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This time, it’s busy.

From here to the obsidian gates of the keep, clusters of cadets mark the path, making their way for orientation. I shrug past a few groups of cadets I don’t recognize—must be first-stones—and WatchGuards that attend the academy purely for military rather than channeling purposes.

Not that I dislike that idea of being a WatchGuard, but now having tasted the way the Source feels when channeling and the pure power at your fingertips… regular WatchGuard positions don’t seem as grand.

At least not in an epic story of a great warrior! Which I hope to be one day. I smile to myself at the vision. All I have to do is stay off of Elder Markus’s radar so he doesn’t find a way to kick me out of the Watch.

A cluster of grey-cloaked cadets pause in front of me, laughing at something the tall, long-haired girl said.

I nudge past. “Excuse me.”

One gasps. Another tugs on the side of her friend’s cloak, trying to get him to notice me.

“That’s her!”

“Akemi Nox. Won the Summit last year, right?”

“The Starwatcher.”

“I heard she is a Sun’cher still.”

“She’s my hero.”

Not sure how to respond, I nod my head, keep walking, and pretend I didn’t hear their entire heated whisper session about me as I stood right before them.

This is going to be a long year.

I reach the base of the gruesome switchbacks. Why don’t I remember them being this huge?

It’s going to be a long year, indeed.

Thirty minutes later, I crest the top of the final path that leads to the doors. Cadets are milling about the front lawn of the castle. Some are stretched in the grass, laying out as the sun begins its descent. Others are dueling with practice swords. Third-years are already practicing their seniority, giving orders to cadets to start filing toward the amphitheater where orientation will be held.

One small, feisty brunette with shoulder-length hair is yelling right back at a third-year who stands a full head taller than her. There is only one person I know brave enough to mouth off to older cadets.

“Ramona!” I yell, running to my best friend.

She turns, scowl replaced with a bright smile. “Akemi!”

We crash into each other. Or, I at least hug her as Ramona stands with her arms pinned to the side. Not much of a hugger.

“I’ll try not to take offense that my name wasn’t the first from your lips, Kem,” Leaf says from behind Ramona. The third-year Watcher she was yelling at somehow looks taller and broader than last year. “I’ll forgive you by way of joining this group hug.”

“Group hu—ouch!” Ramona squeaks as we both are lifted up and spun. “Stop it Leaf, this is so embarrassing!”

He sets us down, and within a second, Ramona has a bone-white dagger to Leaf’s throat. “Do that again, and you’ll be sorry.”

Flashing his charming smile that says “I’ll do no such thing,” Leaf backs away with his arms up, brown eyes twinkling.

“Come on, guys,” I say. “It’s been way too long, and I would like at least one day of peace before having to mediate your fights.”

Ramona’s typically indifferent demeanor cracks. “Oh fuck, Akemi, I’m so sorry.” She flicks her dagger into a sheath along her hip belt and grabs one of my hands. “How could I have forgotten? How are you doing?”

Leaf places a hand on my shoulder, thumb stroking back and forth.

My eyes sting. “I’m okay.” A partial truth. “It was… a long summer.”

“You don’t have to tell us any more, Akemi.” Leaf’s low baritone voice resonates deep in my soul, mending the fissures there piece by piece as if my happiness is a shattered glass bowl that both Ramona and Leaf intended to fix.