Once we had finished eating, Jian insisted on taking Hazu back to her dorm for a little down time. I couldn't help but feeling sorry for her. What would it feel like to be so in love with someone, but have them feel absolutely nothing for you? This must have been an example of one of the false mates Luc had been talking about. If so, it was extremely heart-wrenching to witness, not only for her sake, but for anybody else who felt like this.

"What's wrong?"

Luc's voice snapped me out of my trance. I looked up at him, seeing his golden eyes filled with concern. I shook my head and sighed. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Luc rolled his eyes. "If you say so."

I smirked. "I do say so. Trust me, I'm fine. It's just Hazu."

Luc and I began walking towards the school through the courtyard. On the way, we saw many kids just talking, playing frisbee or listening to others playing music underneath the shade of the trees. As I looked around, I noticed one thing they all had in common: Either their hair, their eyes, or both were extremely vibrant and otherwise unnatural colors. Some were displaying their dragon powers, various hues surrounding them as they breathed fire, made things hover in the air, and even one kid removed his own head and played catch with a couple of his friends.

"Is that person okay?" I asked, pointing at the newly decapitated boy.

Luc looked to where I was pointing and grinned mischievously. "Yeah, he's fine. It's either an illusion, or he's split his soul into two separate halves so that his head and his body can function independently from one another."

"Huh?"

He turned his attention back to me. "Where do I start explaining this...There are eight main types of dragon magic: Sky, Flame, Water, Earth, Life, Body, Mind and Darkness. Each of them has three subcategories, but we're not going to go into that right now. What you're seeing is either Body magic or Mind magic. Body magic is based upon the principle of being able to control every aspect of your own, other, or sometimes both bodies. In addition to controlling things like speed, bone density and all that fun stuff. Some users of Body magic are so advanced in the art that they can sever their limbs and make them function separately, then reattach them any time.

"Mind magic is a little bit different. There's reality, dimension, and illusion magic. It can deal with the matter around you, harnessing the power of other dimensions, or messing with your perception. Using illusion magic, some users can kill you without even laying a finger on their opponents."

"How does that work?" I asked.

Luc pointed to his head. "Directly attacking the mind. Users of Mind magic can put their opponents in a trance to make them believe that they're actually dueling each other. In reality, the battle is only taking place in their opponent's mind. Mind magic users can attack the mind, and once the mind is dead, the body goes with it."

"Like the Matrix?"

Luc nodded. "Except it's an illusion and not a program created by machines to use humans as batteries."

I nodded. "So, how does this magic thing work? Can anyone use it?"

"It's a strict dragon thing, if that's what you mean." Luc explained, his hands moving as he spoke for emphasis. "Humans can't use it, due to the fact that they don't have Soul Gems, but Scale Children can use it even better than dragons can. Every student here at Eternal takes an AME, or an 'Attribute Matching Exam', to see where your magic lies. Every dragon has a different type of magic that is passed on to their children, so each kid has different abilities than any other. Once you find your type, they narrow it down to your attribute, then train your abilities from there."

"What kind of magic do you use?"

"I use Sky-Type magic, and my attribute is Storm." Luc twirled his pointer finger around, creating a small tornado about two inches tall. He stopped the motion, and the small storm became a cloud. He then blew on it so it collided with my nose, leaving small droplets of water all over my face. "Storm magic is great. You quite literally have the ability to control the weather itself to your bidding."

I felt excitement rise on the inside, and it was the second hardest thing I had ever done in my life to try to contain it. "So...that means I'm going to be able to do stuff like that?"

"Yep." Luc answered.

I held back a squeal of happiness. "Cool. When do I take the test?"

"Typically within your first week of school. I can check for you later if you want."

"Watch out!"

Luc immediately dodged a shoe as it went flying by his head. I watched in confusion as a girl my age hobbled pst us, mostly due to the fact that one of her three-inch heels had just been thrown past our heads. Behind us, I could hear the sound of obnoxious laughter.

I turned my head to Luc. "Does this always happen?"

"Pretty much everyday." He answered. "You learn to survive."

As the two of us neared the school, I saw look check his watch. I was shocked to see that it was already 7:10 pm.

"I thought Hazu said that we were having lunch." I remarked.

Luc shrugged. "Basically every meal here is lunch, 'cause they're so similar. I can't even tell the difference or remember the names of the other meals anymore."

I felt a familiar anxiety rise up in my chest. "You said school starts tomorrow. What time does it start?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Seven, thirty-five. Don't worry, you'll get to class on time, but you're not going back to your dorm until we take care of one last thing." Luc opened the door to the building and motioned for me to follow him in. I warily did so.

"What exactly is it that I have to do?" I asked him.

Luc smiled. "Well, you're going to become an official part of Eternal Academy."

"But I've already been registered." I pointed out, pulling out my student ID from my pocket. "Look."

He shook his head. "Scar, an ID is just an ID. You're not a real student until you've been marked."

I ignored the fact that he called me 'Scar' and gave him a curious look. "What exactly do you mean by 'marked'?"

Luc turned his back to me and pulled down his shirt to reveal a mark on his shoulder shaped like a tornado, but wasn't a tattoo; it was the color of a birthmark, like it had been there his entire life. He let go of his shirt and began talking as he continued walking down the hall with me. "Each student, as a right of passage, is given a mark before they officially start taking classes at Eternal. Each one is shaped different, and the place where it appears reveals something about your personality. Mine is on my left shoulder, which means I'm loyal; Talia's is on her chest, which stands for courage; Kallan has a wave on her right shin."

I cocked my head. "What does that symbolize?"

"Kindness."

I nodded. "That makes sense."

As the two of us continued venturing down the hallway, navigating through various twists and turns into unknown places, I cleared my throat to break the silence that had grown between Luc and I. "This marking process...how exactly does it work?"

"Can't tell you." Luc said quickly. "You'll have to find out for yourself."

"Yeah, but can you at least tell me-"

"Nope." Luc said. "You'll find out."

I groaned as we walked towards a room with a sign that read: 'World Studies'. I frowned as Luc opened the door. The room was dark and dimly lit by several lava lamps. On top of one of the desks, a girl with royal blue hair sat cross-legged with her eyes closed.

"Hello, Luc." She said, waving her hand without opening her eyes.

"Hi, Xenra." He returned her greeting.

I cocked my head at the sound of her name. I drew out the syllables silently on my tongue. Tsen-ruh. What kind of a name was that?

"It's Vistresque." Xenra said, turning her head in my direction. "It means 'insight'."

I was initially shocked by her speaking, but I remembered what had happened earlier today. "Let me guess, she can read minds just like Adrian."

"Yep." Luc affirmed.

Xenra unfolded her legs and stood upon the ground, walking towards me. She placed her hands on my temples—how she was able to do that with her eyes closed, I had no idea—and appeared to look me over. "I see you've come for your mark, no?"

"That's the plan." I answered her.

Xenra smiled and turned her head in Luc's direction. "I must ask that you leave. The marking process is personal and private, not for outsider's eyes."

Luc frowned and begrudgingly exited the room, slowly closing the door behind him. I flinched as I heard the door finally click shut. Now, any sense of familiarity or comfort was gone. I was stuck alone in a room with a stranger that was starting to creep me out.

"I see that you're aware of my power. Don't worry, it makes everyone nervous." Xenra commented, casting her head to the floor. "Now, what I'm about to do may feel invasive or strange—people have called it both. I'm going to bring out the memories that mean the most to you. I cannot guarantee what you're going to feel, what emotions may arise, but just believe me that no harm will come to you during this process." Xenra cupped my face in her hands, opening her eyes to reveal two milky white orbs staring back at me.

That didn't matter, though, because within a few moments, I heard the laugh of a happy child. Somehow, I knew that was my laugh. I immediately saw through the eyes of my younger self. I was writing music with the keyboard that Tracy had bought me for my tenth birthday. I was playing a harmony as I sang along to a chorus that I had made up.

Born of royal fire,

Burning with desire,

Growing ever brighter,

Never backing down.

I loved that song. I used to sing, and hum it all the time. I had been so proud whenever I had made up songs with my keyboard. I'd spend hours upon hours working on them, and sometimes they would make absolutely no sense, but that wasn't the point. I had so much fun simply creating them, singing them, and writing down the notes on lined paper.

The next memory that flashed before me was a presentation for my class when I still attended public school. I always put so much time into my work, making sure every word flowed right. The same went for creative writing as well; If I was writing a story, I'd want my characters to sound like someone you could meet on the street: realistic. If it was a poem, I wanted the rhythm and the words to flow as beautifully as a song, and I loved it when my work paid off. I loved it when people would listen to what I had worked on, and watch their eyes fill with wonder. This is what I lived for.

And even if nobody necessarily enjoyed it, I still loved it. I loved words. I loved music. But more that anything...

I saw many more memories flash before me. I was lending a hand to those that needed it. I was standing up for people that had been done wrong. I stood up for a boy who wasn't allowed to play basketball, protected a girl who was told she wasn't good enough, stood up for Kallan the day I had met her. In each of these scenarios, I had made clear what each of the guilty had done wrong. I had poured out my heart and soul for what I believed was right. Even if I was only tossed away and taken for granted at the end of the day by those that I called 'friends', I didn't care. As long as I could speak, as long as I could breathe, as long as I had words, I would be fine. Everything would be alright.

I felt a warm sensation spread across my stomach, like something was being traced there. I opened my eyes to see Xenra once more in front of me, tears streaming down her face.

"Scarlett..." She began, her eyes watering as she spoke. "Of all the memories I have seen, nothing has moved me to tears like this has. Your emotion, your passion, it doesn't hold back. It doesn't give up. Burning like a flame, it refuses to die down. You have moved me, and I can tell right now that you are meant for great things. I am happy to say, you have been marked. Your power comes from your passion."

I lifted up my shirt instinctively to see two dragons on my abdomen. Their wings were outstretched to the side, and their tails intertwined into a heart just below my navel.

"Never lose that passion." Xenra told me, smiling and clapping my shoulder.

I smiled as I continued looking at the mark. It was mine. All mine. I pulled my shirt back down and looked up at Xenra once again. "Thank you." I told her.

"No, Scarlett..." She said, closing her eyes again. "The pleasure is all mine." Her lips pursed together in a neutral expression. "But make sure that passion is only for what you believe in, not the beliefs of others."

"I can promise you I will."

Xenra chuckled softly. "You will give people something to believe in. You will be a great leader. I believe you will make a great King of Sciana. You are our Flavi Koura, our Burning Hope."

Hey, guys! So I've been toying with the idea of writing a guide for this book. More things will be released as more of the plot comes into play, including myths, types of magic, what different marks mean and so forth. If you guys think this is a good idea, vote or comment. Also, I have some big things planned for this book because I've finally perfected the story plot! I'm really excited and I hope you guys are, too.

Signing off, Kiera Savage