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"Come, child. There is nothing we can do here." Lady Anya took my elbow, gently guiding me out of the tower.

I was still numb with shock. Everything that had just taken place still didn't seem real. For all I knew, this could be a hallucination. Perhaps I was still bound to Heidelberg, and I had never escaped Lord Himmel's clutches in the first place. Perhaps I was heading towards that cold, lifeless castle, where the poor children would never live a life of their own.

But everything soon focused. This was real. This wasn't a trick of the mind. I was here, living, breathing, walking in the Council headquarters.

I was free.

A bitter laugh escaped me. Was I truly free? I had entangled myself in this business, whether for good or bad, and now I was forced to see to the end of it. When could I ever be free? Lady Anya gave me a sideways look, but she didn't say anything. She probably assumed that I was in a mild hysteria. Which was partially true.

Once we entered the main hallway, Lady Anya bellowed for a few people to attend to us. I think I heard "Healers," somewhere in there too. But I couldn't be too sure. My ears were pounding with blood.

That was when a man, dressed in robes similar to Lady Anya's-save that it was more masculine in cut-approached us with an urgency to his footsteps. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, though there were already streaks of grey running through his dark hair. The line of his mouth was curved downwards. "I heard the commotion. What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"I'll explain everything later," she replied. "For now, this young lady here needs a good rest. She's in risk of overburning."

Now that she mentioned it, I felt slightly feverish. My insides were practically boiling, but I was shivering in spite of the fact that there was no wind.

The man looked me up and down, frowning, as though he were trying to decide if he should just throw me out of the headquarters. Maybe he should. Then I wouldn't have to be bothered with all of this. I emitted another high-pitched squeal. Funny. This was all so funny. How did these people manage to be so hilarious? I laughed and laughed till my stomach hurt and tears were pricking at the corners of my eyes.

The man suddenly seemed to come to a decision. He nodded at a young woman beside him. "Put her in the guest room."

"I'll come along," said Lady Anya. She cast me a baleful look. I supposed that she didn't trust me to behave without her supervision.

"Do as you please," said the man. "So this means that you will be out of commission for the time being?"

Lady Anya raised a brow at him.

He released a tired sigh. "Of course. I'll see to it that your work will be reassigned amongst us." He walked away, leaving me, Lady Anya and the young woman behind.

As if they had read each other's minds, they stood on either side of me and propped me up. Then they began to steer me down the hallway. "You feeling all right, miss?" asked the young woman. Freckles were splayed across her nose, and she had a warm, homely appearance.

"Lady," corrected Lady Anya. "She's a Magus, Heidi."

"Oh." Her cheeks burned when she realised her mistake, blending in with her fiery locks. "Excuse me, Your Grace."

"It doesn't matter," I said. I was still shivering; cold sweat beaded down my brow. What did titles matter when I was in this state? They didn't, that was it. I had only gained the title because I was promised to Lord Himmel. But I had given up the position. So what did that make me? "Nothing matters anymore. Nothing!"

I chuckled to myself.

Lady Anya and Heidi looked at each other. "It's more serious than I thought," the Magus remarked.

"I'll bring her up first, Your Grace," said Heidi. "Could you find a few more Healers? It'll be best if you can get a hold of Josquin, milady."

"The ice wielder?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"You can handle her?"

"I'll manage. Just be sure to hurry, milady."

Without another word, the presence on my left disappeared. I lost half of my support, and I stumbled, twisting my bad leg in the process. The pain barely registered in my mind. Everything was a haze. Fuzzy-yes. Fuzzy...

"Milady!" Heidi shrieked in my ear; I jolted awake. "Just for a little while longer. We're almost there!"

I could hardly make out what was in front of me anymore. Steinliohts bobbed in and out of my vision, only adding to my nausea. "So tired. I'm so tired," I slurred.

"I know, milady. I know. But just a few more steps-"

"Klaudia. Please, call me Klaudia," I said.

She frowned uncertainly, looking at me as though I were crazy. Maybe I was, and I just didn't know it. How did one determine if oneself was crazy anyway? "We're here," she announced. She sounded relieved.

Through my bleary eyes, I made out a dark cavern. The rock formations looked natural, and didn't fit in with the rest of the headquarters. There was something glowing at the bottom...water? It couldn't be. Yet there it was, crystal clear water, emanating a strange blue light.

Heidi took me to one of the numerous pools, trying to set me down into it. I struggled a bit, but complied when she said, "It's all right. Just relax." Her voice was soft and strong at the same time, and it was very soothing.

The pool wasn't very deep, probably only reaching up to my calf if I stood up. The first dip into the water was like ice running down my spine. This definitely wasn't any normal water-magic was humming in it. Slowly, I sank into it, allowing the magic to permeate my bones. I didn't care if my skirts were thoroughly soaked, or about the slight possibility that the water was corrupted. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the rocks behind me, revelling in the calmness of the atmosphere.

Something tickled my skin.

My eyelids flew open. The water was lapping against me, although there were no winds and I hadn't moved. I craned my neck and looked upwards. Heidi was closing her eyes, deep in concentration. Her arms moved in slow, smooth circles. I realised that she was guiding the water. I looked back at the pool; its contents were gently rippling over my body.

I could feel the magic in the water being invoked, extending its threads into me, fighting to heal whatever that had been broken inside. It was painful yet soothing. The energy resembled dozens of needles pricking into my skin, before they eventually softened and melded themselves into my blood. But my fever was fighting against it. It raged and roared, refusing to subside and leave me in peace.

The magic also fought. It brought a wave of coolness to meet the fire of the fever. I took in shallow, rapid breaths, and I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling to endure the sensation of heat and cold warring inside me. It's for your own good, I told myself.

"How is she?" a new voice echoed. A man's.

"She's on the verge of overburning," said Heidi. Her voice was wearier than I remembered. "Not quite, but you know how even an almost can be lethal..."

"I'll take it from here," said the man.

Instantly, the magic changed. It still belonged to the pool, but there was something different about it. It felt colder, icier-more desperate, somehow. It screamed defiance against the fire. The fire screamed back. Where the previous sensation was cooling, this was just plain biting. My insides pounded to the beat of a thousand invisible drums.

I writhed and fought to keep myself still. The sensation wasn't ebbing away. Rather, it only seemed to strengthen; it was like I was being ripped apart from the inside. I opened my mouth but I couldn't scream.

Ice finally triumphed over the fire.

Everything pulled back-the fire, the magic, and my discomfort. My head felt a lot clearer now. There was still cold pressing onto my sides, but it felt more natural. Not so agonising. I opened my eyes. A hand was extended by my side.

I looked up. An unfamiliar face gazed back. Blond hair, a sharp nose and a narrow, inquisitive jaw. "Come on up now," said the man. "Surely you don't want to soak in water the whole day?"

I returned my attention to the pool. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw chunks of ice floating on top of the surface. No wonder I felt cold. I quickly took the man's proffered hand and climbed out.

Someone draped a blanket over my shoulders. Heidi. There were lines in her face that I didn't see before, and though she was smiling, her eyes looked tired. Meanwhile, Lady Anya was hovering between Heidi and the man. Her brows were creased with worry. I wrapped the blanket around myself gratefully. "Thank you," I muttered.

"Thank Josquin." Heidi jerked her chin towards the man. "He was the one who'd healed you."

"Thank you, Josquin," I said automatically. I was shaking in spite of the blanket. "What-what happened just now?"

"You were on the verge of overburning," he said.

I blinked confusedly. I heard the term pass between them a few times now, but I still haven't been able to glean its meaning.

"In other words, you pushed your Core too far in a short span of time," said Lady Anya. "You'd used up too much of its energy, and it was going to take something from you in order to restore it. Didn't anyone teach you?"

"I've heard something about it," I mumbled, looking at my feet. I couldn't very well admit that I wasn't a very competent Magus.

"You should have told me that you didn't have any more magic to spare for me, girl," she snapped. I winced. Then in a gentler tone: "I apologise. That was rather crude of me. However, the next time you feel that you don't have any more power to give, then just say it."

"We needed to stop Lord Himmel. But he escaped," I said unhappily.

Everyone stayed silent for a while. At last, it was Lady Anya who spoke up: "Heidi, Josquin, you two arranged suitable temporary quarters for her. I shall report this to the Council."

"Of course, Your Grace," Heidi and Josquin said at the same time. Then like with Lady Anya before, they each took one side of me and hauled me out of the cavern.

Fatigue seeped into my bones. I couldn't even take note of the details within the headquarters. All I knew was that once my companions dumped me onto a bed, I fell asleep immediately.

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