"You," preparing to wind up your hands when he stopped.

"That memory, before the cliff. That was true?"

—

She checked his phone. "Quick, there's something important I need to tell you, before tonight ends. "

"What is it?"

"Just promise that'll you trust me even when you think you shouldn't."

"Sure," willing to crack that tension in her voice.

"Xia's father knows that I've been working as your tutor. My plan has been to use it as an excuse, but they wanted me and the heirs to use it and kill you. The heirs told me they're going to finish you off tonight."

"Hold on, I can't fight all of them at once!"

"I'll fake your death. Someone will come to help you. But tonight's the perfect night," pointing to the astral planes of the constellations. "We're under a source said unleash their light. If Cygnus could awaken his full power, it's possible the trigger can awaken your StellArts."

"I'm not okay with this...but they'll punish you if you can't get the job done, right?"

"Normally I wouldn't risk it, but if you can survive, I can help you find people to prepare for the Mightathlon like Madam. That should give you everything you need to win."

"So you'll erase my memories. Well, a near death to experience power would help in the long run. It would be the ultimate prank. But if I forget - "

"You'll blame me for it. It's okay. As long you're alive, it's worth it."

"If their parents want me dead and they're that stupid to think I'm responsible, I'll surpass them no problem. But if I leave, let me know before you go."

She started to sob. "I know they all have their issues. Their parents got suspicious every time I tried to help them. But if I lay the breadcrumbs, you can beat them and save their hearts."

He dashed to comfort her body, and the two exchanged promises as she said Coma and her hair flew and shaped around his skull.

He wiped off her tears as she began taking his memories of the event.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Thanks for getting me this far."

—-

His head returned to the present, though annoyed he went through the plan.

"You trusted me at the Mightathlon," thanking him with her smile.

"I could've won without your help, ya know."

"True, Cree would've sacrificed himself or countered the ice fast enough, but it wouldn't have worked out, but you get points for your teammates' efforts. Even I couldn't see my past mentee get hurt."

"Did you plan all of this?"

"Not everything. Gave Ainsley enough of an antidote, had that account for years, and a few other things to keep up the facade. But I'm impressed how far you made it. Forgive me?"

"It'll take me sometime considering you pushed me off a cliff!"

"You relieved the memory, that was all them: who else used wind magic to slow your fall and make the crater to fake your death?"

"Illusion magic?"

"They'd feel other sources of magic protecting you! Also, you hooked up with another girl while we were dating!"

"You really considered we were together after making me forget?"

"I never broke up with you!"

"So you didn't hook up with the other heirs, or be upset when half of them are into you?"

Her aggression subsided into embarrassment. "Well it was to trick them into thinking I was messing with you the whole time," snickering, "though Xia is the better kisser," leading to him walking away. "Come back!"

"I can't believe I agreed to this."

"You survived the cliff fall and humiliated all your bullies thanks to all the hard work I risked for eight years!"

He stopped.

"The other kingdoms took you in to watch over them, right?"

She nodded.

"Sorry. Back on Earth, getting thrown off a cliff could kill me nine times out of ten. Girls who'll murderer their best friend, murdering a disabled person after using her home as a drug den. The world is too cruel."

"There's people from your homeworld more cruel than fae?"

He nodded. "I spent my whole life afraid the time I had with Valcenia, Flint, and Shonda would get cut short by some sociopath," laughing. "I met you just after the first people in my life tried to burn me and his biological son alive. The night of our date," watching her face get it.

"I shattered your heart just as you were rebuilding it. And now I might never see you again," tossing him two more spheres of Starlight. "In case you come back, this should be enough to get you around in a pinch, in case you come back. To me a while, in case if you had lost the round."

"Watch over Ainsley and the others, they'll have the drive to fight the Voids now."

"I'll do my best to make sure the others get it. Hurry, Xia's looking around for you."

He was about to run off when she pinned him to a tree. When she turned around, she bared her lips onto his, deeping her hold for what felt like forever before pushing him off.

"If it doesn't work out with Valencia, you can prove you're better at it later."

He sucked his teeth and headed to the middle of the forest. Maybe he would miss her...eventually.

On his way, he slipped from a tree that had gotten punched down, and the flames of the person responsible.

"Finally get to have a one on one with you huh. Little to late for that."

Xia's tears burned away.

"I just wanted to be strong for Qian...now Mako's going to be the next heir to Shugoda!"

Siblings, huh. "You don't have the best home life, do you?"

"Why do you care, both your parents are dead! You have no one to control and decide your life choices for you!"

"Look, I get it if your siblings got more favoritism than you, but the more people you use as a punching bag instead of therapy, the more surprised you'll be when they swing back!"

"You embarrassed me in front of everyone!"

"You came in second place!"

From behind, Damien barked, running around both of them.

They crouched down. "Not now," giving him their respective fire to eat before glaring at each other.

"I'm his aunt!"

"I found him first!"

Damien barked at them both.

"Fine, Xia, why are you so angry at me? Every action I've done is to help you all!"

"Really? Ainsley doesn't talk to me anymore, Taylor and Rigal lost their luster, and I'm about to be punished for losing to you. I should've won that! Did you make Calypsa pull her punches?!"

"As if. Besides, the Mightathlon is a team effort. You and everyone pushed me to get there. You all plunged me into the abyss, and they helped me climb out and find my own damn strength. Don't you dare call their hard work for a worthless person like me a fluke!"

She stepped back, her eyes darting to a drone he presumed was recording.

"G-good! You know you're worthless. You have nothing left to fight for!"

"Qian's your little...sibling?"

"Of course he is! I don't want her to grow up in a world that succumbs to the Voids or the fear your parents instilled in you!"

His shadow threw rocks at the drone, forcing it to fly away.

"And you're the only thing getting between my brother right now!"

"What? Your parents had another kid?"

"Where I was sent to, a family took me in, gave me a home. But my mother died quickly, my father couldn't handle it. The night I came back, he caused a fire hotter than normal that spread around the room, and I got separated from the only family I have left!"

"Huh? You're lying!"

"I'm going back to see if he's alive. Your flames don't hurt nearly as much as losing him. I'll ask you this once...whose fire magic is so strong it can enhance fire in other dimensions?"

"Besides me? Maybe my parents? But they'd never. You think someone tried to-"

"Yup. I'd love to never see you again, but he's not there, I'm coming back to find out who," about to pass her by.

"Wait, you owe me a rematch!"

He dropped his belongings to the side, asking Damien to watch them.

Xia dashed in, uppercutting and throat chopping his shadow, jumping on top of it to stomp Sehki into the ground. Pinning them both under her foot, she struck down with a fiery-charged knifehand, causing a red-black explosion.

He flew out, reconstructing it into a whip sucking up the smoke and sending it crashing into her, coughing.

Xia and Sehki rushed at each other, striking and clashing blades of fire and shadows, stopping at each other's neck.

"I could make a circle of fire around your throat," smiling and glaring at him. "Every bitch needs a good collar."

The only way to beat her: get under her skin, rebutting with the same expression.

"So where's yours?"

"You piece of shit!" She weaved a circle of flames he dispelled with shadows, leaving him open to a brutal drive of her foot crashing into his stomach, leaving him coughing.

"You humiliated me," punching him with flames.

"You turned my friend against me," kicking his hand away from quelling the flames.

"And you think you're a match for me cuz of that fluke?" She blasted both her fists, launching two burning streams at her hands. He crossed his hands, but his shadow could barely block it before he was flung to the nearest tree.

As he tried to pick himself up, Xia released two sabers of flames at both sides of his cheeks, leaning lower with complete control of the space between her beautiful, deadly gaze, and his thirsty mouth.

Grabbing his collar, she pulled him up to her lips, igniting them and branding a peck on his cheeks. He wreathed in pain, squealing in pain until she absorbed the heat, watching her stare into her eyes.

"Kneel to my feet and kiss it after begging for forgiveness, and maybe you'll reach a throne. You think you can waltz back into this world and take over our title as the strongest heir? After we spent our whole lives training because of you and your wretched family?"

Sehki lowered his head.

"You're right: I'll never have two parents, training, wealth, status, and beauty," gathering his strength into his fingers, aiming at their shadows.

"Hm. Maybe if you said that I trained you for the Mightathlon," whispering so the recording couldn't hear them. "I'll give you credit for putting up a fight. Maybe a taste of my lips without my magic," licking her lips.

"You're not wrong - you're perfect."

He flicked his fingers up. She twireling, constructing spinning threads of fire around her, when her own shadow stopped her in place. Before her other arm could blast him Sehki used his own shadow to lock her hands in place, using what was left to aim another blade at her chin.

"That means I've got more room to grow and surpass you!"

Xia couldn't believe he outplayed her again, as the two thought about back to all the times she had tormented him, now with the vulnerable look on her face.

"The four of you did train me in a way: to get stronger, how to use my magic, how to value this world. You may have bullied me, but you turned me into your greatest enemy," winding back his fist. She flinched as her hand jerked, only to feel nothing.

"And your rival," watching her open it up so she could see him fist bumping her as Ainsley, Rigal, and Taylor approached them.

"Ainsley, watch over them. Try to do a better job of protecting Terra Trologyast while I'm gone."

His head moved over his shoulders as his shadow let Xia go, using the Starlight sphere and summoning a magic portal above him, forcing them away.

""

"As much as I'd love to stick around and finish this underdog story of the bullied underdog fighting back against their tormentors," rolling his eyes, "my brother's more important to me than you nepo babies. Chao," he winked, letting himself get sucked into the vortex.

As he floated into the portal, Calypsa binded the heirs to treats to stop the others from getting swallowed in. He tapped his head with two fingers, waving it back. Not hearing her warnings to watch his back, he closed his eyes, reflecting on the adventures leading up to this.

"Celestial University, Terra, for now, everyone, goodbye."

Enough months had passed. It was time to find Flint.