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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

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Savannah woke up the next morning still trying to wrap her mind around everything they had learned the night before. She always enjoyed listening to her father's stories about the Burned Ones. She thought they were interesting and made her want to become a great Specialist even more. But the Silva girl always thought of them as just that. Stories. She couldn't even imagine living in a world where the Burned Ones ran free. Not until now.

A silent sigh passed over Savannah's lips as she stood at the counter. Her head was filled with a million different thoughts as she made some tea. But she was soon drawn out of her thoughts by the front door opening and closing. When Savannah looked toward the source of the sound, she found Stella standing in the doorway. The Silva girl just studied Stella for a moment, taking in every inch of her appearance. It didn't take her long to notice that she was wearing the same outfit as yesterday, causing a smirk to appear on Savannah's lips. "Ah, the dreaded walk of shame. So, how's Sky?"

Stella simply rolled her eyes at the brunette girl before looking toward the living room. "Where's Bloom?"

"She's having a late start after a rough night. She can thank you for that," Savannah responded before the amusement faded from her face and was replaced by my annoyance, "I never thought those things would return. But what I saw last night was creepy as h*ll. No wonder my father uses his stories to scare the first years. And it looked like it wanted to kill her, Stella. "

"What about my ring?" the blonde girl questioned as if Savannah had never said a word.

The irritation in the Silva girl's eyes did nothing but grow. "Seriously? We just saw a living, breathing Burned One and that's what you're worried about? Your ring?"

Approaching footsteps stopped Stella before she could make a witty comeback. They soon turned their attention toward the sound to find Bloom walking toward them. Her face held no emotion as she stopped a few feet away from the second years. Bloom's eyes bounced between them before opening her mouth to speak. "That burned...burned thing took it."

"What?!" Stella exclaimed, nothing bothering to hide the anger and annoyance in her voice.

"Calm down, Princess," Musa said after walking into the room to get a cup of coffee.

"Don't tell me to calm down, and don't use my title as an insult," the blonde girl responded while glaring at the Mind Fairy.

A smile soon formed on Bloom's face as she stared at Stella with admiration in her eyes. "Wait, are you actually a princess?"

"Yes, I am, actually. My mom is the Queen, and the ring you lost is one of the crown jewels of Solaria," the blonde girl responded with an irritated tone still very present in her voice. That was enough to make the Peters girl's smile fall. "Now, that might not mean much to a First Worlder. So, feel free to ask your suite-mate how big of a screw-up that is."

"Almost as big as giving it to her in the first place," Aisha commented as she walked out of the bathroom and into the main living area, "Dowling has the creature locked up, which you would know if you were here last night when she gave us an earful."

"And it would be a total disaster if people knew there was a Burned One in the First World. Even if it was temporarily," Savannah added while thinking back to all the stories her father would tell her and Sky.

"I didn't tell her that I lost the ring, and I'm sure if we do, then-"

"We will do no such thing. I will figure it out after class, but for now, no one says anything to anyone," Stella interrupted Bloom before glancing around at everyone surrounding her. After receiving reluctant nods from those around her, the Light Fairy walked toward her room. But she soon stopped in her tracks and turned to face everyone once again. "And can someone make sure that Terra knows that? She can never keep her mouth shut."

Before anyone had a chance to respond, Stella pushed her bedroom door open. A shocked look instantly appeared on her face when she saw the Harvey girl pulling on her red overall dress over her flower dress. Terra stared back at them with a large smile on her face before sending them a thumbs-up. "Got it."

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Later that day, Savannah found herself in the Specialist training area. She was on one of the raised platforms sparring with Dane. The Silva girl did her best to keep her attention on her partner and not on Sky and Riven. They were watching them closely as if assessing her new training partner. If she were being honest, having the two of them watching their sparring session was a bit distracting. It added too much unnecessary pressure for Savannah. Especially since she was still trying to prove to them and her father that getting a new training partner wasn't a mistake.

Savannah sent a few good kicks at the raven-haired boy, who managed to block all of her attacks at the last second. But to her delight, she was able to land one in his stomach and sent him back a few feet. Dane soon responded with his own combo of punches. Savannah would be the first to admit that she was surprised by the first year's skills, but she was still able to defend herself with ease.

"Sweep the leg!" Riven shouted at Dane, who was busy focusing on not getting punched by Savannah.

After avoiding a few more of his punches, the Silva girl was able to land a hit to Dane's jaw. The force caused him to stumble before Savannah swept his legs out from under him, sending the first year to the ground. Before the raven-haired boy even had a chance to get up, the Silva girl placed her knee on his back, pinning him to the ground and finishing their sparring session. A smile soon appeared on Savannah's lips as she got to her feet and offered her hand to Dane. The first year couldn't help but sigh as he accepted her gesture, allowing her to help him to his feet.

While Dane went to get some water, Savannah walked over to Sky and Riven and sat down on the platform in front of them. She did her best to ignore the blank expression on the blonde boy's face as she looked over at her other friend. "Could you try being 50% less of a jerk?"

A smirk instantly formed on the Culbert's face before opening his mouth to respond. "Well, then I'd be 50% less fun."

"I think I could live with that," Savannah retaliated, earning a playful eye roll from the brunette boy.

"Remember what a lost cause you were last year?" Sky said after turning his attention away from the Silva girl to look at Riven, "two black eyes and a sprained ankle, day one."

"What do you guys want from me?" the brunette boy responded with a long sigh, "I thought my friendship was reward enough."

"It is," the Ekon boy told him before walking away.

Savannah watched him before noticing Stella in the distance causing a long sigh to pass over her lips. It wasn't long after that when her attention returned to Riven. "That might be enough for Sky, but I still expect my payment for helping you."

The brunette boy let out a playful scoff while gently pushing the Silva girl away from him, causing her to fall onto her back. Her laughter instantly cut through the air, only for it to fade when she noticed someone watching them in the distance, hidden by the shadows of the trees. Savannah didn't know how she saw Royce, but she was glad she did. However, she didn't point him out to Riven, knowing he would make a big deal over the Darnell boy like he always did. Instead, she excused herself by saying she was going to practice her archery. If it were Sky, she knew he would question why she'd be practicing the skill she was best at and not a skill she needed to improve. But lucky for her, the Culbert didn't think that way. And it helped that he was now distracted by Dane for some reason that she would ask about later.

After gathering her things, Savannah jumped down from the platform. She said one last goodbye to Riven and Dane and made her way across the Specialist training area. She placed her belongings near a nearby bench before walking up to Royce with a small smile on her face.

"Are you stalking me now?" the Silva girl asked after stopping a few feet away from him.

"Not at all. Sam told me I might find you here. I was hoping to get a moment to talk to you without being interrupted," Royce told her before looking over at the training area, "and it seems that your bodyguards are finally distracted."

The smile on Savannah's face did nothing but grow as she made a mental note to thank Sam later. It wasn't long after that when she responded. "And what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to see if you wanted to get together sometime. Maybe get some food or just hang out."

The Silva girl's smile slightly faltered when she realized what was happening. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Royce couldn't help but laugh. "I'm trying to. I've never really done this before."

"That's not what Sky and Riven told me," Savannah said without thinking, causing all the joy to fade from the Darnell boy's face and her to cringe, "sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm new at this too. But they were telling me a few things about you to get me to forget about you."

"It's fine. I get that there are a lot of rumors about me that aren't...the best. But that's just what they are. Rumors. So if you're interested in finding out the truth, here's my number," the brunette boy said while holding out a piece of paper. It surprised Savannah that she didn't hesitate at all to take it, but she was happy about that. Royce's attention soon fell on something behind the brunette girl before his gaze returned to her. "I'll see you around, Savannah."

The Silva girl watched him walk away before turning around to find her father walking toward her. A long sigh passed over her lips at the sight of him, unsure if this was going to end up better or worse than her conversations with Sky or Riven. "Hey, Dad."

"Savvy," Saul greeted after stopping a few feet in front of her, "is there a reason you're over here instead of training?"

"Just talking to a friend," the brunette girl said, only to receive an unconvinced look from her father in response, "can we skip a lecture? I already get them enough from Sky and Riven."

"My guess is you ignore their lectures every time they give them," the Silva man responded, earning a small sigh from his daughter before he continued speaking, "you can't let a boy get in the way of your training."

"And here comes the lecture," Savannah sighed while looking at the ground beneath her feet. It was at that moment when Saul saw the hint of sadness in his daughter's eyes. That was all it took to make him realize just how much the Silva girl had been missing out on by training as much as she had been.

"Well, I am your father. It is my job to protect you and prepare you for a successful life. But I also want you to be happy," the brunette man said, drawing his daughter's attention back to him. Saul couldn't help but smile when he saw the shock in her eyes. "In the end, you're the only one who has control over your life. Not me. Not Sky or Riven. You. Do you understand, Savvy?"

Savannah hesitated and looked in the direction Royce went. She could barely make out his retreating figure in the distance before he disappeared. After letting out another long sigh, the Silva girl returned her attention to her father. "Yeah. I understand."

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Savannah sat at a table in the cafeteria with Terra and Bloom later that day. None of them said a word as they picked at their food, all lost in their thoughts for different reasons. The Silva girl couldn't stop replaying her conversation with her father in her head. She knew he was right. She couldn't let Royce become a distraction to her. Especially after putting in so much work to get where she was. But on the other hand, she was the only one to make decisions in her life. She was the only one who could choose her path, not her father and especially not Sky or Riven. And for some reason, that path kept leading her to Royce.

The Silva girl was soon drawn out of her thoughts when Aisha and Musa sat down at their table. They instantly drew everyone's attention toward them before the Water Fairy began speaking. "So here's what we should do. Maybe we can make a list of emotional triggers-"

"Aisha, um, I appreciate what you're doing," Bloom interrupted as she tried and failed to hide the slight annoyance in her voice, "but I can figure this out on my own."

"I'm sure. I just think you might be in your head about the whole changeling stuff and overthinking," the raven-haired girl responded while Savannah stared at them with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Oh, is that why you freaked out at the Vessel? That makes more sense," Terra declared, clearing up any confusion that the lone Specialist was feeling, "that's gonna be the easiest assignment we'll have...and I'm making it worse."

Before their conversation could continue, Stella and Sky appeared from around the corner and stopped at their table. The Light Fairy instantly set a scroll on the table and unrolled it, showing them a map of their world. "So we have a plan to get my ring back."

"What's this?" Musa asked with a hint of boredom in her voice.

"It's Alfea!" Terra exclaimed after a large smile appeared on her face before pointing at the map in front of her, "the little dotted line is the Barrier, and that's Crag Creek. Wind Meadow! When I was a kid, I'd spend every afternoon just-"

"Great story, Ter," Stella interrupted, the annoyance very evident in her voice.

"Attitude check, Stel," Savannah muttered under her breath before taking a long sip of her drink. Her comment earned her a chuckle from Sky, which caused Stella to glare at them both.

"No, it's a really good story. Listen," the Harvey girl continued without a care in the world.

While the Earth Fairy continued her story, the Silva girl's thoughts moved to the paper in her pocket. The same paper that reminded her of a big decision she had to make. And after a few more seconds of thinking, Savannah had come to a decision. With Sky now distracted by Bloom, the brunette girl took out her phone and the paper. She quickly created a contact for Royce before shoving the paper back into her pocket. The Silva girl just stared at her phone for a moment before gathering the courage to create a new message.

SAVANNAH:
Hey. It's Savannah. Sorry
about earlier. I hope your
offer to hang out still stands.

A shaky breath passed over the Specialist's lips as she tucked her phone into her back pocket. Unknown to her, one of her friends was watching her every move, especially after feeling the conflicted emotions radiating off Savannah. Luckily, Musa kept her mouth shut, knowing it wasn't her place to call the Silva girl out. But the Mind Fairy made sure to make a mental note to ask Savannah about it later.

"Hilarious. Um, Sky?" Stella called out, drawing everyone's attention toward her, "where do you think they're keeping it again?"

That was all it took for the blonde boy to get to his feet and look down at the map. What he didn't expect was for the Light Fairy to place a hand on his shoulder, causing Sky to look down at Bloom. The two of them just stared at each other until the Fire Fairy's eyes moved toward the map. After letting out a long sigh, the Ekon boy opened his mouth to speak. "Uh, there's only so many buildings outside the Barrier they can secure a creature like that. There's the barn and the mill."

"Oh, the barn would be my bet," Terra announced while pointing to the area on the map where the barn was, "my dad fortified the beams because he was chaining this wounded horse that would always get out."

"Wait, you're not actually looking for the Burned One Dowling caught, are you?" Savannah asked after a wave of realization washed over her, only for her to receive silence in response to her question, "are you serious, Sky? Do you know what will happen if my dad or Dowling finds out?"

"Are you gonna run to your daddy and tell him?" Stella mocked while glaring down at the Silva girl.

"I think you're thinking about yourself with your mother," Savannah retaliated, earning an eye roll from the Light Fairy before the former's attention returned to her blonde friend, "but seriously, Sky. This is dangerous."

"So we'll just have to sneak in there and get my ring," the Princess of Solaria declared as she looked around at everyone sitting at the table.

"Strange how casually you're tossing about the word 'we,'" Aisha said without bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Yeah, sounds more like a 'you' kinda deal," Musa added before taking another bite of her food.

An irritated look instantly appeared on Stella's face as she looked down at Bloom. "Except I didn't lose it."

The Peters girl just stared at her intertwined fingers, not bothering to look up at the Light Fairy. Silence surrounded them for what felt like an eternity before Bloom responded. "When do we go?"

Everyone instantly looked over at the Fire Fairy in shock, no one expecting her to agree to help Stella. Nobody said a word for a long moment, unsure of what to say about Bloom's decision. That was until Aisha broke the silence surrounding them. "Gonna be blunt. Sorry. Bloom, you have zero control over your magic. That is, if you manage to channel it. Bad idea."

"I lost the ring. I'm gonna get it back," the Peters girl retaliated while staring at the Water Fairy with irritation in her eyes.

"Guys, maybe we should take a second to maybe-"

"I think everyone is making a bigger deal of this than it needs to be," Stella interrupted Sky before her attention fell back on Terra, "you said the Burned One's locked up, right?"

"Oh, and subdued. I'm pretty sure my dad is distilling this oil that'll subdue it. It's...it's called Zanbaq," the Earth Fairy explained before a small smile appeared on her lips, "I could probably make some more."

"Thank you, Terra, for being helpful. And thank you, Bloom, for taking responsibility," the Light Fairy said with a somewhat forced smile on her face. She then focused on the three remaining girls sitting at the table. "And thank you, everyone else, for...nothing, I guess. Thanks for nothing."

"You're making a mistake, Stella. You're gonna get someone hurt. But I guess you're good at that," Savannah declared, earning a shocked look from both Stella and Sky. However, before either of them could respond, the Silva girl got to her feet and walked out of the cafeteria.

Savannah barely made it into the hallway when someone grabbed her wrist and forced her to stop. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but she did anyway. The Ekon boy was staring back at her with an expressionless look in his eyes. He seemed to study her for a moment, as if trying to figure out what to say. But it wasn't long before he broke the silence surrounding them.

"That was a little uncalled for. Don't you think, Sav?" the Ekon boy asked while continuing to study the girl standing in front of him.

"Stella is asking Bloom to do something that can get her killed. And the worst part of it is that you helped her. I thought you were over her, Sky," Savannah retaliated before letting out a long sigh, "what are you gonna do if my dad finds out? He won't be happy."

"Are you gonna tell him?" Sky asked after letting out a very long sigh.

The Silva girl couldn't help but scoff while readjusting her backpack straps. "No, I'm not. That thought never even crossed my mind. But if I were you, I'd watch my back around Stella. We don't want a repeat of last year."

Before Sky had a chance to respond, Savannah turned her back to him and walked away. As soon as she knew she was out of sight, the Silva girl leaned against the wall. She didn't want anyone to know how much this situation was getting to her, but it was. All she could think about was what happened last year throughout their entire conversation. Savannah thought she was passed it. After all, she was never really close with Rikki. But witnessing what happened between her and Stella had more of an effect on the Specialist than she'd like to admit.

After letting out a shaky breath, Savannah began walking back to her dorm. But she barely made it a few more steps when her phone went off in her pocket. Part of her wanted to ignore it, but a bigger part of her was curious who it was. And after reading over the message, she didn't regret checking it. A large smile appeared on her face as she read over the words.

ROYCE:
After classes? Walk
through the gardens?

SAVANNAH:
I'll see you then.

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