“ELINA!” My voice is muted, but the strength of it manages to overpower the ringing in my ears. She arrives not more than ten seconds later. The Healer in her bandage-like black robes immediately kneels over Meera’s convulsing form, seeming closer to an angel of death than salvation. However, her posture is the tender and caring one of someone who values human life. It’s obvious even before the golden glow surrounds her palms. I’m worried. It wasn’t my intention to kill her. But there wasn’t a choice with the suicidal way she was fighting. “Can you heal her?”

“You...” Elina begin to reply, but her brow furrows in concentration as Meera’s tremors only grow worse. Her body flops around, a fish out of water, looking in no way how a living human should. It’s like some sort of terrible dance. My Auntie’s sister stares daggers as she throws a glance my way but is quickly forced to return her gaze to Meera’s bloodstained head. She admonishes me still, sounding disappointed, “I didn’t take you for one to use such force on a child.”

“She didn’t give me a choice.” I say back. When she doesn’t reply, I can only add, “I didn’t think she wouldn’t even defend herself. She wanted to get me disqualified. This was the only way I could stop her without killing her.”

“Tch...you may not have killed her, but the damage is close to her brain. Look, you even ruptured her eyes.” Elina points at the girl’s face as the convulsions begin to slow under her ministrations. Indeed, Meera’s unseeing half-open eyes are bloodred, many of the vessels are clearly broken. “I’m not sure if I can heal this...if I use Time Reversal on such sensitive areas, I might cause something worse than what I’m trying to fix. Damnit, Myrr, with all your power, there really wasn’t a better way?”

“What would you have had me do instead?” My voice contains no guilt. It was necessary. “Perhaps I should have just let her stab me? She told me herself, she had no intentions of letting me live to receive healing. Her only goal was to stop me from interfering with Janus.” At this, Elina finally falls silent. However, I can tell she’s not happy. It doesn’t matter though. Because it’s not her I have to worry about-

*Swoosh*

The wind blows as the rest of the Rainstopper Sect finally reacts to Meera’s assassination attempt. Somehow, I don’t think they’ll see it as her trying to kill me though...

“Acolyte!” The first on the scene is Sein Aisenguard, Meera’s master. She arrives on the scene like a tornado, and when her mask, a pretty bird of paradise, slips off, I quickly see that she must be related to the other Elder, Seane, who called Elina a cripple when they rejected me. She arrives so fast that I have little doubt, she was complicit with Meera’s attempt to assassinate me. When the brunette reaches her disciples body, she moves as if to shove Elina out of the way, but stops herself as Elina shakes her head. “What’s wrong with Meera?!”

“Damage to the inside of the ear canal. Possible concussion. Likely blindness as well. Permanent hearing loss also possible.” Elina rattles off a list of symptoms in no particular order. “Also, various deep bruises. Your disciple was trying to kill mine...or get him disqualified.”

“Oh really?” Sein’s voice is too pretty for such a snake. That tone, that look, I instantly know that she’s lying. “Is that what he says happened?”

“Yes. That is what happened.” I have no hesitation before a single Elder anymore. After almost a year of training, not to mention with Elina here, I’m not afraid of them. However, I still have to be careful of them ganging up on us. “She wanted to stop me from fighting with her fiancé.”

“Do you have any proof?” Like disciple, like master. Sein seems determined to make trouble out of this. But I don’t care.

“Do I need proof? She was a candidate. She came to my house. And failed to kill me. I’ve broken no rules, even if it wasn’t self defense, what does it matter?” I give Sein the dirtiest, most smug sneer I can muster. Just to piss her off. Elina actually gives me a sharp look from behind her mask, and after all this time, I’m fairly certain she’s a little bit annoyed with my blitheness. What? Should I cower and protest that I’m innocent? Animals like this only respect strength. With an innocent voice, I continue, “By the way, Elder Sein, you sure arrived quickly. One might almost imagine that you knew something was going to happen-“

“Speak carefully, Acolyte!” I’m cut off as Sein grows angry. Yup...she was definitely involved in planning this. She stands and whips around to face me, but stops as another gust of wind rolls through the plateau, scattering the remains of Elina’s roof even further. I catch a scrap of parchment, and see it was once one of Romy’s letters. The black ink seems smudged, but it doesn’t seem to be from the scuffle with Meera. Rather...it looks almost like water damage...or tears.

‘Love you, forever Sis.’

*Whoosh*

Elina leaves Meera and teleports behind me with that ghost-like speed. Grabbing the ragged parchment, she rapidly scans it and then tucks it into her chest pocket. Oops does she know I opened the cabinet? There’s no way you can tell, right? It was Meera that blew the place apart okay! Why are you looking at me like that? Staring daggers at me behind her mask, she leans in and whispers into my ear so only I can hear-

“It’s going to get bad. Sein’s looking for an excuse.”

To which I simply reply,

“I know.”

“Be careful.” And that’s that. While we haven’t talked deeply since that night, after sparring together and chasing storms, there is an unspoken connection between us. She knows that I can’t be stopped here, even without me telling her my plan, and I know that she’ll back me if worse comes to worse. Or at least I hope she will.

“Meera!” A new voice adds his voice to the fray. “What happened?!”

He’s here.

“Your fiancé decided that you might lose to me next week. So, she tried to deal with me herself.” I don’t really expect him to believe me. As a matter of fact, I halfway expect him to be complicit with Meera’s scheme. But the genuine surprise and then disgust on Janus’s face is pretty convincing. Maybe, he really didn’t know.

“I...didn’t think she’d go so far.” He glances down at Meera’s still body on the ground. After Elina’s healing, she’s calmed down, but her eyes are still eerily open, unseeing and bloodred. “If you say so though, I’ll believe you. Meera has always been willing to do anything for the Sect. Even tarnish her own honor.”

“Pfft...you really think she did it for the Sect?” I can’t resist pointing out the discrepancy. At this, Janus’s perfect pale face turns questioning. There’s not a scar in sight on it. His brow furrows-

“What do you mean?” He asks. Laughing at how oblivious he is, I ignore the other shadows which join Sein in the meantime. The other Elders are here. Janus is a bit distraught. Despite how calm he’s acting, he’s clearly angry. “Are you questioning her loyalty!? You’re not even a real Rainstopper-“

“No, I’m sure she tells herself that it’s for the Sect as well. But obviously it’s because you’re her fiancé.” Pointing this out to him feels obvious. Though with these kinds of meatheads who only think about honor you have to spell it out for them. His mental state grows worse as he considers my words, “She was willing to die to make sure I don’t get to fight next week. Isn’t that something? Well...I suppose she almost got her wish. That’s what she gets for trying to kill someone stronger than her-”

“Shut up.” His fake ‘honor’, all the crap he tries to hide behind to justify his reasoning is thrown aside now that I’m inside his head. Janus’s hand shakes imperceptibly, and a vein throbs in his forehead as he points at me, but he’s really looking at Meera, “Even if it was self defense, she’s still my fiancée! Say one more word and I won’t hold back next week!” Suddenly, Sein cuts in. From the corner, she’s been whispering with the other Elder Seanne who looks like her sister. All the Elders nod as she speaks, except Jarshan who I notice has just arrived and is standing off to the side, observing Meera. He’s here. The only unknown variable. Whose side is he on? Can I trust him to honor his words?

“Meera may not die, but this Acolyte attacked with excessive force! That technique he used, it clearly has enough force to cause permanent damage! Meera may have even lost her sight! He should be disqualified!” Her words are delivered without a hint of schadenfreude. She keeps her mask off, and I swear I even see fake tears in her eyes. Really? Did you need to go that far?

“She’s alive isn’t she?” I reply. Turning around I look to Elina, “She’ll live, right?”

“Yes. There is no danger to her life.” She answers, tight-lipped behind the possum mask. However, Sein isn’t going to let it go just like that.

“Hah! Of course, you’d defend your disciple! But tell me this, Healer, could she or could she not have died? After all, this was an attack so vicious that even your esteemed skills cannot heal the damage! Or do you deny it?” The damn woman attacks Elina where she’s weakest. As a Healer, she can only refuse to speak for a moment. Sein takes it as victory, “See, you can’t answer! Because it’s true! This was an attack which threatened my disciple’s life!”

“Krr...” Elina’s real teeth grind dangerously behind the long, jagged teeth of her mask, “There is a possibility Meera could have died. But only because she purposefully didn’t def-“

“Elders! I ask that you give me justice! For my disciple, this outsider, this little monster deserves to be punished!” Sein doesn’t let her finish and goes back to pointing at me. She appeals to the other Elders, “He cannot be allowed to continue in the Trials! It would be an affront against all Rainstoppers if we let him go on!” I can see them now. Those conniving Elders. If they’re strong, then why do they have to whisper together in the shadows like weaklings?