I only clung to the hand of Tim, who was literally dragging me
somewhere in the white swirl.
-That's enough! - I heard Leo's voice through the blizzard. - Up we went! - He took
a display from the pocket of a short brown sheepskin coat, which turned out to show me
the direction. - That way! I'll lead the way," he announced last, gripping Miranda tightly
around the waist and soaring through the air, disappearing from sight into a whirlwind
of snowflakes.
-Come on! - Tim shouted almost in my ear, pulling me into his arms as well. I
pushed off the ground and was immediately lost, not feeling the altitude. There was so
much snow that I could barely see anything around me except for the little figures of
Leo and Miranda somewhere in the distance. Tim and I looked at each other, I adjusted
my hat for the hundredth time, and we set a course to follow the elf.
Tim held me so tight that I felt a little hot in his arms. But my legs, my ears, and
my face were instantly stiff. I levitated off the ground, not caring about direction. Tim's
confident magic guided us following the little figures of Miranda and Leo up there
ahead. We hung the suitcases by their straps, and Tim controlled their flight as well.
Leo was going so fast that I didn't think we could keep up with him, and the
snowstorm around us turned into a solid white mess.
Before we took off, Miranda whispered some sort of protection spell that instantly
warmed the blood in my veins, and I saw the guys' pupils dilate. After a few minutes of
flight, I could barely feel my friend's magic anymore.
I squinted through the blizzard, brushed the snowflakes from my eyelashes with
my knuckled fingers, and glanced occasionally at Tim, who was dragging me. He
looked serious and tense, and he answered me with quiet nods that made all my anxiety
go away.
After (what seemed like a blizzard-like eternity) about half an hour, I noticed that
Tim was slowing down, and I looked for our friends. They were descending somewhere
where the outlines of buildings and rails were showing. I was excited to lose altitude,
too, which made our suitcases wobble, and I got an annoyed magical kick from Tim.
In a couple of minutes we were warming up in the lobby of the train station, and
Tim was getting our tickets out of the folder the director had given us. It got dark very
quickly, but we managed to buy some agacy flour rolls and some brandy for the trip.
-We'll be there at four in the morning, don't relax," Tim grinned when he noticed
Miranda and I smiling.
-It's for warmth," I objected, raising my eyebrows and bravely placing the puffy
bottle on the table in our compartment.
Once seated, we immediately bolted the doors and threw large plaids over our laps.
-I'm so tired," Leo muttered, taking the bottle of brandy from me and gnawing on a
bun.
-Certainly! - Miranda shrieked as she sat next to him under the same blanket,
flushed either with heat or delight. - It was so fast! I thought he'd taken the energy out of
my crystal.
-"You can do that? - I was amazed, and I poured the brandy into the cups, which
the boys emptied at once.
 -Yes, you can," Leo answered, tinkling his empty glass on the table. - You have to
let the wizard do it.
-Really? - I wondered why Miranda had to be taught magic if she could just suck
the energy out of her and use it when she needed it. I glared at her and took a sip of
brandy that made me skewer, and made me feel hot inside.
-Yeah, but other people's energy isn't like yours," Leo clarified, and he covered
himself up to his ears with the furry plaid. - It's hard to use, uncontrollable.
-"So it's better if I control mine myself," Miranda grinned at my leering glances. -
For the sake of the realm, of course.
-Fire? - I clarified, remembering that Miranda was human, too.
-"Of course she is," she said, surprised at my question.
-So you're his citizen, huh? - I asked, pouring another drink.
-Who? - Miranda didn't understand, and Tim laughed:
-What do you do in history class anyway? - His eyes went wide with laughter, and
I scowled in anger. - There's no strings attached. You can go live in the ocean with
mermaids if you want, if they'll let you.
-And they'll let me go anywhere," Miranda nodded and smiled with her soft blue
eyes.
What, what. I didn't remember the citizenship thing. I was only interested in the
story in general terms. And when names, titles, and dates began, I always wanted to
sleep or jump out the window.
I remember we were also taught at the orphanage. We were given shabby books
that had obscene words written on their pages, which were always new to me, and
portraits of historical figures with their genitals painted on them.
The fat teacher demanded that we know what, who, and when. She demanded by
heart. She punished those who couldn't learn. I couldn't do it.
In the basement of the boarding school there was a closet with mops and other
junk. It reeked of damp, mold, and some of the chlorine that was used to clean the
hallways.
 I forgot the date, ten minutes. Name, twenty. The years of the ruler's life - half an
hour. I've been in that den more than once.
Once I was lucky enough to have a book with me. The one on history, with swear
words in the margins. The fat woman shoved me into the den and slammed the doors.
But I realized that in half an hour of punishment I would at least have time to study the
assignment for the next class.
Unfortunately, it was March 8 that day. The principal brought two big cakes, for
the kids and for the teachers. I was told this later. Apparently, the cake distracted her,
and I sat in the den until lights out, when the teacher found my empty bed.
I had time to learn all my assignments and was already so looking forward to being
let out because I knew I was safe. Tomorrow I would tell everything, and I could go
play ball in the yard, with the other girls. But the teacher never came.
I tore that textbook into little pieces. In shreds. And the fat girl, when she picked
me up late at night, didn't say a word about it. Just silently handed out the other one and
kissed me before I went to bed. She had never done that before.
Leo leaned back in the seat, ruffled his hair, and threw the blanket off his
shoulders, finally warming up:
-It's been a rough trip," he sighed. - I don't like flying over the ocean. I always
want to go faster.
I was taken aback, Miranda was quietly eating a bun, and Tim was frowning as
usual.
-Are we in the Kingdom of Fire? - he asked.
-Well, yes," Leo answered with his mouth full. - Welcome.
-And flew over the ocean to get here,‖ I concluded slowly.
-The blizzard was annoying," the elf snorted as a belated panic shivered through
me. - I wish there was water under my feet, so I could track my altitude.
I remembered the blizzard, imagined the huge waves with the foam on the crests
underfoot, and my heart finally stopped beating.
-Maybe no better," Tim answered doubtfully, grinning.
 -How did you read the practice assignment? - Leo laughed. - We're on duty at the
border of the Fire Kingdom," Tim and I looked at each other. - So it's an ocean crossing.
-Well, maybe it's a portal," I said at random, and Leo jerked his finger at my
temple.
-"Only between parallels," Miranda interjected, before he could start ranting about
my stupidity. - It's too energy-consuming.
We sat for a couple of hours, listening to the sound of the wheels, finally getting
tipsy and talking about the possibility of time travel. Miranda even made a couple of
smart suggestions for making it happen, and Tim was scribbling on a napkin some
related calculations.
Leo and I laughed, speculating on what we would be like in a hundred years. And
we all agreed that the elf wasn't going to grow old.
-"We could go back in time and give some advice to ourselves," Miranda
suggested as an alternative, and Leo sat her down on the top shelf, and he climbed
across from her.
-Or kill Sarah Connor," I laughed, fluffing my pillow and settling on the bottom
shelf across from Tim.
-I can do that," he raised his hand as a sign of desire. - I have just the right jacket.
-What kind of jacket? - Leo asked sleepily, and I sat up abruptly in bed, drawing
the attention of my surprised friends. They looked at me questioningly for a couple of
seconds, but didn't ask anything.
-Yes, from the masquerade," Tim answered, and my heart sank. - I was a Reality
movie character who traveled through time. Jacket, dark glasses, tight pants. It came out
in style.
-I think I saw you," Leo muttered slowly, lifting himself up on his elbow in bed. -
Weren't you the one with the angel?
I sat there, frozen and trying not to breathe, and turned my gaze from Leo to Tim
and back, unable only to see Miranda's reaction over my head.
-I, why? - Tim's eyes flew open. - What were you? - he looked out from behind the
shelf, trying to see Leo.
 -We switched pairs," the elf answered slowly, not looking away from Miranda on
the shelf opposite. - Gangster and the princess in pink.
Silence followed. Leo and Miranda looked at each other in silence, remembering
that slow waltz. I, realizing that Tim now knew he was dancing with me, was afraid to
shift my gaze to him.
I sat there for a few moments without moving, and then I dared to look at him. I
saw the preening face of a man who was going to bed, and I collapsed onto my pillow in
a frenzy.
It was clear. He didn't care. Now I could see Tim's face from under the
compartment table, but I didn't want to look at him at all.
Some time passed, with each of us thinking about our own things. I sighed deeply,
finally disappointed, and turned out the lights. There was a rustling of blankets from the
top shelves, and then Leo announced, apparently determined to break the awkward
pause:
-And Kathy was a princess.
-I know," I heard a low whisper addressed only to me.
I opened my eyes and turned my head slowly toward Tim. He was lying there,
staring at me in the half-light with a slight smile on his lips.
We stared at each other for a couple of endless seconds. Then I asked in a barely
audible whisper, so only he could hear me:
-How do you know?
To which I got a big smile and the same barely audible response:
-Did you ever doubt it, Kath? - I said nothing. - Did you think I wouldn't recognize
you? Wouldn't I recognize your voice? Your eyes under the mask, your long hair, your
hands?
I opened my mouth and didn't know what to answer him, and Tim continued to
smile just as broadly:
-You're the only one who dances so carefree," he whispered softly to me. - You're
the only one laughing so happily," I sighed. - And you're the only one who touches me
so gently.
 A pause.
-How? - I whispered, not quite understanding the last phrase.
-Sleep, Kathy," Tim burrowed into the blanket and yawned. - We have to get up
soon.

I didn't sleep a wink that night. I stared at Tim's peacefully sleeping face and
remembered everything I could think of. He knew it was me he was dancing with.
I was the only one who touched him so gently. Did he call me a coward? Or did he
hint that I was behaving differently to him? Am I really acting differently?
They say it's hard to understand a girl. But no. There's something in all of us that
the rest of us don't know. And Tim has never been able to talk straight.
After torturing myself for a couple of hours, I jumped up when I heard the
conductor knocking on the door. The boys were asleep, only Miranda jumped off the
shelf at once. My friend's red tired eyes worried me:
-Did you sleep at all?
-No," Miranda looked at herself in the mirror and pulled a perfectly shaped, see-
through five-pointed star from her sweater collar. - Like you," it wasn't a question.
Miranda always saw right through me.
But I nodded in response. The sorceress whispered an incantation, the star in her
fingers flashed dimly, and Miranda looked rested and refreshed.
-When are you going to teach me that? - I giggled, twirling the cheap magic
makeup in my hands.
-Not now," she replied languidly, and took my hand. The crystal sparkled again,
and I felt the skin of my face breathe light magic.
-Who's witching this early in the morning? You woke me," Leo muttered, rolling
off the top shelf.
-Where's your shield? - I wondered, sniffing at the elf and sensing that there was
no magical armor around him. - You're walking around naked.
-It was blown over the ocean," he answered sullenly. - The queen put it there, I
can't do that. The years must have taken their toll," he wiped his eyes from sleep. -
Spells don't last forever. He was blocking all the time in the training maze, too, which
was bad for spells. I can't even remember how many years it's been standing.
I nodded understandingly, marveling at the queen's abilities.
-Let me," Miranda crossed her fingers in the required pass.
-No," Leo frowned and repeated the pass. - I'm going to pull magic from the girls.
-So the queen's been casting magic on your shield all these years? - I realized as I
watched the translucent dome around Leo erupt, wobble, and vanish.
-"She'll be fine, she's the one I protected," the elf reached out and gently kicked
Tim in the ribs as he slept. - Come on, we're here.
In a little while we were already wandering through a small village into some
impenetrable wilderness. No, I could not call it a forest, such thickets were there.
Falling through the snow almost waist-deep, in a couple of minutes we soared into
the sky, leaving the snow-covered tree crowns under our feet.
Leo checked with the dispatcher and showed us the direction, while we laughed,
distracting each other at the dawn and getting caught up in small snowstorms on the sly.
Time in flight passed unnoticed, and as I looked around, I recognized the landscape
pictured in the photo from the director's folder. A rocky bluff on the edge of the forest, a
view of the big city, snow-covered trees all around.
A small one-story house stood almost on the edge of the bluff. Nearby towered a
billet for a signal fire.
We slowly lowered ourselves onto the cleared edge by the porch, lifting a layer of
snow from the ground that obscured everything around us for a moment.
-Who shoveled the snow? - I wondered.
-There's a landlord here. He's going to live with us," Tim waved his hand toward
the light in the window.
I raised my eyebrows, hummed, and we knocked on the door.
-Yes, yes," we heard a man's bass.
Leo turned the knob, and we entered. The room was small. To the left was a gas
stove, sink, countertop, and doors, apparently to the bathroom. To the right was a closet,
and in the back of the room was a huge bed with lots of pillows and blankets, like
something out of a princess on a pea tale.
In the center of the room was a round dining table, covered with a lace tablecloth.
The master of the house was seated upon it, looking us over from head to foot.
-"Morpheus," the big red cat introduced himself, stood up on all four paws, raised
his tail, and spread his broad wings, shocking us.
I stared at the cat like it was the first time I'd seen the magic whirlwind Miranda
used to send wildflowers across the room. I thought it was romantic.
-What are you doing up? - the cat asked in a disgruntled bass voice and jumped off
the table, nosing us in. - It'll be snowing, close the door, elf.
Leo shut the door gently, turning to the cat. We walked slowly into the room, set
our bags down, and stared at our landlord. The cat also looked at us with interest for a
while, but he got bored first:
-Do you want some tea? - he jumped on a chair behind the table and wrapped his
long furry tail around himself. - You must be freezing.
-Yeah," Miranda came to her senses. - Thank you," she smiled at our new
acquaintance.
-The kettle's over there," the cat wagged his tail toward the stove, and Miranda,
giggling stupidly, went to manage.
-Three weeks, then? - Morpheus asked. - Let me see the tasks," he nodded with his
pink nose at Tim's folder sticking out of his coat.
Tim placed the papers on the table, and the cat scrutinized the lines for several
minutes.
-I know about the fire, and I know about the ban on room shields, too. I know the
rest myself," he pawed the folder away from him and inhaled the aroma from the cup
Miranda had already placed in front of him. - Thanks, but I'd like some milk. I don't eat
that kind.
-I'm sorry, please! - Miranda cried out and rummaged through the cupboards.
-Don't be so formal with me, I'm not that old," snorted the cat unhappily.
 -How old? - I blurted, still looking at the big wings with bright red feathers with
interest.
-What should I call you? - Morpheus narrowed his yellow eyes at me.
-Kathy," I answered, blushing for my tactlessness.
The boys introduced themselves as well, while the cat nodded approvingly,
drinking milk from a deep saucer.
-First year, all right," he chided. - You'll help me with my business. Pity you
weren't sent this summer. There's more work to be done here.
-What kind of work? - Tim asked, holding the hot cup with both hands.
-The cat answered enigmatically, almost like Leo, looking out the window. - Take
your clothes off, there's nothing wrong with the heating.
It was a little hot, indeed. We put our coats and jackets in the closet, and put the
luggage in it.
-What's the closet for? - Tim asked. - You don't seem to need it.
-You, I'm still young," the cat corrected disgruntledly again, even quietly shushing
Tim. - I'm not the only one here, you've got to keep watch round the clock. There's
always somebody coming. Soldiers and kids all the time.
-I'll be sixty soon," Leo chuckled.
-I told you, kids," Morpheus said with a chuckle and stared out the window again
while Miranda and I looked at each other with a smile. - I'll give the briefing today, you
never know," he purred, and torn his yellow eyes from the window.
We sat down again at the table and stared at our neighbor attentively.
-Let's start with the most important thing," he flapped his wings, giving us a wave
of warm air, and folded them again. - That's where I sleep," one wing pointed to the
easy chair beside the bed, and we all chuckled and looked at each other. - You'll have to
fit in the bed. I don't know why they sent so many of you. Eldar had nowhere else to put
his trainees?
We shrugged, and Miranda asked:
-Who usually helps you?
 -One at a time so they can take shifts," Morpheus pointed with his wing at the
landscape outside the window. - You see that mountain opposite, above the city? That's
the next watch. And there," he held up his other wing, pointing to the opposite window.
- There's a high point above the forest.
We nodded, and the cat went on:
-We have to keep watch at all times. We'll take turns sleeping," said Morpheus. -
No protection, or we won't be found by delivery or any other ally," he poked the corner
of the table with his claw. - So we're always ready.
We were quiet for a while, pondering the prospect. I let my hair down and sighed
deeply, looking forward to resting.
-Wasn't it boring here? - I asked, and Morpheus laughed in his sweet bass voice:
-There is enough to do, but not all at once. I shall have time," he wagged his long
mustache enigmatically.
I did not understand him and frowned, and Tim inquired:
-And have you ever had to light a fire?
-Sometimes, child, sometimes," he licked his mustache from the drops of milk. -
I've been here hundreds of years, I've had it all. But not today either, I'm tired.
I bulged my eyes, trying to figure out what kind of winged cats lived for a few
hundred years. I remembered nothing from the textbooks, and I looked at the similarly
puzzled boys.
-Morphius," Miranda said softly, smiling modestly. - Maybe we'll be cheeky or
stupid, but I can't sleep without asking.
-What kind of animal am I? - The cat jumped on the table and raised its wings
solemnly.
-I was going to phrase it differently, but yes," Miranda was totally embarrassed,
and Leo came to her rescue:
-"We've never heard of winged cats, so we're a little shocked," he threw his long
hair back.
 - Cats?! - Morpheus hissed furiously and clawed at the tablecloth. - I'm not some
cat, you stupid elf!
I sat up straight, ready to settle the conflict.
-And who? - Leo asked calmly, not at all embarrassed and with a raised eyebrow.
He stared at Morpheus, not at all embarrassed by his hissing. The cat growled and sat
down on the table, proclaiming loudly:
-I am a hybrid of a cat and an eagle! The successful result of the only one of
thousands of experiments!
We looked at him with open eyes.
-And what are you called? - Tim asked cautiously.
-My father didn't have time to give a name, he was old. He folded his wings and
blew his nose proudly.
-Wonderful! - Miranda exclaimed in fascination. - You're a miracle, a magical
creature, the only one in the world!
-Yes," Morpheus purred, and he squinted his yellow eyes in pleasure. - So be it,"
he leaped gracefully into his chair with a flap of his wings. - breakfast yourselves, I've
been watching the fires all night," he paced in circles in one place, choosing how to lie
down, and with a yawn ordered us last: "Don't wake me, I'll get up myself.
We found some provisions in the cupboards, ate a bowl of fish stew, threw on our
coats, and went out into the yard, laughing at the curled-up sleeping master of the
house, who covered himself with his wings like a blanket.
-It's beautiful," Leo announced, admiring the view from the cliff and noisily
breathing in the clean mountain air.
Below us stretched a large city that reminded me a lot of Reality. The high-rises,
the factories, the wide streets, the hum. Everything here seemed familiar after six
months within the walls of the magic school. It seemed as if a Coca-Cola truck was
about to drive out from behind that house, all decked out in lights, and play the same
song. I couldn't help but smile broadly at the thought, and sighed deeply.
 I looked at the mountains from all sides, considered the two posts of the
neighboring duty officers, and noticed the lake in the distance. Tim and Leo,
meanwhile, were dealing with the fire, discussing why it didn't smell like kerosene.
-Faster to light," an exasperated Tim argued. - And where are the torches or
something to light it with? - he walked around the fire and found nothing.
-"You can do it with magic," Miranda answered calmly, and I laughed at his
stupidity.
-And the cat? - Tim raised his eyebrows without being embarrassed.
-He's the one to ask," I decided, and walked closer to the cliff.
The cliffs below looked down on me, and I was at once dizzy. How do I manage to
fly?
-What am I supposed to do here for three weeks? - Leo began to whine, who had
much more fascinating ideas about practice.
-"I have to work on my spells," suggested the industrious Miranda.
-"Study for exams," said Tim, who I knew had his encyclopedias and notes with
him.
-Drink! - I announced, to which Leo smiled broadly and said:
-Whatever.
After playing in the snow and at first warily glancing at the neighboring guard
posts, we quickly froze and returned to the house. No occupation could be thought of,
especially in the silence. So we left Miranda to prepare lunch and raced into the village.
Morpheus had not had time to tell us how often provisions were brought in, and we
found nothing in the headmaster's folder either. So when Miranda found nothing to eat
in the house except an exclusively feline menu of fish and sour cream, we decided to go
shopping.
The kingdom had just sent us an extra sack of dragon scales, enough for six
months' worth of Reality money. I was glad for the local paycheck, slipped a handful of
money into my coat pocket, and the boys and I soared into the clear blue sky.
 -On the next night only, once a year," someone whispered to me from behind the
counter.
The boys were choosing meat, arguing over which bird was better. I couldn't
pronounce the names of these animals, so I went to the window with the cakes and
drooled as I tried to decide.
-Yes, in the woods," whispered someone, I think to the dispatcher. - Morpheus'
lodge isn't far from there," I perked my ears up and widened my eyes so I could hear
better. - Frozen lake, yeah, in the woods. And that's the night you can see the future in
the reflection," I couldn't hear what the man was saying, no matter how hard I stared. -
How should I know, my own, I guess. How can we not go? What's so dangerous?
The voice drifted off into the back room, and Tim was already pushing me toward
the cash register. I thought and smiled as I ordered a cake and thought about the magical
lake in the woods.
The boys and I bought supplies and were soon warming up in our makeshift home.
-Miranda," I whispered, walking over to the stove where my friend was cooking. -
Would you like to know the future?
-What kind of nonsense is that? - she grinned, and I shushed her to be quiet.
-Would you? - I persisted, picturing my and Tim's love in the reflection of the
translucent magic ice.
-I don't know," Miranda placed the steaks on the plate and looked at me worriedly.
- What's the matter with you?
I glanced warily at the boys and Morpheus, who was sleeping funny on his back
with his wings spread and his paws up.
-I heard in the village that there's a lake nearby," Miranda frowned and picked up
the milk jug. - And that tonight you could see the future in it," I thought, laughing.
Really, what kind of nonsense is that? - Forget it," I shushed and helped my friend put
the plates on the table.
-It smells," murmured Morpheus sleepily, twitching his long mustache and
stretching out his claws on all four paws. - By the way, happy holiday, - the cat
gracefully jumped on the chair and smelled the meat in his plate, squinting with
pleasure.
-What's that? - I did not understand, and Leo squealed with joy:
-That's right! - He even jumped up with excitement and paced around the room,
forgetting about the food. - It's the night of the providence!
-What?" I bit into the meat. - What kind of providence?
-That night, according to legend, wizards can read the future, - explained the cat
with a stuffed mouth. - Some look into candlelit mirrors, others into water. In reflective
surfaces.
-And what? - I asked, trying to sound disinterested, without looking anyone in the
eyes. - Is it true? Can you see the future today?
Miranda looked at me with round eyes, and the cat answered vaguely:
-Well, rumors have been going around for years,‖ he licked his mustache and
glanced habitually at the nearby post outside the window. - They say that natural bodies
of water are best suited for such magic.
-Yeah?" I glanced at him and continued staring at my plate. - Aren't there any
around here?
-No!" said the cat, suddenly stern and narrowing his yellow eyes at me. - And
forget about it. It is not good to know the future.
-Why is that? - Tim was surprised as he cut the meat with a beautifully carved
knife. And where did the cat get such good utensils? I looked at the delicate plates in
ornate designs and the delicate cutlery.
-It's bad luck, that's all," Leo assured him, who was the fastest to finish his lunch
and was already washing his plate. - They say that those who see their future do not live
to see it.
-Yeah, I've heard that," Miranda nodded uncertainly, squinting at me.
-So it's customary to cover up all the mirrors on this night," Morpheus added. - Get
on with it, elf.
Leo squinted at the cat, but obeyed.
-What nonsense is that? - Tim laughed. - If it's just a legend, why be afraid?
 -Do you want to risk it? - The cat asked me ingratiatingly and began to lick his
plate. - Go ahead, just not in my house.
Tim hummed and stopped arguing, and I frowned.
-Let's get to work," Morpheus announced when everyone had eaten. - Today is the
big day. Before we feast," the cat shushed Leo, who was already rubbing his paws
together in anticipation. - We have work to do.
-I can do the first watch," the disappointed elf gasped.
-Business," the cat persisted, jumping down from his chair, pawing the room and
pawing the rug beside the bed.
There was a hatch under the rug, apparently to the closet. We all went a little
closer. The cat wiggled its whiskers mysteriously and nodded to Tim to open it. I
wondered more and more, but I had no idea what the cat was doing here.
Tim opened the trapdoor, and we walked down into the basement, poorly lit by
small lamps.
-What's that? - Leo was immediately proprietorily strolling through the imposing
size of the underground room.
-My business," the cat purred, and I followed Leo, looking at the cauldrons and
vats and bottles and spices. - I am a well-known manufacturer of alcoholic tinctures and
decoctions, and valerian drinks, - solemnly announced the cat in response to our
questioning glances and spread the hair on his tail.
-Drugs you make? - I was taken aback and sniffed at the mysterious pouches on the
shelves in the basement.
-I was wondering if I could smell the mysterious bags of drugs on the shelves in
the basement. - All safe and tested by many satisfied customers and time.
-Valerian? - I chuckled. - But it doesn't have the same effect on people as," I
hesitated, almost saying the word "cats.
-Who? - Morpheus arched his back. - I've worked out the ideal proportions of
alcohol, special herbs and extracts so that the effect is the same for everyone. But
enough of the theory.
 -You're not so simple, Morpheus," Leo admitted, sniffing a large vat of boiling
liquid inside. - What is it?
-Antipode flossomnia," the cat explained, winging the elf away from the vat. -
Chokes sleep for hours.
-"Energizer? - I wondered, sniffing at the liquid as well. It was the freshest, most
invigorating scent I'd ever encountered.
-I guess so," confirmed Tim, who was looking around warily.
Morpheus spent the next couple of hours explaining the special features of each
tincture, giving us recipes for potions, and hissing every time we couldn't remember
something.
The cat kept a strict eye on each product, supplying it to the village and even the
town below the cliff. It turned out he was quite popular. That's why he forbade putting
protective charms on the house.
-Where do you put the money? - Leo asked incredulously, already secretly tasting
potions from all the containers available to his dexterous fingers.
-Money? - the cat laughed. - Money's just the remains of dead dragons. Authority!
That's what I earn. There is not a man in the village who would refuse me a favor.
Anything I ask, anything I want, is found promptly and efficiently.
-How come the whole village is not drunk? - I chuckled.
-I do not have such a large turnover, - replied mysteriously cat. - People are
grateful to me and love my products. Consider me making them happier.
I laughed and the guys looked at each other with a chuckle, to which the cat
snorted and chose a bottle for tonight's festivities, promising that we would soon be one
of his fans.

-No, really, it's unbelievably good," Leo praised Morpheus with dilated pupils after
a couple of hours. - It's the best I've ever tasted!
-It's much better than wine with strange beasts," I affirmed as I downed another
glass of the sour-sweet and perfectly light concoction.
 -You kidding me? - Kidding? -Half-drunk cat, who we all praised so much, that we
even heard a quiet purr sometimes, pouted. - Wine! Wine from grapes, a fruit from
Reality, and they know nothing about alchemy there.
-Which concoction is that? - Miranda, who was already red-faced and had gone
outside to break ice a couple of times, asked. I knew there was no such thing as pure ice,
and the sorceress simply whispered a spell that made the frozen water crystal. - From
irrigation and grains of black dacius?
-Smart girl," Morpheus praised her.
-Aren't you afraid the recipes will be stolen from you by those who helped you? -
asked Tim, who was trying not to get drunk. He was the one we decided to keep on
night watch. Leo wouldn't be able to keep a close eye on the fires anymore, because he
couldn't take his eyes off his glass.
Morpheus laughed and exclaimed:
-No, I don't take money. And why should they, to sell what I give for free?
Besides, I also have secret ingredients that I add personally and have not yet revealed to
anyone.
-Love, right? - I joked, and the cat chuckled and smiled enigmatically:
-Let there be love, Kathryn.
I looked at Tim, who was looking out the window, and couldn't take my eyes off of
him for a long time.
-I'm going to get some ice.
I got up from the table, threw on my fur coat, and walked out into the yard. The
silence of the winter night filled me all at once.
I couldn't see any stars, and the sky was covered with thick clouds. The city below
glowed with thousands of lights, as if winking at me. The forest behind me rustled its
branches, making me cringe. A billet for the fire awaits its fateful hour. Tim in the
living room isn't thinking about me.
-Kathy," the door slammed, and Miranda followed me out the door. - Are you
crying? - She always saw right through me. The great sorceress.
-He said he knew," I said, surprised at myself. - That I was the princess.
 Miranda stared at me thoughtfully, apparently diving back into the memory of the
dance with Leo.
-So he didn't care, right? - I sniffed my nose.
-I don't know," Miranda put her arm around my shoulders, trying to comfort me. -
But he did, didn't he?
-Yes, on the train," I said. - Leo's pretending it didn't happen?
-Sure," Miranda grinned sadly. - But, you know, I do, too. I pretend I don't care.
And then, at the masquerade, I didn't care. I was dancing with a great guy, and I was
spinning and laughing, but I didn't care. And not with Tim, either," she took a deep
breath. - I always wanted to dance only with Leo.
The door creaked open. The green elf eyes stare at us long and still. I'm silent,
trying to fall through the ground and leave them alone. Miranda is silent as well,
apparently figuring out if the elf heard her last words or not.
-Are you coming? - he finally asked, shivering from the cold, in a calm voice. -
The cat's getting a refill. Now we'll try valerian.
-Miranda gave Leo a gentle nudge, and I followed after a second.
-Are those drugs or not? - I tried to change the mood that was ringing in the air.
I knew for a fact that Leo had heard us, because he reeked strongly of magic. Not
angry, not aggressive, but tensely repressed.
I knew that no one else was affected by our mood swings; even Tim had a solid
shield. He's a better magician than I am. And because of that, I was the only one who
knew what was in my dear friend's heart.
Miranda's crystal was taking all of her energy, but I didn't need the magic
fluctuating in the air to know that she was upset, too.
-None of my products is addictive," the cat didn't manage to jump into the chair the
first time, and we all suppressed a chuckle, which quickly defused the atmosphere. -
Unless it's gastronomic!
-So how does valerian work on a person? - asked Tim, who refused to try the new
tincture in order to follow the fires. Morpheus agreed to sit till morning, remembering
that we are from the road. - Relaxing?
 -That's not the word, child, not the word," the cat watched as Miranda modestly
poured a few drops for everyone, fearing the consequences.
I remembered Reality. Hookahs. All in citrus smoke. Cocktails in hollowed
glasses. The measured ringing of a shaker. Half-dark bars. Soccer on the big screen. The
screams of the fans. I had a lot to be bored of.
But isn't it wonderful to sit at the same table with a talking winged cat and the
person I love? And drinking magic concoctions while laughing about war and school.
And wondering what would happen to us next.
I drank the tincture in a gulp, feeling the tranquility coursing through my veins.
Nothing bad would happen. Nothing dangerous. Everything would be fine.
What was that, a tranquilizer? No, I didn't feel sleepy at all. It just took away all
the excitement and fears. Life seemed beautiful and carefree, and the future seemed
bright and fabulous.
The future.
-They're asleep, Tim's outside," I whispered to Miranda, who was washing glasses,
after a while.
Leo was sprawled all over the bed and snoring loudly. Morpheus looked his exact
replica in his chair. Tim announced that he definitely wasn't going to sleep outside and
went out into the yard.
-Do you really want to watch? - Miranda asked, setting the glasses out to dry. -
And if you don't see what you want to see? - She looked at me skeptically.
-"I will," I thought I drank too much Valerian. - I'm sure I will. - My knees were
shaking with anticipation.
Miranda sighed, put out the light, and we dashed out of the house and into the air.
-There it is, there it is! - I squeaked after a few minutes, noticing in the distance a
shining mirror among the crowns of snow-covered trees.
We walked down to the shore and looked out over the dark forest around the
frozen water. I listened to myself for a few moments, because some strange sensation
enveloped me. After a minute, I realized what it was. It was a feeling of emptiness.
 -What is it? - Miranda asked, making me feel even more scared. - How? It couldn't
be!
She was quickly panicking, and I finally realized what had happened.
There was no magic.
Or rather, there was, but as if blocked. I could feel it beating inside me, but the
power had definitely stopped flowing into the crystal and was surging outward. It
became scary.
-I can't get the fire started," Miranda almost cried. - I can't do it, how can I do it? I
can't fly!
I panicked for seconds.
-Calm down," I breathed out and took her by the shoulders. - It's just some kind of
glitch. We must have had too much to drink.
I knew it wasn't, because I couldn't get off the ground, either, and I was just
bouncing funny, just like I used to do in Reality.
What's going on?
-Did the cat poison us? Drained the magic? - Miranda was starting to go crazy with
fear. She looked around and listened cautiously to the sound of the forest.
-No, why would he do that? Miranda. Relax, let's just go, shall we?
-I've heard," the witch frowned, glaring sternly at me. - I've never heard of such
places where the elements rage," I frowned back. - Nature is so overpowering there that
it suppresses magic there. I wrote an essay on the subject.
-Do you think the lake suppresses magic? - I gaped, still trying unsuccessfully to
get airborne.
-The lake! - Miranda shrieked, and the birds cawed in the distance. - Exactly! It's
the source of nature's power... providence," she walked slowly toward the frozen water,
muttering incoherently. - The night of providence... no magic... the future... that's right.
-What? What's right? - I gasped as I followed my friend through the drifts, who
was already standing on a block of ice, staring into it without blinking.
-"The night of providence," she whispered softly, not taking her gaze off the lake. -
Leo told me that.
 Remembering exactly what Leo had said, I looked in the frozen mirror, too.

-NOT! NO! - A boy of about ten was running headlong through the autumn forest.
Ahead of him a huge wyvern was clawing at a young girl. There was blood everywhere.
- Let her go! LET HER GO!
The boy braked a few feet away from the monster, lifting yellow leaves into the air.
The wyvern slowly pulled its huge claws from the girl's mangled body and looked up at
him.
A growl. Such that the trees slowly rippled. The boy grabbed a rock and threw it at
the wyvern, enraging it completely. There was another growl.
In a panic, the boy turned and threw himself into the thicket of the forest, tearing
at his clothes with the branches and scratching until he was bleeding.
The picture was hazy, as if beneath the ice, in the water itself, I could see what was
happening, but I couldn't get away from him.
Little Leo's face, all teary and bloody, bounded me and wouldn't let go. I watched
and watched as he ran, escaping death.
The tree branches were breaking under the monster's paws. It caught up with the
boy with incredible speed. And it caught up.
A sweep of its clawed paw.
Blood. Blood everywhere.
Leo lay face up, unmoving, staring glassy-eyed into the eyes of the monster, which
was already soaring indifferently into the sky.

I staggered and sat painfully on the ice, losing my balance. The picture didn't go
away for a while, the winter night forest and Miranda in the distance coming through
slowly, as if I'd been in a deep sleep. My heart was beating so hard that I could feel it
move under my clothes.
 I blinked a little, and then I came to my senses. I found Miranda, and all I could
see was a big crack in the ice, and she plunged into the water with a loud splash.
Stupor.
I shrieked so that I thought the ice would shatter into tiny pieces.
I crawled with my hands and feet over the slippery ice to the abyss where my
friend was splashing, trying desperately to hold on to the edges of the ice.
She walked several meters across the ice before it cracked. I, on the other hand,
was flat for an interminably long time.
After making a few unsuccessful passes with my fingers and whispering every
spell I could remember, I finally fell into despair.
The magic wasn't working.
Fear shackled me for a moment. I didn't know what to do, and I just stared at my
friend with my eyes widening in horror.
Miranda gasped for air with her hands and answered me with a glassy-eyed look. I
couldn't crawl closer and grab her hand, because there were so many cracks underneath
me, too.
I stared at her helplessly for a few seconds, then started crawling back, hoping to
find a stick or something. It seemed like seconds turned into hours, so long I slid across
the ice to the shore, hearing only the splash of water under my friend's hands.
The stick, the branch. The stick!
There was a terrible crack.
I jerked, rolling onto my back. Who's there?! It was Tim breaking the ice with a
huge axe, already knee-deep in water. Leo was hurtling toward us across the ice with
such speed that his magic seemed to be working at full force.
As he neared me, he dropped to his stomach and slowly crawled forward, holding
out his hand to Miranda. It was still impossible to reach her, but the wizard managed to
stay afloat and stay under the ice.
In a panic, I continued to crawl toward the shore, hoping to do something to help
Tim. When I reached him, he was already waist-deep in water, continuing to break the
thin blocks of ice and gradually getting closer to the guys.
 At my frightened look he only barked:
-To the shore!
I slipped on the ice and stood in the snow, shaking hands covering my face. I
couldn't look. I was afraid Leo would fall through, too. I sighed and looked around. A
stick! Some kind of stick!
Time seemed to stand still. Only images of drowning friends swirled in my head.
Tim was quickly breaking the ice, standing up to his chest in the icy water. Leo
crawled away from him, keeping afloat on a large chunk of ice, and already managing
to grab Miranda's hand.
The chunks of ice were floating away. Tim grabbed Leo's other arm and started
dragging the guys to shore.
I rushed toward them with an incredible desire to kiss all of them, especially
Miranda, who was shaking violently and pulling off her soggy hat.
Tim's icy hand stopped me, which he commented sternly and coldly, with a fat
note of anger:
-You'll get wet,‖ and began to take off his jacket.
Miranda quickly threw off her wet clothes, too, leaving only the thin dress she'd
been wearing running around the house. Leo took off his short brown sheepskin coat
and threw it over her, hugging her warmly.
I gathered things from the snow, which quickly drenched the sleeves of my coat.
Leo didn't let go of Miranda for a while, kissing her hair and muttering something
to her relentlessly. Tim was shaking with a big shiver from the cold.
We walked back in silence. Even the forest seemed to have stopped whispering.
Silent and laughing silently at us. I cried silently.
Tim didn't look at me at all. As he always did when he was angry.
-Idiot! - was the greeting for us on the porch of the house. Morpheus flew around
the house like a rabid bird and cursed loudly, flapping his wings furiously and cursing
us with the last words.
The boys didn't say anything but led us inside the house. Leo ran a hot bath and
escorted Miranda in, shutting the doors quietly behind her. Tim changed into his dry
clothes and waited his turn, sipping from the large cups of tea I'd boiled with a flick of
my fingers.
Yes, the magic was working again.
When everyone had warmed up and recovered from the shock, we went to bed just
as silently, and Morpheus remained on duty, sniffing furiously.
The cat gave us four big blankets, and we wrapped ourselves in them. Leo hugged
Miranda tightly over the blankets, and she fell asleep instantly. I couldn't stop thinking
about what I'd seen in the lake and how I'd almost lost my friends, and I only passed out
in the morning when Tim's sleeping hand gently rested on mine.

-I knew that axe would come in handy," the cat's voice broke through my light
sleep. It was already blooming outside the window. - It wasn't the first time someone
had fallen through the ice.
-Were they staring? Or looking for that future in the depths? - Tim's voice was
sleepy and sounded very close to me.
-The legends say they see and can't tear themselves away,‖ the cat answered with a
stuffed mouth. - But I think they do. They walk and stare, trying to see something. But
the ice is thin.
-Thank you, Morpheus," Leo's suppressed voice was a little hoarse. - If it weren't
for you...
-Don't talk nonsense, elf," the cat threw back. - I knew at once that Kathryn knew
something about the lake. At dinner she was asking questions and hiding her eyes. She
was still asking questions at dinnertime, hiding her eyes.
I grunted and sat up in bed, rubbing my nose against Tim's back.
Tim stood up, still not looking at me. Leo shifted his eyebrows and stared at his
plate. Miranda was still asleep.
-I'll dispense with the lecture," Morpheus told me in a teacher's tone. - But you'll
have to explain yourself to Tim and Leonardo.
-How is she? - I ignored the cat and looked at Miranda.
 -"She's burning up," Leo muttered back. - We're going to the village for medicine
now.
-God," I burst into tears.
-Don't cry," Tim, who seemed to be secretly watching me, immediately interrupted
me.
-It's my fault," I crumpled, falling onto the bed and still staring at my pale friend. I
touched my forehead, it was burning.
-"No one's blaming you," Tim said softly and unexpectedly. - No one blames you,"
Tim answered me in a sudden soft voice. And you didn't fail.
I took the cup of tea from him with trembling hands and wiped away my tears. The
guilt seemed to crush me. It seemed I would never repay Miranda for what had
happened.
-The cat was dictating to Leo the names of some ointments and herbs he was going
to use to make healing concoctions.
I remembered everything that Rowenta had told me these six months, but her
material was more about war and wounds than about hypothermia and colds.
-What's wrong with her? - I asked the boys, grudgingly.
-I hope she's too cold," Leo told me. - But Morpheus had other theories.
I glared at the cat, but he just scowled and remained silent, studying Miranda with
his yellow eyes.
-"That's for later," he muttered after a while. - I hope I'm wrong.
The boys got dressed and said their goodbyes, and Tim gave me one last confused
look:
-"Stay home, okay? - he just said, and then he took off into the sky in a swarm of
snowflakes.
I cried some more, and then I put down my breakfast. My hands were shaking, my
eyes were watery, and my head was a mess.
-You don't think she saw the future and is dying now, do you? - I asked Morpheus
quietly, tired of the silence.
 Кот посмотрел на меня странным взглядом, прыгнул к Миранде на постель и
задумчиво произнес, глядя на девушку:
-Do you believe in legends, Catherine?
-Yes," I answered immediately, remembering the little bloody Leo.
-Where did you get that answer? - the cat said, keeping his eyes on Miranda.
-Morpheus," I took a deep breath and decided to tell the truth. - I saw.
The cat kept looking at Miranda for a while, then jumped on the chair in front of
me and asked seriously, looking into my eyes:
-What did you see?
I was silent, not knowing where to begin. The cat didn't prompt me, just glared at
me with yellow eyes.
-The past," I finally answered, looking at him warily.
-I wonder," Morpheus concluded, twitching his moustache enigmatically. - Is it
yours?
-No," I covered my face with my hands. - Leo.
-I wondered," he repeated, narrowing his eyes. - Weren't you going there to see
your future?
-Yes, but," I hesitated, trying to reconstruct the picture in my head. - Before I
looked into the water, I thought of him.
-That's right," the cat seemed to know my answer, and just wanted me to tell it to
myself. - You wished for Leonardo, and that's what you saw. Why the past and not the
future?
-I don't know," I thought about his question, analyzing everything that had
happened. - I tried to remember his words.
-That is, what was," the cat confirmed. - And I saw what was. Something strange?
New? Or what you wanted?
-What I wanted," I agreed. - What I'd been wondering about for a long time. What
I saw was the answer to a question I'd asked him once.
The cat relaxed a little and stared thoughtfully out the window.
 -So I could see anything I wished for? - I asked him uncertainly, warming my
hands on the hot cup.
-Yes, you could," he confirmed after a short pause. - The legends don't lie. You can
see the future in the night of providence. But only if you want to see it. You looked into
the water and thought about Leonardo and his past. And the lake showed you what you
asked for.
-But," I looked at Miranda for a long time before I asked. - If I saw the past, am I
safe? And if Miranda looked into the future, then...
-We don't know what she looked," the cat interrupted me and sighed. - Don't be so
hasty, Kathryn.
-Yes," I calmed down a little and let myself revel in hope.
-I'll make the healing potions, the boys will be back soon," Morpheus announced
with a sigh and retreated into the basement, which reeked of strange aromas.
I stared at my friend for a moment, praying to the gods that she would recover. I
didn't know what to do with myself. My nerves were on edge.
-Kathy," a faint voice made me jump up.
-Don't get up," I sat down next to Miranda and stroked her hair. She didn't look
well, but she came to her senses and looked at me with an almost sober expression. -
Are you okay?
-Good," Miranda tried to sit up, and I propped her up with more pillows and gave
her some hot tea. - Is it supposed to be bad?
-No," I answered plausibly, and looked at my friend.
The bruises under her eyes were almost black, and her eyes were not shining. Her
face was drained, as if she had been sick for days.
-Where is everyone? - she asked, sipping her tea.
-The boys rushed to the village, you need medicine, - at a frightened look of her
friend, I immediately added: - You're too cold, it's better to be protected. And the cat
brews tinctures.
-No, I feel well, - she answered surprisingly. - Is there any breakfast left?
 Hunger is good. I forbade my friend to get up and served her a plate right in bed. I
sat down next to her and continued to study her face.
-Did you see? - she asked after a while, not looking up at me.
-No," I lied, determined to keep Leo's secret to himself. - You collapsed in the
water, and I wasn't interested in any reflection.
Miranda sighed disappointedly and continued to eat, ignoring my questioning look.
-Won't you tell me? - I didn't give her a chance.
Miranda stared at me for a few moments. Then she sighed and said:
-I saw my death. Here, by the gatehouse.

A cold wave went through my whole body, my gaze clouded with terror. I wanted
to scream, to call for the cat, the guys, the gods, and my mother all at once.
-I only remember a saber-toothed tiger, a demon," my friend told me quietly. - He
had a spell, some kind of magical needles. One hit me. The picture was blurry, I
couldn't see anything else, and then the ice broke.
I didn't know what to say.
-Why didn't the magic work? - Miranda asked, almost indifferently, after a few
interminable seconds.
-Because of the night of providence," I let it out. - I'll tell Morpheus you're awake.
I jumped up and rolled down the stairs into the basement, startling the cat, who
was sprinkling some glowballs into the vat from the bag in his teeth.
-What else? - he asked grudgingly, spitting out the sack and dropping his tail,
which was flared up with fright.
-She saw," I murmured, pressing my hand against my bruised ribs as I turned. -
The future. Her death. Here.
The cat stared at me, but he pulled himself together and thought:
-"Here is good," he said quietly.
-What? What is it? - I was pounding, and my foresight was about to come true at
any second.
 -That it's coming, and I'll help you avoid it all," the cat spread his wings and
flapped them at the cauldron, blowing off the glowing purple foam.
-How? - I got my hopes up.
-We know what's going to happen, and when.
-"So," I answered, pouring the potion into the bottle at the cat's nod.
-So we'll protect Miranda, and the prophecy won't come true, and that's it," the cat
headed up the stairs.
-Are you sure? - I asked doubtfully. - Is it going to work?
-It will work, I've done it before," he admitted embarrassedly. - It's important that
Miranda doesn't know about our plan.
-And why is that? - I wondered. - I want her to be careful.
-Don't," Morpheus snapped, stopping to hiss at me. - That way providence won't
come true and she'll die some other way. We must convince her that it's a fairy tale and
that she's in no danger. I'll tell her that the valerian tincture causes hallucinations.
We went upstairs and I gave Miranda the potion, which immediately made her feel
refreshed. And the laughing cat poked and prodded her for about half an hour and called
her a junkie.
He told horror stories about his customers and their hallucinations. Then he
convincingly stated that all she had seen was bullshit. And that he wouldn't let her drink
any more.
I listened, trying to force a believable smile, and Miranda looked more alert with
every word the cat said and every sip of the healing potion.
-"I'm going out for some air," I announced after a while, leaving the cat to amuse
my friend. I wanted to intercept the boys before they entered the house.
I stomped in the snow on the porch for a while, wondering what words to use to
keep Leo's heart from stopping. After a few minutes, I smelled magic and looked up
into the sky.
The boys were on their way down to the house. Tim had a full backpack hanging
behind him, and Leo's mood was shaking my magic shield more than ever before. And
that shaking was fear.
 -She's awake? - The elf caught onto me, almost knocking me down as soon as his
feet touched the ground, and I pulled the boys away from the window of the hut.
-Leo, I don't know how to tell you," I stuttered, searching for words, and the elf
grew pale by the second.
-To you? Why just Leo? - Tim didn't understand.
-You," I muttered.
-"You," I muttered. "Tell it like it is," Leo said, and I thought he was getting ready.
He looked at me with a stony face.
-"Just don't interrupt, it's not that bad," I assured the guys, adjusting the hood of my
coat with trembling hands. - Miranda saw the future. Morpheus said it meant she was
going to die.
The boys stared at me, green in the face. I held my palms out in front of them,
giving them a sign not to panic:
-But she saw exactly how it's going to happen, and the cat says this way we can
prevent it.
-What?" Leo began pacing back and forth, stomping through the drifts with quick
strides. - How?
-The cat said he'd done it before, and since we know the circumstances of her
death," That creepy word gave me a chill, but I sighed and forced myself to continue. -
If she thinks it's all unrealistic, we can prepare ourselves and protect her.
-And that's it? - Leo asked in a disbelieving hoarse voice.
-Morphius says it is," I assured him, hugging him by the shoulders. - If this
particular incident doesn't happen, then everything will be fine.
-So? How? - Tim muttered uncertainly.
-Demon. A saber-toothed tiger. And a spell-needle," I answered, sighing.
-Where would there be demons? - Leo was indignant. - Enemy or ours?
-I don't know," I whispered. - She didn't say anything else.
-And you? You didn't see anything, did you? - Tim asked me, coming close.
-No," I let out, looking at Leo sideways, which, of course, he noticed right away. -
I didn't," I said again, looking boldly into the elf's eyes and pushing Tim away from me.
 -I'll talk to Morpheus and give him the medicine," he announced with a sigh and
walked into the hut, and Leo grabbed my sleeve:
-What did you see? - he asked sternly as Tim shut the door behind him.
I resisted the piercing stare for a few moments, but broke down as I always did:
-You and the wyvern," I whispered, trying to fall to the ground.
-I see," he said, but I could see the shivers creeping up on him. - Come on, no time
for scary stories," and he pushed me toward the door to the cabin.

-It's like deja vu," Morpheus whispered to us deep into the night as Miranda fell
asleep. - The wrestlers came here a few decades ago, young, just like you.
The cat looked confused and upset, and we listened in silence in the darkness of
the small room.
-Her name was Erika," the cat sucked in air noisily. - So mischievous, nimble. Of
course, she went to the lake, too. She came back all frightened, and lay down on her
knees and begged to be rescued. Well, what did I...
-Did you know how to help? - Tim whispered.
-I didn't know anything," muttered the cat. - Only that you see the future - you die,
- he sighed. - What could I tell her? Tell her to say goodbye to her loved ones?
-And how is she? - I didn't say enough.
-Wild wolf, - replied the cat. - Had to tear her apart. And what am I against the
wolf? And what am I against fate? - Morpheus whispered in a breakdown. - She wanted
to run, to hide. But that wasn't the answer, either. If it's the end, it's the end. That's what
I thought at the time.
-What happened next? - Tim asked cautiously.
Morpheus was silent for a minute, looking at the tablecloth.
-She didn't want to die, I swear. She didn't want to die, I swear. And she was
scared. So was I. But as the days went by, something had to be done. I didn't know what
to do. I persuaded her to write farewell letters, a will. And promised that I would do
everything I could!
 I looked at the boys and saw the same intention in their faces.
-When that day came, and I saw the wolf, I got goosebumps. - You should have
seen the fear on her face. She immediately fell to her knees, and was paralyzed with
terror. I, of course, flew out the window, let's shout at him. But what could I...
We held our breath.
-And the wolf, look, switched to me. It must have been more fun for him to catch a
bird. I took him aside, and clutched at him. He was just about to wake up, and she
stunned him with a spell, and that was the end of it. Only managed to break my wing,
the bastard.
-Wow...
-And not flying, guys, that's a life of its own. Oh, it took a long time to heal. The
worst part was that it was unclear if this was the solution, and if there was still danger
for Erika. But no. She's living now, raising her grandchildren. And that was the end of
it.
-So it would be for Miranda," Leo summed up coldly.
The next few days passed on strained nerves. We prepared a strategy for Miranda
to stay in the house, no matter what happened. She said she died on the porch, which
meant that by keeping her in the house, we were enveloped in the illusion of safety.
Morpheus suppressed all her impulses to take a walk or get some air, describing
the terrible symptoms of the various diseases he had seen in centuries of his life. And he
asserted that warmth and rest were the perfect winter practice for a student.
Miranda laughed back and went back to bed, either buried in her books or looking
at her neighbor's duty posts or suggesting that we play cards again.
The boys and I kept secret surveillance of the forest and set little magic traps that
would work if they were disturbed by some magic.
We repeated spells every day, practiced them on the trees in the forest, secretly
from Miranda, and honed our defense against demon spells.
Humans and animals were no match for our traps, so Morpheus successfully sold a
couple of small cases of tinctures every day.
 Each time, customers brought gifts and asked when they could come back again.
The cat gladly accepted blankets, paintings, carved vessels, and provisions and
promised that production would go faster by spring.
Morpheus brewed an arsenal of potions for Miranda that quickly made her more
alert. Her complexion was quite healthy in a few days, and she herself claimed we were
fooling around.
She repeatedly suggested that we all take medication, because we were all wet and
cold that night. But Leo was still wheezing until Miranda made him drink the Morpheus
syrup and put it in his tea. The elf's throat cleared quickly, and he went on to claim that
no medicine had ever been needed. We only laughed in response.
On the seventh day of practice we played cards half the night, brazenly cheating
and making the loser drink a shot of some black tincture, whose recipe Morpheus
refused to reveal to us.
The cat kept an eye on the fires, and the boys and I kept an eye on the magic traps,
so we were hardly drunk from the exertion. Miranda didn't lose, since she'd been
sneaking spells on the cards.
I threw the cards on the table, listened to the company's taunts about who was
losing the most tonight, and drank the black liquid. Then I put the shot glass on the table
and suddenly shuddered with a magical warning wave that traveled through my body.
The trap slammed shut.
Tim and Leo felt it, too, and jumped to their feet as if on cue. The boys and the cat
and I looked at each other dumbfoundedly for a few moments, then Tim suggested
inappropriately to Leo:
-Come on, let's discuss New Year's gifts," and the guys flew out into the street,
forgetting about the sheepskin coats.
-What are you talking about? - Miranda didn't understand, and I jumped up too,
even though I knew they weren't expecting me at the door. - Get dressed! - she shouted,
but the boys were far away.
We'd set the traps a few dozen yards from the house, so we'd know the demon was
coming. I panicked for a while, looking out the window and completely ignoring my
friend's questions. Then I heard an inaudible noise and growl from the street and rushed
into the yard.
-Lay in bed, you can not yet! - I heard the cat yell behind me, following Miranda
out the back, but she was already in the yard, too.
The scene before us was terrifying.
The tiger, the size of a giant elephant, was baring its meter-long fangs at the boys,
who were retreating toward the house and firing various spells at it. Tom didn't seem to
care about anything, and the demon was on the offensive, snarling and swashing magic
needles at the guys.
I stood in a stupor for a second, then I threw a couple of fireballs at the tiger. Then
Miranda's squeal deafened us all. My ears perked up, and the ground beneath my feet
vibrated violently.
I'd never seen such powerful magic. Not before or since that day.
The screech of the sorceress made all the nearby trees bend to the ground, branches
whirling, and the snow soared in the air, enveloping us in a white blizzard. I saw almost
nothing for a few seconds as the wave settled, and the ground continued to shake
beneath me.
Then I could make out the figures of the boys, and I was immediately thrown onto
my back by a wave of magic of incredible power, not allowing me to take a step. My
back crunched and I howled in pain. My eyes were a mess, everything pale from the
impact. I didn't know where the guys were, where the demon was, or what was going
on.
I fought through the pain to sit up and look around.
There was a flash of light.
Miranda stopped screaming and put both hands out in front of her. The protective
shields on all of us, even her own, burst at the same time. Leo and Tim were thrown to
the ground. The cat was carried somewhere toward the walls of the house.
The entire front of the house was illuminated by the blinding light that emanated
from the defensive wall of staggering power that now stood between the tiger and the
boys. The ground ceased to vibrate, only the flickering bright light creating some
movement in this silent scene.
After a moment we all jumped up, and the cat began to fly around us, shouting
something and waving its wings furiously.
-Lower the shield! - Leo shouted to Miranda, trying to block out the measured hum
of the magic wave that drowned out all sound. - He's not going away, and he's not going
away, it's a morass! Killer! You'll waste a lot of energy, but the shield will have to go,
Miranda, please!
I heard him through the words, clamping my hands over my ears and squinting my
eyes against the light. After a few moments, it was pitch black.
Miranda lowered the protective wall.
She could hear the demon growl as it lunged at Leo, trying to sink its fangs into
him.
The elf ducked nimbly for a moment, ducking up and down as Tim and I shot at it
with our spells, unsuccessfully, and Miranda fought off the cat who was trying so hard
to get her inside, flapping his wings at her and keeping her from fighting.
-Morphius, let go! - I just heard a shriek that seemed to tear my ears apart, and
everything was gone.
I looked back and saw Miranda hurtling toward the tiger, heating some kind of
spell in her hands that made the snow around her very hot and melted instantly.
But she didn't make it in time. In slow motion, I saw the murderous needle flying
toward her past my face, blowing my hair to the sides. If we'd had our shields on us, it
would have been all right, but they were blown away by the shock power of the
frightened girl's protective wall.
I watched as the needle plunged into Miranda's stomach, and a fireball burst from
her hands and scattered the demon into dust.
Leo roared like a beast, and, no longer having an enemy to avenge, he lunged for
Miranda, who fell to the bare ground, still hot from the magic.
 I, Tim, and the cat rushed toward them, too. Leo was screaming in his voice,
clutching the thin wound with his hands, the blood oozing unstoppable. The cat rushed
into the house, fanning my hair with its huge wings.
Miranda was lying on Leo's lap, her eyes fixed on him in love, apparently already
saying goodbye to life.
A few seconds later Tim was helping the cat dab some kind of stinky slurry
(Morpheus had prepared for the demon, too) onto gauze and slipping it into Leo's hands.
He didn't seem to know what was going on anymore. He just howled loudly and
clutched Miranda's bleeding wound with his hands.
-In the basement, green jar, Kathryn! - the cat shrieked, watching as the bleeding
didn't stop.
I rushed into the house, stumbling at every step. The blood pounded in my temples,
my hands were out of my head, and my legs were shaky. I couldn't think.
I grabbed a jar of what looked like the description, ran upstairs, tripping on the
threshold of the house and sweeping the still hot ground with my nose.
Tim ran up to me, set me on my feet in one motion, and dragged me to Miranda. I
collapsed on my knees beside her and stared as Leo poured the strange liquid into the
deep wound. The blood immediately shrank, as if it had evaporated.
The elf tore the dress on the girl's stomach in one motion and proceeded to pour the
potion directly on the wound, muttering something incomprehensible that reminded me
of the word "live" repeated in a circle.
The cat kept circling above us, watching the effects of the potion. Tim supported
Miranda's head.
I rushed back into the house and found a clean basin. I half-filled it with water and
boiled it with a flick of my fingers. I poured the other half cold and rushed outside,
where it was noticeably colder after the beating.
As I ran, I splashed half the water on the floor and almost fell twice, slipping. But I
got something, and even grabbed a clean towel.
-Was it soaked yet? - I asked Leo and handed him the basin.
 -Yes," he wiped the remains of blood from Miranda's abdomen and examined the
wound, which now looked almost healed. The skin had fused together, there was no
more blood. Only the pink, swollen scar told us that there had been a wound there a
minute ago. We exhaled, and I burst into belated sobs.
-Are you alive? - Leo asked Miranda, who was still smiling at him. She smiled
even wider, and the elf carried her into the house in his arms. There he laid Miranda
gently on the bed, sat down beside her, and asked quietly:
-I told you not to be afraid for me," he whispered. - What have you done?
-I was frightened," said Miranda, not at all embarrassed by our observation. - Your
shield's all messed up.
-Leo stroked Miranda's cheek with his bloody hand.
-I'll change her," I said, rummaging through the closet and tossing the boys a pack
of magic cigarettes.
-Thanks," Leo exhaled, and they walked out into the courtyard without their
clothes on.
-I'm not looking," the cat turned away to the window by the bed, and I, trying not
to move my friend, carefully pulled off the rest of her dress and put on a clean one.
-Now you'll live," the cat said without turning around.
-"It doesn't matter," Miranda whispered back.

We sat around the table all night, recovering from the shock and getting drunk. I
didn't get drunk until Morpheus pointed me to a narrow, carved bottle of something
strong and very popular.
The street was in chaos. Scorched earth framed the porch of the house in an oval.
The trees were piled on top of each other like a fallen fence. There were demon claw
marks on the ground and a pool of blood near the steps, which I swiftly cleaned up as
soon as I saw it, with the palm of my hand.
 Tim cleaned up the house, waving his hands and chanting a simple spell. The cat
put the medicine in its place and fetched the booze. I heated dinner and put it on the
table.
Leo stayed close to Miranda, quietly discussing something with her. The girl was
smiling and looked perfectly happy, stroking the elf's hands now and then whispering
something in his ear.
But after an hour, life seemed to be in order.
-I've never seen a shield like that before, I confess," Morpheus almost shouted as
he poured a drink from his saucer. We were still on adrenaline and kept interrupting
each other, discussing what had happened.
-Great! - announced Leo every time someone praised Miranda's magical power,
and she got embarrassed and blushed.
-"I've never seen magic like that, ever," I assured the boys, hungry and munching
on a meat pie. - I didn't even know it could happen. The ground would burn and the
trees would fall.
-I can do better than that," Miranda squeaked back modestly.
-Why did you even leave the house? - The cat was furious, unable to control the
terrified witch. - I said stay down. No, she runs into the fray, no matter how much I flap
my wings at her.
-My friends were attacked by a demon," she protested resentfully.
-But you saw what kind of demon it was in the lake," Leo said angrily. - What the
hell were you doing attacking it?
Miranda's eyes slammed shut and she didn't say anything.
-"You haven't been having much luck lately," Tim concluded, inebriated.
And you'd sit in the house and watch us get mauled by a saber-toothed tiger? -
Miranda pounced on him, furrowing her brow in anger.
-I wouldn't go into the scary dark woods at night to play peek-a-boo," Tim snorted
back, and Leo nodded quickly, getting the ends of his hair dirty in the pie.
-Whoa, whoa," Miranda snorted and went to wash the dishes, and I jumped up to
her and asked in her ear:
 -What else did you mean by 'it doesn't matter'? Don't you dare say such stupid
things! Leo was about to lose his mind, and so were we all.
-That's why it doesn't matter," she said with a faint smile. - See how things have
changed? He looks at me differently.
I smiled. Of course I did. And the dilated pupils of the green elf's eyes, and the
tender look in his eyes when it was all over.
-It's going to be different now, isn't it? - Miranda asked me in a whisper.
I looked back at the elf, who was waving his arms and telling the cat and Tim the
story of Miranda's early years, when she'd already managed to demonstrate her power to
others.
-What was it like before? - asked her.
-Nothing," the girl answered calmly. - Was always a nobody to him, and now she's
somebody.
-You don't know anything about Leo," I chuckled, and I ran back to the table,
leaving my friend to speculate.

-Where are we flying to? - I kept trying to ask Leo, who had dragged me to the big
city below the cliff on New Year's Eve.
-If I told you, you'd never shut up," he snapped. - But I need a woman's help.
We screeched down the cliff in the late afternoon, leaving Tim and Miranda to
keep watch and Morpheus to make the holiday booze.
Before New Year's Eve, sales soared and customer appreciation became more
expensive and graceful. One lumberjack even brought in a huge Christmas tree that
didn't fit in the room and we had to set it up in the yard.
There were plenty of decorations for the occasion, too. And stars, and balloons,
and lanterns, which Morpheus got so many that we wrapped them around the whole hut
and lit them with light magic, which made our house look like a fairy tale.
-I have only one thought," I panted, trying to keep up with the elf, who was already
braking his boots on the wide road between the many glowing stores in the dark of
night. - That you wanted to pick out a present for Miranda.
 Leo was silent, pacing quickly down the street and peering closely into the shop
windows.
-It's not really a present," he finally answered. - It's something I want to start next
year with.
He stopped in front of the doors of a jewelry store and opened the doors.
-Yeah," I followed him in without understanding, squinting at the glittering stones
around me.
It was late, and the shop was empty of customers, so we paced through a long row
of cases filled with gold and many kinds of gems. I stared at the glittering jewels in the
lanterns, and I was completely taken aback when Leo stopped at the shelf with the
engagement rings.
-You..." I stared in shock at the green eyes, searching the glittering rings. - Are you
serious?
The shock was such that I didn't know what to ask. Was Leo really thinking about
proposing to Miranda? Did it have something to do with the fact that she almost died?
Or how did he cope with the idea that she wasn't an elf?
Rather than inundate Leo with questions, I just flapped my mouth like a fish.
-Seriously," he murmured, already pointing to the clerk to see which rings he
wanted to look at more closely.
I stared at him for a few minutes, oblivious of the rings and the help. About
everything. I only watched the serious face of my friend, who dared to make an
important step, and therefore frowned and asked the salesman questions about the gold
and carat sizes.
I don't know how long it took for me to come to my senses, but when I finally
looked at the rings, Leo had already stopped at two of them.
-Well? - he looked at me questioningly. - Are you going to help me, or are you just
going to stare at me? - Despite his tone, he smiled at me happily.
I realized only now that I was smiling stupidly, tears welling up in my eyes. Leo
raised an eyebrow, ready for my reaction, and shoved two rings under my nose.
 -It's prettier," I could see the big clear square-cut stone and the scattering of
smaller ones around it.
-It's perfect," the elf nodded. - Yes, yes, the red box," he turned to the vendor and
handed him a large handful of dragon scales, while I continued to stare at him with a
wide grin, my cheeks aching. - Let's go.
Leo dragged me out into the frosty street.
-Leo..." I opened my mouth, trying to get my questions together, but he cut me off:
-"Let's go to the pub and talk," he pointed to the door to the semi-basement with
the dark sign on top. - Better now, while we're alone.
We sat down at a table in the corner of the hall in a half-empty room where the
music was quiet and it was almost dark. Leo ordered something while I stared at the
bump under his sheepskin coat, which was a ring box.
The elf was nonchalantly fiddling with the menu, not paying any attention to me.
He was probably waiting for me to speak. The waitress quickly brought us two wooden
mugs with a hot and pleasant-smelling liquid inside.
Leo boldly sipped his drink and looked up at me:
-Kathy, of course, I understand that everyone will be a little shocked by my
decision," he said with a chuckle. - But I didn't think you'd be the one who had anything
to say.
I took a sip from my mug without taking my eyes off him, and replied:
-I'm trying to figure out what to ask.
-Well, I see," he smiled back.
Leo looked happier that day than ever before. He really was. Even happier than the
day we first learned to fly. Or the day we'd laughed until we cried at Christiana's
unfortunate hairstyle. Or even the day Miranda moved into our room.
-Take your time. You're not going to talk me out of it, are you? - he grinned. -
You're the only one I know I can trust.
-Tim doesn't know? - I wondered.
 -No, not yet," Leo said, pulling out the box and admiring the ring in the dim light
of the flashlight above the table. - So far it's just you. Do you know when I first saw her
power?
-А?
-She was four, or less. The neighbor's dog growled at her, not letting her pick up
that funny little ball she was chasing around the yard. She was running around like a
fool. I was just rummaging in the garden, watching, and already wanted to come over to
help. But even then I was no match for her," Leo grinned and took a sip from his mug. -
She then stepped closer to the dog and calmly said to her: "Give." I stopped, because
there was so much magic in that word that it shook me. She got mad, you know? Four
years.
I laughed, imagining the picture. Stubborn.
-And then, like, eight years old, they tried to rob her, imagine! - Leo put his hands
together.
-A child? - I was taken aback.
-The famous child with the clear crystal," Leo corrected me. - Yeah, he's an idiot.
Figured he'd make a good sale, I guess. She ran out to the store on her mother's orders,
and it was dark. I was there, too. I came out and three hooded men grabbed her. Before I
could open my mouth, she was screaming. And that scream scattered the robbers meters
away. Barely dragged their feet, poor things. I didn't get hit. She sure did, didn't she? At
eight years old.
-Yeah, that's right," I smirked. - I only learned to change the taste of food when I
was eight.
-That's something. You had no one to teach you," the elf reassured me. - And
she's... always been so..." he trailed off. - And then I was in the service of the King. I
wasn't home much, and I didn't see her. I didn't know what was going on, and I didn't
have time for it. And one day I came and there was a girl running to meet me. A
stunningly beautiful girl, hair the light of the sun, eyes laughing, and jumped into my
arms. And I...
He rubbed his cheek with his palm.
 -I was confused, I did not understand why I was so happy, and only then I
recognized her, when I heard her voice. And that was it. And I was gone.
Leo looked up at me. I wondered if he'd ever said all that to anyone.
-But when did you decide? - I mumbled vaguely.
Leo was quiet for a while.
-When I prayed to heaven that she would live," he answered the unfinished
question. - When I realized that I didn't want to be without her. And that I wanted to live
at least one human life together.
I cracked a wide smile, and tears came to my eyes again. Partly because I thought
of Tim and the fact that I wouldn't have a life with him.
-If she died-" Leo paused, wondering what would happen. - I don't want to lose
another minute with her.
I took a large sip of the hot broth and cried out heartily:
-You should have listened to me! Instead of waiting for something like this to
happen to put your head back in its place," and she burst out laughing happily.
-I'll keep that in mind," Leo laughed, too. We drank and smiled at each other for a
few minutes, looking at the glitter of the big stone inside the red box. - And you? - The
elf asked me out of the blue.
-Me?" I didn't understand the question. - I won't marry you." It was an attempt at
humor, but Leo didn't understand.
-You love someone else, don't you? - he asked with an embarrassed smile. I stared
at him dazedly and remained silent. - I remember the conversation at the masquerade.
Did you think I had forgotten?
I thought so. But he hadn't forgotten.
-What did I say? - I was indignant, hiding my eyes.
-What I felt," the elf answered simply. - But if you say so. I don't know if you want
me to say so.
-Well, what do you know? - I frowned, reluctant to admit my feelings for Tim and
aware of Leo's earlier reluctance to talk about Miranda.
-Nothing," he smiled and hid the ring in his pocket.
 -Why hasn't anyone answered us yet? - I asked after a while, when we got back to
the house. - We sent a letter to the school saying that a demon had attacked the
gatehouse a few days ago.
-I don't know, it's weird," Tim agreed. - Eldar made it clear that everything that
happens in practice has to be reported. And we still don't know where he came from.
-Maybe he's figuring it out? - I suggested.
-Wasn't it hard to answer? - Leo was indignant in response.
-Oh, he wouldn't," Morpheus purred sleepily from his chair. - He's Eldar, he's got a
lot on his plate. Besides, a vaporizer could have been made by anyone, and it's not easy
to control.
-But we could have been killed, and not just us," I shrieked, disapproving of the
indifference of my temporary superiors.
-Students aren't supposed to know details," the cat replied monotonously.
-"It's still kind of weird," Tim muttered.
-"Besides, this is the work of a powerful wizard," Miranda confirmed my
misgivings. - The villagers have no ability, no talent, no proper training for this kind of
magic," she finished sternly.
-Who created it, and why? - I asked myself thoughtfully.
-Actually, for security," Tim told me confidently. - Decentius repeatedly said
that..." He went on to list all the things my demonology teacher had said about the kinds
of morons. Tim's words made it sound like the tiger could only guard something. - Don't
you remember? It's the beginning of the semester," he finished in surprise.
-I don't remember," I admitted, because I was afraid of the subject, and I was pretty
good at spells against phantoms, which gave me confidence. - What difference did it
make if the spells were the same?
-And yet the three of us couldn't finish him off," Leo remarked with a sad chuckle.
- Until Miranda intervened.
-Yes, but it's very powerful magic, don't compare," she began to babble back. - I
used the Element of Fire, which would have turned anyone to ash. It wasn't a big deal.
 -Right," chuckled Morpheus from across the room.
-This demon was created by someone really powerful," Miranda summed up our
conversation. - I've seen you witchcraft, and I've seen you hit him more than once. You
did everything right, and you were clear. There's a wizard at work here. And a very
strong one at that.
We had many plans for the next day. The New Year in the World of the Four
Elements was celebrated almost as in Reality, except for a few erotic rituals, which Leo
described to us in detail. But, of course, we didn't believe him.
The boys flew to the village for provisions, and Miranda and I cooked dinner while
Morpheus decorated the tall Christmas tree, swearing and waving his wings furiously.
-He splintered all his paws," he complained then, in response to our anxious
glances out the window of the gatehouse.
In the evening we took the round table outside for a celebration under the
Christmas tree. Miranda paced in circles around the yard for a few minutes, chanting an
elaborate incantation that was supposed to protect us from the cold outside.
She waved her hands, and a thin veil appeared, gradually enveloping us in a small,
translucent cocoon. Now the tree, the table, the little fire, and ourselves were inside a
magical bubble that Miranda said would not let anything inside at all. These were the
kind of spells mermaids used to live underwater.
-What about air? - I just had time to ask.
-I'll keep it open," she brushed her friend aside and sat down at the table.
I turned away, looked up into the evening sky, and smiled in pleasure.
The light from the fire reflected in the dome with gentle sparks, reminiscent of the
northern lights. The city lights below the bluff winked at us as if we were above the
starry sky. The Christmas tree and the house glowed with hundreds of fairy lights. Tim
laughed about something very close. The aroma of baked fish was wafting. Leo was
gathering his strength and kept fiddling with his jacket pocket.
I couldn't stand it and laughed out loud, feeling incredibly happy.
-What are you doing? - Tim came up to me, looking into my eyes excitedly.
 -I'm just happy," I told him simply, turning to the surprised boys, who smiled back
at me widely. Especially Leo.
Tim smiled and hugged me tightly in surprise:
-Me, too, very," he whispered in my ear, let go, and sat down at the table.
That night I missed Reality once again, because I really wanted to have my camera
handy.
The boys in suits. Leo in dark beige, Tim in black. Miranda in a tight red dress, her
hair in golden curls on her thin shoulders. Me, in white with sequins, with a puffy skirt.
Morpheus climbed onto the table with his hind legs for each portion of fish.
I wanted to remember that night forever.
When it got close to midnight, we prepared magic bengal lights of gigantic
proportions and filled our glasses with Morpheus' fizzy brew, which he was incredibly
proud of. And Leo announced that he wanted to make a toast.
He stood up, tugged the inside pocket of his jacket once more, and raised his glass.
I seemed even more nervous than he was. My palms were wet and my throat was dry.
I squinted at Miranda, waiting quietly for the speech. And Leo, too, who was
gathering his thoughts for a few seconds, looking now at the tree, now at the fire, now
straight into Miranda's eyes. I smiled involuntarily.
-This year has brought many changes in my life," the elf began in a confident
voice.
There was a knock from somewhere behind me.
-The royal family's decision to train me in professional magic, Elementum,
meeting you guys from Reality," he raised his glass, looking at me and Tim. - With a
magic cat," Morpheus hissed, but didn't interrupt.
There was another knock, louder now. I was so nervous that I ignored the sound.
-I was on a new path in life, and I realized that in it.
Another batch of insistent knocking. Leo stammered and turned back around, lost
in thought. We waited for a second to continue, but, noticing our friend's frowning
eyebrows, we stood up and looked out over the cliff.
 Behind the magic dome stood two dark figures, barely discernible in the darkness
of the night. They waved a greeting as they noticed our attention. Leo set his glass on
the table and walked over to the wall of the dome.
-What are you doing here? - He'd only asked in a daze when Miranda held up the
edge of the cocoon to let her guests in.
Shivering with cold and embarrassed smiles, Rowenta and Velkom approached us.
They hastily hugged each of us in greeting and came over to the fire to warm
themselves.
We all looked at them in surprise and didn't ask anything but were at a loss as to
the reason for the unexpected visit.
-I'm sorry we had to interrupt the party, but we couldn't wait," said the teacher at
last, her voice shaking with cold. - We would have been there sooner, but the roads are
covered with snow, and trains rarely run. And it's a long way to fly, and it's so cold.
-What happened? - Tim asked in a businesslike tone, holding out his drink glasses,
which he heated with a flick of his fingers.
-Thank you, Hawk," Rowenta smiled and took a sip from her glass. - Eldar told me
and Velko to take care of the morass.
-We've taken care of that ourselves," Tim chuckled. - Why did it take so long for
the director to answer?
-To find out where he came from," Roventa explained, throwing her fur coat off
onto the back of her chair. - It turned out that there was an operation going on near here
on the King's orders.
-Really? - Leo raised his eyebrows. - I hadn't heard anything about that.
-Yes, yes, Eldar was surprised you hadn't heard about it, too," the teacher nodded
in response, her nose wrinkling at the pronunciation of the Headmaster's name. - She
was smart enough to send me to the middle of nowhere," she coughed, as if regretting
having said that last phrase, and continued. - But it turned out that everything was very
secret. And entrusted to someone who is already a professional magician.
-And who is that? - Leo asked candidly, jealously, leaning his ass on the table.
 -He wouldn't reveal his handler's identity," said Welkom, turning away from the
fire. - He said the case had failed, and that they had already taken the wizard into
custody. I did not venture to inquire.
-That's why the demon was out of control," Roventa nodded. - It's hard to control a
cloud over long distances.
-And what was it guarding? - Tim asked, frowning, glancing from Velcom to his
teacher.
Rowenta took a deep breath, sipped her decoction, and sat down at the table.
-It's midnight in two minutes," she smiled, looking at the small watch on her wrist.
- Let's talk business in the morning, shall we?
We snickered and instantly forgot all our worries, grabbing our glasses and
lighting the sparklers, which sparkled and shimmered pleasantly, almost like in Reality.
-Leo, you wanted to say something," reminded Tim, who had no idea that the
moment had already passed, and the guests were only spoiling the cozy atmosphere.
But nothing embarrassed Leo. He boldly walked over to the Christmas tree to stand
next to Miranda. The lights framed his figure beautifully. Leo raised his glass, took a
deep breath, and announced:
-Long ago I realized that the only thing missing in my life was to be perfectly
happy. I had long refused to do so myself, because I was foolish and afraid of pain. But
one man opened my eyes," he winked at me. - And I realized that I wanted to be happy
every minute. If you let me, Miranda.
-What?" she didn't understand.
Leo got down on one knee at her feet and pulled a ring box out of his jacket
pocket. In the light of the Christmas tree lights, the stones glittered lazily with magical
light.
-I love you, Miranda Warren. I have always loved you. Will you agree to be my
wife?
It was at that moment that the bells rang in the church below the cliff, announcing
the beginning of the year, and the festive fireworks exploded in dozens of flashes,
lighting up the sky above us.
 I shuddered with excitement, and through the happy tears I saw everyone present
hold their breath, and Miranda fainted.

-I mean it, I love you, and I always have," Leo said again after a few minutes, as
we brought a dazed Miranda to her senses.
-But when? - she asked vaguely, finally realizing that Leo was serious.
-All the time," he answered simply, sitting on his knees in front of her and holding
her hands in his palms. The ring was in a box on the table. Everyone present surrounded
the lovers in a tight ring and caught every word with smiles, waiting for Miranda's
answer.
-Leo," the witch dropped hot tears onto her flushed cheeks and burst into a happy
laugh.
I glanced at Tim and met his satisfied gaze. He winked at me and smiled broadly,
as if asking if I'd ever imagined this would happen.
-Miranda Warren, speak up, will you be my wife? - Leo continued to sit at the
girl's feet. He took the ring in his hands and looked Miranda in the eye.
We all held our breath as she stammered through her sobs:
-I agree, Leonardo McLean. I will be your wife!
There was an explosion of shouts and applause. Morpheus went running in circles
around our little cocoon. He clearly didn't have enough space to vent all his emotions,
so he just circled around us like a rabid bird and shouted: "Hooray, hooray!"
Roventa started hugging everyone and wishing everyone happiness. Velcom shook
Leo's hand embarrassedly. Leo put a ring on Miranda's finger and kissed her right on the
lips as gently as if he feared she would fall apart. And Tim hugged me tightly for the
second time that night.
I was lost in a moment of boundless happiness, oblivious to everything else. Then
nothing existed around us but raging happiness, wrapped around us in a little magical
cocoon.
 Maybe because it was a holiday. Maybe because the strenuous training for a
wrestler was far away. Maybe because my dear friends were shining smiles, but that
night I wanted to remember every second of it.
How Roventa, getting drunk, made ever-longer toasts. How Velcom laughed in his
low, velvet voice. How Leo didn't let go of Miranda's hand for a second. How Miranda
couldn't calm down and wiped away her tears every two seconds. How Morpheus was
too lazy to jump up on a chair and I had to prop him up with my friends laughing out
loud. How Tim smiled at me in the light of the decorated Christmas tree.
I will never forget that night. It was the happiest. One of my last happy evenings.
Roventa and Velcom decided to stay in the magic bubble under a thick layer of
blankets until morning, and the boys and I staggered into the house.
Watching Leo and Miranda stare at each other, getting ready for bed, I fidgeted on
the bed and jumped up:
-Tim, I need you. Shall we go for a walk?
-The cat in the backyard is watching the fires," he didn't immediately understand
me.
-Not that way," I insisted, and literally shoved Tim into his coat.
I turned around at the door and met the grateful look in the elf's eyes.
-Where are you taking me? - Sobering up, Tim was getting irritable.
The cold winter air was invigorating.
-Far from home," I chuckled, taking off toward the lake in the woods. - Or do you
want to sleep with the engaged couple in the same bed tonight?
Tim slapped his forehead and burst into laughter:
-I hope Morpheus is smart enough.
-I'm not worried about him," I smiled as I descended toward the mirror-like surface
of the frozen lake.
We wandered around for a while, discussing the celebrations of the past from
Reality. Unlike Tim, who was always easygoing with regular people (I still called them
muggles out of habit), I was an outcast. My New Year's Eve was spent in the company
of sweets and movies, with a huge shiny Christmas tree dressed up.
 For the first time that day, I myself became a character in a fairy tale New Year's
Eve story. I laughed myself, tinkling my glass. I myself became the heroine of a winter
fairy tale.
-Like in a movie, - I finished my reflections. - I don't think this night could get any
better than this.
Tim grinned at me:
-Really? - he said with a slight smile on his lips, and then he came close to me.
I rubbed at his gaze, listening to my heart go crazy. Abruptly it got hot, despite the
cold. I stared at him bravely without blinking. I admired him. I counted the endless
seconds and realized that the evening had already become even more beautiful.
-Don't you want to be in Miranda's shoes? - Tim asked me quietly.
-I don't like Leo that much," I smiled broadly in response.
-You know what I mean," Tim waved his brown bangs and smiled even wider.
-Anybody would," I sighed, surrendering. - It was beautiful.
-But not their future, right? - Tim pulled his gaze away from me and grimaced. -
Elf and human.
-We mortals have but one life, and we must make it all," I said quietly. - Do we?
Tim looked at me seriously and put his hands on my shoulders:
-We'll make it, Kathy.
My heart froze. He stared at me silently for a few seconds, and then he asked me
quietly:
-What did you see in the lake that night?
I shuddered, remembering the wyvern's claws digging into little Leo's flesh, and
wrenched myself from Tim's grasp. There was no point in lying again.
-It's personal," I mumbled. - And it's not about me.
-Really? - Tim wondered.
-Yes, the lake doesn't just show the future on the night of the providence," I paced
along the icy edge of the lake.
-Really? - Tim stared at me. I opened my mouth, but didn't have time to answer.
The noise of the branches silenced me.
 -"Somewhere in here," we heard a voice from the woods. I recognized Velcom's
velvet bass and relaxed.
-Where did you come from? - Roventa came out to the lake and looked around at
us in surprise. - Didn't you go to bed?
-And you? - Tim said, just as surprised.
-Decided not to wait until morning," Rowenta explained. - You can come with us
now, that's all right.
-Where to? - I raised my eyebrows. - To the place where the tiger stood guard?
-There," nodded Velkom, and the four of us headed deeper into the forest.
The farther we went, the more questions formed in my mind. Roventa answered
Tim that everything was very secret, but revealed to us that the imprisoned wizard had
been digging into the Water Kingdom.
-I can't divulge the reasons, unless the king himself tells Leo, but the tunnel must
lead directly beneath the underwater dome.
It makes me dizzy.
-How deep is that?
-About half an hour, according to the doer," sighed Welkom. - Good work, pity
you failed.
I opened my mouth to ask for details, but realized that no one would tell me.
-What's our job? - I asked instead.
Rowenta was silent for a while, apparently deciding how much to tell the
freshmen.
-Check everything and seal it up before it gets any worse," she finally answered.
-You mean before the mermaids notice? - Tim guessed, and Rowenta sighed:
-Yes, Hawk, that's right. And we may be out of time by now.
A few minutes later we reached the ocean at the edge of a high cliff studded with
sand. I gasped, realizing how vast it was. Even in the darkness, the black waves made
me shiver. To think that there are thousands of wizards in the depths, and soon we
would be able to get down to them.
 -It's here," Velcom lifted a stack of large spruce branches, covering a hole in the
sand on the edge between the beach and the forest.
I tried to look down, but I got a punch in the nose from Tim.
-What do we have to do? - pushing me back with his broad shoulders, he asked the
teacher.
-I'd rather you stay here and cover us. We must hurry. She loosened the scarf
around her neck and rolled up the sleeves of her coat a little.
-Is there a dispatcher? - Velcom asked, and we shook our heads. - Here's mine," he
held out a flat object of glossy black metal to Tim. - Keep in touch.
And with one last tense glance at us, Rowenta and Velkom jumped into the abyss.

We talked about this and that for a while, and I tried not to bring up the lake and
worry about the guys at the same time.
-They're taking a long time," Tim concluded, glancing at his watch, when we were
both freezing.
I lit a fireball in the palm of my hand and stared at him, wrapped amusingly in a
green scarf, contemplating Leo and Miranda's future.
-They'll be very happy," I announced confidently to Tim, staring at the fireball
without looking away. - And for how long, none of us can know. Life is unpredictable.
-Even if they live for years, their children will be human," Tim added salt, looking
at me sideways. - Leo would have to say goodbye to them, too.
I remembered the vision in the lake and the dead girl. For the first time that night, I
wondered who Leo had already had to let go. And who else he would have to.
-Hurry! - The scream was amplified by magic and came from a tunnel in the rock. -
Run for the house now!
Tim grabbed my arm above my elbow. Rowenta's enchanted voice echoed the
phrase a few more times before Tim crushed me into an arm and soared into the sky.
Completely confused, I didn't say anything and levitated silently off the ground,
obeying Tim's magic.
Something was wrong. Something so terrible that Rowenta was afraid for our lives.
 -Do you think they've been spotted? - I shouted the wind howling in my ears. -
Should we call the guys and go back?
-I don't know," Tim frowned and didn't look at me, just maneuvering between the
especially tall trees.
I was getting more and more scared. We collapsed on the threshold of Morpheus's
cabin, barely catching our breath.
I grabbed for the ribs Tim had bruised and shouted:
-Morphius!
-What are you yelling for? - The cat came out from behind the house, staring up at
us in surprise. - Why don't you take a longer walk, you've got no conscience," he
grunted, his long whiskers twitching.
In a moment the cat made out our worried faces in the darkness and asked in a
completely different tone:
-What else? - he looked around and saw that the magic bubble by the tree was gone
and the fire was not lit. - Where are they?
I waved my arms, out of breath, ready to tell him what I was afraid of, when a huge
ball of blue fireball exploded from between the trees and crashed into the corner of the
house.
Morpheus screamed in a voice not his own and took off, staring in horror at the
burgeoning flames.
-No!" I shrieked, remembering all the magic I knew against fire. Tim sprang from
his seat and flew into the house.
Half a minute later, it was clear that there was no way to put the house out. My
spells weren't working against the Elemental. The blue fire spread instantly. The edge of
the abyss was flooded with magical light. The billet for the disturbing fire blazed red.
The snow around it melted.
-Tim! Leo! - I shrieked helplessly, seeing no way to get closer to the house. The
magical heat frightened me away, telling me not to come closer. The windows of the
house looked like empty eye sockets, the doors were open, and I couldn't make out
anything inside. The heat was so hot that it burned my skin. I took a few steps back. -
TIM!
I squinted against the light and turned around, hearing indistinct shouts in the
woods. A battle was raging in the thicket. Lights flickered in shades from behind the
trees. A second later a tall birch tree crashed toward us. I shrieked and recoiled.
Morpheus whirled around the flaming house, risking his feathers. I waved at him,
leaping over the trunk of the fallen tree and running closer:
-Come down! We've got to get help! - I didn't know what else to do. Despair came
over me in an icy wave and paralyzed me.
-"They'll come," I heard Tim's voice. - The fire was lit.
It was covered in soot, but it seemed intact. Leo and Miranda jumped out of the
house right behind him. All she was wearing was Leo's white shirt, reaching almost to
her knees. Leo had thrown a brown sheepskin coat over the sheet tied around her hips.
-We need help! - Tim spotted a scramble behind the trees, and we raced over there.
When we reached the fighting, we found four dead bodies, and Welkom writhing
in the snow. Roventa was nowhere to be seen. A tall man hovered over the Welkom, a
huge knife above his head.
Leo was the quickest to reach him, swooping down on the wizard, wrestling the
knife away from him in the blink of an eye, slashing his throat with one perfect move.
Triton dropped dead, and Leo dropped the knife and wiped his bloody hands on the
sheet on his hips.
-This isn't how I was going to get her dirty today," he grinned crookedly and
helped Velko to his feet.
We stared at him in horror for a few moments, our mouths hanging open in
disbelief at what had happened.
-Roventa stumbled out there," Velcro rushed into the thicket, the boys after him.
Miranda and I walked back to the house and found Morpheus watching the house burn
down. A minute later the basement exploded, lighting up the sky in unimaginable hues
and filling everything around it with multicolored smoke.
 -I've lived here for almost a hundred years," the cat said hoarsely without turning
around. I sat down next to him on the warm ground and stroked his back. - Almost a
hundred," he murmured, and he sobbed bitterly.
I felt so sad that I just took Morpheus in my arms and held him to me like a baby.
He burst into tears and wrapped his wings around me, his nose on my shoulder. Miranda
sat down beside us, wrapped in her thin shirt.
The three of us sat like that for about an hour until the boys returned, watching the
familiar life of our new friend wiped out.
I will always remember that night.

After that, it was all a blur. Emotions raged, strength was running out, everyone's
legs were buckling from fatigue. The boys brought Rowenta out of the woods, covered
in scratches and blood. I was a little relieved to see her, but that was all I could do.
Then a whole band of wizards in black uniforms, riding wyverns, appeared out of
the sky. We were seated in the multi-seat saddles on the backs of these fearsome beasts,
and carried into the brightening dawn sky. Morpheus was still in my arms.
No one asked any questions, only Leo reported the entire flight to one of the
soldiers with a frown on his face. I didn't ask anything, only pulled my hood deeper and
held the shivering cat against me in the frosty wind.
After a while, which passed for me in prostration, we began to descend. I lowered
my gaze and discerned under the leathery wings the outline of a large palace surrounded
by a garden.
Leo craned his neck and announced for us:
-The House of the Fire King.
I could see only the towers and a few stories before we landed on the snow-
cleared, light stone path that led to the house.
A line of servants greeted us at the threshold, carefully led us inside, and seated us
on the lush sofas of the large room. We did not speak, and I did not even look around. I
just kept Morpheus in my arms, feeling his warmth alive and reluctant to get off my lap.
It was as if everything would collapse right after that, and I'd have to accept what had
happened.
I stroked his feathers monotonously, staring blankly ahead of me, and only woke
up when Tim placed his hand gently on my shoulder. Everyone stood, greeting the short
man who had entered the room. I stood up, too.
The King radiated the same powerful magical energy as the headmaster of our
school. His gait was confident, his eyes commanding. When he saw Leo, he flashed a
smile that made his face much more pleasant. Leo held out his hand for a handshake,
but the king pushed it away and patted the elf on the shoulders in a welcoming hug.
I did not listen to what they were talking about, I just looked out the window and
stroked the cat, but I heard Leo apologize for my unworthy appearance.
In a minute we were led through the long corridors of the manor to the guest rooms
by smiling servants. Only Leo was left to speak to the king.
-You need to sleep, lady,‖ I was gently but insistently seated on the broad bed by
the gentle hands of a young girl. I looked up to see that Miranda was being tucked into
the same bed with me. - Let me take your pet downstairs.
The girl in the apron tried to take Morpheus from me, but I clung to him with a
dead grip:
-No. He's my friend," and I felt Morpheus hide his nose in my hands.
-Whatever you say, miss," the girl bowed and closed the door to the room behind
her.
Miranda put on a hand-me-down nightgown and handed one to me. I sat Morpheus
down on the bed, and he buried himself in the blankets. Then I changed and lay down
next to him, Miranda on the other side.
We looked at each other without saying a word, turned off the bedside lamps, and
fell into a heavy sleep.

It seemed like a second passed. Or an eternity. I don't know. But I woke up with a
heavy head and an overwhelming desire never to get out of bed again.
 -Kathy," Miranda whispered. - If you're hungry, I'll get you something," she
stroked my hair.
-No," I turned away, feeling Morpheus' soft fur next to me, and fell asleep almost
immediately.
I dreamed of the battle. Dead friends, blood, and lots of spells all around. It seemed
like it would never end. I wanted to give up and let myself be killed. But I kept fighting
furiously, swallowing my tears.
-Keti.
Without opening my eyes, I pulled the blanket down slightly from my face and
mumbled something in response to Leo's voice.
-You should eat," he elbowed me with the edge of his plate.
-I don't want to," I mumbled and burrowed back into the pillows.
-At least have some tea," I shook my head in denial. - I said drink your tea! - Leo
growled sternly, and I quickly snapped my eyes open.
Leo was sitting beside me, handing me a porcelain cup. He was wearing a black
uniform. The same one the soldiers were wearing when they picked us up from the fire.
The shoulder straps made him look handsome and masculine, and the slim fit of the
uniform emphasized his already flawless figure.
I took my cup and sipped something that didn't look like tea at all.
-This will help. Leo nudged my hand, pouring the contents into my mouth. - Well
done, go back to sleep if you want to," I nodded silently, and he put out the light and
walked out.
Morpheus was no longer with me, and after a while of twisting in bed, I was able
to sleep again. This time I dreamt of Leo. Dead again. The old scar was bleeding, like a
wyvern had wounded him a minute ago. Miranda was sobbing over him in her wedding
dress. Her veil and gloves were smeared with blood, her eyes were puffy, and she
wouldn't stop crying.
-Leo! - I jumped up, slowly realizing where I was. The room was dark, but
someone was sitting next to me.
 -And you say you don't like it," my favorite voice grinned at me. - Leo's
downstairs. Shall I call him? - Tim lit the lamp, and I slammed my eyes shut against the
bright light.
-No," I rubbed my face with my hands, waking up from the nightmare. - How long
had I been asleep?
-Almost four days," Tim answered, and got to his feet. - Everyone there is very
worried about you. But Morpheus' potion will fix you up.
-Was he making it? - I smiled. - The one I was drinking?
-Author's recipe," Tim nodded, and he smiled, too. - Get up, you're going to drive
everyone crazy. The royal family have announced that if you don't show signs of life
today, they will send for the best doctor. And Leo doesn't want to cause them any
trouble. I wouldn't bother him if I were you.
-Okay," I sat up in bed. I did feel a rush of energy and a lot of hunger. I still felt
sick to my stomach. - Four days...? Will our internship be over soon? When do we go to
school?
-The king insists that we spend the winter vacations here," Tim answered halfway
to the door. - We gratefully accepted his invitation," he chuckled. - To tell you the truth,
the palace is gorgeous.
I nodded, and Tim smiled at me again and closed the door quietly behind him.
I slid heavily off the bed and walked over to the mirror. I could see the bruises
under my eyes, the disheveled hair, and the blank stare in the reflection.
Who was that?
There was a knock at the door, and the same young girl in an apron walked in. In a
couple of minutes I was already lying in a large bubble-filled bathtub. There was no
thinking. I was spinning the latest dreams around in my head and stroking the fluffy
foam stupidly with my hands.
After a while, the girl knocked softly on the door, and I reluctantly climbed out of
the hot water, wrapped myself in a towel, and went into the bedroom.
The maid pulled dresses from the closet to show me, but I shook my head,
signaling that I didn't care what I wore.
 I remember there were special days like this at the orphanage. Days when adults
came through to us. Couples who wanted to adopt someone.
It was always a celebration and a nightmare at the same time. Everyone was
psychotic and nervous, as if one could win the sympathy of these couples with
assertiveness and persistence.
Most of the children dreamed of being in a family and having a real life. The
caretakers ironed our scanty dresses and braided our hair themselves.
In those days I cried bitterly and resisted, because I remembered my mother well
and did not want a new one. But my teacher knew how to deal with me. Every day she
brought from somewhere the only thing that could calm me down.
It was a simple blue dress with white lace on the hem. It was the one I had been
brought to the orphanage in. The one my mother and I had picked out together.
-You're a princess," the fat teacher with the tightly knotted hair once told me as she
dressed me in my blue dress. It was strange, because it was rare to hear a kind word
from her.
Then she put me in front of the mirror and shook off my skirt.
-So," she sat down beside me and pinned a little daisy brooch on my collar. - It's
beautiful, Catherine.
I smiled at her, without realizing why.
-If I wanted to adopt someone," the teacher ran her fingers through my smooth
braid. - I would have picked you.
But I was never chosen.
I looked at the lavish new closet the maid had offered, and noted to myself that
none of the fancy dresses pleased me as much as the blue one with the white lace on the
hem.
The girl helped me get dressed and laced a tight corset around my back. Then she
sat me down in front of the mirror and very quickly fixed my hair, tucking it nicely in
the back.
-She turned my back to the mirror and applied some kind of cool liquid to my face.
- It's makeup with a drop of magic, it will give your face freshness," she explained.
 I turned back to the mirror. Hi, Kathy.
I was wearing a dark blue dress with a light long skirt and open shoulders. There
was a thin chain around my neck, and sparkling stones in my hair. Her face was indeed
refreshed and her eyes sparkled.
We walked down the long corridors, decorated with tapestries and paintings, into
the royal dining room.
-Katherine Carper," the maid announced, letting me into the crowded room.
Everyone fell silent, and the men rose, even the king, and I felt like a heroine in a
classic nineteenth-century novel.
-How glad I am to see you at last, Catherine! - The King came to me, took me by
the arm, and led me to the table. - We were very worried about your health, girl. Though
this is by no means the first time in my memory that nervous shocks have passed in
prolonged sleep.
He sat me down at the long table near him and talked for a while about what I had
missed. The others listened intently, quietly clinking their dishes.
I began to eat and felt even better. I was even happier when they offered me a
drink. The food smelled, the drinks refreshed me, and the smiles lifted my spirits. I drew
in a deep breath and looked around the room.
It was all expensive and rich, in gilt and stones. The dishes, the walls, the cabinets,
the furniture. It was already dark outside the window, but I could see the outlines of an
ornate garden. Two large chandeliers illuminated the room, gleaming lazily in the
shimmering light.
Leo and Tim and Welk sat at the table, dressed in simple but beautifully tailored
three-piece suits. Rowenta and Miranda, like me, wore long evening gowns. They all
smiled when they looked at me. And Miranda winked, letting me know that we were
here together.
The king spoke quickly and interestingly, drawing my attention, so I didn't get a
good look at the rest of the guests. I only stopped to look at the incredibly beautiful
woman sitting across from the king.
 Without explaining it, it was clear that she was his wife. She held herself upright,
her eyes responding amiably to the glances of the crowd. Her golden hair was streaked
across her slender shoulders, and her blue eyes gleamed with wisdom and focus. Her
fingers were adorned with large, multicolored stones, and she wore a brooch with the
emblem of the kingdom on her chest.
-The amazing work of Velcom and Leonardo deserves a special award," the king
announced. - Though my idea of breaking into the Water Kingdom for the purpose of
exploration was a failure, we still have an excellent cave," Tim and I exchanged a
glance. - It's protected now by a special magic that the mermaids can't undo. I'm
convinced of that.
The king rose from his seat, and Leo, the only one, jumped up immediately,
straightening his back and raising his chin.
-Stop it, Leo," the man smiled at him, and with a wave of his fingers lifted the
decanter of liquor into the air. - You're my guest and friend now, forget the service.
-Thank you, sir," Leo mouthed, and sat down. But I could see that he hadn't
forgotten anything, and that he could never relax completely in this house. There was a
strong sense of focus about him.
-Tomorrow I'm holding a small reception in your honor," the king announced. - He
winked at someone, and I saw Morpheus at the other end of the table, wearing a black
velvet bow tie around his neck. He was seated on a large cushion so that his head was
flush with the table. - Morpheus told me of his expertise in alchemy and potion-making.
And I intend to start a new campaign with his help.
-I'm very glad to be of service," the cat purred, his pink nose up proudly. - I was in
shock for a while when my house and everything I cared about burnt down. But now I
realize that this is the ground for new accomplishments," he wiggled his moustache
gallantly and looked appreciatively at the king.
-I'm very interested in starting to produce drinks on behalf of the kingdom. Happy
to meet you, Morpheus," the king raised his glass. - Here's to a new beginning! And to
the engagement of my dear Leonardo!
 Everyone present echoed the toast and drank in unison, and then began to talk
about tomorrow's reception.
After a while, we went to another room where tea was served on floating bowls. I
walked over to Leo and Miranda, and they hugged me warmly.
-We finally get to talk," Miranda exhaled. - I was so worried, but the King forbade
me to bother you. He kept telling me you were recovering from your experience.
-It ended well," Leo explained to me without waiting for a question. - No one got
hurt, except the mermaids, of course," he chuckled and clenched his fists. - But they
deserved it. I was furious with Morpheus," he added, as if justifying himself.
I lowered my eyes, remembering the murders.
-How are Roventa and Velcom, all right? - I asked.
-Yes, they're leaving for school today," Tim answered from behind me. - Tim
answered from behind me. "Their task is done. He smiled at my questioning glance,
"Wellcome's got a shelf full of awards," he said. - And our practice has been cut short,"
he stepped closer and stood beside me.
I felt goose bumps on my back as I inhaled his perfume. The house had burned
down, with all the things I'd managed to get, hadn't it?
-What have you been doing these days? - I asked.
-Walked around the estate, went to town," Tim glanced at the boys. - Tim glanced
at the boys. "All the stuff was burned, so we had to get a few things. We bought you
some dresses, too.
-You did? - I raised my eyebrows. - You're Miranda?
-"I'm not much of a stylist," she lowered her eyes. - But I made sure it wasn't too
cleavage-y.
-Thank you," I said calmly.
-Leo, we're really glad we got a good reception here, really," Miranda modestly
changed the subject. - But why are we here? Why don't we go back to school?
-I'm not surprised the King wants to meet my fiancée," Leo smiled broadly.
-I see that you're on the map here," Tim remarked casually, looking at his friend
meaningfully.
 -Our relationship with the royal family changed dramatically the first time I saved
his and his wife's lives," Leo lowered his voice. - And it only grew stronger with each
time.
We opened our mouths.
-And there's a good chance my wife will be as close to the palace as I am," the elf
continued nonchalantly.
-"A splendid match! - The master's confident voice boomed from behind us. - My
most faithful assistant and the young owner of the transparent crystal! - He came up to
Miranda and held her hand gently in his. Leo straightened up as he approached her, as if
the top of his head was being pulled up into the sky. - I'm very happy to have you in my
house, as well as your friends from Reality.
I looked up and met his interested gaze.
-It was a long time ago, as if in a past life," Tim said embarrassedly.
-Your Majesty? - I squeaked, and the king laughed and replied:
-No time for manners, Catherine,‖ he bowed slightly and moved on down the hall.

My anticipation for the ball was almost nonexistent. The recent events had sucked
all the emotion out of me. I spent the next day wandering around the castle, staring
blankly through tapestries, paintings, and statues.
Drowning in the lake of Miranda.
The thin, swollen scar from the needle that had pierced her.
Leo repeats the word "live" in a rapid succession.
Tim laughs in the light of a decorated Christmas tree.
Leo is on one knee at Miranda's feet.
Morpheus' house is on fire and the cat is crying in my arms.
The images flashed before my eyes whenever I wasn't busy talking. I didn't even
have the energy to ask my friend about her night with Leo. Emaciated, I wound my way
around the long corridors all day, answering my friends' questions in one syllable.
-You don't have to do anything," Miranda chattered tensely in the evening, curling
her hair in front of the mirror with primitive magic. - Just smile, that's all. Dance.
 I remembered my high school masquerade, and smiled slightly at the thought that
I'd be twirling with Tim again tonight.
-What are you so nervous about? - I pinned a thin white tiara in Miranda's hair.
-I'm Leo's fiancée now," she reminded me. - And there'll be a lot of people there.
They'll be asking all sorts of questions.
-Aren't you used to them? - I nodded at the white star around Miranda's neck. -
Always the center of attention.
-That's different, I've got all the answers," she smiled broadly, her eyes lined with
gold sequins. - And here's the future, the prospects... the children," she whispered as if
she had said something obscene. - I'm afraid Leo won't get scared and back off.
-"Leo's not a coward," I answered confidently. - You should have seen the
determination with which he chose the ring.
-Really? - Miranda stared at me, her eyes filled with tenderness.
-He's been in love with you for a long time," I nodded. - It's going to be okay.
Miranda made a strange sound, either a sob or a giggle, and stepped away from the
mirror. She was wearing a tight gold dress, completely covered in sparkly sequins. I
wore a matte black one that day, with a puffy skirt and open shoulders, one of the ones
my friends had bought for me.
-Leo picked it out," Miranda remarked, looking me over and over. - He has taste,"
she gathered my hair and pinned it into a beautiful bun at the back of my head.
We stood next to the mirror, twirled for a minute, humming a simple tune, giggling
and in high spirits moved into the hall, where already heard the loud string music.
For half an hour, the four of us wandered around the hall and enjoyed the
atmosphere. I felt like a princess at a ball, and I couldn't stop smiling with happiness.
The guests were few in number, but all were richly and tastefully dressed.
I could hear words of cheers and compliments from everywhere, and I began to get
away from my depression.
We drank fizzy drinks from tall glasses. Morpheus was circling the room in a
white sequined bow tie and inquiring about the shades of flavors and aromas the guests
were sensing in the drinks. As he flew up to us, he proudly announced:
 -Everyone is thrilled with my new recipe, even the king,‖ he sat all four of us down
on the small table beside us and folded his wings. - Ladies, you're gorgeous!
Miranda and I smiled embarrassedly, and Leo clutched his bride jealously to him:
-Lap away! - He chuckled, and Morpheus turned an almost lustful look on me.
-Feet away! - Tim repeated with the same intonation, and pulled me tightly against
him, which made my cheeks glow.
-I got it, I got it," Morpheus purred, gave me a meaningful look, and took off in an
unknown direction.
The boys laughed. I put my arm around Tim's waist and felt the warm fabric of his
jacket with my favorite heart beating rapidly beneath it.
For some time we listened to the King's long and solemn toasts. All the while Tim
kept me in his arms, tickling my neck with his hair and whispering jokes in my ear. I
was no longer able to distinguish what was going on, and I was absorbed in one happy
moment.
The room where the reception was held was small. And so even a couple of dozen
guests present created the atmosphere of a boisterous party. Illuminated by candles and
wall dim lamps, the room was filled with bookshelves by the walls and small tables
with treats near them.
While we were getting used to being the center of attention and keeping a low
profile, the king had time to introduce us to everyone present. He began each dialogue
by praising all the merits of Leo, his loyalty and nobility. He did not tire of praising the
beauty, upbringing, and magical power of his young bride.
Leo nodded modestly and shook his thickly ringed hands, but I could feel the
happy emotions raging inside him, and I knew that he was holding them back as best he
could.
Miranda was blooming like never before. She curtsied, smiled radiantly, and held
tight to Leo's elbow, who, however, did not let the bride leave his side.
-Alfonso, my nephew," the king held up his hand toward the tall, broad-shouldered
lad. - Meet Leo, Miranda, Catherine, and Tim," he said to his nephew with a kindly
smile, then suddenly added in a commanding tone: - "Be very polite to them, please.
 Without the slightest embarrassment, Alfonso looked around us indifferently and
then stopped at me, changing his expression to one of interest.
Like all elves, I couldn't even approximate his age. I looked away quickly, and
then pulled myself closer to Tim as the king's nephew stared at me shamelessly. I
wrapped my arms around myself, covering the neckline of my dress, where Alphonso
stopped his gaze especially closely.
The elf was handsome, tall and confident. His facial features were correct and
attractive, his dark curly hair hanging down over his pointed ears. I wouldn't have found
any flaws in his appearance if it weren't for the steely gleam in his brown eyes. The elf's
gaze was restricting, making me nervous and thinking of evil intentions. His presence
made me want to hide from him.
-Good evening," he said slowly, looking only at me, and moved on down the hall.
-Alfonso's parents died in the war," the king told us quietly. - Since then I have
never found a way to spare the strength to educate him properly," we looked at the king
in surprise, and he reluctantly added: - "I have spoiled him. My fault. No discipline.
Joel, Aria! - he suddenly exclaimed, and we shuddered.
A noble-looking old man and a pretty, chubby girl were approaching us. They
looked at us with keen interest.
-Joel is an old friend of mine," the king announced. - And his daughter Aria is
studying at Elementum. What year are you in, my dear?
-She's in her last year, sir," she answered quietly and cast a shy look at us.
-Aria is a wonderful wizard," Joel announced, hugging her daughter by the
shoulders.
-I'm sure she is," the king nodded in response and took his friend aside, muttering
something to him.
Aria was confused when she was alone in the company of strangers, looked around
at us with a startled look, and lowered her eyes to the floor.
-Is your internship over yet? - Tim asked in a friendly way, apparently feeling the
awkwardness in the air as well.
 -Yes," the girl answered without looking up, "Tim," she added quietly. Miranda
and I looked at each other.
-Was it hard? - Miranda took a step toward Aria, causing her to sink to the floor,
her fingers clasped tightly on the ruffles of her long dress.
-Not really," the girl squeaked softly again and peered cautiously into Miranda's
face. - It's more frightening to wait," Aria smiled slightly, which made her face look
very pretty for a second.
The girl's full figure suited her, making her impression even softer. The brown
curls spread easily over the luxurious ruffles of the stylish dress, which nicely fitted the
girl's form.
We were silent for a few seconds, staring at her. Then fast music played, and the
guests danced in pairs.
Leo laughed his first laugh of the evening and spun Miranda around. Aria smiled a
charming smile at us and was on her way out, but Tim whispered in my ear: "I'm sorry,
Katie," and stepped after her.
I didn't even get upset, feeling sorry for the girl, and waved at the ginger blur that
flew by. Morpheus spun toward me and put his front paws on my shoulders, waving his
wings in time with the music.
-"I thought I'd marry you off, too," the cat said, scratching my shoulders
affectionately. - Why are you dancing alone?
-Who for? - I mumbled, hiding my eyes. - I have no one to dance with, you see.
-I can see everything, Catherine," the cat purred, and his yellow eyes flashed.
-Well, if you do, you'll confirm that I have no one to marry," I murmured, glancing
at Aria and Tim spinning around. Tim said something to her, and the girl smiled
happily, making herself even prettier.
-Don't crinkle your neck," Morpheus chuckled and got a slap on the nose.
The music changed to slow music, and Alfonso sailed up to us with imposing gait,
with his hands in his trouser pockets.
I tensed and stared at Morpheus:
 -What plans do you and the king have for your tinctures? - I asked loudly, leading
Morpheus in a dance away from Alphonso.
-Katherine," the elf interrupted me unceremoniously, and then he moved in front of
us, so that we had to stop moving so that we didn't touch him. - Dance with me," he said
without a smile, looking me over from head to toe. It was not a request, but a demand.
-Good evening, I don't believe we've met," Morpheus turned to face the elf in the
air, and even flew a little higher, so that he was now at his head level.
-No," he threw back and took my hand below the elbow. - Let's go," and he pulled
me behind him.
-It's rude," the cat raised his voice and gave us an excited flap of his wings. - To
interrupt the dance and-
He did not finish, for Alphonso turned his head slowly toward him, and his face
became as stony as a terrible mask. All his attractive features were distorted in
contempt. And he dragged me toward the pack of dancers.
I collapsed in his arms, afraid to even squeak. I just stared into the slit of his shirt,
which was in front of my eyes, and obeyed his movements.
Alfonso held me tightly to his waist with one arm, which made me uncomfortable.
The other held my hand so tightly that my fingers turned white. Out of the corner of my
eye, I noticed that Tim and Aria weren't dancing anymore, but whispering with Leo and
Miranda and Morpheus, huddled together.
-Are you here for the rest of the break? - I heard my partner's low voice, and I
flinched. When I met his gaze, I found the demanding impatience and the steely glint in
his brown eyes again.
-I don't know," I lied and stared at myself again. Alfonso twisted me sharply under
his arm several times without stopping to stare.
-Good damn," he concluded, and pulled me sharply against him, knocking my
breath out.
Gasping for a few seconds, I stared boldly into the brown, defiantly squinting eyes:
-Don't talk to me like that,‖ I said defiantly.
 -Oh, not that? - Alphonso chuckled. - I do whatever I feel like doing. You think
you're a guest of the King, so you can defy the nobility?
-I tried to break free of the elf's grasp, but he only gripped me tighter and I couldn't
feel my fingers anymore.
-Stay still and do as you're told," Alfonso growled softly in my ear.
-Let go," I twitched. - I won't dance.
-I don't want to," he tossed and shook me, causing me to step on my dress and
wobble. The elf picked me up and looked me in the eyes. - Not so tough anymore, are
you, hellcat? When I was in the man's arms.
-You and I seem to have a different view of what a man is," I said in an even voice
when I got over my fear. I grew bolder, too, because out of the corner of my eye I saw
Leo and Tim walking swiftly in our direction.
-What did you say? - Alphonso didn't understand, and stopped abruptly.
-It's good to see you again, Alfonso," Leo's cold voice soothed me that I almost
sank to the floor in relief. - You're not doing business with that girl," he announced
without a word.
Leo unceremoniously yanked me away from Alfonso and shoved me behind his
back. Tim took my hand there, and I felt at ease. I squeezed his warm fingers and
watched the conflict unfold in peace.
-You don't get to tell me what to do," Alfonso blurted out, blushing menacingly. -
McLeon," he said contemptuously, as if it were a swear word.
Leo laughed a cold laugh that made my blood run cold. He shook his white bangs
and put his hand on the elf's shoulder.
-"Me," he said in a tone that defied questioning. - I already promised you that once.
I won't say it again.
Alfonso's complexion changed to a bluish pallor that obliterated his natural beauty.
-Do you understand me well? - Leo asked quietly, without taking his hand away.
-I understand," he muttered, looking at Leo with rage. I was reeling from the magic
of the guys' emotions. Leo nodded and pushed Tim and I toward Aria and Morpheus.
 -What's the deal? - Tim asked anxiously as Miranda poured the fizzy tincture into
me, and Aria stood a little away, as if she weren't with us.
Leo took his glass, took a sip, and furrowed his pale brow:
-I know something the king doesn't," he told us quietly, and we huddled together
so we could hear. Miranda looked back at Aria and pulled her closer by the arm.
-Are you not supposed to report these things? - Tim raised his eyebrows.
-Not this time," Leo answered just as quietly. - Not this time," Leo answered
quietly, "it would only upset him, and I've already covered it up. I think so," he said
quietly. - But it seems that while I was away, he was up to his old tricks again.
-What are you talking about? - Miranda asked anxiously, pushing the dishes off the
table so that Morpheus could sit down.
Leo sighed and brushed his bangs back from his face:
-"It's about women," he said. - You don't need to know more than that.
-He's no gentleman," I muttered angrily.
-What did he tell you? - Leo asked, looking around to see if anyone was listening.
- He said I should obey him. - I answered without looking the boys in the eyes.
-I don't know who you think you are," Aria squeaked angrily. We turned to her at
the same time, and she explained, "I come here a lot, my dad is friends with the king. I
even have my own room here. Alfonso, in the absence of his uncle, walks around the
castle like a master, and picks on the girls.
-He has harmed you? - Miranda asked, a little pale. - Did he molest you? - she
added in a low whisper.
-I'm not his type," Aria snorted, blushing. - But he likes to compliment me, so to
speak.
-Bastard," I hissed, but Tim put his arm around my shoulders, and I shut up.
-"You've been acting all cocky without me," Leo hissed, just like me.
-Wouldn't anyone else fight him off? - Morpheus was astonished.
-That's his clever way of having fun," explained Aria, who was beginning to act a
little bolder. - Always without witnesses and only with those who are weaker. Brags
about status, royalty, and intimidation. What can they do?
 -The creature," I hissed again. - Oh, I'll get him.
-Stay away from him," Leo sternly rebuked me. - Don't go near him," Leo sternly
warned me. "And stay away from him, all of you.
I opened my mouth to object, but Leo interrupted me:
-Please, Kathy," he turned even more serious. - Alfonso is royalty, and my word
might not be enough.
We snapped, and I thought about keeping my head down for the rest of the
vacation and maybe even digging deeper into my studies.
-Okay, honey," Miranda said affectionately, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
-Aria," Leo said lastly. - If he even looks at you obliquely, even breathes air next to
you, tell me right away. Okay?
-Thank you, Leonardo," she smiled embarrassedly. - But I will be leaving for
Elementum soon.
-Fine," the elf exhaled. - And call me Leo.
He gave us all an airy kiss, wrapped his arms around Miranda, and whirled her
around the hall.
-Could I have your hand? - Morpheus purred to Aria, and took her into the crowd.
I expected Tim to ask me to dance, too, but he stood and looked at me with a
serious face.
-I'm not surprised that you're turning men's heads," he said quietly, looking into my
eyes calmly. - You're gorgeous tonight.
-Thank you, Tim," I whispered, and I felt like I couldn't take my eyes off him.
He leaned into my face, and I felt cold. For a moment I thought he was going to
kiss me, but then he slowly pulled my hair away from my ear and whispered very softly:
-If you ever get in trouble again and don't call me," the smell of perfume drove me
crazy. - I'll kill you.
Tim straightened up and stared at me sternly, and I was instantly furious:
-Do I have to yell for the whole room? - I even stomped my foot in frustration.
-"I don't care," he said calmly, and took a sip of the fizzy liquor. - I was two steps
away, and you didn't call me.
 -Well, I was," I hissed. - I'd have seen for myself if I'd needed help.
We stared at each other for a moment.
-"I won't let my eyes go again," Tim tilted his head.
I squinted my eyes, wondering what that meant, but Tim's face remained
impenetrably calm. So I just snorted and crossed my arms over my chest.
-Will you dance with me? - Tim asked, stepping closer to me.
I couldn't decide whether to sulk or agree, so I just stared at him angrily.
After a few seconds, Tim laughed out loud at my misery. He gently uncrossed my
arms, stroking his knuckles across my chest. I shuddered with excitement and
obediently placed my hand in his outstretched palm.
And we spun, making the rest of the world unimportant.

-And then we talked," Miranda whispered to me drunkenly some time later in our
shared bed.
We covered our heads with blankets, lit a glowing magic ball inside the cabin, and
whispered, just like when we were kids.
Tales before bedtime from my mother in a hut like this held a special and tender
place in my memory. She always made cocoa with milk and cream, and put little white
marshmallows in it, which I had to eat very quickly before they got wet. There were
always seven of them: mom, dad, me, grandma and grandpa.
-That's what they said? That's it? - I marveled, not believing that my friends' night
of first passion had turned into a conversation.
-I was willing to do whatever he offered, you know," Miranda covered her mouth
embarrassedly with her hand and giggled. - But at a certain point, he was confessing,
and so was I. And then we started telling each other how long we'd been having feelings
for each other.
-And that was it? - I was perplexed, even frustrated.
-And then the house was on fire, and Tim flew in," Miranda lowered her eyes.
I stared at her, imagining the awkwardness of the scene.
 -What about you? - Miranda asked in a low whisper, interrupting my torment.
-No," I answered simply.
-How? - Miranda stared at me with disbelieving eyes.
-What are you surprised about? - I was almost offended. - I've never been proposed
to by the man I love.
-That's not what I meant," she blushed. - "Of course, Katey," she put her head on
the pillow, too.
-She laid her head down on her pillow, too. "My mother used to say that when love
would come, all the good things would happen, and I wouldn't even know how. And
when are you going to tell your folks you're getting married?
Miranda twisted, making herself more comfortable, and spoke:
-My parents will be happy. They had always adored Leo. Even though he's older
than both of them," she chuckled. - The elves are accustomed to a gradual maturation. I
hope it doesn't speed up with me," she chuckled again. - He only got older than twenty
when he got hired by the King. Before that, he was a boy. My mother told me.
I giggled at my friend, too, and said:
-But then life took its toll on him, didn't it? - I wanted to add that it had before, but
Miranda might not have known about the wyvern story.
-And before that, too," she answered abruptly. I looked at her in surprise, but didn't
say anything. - What about your dad?
The question was sudden, and I hesitated:
-I don't know anything about him. I've never seen him.
-I'm sorry," Miranda said quietly. - Do you think he was a wizard, too?
-I don't think he was," I said sharply. And it was true.
I could only assume that my father had abandoned us, because my mother would
probably have mentioned his death. Which meant that his fate didn't interest me at all. -
And yours, what are they?
-You'll find out soon enough," her friend smiled. - Leo will be asking for my hand,
and I'm sure he'll be dragging a delegation with him.
 -I'm looking forward to it," I murmured as I fell asleep. And I dreamed that night
of Leo in his long bridal veil.

The castle is gorgeous," I gasped as the boys took me through the snow-covered
park and garden while I looked at the towers and stained-glass windows from the side.
There were tapestries and banners with the Elemental symbolism of raging flames
everywhere.
We wrapped ourselves in the long cloaks the maid had slipped us, and from the
outside we looked like a procession of Dementors that day.
-I understand your love of work," Tim snorted enviously at Leo. - The palace, the
royal family, the position. A whole list of privileges.
-The parties in your honor," I reminded him, and poked Leo lovingly in the ribs.
As we listened, he stomped thoughtfully through the snow with the toes of his high
black boots with their shiny clinking plaques. To complete the picture he lacked only
spurs.
-It's not the privileges," Leo answered at last. - Or rather, it wasn't the privileges
alone.
He stopped talking before he could say anything to pique everyone's curiosity.
-How did you get here? - Aria, whom we asked to come with us, spoke up. She
was wrapped in a long red fur coat, her dark eyes peeking demurely out from under the
hood.
Leo glanced at her in surprise, and Aria blushed.
-I," Leo began, but the frightened elf was already making excuses:
-I'm sorry, Leonardo, it's none of my business," she babbled, looking only at her
shoes. - I couldn't help being curious because I've heard a lot about you. I always
wanted to see you. But even at school I didn't have the opportunity, knowing only your
name and a long list of talents.
We stared at her in stupefaction for a moment, then burst into uncontrollable
laughter. Everyone except Leo.
 Tim was the first one to pull himself together and walk over to Aria, who was
freaking out from our reaction, taking her hands in his. My jealousy stung, and I
stopped laughing.
-Aria, why are you so afraid of us? I wasn't imagining it, was I? - he asked.
The girl looked up from the floor and dared to look at Tim, which made her blush
even thicker. She was about to say something, but Leo stepped in with his eternal
childlike spontaneity:
-"Tell you what," he pushed Tim away from her and stood in front of Aria. - I'll tell
you about my work, and you tell me a little bit about yourself.
-Yes, all right, sir," she nodded.
-And stop it," the elf muttered irritably.
-Leo," Aria obediently corrected, which made Leo look at her worriedly and say:
-You first, come here," he pointed us to a carved pergola under the snow-covered
trees.
We swept the snow off the benches with magic, and Miranda waved her arms and
the familiar protective bubble formed around the gazebo.
I put my leg over my head and stared at Aria, jealous. I noticed that she looked at
Tim differently than the others. And she was more embarrassed to be with him than she
was even with the uninhibited and tactless Leo.
Aria took a deep breath and looked around at us, calming down.
-What are you interested in? - she asked.
-What you yourself think is important," Miranda suggested softly.
-I had a different formulation," Leo interjected.
Aria was clearly nervous and began to tell the story, pausing at great length like a
small child.
-My name is Aria Jackson. I'm an elf, and so are my parents. I'm twenty years old,
and I'm in my last year of Elementum.
I felt like I was in kindergarten and got annoyed again, crossing my arms over my
chest. Especially from how attentively my friends listened to her.
 -My mom died in childbirth, and I live with my dad. But I'm in school now," she
corrected herself. - After graduation, I want to join the animal rescue movement from
the war effort.
-Wow," Miranda smiled. - That's so noble.
I remembered my high school zoo, and wondered what happened to the rest of the
animals in war.
-When I was a kid, I used to volunteer at a small kennel," Aria said more calmly,
noticing that she was being taken seriously.
-What did you do there? - Tim asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his
knees. - It's not much different from a zoo in Reality, except you can take the animals
home.
-Really? - Aria stared at Tim in fascination for a few seconds. Too long. Too long.
- We look for animals all over the parallel here, but each species needs a special
approach.
-I understand," Tim smiled, and Aria glared.
-"But for the most part, the task is to find suitable and safe habitats for each
species," she rambled on, now keeping her eyes on Tim. - And once I'm educated, I
think I'll be able to pick them up. And then we can free up more time and energy to save
the survivors.
-Sounds terrific," Tim smiled my favorite smile, not me. - Will you show us the
kennel?
-Sure," Aria nodded with childlike delight in her eyes. - It's not far from here. If we
leave in the morning, we can be at the palace by dinner.
The boys started picking a day to visit, and I started making up excuses why I
couldn't go.
While the boys were talking, I dissolved the magic bubble and slowly moved
toward the castle. My friends got up and followed me, noisily discussing their plans.
A few steps away from the boys, I saw Alfonso's face in the castle windows. He
waved and beckoned, and I caught up with the boys and clutched at Leo's hand like a
dead weight. But of course he didn't notice.
 We entered the castle and went up to the bedroom floor to change. At the door of
my room with Miranda, Aria caught up:
-Leo, wait! You didn't tell me why the king hired you for his services.
Leo cocked a cryptic eyebrow and threw a shrieking Miranda on his shoulder:
-It's very simple. I saved his life," he winked at us all, waved, and carried Miranda
into the boys' bedroom.
Aria turned to us:
-See you at dinner, Tim and Kathy," and she hurried to her room.
Tim and Kathy.
Tim, meanwhile, shrugged and opened the door to Miranda and I's room. He
wanted to let me go first, but he grinned when he saw me hesitate and went in first. The
doors slammed shut behind him.
When I woke up, I took a step behind me, but I caught onto something. I turned
around and saw Alfonso holding me by the edge of my cloak, hiding around the corner
of the hallway.
-Kathy," he said in a low voice, pulling me around the corner. - I'd forgotten your
name, damn you.
-Let me go, or I'll scream," I tried to pull my elf's hand away from mine.
-Call my friends for help? - he wheezed in my ear, pressing his weight against the
wall. - It's all right, when McLean's not around, you'll be mine. I always get what I
want.
Instead of answering, I sent some of the power from my bright blue crystal into the
palms of my hands that were clutching the elf's arm around me. Alphonso cried out in
pain and jumped away from me. Red blisters sprang up on his wrist.
-Crap,‖ but before he could get angry enough, I flew into the room where Tim was
and slammed the doors behind me.
-What took you so long? - Tim had already taken off his cloak and magically lit the
fireplace. He turned to me, and his face changed: - Is it him again? Alfonso? - There
was rage in his voice.
-No," I lied flatly, not even sure why.
 -What happened? - Tim came close to me. Closer than friends and buddies could
get. Closer than he'd ever come to anyone. - Katie," he said my name in a whisper that
turned my insides upside down.
I froze under the gaze of his favorite eyes.
-Nothing," I whispered, knowing that the lie wouldn't work.
-You don't trust me? - Tim asked, still quietly, and unbuttoned the clasp of my
cloak. Then he took it off my shoulders and tossed it into a chair.
-Trust me," I exhaled, imagining for a second that he would keep undressing me
until all my clothes were in the chair.
-Then why won't you open up to me? - Tim looked down at me, and the strands of
his brown bangs parted the rich green of his eyes. - Tell me.
I admired him for a few seconds, and then the words flew out against my will:
-Why are you...? - I hesitated, not knowing what I was going to ask. Why aren't
you with me? Why aren't you with someone else? Why aren't you kissing me right now?
I got quiet and continued to stubbornly look into Tim's face.
-Why me what? - He asked calmly.
-Yes, Alfonso came on to me in the hallway," I blurted out and collapsed on the
bed with my nose in the pillows, fighting the urge to burst into tears. - I fought back.
Tim was silent for a while, and then I heard his voice from the fireplace:
-Don't move away from me again.
-Yes, sir," I replied, skillfully mimicking Aria's manner. Tim opened a book of
some kind and turned his back to the fire. And I cried silently into my pillow, realizing I
didn't understand anything else.

Miranda's parents gave the impression of quiet, well-mannered people. Though

their enthusiasm for their daughter's wedding had been very intense.
Tall as Miranda was, Amanda Warren flushed and threw her arms around Leo as
he handed her a bouquet of small white flowers.
 Amanda's husband, Alec Warren, was a medium-sized man with a bit of a belly.
But he, too, could see the beauty of his young daughter. Leo gave him the patterned
bottle he had taken from Morpheus the day before. Alec kindly patted Leo on the
shoulders and hugged the happy Miranda tightly.
After a brief, half-hearted (about the demon attack, Miranda falling through the ice,
and the fire) account of the practice, Leo got up from the table and raised his glass. His
speech included thanking fate for meeting the Warren family, admiring Miranda, and
finally, he asked the couple for their blessing to marry their daughter.
For a while, the young couple answered the standard set of questions, while
Miranda's parents pushed long sentimental toasts.
I felt a little superfluous at the family celebration, and so I glanced frequently at
Tim, who continued to listen to his hosts and smile politely.
After a while it was time to visit Leo's mother, and, being in great spirits, the
Warrens volunteered to come with us. We went out into the fresh, frosty air without
even bringing our best clothes. The McLean house was a stone's throw away.
Before I had time to breathe after a couple of shots of tincture, a short, chubby elf-
woman opened the door in front of us. With endless greetings, we entered the McLean's
small, light-colored house.
Everything here was old, but in a well-kept condition, as if the furniture and
belongings had been carefully cared for. As I looked around, I noticed a few things that
were out of place. There was a carved wooden cabinet, a stylish glass table, and a
leather sofa. The furniture screamed that it had not been chosen and bought by the
owner, but by her son.
From the threshold, Leo announced to his mother, Adele McLeon, his intention to
marry, which thrilled the woman. She treated us to cream cakes, seated us at the glass
table, and began to talk about how long she had waited and wished for this engagement.
And how she hadn't seen anyone else near her son for a moment. And she even dared to
remark that no elf could have made Leo so happy in her eyes.
 It made me feel a little sad to see the tears of tenderness in the Warrens' eyes and
the proud smile of Leo, who I knew those words were a hundred times dearer than the
rest of us.
-Dad would have been so happy," Adele said affectionately, stroking Leo on the
shoulder.
-Thank you," he barely squeezed out.
-"I wish Christiana were here," Adele sobbed.
I paced the room to calm my emotions, staring at the spines of the books and the
pictures that were piled up on the walls and the shelves. Almost all of them had a
Hollywood smile on the face of an over-aged Leo. Finding a photo of his father, I
immediately noted who all the elf's beauty was in. Though his mother was a very pretty
woman, Leo definitely inherited all his bold brilliance from his father.
He was still young in some of the pictures, and not much different from his son. He
was as tall and impeccably built. His blond, straight hair was cropped short. Salad-
colored eyes pierced even from the photo, as if they could see right through you. In
other photos, the older McLean was even more handsome, gaining masculinity and
mature charm as he grew older.
I grinned at the many pictures of the widow, until my gaze stumbled upon another
face that was painfully familiar.
I was paralyzed, my insides felt cold, and my hands began to tremble. For a
moment I could not believe my own eyes.
-Leo! - I shrieked so loudly that the guests jumped up at once. - Leo, my mother's
here! It's my mom!
I grabbed the picture off the shelf and shoved it in Leo's face. He took it from me
and stared at it in bewilderment. He was a child of about ten, hugging my young mother
somewhere in front of the river.
-It's my mother, look! - I squealed, jumping up and down in delight.
My blood was rushing through me, and I was euphoric, sure that Leo was going to
tell me all the stories about her. I was overwhelmed with happiness at the thought that
my memories weren't everything. There were plenty of people who knew her, and now I
could track them all down.
-Why aren't you saying anything? - I tugged my friend impatiently by the sleeve
and took the photo, eagerly looking at the smile of my mother. - Where did you meet?
After a few seconds of ringing silence and no answer, I took my eyes off the
picture and looked up at Leo. I found that the look of bewilderment on his face had
changed to one of confusion and even sadness. The guests at the table looked at each
other in surprise.
-It can't be," he muttered, slowly settling into the leather sofa. I collapsed beside
him and stared into his lettuce eyes:
-But it's my mother! - I shouted, starting to get angry.
-No, Kathy, I don't think so.
-Do you think I don't recognize my own mother? - I blurted out angrily and stared
again at the happy face in the picture.
Everyone was tensely silent for a while. Leo looked at me with a sort of mixed
expression.
-What was your mother's name, Kathy? - he asked quietly.
-Jessica," I answered and looked at the elf. My gaze was met with dead hope,
disappointment, and fear. - What is it? It's her, isn't it?
Leo averted his eyes.
-Yes," he muttered.
-What is it? How do you know her? - I was thrilled again, ignoring the reaction I
didn't understand.
Leo was silent for a second, and then he stood up, turning to all the people present,
whose faces were full of surprise and consternation. Adele looked dumbfounded,
covered her mouth with her palms, and looked at me incessantly.
-I want to talk to Kathy alone," Leo led me gently, in a way that wasn't typical of
him, out the door, throwing the warm, burly cloaks over both of us.
 We stepped out into the backyard. With a gentle whiff of the warm, magical
breeze, Leo shoveled the snow off the swings in the yard and warmed them up. Then he
sat down and beckoned me to him.
-Why did we leave? - I wondered, starting to get really worried.
-Smoking," Leo pulled out some cigarettes and handed one to me. I shrugged,
glanced at the tip of the cigarette, and inhaled the bright yellow smoke.
Calmness and nonchalance began to flow through my veins. I relaxed a little and
pushed myself off the ground, rocking the bench. Leo remained silent, and I glanced at
him. Yellow smoke slowly floated out of his thin lips.
-What do you know about Mom, Kathy? - he asked softly, looking away.
-Do I? - I hesitated, not quite understanding the question. - What do I remember?
-What did she do? Where did she live? How did she meet your father? - Leo asked,
looking up at the sky.
-I don't know," I admitted reluctantly. - None of it.
All my memories were from when my mother was at home with me when I was
little.
-How could I not have guessed that," Leo grunted with pain in his voice. - I knew
Jessica had married some Carper. There was a rumor they were expecting a baby. And
then he sent her off to Reality to raise the baby, away from the war.
-What was his name? - I felt too much emotion in my head.
-I don't know," Leo answered, ruffling his hair with his fingers. - But he was a
fighter. They both were.
-Really? - I opened my eyes, picturing my mother in her tight black uniform.
-Yes," Leo nodded. - They met at the front. Jess wrote me about it. In a farewell
letter.
-When did you decide to leave?
-When your father insisted that she leave," Leo corrected. - Jess didn't want to
leave him.
I stared thoughtfully into the snow beneath our swinging feet. The plaques on Leo's
boots let out funny rays from the pale winter sun.
 -When was that? - I asked.
-Twenty-two years ago, before you were born.
-That's right," I nodded, thinking. - And then you talked to each other?
-We only saw each other once," Leo sighed, and grew darker. - The day she died,"
Leo looked up at me with a face of pain I'd never seen before. - Katie, honey, I'm sorry.
I'll tell you all about it a little later.
-The orphanage told me she was sick," I frowned, completely terrified. - Was she
at the Four Elemental World?
-Yes, she was," Leo's eyes filled with tears. - It was my fault she was dead. The
wyvern killed Jessica.

We got back to the palace late at night, having skipped dinner.

-I can't believe you're Jessica's daughter," Miranda was the first one to break the
silence. - Leo talked so much about her, he wouldn't shut up.
-Really? - I climbed into bed with her.
-Your mom was his friend," Miranda said softly. - The closest. But she grew up
faster than he did," she added with a slight smile.
-He said he was responsible for her death," I remembered, looking at her
questioningly. - Is that true?
-No," Miranda blinked. - But for Leo, yes.
-Do you know the story? - I leaned up on my elbow, ready for the worst.
-I know it wasn't Leo's fault," Miranda said softly, but I could tell she was nervous.
- They were attacked by a wyvern. There was nothing he could do, he couldn't even
conjure yet.
I nodded, remembering the bloody scene, and shuddered.
-"He was wounded himself, I know," I admitted. Miranda looked at me in surprise,
and I added: - I saw it.
-What do you mean? - She frowned at her friend, not understanding.
 -In the lake, on the night of the providence," I sighed. - I saw a wyvern kill my
mother.
Saying it out loud was like the first time I realized it. I squeezed my eyes shut with
pain in my chest, tears welling up in my eyes. Miranda stared at me dazedly for a few
seconds.
-Kathy! - She shrieked. - Oh, my God.
-I didn't know it was her," I interrupted. - I couldn't see her face. Just Leo and...
And then I burst into tears. I burst into tears. It was as if all my sorrows had come
upon me at once. And all my worst dreams came true.
My mother died a cruel death. My dad must be dead, too, since he hadn't looked
for me in years. My best friend was twice on the verge of death. Leo lost a loved one,
was badly injured himself, and still blames himself for what happened. And Tim... Tim
doesn't like me and is flirting with Aria.
That last one made me think, but the bitterness and the recent turmoil drove me to
surrender completely to despair. I continued to roar, not even thinking about the fact
that someone might hear me.
-You poor thing," Miranda hugged me tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, too. -
Cry, cry.
I don't know how long I sobbed. But when I calmed down, my eyes were swollen
and my head hurt. Miranda only let me out of her arms when I gently pulled her away
myself.
-I'm not going to the kennel tomorrow," I mumbled, swallowing a lump in my
throat. - I'm going to Morpheus's to get drunk.
-Are you sure? - "I'm going to Morpheus for a drink." "Really?" the witch asked
excitedly. - Promise you won't stay alone?
-I promise," I nodded. - I'll have the cat with me.
-Okay," Miranda nudged me on the cushions. - I'll put you to sleep with a spell,"
she warned me. - I promise you won't dream.
The great wizards with the clear crystals must be able to read minds.
 I woke up when it was light out. When I opened my eyes, I found Miranda gone.
But I wasn't alone in the room. Morpheus was lying on the windowsill, reading a book
thoughtfully, flipping through the pages with his claw.
-Let's go," I grumbled sleepily.
-Good morning to you, too," he purred without looking away from the book.
-"Go away, I need to get dressed," I explained, pulling the blanket up over my ears.
-I'm not looking," the cat muttered, and defiantly turned his back on me.
I was a little shaky, so I climbed out of bed and burrowed into the closet.
-What happened at my parents' visit? - Morpheus asked without any preamble, not
turning around.
The word "parents" made me drop the hanger.
-"Depends on what Miranda told me," I muttered.
-"Nothing," the cat said calmly. - Leonardo was talking to me.
-Leo? - I wondered as I slipped into my tight pink dress. - What did he want?
-To keep an eye on you," Morpheus turned the page of the book.
-I'm not a child," I grumbled, zipping up my back the third time.
-Yes?" the cat turned defiantly toward me and spread its wings. - And I didn't think
leaving you and Alfonso in the same house without Leonardo was a good idea.
For fear of hurting Morpheus's feelings, I didn't laugh or ask how he was going to
protect me. Instead, I walked toward him, hastily brushing my hair.
-What are you reading? - The thick book on the windowsill looked rather old.
-The king gave me some of his healers' literature," the cat explained, slamming the
book shut so that I could see the cover. - There's a lot of valuable information in here
about plants and herbs. They don't even teach that at Elementum," he chuckled. - With
this knowledge, I can increase the production of tinctures for drugs and medicines.
-Wow," I ran my fingers over the thick, carved cover. - You're good," I could
barely contain my impulse to scratch Morpheus behind the ear.
-Come on, I'll show you my new lab. It's regal in scope," the cat added, winking at
me.
-It needs some airing," I agreed, and we left the room.
 -He hinted that you might like a drink," the cat said as he darted off to the front to
show me the way.
-I was going to," I admitted.
-And tell me what happened? - The cat insisted.
-I will," I sighed, and followed me.
The king was generous, and gave Morpheus an entire mansion. It was part of the
castle, and consisted of one large hall on the upper floor, and several smaller rooms
about it. As I entered the cat's domain, I froze on the threshold.
The hall was littered with tables, and on them, huge steaming cauldrons were
languishing on the fire. Glazed cabinets filled the walls, and boxes and pouches and jars
of ingredients filled the walls.
Half a dozen girls in matching red aprons swarmed between the tables. All of them
were consulting large notebooks, stirring potions or adding exotic spices.
At Morpheus's appearance, they all began to run faster, and concentration froze on
their faces.
-The burnt-out house no longer bothers me," the cat told me. - As you can see, all
things work out for the best," he landed all four of them on the big desk, which had no
chair beside it for lack of use.
-And these," I asked, strolling around the room. - Your employees?
-The casting was quite rigorous," the cat nodded, his whiskers puffed up proudly. -
I had six applicants for the place.
-Six? - Six?" I marveled at the size.
Morpheus pouted.
-Take that one," he said, pointing to the glass cabinet.
I pulled out the hollow bottle and twirled it in my hands. The cat took off and
headed for the far end of the hall, which I realized was his office.
The room was small, but directorially furnished. I chuckled at the cat's ambition
and sat down in a chair near the desk, where he sat down with all four of his arms.
With his paws spreading out the numerous papers, he positioned himself in the
very center and nodded at the glasses on the shelf to me.
 -Am I thirsty in the morning? - I hesitated, but I uncorked the bottle and poured us
a little of the fragrant brew.
-Susan! - Morpheus purred, and one of the younger workers came running into the
room. - Can you fix us some breakfast, please? And a fattier one," he added.
The girl went out, and I inhaled the multifaceted aroma from my glass.
-"I smell black dacius," I suggested.
-Tell me," the cat interrupted me. - And I do not reach the bottom, pour a full.
Embarrassed by my own stupidity, I poured the broth in his glass and took a sip
from mine. Alcohol on an empty stomach made my head spin in an instant. I chastised
myself for my earlier distrust of my furry friend and told him everything that had
happened the day before.
By the time I was finished, we'd half-finished the breakfast we'd brought.
-And you didn't know anything about your parents," he said thoughtfully.
-Nothing," I nodded and took a bite of the pie. - And I don't even know my father's
name.
-We know the last name," the cat answered. - We can look for it.
-But how? - I raised my eyebrows.
-Leave it to me, Catherine," Morpheus announced haughtily. - I've made a lot of
useful contacts lately.
-Thank you," I said without much hope.
-You do," said the cat, slightly embarrassed. - Let Leonardo know that you do not
blame him.
-I don't blame him. - I exclaimed and tapped my glass on the table.
-He should say it outright," the cat insisted, looking at me point-blank. - You didn't
see him this morning," he added quietly, and his yellow eyes flashed.
I sighed deeply. Now I was filled with guilt, too. I realized I was only feeling sorry
for myself.
-I will," I assured Morpheus. - Thanks for listening.
I got up, deciding to take a nap for a few more hours. I was relieved. The cat
soared into the air:
 -I'll see you out. Tim will be in the room with you," he swung the door open with
his front paws.
-Tim? - My heart raced. - He's gone to see the animals.
-He didn't," the cat objected. - When Miranda said you were staying, he took off
his cloak and said one thing on the way back to his bedroom.
-What was that? - I asked muffled as I followed Morpheus out of the study.
-I won't let my eyes wander," he answered.

Morpheus left me at the door to the room, said good-bye, and went off to his
quarters. I sighed, wondering if Tim was waiting there, or if he was buried in the books
in his room, listening for my door to slam.
I felt a strong urge to cover it as quietly as possible, but I didn't have to. When I
entered the room, I found Tim standing at the window with his back to me. I lowered
the door, and it closed softly without making a sound.
-Well, finally," I heard a familiar voice, and I was petrified. - Here we are alone. I
heard yesterday that all your friends had left. How fortunate.
Alfonso closed the curtains and turned slowly toward me. It was almost dark in the
room, and I took a step back toward the door. But I didn't have time to move toward the
knob, because my muscles suddenly relaxed and stopped responding.
-What are you doing? - I mumbled, barely able to stay on my feet.
-Just a little bit of magic to keep you from twitching," Alfonso strode over to me,
tugging on my trouser belt. - I don't want to leave bruises on that beautiful body. Maybe
you like that, though, don't you? - he laughed softly.
He was enjoying the moment of power, and so he was slowing down, stretching
out the process, which was good for me. I had to act quickly.
Time, time! I concentrated on everything I could see and hear. And, trying to make
as much noise as possible, I faked complete weakness.
-I can't feel my arms," I lied, drawing energy from my blue crystal at a frantic
pace. I could almost hear the magic fill me instantly, and Alfonso's spell dissolved into
it. My blood rushed, my heart thundered, the energy in my fingers was begging to be
released, and my palms burned with the overload of magic. - What do you want? - I
whispered in a low voice.
-What I want," the elf pulled back the collar of my dress, peeking inside.
We have to stall for time. Tim might hear the noise. We need the noise.
Alfonso came close to me, pulled me against him, and kissed me hard on the lips
with a ring of stubble.
I need the noise.
-You'll be mine," he growled, pulling away from me.
Blinking, I focused my attention on the magic I'd taken from the crystal. I didn't
know how much was there. The Fire elemental had never let me down before.
I pressed my palms against his chest. Burns heal, my dear. But I don't think these
do.
Alfonso screamed in pain and released me, pulling back. Thank you, my good
man. That noise was enough.
How many seconds does it take to wake up and run to my room? Ten? Fifteen?
I saw that the shirt on Alfonso's chest was smoking and that red bubbles were
blowing underneath it. The scars from my last burn on his wrist were almost gone, but I
hadn't tried hard enough that time.
I rushed to the door, gripping the knob. But turning my back on an angry enemy
wasn't the best idea.
My right shoulder and back stabbed with pain. It made my eyes turn white, and I
collapsed on the floor, barely able to put my hands underneath me while the door was
slammed shut.
I shrieked in pain and surprise and turned around, keeping my eye on the elf with
the flaming whip in his hand. She lowered her eyes to her shoulder. My dress had come
undone to my waist and was now hanging in shreds, exposing my entire back, which
was cut through by a deep, smoking cut.
The seconds felt like an eternity. I screamed again.
Alfonso swung his whip, almost hitting my legs, but missed.
 -Now my hands are free, you devil. You attacked me! I was defending myself, all
right? - He roared and swung again.
I don't know where he learned magic, but I learned a little bit of everything in
Elementum, even in the first half of the year. Water and Fire were always against each
other. So my icy wave quickly turned the firewhip into a swarm of snowflakes. And the
elf's fingers on the hand holding it turned blue and stopped moving.
-The creature! - Alfonso shouted, and then he leaned toward me and slammed his
fist into my face. I did not expect it, and did not have time to react and protect myself
with magic. I collapsed on my back, surprised that I hadn't lost consciousness.
One more second, one more. Tim, come on. Blood poured from the cut on her back
onto the light-colored carpet.
Her senses strained to the breaking point, and she heard a loud stomping sound
outside the door.
The elf swung again, but I managed to put a shield between us, expending the rest
of the power I'd absorbed from the crystal.
Tim burst into the room just as I managed to rise ridiculously to my feet, pulling
up and holding the torn dress so that it covered me at least in the front.
The look on Tim's face was impossible to convey. The few seconds it took him to
run to my room had taken an incredible toll.
Tim's eyes turned fierce as he looked from my bloody wound to Alphonso, who
was beating on the shield, still unable to use his injured arm. But he didn't have to.
The elf grinned nastily at his new enemy, and with a fresh burst of rage, he lunged
into battle. The shield shattered. I jumped out of the room and almost flew over the
railing of the balcony to the first floor. My stomach hurt, and I gasped for a few
moments.
I remembered the redhead, another burst of magic.
Inhale.
-You're a dead man, get it?! - Alphonso roared, pushing Tim to my side.
The spells were flitting between them so fast that I didn't have time to recognize
them. The guys were already on the common balcony, too. I'd never seen Tim fight so
fiercely before. His passes were imperceptible, just like our Guinea teacher's, and his lip
movements were impossible to catch.
Alfonso kept up as well, but often resorted to the shield, repelling new attacks. Tim
was so aggressive that the elf had no time to attack. I could see the delicate blue oval
stone on Tim's leather bracelet glowing, so often it drew power from him.
The opponents moved toward me, approaching the balcony railing. I stepped back,
ready to intervene at any moment. I remembered, and began to draw magic from the
crystal again. I could feel the whiplash stinging, healed by the magic. Her heart beat
faster.
-My uncle is a king! - yelled Alfonso, putting up new shields, which Tim dispelled
in a moment. - You're dead, and so is your bitch! And McLeon is yours! How he got to
me!
Tim didn't answer, but the look on his face frightened me more than the dozens of
spells flying from his fingers.
-Tim," I said. - We have to stop.
Tim took a quick glance at my face, swollen from the blow, and then turned his
back on his opponent as he continued his attack.
-"There's no turning back," he only threw me.
-Listen to your wench, village," Alfonso shouted, panting with exertion.
Tim let loose several jets of fire, but the elf once again managed to put up a barrier.
It crumbled just as quickly as the previous ones, though.
-It's going to get worse," I murmured, and Tim shook his head from side to side.
And then, after I'd gathered enough energy from the crystal, I put a shield between
them. Tim's needle spell bounced off the barrier and into the wall. Alphonso laughed
nastily, looking around. From around the corners of the corridors the frightened maids
looked out, not daring to leave or intervene.
-Get out! - Alfonso shouted, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. -
Out!
The women scattered away, and once again it was just the three of us.
-"Kathy," Tim said sternly, without turning back to me.
 -What do you want to do? - I shrieked in utter panic. I lisped, my face more
swollen than ever. - What are you going to do with that?
Tim turned to me and glanced over the bloody shoulder. I pulled my dress up,
holding it up with one hand. The other fixed my hair, covering my face.
- Put the barrier away," he said sternly.
I hesitated for a moment, and cut the strand of energy that powered the spell. The
boys were face to face again.
But then Alfonso did something no one expected. Instead of using magic again, he
jumped up next to Tim and smacked him across the face. Tim wasn't prepared for that
turn either, so he missed the punch and collapsed face down on the floor.
Alfonso laughed, looked around to make sure none of the servants had returned,
and grabbed me by the scrap of my dress.
-And you're coming with me," he yanked me toward him, but I didn't want to lose
my clothes, so I clutched at the dress, and it tore in two. The elf had the piece of fabric
in his hand. I shoved him away from me with my other hand as hard as I could. And
Alfonso, like that dog whose leash was accidentally let go, staggered violently, bumped
his pelvis on the railing of the balcony and flew over it to the first floor.
I groaned and, wrapping myself in the rest of my clothes as best I could, flew over
to the balcony.
Alfonso was lying dead on the marble floor of the first floor in an unnatural
position. His arms and legs were obviously broken. I felt sick and dizzy, and I jerked
away from the railing, fighting the urge to scream.
-Kathy," Tim got up from the floor.
-What did I do? - I babbled, pressing my hands to my mouth. - I killed him!
-No," Tim put his palms on my shoulders, gently, not touching the cut.
-I killed him, I killed him," I whispered, staring into the green with open eyes.
-No, he fell, he tripped," Tim reassured me.
-I pushed him. And he died," I hissed through the pain in my cheekbones, tears of
despair streaming down my cheeks.
 -Leo paced around the room with his hands behind his back. - I'll do the talking.
We don't have much time. The King will be back from town any minute.
Tim had contacted Leo some time ago through the dispatcher, and the friends raced
to the castle. The maids silently carried Alfonso's body somewhere. They didn't ask us a
single question. Some even smiled. They also scrubbed the floors of blood and called
for Morpheus.
The cat listened with yellow eyes, and didn't even yell. Strange, though. He just
flew off to the study and came back with a basket of some ointments.
While Morpheus was gone, Tim waited patiently in the hallway while I stripped
off the rest of my dress, wiped off the blood with warm water, and changed my clothes.
When the cat returned, he detailed what to do with each jar in the basket. Tim,
gently lifting my shirt on me, began to dab the wound with aromatic ointments under
the clear direction of the cat.
-It's very deep, very deep," murmured Morpheus. - The element of fire, the whip!
How dare he? - the cat shrieked in surprise. - Against the girl! One on one!
I looked at Morpheus gratefully and obliquely, and he fell silent, pondering.
-I take it you refused affection to the man? - The cat asked ruthlessly, circling
around the ceiling of the room.
-Sort of," I muttered, and distinctly felt the hand on my back tremble.
-We'll talk when Leo gets back, okay? - Tim said.
-What's he going to do? - the cat screamed in a falsetto. - When the king sees his
dead nephew?!
He was right, and tears came to my eyes. That was it. I was lost. He'll put me in
jail. Execute me. Chase me out of the parallel. Anything.
-Leo will take care of it," Tim answered in a tone that did not tolerate any
arguments. And Morpheus was silent. Strange, though.
When Leo, Miranda, and Aria returned, we asked the girls to give Leo and me
some privacy. Aria looked surprised and Miranda looked worried. The girls left. Then
we crumpled to tell Leo what had happened.
 The elf paced in circles around the room, with the cat winding kilometers over
him. Tim spoke softly and without detail. I was silent. Leo, for some reason, hardly
looked at the narrator, only glanced at me. He looked at the long, sticky tape over the
wound, at my swollen face, to which I pressed a cool compress, and then straight into
my eyes.
When Tim, finished, Leo stopped and stared directly at me:
-And he fell? - he asked, repeating Tim's words. - Did he fall himself?
-Stumbled," Tim nodded. He didn't even seem to think it was a lie. So much for
believing it was an accident.
-I pushed him," I said stubbornly, looking right at Leo.
Tim looked at me indignantly, and Leo kept his piercing light-brown eyes on me.
I wasn't ashamed in front of him.
I knew that if anyone would understand, it would be Leo. Tim would deny,
Miranda would reassure, and Leo... Leo would understand.
- "Okay," he just said. - Don't go anywhere," he looked out the window. - The King
is here.
And he went out, slamming the door so loud it made us all shiver.

-What did he say to the king? - I kept asking Miranda for the next few days.
The next morning we went back to school, not even late for the funeral. But no one
minded.
-I don't know, Kathy," my friend said again.
We unpacked in our school bedroom, replenishing the empty closet with the outfits
we'd bought after the fire. Everything here was the same as before. Only different.
We ourselves had changed. We were no longer giggling freshmen. Three weeks of
internship had exhausted and changed us.
Miranda had almost died twice, and now she was engaged to the man of her
dreams.
Leo, who had almost lost the girl he loved, took the courageous step.
 Tim must have saved my life, because Alfonso, in the rage I had driven him to,
would hardly have stopped at mere violence.
And I killed a man.
-He just said it was okay," she added.
- "Just like that? - I couldn't believe it, and the damn long dresses didn't fit in the
closet. - We killed your nephew. Okay, we're off, have a fun funeral! - I chuckled
nervously.
-Kathy," Miranda looked at me disapprovingly. - No one killed anyone, and don't
ever say that.
-Who were you listening to, Tima? - I was indignant.
-It was an accident," Miranda replied coldly. - Only one less freak in the world.
I was silent, agreeing. But my mind was filled with the surprised eyes of a brown
elf flying toward his doom, with a twinkle of steel in his eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut,
praying that the image would never come to me again.
But it did.
-"Christiana's coming today," Miranda reminded me. - Don't put that nonsense in
her head.
-Okay," I hummed back, intuitively touching my already blue cheekbones.
-Don't touch it with your hands," she snapped at me and pulled out a small jar. - It's
for bruises. And this," she held out a bigger jar. - For wounds.
Morpheus is a miracle worker. Thank him.
-What do you mean? - The familiar high-pitched voice lifted my spirits. - What's
with the face? If it's my brother, I'm going to punch him in the face myself!
Christiana rushed into the room, tossing the heavy suitcase on the threshold. She
hugged Miranda first, so I gestured to her to warn her.
-Not at all," and I kissed her lightly on the cheek.
-What else? - She didn't understand, and she scrutinized my face, twirling it
unceremoniously in her hands, just like her brother. - And why did Leo answer all my
calls with the monotone that everything was fine? I didn't believe a word of it.
 I glanced at Miranda and decided not to tell Chris anything that Leo didn't want me
to. And so I joked and said that such a story should be greeted with a standing ovation
from the audience.
With an understanding chuckle, Kris began to take things out of her suitcase and
scatter them over the bed.
-"As long as the fire horses aren't involved," she giggled, unsuccessfully pushing
the clothes into the closet. - Leo's a sore subject.
We laughed, finished unpacking, and went into the living room. And the promised
crowd had already gathered there.
Sebastian, Velcom, Leo, and Tim were setting out on the dining room table plastic
spreads from the dining room full of food.
-Lazy to eat downstairs? - I wondered, sitting down carefully so as not to disturb
my damaged skin. I grimaced.
Sebastian, seeing the bruises on my face, shouted in a voice not his own, coming
toward me:
-What the hell is this? What's with the freshmen practice assignment? - He stared
at me while I tried unsuccessfully to fight him off. - Did Eldar fall off a cliff? He gave
us some nonsense in the third year, and the kids come back to school crippled!
We laughed a little unnaturally, and Leo told his friends that on New Year's Eve
we had accidentally burned down the guardhouse, where I had hurt myself. For which
we then helped Morpheus set up his new home in the king's castle.
Chris and Sebastian, with slamming eyes, asked a few questions and marveled at
our bad luck. And Velcom sliced the meat in even slices and never looked up from his
plate.
-You'd better tell me about your practice," Leo suggested after catching his breath.
- There was nothing interesting in ours," he finished quietly.
I glanced around at my friends, and at that moment the four of us got even closer.
-I was on a mission from the Eldar," Velkom told us. - Personal.
We were silent, remembering the dead newts scattered through the woods.
-"I told you I have no right to tell," Christiana shrugged.
 -I'll check with the headmaster," Leo muttered, filling his plate with so many
potatoes that they fell out.
-Clear up," the little sister boldly parried and poured us all a bottle of wine with
strange beasts.
-And I've been tracking down war survivors," Sebastian said with a smile. - Not a
dull thing to do, I'll tell you that.
And we got hooked on the subject by talking about Aria, with whom Sebastian
appeared to be well acquainted. The boys discussed animals from the orphanage, and
the gnome shared secrets about where animals could hide from wizards.
I ate, admired my friends' smiles, and distracted myself from the guilt that was
eating at me. At times I felt as if it would never leave me. That I would be branded as a
murderer forever. And I would never forgive myself for it. And at times I thought I was
blaming myself for something that wasn't my fault.
But that day, looking at the happy company, I decided on the second option. I
barely even felt the stinging pain in the deep cut on my back. It was as if their laughter
healed any wounds.

-I'm used to not asking questions," Rowenta murmured that evening as she
changed my temporary bandage for a special one. - But that's a bit much," she looked
closely at the bruises on her face.
-I'm sorry," I murmured. - The king's orders were to keep what happened a secret.
It was true. When Leo returned from his conversation with him, he told me to pack
my things and keep my mouth shut.
-It's not that bad," Tim remarked judiciously.
-No, he doesn't," Leo corrected him. - I insisted.
We raised our eyebrows in surprise, but there was no point in asking the angry elf
anything.
-And how do you feel? - I asked my teacher, coming back from memory.
 -I know a few tricks," she winked at me. - I'm fine now. And the fire whip," she
took a deep breath and gave me a meaningful look in the eyes.
-What?" I asked.
-Catherine, honey," Roventa gently tucked the clothes on my slit shoulder. - Even
Morpheus ointment wouldn't take away a scar like that. I'm sorry, girl. But it was the
Elemental.
I wasn't even particularly upset. I turned calmly sideways toward the mirror,
assessing the extent of the wound. My right clavicle in the back, my shoulder blade, my
back almost to my waist.
Roventa followed my gaze sympathetically:
-So young.
-Leo even looks good on you," I remarked, reassuring myself.
-He's a man," she shook her head.
From that day on, I began to dream about Alfonso with a flaming whip in his
hands.

-Are you in or out? - I taunted Welkom a couple of days later.

We started going to class again, amazed at how long it seemed to be since we'd sat
at our desks for the last time.
The skin on my back was tightening and no longer bleeding. I'd had to change
bandages between classes, which made Miranda tired and irritated me.
Alphonso was dead and had broken limbs in his dreams every day.
-Yes, yes," Velcom repeated to me again in his low, velvet voice. But he was
getting more nervous every day. The flying skills tournament was approaching.
-I bet money on you," I chuckled, dropping my bag on a bench near the flying
field. - Don't let me down.
-Why are you picking on the man? - Leo snarled at me, pushing himself off the
ground, taking off half a meter and landing again like a funny jumper.
-It's what makes him happy," I explained patiently.
 -We have the same fate," Leo shook his head. - Wrestlers. War.
-Really? - I stepped toward the elf, so that no one else could hear us. - And who
was going to take Miranda to the castle?
-That was before," he answered, moving his lips, and then he stopped jumping and
pulled me farther away from the other students.
-What does that have to do with you? - I whispered softly. - I'm the one who... did
it.
Leo looked at me with a strange expression. Like when he found out I was his
girlfriend's daughter.
-No, I am," he whispered angrily in my ear. - And remember that forever.
-What did you do? - "I clutched at the elf's hand.
-I killed Alfonso," Leo hissed softly. - You would... you would..." he stuttered and
stared at me with his lettuce wells. - I won't let you! No one else will die! Not as long as
I can prevent it.
He wrenched himself out of my arms and ruffled his long blond hair with his palm.
Kamil was already greeting the class on the loudspeaker.
-Thank you," I whispered, not knowing what else to say. - I owe you for life now.
-No, Katie," Leo stroked my hair in an unexpectedly gentle gesture. - He kissed my
cheek and walked toward the surprised Tim and Miranda who were watching us.

I hadn't taken my eyes off Leo all that day. The guilt for my mother's death was so
deeply embedded in him that he took my sin upon himself. He made himself look like
the king's murderer of his nephew instead of me.
I couldn't imagine how he had the courage to do such a thing. I was eaten up by
shame and guilt. Fear and a sense of duty to Leo. I watched him, as natural and
uninhibited as ever, all day long. And all I saw was the same sassy, cheerful elf as usual.
How does he handle everything so easily? What else does he manage to hide at the
bottom of the lettuce wells?
 After class we returned to our room, tired and exhausted. Miranda suggested we
eat here again, and she and Tim went to get dinner.
When the room doors slammed shut, Leo gave me a strange look and went into his
bedroom. After a few moments in the empty living room, I followed him in.
Leo sat quietly on one of the beds, looking at me with his head tilted sideways. He
knew I was coming in.
I didn't say anything to him and looked around the boys' room. Dark blue walls, a
large window, a desk piled with books. The third bed wasn't empty and was laden with
the boys' crumpled shirts.
-Is that how you unpacked? - I grinned, but the elf met my words with an
examining look. He never preened, so I went to the question I was about to ask, too. -
Why did you take everything on yourself?
I sat down next to him on the bed.
-Because," he rocked back and forth slightly, his head bowed, his blond hair
obscuring his face. - I have to.
-Leo," I put my hand on his leg, and the elf squinted at it, but didn't look at me. -
It's not your fault my mom's dead," I said very slowly, one word at a time.
He continued to sway and stare at the floor:
-You don't know. You weren't there.
-I know," I argued, not even sure what it was. - It wasn't your fault.
-Kathy," Leo interrupted me and finally looked me in the face. - Jess came looking
for her husband," he put his palm on top of mine. - She left you behind and wanted to
call him to Reality. But my house was down the road," he stammered, swallowing.
Breathed in more air.
-It doesn't matter, you loved her," I said softly. - And you don't love me because
I'm her daughter.
-Not because," Leo agreed. - I was in my thirties, and I looked like a child. I didn't
want to grow up like a damn Peter Pan," he frowned and squeezed my fingers. - But
then I saw her, a beautiful grown-up woman. A wife. Mother. And I realized, finally,
that I was doing nonsense. That it was time to grow up.
 -You've grown up," I remarked.
-But that day I wanted to remember my childhood, so I dragged her into the
woods, where I'd long since watched a wyvern stray from the pack.
I was silent, watching Leo struggle with emotion. Taking a deep breath, he
continued:
-If it weren't for my childish stubbornness, my foolish desire to regain the fun
years when we were both still children, my stubborn unwillingness to grow up...
He hid his face in his hands.
-But you've grown up," I said, and I got up, pulling him behind me. - Look," I led
Leo to the mirror on the closet door. - Look," I insisted.
I'd noticed it back at the bar, when the two of us were admiring Miranda's ring.
And I could tell when she'd made a joke about how it might speed up Leo's maturation.
I stood next to my friend in the mirror, and we looked at his surprised, grown-up
face together.
-I've changed," the elf confirmed my observations in a daze. - I've grown up.
-From the first time we met, by a few years, at least," I nodded. - Probably since
the beginning of the damn practice.
Leo stopped looking at himself and turned back to me:
-Do you think everyone noticed?
I pondered for a while, then answered:
-I noticed," I hugged my friend tightly, pressing my cheek against his chest. - And
my mom would have noticed, too.
Leo folded his arms around my back and whispered to me:
-Thank you, Kathy.

Over the next few days Leo told me many stories about my mother's childhood. I
enjoyed it, laughed, and went through the old pictures that were stashed away in the
memory of his dispatcher.
 The elf didn't know my father, but he'd heard only good things about him. He
assured me that he would try to get hold of some military archives.
-And how did the king react? - Tim asked him when Leo confessed to Miranda and
him that he had lied to his superiors. - What did he say?
Leo mumbled something incomprehensible, then explained:
-Like any of us," he sighed. - Shock at first, questions. When I explained the
situation, he only got more upset. That he didn't control Alfonso enough.
-Did he have any control at all? - Tim raised an eyebrow, glaring at me. - He's got
a lot on his plate.
-But right under his nose," Leo interrupted him. - Those were his words. He took a
long time to digest, couldn't believe it. He didn't accuse me for a second," Leo waved
his long bangs nervously. - As if he'd made up his mind that it was an accident.
-It was like that," I started, about to accuse Tim of self-inflicted. But Miranda
stepped on my foot, and I stopped talking.
Tim's eyes flicked back to me, guessing what he was saying, and then he remarked:
-That was the accident. There could have been anyone out there with him. How
many girls had he...?
I exhaled noisily, remembering again and again the surprise in my eyes with a
steely gleam. The image wouldn't let me go, like a vision.
I looked at Leo. How does he live without thinking about how many lives he's
taken? How do their faces not appear to him in the dark? Does he feel nothing when he
kills a man? An Elf? A dwarf? Triton? Taking a soul.
But Leo behaved calmly and confidently, as he always did.

Alfonso walked toward me and laughed nastily. My shoulder was bleeding,

pouring blood all over my torn dress. I stumbled backward and mumbled Tim's name.
But he didn't come. This time we were alone with my enemy. Someone who
wanted to humiliate me, to use me. And probably kill me.
And no one will come to my rescue. Not this time.
 The whip cleaved the air, coming closer and closer to me. Alfonso laughed,
twisting it in his broken hands. Playing with me, stretching his pleasure. Catching a
glimpse of my fear and helplessness.
And now, my end was near. He came up to me and pressed his lips against mine. I
feel disgusted, but I can't break free, I don't have the strength.
And I tremble in his arms, and the flaming whip wraps around me like the tentacles
of a sea monster.
And the first kiss was this one, nasty and unwanted. From the enemy, from the
rapist, from nothing.
It wouldn't be Tim, it wouldn't come back.
And he won't come to my rescue.
This is how Kathryn Carper's story will end, in a pathetic attempt to end what she
has waited and anticipated for years.
Expectations, alas, exist only in our heads. And harsh reality paints everything in
its own, dull, joyless colors.
I squeezed my eyes shut, saying goodbye to life. Feeling the whip burn through my
skin to the bone. This humiliation and disappointment were my last moments.
And then I screamed.
Like I'd never screamed before. Letting out the fear, the pain, everything that had
been tormenting me lately. I screamed long and long, as much air as I had in my lungs.
I woke up from my scream, jumped up on the bed, and slowly began to realize
where I really was. I looked around the room, shut up, and saw my friends awake.
Kris and Miranda were looking at me frightened, sitting in their beds, asking
questions. Kris turned on the lamp by the bed. I kept my feet on the blanket and listened
to my frightened heartbeat. My breathing was labored, and I wanted to scream again and
again. I grabbed the shirt on my chest and squeezed it hard, trying to calm myself down
a little.
Then the boys flew into the room, their faces ready to kill. They were both wearing
crumpled shorts.
 I stared at them like I'd never seen them before, still coming to my senses. Leo
circled the room and looked out the window, studying the scene. And Tim just stared at
me and didn't ask any questions.
Looked like he'd never looked before. Frightened, excited, and loving. It was as if
all his usual calm and impenetrability were gone at once. They were gone. Tim was real
now. As I saw him in the depths of my soul.
-Tim! - I shouted, ignoring everyone present, pushed myself off the bed, and in one
leap found myself in his arms.
-I'm here, I'm here," Tim picked me up on the fly and was now hugging me tightly
behind my back so that my feet didn't reach the floor, and I was just hanging on him,
hugging him tightly by the shoulders. - What happened?
Instead of answering, I burst into tears. Loud and sobbing. My nose pressed against
Tim's neck, and I didn't want to explain. I just squeezed him tighter, hoping he would
never, ever let me go. But he wasn't going to. He just wrapped his arms around me and
carried me out of the room.
When he turned around, I saw Leo curse loudly, looking at me with displeasure,
and crawl under the covers with Miranda. And Christiana turned out the light and
collapsed on the pillows.
Tim came out into the living room and stopped in the middle, but he never let me
out of his arms. I kept crying, and Tim's neck at my face was already completely wet
with tears. But he wouldn't let me go.
-Hush, my girl, hush," he whispered in my ear. - I'm with you, all right. I'm with
you, Kathy.
His words and energy made me feel better. The serenity and confidence that he
would protect me from anything washed over me. And I didn't doubt for a moment that
he would.
Gradually I stopped crying, and now I enjoyed Tim's fingers gently stroking my
back, soothing me. When he heard me stop crying, he squeezed me even tighter, so
much so that the seams on my T-shirt rattled.
 I forgot about everything in the moment, and pulled gently away from Tim so that
his face was against mine. I hesitated for a second, but Tim didn't give me time to think
and kissed me sweetly.
I felt dizzy, but I knew he wouldn't let go. He wouldn't drop me. Wouldn't leave.
Wouldn't betray.
It was as if it had all been clear for a long time, just said out loud now. Now it
seemed so ridiculous all my worries. As if it couldn't be any other way. It was as if
everything had already been written, decided, and today was just spoken.
I kissed him, forgetting what it was not to kiss him. And then life was divided into
"before" and "after." And all the "before" ceased to matter. It was as if the script had
been in our hands the whole time. The only thing left to do was to play the main scene.
I forgot the war, the losses, the pain. And the sins, the doubts, the future. And
about the past, about experiences, about expectations. None of that mattered now,
because together with him we could do anything.
Without stopping to kiss me, Tim walked slowly toward his and Leo's room.
And the stitches on my T-shirt were torn.

How incredible it was to sleep in his arms for the first time and not think about
anything at all in the whole world. All the thoughts escaped my mind that night, except
for one.
I'm here, my girl. I am with you.
Nothing else existed for me then. Except a fervent dream, beating inside me like a
desperate bird. Except the steady breath of a beloved breast under my cheek. Except for
the peaceful beat of my heart, which was the most precious thing to me.
I didn't laugh, or smile, or jump for joy. I took what happened for granted. Like
something that was going to happen.
Choice, fate, destiny.
Love, soul mate, togetherness.
He, she, they.
Us.
 How many words have been written about it, and how many more will be written.
Because words are not enough to express all the variety of emotions and the value of
feeling his warm palm on my shoulder.
It is only by falling in love that we understand the romantics' metamorphosis. It is
only after letting all this sweet and insanely desirable agony pass through us that we
begin to feel the meaning of all the poems we read. And we stop talking about it,
because words are superfluous. There is no way to convey everything.
And those who have loved, they understand us in a heartbeat. And those who
haven't, they won't understand.
So we choose only three words that are really understandable. And form in them
all the hurricane raging inside us. Let's imprint ourselves in those words, adding the
deepest meaning to them with a glance.
I love you.
Probably nothing in life is more awe-inspiring, more exciting than saying it for the
first time.
When it seems that you have never done anything more important in your life. And
maybe you never will. It is the peak, the pinnacle of all that has gone before. And so, I
got there.
What I dreamed was happening. What I dreamed in my most colorful dreams was
happening. And I wanted time to stand still.
For everything to stop. For the whole world to go to hell. Now it's just you and me.
I knew it was for a reason. I knew that from this day on, everything would change.
I felt his love so strongly that I wondered how I hadn't noticed it before.
But there was no "before." There was no "before" anymore.
Warm fingers slid over the deep, lingering scar.
The green of her eyes shimmered with the blue of mine, like a wreath of spring
leaves scattered into the calm waters of the ocean.
There is no longer the old Kathy, whatever she was. I am different now. New. I am
his now.
 As in the old days, this feeling cannot be conveyed in words, even absorbed in
thousands of romantic poems.
Only someone who has loved will understand me. And will encapsulate all the
storm inside in three simple words.
And the rest will be superfluous, because everything has already been said.
I love you.

When we left the room in the morning, I was filled with two desires. The first was
to laugh and throw myself around Miranda's neck, letting loose the happiness that was
no longer inside me.
The second was to run, away from them all, far, far away. Just the two of us, and
no one to see what was desperately bursting out of my face.
So when I followed Tim out into the living room, I wrapped myself tightly in one
of his shirts on the bed and tried not to make eye contact with anyone.
The first question from a sleepy Leo made me freeze halfway to my room.
-What are you doing in my shirt? - he asked as he walked by.
I looked at him with my mouth hanging open. I don't know what kind of face I had,
but no answer came to mind.
After looking at me for a few moments, Leo looked at Tim behind me and said,
without addressing anyone in particular:
-I understand.
I didn't look Leo in the eye and slammed the door behind me in the women's
bedroom.

It didn't surprise me that Tim acted like nothing had happened. It didn't hurt that he
didn't kiss me in public, like Miranda kissed Leo unceremoniously.
Because there, inside, I knew he was mine now.
 I could see Aria still staring at him admiringly. She was now often running up to us
in the hallways between classes. But that didn't bother me anymore. I didn't care if all
the women in my class were in love with Tim.
The big jealous monster inside me lifted its head sleepily as Aria approached. He
sniffed, growled softly to himself, and went back to sleep. Because there was no danger.
Now he was mine alone.
Leo teased us a lot at first. But he did it lovingly. It was out of joy. It was as if he
was waiting for us to be together as much as I was.
Miranda wouldn't stop asking me questions, as if the world had run out of
everything but one subject. But I admittedly enjoyed talking about Tim, too.
It was something new, something previously taboo, something secret. What was
strange to discuss openly, like breaking an old rule.
But now I could.
Now I was his.
Leo and Miranda soon announced that their wedding would be in mid-summer.
After a year of exams and internships that made me shudder to think about it.
We all studied a lot harder in the new semester. Especially Guinea classes in
combat magic. And I'd made it to the top of the class in demonology, earning that rare
smile of approval from Decentius.
After my first encounter with the demon, my earlier notions and fears were
dispelled. There were no more six-shooters or tentacles in my imagination. Only real
memories of all my spells bouncing off the giant tiger.
I attacked my teacher's enchanted targets furiously, with no distractions around me.
And I was so accurate that once Decentius even patted me on the shoulder, causing the
class to sigh in surprise, as if he'd handed me a candy bar. Miranda and Tim
congratulated me, but Leo growled and got angry. And every class he tried to beat my
record.
In Roventa's class, we weren't very good at being disciplined. And the teacher
didn't try at all, smiling openly at the boys and whispering jokes about the principal to
Miranda and me. I couldn't help myself and giggled, trying to concentrate on my
healing techniques.
The flying lessons were a mess. There were so many people interested in
participating that the selection committee let Kamil conduct the first round among
Elementum's students himself.
By that time spring was already bravely reclaiming its rights, delighting us with
timid rays of sunshine. It was still cold, but the snow had already melted. And at the
qualifying round Kamil gathered all the participants on the frozen ground of the training
field.
Of course, half of the school showed up. Some came to watch, some to support
their friends. We encouraged Welkom all morning, but he still tried to quit a couple of
times.
-"My father won't be happy," he kept saying, shivering in the wind.
-Your father will be proud," we argued.
-You don't know him," the elf muttered, buttoning himself up tightly. - His word is
law. And I'm wasting my time in all the wrong places.
-I know him," Leo remarked, and then fell silent. He seemed to agree with what
Welkom thought. - Everything will be all right," he nodded.
In the meantime, Kamil asked the audience to disperse, and the contestants to line
up.
-Good luck," we said, almost in unison. Aria was the only one who lagged behind,
like an echo.
We and a couple of hundred more people were in a ring of many faces around the
edge of the stadium, surrounding the participants and holding our breath.
For a while, Kamil said something to the contestants, and they listened and
nodded. The audience whispered in anticipation. Then the contestants lined up, and the
teacher waved his hands. In the air above our heads appeared rings of different calibers
at different heights and angles.
-Whoever flies through all the rings and doesn't touch a single one in a minute,"
Kamil announced to everyone over the loudspeaker. - He automatically qualifies for the
official tournament. - We looked at each other, trying to figure out the difficulty. -
Whoever doesn't hit more than three or don't make it to the minute," he went on. - There
will be an extra round.
-I think it's a lot harder than it looks," Miranda reasoned thoughtfully.
And so it was. Two dozen applicants were eliminated in the first half hour. Their
touch scattered the rings with red sparks. And one girl nearly crumpled to the ground,
trying to squeeze her way through one of them.
-What happened to the water hole in the Water Realm? - Tim suddenly asked Leo,
and we all turned to him in surprise.
The events of those days have been pushed back into the depths of our memories,
as if they were many years ago. Too much had happened recently, and I hadn't had time
to think about it all.
Leo tore his eyes away from the sky and shifted his eyebrows.
-I didn't know anything about it before," he said grudgingly. - I don't know now.
It's strange," he said slowly. - Maybe the King didn't want to keep me from my studies.
But there were no secrets from me before.
We thought about it, and Aria rounded her eyes and stared at the floor. I watched
her sideways and guessed she knew something.
-But the mermaids know all about it now, don't they? - Tim suggested softly.
-We killed all the witnesses," Leo reminded her. - But the others will have found
out about them. They've already found the hole, I'm sure.
-The King said they couldn't get through the new defenses," Miranda remembered,
and Aria turned her head away from us.
-"They must be mad," Leo muttered.
-It's been a few months," I pointed out. - But things haven't changed, have they?
It's been a couple of months," I remarked, "but things haven't changed, have they?
-What do you know about the situation at the front? - Leo looked at me.
-What do you know? - Tim inquired. - Have the mermaids increased their
aggression lately?
 Leo hummed, forming a thought into words. And Aria took out her dispenser and
started clicking something in it. I remembered the subway, the bus stops, the cafes. In
Reality, people didn't tear themselves away from their gadgets. They were immersed in
virtuality, shutting themselves off from the real thing.
-Aria," I said before Leo could start. - If you're not allowed to talk, we understand.
Aria shifted her gaze from one to the other, hesitant. I stared at her expectantly,
knowing that I would crush her willpower with one finger.
-Not that you can't," she murmured, still looking at us one by one, but at Tim more
often. - No one explicitly forbade it...
I continued to stare at Aria and remain silent. When she took her eyes off Tim and
looked at me, I smiled slightly at her. And I could tell from the girl's eyes that I was
right.
She understood the look in her eyes when she looked at him. She guessed how it
was noticeable to others. Just like I used to. And she understood that I could see right
through her.
The fright, the confusion, the shame. Her gaze clouded over, as if she had done
something nasty. I read Aria like an open book. Because she reminded me of myself.
I smiled slightly and kept looking at her. I knew the girl would continue the subject
to divert my attention from her obvious feelings.
-The mermaids are threatening to invade Peace Island," Aria blurted out, looking
only at me now.
We all stared at her dumbfounded.
-This island has been neutral for hundreds of years," she said quietly. - The
warriors of all the kingdoms train here. They socialize, they make friends, they fall in
love, they marry," Sebastian's thought sent a chill through my stomach. - And then, once
again, they'd meet on opposite sides of the battlefield.
I took a deep breath, aware of the specifics of learning at Elementum. It had never
occurred to me until that day that one day I would have to fight with my own
classmates.
 Aria spoke more and more quietly. It was as if she wasn't voicing a thought, but
rather reading from a list of memorized lines:
-And there they were, shooting spells at each other, practicing in their bedrooms
and laughing," I glanced at Tim and saw the frown of concentration that always
appeared when he was nervous. - Those who refused to fight live here," Aria continued
quietly. - Who are against fighters and armies and this eternal confrontation. Animals
are kept here whose kind are almost extinct because of our endless wars," I got
goosebumps. - Who paid the ultimate price for the wizards' greed and selfishness. And
who would soon disappear from the world for good.
My hands went cold, and I felt a little sick. Anger boiled up inside me, as if Aria
were voicing something we all knew. But spoken out loud, the words had real power.
-But we keep fighting, digging manholes and trying to seize dominance over the
parallel. All four kingdoms.
Aria was silent for a few seconds, sullenly watching those who would one day
engage each other in a real battle flounder in the air. Not for a medal, but for life.
-We know," Miranda said very softly, as only she knew how. - And Water is
threatening to attack the island?
Aria stepped away from the competition and led us a few feet away from the rest
of the audience so she could speak louder. We squeezed through the crowd and stood at
the fence toward the forest, which hung its bare, cold paws above us.
-No one has ever done this before," she explained. - If they crossed borders, they
did it openly and with an army. But the King's planning something big, and it's got
everyone scared. No offense to him, Leo. Hardly anyone knew about it.
-Did your father tell you? - Tim asked, and Aria nodded. - What exactly didn't
work out? It's a great dig.
-The performer, before turning in the job, let a friend go underwater to see his
beloved," she told us. - He was spotted, but the girl persuaded the family not to give the
information to the authorities until he left. They called him off, sealed the passageway,
and had a demon on him," the boys and I looked at each other. - The king was going to
shut it down for good so he wouldn't take any chances. But then Eldar flew in with
questions. The demon attacked his students, he said.
We all got cold feet and started whispering.
-Yeah," Tim concluded thoughtfully. - How could they have miscalculated the
range of their magic?
Aria listened quietly, not making assumptions. Then she continued:
-And when they found out it was you, Leo, and the owner of the transparent
crystal, that's when it all started," Aria said meaningfully.
Miranda went a little pale and took Leo under her arm. I stared at Aria in a daze.
-"They argued for a long time," she went on. - The Eldar demanded a detachment
be sent to take you away. But the passageway was sealed, and no one had created a new
demon. It would only have created a panic among the villagers, and they've been under
a lot of stress lately. Morpheus had someone hanging around all the time.
-That's right," Tim nodded, remembering.
-So they decided to send someone from the school," Aria whispered very quietly. -
And seal the tunnel at the bottom end, just to be sure. But there was a little ambush
waiting.
-Further on, we know," Leo murmured sullenly. - But what has Mira Island got to
do with it?
-The hole was blocked," Aria went on to reason. - The detachment that took you
away took care of everything.
-They didn't avoid panic," Miranda pointed out. - The signal fires.
-The King invented the legend that it was the fire in Morpheus's cabin that set him
on fire," Leo reminded her.
-But the Water Kingdom is furious," Aria continued. - I guess they found out about
the Elementum trainees somehow, and now they're all over him. They say it's not
normal for wrestlers of different sides to study and live together. They say Elementum
must be shut down.
 -But it's a self-contained area," Miranda said indignantly. - It has its own power
and its own people. And no one's ever liked teaching all the kingdoms at once, but they
do anyway.
-Yes, and the island authorities have stressed that they will continue to accept those
who are willing to live peacefully and have signed the no-fighting papers," Aria
confirmed.
I remembered the thin stack of enrollment papers Tim and I had filled out back in
Reality.
-They're doing it to get the new fighters used to living peacefully," Aria explained.
- They're trying to increase the likelihood that all the kingdoms will sign a truce.
-That's understandable," Miranda nodded.
It wasn't clear to me.
-But the Water King got really mad and declared, 'If you don't want to do it right,
do it wrong,'" Aria finished and sighed deeply.
-Cool," said Leo coldly. - How long has it been?
-Since you came to the castle," Aria remembered.
We were silent. The audience whistled and shouted, cheering someone on.
-And that was it? And that was it? Silence since then? - Leo asked.
-"The calm before the storm," the elf-woman confirmed. - Silence before the
storm," the elfin confirmed. "That's what my father said. As if they were plotting their
revenge.
-Fascinating," grumbled a disgruntled Leo. - Now there'll be no peace on the Peace
Island, either.
-Don't be paranoid," Tim interjected unrealistically cheerfully. - The wrestlers will
work it out.
-What if the king pulls you back? - Miranda asked Leo worriedly, squeezing his
hand.
-No, he won't," he answered with anger in his voice. - He said not to come back
without a diploma.
 -What if the mermaids attacked the school? - I suggested. - The island is on the
water, what would they do?
The guys were silent, and Tim answered me:
-There are their people here, so we can not be afraid of global weapons, I guess.
-I guess so," Leo agreed thoughtfully. But I could hear the doubt in his voice, and I
could feel the magical wave of anxiety emanating from him.
-Did you see that? - Happy Welkom flew up to us. - I've never flown like that
before!
We smiled wryly and hugged him.
-Thank you, Kathy, for making us, -Welk with joy flew up fifty feet above us. - I
couldn't have done it without you.
-Glad to help," I tried to banish from my mind an army of mermaids, who for some
reason were all with tridents in their hands.
-Let's go get drunk, shall we? - Leo suggested. - I mean, let's celebrate.
We nodded and headed for the castle without waiting for an extra task.

Welkom's three-story mat was only slightly inferior to Leo's temper. The magical
wave of indignation from the thin elf made me crouch in my chair, barely able to keep
my feet.
You have to learn how to put up a proper shield. This isn't serious. All people are
like people, I'm the only one who's wobbly from the mood swings of those around me.
The feeling I had when I first met the wizard was now a grain of sand.
-Are you sure you won't get in trouble for telling us all this? - Miranda asked Aria
uneasily.
-I don't care! - Aria slapped her hand on the table.
We all jumped up at once. The tone in which she replied was not what anyone had
expected from a girl. I didn't think she could get angry, much less raise her voice to the
point of shouting.
So much for keeping a good girl in bad company.
 Aria took a few deep breaths and stared sternly straight ahead of her, drumming
her fingers on the table.
-What a bore! - she shouted again. - My father has been in the middle of
political..." she paused, searching for a word.
Leo suggested a swear word.
-"-Disassembly," Aria decided. - I've been listening to all this since I was a little
girl. So many lives! Both their own and the enemy's. And the animals, my God!
There was anger and tears in Aria's eyes. I shared her feelings. I had decided to
stay away from the school zoo solely because of the suffocating feeling that arose in my
chest at the sight of the cages and pens. When I looked into the understanding eyes,
humbly looking at me from behind the bars.
Yes, they all understand. They know that here, in the cages, their last days will be
spent.
I breathed very deeply. The blood rushed to my head, preventing me from
thinking.
-I can't think so calmly about all this," Aria continued angrily. - I will not hide on
the Isle of Peace! And keep silent about what is happening, what is coming! And in
general! I wasn't really asked.
After a few moments of silence Leo said slowly:
-And you have changed.
Aria blushed and became almost as colorless and humble as before. Almost. The
spark of rage in her eyes still burned, making her puffy face look a little different.
-Just angry," she said quietly.
-No, not just," Leo stood up and strode around the room.
We were silent for a while, then he pulled out the dispenser and asked seriously
into the screen:
-How fast can you get there? Drop everything.
After an hour, which we all spent in our thoughts, not really talking, there was a
knock on the window. I lifted my head from Tim's lap and saw a ginger blur behind the
glass.
 -What's the emergency? Unbuckle," Morpheus asked Leo as he flew into the room.
There was a basket attached to the cat's neck.
-That's it, Welkom in the official flying skills competition," said Tim.
-Ah," the cat dropped it incomprehensibly. - And what about the faces?
-"They've been craving your tinctures," sighed Leo.
-"Have you gone mad, elf? - Morpheus shrieked. - I did not come here to listen to
your foreplay!
Leo sighed, ruffled his hair, and told the cat everything he knew.
-Morpheus was sitting in the center of our parlor table, drinking the liquor he'd
brought from a saucer. - This is the center of all events. You can't fight, but you can
talk. All history is written here. And here it is again. The passageway is sealed, and no
one has died.
Leo choked on his broth.
-Well, almost nobody," the cat corrected himself. - And Elementum is feared by all
four kings. All the would-be warriors here are boiling in the same pot. It's not good for
morale.
I looked around at my friends. They were in agreement.
-But they keep sending people here to study," Morpheus went on nonchalantly. -
Because Elementum gives a strong army. And there's no better institution in the parallel.
-Wouldn't it be better to shut it down? - said Miranda thoughtfully, tracing the rim
of her glass with her finger.
-It would be better to sign an armistice," Tim muttered, not looking up.
-"They won't sign," Leo shook his head. - All of them, that's for sure. Everyone has
his own advantages. And everyone believes they are stronger than the others.
-Why aren't they attacking, then? - I didn't know much about politics, so I just had
to think logically.
-There are two more," said Tim. - You'll attack one of them, but what if they sided
with him?
-And it wouldn't hurt your pride to help? - And it wouldn't hurt your pride to help?
- It's everyone against everyone else here.
 -"You need to learn history, Kathryn," the cat said, and I sulked.
"Shields. History. Political relations. The list of homework assignments was
intimidating.
-We can argue for a long time," Welkom entered the conversation. - But the
decisions are made by those who are there," he poked his finger upward. - Whoever's in
charge, whoever's ruling, whoever's in control. We are but apprentices to the fighters.
Cannon fodder. Children.
Leo snorted loudly.
-We're like cab drivers," I said quietly. Everyone looked back at me, and only Tim
chuckled. - We don't understand anything and we think we know better than everyone
else.
-It's just that the King knows a long list of big "BUTs," Leo answered me. - And
we'll find out. And your cab drivers, too, when they learn.
Tim and I smiled at each other. The past in Reality brought us together in a special
way.
-No," I answered. - They won't know everything, and neither will we. We're just
cannon fodder.
Leo laughed so hard that I scanned my last sentence in my head, looking for
reasons.
-Do you really think so, Kathy? - he could barely get it out through his laughter. -
Do we? I'm not going to the front unless the Fire Kingdom runs out of fighters. I've
always been attached to the royal family, and they have three children, you know that?
I wasn't aware of that, so I just nodded in agreement with the peculiarity of his
position.
-There's a man instead of me now, but during the vacations the King made it clear
that he was looking forward to me. No one's going to let the owner of a clear crystal go
to the front either," Leo curved a second finger. - Her power could be useful in a
thousand places. Not to mention the fact that she'd be my wife. Aria and Velcom are
tied at the top, aren't they?
Velcom nodded, and Aria averted her eyes.
 -Wellcome has plans for his father hundreds of years in advance," Leo continued,
curling his fingers. - And Aria's going to look for beasts.
-You're elite, I see," I smiled, and pictured Tim and me in our tight black uniforms
in the wrestling ranks. Flares of fire flickered between each of our fingers, and an army
of newts with tridents moved toward us.
-Not enough for you? - Leo raised his eyebrows at me.
-It's just that Tim and I are none of my business," I shrugged.
-What do you mean, none of your business, Carper? - Leo got angry and stood with
his hands by his sides. - You're with me. It concerns me.
-"Us," Miranda corrected.
-"Us! - he repeated solemnly. - And those who are with me, too!
-So that's who's the boss," Morpheus purred, glancing nonchalantly around at us
all.

The days in Elementum flew by. As usual, the happy ones do not notice the
passage of time. And we were.
The excitement about the kingdom's political troubles gradually subsided. We
didn't get any disturbing news, not even Aria and Leo. So we burrowed back into our
studies.
I felt a pleasant triumph as I mastered each new magic trick. And I was getting
calmer and more confident, feeling my skills and knowledge growing.
Leo was ahead of us all in the martial magic classes. Miranda was getting more
and more proficient, but she never used her abilities to their full potential in lessons.
Tim surprised everyone with his growing knowledge of everything that could exist in
the parallel.
When we opened our feelings to each other, we talked a lot at first. I stopped being
timid in front of him and choosing words. I told him everything that came into my head.
I wasn't afraid of anything at all, feeling his love, protection, and support.
And he seemed to become even stronger in spirit, more confident and calm. He
was the man I had seen him become. And the kind of man I truly believed in.
 I guess that's true unity. When two, complementing each other, become better on
their own. Weave their features into one whole, like harmonious, though different, Yin
and Yang.
Like day and night. Hope and faith. Sour and sweet. Like the moon and the stars.
The ocean and the wind. Like high and low octaves.
We complemented each other, creating a full harmony together.
Like a flamboyant, uninhibited Leo and placid, gentle Miranda.
So was the sensual, exciting Kathy and the calm, wise Tim.
I didn't know failed love, and I didn't believe it existed. I waited for someone who
would complete me, like a perfectly matched piece of the puzzle. Who would create a
living picture with me, whose name was Love.
Having spoken enough, we learned to be silent. Together, together. Words were no
longer necessary to us. We felt and understood each other. And this kinship grew
stronger with each new day.
-All right, I'm having a panic attack! - ...slammed the door on the eve of the flying
competition.
-It'll be all right," Tim sang from the couch, not taking his eyes off the book. -
You've been training hard, and you can do anything.
-That's not what I'm worried about," Velcom looked more frightened and
disheveled than ever. His hair was loose around his shoulders, and his shirt was slipping
out of his pants.
He collapsed on the couch next to Tim and crossed his arms over his chest.
-Did you tell your father? - Miranda guessed and got up from the table.
-He called yesterday," Velcom muttered. - All he said was that he was coming.
And then he hung up.
-And how does he usually react to bad news? - I asked him.
-Yes, he does," he turned sullen. - It's personal. Tomorrow there'll be something,"
he sighed, doomfully.
And there was something tomorrow. But not at all what we expected.
 -Give me," I murmured into the warm redhead's ear as I took the bottle from
Morpheus. He'd flown in for the competition and brought back so many new tinctures,
you could open your own bar.
He gave us a cursory brag about his progress as we made our way up to the
bleachers. Last night they were still out. And today the flying field was surrounded by
many benches set out in an amphitheater.
The first round of competition was to leave only three dozen competitors for the
second, and it was in Elementum. The next two promised to be in Medford, in a large
stadium. The students, happy to be able to watch the championship, had been in high
spirits all morning.
There were so many people in the cafeteria for breakfast that it looked as if every
student had a family member visiting. After pushing our way through the food, we
swallowed our toast and stormed out of the cafeteria, risking being trampled. And I was
reminded of McDonald's on some holiday.
We stopped by Velko's house before breakfast to cheer him up and pin the amulet
on his jacket.
-"A sign of good luck and success," Miranda chattered as she pinned the clasp on
the back of the intricate bronze symbol. - An ancient belief of all the Elements.
The badge was an intertwined symbol of water, fire, air, and earth. I hugged
Velcom, stroked the badge with my finger, and said goodbye:
-Good luck to you, Leeloo Dallas.
Tim laughed for another week, and no one else understood me.
-To share," Morpheus took a few more sips from the bottle, clamping the neck in
his teeth and cocking his nose before passing the drink on.
We climbed to the top of the bleachers, trying to be close to the competitors, but
there was plenty of room for everyone. The wooden benches creaked, and we sat down
tighter, and Morpheus brazenly climbed into my lap, waving his red tail in front of me.
-I've got a present for you, Catherine," he said before I could get outraged.
I squinted suspiciously, and Tim cast a surprised look at us.
 -Why? - I asked incredulously and clutched the cat's tail between my knees,
unceremoniously.
-With. I found your father," the cat twisted his neck toward me and winked.
-Seriously? - Tim and Leo leaned in on either side of us. - Where is he?
-Don't run me over," Morpheus grunted and hissed. - Still at the front, just as I
thought. It took me a long time, but I got in touch with him and called him.
-Called him? - The realization of what was happening was not coming to me. -
Dad? Is he alive?
Miranda leaned over Leo to hear better, and Aria peered over Tim's shoulder.
-Yes," the cat nodded. - I hope you're not mad," he said, a little embarrassed. - I
told him I knew you. And where you are, too.
-And he what? - Miranda interjected, because I seemed to be speechless.
Morpheus paused:
-He was shocked, couldn't even find the words. Was sure you were in Reality, safe.
I took a deep breath of the cold air. Safe. There, alone, where I didn't have a soul
mate? Where he'd left me without a single visit? Is that better than here, beside him,
where fate eventually led me anyway?
-He made an appointment? How did the conversation end? - Tim asked, holding
my hand tightly. I could see that my emotions were getting the better of me.
-Said he would take a vacation and come here. He said he'd take a vacation, but he
wouldn't give me any specific dates," the cat nodded at the bottle, and I took a large
gulp of the bitter stuff. - He'll be here any day now, I guess.
-Are you excited? - Miranda asked me quietly, leaning over Leo's shoulder, who
frowned and watched in silence as the competitors marched onto the field to the
screeching of the crowd.
I could barely hear her question over the ambient noise, and I didn't know what to
answer.
-I don't know," I said. - I guess so. That's my dad. I want to meet him," but I wasn't
entirely sure of the truth of my own words.
 -What did you find out about him? - Morpheus asked Leo without turning around.
- What kind of man is he?
Morpheus hesitated and did not answer at once:
-"Of high rank," was all he said.
I turned to Leo, watching his reaction. He knew more about the ranks than any of
us, and I could smell the change in his mood. Suddenly I felt a strong sense of
excitement and fear.
-Leo? - I began, but the elf's eyes were covered by a thick gray veil. I knew he was
talking to someone through telepathy. - Leo? - I said it louder.
The veil was gone from Leo's eyes. He blinked and stood up from the bleachers:
-We have to run. I'll call," he tossed to Miranda and raced away.
Miranda stared after him in confusion. Tim and I looked at each other. Aria
frowned silently, glancing at us sideways.
-"Thank you, Morpheus," Tim said for me.
-Oh, yeah," the cat waved his mustache and stared at the field.
And there the great show had already begun.
The contestants were dressed in matching gray vests of thick fabric. The jury was
seated on the ground behind a long table and consisted of a dozen representatives of
different races. They all watched attentively, occasionally talking over each other and
making notes in their notebooks.
The host, a tall, charismatic man, announced the conditions of the contest and the
rules of the game over the loudspeaker. He talked about the awards and honors, the
names of the judges and guest celebrities.
But I didn't listen to him. I imagined my father's face.
If my mother had pictures of him, I don't remember them. When I went to the
orphanage, all her things were taken away somewhere. There was only one crumpled
photo of us together left. It's still in one of my old books from Reality. And a blue dress
with white lace on the hem.
Of course, Leo replenished my supply, and now I have a whole thin album to
admire of my mother's smile. But I don't have a picture of my father.
 I wonder if I look much like him. The hair? The eyes? My mother's were brown, I
think. So mine are like his. And the hot temper, too? The timbre of the voice? Magic
power?
If I don't like him, what then? Or won't he like me? What if he's mean or callous?
Or soulless? Unfair? Characterless?
These are probably the questions thousands of children ask themselves when they
meet their parents at a mature age. The abandoned, the forgotten, the lost. The ones who
didn't have the people they needed. And now there will be.
Only is he needed?
I didn't know the answer. I was afraid of being disappointed. Or that I wouldn't feel
anything for him, like he was just some guy off the street. Not my dad. But he is, in fact,
just a man.
-Kathy, I'll be with you, don't worry," my favorite voice said in my ear, shouting
over the crowd.
-Me, too," Morpheus purred without turning around. - I'll stay here until your
meeting, the couch is fine for me.
I cringed at their involvement. It felt so good, it stopped being scary. I smiled and
gratefully ran my fingers over the cat's ears, for which I immediately got an indignant
response:
-Let's not get handsy!
Everyone laughed, and we watched the competition.
-Where did Leo rushed off to? - Miranda asked several times, peering anxiously
into the crowd, but we just shrugged.
The first round was divided into stages, with the number of contenders dwindling
after each stage. The kids flew through rings of fire, slipped through moving mazes,
dived straight to the ground, lifted flowers from it, and soared through the air again.
I screamed my heart out. The contestants kept dropping out of the competition, but
Velcom did well in every task. I wondered where his father was. Was he proud of his
son, or ashamed that he had disobeyed him?
 Is success in the wrong field for his son a blow, a betrayal? Does disobedience play
such an important role? Does he not wish for Velko's simple happiness? Why all these
pre-conceived scenarios?
And what script was my father writing for me? Didn't he realize that the magic
would be ripped out of me? And that sooner or later I would end up in the World of the
Four Elements, one way or another? Who would have explained to me that I had to hide
my power more carefully?
Was it necessary to hide it?
I began to get angry again. But Tim stroked my fingers, and the excitement
receded, as if he were pouring some of his power into me.
Welkom made it to the second round. I could even see his happy face from the
bleachers, and I could feel the waves of joy emanating from all the spectators. I let some
magic into my shield, and I felt a little more calm inside. We went down to the field to
congratulate our friend.
-Where is he? Have you seen him? - Velcom whirled on the spot, peering into the
crowd. There was no trace of his joy.
-We don't know your father by sight," Miranda muttered irritably, as she glanced
around too. - Have you seen Leo?
I glanced around, and then I saw the guest approaching. The elf was walking
leisurely toward us, watching our faces with interest.
-Hello," Velcom said in a stiff voice, and then froze as if he were paralyzed.
We were still standing there, not knowing what we should do. From the outside,
we must have looked like Velcom's security guard.
After a minute of introductions and handshakes, the situation was no less awkward,
but no one was going to leave Velcom alone with Dad. We looked at him expectantly,
and he looked at his son.
-I must have imagined it differently," the elf said in a low voice. - That I'd be
angry, and that what you'd done would disappoint me.
I glanced at Welkom, who went pale and stayed stubbornly silent.
 -That's right, I'm angry," the elf went on. - "But I'm glad I saw you do it. Because
now I have another reason to be proud of you.
-Yes, you do! Proud of you! - Aria suddenly blurted out and held up her index
finger. We looked at her in surprise and she jerked back.
-With all this support I have no other options," the elf smiled. - Congratulations,
son," and he hugged Velcom tightly.
But, besides relief, I felt something else. For a while I didn't know what it was. I
looked at the faces of the spectators on the grass, and I could see the joy drain from
them. The noise around them changed tone, as if all the cheering was fading, and
something new was coming.
-What's going on? - Miranda looked around, too. She moved nervously to fix her
hair.
I concentrated, covered my eyes, and finally realized what emotion I was hearing
from people.
Panic.
-Something's wrong," Father Welkom said thoughtfully, and disappeared into the
crowd.
And the crowd began to move. Slowly at first. Some left the field, some looked
around, some began to run. But in less than a minute, there was a real crush.
-What is it? - I groaned, shielding my arms from the people pushing me from
everywhere. Tim pulled me and Aria against him. Miranda was calling Leo over and
over again, and the gray shroud over her eyes made her look like she was dead.
Morpheus flew around, looking for the cause of the panic in the crowd.
-No answer! - Miranda shouted in frustration and waved her arms, her fingers
spraying coarse yellow sparks.
-Calm down! - Tim shouted. - Come here. We have to get to the school.
-I have to find my father," said Velcom, shouting out the general chaos that was
growing, and disappeared into the crowd.
Students and guests ran in all directions. We couldn't stand still anymore, being
pushed from everywhere. I almost fell several times. Someone elbowed me in the face.
 I howled in pain and grabbed my cheekbone. Tim was dragging me somewhere.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the developing white curls of Miranda leading
Aria by the hand. Aria was sobbing.
-What is it? What?" she babbled, and she seemed to stumble, and Miranda had to
pull her along.
-Aria, come to your senses! - Aria, get a grip," Miranda shouted. - Come on!
Where's Morpheus? Where's Leo?
Someone hit me again. In the stomach this time. I bent in half. It hit me in the solar
plexus. I couldn't breathe. Fear came over me in a cold wave.
It didn't matter what was happening anymore. I just wanted to breathe. Air, air, just
one breath, please.
I remembered the first time I couldn't breathe. Back then, the redhead from the
orphanage next door had just learned of a new pastime: hitting people in the solar
plexus and watching them suffocate. She did it every day.
No one dared complain, because they were afraid. I was the only one who could
fight back with tricky child magic. But the redhead suspected that all her misfortunes
were for a reason. She called me a witch, then a devil. And then a freak.
When she shouted it for the first time from across the long hallway of the
orphanage, with the high ceilings that echoed in all the whispers, I was furious. All I
wanted was to be angry. Anger at that hateful redhead at the other end of the hall.
-Ugly," she chanted slowly, coming closer. - It's you! I know it's you! - She was
pointing her finger at the bump on her forehead that I had wished so badly for the day
before.
I was beginning to boil, but how could a child control anger? Especially when
you're not really human. Something inside me clicked then, I guess, because the
redhead's eyes suddenly became quite frightened. And in fear, she punched me in the
stomach. It was the first time I'd ever gasped.
There was no air. No air at all. An unfamiliar feeling of total helplessness came
over me. I didn't know what to do. And I wanted to live, very much! If only to fight
back. And I wanted air. Autumn, cold, smelling of burnt leaves.
 And I wanted it so badly that I inhaled. Not right away, but not after a long pause
and heavy grunting like all the other kids.
I inhaled that cold autumn air at once with a full chest, not even wheezing once.
And then the redhead was frightened out of her wits. She ran away from me into the
street down a long corridor with high ceilings that echoed off the whispers of all the
living and all the dead.
But I was faster. Or the magic in me gave me speed. I don't know, but I caught up
with her and clawed at her hair, wanting with all my gut to tear every last orange strand
of it.
The redhead screamed, which meant that we were about to be captured. And
punished, of course. So I unclenched my fingers and bounced to the side, not giving the
teacher a chance to catch me in the act.
And at that moment a huge bird flew right into the face of this nasty girl.
The events flew before my eyes in an instant. Like a lifetime before I died. I pulled
the magic from the crystal and breathed in at once. As I had done then.
-Stop panicking at once! - Eldar's voice boomed through the magical loudspeaker
above our heads. - Everyone please come quietly to the school building. Help each
other! All teachers and experienced wrestlers please go to the western walls of
Elementum.
The panic did not stop. The women screamed louder. Someone rushed to the back
of the crowd, creating more of a commotion.
I dragged after Tim, clutching my face with my palm and constantly looking
around to see if the girls were behind us. Aria was still sobbing hysterically and fighting
back. Miranda was dragging her along, cursing the hell out of her. Her hair was
disheveled, and her eyes were blinded every minute by another attempt to contact Leo.
-I repeat! - Eldar's voice was so agitated and torn that I felt ashamed of him. - All
trained wizards and wrestlers to the west side of the school! Don't push each other!
What? No! Roventa!
For a second there was a struggling sound on the loudspeaker, and then a ringing
and steady voice came from it, Rowenta's voice:
 -Pupils and guests of Elementum! - she called out imperiously. In the background
she could hear the Headmaster trying to snatch the microphone away from the teacher. -
An emergency situation has arisen! To all those who don't know magic professionally!
Attention! Stop the hysteria immediately and go quietly inside the school walls! Hide in
the cellars. And stop pushing! - she shrieked. - We're all in this together, dammit!
Behave yourselves! Fuck off, Eldar! - Seconds pause. - Get your balls together and help
each other get to safety! - sigh. Calmer already: -Please.
-Emergency? - Aria babbled, and stood up like a stone. - What's wrong? - Tears
welled up on her flushed face. - What is it? - she kept muttering.
I stopped, turned to Aria, and slapped her face as hard as I could. My hand
stiffened, and I shook it in the air.
-Kathy. - Tim looked at me disapprovingly, but it worked. Aria stared at me
questioningly, and then she stopped crying.
-Come with us! Come with us right now! - I yelled at her and shook her shoulders.
- Pull yourself together!
Aria nodded, pressing her hand to her cheek. We moved on to the school. The
crowd had calmed down a little. At least the yelling stopped, and no one else was
running. Already under the doors of Elementum we went inside in straight rows and
began to descend into the basements. There were quite a few steps, but no one fell.
I was proud of Rowenta. And of all of us. I don't know what happened, but it
seemed to bring all the students together a little more. All future enemies in this never-
ending war.
There were several spacious classrooms in the basement. We piled in, unsure of
what to do next. The noise from the street was silenced, only sobs and whispers,
questions and versions could be heard.
Tim stopped in the middle of one of the classrooms because there was no room to
go any further. Someone sat down on the floor, someone was calling the dispatchers.
Everyone was interjecting. But the panic had subsided, as if a sense of security had
crept inside everyone, and in all at once, as in one.
 -Leo! - at Miranda's scream almost everyone turned around. Her eyes were in a
gray veil again. She was silent for a while, listening. Her face grew more serious by the
second. - Got it. I'm coming.
A gentle blueness came through the gray. Miranda stared at us quietly, searching
for words.
-What is it? Where is he? - Tim asked quickly, lowering his voice. Most of those
present were still looking at us.
-I have to go," Miranda answered and pulled her hair into a tight bun. - Stay calm.
-Want your magic? - Tim guessed.
-Yes. We're not apprentice wrestlers anymore," the girl said quietly, looking at us
one by one, so much like Leo. - From this day forward, we are wrestlers.
A cold wave hit me. Miranda started making her way to the door.
-Wait," I yanked my friend's arm. - What's going on in there?
-It's bad," she threw over her shoulder.
-Tell me what's going on. - I clutched at the sleeve of her dress.
Miranda stopped. She stared at us for a moment. Then she said, choosing her
words carefully:
-The mermaids are attacking the Isle of Peace. As promised," she released her hand
and disappeared through the doorway.
I looked at Tim.
Good for him, he'd always been able to handle stressful situations calmly. To
control his emotions, to think sensibly and soberly even in the most acute moments. I
wasn't. Hundreds of thoughts swirled in my head. And one was louder than the others.
We're all going to die, aren't we?
Aria looked at us in silence, afraid to say a word. And Tim was looking at me with
a strange expression. I didn't know which at first, but then I recognized it.
He was admiring. Smiling slightly at the green ones.
Then I understood everything. Our thoughts matched.
 Tim was saying goodbye to me. He was looking at me like that, because he didn't
know if there would be another moment like this. And if there would be another
tomorrow.
Maybe today we would die.

I remember that tickling feeling. The little spark of magic from his first touch.
That's when I knew I wasn't alone. I still remember the hum of rock from the meter-long
speakers and the smell of blooming water. And his voice, the first time I heard it. Then
he just said his name. And it was the most beautiful thing I ever heard.
I remember sobbing in his arms, saying goodbye to something that would never
happen again. Reality. The familiar and familiar. It's amazing how quickly the Elements
and magic became so close.
Perhaps it was because we had been together all this time.
I remember him not guessing my feelings, making assumptions in our living room.
And I smiled just to keep from crying. I thought it wasn't mutual. How silly.
And the way he fought Alfonso. To the death. I knew he wouldn't stop. If I didn't
finish the elf off, Tim would.
He likes my scar. He said it many times, leading with thin fingers. To me it's ugly,
a memory of horror. And to him, it's about the fact that we were both saved then,
survived. For me it's the bad, and for him it's the good.
Yin and Yang.
-I'm here, my girl," he said, and he hugged me tightly.
And everything else became unimportant. It always did.
Aria stepped away from us. Tim never showed his feelings in public. I'm not even
sure if Aria knew we were a couple. I guess she guessed. I don't think it was possible to
ignore the fire burning inside us.
I ran my hands over his back, thinking that maybe this would never happen again. I
wanted to cry. I wanted to cry so badly. So I laughed out loud.
 -Mom always said," Aria told us quietly. - That when the war was over, things
would be different.
The basement was semi-dark. The students were talking softly. Fearful glances
flashed everywhere. Tension hung in the air. Tension hung in the air, preventing them
from moving freely. It held my breath.
I glanced at Aria, who made sure she was being listened to, and continued:
-There will be no more kingdoms. People will descend from the flying island to the
mainland," she told me dreamily. - Dwarves will no longer have to lurk underground.
And they would be able to see the sun every day.
I had goose bumps running down my back. How dreary life must be in the
kingdom of Earth and Water.
-And the mermaids would move to the shores," Tim suggested, ruffling his bangs
with his palm. - And there would be room for everyone.
-Yes," Aria said eagerly. - There would be no more Elementum. There would be
no wrestlers, no black uniforms. And animals would be free to roam everywhere. And
on the day peace will be made," Aria covered her eyes, imagining. - All over the
parallel, thousands of voices would sing a hymn. The hymn of the four elements! - she
finished solemnly.
I closed my eyes. What I believed the most at that moment was that I would not
see this moment. And that I wouldn't hear the hymn. Surely it would be beautiful and
mesmerizing. Like "Ode to Joy," for example.
I smiled. Reality. The elements. There is room for good music everywhere.

-And a hymn will sound announcing peace,‖ Aria spoke up. -

A warrior in uniform will drop his weapon.
It will fly from me and to you,
To every soul and every star.
A hymn will proclaim There is no war,
And it's not our fault that there was one.
It's all behind us, there are no more fighters,
 As are the fools who invented wars.
The Earth is free and there's no more grief.
Water can go to the sun from the sea.
Fire will be home to wild animals,
And down will come our hermit air.
And the Hymn will sound, our souls will sing,
That peace reigns, listen to it!
How fairy-tale it will be to live in this new world.
Four sisters, four elements.

Aria fell silent. And everyone in the dungeon was silent.

They listened.
They heard.
I could almost feel how they didn't want to fight each other. How they wished they
could sing that hymn one day, remembering tonight.
-Aria," I whispered. - It's beautiful.
-I wrote it as a child," the girl smiled. - When my dad first told me what wrestlers
were.
-Maybe someone will come up and see what's going on up there already? - I heard
an irritated woman's voice from the crowd.
-There's a war going on," snapped back the male voice.
-Well, can we go up to the bedrooms now? - "She wouldn't let it go.
-The bedrooms?! - Sebastian leaped out, and everyone turned on him, in spite of
his diminutive stature. - To the bedrooms?! - he shouted, and everyone in the room fell
silent.
I giggled and made my way over to my friend, dragging Aria and Tim behind me.
-What's the point of sitting here? - The girl's stupidity was beginning to annoy the
others as well. The boys fidgeted and grinned.
-And that you won't die! - Sebastian answered quietly but fiercely. - There are
teachers and tournament guests risking their lives fighting off the mermaids.
 The dwarf seemed to voice the thoughts of every student. Things everyone already
knows, but is afraid to say out loud.
-Ours is small, and the Water Kingdom could send an army," Sebastian continued
softly. But everyone was listening. - It takes at least an hour to travel from Air and Fire,
and it takes at least an hour to reach a Dwarf," he said quietly. - The administration of
Peace Island is powerless, for warfare is forbidden. The Water King has broken his
word. I am sure he will be overthrown. But today... today the island is defenseless.
-But not all the mermaids could support him," Tim interjected, and more whispers
ran through the hall. - They can't be blindly following orders.
-Yes, they do," Aria whispered, but only I could hear her. - Or it's execution.
-"What?" I said, confused.
-Execution," Aria repeated.
I didn't know that, because they didn't tell us. And I was disgusted. The rules, the
government that made them up, and the parallel elements all at once.
-There are their children here," Tim went on. - They won't..." He hesitated, unsure
of what to do.
He hesitated, uncertain exactly what the mermaids wouldn't do. Burn the island to
the ground? Use mass murder weapons? Touch students?
-"We have been sacrificed," someone answered. I turned around and saw the pale
mermaid skin of a young newt. - They abandoned us. They spit on us," he finished.
-What good is that? - Sebastian was indignant in reply. - Why touch a peaceful
city? Involve the disciples? Break your word in the peace treaty? What is going on?
Tim, Aria, and I guessed what was going on. We put our eyes down on the floor.
-Elementum," a voice came over our heads. Morpheus burst into the classroom and
looked around at those present. - The Water Kingdom wishes to stop mass training for
wrestlers. Weaken them all at once. They will destroy Elementum. So get your feet in
your hands, and don't panic," the cat finished in an icy bass.
There was silence for a moment, then they rose, and the crowd moved toward the
exit, no shoving at all.
 Sebastian joined us, leading Aria by the hand. Tim didn't take a single step away
from me. Morpheus led the procession proudly.
-Where to?" I asked Tim. - There's a fight upstairs. We have nowhere to hide,
unless we go into the woods...
-The forest, my God," Aria cried out, pushing her students aside.
-Aria! - Sebastian tried to pull her away, but the girl kept pushing forward. - What
are you doing?
-The petting zoo! - She just tossed her head without turning around, and with
renewed vigor began to push through the people.
In a couple of minutes trembled walls and ceiling, and we were already in the main
lobby. The girls shrieked, many of them rushing outside, shielding their heads with their
magic shields.
Aria sprang nimbly out into the courtyard and darted toward the woods, onto the
familiar path to the zoo. We kept up, and I didn't have time to see what was going on.
All I remember was the very hot air, like a fire. Flashes everywhere and screams.
Screaming and moaning, like I was in a hospital, in an ambulance.
I couldn't really make out anything. Everything rushed past in a blur of colors and
heat. And as we ran toward the forest, we saw its source.
The forest was on fire. Going up into the mountains, where the fire had not yet
reached. But near the school everything was burning, and black opaque smoke was
rising into the sky, obscuring the sun.
We ran into the woods.
I whipped spells in every direction I saw locks and bolts. The cages opened, the
pens swung open. The animals made a mass of different sounds, mingled into a
whirlpool of wailing, like the circles of Dante's inferno.
The winged ones soared into the air, but there was so much smoke above that they
fell to the ground. Some of the smaller ones dropped dead, and some were still writhing
in the grass for a while, wings flapping. The groundlings scurried in all directions,
trying to find a way out of the fire. Hoofs banging, paws wagging, tails wagging.
 And from everywhere, I saw the same look. Confused, scared, desperate. Sensing
death.
What if animals could cry, too?
The guys chased waves of icy water toward the roots of the trees, the air gradually
cooling, but the smoke was only getting bigger. I blinked and made my inner shield
impenetrable. The air inside it would last me for a while. I knew the boys had done the
same, because none of them coughed.
At one point, the fire horses whizzed past me. Two adults and a colt. It looked at
me with its big black eyes with long lashes and galloped off after its parents right
through the wall of fire.
Someone will live. They will survive, I thought. And hope came alive inside. They
would run far into the woods and find their new home there. There would be sunshine
and birds singing. And a stream of clean, clear water.
The picture dissolved. A burning pine tree collapsed in front of me. The shield
protected me from the smoke and heat, but I was frightened and threw a wave of water
over the tree. I jumped over the smoking trunk and ran further down the paths of the
zoo, freeing those who were still calling for help.
There I was, back at the zoo.
The farther into the woods we made our way, the more charred corpses we found
in the pens. Tears welled up in my eyes. Anger boiled up inside.
What a pegasus! White, beautiful, alive!
I waved my hand, and the big cage swung open. And the stupid animal flew into
the air.
-No, stop! - I shrieked, magically dragging it to the ground, but it was too late. The
flames scorched its feathers. The pegasus spiraled downward, crashing to the ground.
The white wings became black. I am reminded of Icarus. - What a silly horse!
I felt so sorry for him that I let my tears flow for a moment. The pegasus was lying
on its side, staring at me pitifully, spitting blood. His whole body was covered with
burns, and the burned skin was hanging down in shreds.
And then I screamed.
 I held my head up to the sky and screamed as hard as I could. It can't be. It can't
be! They mustn't die because of us! Innocent animals. Pure souls. There is still hope in
their frightened eyes.
Pegasus and I looked at each other and understood. We understood everything.
And then there he was. He was the one I could get off on. Triton. He ran out of the
woods, unharmed. And that only made me madder.
I shot the newt with a spell, and he tripped and fell. I ran over, skipping over the
burning grass, lifting him up on my knees, gripping my fingers in his hair.
-Wake up! - I shouted, my voice trailing off.
Triton got up, tried to break free, heating some kind of spell in his fingers. Then I
kicked him in the groin with my knee, and he collapsed again. Without letting go of his
hair, I dragged my enemy toward the pegasus.
-Look! - I shouted, overlapping the groans of the animals, the battle, and the hum
of the spells all at once. - Look at him!
Triton wriggled in my arms, but the blow weakened him considerably. He turned
his eyes to the pegasus. He coughed more and more slowly. His eyes gradually closed.
-Look what you've done! - I shook the newt's head with all my remaining strength.
- Look what you've all done!
I cursed with every word I could remember, shaking him, slapping his face with
my other hand. Pegasus exhaled one last time, looking me straight in the eyes. He
understood everything.
The air temperature dropped noticeably. More wizards gathered around me. But
they weren't fighting. They were putting out a fire. Cold water was splashing
everywhere.
And I kept screaming and punching the newt in the face. And it didn't fight back.
He looked at the pegasus, only covering his eyes every time I ran my fingernails
over his cheeks. That would leave scars for sure.
Then someone grabbed me from behind, and with difficulty forced me to let go of
my foe. My voice dropped, but I continued to swear at everyone, wheezing.
 Then Leo, whom I recognized from his blond hair and his sloppy way with the
girls, just threw me on his shoulder. I grunted and fell silent. And he carried me
somewhere, where it was almost quiet.
-Damn it," Leo swayed and dropped me. The ground shook beneath us. There was
such a rumbling sound that my ears perked up.
I struggled to my feet, aching all over:
-What the hell? - I shouted, barely able to hear my own voice. - Where are the
guys?
Leo grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. There was smoke everywhere, the
fallen trees still burning. The wizards were scurrying around, but almost no one was
doing their magic anymore. We walked another couple of dozen yards, and then we
stopped dead in our tracks.
There was a crevice in the ground in front of us that was gradually opening up.
And so fast you could see it with your eyes.
Leo looked at me dumbfounded:
-Let's go," he shouted, and we soared into the sky.
The crack looked terrifying from above, like a road to hell. We flew out of the
forest and saw the reason for the noise.
The elementum was gone. There was none at all.

There was a large pit of unknown depth at the school site. The ground around it
was cracking. There were noticeably fewer wizards and students. I tried to think that
they had escaped, not fallen in with the school.
We landed and looked around for a while, but it didn't seem realistic to digest what
had happened.
-Where are ours? - I asked, tugging on Leo's arm.
-Safe," he answered, combing back the dirt and ash in his hair. - Only you and Aria
I was looking for.
-Where are they? - I stared into his face.
Leo glanced slowly around the open area, searching for Aria:
 -Hiding," he answered me in a curt voice, and he took off, and I followed. - Tim's
there, Miranda's there, Christiana, Sebastian, Velcom and his father, Morpheus. I just
couldn't find you, you'd gone too far into the woods.
-Where are the mermaids? - I asked indefinitely. - The army?
-Anywhere," answered Leo, and began to descend. - I can see Arya.
I lowered my eyes and saw her, too.
Aria was lying near the school swamp. Her eyes were open and she was staring up
into the smoke-black sky in wonder. In her hands she was clutching something wrapped
in the hem of her skirt. Her face was black with soot and her hair was burned.
Leo crouched beside her and checked her pulse.
-Well? - I asked, tears welling up in my throat.
Leo shook his head negatively and took the bundle out of the girl's hands. I looked
away and squeezed my eyes shut.
She was twenty, and she had an elven eternity ahead of her. And a noble dream to
help, to save, to do good. How could it be?
-He's alive," Leo muttered in surprise.
I turned around and saw a newborn pegasus foal in the elf's hands. Leo handed it to
me, and I touched the thin silver fur with trembling hands.
You will live, you will, I promise.
Leo tore off the hem of Aria's dress and wrapped it around the foal.
-I'll take care of him," he promised me, looking into my eyes. - Let's go.
-We're just going to leave her here? - I mumbled.
-Yes," Leo answered, pulling me with him. - We have to get back. The students
have already been dispatched to the kingdoms. But it's not over. There's an army on the
island.
I realized that, here and there still hearing screams and spells. I quickly followed
Leo, glancing at Aria.
-And you can't take her? - I asked begrudgingly.
-"They'll take her, Kathy," Leo said sternly.
 I hurried after my friend, clinging to his hand, feeling the warmth of the foal's fur
with my fingers. I cried, looking back at Aria, but stopped when we started to see more
bodies.
One. Two. There you are gone.

To-duh, to-duh, to-duh, to-duh, to-duh. Why would there even be trains in the
Elemental World? But I didn't have the energy to think about it. All the concentration
went into restraining the urge to squeal.
We were on our way to see the King. For some reason he had insisted on this
particular mode of transport as soon as we arrived in the kingdom. For some reason,
Morpheus was riding with us in the compartment, on a small table by the window. And
for some reason there were a couple of wrestlers standing in the corridor, right in their
uniforms.
I didn't ask anything at all. And I tried not to look at anyone. There had never been
so much fear, pain, and hopelessness in my friends' eyes as there had been that day.
I listened to the measured thu-duh-duh-duh and watched the greens rushing by
behind the cat's shriveled ass.
Morpheus and Leo had contacted the king the day before. The habitually cavalier
elf ordered us to follow him, and with a look promised that no answers would be
forthcoming.
Now he was gibbering nonstop with someone in the Disputatore, using only
correspondence. You-knock, you-knock, you-knock, you-knock. Periodically, Leo
looked around at everyone, became even more tense, and continued to stitch again.
Poke, poke, poke, poke, poke.
Miranda sat beside him, white as a sheet. She hadn't uttered a word since the fire
started. Her palm wasn't resting on Leo's thigh in the familiar gesture. She had her
fingers clasped together and was staring straight ahead.
Seeing her normally cheerful friend like this made me realize that, if it wouldn't
kill us, it would make us mentally disabled.
 Tim sat sullenly beside me. My Tim was furious. Furious. Tim was so angry that
every few minutes I would push him to the side and stare long into his eyes. It was
calming him down now.
-Tim," I called out again. Green meets blue.
-It's going to be okay," he doesn't believe it himself.
-It will," Morpheus purrs without turning around.
Too-duh, too-duh. The sound of Leo's text interrupted and never resumed.
It was Miranda crying.

More than a week had passed since that day. We reached the kingdom, and we
were put up in the same rooms as last time. Only Aria didn't run away with an
embarrassed giggle to her chambers.
Christine was sent home by Leo without even asking.
He hardly ever showed up himself. He came in after midnight and, according to
Tim, told me nothing. One day I ran into Leo in the hallway and didn't even recognize
him right away. I noticed the wrinkle on his forehead and the stern look in his eyes. He
looked well into his thirties now. I nodded and dashed past him.
Who are you?
Miranda and I didn't talk much. It was silly to speculate, and I didn't have the
energy. The three of us would get together with Tim and practice spells. And we sat in
silence on the benches, in the shadow of the summer sun.
Aria's body was delivered the day after we arrived. Her father was inconsolable.
Tim and Morpheus couldn't arrange the funeral, so Tim and Morpheus did it.
It was beautiful.
Aria was placed in a carved white coffin. In her delicate dress, she appeared to be
asleep. The casket was perched on a pillow of thousands of white flowers and levitated
in the air all morning of that memorable day in the castle lobby. So that all who came
could say goodbye.
All morning we stood by it and nodded to so many people. How many friends she
had! Good people must have many friends.
 When the procession began, everyone joined us, even Leo and the royal family.
Then I asked him who else had died.
My grown-up friend didn't look at me then and didn't answer for a long time. Then
he muttered:
-You don't know them.
The procession slowly moved to the back courtyard of the castle, where there was
a beautiful family cemetery. With carved gravestones and fruit trees planted in rows.
Dozens of wizards followed in silence. String music sounded softly from
somewhere. No one spoke. Morpheus fluttered about the coffin, leading the procession.
When everyone stopped, Aria's father made a short speech in a depressed voice. I
pushed forward quietly to look at my friend one last time.
There was a quiet click, and the coffin began to lower into the hole. In the hole
next to the tombstone with Alfonso's name on it.
-No!" I shouted, unexpectedly, even to myself.
Everyone turned on me, and the process stopped. I gasped for air and fumbled with
the hem of my black dress. Aria's father stared at me in bewilderment.
-What's the matter? - someone in the crowd asked, and I was completely confused.
But I was saved by Tim. He came up to Aria's father and quietly asked:
-Isn't there another place?
He mumbled something back. I stepped back and grasped Miranda's hand.
-This man treated her badly," Tim said in a whisper. - I'm sure Aria wouldn't
want...
But the king intervened in the conversation. Surprisingly embarrassed, he said
something to Mr. Jackson for a while. Then he turned to the crowd:
-There's a better place, if you'll follow me," he waved, and we followed him to the
edge of the cemetery. There, under the branches of a lush tree, the king with a wave of
his hands made a new grave. And slowly he lowered Aria down.
You will be fine here. You are safe now. A colt of a pegasus flew over the trees
and landed near the grave. He wiggled his nose for a while, shrieked, and swooped
down into the sky again.
 Her name was Rebecca. The girl was nervously rubbing the curtain in her
bedroom. The elements had been raging outside the window for several minutes. The
heavy rockfall rattled the rooftops. Flashes of lightning blanketed the sky with
whiteness. Thunder accompanied each one with deafening echoes.
Rebecca approached the mirror. A young sorceress peered habitually into her gray
eyes. Her red hair, trimmed to a braid, tickled her neck pleasantly. Annoying freckles
filled both cheeks, nose, and forehead. The puffy lips didn't smile. Rebecca was very
scared.
The Island of Air had been floating gently over the ocean for centuries. But never
before had a girl heard the clinking of glass and the vibrating of walls from an ordinary
thunderstorm.
Something is going on.
-Rebecca! - Her brother, five-year-old John, burst into the room.
Unlike his sister, he'd inherited buttery black straight hair, brown eyes, and no
nasty freckles. His brother clung to Rebecca's legs.
-Are you scared? - she asked and patted the boy's silk hair.
-When are Mommy and Daddy coming back? - John whimpered.
-Soon," Rebecca lied.
The parents flew off to Peace Island. Parents were wrestlers. They never came
back soon. Rebecca thanked heaven every day that they came back at all.
Thunder rumbled again, and her ears perked up, the windows tinkling. The girl
slammed the window shut and led her brother into the living room. There she lit the
fireplace with light magic.
-What color do you want? - she asked and threw two large pillows and a blanket on
the floor.
-Yellow," John's eyes sparkled. Rebecca waved her hand, and the flame changed
color. The boy smiled.
-Sit down,‖ she covered her brother with a blanket and stared at the fire.
 -I'm scared," John whimpered, huddling against his sister and squinting. That's the
way it always is: a child closes his eyes and thinks it's not even dark around him.
-Do you want a story? - Rebecca covered them both with a magic dome. Dad
taught her some spells. It got cozy, and the yellow flames in the fireplace reflected in
the magic bubble with bunnies. She heard something fall and shatter in the kitchen.
-A fairy tale," John squeaked.
- "Once upon a time, a long time ago," Rebecca began, ignoring another sound of
shattering glass from the next room. The floor trembled. - The wise wizards of all the
kingdoms sat around inventing demons.
-Teh? - Frightened his brother, pointing to a bookshelf with his pen. There were a
lot of encyclopedias and books of his parents that they had studied from back in
Elementum.
-Yes, those too," Rebecca nodded, choosing her words. - The wizards wanted to
make very strong moroks that could protect their families from enemies.
And kill the families of those enemies, Rebecca thought.
-How was Bagel? - John asked, and the girl shuddered.
Bagel was their pet security morlock. A two-headed black wolf with venomous
saliva. Daddy was good with the demon, keeping him under control. Nevertheless,
Rebecca avoided the backyard of the house where the wolf sat on guard. And even
when John magically threw there still hot and coveted buns, she didn't go looking for
them.
-Like Bagel," Rebecca nodded, after a while. - The great wizards once had the idea
of crossing a few different morons. The mixture would yield a demon of unparalleled
power, they said.
-Great," his brother exhaled, and Rebecca strengthened the magical hood that
covered them-it was now completely dark behind the window, despite the time of day. -
Did they make it?
-It worked, John. The wizards created the most powerful weapon, the most
terrifying monster there is. And guess what?
 -What? -An interested child was oblivious to what was happening outside their
little world.
-Rumor has it that he's still alive," the little sister said in a mysterious whisper. -
That among those wizards was the owner of the transparent crystal. And you know they
are the strongest of all. And rumor has it that that elf is still alive. And that to this day
he still quietly feeds the life of that morlock. Just in case.
-Whoa," John blinked. - What's he like?
-Demon? They say he's ten meters tall," Rebecca answered. - And he doesn't have
a name. Everyone calls him It.
-That? - John didn't understand.
-Yes," his sister nodded. - And he has four arms and one eye. And he can do all the
Elements, because he's got dozens of spells, from all over the world.
-Where does he live? - John asked, shivering from the sudden summer chill.
Rebecca wrapped her brother more tightly in a blanket and answered:
-He lives on Peace Island. He takes care of it, protects it, so that no one breaks the
prohibitions. And that no one fights on the Island of Peace.
-And if they do, will they let it out? - ...the clever boy guessed.
-If they do, they'll let it out. But I don't know where the wizard with the crystal is
now. And I don't know if he can really control it.
-Can he," John said confidently. - He's the only wizard in the world, the most
powerful one with a five-pointed star.
-Not the only one," sighed Rebecca.
The thunder sounded again, and all the glass in the house flew out at once with a
loud clang.

Yesterday the king had a council meeting. There were several dozen elves in black
soldier uniforms. With black ribbons on their chests. In memory of those who died at
Elementum.
 The king spoke at length about the state of affairs. He told them that the Isle of
Peace had turned against the mermaids with terrible weapons, laid aside in case of a
treaty violation. An uncontrollable, gigantic morass, once created for good.
As it turned out, Miranda wasn't the only one in the parallel who owned a
transparent crystal. The wizard in charge of this activity (I was reminded then of
Stephen King and all the Reality monsters at once) resides on the island. But even he
can't handle the power of the demon.
-It was created with alchemy," the king explained to us in a doleful voice. - So he's
not incorporeal. A group of mages at the time could control it through their combined
efforts. It didn't work so well this time. And it doesn't need a magical boost at all," he
sighed. - The wizard in charge of the feeding stopped it. But it didn't stop.
Then everyone looked at each other, and there was a deadly silence.
-What's going on now? - one of the wrestlers asked.
The king looked up, filled his lungs with air, and spoke:
-The whole island is surrendered. It's there for now. Till he decides to take a walk,"
he grinned wryly. - The power of the wizards there wasn't even enough to drive it back
into the dungeon, let alone control it. It tore through everything in its path.
I imagined a giant of green, like the Hulk.
-This is officially recognized as the fifth side of the confrontation," the king
finished sullenly. - The four elements and This. On its own.
-It's that strong? - Someone exhaled.
-And immortal," he nodded. - It can only be imprisoned again, under seals and
alchemical circles and all that has gone before.
The silence resumed.
-Who is capable of such a thing? - the question broke out.
-A group of wizards with the most powerful crystals, perhaps,-the King mussed his
hair with his palm and stopped looking like his usual intellectual self. - But such a group
would have to be assembled all over the parallel. And we can't leave it all behind;
sooner or later It will think of going into the ocean when the island is tired of being
crushed.
 -How many wizards do you need? - Leo spoke up, keeping his eyes on the king.
-We estimate we'd have to drain over a hundred high potential crystals.
-How's that? - I whispered to Miranda.
-That's not much weaker than mine," she answered quietly.
-There are so many in the parallel," the king continued. - But we need the consent
of all the owners and teamwork.
-Akin to a truce," someone muttered.
-The enemy of my enemy is my friend," sighed the king. - Maybe this is a chance.
When the king dismissed the meeting, leaving only Leo, Miranda, me, Velcom,
and Tim, we were surprised.
-I accept your rejection of Christiana's membership in the Element of Fire," the
king announced to Leo. - I completely understand. Of the remaining former students,
your group are my closest confidants," he concluded.
We looked at each other.
-Do we have an assignment? - Tim spoke up.
-Children," the king began, tensely and quietly, as if fearing our reaction. - The
battle for Elementum has taken many lives," he glanced for a moment at the cemetery
outside the window. - All the kingdoms have suffered grievous losses. The sons and
daughters of the fighters have lost their lives. It is to the advantage of all who wish to
make a truce.
I raised my eyebrows, not understanding. The king sighed and continued:
-While the war was cold and slow, it could go on for decades. Now that I tried to
make a convenient tactical move with that crawl under the water," he paused. - Which
led to Water's wrath, the attack on Peace Island, the breach of the peace treaty, the
hundreds of deaths of young wizards, and the release of This...
-It wasn't your fault," Leo chided. - You were guided by the interests of your
people.
The king stared at him for a moment:
-Thank you," he paused. - In any case, the state of affairs had changed. The mood
of all the races might have turned strongly toward a truce.
 -Do you want Elementum's disciples to spearhead the idea of a truce? - Leo
guessed. - So that in our faces the fighters would see the faces of their dead children. So
that they would reconsider their values and calculate what this endless game has already
cost them.
-Somehow, yes," the king nodded, and I took Leo's hand. - I wondered who I could
send. No education, no experience in combat, no titles, and a young age. The kind of
guys who would epitomize all the dead in Elementum at once. And the kind I could
trust.
-It's an honor," Leo said slowly. - Thank you.
The king grinned:
-I never doubted you. Well, your names came to mind. And the name of the late
Aria Jackson, of course. And my oldest son, Alan.
-Alan? - Leo's eyes widened. - But that's...
-What? -The King looked at him calmly.
-"It's too dangerous. - Leo said confidently. - I cannot guarantee...
-I'm not asking you to," the king interrupted him. - It is no longer your job to take
care of my family, Leonardo. - He looked thoughtfully out the window at the cemetery.
- You all have a far more important task now. Perhaps the most important task of your
lives. And in this century. And in general.
-We can manage without Alan," Leo protested.
The King looked at him darkly:
-I won't have young men without proper education risking their lives fighting for
peace while my own children are holed up in a castle,‖ we were silent. - You can't have
too much help. Alan almost graduated from Elementum. There would be final exams
this year. He's twenty years old. He's a fighter like the others. All that's left to do is take
the oath of office.
Leo nodded and lowered his eyes.
-Leo, I repeat: your job is not to protect his life. Your job is to get as many
consents as possible to join the group that will rein it in. Is that accepted?
-Agreed," Leo mouthed and saluted the king.
 -Dismissed," he nodded. - Tomorrow morning, in the courtyard, ceremonial
uniforms. You and Alan will take the oath to the kingdom.
We nodded and turned to leave, but the king suddenly added:
-And also, it's none of my business, unequivocally,‖ we turned to him. - But maybe
you don't want to wait until midsummer for the wedding?
Miranda and Leo looked at each other.
-I have a feeling tomorrow will be perfect," Miranda smiled.

I braided my hair into a long, tight braid. I stared at myself in the mirror for a
while, leaning my hands on the dresser. I couldn't remember what my face had looked
like while I was wearing makeup. I am no longer a young beauty.
I'm a soldier now.
Like you, dear Arnie, who is no more.
Who will I meet today? An invisible alien Predator? Maybe.
Or maybe Death himself.
And you thought, Kathy, you'd wake up one day and it would be light?
The black uniform fits like a glove. Either it was made just for me, or I was born to
wear this tight tunic today.
I remember the joke that every day when you choose an outfit, you should
remember that if you die today, your ghost will wear it forever. Not a bad motivation.
But, forgive us, celestial fashion magazines. Today we will all come in the same
thing. An otherworldly army of stylishly dressed dead people. All as one. And there will
be no sensation for the weary ghosts.
I ran my fingers over the little buttons. A placket to the side, a narrow standing
collar. Thin epaulettes with the emblem of the kingdom. A black ribbon on the chest, a
token of remembrance for those killed in the Battle of Elementum. Everyone wore them
now.
She turned her nose up, as she always did, to keep from bursting into tears.
It was time.
God help us.