“ABSOLUTELY NOT OKAY,” grumbled Maven. “He’s only been training for two weeks. You will finish him.”

In response, Evangeline just shrugged, letting a lazy grin appear on her face. His fingers danced along the sides of his legs, and I could almost feel them like claws on my skin.

“So what if he finished him off?” Sonya blurted out, and I thought I saw a glimmer of her grandmother in her eyes. “After all, the healers are here. There will be nothing to lose. Besides, if he wants to come train with us, he might as well do it properly, right?”

There’s nothing to lose, I snorted in my mind. There was nothing to lose except my red blood on display for all eyes to see. My heartbeat was pounding in my head, getting faster with each passing second. Overhead, lights shone brightly, illuminating the ring; my blood will be hard to hide, and they will see the real me. Red Man, cheater, thief.

“I’d like to get more time to observe before jumping straight into the ring, if you don’t mind.”

I answered, trying my best to sound like a Silver. Instead, my voice wavered. Evangeline catches him.

“Too scared to fight?” He fished, casually flicking his hand. One of the knives, a small silver tooth-like object, wrapped around his wrist slowly in an open threat. “Poor Lightning Girl.”

Yes, I want to scream. Yes, I’m scared . However, the Silvers would not admit such a thing. The Silvers have their pride, their power—and nothing else. “When I fight, I intend to win,” I said, throwing his words back in his face. “I’m not a fool, Evangeline, and I can’t win right now.”

“Practicing outside the ring won’t do much good, Mareena,” Sonya purred, accepting my lies cheerfully. “Isn’t that right, Instructor? How can he expect to win if he doesn’t even try?”

Arven knew there was something different about me, the reason for my abilities and powers. But what it was, he had not been able to understand, and there was a twinkle of curiosity in his eyes. He also wants to see me fight in the ring. And my only allies, Cal and Maven, exchanged anxious glances, wondering how to proceed on such a sensitive matter. Did they not expect this? Don’t they think this will eventually happen?

Or maybe this is what I was aiming for all along. An accidental death in Training, another lie for the queen to tell, a death worthy of one

misplaced girl. It was a trap I willingly fell into.

The game will end. And everyone I love will lose.

“Lady Titanos is the daughter of a late war hero, but you can only mock her.” Cal growled, throwing a dagger glare at the girls. They barely noticed, almost laughing at his weak defense. Cal may be a born fighter, but he is not someone who is good at putting words together.

Sonya became increasingly furious, her cunning character took over. While Cal is a warrior in the middle of the ring, Sonya is a warrior in speech, and twists her words with extraordinary ease. “A general’s daughter should be good at fighting in the ring. In fact, Evangeline is the one who should be afraid.”

“He wasn’t raised by a general. Don’t be ridiculous,” sneered Maven. He’s better at dealing with this kind of thing, but I can’t let him win my fight. Not with these girls.

“I won’t fight,” I said again. “Challenge others.”

When Evangeline smiled, with her white, pointy teeth, my old instincts rang in my head like a bell. I barely had time to drop when the knife shot through the air, slashing where my neck had been a few seconds ago.

“I dare you,” he snarled, and another knife flew at my face. More and more flew from his belt, ready to chop me up.

“Evangeline, stop,” Maven shouted, as Cal pulled me to my feet, his eyes burning with worry. My blood was pumping, flowing with adrenaline, my heart was pounding so hard that I barely heard Cal’s whispered words.

“You’re more agile. Keep moving. Do not be afraid .” Another knife shot out, this time sticking into the ground near my feet. “Don’t let him see you bleed.”

Behind Cal’s shoulder, Evangeline prowled around looking for prey like a predatory cat. A storm of flashing blades was clutched in his fist. Suddenly, my mind stopped and nothing could stop it. Even the princes couldn’t. And I can’t give him a chance to win. I can’t lose.

A flash of lightning shot out of me, striking the air at my command. Lightning struck his chest and he staggered, hitting the outermost wall of the arena. But instead of looking angry, Evangeline responded to me with joy.

“This fight will be quick, Lightning Girl,” he snarled, wiping away a drop of silver blood.

All around, the other students shifted back, looking between the two of us. This might be the last time they see me alive. No, I thought again. I can’t lose . My focus sharpened, deepening my sense of power until it was so strong, I barely noticed the walls shifting around us. With a click, the Provos reassembled the arena, locking the two of us inside, a Red girl and a smiling Silver monster.

He grinned widely at me, and blades of razor-thin metal ripped free from the floor, shaped to his will. They bend, shake, and scrape into a living nightmare. His usual knives were gone, put aside for a new tactic. The metal objects, the creatures in his mind, slid across the floor until they stopped at his feet. Each had eight razor-sharp, sharp, vicious legs. They trembled as they waited to be released, to tear my body apart. Spider . A terrible creeping sensation pricked my skin, as if they had landed on me.

Sparks ignited in both of my hands, dancing between

my fingers. The lights flickered as the energy in the room penetrated me like water seeping through a sponge. Energy coursed through my body, controlled by my own power—and by need. I won’t die here.

On the other side of the wall, Maven was smiling but his face was pale, scared. Beside him, Cal froze. A soldier will not blink until the battle is won.

“Who is superior?” Instructor Arven asked. “Mareena or Evangeline?”

No one raised their hand. Neither did Evangeline’s friends. They instead glared at us, looking at our growing abilities.

Evangeline’s smile turned into a wry grin. He was used to being championed, being the person everyone feared. Now he is very angry.

Once again, the lights flickered, as my body buzzed like an overcharged cable. In the flickering darkness, his spiders clawed at the floor, their metal legs clicking in a terrifying rhythm.

Then all I knew was fear, and power, and a rush of energy through my veins.

Darkness and light exploded alternately, throwing us both into a clash of bizarre flashes of color. My lightning flashed through the darkness, streaking purple and white as it hit the spider each time. Cal’s advice echoed in my mind, and I just kept moving, never staying in one place long enough, making it easier for Evangeline to hurt me. He weaved through his spider web, dodging my sparks as best he could. Jagged metal shards pierced my arms, but the leather suit held on. He was fast, but I was faster, even with the spiders clawing around my legs. For a moment, the annoying silver braid of her hair touched my fingers, before she slipped out of reach again. But I managed to hunt him down. My position is superior .

I heard Maven amidst the screeching of metal and cheers.

the whole class cheered, encouraging me to finish him off. The lights flickered, making him hard to see, but for a brief moment, I could feel like I was one of them. Feeling absolute strength and power, realizing abilities that millions of other people don’t have. Evangeline feels this way every day, and now it’s my turn. I’ll teach you what it’s like to know fear.

A fist hit the small of my back, sending pain throughout my body. My knees buckled in pain, causing me to fall. Evangeline stood above me, her smile framed by a curtain of messy silver hair.

“Like I said,” he growled. “Fast.”

My legs moved on their own, swinging out in a maneuver I’d used in the back alleys of Jangkungan Village hundreds of times. Even against Kilorn once or twice. My foot hit his leg, sweeping it out from under him, and he crashed to the floor next to me. I just crushed him, even though the pain overcame my back. My hands crackled with hot energy, even as they hit his face. Pain shot through the bones of my knuckles, but I kept punching. Want to see sweet silver blood.

“You’ll hope this goes quickly,” I roared, squeezing him.

Somehow, through her injured lips, Evangeline could still laugh. The sound faded, replaced by a metallic screech. And all around us, electrocuted spiders twitched to life. Their metallic bodies reformed, reconnecting at the edges, into the shape of a smoking, destructive beast.

He moved at high speed, toppling me over his body. I was now the one stuck, looking up at the pieces of metal twisting and moving up and down. Sparks died in my hands, driven away by fear and exhaustion. Even the healers won’t be able to save me after this.

Razor feet scratched my face, drawing hot, red blood. I heard myself scream, not in pain, but in defeat. This is the end.

Then a flame-breathing arm knocked the metal monster off my body, burning it until it was nothing more than a pile of charred ash. Firm hands pulled me to my feet, then moved through my hair, covering my face to hide the red marks that might betray me. I surrendered myself to Maven, letting him guide me out of the practice room. Every inch of my body shook, but he strengthened my footing and kept me moving. A healer came, but Cal pushed him away, covering my face from his view.

Before the door slammed shut behind us, I heard Evangeline scream and Cal’s distinctive calm voice shouted back, rumbling over her like a hurricane.

My voice cracked when I finally spoke again. “The cameras, the cameras can see.”

“The Sentinels swore an oath to my mother to take care of the cameras. “Trust me, they’re not the ones we need to worry about,” Maven said, almost tripping over his words. He kept a tight grip on my arm, as if he was afraid I would be pulled away from him. His hand brushed my face, wiping away the blood with his sleeve. If anyone sees…

“Take me to Julian.”

“Julian is an imbecile,” he muttered.

A shadowy figure appeared at the end of the hall, a pair of nobles exploring, and Maven pushed us both into the servants’ passage to avoid them.

“Julian knows who I am.” I whispered back, holding him. As his grip tightened, so did mine. “Julian will know what to do.”

Maven looked down at me, looking hesitant, but finally nodded. Once we arrived at Julian’s residence, the bleeding had stopped, but my face was still a mess.

He opened the door at the first knock, looking like his usual haphazard self. To my surprise, he scowled at Maven.

“Prince Maven,” he greeted, bowing stiffly and almost disdainfully. Maven didn’t respond, just pushed me past Julian into the back sitting room.

Julian had several tiny rooms, dwarfed by darkness and stale air. The curtains were drawn, blocking out the afternoon sun, and the floor was slippery with scattered sheets of paper. A kettle simmered in the corner, on a hunk of electric metal meant to replace a stove. No wonder I never saw him outside of Lessons. It seemed he had everything he needed here.

“What happened?” he asked, inviting us to sit on a pair of dusty benches. It was clear he rarely received visitors. I took a seat but Maven refused, remaining standing.

I pulled back the curtain of my hair, revealing the red glow of my identity. “Evangeline is too passionate.”

Julian shifted, uncomfortable on his own two feet. But it wasn’t me that made him nervous; but Maven. The two of them exchanged sharp glances, arguing over something I didn’t understand. Finally, he returned his gaze to me. “I’m not a skin healer, Mare. The best thing I can do is clean you up.”

“I told you, didn’t I,” Maven said. “He can’t do anything.”

Julian’s lips curled into a grin. “Find Sara Skonos,” he snarled, his jaw clenched as he waited for Maven to make a move. I’ve never seen Maven this angry, not even Cal. However, it wasn’t anger that spilled from Maven or Julian—it was hatred. They clearly hate each other.

“Do it, Prince .” The title sounded like a curse when it left Julian’s lips.

Maven finally complied and slipped out the door.

“What the hell?” I whispered, pointing to Julian and the door. “Not now,” he said, throwing me a white cloth to clean myself with. The cloth left a smear

bright red as my blood corroded the material. “Who is Sara Skonos?”

Again, Julian hesitated. “A skin healer. He will take care of you.” He sighed. “And he’s a friend. A secret friend.”

I didn’t know Julian had friends besides me and his books, but I didn’t question it.

When Maven slipped back into the room a few minutes later, I managed to clean my face properly,

although it still feels sticky and swollen. I’ll have bruises to cover tomorrow, and I don’t even want to know what my back looks like now. Carefully, I touched the growing bulge where Evangeline had punched me.

“Sara isn’t…” Maven paused, contemplating his words. “He’s not the person I would have chosen for this.”

Before I could ask why, the door opened, revealing a woman I assumed was Sara. He entered silently, barely lifting his gaze. Unlike the other blood healers of the Blonos Clan, his age was displayed proudly on his face, in every wrinkle and hollow, gaunt cheeks. He looked about the same age as Julian, but his drooping shoulders suggested to me that his life had been much longer than Julian’s.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Skonos.” My voice was calm, as if I was asking about the weather. It seems my Protocol lessons are going through my head too.

But Sara didn’t respond. Instead, he fell to his knees in front of my bench and grabbed my face with both rough hands. His touch was cool, like water on a sunburn, and his fingers traced the open wound on my cheek with surprising tenderness. He worked carefully, healing the other bruises on my face. Before I could mention my back, he placed his hand on the scar, and something like cooling ice spread over the pain. It was all over in just a few moments, and I felt as if my body had recovered from the first time I came here.

In fact, better. My old scars and bruises disappeared completely.

“Thank you,” I said, but again, I got no response.

“Thank you, Sara,” Julian said softly, and Sara’s eyes moved to his in a flash of gray. Sara’s head bowed slightly, in the tiniest nod. Julian reached out, a hand brushing Sara’s arm as Julian helped her to her feet. The two of them moved like dancing partners, listening to the music that no one could catch.

Maven’s voice broke their silence. “That’s enough, Skonos.”

Sara’s silence faded into unconcealed annoyance as her body twisted to escape Julian’s grip, rushing towards the door like a wounded animal. The door slammed shut behind him violently, shaking the framed maps in their glass prison. Even Julian’s hands were shaking, shaking for a long time after he left, as if he could still feel his presence.

Julian tried to cover it up, but it didn’t work: Julian had been in love with her, and perhaps he still was. He stared at the door like a man being chased by a ghost, waiting for her to return.

“Julian?”

“The longer you’re gone, the more people will talk.” He mumbled, telling us to leave immediately.

“I agree.” Maven came to the door, ready to open it and push me out.

“Are you sure no one saw?” My hand moved to my cheek, which was now smooth and clean.

Maven froze, looking thoughtful. “No one will say anything.”

“Secrets won’t stay secrets here forever,” Julian muttered. His voice trembled with rare anger. “You know that yourself, Your Majesty.”

“ You should know the difference between a secret,” growled Maven, “and a lie.”

Maven’s grip tightened on my wrist, pulling me back into the hallway before I could ask what was going on. We didn’t make it far before a familiar figure stopped us.

“Is there a problem, darling?”

Queen Elara, a figure wrapped in silk, calls out to Maven. Surprisingly, he was alone, without a single Sentinel to escort him. The queen’s eyes were glued to her hand which was holding me tightly. For once, I didn’t feel his attempts to barge into my thoughts. He’s entering Maven’s mind right now, not mine.

“It’s nothing I can’t overcome,” Maven said, tightening his grip on me as if I were some kind of anchor.

The Queen raised her eyebrows, not believing a word he said, but did not question him. I doubt he’ll actually ask anyone; he knows all the answers.

“You’d better hurry, Lady Mareena, or you’ll be late for your luncheon,” he hissed, finally turning away.

his scary look at me. So it was my turn to hold on tight to Maven. “And be more careful in your Training sessions. Red blood is very difficult to clean.”

“You know,” I snarled, remembering Shade. “Because no matter how much you try to hide it, I see it all over your hands.”

His eyes widened, surprised to find my outburst. I don’t think anyone had ever spoken to him that way, and it made me feel like a conqueror. But that feeling didn’t last long.

Suddenly my body twitched backwards, throwing me against the hallway wall with a resounding thud. He made me dance like a puppet controlled by wild strings. Every bone crunched and my neck crunched, snapping my head back until I looked up at icy blue stars.

No, not the stars. His eyes. Those are his eyes.

“Mother!” Maven shouted, but his voice sounded very far away. “Mother, stop!”

A hand closed around my throat, holding me in place as control over my own body slowly waned. His breath smelled good on my face, too good to bear.

“You won’t talk to me like that again,” Elara said, too angry to take the time to whisper into my head. His grip tightened, and I wouldn’t have been able to agree even if I wanted to.

Why didn’t he just kill me? I wondered while taking a deep breath of air. If I’m a burden,

a problem, why doesn’t he just kill me?

“Enough already!” Maven roared, the heat of his anger spreading through the hall. Even through the hazy darkness that devoured my vision, I saw him pulling his mother away from me with surprising strength and audacity.

Elara’s ability to control me was cut off, leaving me slumped against the wall. Elara almost tripped over herself, shaken by shock. Now his sharp gaze turned to Maven, to his own son who was standing against him.

“Back to your lesson schedule, Mare.” Maven seethed, not breaking eye contact with his mother. I’m sure he was screaming inside Maven’s head, scolding him for protecting me. “Go!”

Heat crackled in all directions, radiating off his skin, and for a moment I was reminded of Cal’s controlled temperament. It looks like Maven is hiding fire too, even more powerfully, and I don’t want to be near him when it explodes.

As I hurried away, trying to put as much distance between myself and the queen as possible, I couldn’t help but look back at the two of them. They stared at each other, two pawns calculating moves in a game I didn’t understand.

Back in my room, the maids waited silently, another gold dress draped over their arms. While one tucked me into a display of silk and purple gemstones, another did my hair and make-up. As usual, they didn’t say a word, even though I looked confused and disturbed after this morning’s events.

Brunch is a mixed bag. Usually the women ate together to discuss the upcoming wedding and all the other silly things rich women talked about, but today was different. We were back on the terrace looking out over the river, servants in red uniforms flitting to and fro in the crowd, but there were far more military uniforms than usual. It seemed like we were dining with a whole legion.

Cal and Maven were there too, both gleaming with their medals, and they smiled at the pleasant conversation while the king himself shook hands with the soldiers. All the soldiers were young, in gray cut uniforms with silver insignia. Not like the tattered and tattered red clothes that my brothers and all the other Reds got when they were sent to war. These Silvers, indeed, would go to war, but not to actual combat. They were the sons and daughters of important figures, and to them, war was just another place to visit. A stage in their training. Meanwhile for us, for me in the past, it was a dead end. It was the apocalypse.

But I still had to do my job, smile and shake hands and thank them for their valiant service. Every word tasted bitter, until I had to step away from the crowd into an alcove that was half hidden by plants. The noise of the crowd was still rising with the midday sun, but I could breathe again. At least, for a moment.

“Is everything okay?”

Cal stood in front of me, looking worried but relaxed. He loved being among the soldiers; I think that’s its natural habitat.

Even though I wanted to disappear, my back straightened. “I’m not a fan of beauty pageants.”

He frowned. “Mare, they are going to the battlefield. I thought you especially would want to send them off with a proper welcome.”

The laugh escaped me like a rifle shot. “What part of my life makes you think I would care about spoiled delinquents who would travel to war as if they were enjoying a vacation?”

“Just because they chose to go voluntarily doesn’t make them any less brave.”

“Well, I hope they’ll enjoy their barracks, their equipment, vacation passes, and all the other things my brothers were never given.” I doubt these volunteer soldiers would just want a button.

Even though he looked as if he wanted to yell at me, Cal swallowed the urge. Now that I know his true temperament, I’m surprised he can still control himself.

“This is the first complete Silver legion that will go to the vanguard,” he said flatly. “They will fight alongside the Reds, dress like the Reds, serve with the Reds. The Lakelanders won’t know who they really are when they arrive at Choke. And when the bombs fall, when the enemy tries to break through the line, they will get

more than they thought. The Shadow Legion will conquer them all.”

Suddenly I felt hot and cold at the same time. “Great.”

But Cal isn’t bragging. Instead, he looked sad. “You gave me that idea.”

“What?”

“When you fall into the Queen’s Election, no one knows what to do. I’m sure Lakelanders will feel the same way.”

Even though I tried to speak, no sound came out. I’ve never been a source of inspiration for anything, let alone battle tactics. Cal looked at me as if he wanted to say more, but he didn’t speak. Neither of us knew what to say.

The guy from our training session, Oliver the Wind Weaver, clapped his hand on Cal’s shoulder while his other hand held a refreshing drink. He was wearing a uniform too. He will jump into battle.

“Why hide, Cal?” He chuckled, gesturing to the crowd around us. “Compared to Lakelanders, this crowd will be easy to handle!”

Cal’s eyes met mine, a silver hue spreading across his cheeks. “I’d rather just deal with the Lakelanders,” he answered, his eyes never leaving me.

“You’re going with them?”

Oliver answered for Cal, smiling too wide for a young man about to go to war. “Follow?” he said. “Cal

who will lead us! His own legion, right down to the front lines.”

Slowly, Cal released himself from Oliver’s grip. The drunk Wind Weaver didn’t seem to be paying attention and just continued babbling. “He will be the youngest general in history and the first prince to fight on the battlefield.”

And the first to die, a sad voice in the back of my mind whispered. Against my better instincts, I reached for Cal. He didn’t pull away from me, letting me hold his arm. Now he didn’t look like a prince or a general or even a Silver, but a young man in a bar, a young man who wanted to save me.

My voice is small, but firm. “When?”

“When you went to the capital, after the farewell party. You will go south.” He spoke softly. “While I will go north.”

A rush of fear and shock overcame me, like when Kilorn first told me he was going to war. But Kilorn was a fisherman’s boy, a pickpocket, a man who knew how to survive, how to escape through the cracks; not like Cal. Cal is a soldier. He will sacrifice his life if necessary. He will be covered in blood for his war. And for some reason this scared me. I don’t understand why I care.

“With Cal on the front lines, this war will finally end. With Cal around, we can win,” Oliver said, grinning like an idiot. Once again, he grabbed her shoulders

Cal, but this time Cal dodged him, walking back towards the party crowd—leaving me behind.

Someone shoved a cold drink into my hand, and I finished it in one gulp.

“Just relax,” Maven muttered. “Still thinking about what happened this morning? No one saw your face, I checked the Sentinels.”

But that was the furthest thing from my mind as I watched Cal shake hands with his father. He wore a great smile on his face, putting on a mask that only I could see beneath.

Maven follows my gaze and my thoughts. “He was the one who wanted to do it. That was his choice.”

“That doesn’t mean we have to agree to it.”

“My son the general!” The King of Tiberias roared, his proud voice cutting through the din of the party. For a moment, when he pulled Cal close, embracing his son, I forgot he was a king. I almost understood Cal’s need to please him.

What would I have sacrificed to have my mother look at me like that, when I was still a pickpocket? What will I sacrifice now?

This is a Silver world, but it is also a gray world. There is no black and white.

When someone knocked on my door in the evening, long after dinner time, I expected the arrival of Walsh and a cup of tea containing another secret message. Instead, Cal was standing there. Without his uniform or armor, he was visible

like a proper young man. Not even nineteen years old, on the verge of ruin or glory or both at once.

I shrunk in my pajamas, desperate for a coat. “Cal? What do you need?”

He shrugged, smiling slightly. “Evangeline almost killed you in the ring today.”

“So what?”

“So, I don’t want him to kill you on the dance floor either.”

“Did I miss something? Are we going to fight at the dance?”

He chuckled, leaning against the door frame. However, his feet never entered my room, as if he couldn’t. Or you can’t. You will be his brother’s wife. And he will go to war. “If you knew how to dance properly, you wouldn’t need to

fight.”

I remember mentioning how I couldn’t dance even if my life was threatened, especially under Blonos’ terrible direction. But how can Cal help me with this? And why does he want to help me?

“I’m actually a good teacher.” He added, smiling mischievously. When he stretched out his hand towards me, my body shuddered.

I know I shouldn’t welcome it. I knew I should have closed the door and not gone down this road.

But he will soon go to war, perhaps to die.

Trembling, I took his outstretched hand and let him pull me out of the room.[]