The

  trip back to the HoS was an uncomfortable experience. Between waiting

  for the Golden Express to come back to the Capital and the silence

  they shared underneath the cathedral, they were all silently

  replaying moments from what they saw. From those things regenerating

  and cloning themselves to Ezekiel’s lightning strikes or even to

  Lin Hua’s fighting style...it was something the others would never

  believe.

  Saphy

  and Ester sat at the edge of the platform, Saphy kicking her legs as

  she stared at the railway track. Kris stood behind them in his own

  little world as well, the wind blowing his long hair every which way,

  a candy stick magically in his mouth. Unfortunately, it was his last

  one. The third-year student, Eli, fiddled with a gold coin, flipping

  the Lerian currency in the air as he kicked one leg against the wall.

  So many questions floated around, yet no one felt like talking.

  Before

  even arriving at the Cathedral, they spotted the last remaining Zero

  Stars on their way to get their fittings for the Banquet, the fourth

  floorers. The Express had just left with the third floorers, meaning

  it would take a while for the express to come back around. Ester

  swore she spotted Se’raf, and even with her intent staring, they

  acted like she was a stranger. There were still things she wanted to

  ask them...but their mysterious nature made their presence

  terrifying.

  Ester

  stared out to the left side of where the express comes, the moonlight

  illuminating the massive silhouette of the mountain the HoS was built

  on. She was still trying to wrap her head around her life. The

  murder, the imprisonment, the revelation of her freedom, now..? She

  was staring out a passageway where the majority couldn’t even hope

  to be. Not to say a murderer. She let out a huge sigh, swatting at

  the hair blowing in her face.

  She

  noticed Saphy open her mouth, pause, then shut it before turning to

  face her.

  “Do

  you...Do you think Lin Hua was a bit cruel to those things?”

  Ester

  looked at her, puzzled. “...What do you mean?”

  Saphy

  grimaced, weighing Ester’s reply against her own. She glanced back

  at Elijah, who was still fiddling with the coin.

  “Uh,

  Mister Eli,” she said. He looked up with a nod. “Could you have

  taken care of those monsters by yourself?”

  He

  thought about it. “I’m not sure…” he said. “Whether it’s

  one or even a hundred of those things, it wouldn’t’ve made a

  difference.” He shrugged. “But from what you told me, the

  regenerative aspect would’ve given me most trouble.”

  “...So

  Lin Hua fighting it was the best possible outcome,” Kris muttered

  to himself.

  They

  let the truth hang in the air. Until Saphy’s eyes lit up.

  “Wait...So

  who would win out of the two of you?” she asked eagerly. “You’re

  both third years, right?”

  Eli

  smirked, turning his head away as soon as he heard the question.

  “In

  terms of raw power...?” he said. “She wouldn’t even come close

  to beating me.”

  “...What

  about her Flo beast conjure, Utahime?” Kris turned to face him.

  “Then

  I lose.” He sighed. “But...the match would be over way before

  that.”

  For

  Ester, it was hard to believe what she was hearing. To her, Lin Hua

  stood on a mountain peak that seemed almost impossible to reach. From

  the aura to the power she displayed. She craved it all. The way

  Elijah talked...it was as if he didn’t even consider her as a

  “threat.” As if he, too, stood on a mountain peak, one that

  completely dwarfed hers.

  “...With

  or without your dragon?” Ester muttered to herself.

  Hearing

  this, he burst out laughing, finding her question hilarious, filling

  the station with his bellows. Ester’s cheeks flushed.

  “My-My

  dragon would be overkill!” He wiped his eye. “I wasn’t even

  thinking of fighting with him.”

  Ester

  didn’t have a response. Even though she felt Lin Hua demonstrated

  unimaginable ability, this guy, Elijah, had an air to him. She

  couldn’t even deny his claims as she had never seen him fight. But

  something told her to believe what he was saying. Kris was lost in

  thought, pondering, his arms crossed, the candy stick swishing around

  his mouth.

  “...Your

  Flo beast...it’s contracted?” Kris asked.

  He

  turned to face him with a quick nod. “S’right,” he said. “Known

  Kilisk since he was a hatchling...since I was a kid.”

  “You

  could conjure a Flo beast since you were a kid?!” Saphy swivelled

  her body.

  “What?

  No…” Elijah scoffed, putting a hand on his head. “Y’know

  there’s different types of Flo beast bonds right?”

  Saphy

  and Ester exchanged a look and Kris just nodded. “Synchrites

  manipulate an invisible mist of energy, ,”

  He paused. “Sometimes Flo can condense itself so much, it forms

  these things, pure Flo born creatures. And from that Synchrites are

  able to bond with those creatures.”

  “Oh…” Saphy continued, turning back to him. “...And you have

  one of those?”

  Eli nodded thoughtfully. “I guess you could say he was a gift.”

  Ester turned her gaze toward him, a thought burning in her head. A

  gift? She knew that in Geneeva, Flo beasts were sometimes sold and

  traded...but it was a luxury only reserved for the super wealthy. It

  also dawned on her, his accent. A mix between eloquent and

  condescending.

  “...You’re from Leria,” Ester said.

  He paused before turning to her, the gold coin still twiddling in his

  fingers. “What gave it away?” She didn’t answer.

  “Can a Synchrite have both types of Flo beast bonds?” Saphy

  asked, raising her hand and looking around at whoever would answer

  her question.

  “That’s impossible,” Kris glanced back at Eli. “...Isn’t

  it?”

  “Nah, it’s possible,” he snorted. “Cos my auntie can.”

  The Zero Stars couldn’t tell if he was being serious or telling a

  terrible joke.

  “…Auntie?” they repeated.

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen her…” Eli sighed. “She’s

  an Instructor.”

  Their eyes widened at the sudden revelation.

  “Your auntie is Instructor Lillia?!” Saphy repeated.

  He shrugged, leaving them all in shock...Except for Kris, who just

  seemed to accept it easier than Saphy and Ester, like something made

  sense.

  “She has three to be precise.”

  “THREE?!” Now even Kris lost his composure.

  “I’ve never heard of Synchrites having more than one Flo

  beast...but Three? That’s…”

  “Yeah…” He chuckled. “She’s terrifying.”

  They let the sudden revelation fill the silence, the night sky

  occasionally allowing a cool breeze to wander into the underground

  station, until they heard the wail in the distance. They turned

  toward the sound and saw a silhouette emerge from the clouds. The

  Golden Express had arrived.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  Ester sat staring out of the Express’s window, barely able to make

  out shapes and outlines of the scenery behind the glass. It had taken

  only two trips with the Express and it was already her favourite perk

  of being a Synchrite...that or the HoS library. Saphy sat across from

  Ester, watching the clouds as she listlessly twiddled with her coat

  sleeves. Kris sat next to Ester on the booth, tapping his finger

  methodically on the table, the bronze glow of a Flo lamp illuminating

  above them. Eli sat in a separate booth, one in front of them, both

  arms spread across it in a relaxed fashion.

  “Mmm,” Saphy let out a deep stretch. “I’m kinda bored…”

  She turned to face Kris. “Hey Kris...do you still have your playing

  cards?”

  Kris appeared not to hear her, still deep in his own world. He

  remained oblivious. “...Kris?” Still nothing. Saphy glanced from

  him to Ester with a confused, worried look. Even Eli slightly cocked

  his head. Ever since Ezekiel’s sacrifice, he had been acting

  different...or was this how he truly was? Ester nudged him and he

  jolted, looking at her with a surprised expression until she gestured

  to Saphy.

  “...Do you still have your playing cards?”

  His eyes narrowed as he scrambled in his interior coat pocket.

  “Here.” He pulled out the cards, which were in a small

  rectangular box. “But why?”

  Saphy smiled, turning her head. “Mister Eli?” She said. He

  responded with a grunt. “Would you like to play a card game with

  us?”

  He thought about it. “...Sure, why not.” He waved from his side

  of the booth.

  “Let’s

  continue where we left off,” she said. Eli turned around and

  propped himself so he could watch. Kris shuffled the deck and they

  all picked a card. 1- Ester, 5- Saphy, 6-Kris, and 9-Eli.

  “Okay,”

  he sighed, one hand on his chin. “What would you like to know?”

  Almost

  immediately, Saphy’s hand shot in the air. “Ooh! Ooh!” She was

  practically shaking. He gestured for her to go ahead. “Why is your

  hair blue?”

  Ester

  was surprised. She didn’t even think of that question. While it was

  strange, Ester didn’t really pursue the reasoning...not until Saphy

  brought it up again. She was interested to hear his answer.

  He

  tilted his head up, a sign he was thinking. “...Some Synchrites are

  able to manipulate the Flo around their bodies to enhance or change

  their physical properties.” He ran a hand across his hair. “This

  can also be applied to hair colour.”

  Now

  things were interesting. Ester didn’t know that. Saphy didn’t.

  And Kris… still appeared not to be paying attention. From summoning

  beasts to restoring people to now even changing your hair

  colour...Ester couldn’t help but smile at the thought. She looked

  up and found Saphy looking at her, apprehension in her eyes. Ester

  tried her best to wipe her face clean...maybe it was too late. She

  quickly glanced at Elijah.

  “Is

  it hard to do?” Ester asked.

  “Hmmm...not

  really,” he said. “Just gotta know the basics...something you’ll

  learn in the upcoming week.”

  The

  upcoming week couldn’t come sooner. For some reason, Ester could

  hardly wait. They picked again.

  “Three!”

  Saphy said.

  “One...”Eli

  said.

  “Two,”

  Ester continued. They all looked at Kris, who stared at the card yet

  seemed to be looking right past it. Saphy snapped her fingers.

  “Eirth

  to Kris!” He jolted, looking back at the card. “N-nine!”

  They

  all looked at each other.

  “You

  good over there, chief?” Eli nodded to him. Kris just put his head

  down and slowly nodded. Ester looked at Saphy and she gave her a

  shrug.

  “Kris…”

  she said. “What Ezekiel

  to you?”

  The question had been swimming in Ester’s mind this whole time.

  Kris always seemed like the more mature one between the both of them,

  the same monotone expression he wore since Saphy and Ester first met

  them. Until he saw Ezekiel...die. Kris thought about the question and

  wore a soft smile, as if reminiscing.

  “He’s my saviour.” He admitted. “If not for him...I would’ve

  died like a dog…”

  They waited for him to say more but Kris appeared in a reminiscent

  trance, staring at nothing. The cry of the Golden Express cut through

  the seemingly weird silence, and the holler of the conductor, an

  indication that they had arrived back in the “

  “…This kid’s weird, yo,” Eli muttered. It probably didn’t

  even matter, Kris probably didn’t even hear him, yet the comment

  left a strange taste in Ester’s mind. Was he wrong for acting the

  way he did after seeing his friend...his supposed saviour, die in

  front of him? She glanced at the worried Saphy. If that was her...if

  her friend, someone who accepted her, died, what would she do? She

  shook her head, trying to banish the thought. Wasn’t this the

  reason why she wanted strength? So something like would

  never happen again? To be strong enough so that no one could ever

  threaten her again.

  To

  be Undeniable, she thought to

  herself as she stepped off

  the Golden Express.

  They were led back through the cut and toward the gate, where another

  student, most likely a third year, stood guarding. She yawned, nodded

  to herself, then glanced in their direction. Her eyes lit up. Ester

  caught her breath. It was hard to imagine someone more beautiful than

  Lin Hua, but she was. Mature, with curly ginger hair, strands that

  tinted blonde. She had the kind of figure that made people stare,

  curves she clearly knew how to use. Maybe that was why Eli wore such

  a deep scowl when their eyes met. One hand in his pocket, the other

  scratching the back of his neck, he averted eye contact almost

  immediately. Yet her eyes lingered, her smile confident and playful.

  Barely any words were spoken except Elijah’s deep sigh as they

  passed her. For the rest of the Zero Stars, she gave them a smile

  warm enough to make their hearts skip.

  “...She’s Saphy exclaimed, glancing back

  wide-eyed. “Is she a third year as well?”

  Eli took a while to answer her question. “Vanessa Loqharte. One of

  the strongest students in the HoS.”

  Ester perked up. Beauty was one thing, but she was also one of the

  strongest? Even stronger than Lin Hua?

  “Really?” she said, looking back. “What can she d-”

  “We’re almost there,” Eli interrupted, his voice firm and

  irritated. Ester exchanged a look with Saphy as they silently

  followed. They could see the torches sputtering in the distance,

  lining the great steps.

  Before they were able to get into the main building, they heard a cry

  of a familiar creature overhead.

  With a THUD, Kilisk the iron dragon landed, a terrifying menace in

  the darkness. Even though the Zero Stars had seen him before, they

  still edged away. Eli just walked over and rubbed its chin. The

  dragon cooed softly.

  “You did good,” he whispered, stroking the terrifying beast

  gently. He turned to the Zero Stars. “Alright, you guys can go eat

  if you’re hungry,” he said. “But you should all be back in your

  dorms before midnight. Tomorrow is a busy day….A morning assembly

  and then a banquet…” He smiled. “How fun.”

  He turned to leave with Kilisk before Kris spoke up. “Uhm.” Eli

  stopped and turned around. “Can I go see him?”

  Eli let out a soft sigh and then the slightest semblance of a smile.

  “...Tomorrow.” Kris understood, giving a slow, understanding nod.

  Saphy squeezed his arm. “Also...you will all probably have to write

  a statement at some point...so heads up.”

  “T-thank you!” Saphy called as he left. He just raised his hand.

  Ester couldn’t help but quietly wave him off, even though he would

  never see it. Somehow, she felt she could trust him.

  She turned to Kris and Saphy. “...What do we do now?”

  Saphy grabbed both their hands. “We She declared.

  “I’m starving, Kris needs a distraction, and you…” her eyes

  softened. “You need one as well…”

  Ester wanted to protest. But Saphy was right. She was always right

  about these things.

  Ester barely slept.

  Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it. The marketplace. The

  regenerating monsters. Ezekiel’s lightning. Lin Hua’s massacre.

  The way power looked. Her mind raced.

  Morning came and they were rushed to the dining hall, where they

  groggily ate their breakfast. Ester was so tired she didn’t even

  notice her bedhead until Saphy sheepishly pointed it out. Kris joined

  them, deep bags under his eyes, his words slow and heavy.

  After breakfast they were given a quick assembly by Markos. He talked

  about the Banquet and how it would begin in the evening, about

  behaviour and how their suits and dresses would be arriving later in

  the day. Someone asked about the incident in the marketplace. He said

  something about it being mentioned at the Banquet, but it was such a

  blur, Ester was fighting the urge not to fall asleep. They were

  dismissed and told they could do whatever they wanted until later in

  the day.

  Kris was the first to leave, saying he was going to visit Zeek. They

  offered to join him, but he shook his head, they might not even be

  allowed in. Saphy pulled him into a hug. “Make sure he doesn’t

  miss the Banquet,” she whispered. He let out a playful smirk before

  heading to the medical wing of the HoS. Then it was just the two of

  them. Ester suggested something that even surprised Saphy. “Wanna

  go for a run?”

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  “Wait…” I accidentally blurted out, interrupting her. I

  apologised, forgetting she didn’t like being interrupted, until she

  accepted it. “...You suggesting to go for a run seems a bit…?”

  “Random?” she offered. “Hm...Perhaps...but I wanted to rouse

  myself.”

  I paused when she said this. She could’ve just as easily gone back

  to sleep, right? Since they could do whatever they wanted till the

  afternoon. “...Is that really the only reason?”

  She turned her head toward me as she sat on her stone. Her veil

  rippled and pulsed, her true emotions hidden behind a poker face. I

  gulped.

  “...I suppose not,” she finally said.

  “What happened after?”

  “Everything leading to the Banquet is a haze,” she replied. “From

  the run, to the baths, even my attempts to teach Saphy the

  fundamentals of reading…” Her voice wavered. “Had it not been

  for you...these memories...those small moments...I fear I would have

  forgotten...”

  I stifled a choke in my throat. Wishing to be undeniable...then

  ending up in a place like this for over four hundred years? Nothing

  but her thoughts and this cave to keep her company...o

  cruel, fate, I thought to myself. I made silent resolve there and

  then, I would free her from this prison. Somehow I would.

  “I’m sure you remember your Banquet dress, right?” I tried.

  Her poker face cracked, a soft smile forming under the veil. “A

  black fitted top over a full skirt with fitted sleeves…” she

  reminisced. “It was quite lovely.”

  “I’m sure you gathered all the attention there…” I chuckled.

  She paused, smiling even more now, as if she knew something I didn’t.

  “At that time, I had no wish to be seen,” she snorted.

  “Fortunately for me, Arthur claimed most eyes.”

  I leaned closer, my brow furrowing. “Arthur Ren...he was there..?

  You finally met him?”

  “He was there,” she replied. “Along with his cousin, Lucius.”