There's a certain irony to a gift which allows its bearer to predict the ill intentions and actions of others. The irony being in the fact that, while the ability had saved Minerva's life on more occasions than she could count, there were repercussions to it.

Entering the hollow place slowly killed her.

At first she'd called it her safe place, the only existence where she held the upper hand, untouchable and alone. When a bully in class decided to punch her, she knew the path of their fist as soon as the thought entered their mind and could avoid it.

But reality has rules.

The price of her power was exacted in the form of energy. The empty place drained her life and leeched the color from her skin.

And she'd quickly learned that it could not protect her from everyone.

Minerva fingered a couple loose threads on her uniform, waiting for Tobias to make his move. The door creaked shut behind Brenna. Run, Bren. Time is of the essence.

The seconds ticked by and Minerva trembled. Glimpsing the future did not reassure her. If anything, it made her more afraid.

Tobias closed the distance. His hands reached to grab her throat. Silent fury burned in his glare.

Minerva side-stepped at the last moment. What did I do to deserve this?

The two servants at the doorway acted as if they were blind. Instead of backing down, Tobias growled and tried to sweep her legs out from under her instead.

Stepping away so that his foot only brushed her pants, Minerva turned her attention from the outward battle to the inward.

Kill him, Kozakura whispered.

He's the heir to the Draco Empire, Minerva argued, the inner voice of reason against the voice of violence. The last thing we need is a second Imperial War.

But if we don't kill him, he'll kill us, Kozakura whimpered, her tough veneer close to cracking.

Minerva let Tobias' fist take her in the face. Pain exploded on her cheekbone.

Murder would put us in my mother's sights, Minerva answered, pulling out the trump card.

Kozakura fell silent.

Minerva heard footsteps on the stairs, Matsudo's heavy tread. At that moment, Tobias' veins glowed red. Their little game of 'catch me if you can' had heated his blood to boiling.

Time to lose.

Within seconds, he took her down. Her head hit the reed mat, hard ridges digging into her scalp. Tobias' hands closed around her throat. His expression turned bored, as if this were an unpleasant chore he wished to finish.

"Why are you doing this?" Minerva choked out. Tears leaked from her eyes as she tried to pry Tobias' hands away. The smell of pipe smoke clung to his clothing and stung her nostrils.

For a moment, Tobias looked like nothing more than a confused little boy. Then he sneered. "I think the real question is: Why hasn't someone done this before?"

Dark spots began to dance across Minerva's vision, motes of ash blemishing Tobias' face. Panic surged in her. The situation hit too close to her memories of Vren. Where's Matsudo? The timing couldn't have—

"What's going on here?" The metallic melody of a kirukkan blade being drawn accompanied the low rumble of the former general's voice.

Tobias' released his hold and jumped back. Minerva gasped to fill her lungs, rolling over onto her side before sitting up.

She watched as Tobias' eyes flicked to Matsudo before landing back on her. He licked his lips. "She uh- fell. We were practicing ... breaking holds."

Matsudo raised an eyebrow at the clash of lies. He stopped Brenna from rushing at Tobias by blocking her with his arm and silently gestured at Minerva.

"You're an idiot," Brenna fiercely whispered in Minerva's ear while she helped her up.

"I'm an alive idiot," Minerva mumbled. Her voice cracked and she coughed, choking on air.

Brenna shoved her water bottle into Minerva's hands, refusing when Minerva tried to give it back. "Drink that and quiet down, I want to watch the show."

Minerva held the icy container and gulped down the water, almost choking again from how cold it was. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and leaned against Brenna slightly. Now that the adrenaline from a near brush with death had ebbed, she could feel the toll the hollow place had taken.

Brenna crossed her arms and chuckled. "This is gonna be good," she said quietly.

Tobias had shrunk since Minerva last looked. He reminded her of a single-tailed kitten confronted by a manticore.

"Last chance," Matsudo warned. "What really happened here, Dracova?"

The floor appeared to have become very interesting to Tobias. "Nothing, sir," he finally answered.

Matsudo sighed and sheathed his sword. He held out his hand. "Your belt."

A flush crept up Tobias' neck. "I'm not a child to be reprimanded."

"Your. Belt."

Tobias squared his shoulders, raising his voice. "My mother is the Draco Empress, one of the most powerful fire wielders in Elementon, and as her son I de—"

"Just because your father decided to get with your mother one summer's day and you were the result of that unfortunate encounter, does not mean I give a dragon's breath about it," Matsudo deadpanned. "Ignoring the rules of fair combat puts shame on the golden blood that runs through your veins. Now, your belt. Or are you a child who I need to untie it for?"

Tobias slowly took off his belt and offered it to Matsudo with a single hand. The Academy master pretended not to see it until Tobias used two hands and promptly dropped it when the younger man didn't bow.

Minerva patted Brenna on the back as the taller girl's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

After properly handing his belt—knots of rank and all—to Matsudo, Tobias marched out the door with all the remaining dignity he could muster. His temper would flare up again to burn her, Minerva was sure of it.

As soon as the doors shut, Minerva flopped down to sit cross-legged on the mat.

Brenna sat down beside her with much more grace. "Think he'd notice if we stole ranks?" she said.

"That's not allowed, Prulava." Matsudo wrapped Tobias' belt around his hand and lowered himself to the floor with a groan. "Old bones," he said in answer to their questioning looks.

Matsudo could be all sternness, but at times a glimmer in his eyes betrayed him. As if he were constantly amused by a joke only he were privy to. Minerva spotted the laughing look as he asked, "Would you like to tell me what happened here?"

"Well, Tobias tried to kill me," she said as cheerily as she could, more than willing to stay on the light side of things and ignore the threatening aspect.

"I gathered as much," Matsudo said. "Do you know why though?"

Minerva shook her head, fingering the tender, bruised spots already forming on her neck. "I wish I did. It seemed to have come out of nowhere." She straightened her posture, stretching her arms so that her forearms rested on her knees.

"He didn't plan thoroughly, that's for sure," Brenna said with a smirk. "Didn't even send an assassin like a respectable noble."

Minerva sighed. In a way, assassination would've been easier to deal with. She'd paid all the right people to tip her off if she became a target. An assassin's failure and death wouldn't trigger a declaration of war either.

"I can't wait to get out of here," Minerva said with a bitter laugh.

Matsudo stared at her in silence for a long moment.

Before Vren had failed his Trial, Minerva's grand scheme had been to escape across the desert and Rockland terrenes. She'd reach the peaceful Cloudlands and try to forget the past. Now she recognized it for the silly fantasy it was.

The game had changed. With Vren gone, she'd become a major player and burned any thoughts of running from her mind. Exiling herself would create an unprecedented question in the succession and Minerva would do anything to keep the Pyro Empire out of her mother's claws.

Reality has rules. Too bad I couldn't live in childhood fantasies forever.

"I received your commission," Matsudo said, breaking through her internal monologue.

"Wait, really?" Minerva leaned forward to take the paper Matsudo held out to her.

He drew his hand back out of reach. "You doubted my influence?" he teased, though neither his voice nor expression diverged from their serious monotone.

Minerva prostrated herself on the mat, hands clasped before her. "Forgive me for doubting, O he of the iron gauntlet, victor of the night of blood fire, general of mass destruction." She heard Brenna snickering beside her and elbowed the Hydro girl's leg. Don't ruin the effect, she mouthed.

"Get up, Pyroline." Matsudo smacked her on the head with the scroll. "You're being ridiculous."

Minerva propped herself up and attempted another grab at the sealed document.

"You get this after you pass your Trial," Matsudo said, holding his hand out of the way. "Position as lieutenant in the Akioni border guard. The shadowed lands have been quiet for generations. The most you'll probably have to settle are bandit raids on farmers."

Somewhere quiet, she'd told Matsudo, away from the political scene and hot war zones. He couldn't have found a city further removed.

"How'd you nab that spot, sir?" Brenna asked, slipping into common dialect. She often said she hated imperial high for sounding 'stuffy'.

Matsudo pushed himself to his feet. "Called in a few favors. Pays to have old friends." He chuckled. "Old dragon friends. The Akioni general is a nearly three hundred-year-old gold dragon named Raijin. He agreed to take you on my word and the condition that you're Muran."

"Muran?" Minerva spluttered. Muran was the most powerful rank of fire wielder, followed by Surin, Rasan, and finally, the weak Kasin. "We won't know my ranking until I complete my Trial."

"Which is why I'm holding on to this for you." Matsudo waved the thin scroll before tucking it in his shirt. "Though I've no doubt you'll be Muran. Stay out of fights and clean up any blood you left on the floor," he called, heading to his office upstairs.

Minerva stared at his retreating back, as if it'd force him to return and give her the paper with her military orders.

Brenna crawled over to the place where Minerva's head had struck the mat. "No blood," she said.

Closing her eyes, Minerva fell onto her back, taking care to let her head rest gently on the floor. She heard Brenna slurping from her bottle before a couple drops of water hit her face. She flinched.

"You alive?" Brenna asked.

Minerva grunted, not moving.

Brenna shifted around and Minerva felt rather than saw her lie down on the mat beside her. "Something's wrong. You can tell me."

"I'm worried," Minerva whispered.

Brenna laughed. "You're always worried."

Minerva dug her palms into her eyes, trying to stop the steady throb that had begun behind her temple. "I'm especially worried."

Brenna reached over to pat her, but accidentally smacked Minerva in the chest first. "About what?"

Everything. Minerva tried to sort her thoughts into semi-coherent form. "If Vren failed his Trial of Fire," she said slowly, "what makes me think I can succeed?"

Brenna scoffed. "You know, for a terrible excuse of a human being and brother, he sure did earn his fair share of hero worship from you."

"Bren," Minerva groaned.

"Am I wrong?" Brenna said to the air. "I'm never wrong." She poked Minerva in the side. "You treated your brother like some myth out of legend and do the same to your mother. Frosts, if we're getting into it, Edina and your father are figures on pedestals to you. When are you going to realize they're only human?"

"Brenna," Minerva said again. Her voice shook. "Please, stop." She hit too close to the truth, to the root of Minerva's worst weakness. The hollow place, her blessing, her curse—

It came with another catch.

When Brenna dropped the subject, Minerva's breaths came easier.

"You'll make it," Brenna whispered after a moment of quiet. "Matsudo's right about that." She closed her hand over Minerva's and squeezed. The next remark came so softly, Minerva wondered if it was meant for her ears or Brenna's alone.

"You've survived too much not to."