Ray and Mei Zhi waited in the desolate courtyard as the sun began its descent across the vast sky. He sat on a rock, his arms resting on his lap, staring at the sky. While she leaned by a wall, her arms crossed. She glanced at him, her gaze hovering a heartbeat longer. “Where is this person you spoke of?” He kept looking up at the sky. “I don’t know. We’ll have to see.”

  As soon as the words left his mouth, a few footsteps started closing in on them. Mei Zhi’s eyes narrowed, though only momentarily. She let out a sigh when she spotted five beggar-like people approaching them. “Is it them?” She straightened herself, wiping the dust off. Ray, still looking at the sky, stretched his arms. “I think so.” Their voices started filling the silent courtyard, though low and rugged.

  “Can we really trust him?”

  “It doesn’t matter; we need money.”

  “She said he has blond hair; he must be some royalty.”

  “People like him are untrustworthy. Especially if he is royalty.”

  “I’m sure he can hear us, so be quiet.” The thief girl’s voice echoed, bouncing off the walls. They halted in their tracks as their gazes landed on Mei Zhi, who stared at them with narrow eyes. “Who is that?” A boy, no older than the thief girl, voiced standing before the others. “I told you he is untrustworthy; she looks like she’ll devour us alive.” One girl, standing in the back, said, shrinking. The thief girl’s eyes moved from Mei Zhi and landed on Ray sitting still. She jumped out of the circle and ran towards him. The other four tried to stop her, but she stopped only before him. Ray looked at her as she stood, her breath heavy. “Nice to meet you again,” he said.

  “Is she your friend?”

  “She is and she’ll be helping us or, well, me.” Ray stood, glancing in Mei Zhi’s direction. “Since we’ll be working together, my name is... Michael.” He then pointed at Mei Zhi. “And she is… Cassandra.”

  The thief girl’s eyes narrowed, but she called the other four forward. “I’m Jill and this is my brother Jack,” she said, pointing at the boy. He stepped near her, his feet an inch in front. Before she could introduce the rest of them, Ray clapped his hands. “Nice to meet you, Jack, but we don’t have the time to know everyone.” Mei Zhi walked up to them; each step she took sent shivers down the group’s spine. Ray crossed his arms, his gaze hovering over them for a moment before shifting to Jill. “Listen, I will give you a task; it’s nothing remarkable or dangerous or something that you haven’t done already. All you have to do is watch.”

  Mei Zhi blinked and turned to look at him, but remained silent. Jill stepped forward, her eyes focused. “What do we have to watch?”

  “People who look rich and important.” He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on them. “Keep tabs on their activities, movements, and contacts, but avoid direct pursuit.”

  Silence fell over the surroundings; the group looked at each other and whispered things. Mei Zhi and Jill kept looking at Ray, who took a seat. “And then report back to me. That’s all.”

  Jack pulled Jill to the side, and the five of them knelt, their whispers filling the silent courtyard. Jill remained silent; she knew they could hear them even if they whispered. After a while, they all stood and stared at both Ray and Mei Zhi. Jill stepped forward again. “Is that all we have to do?”

  Ray took a moment before responding. “For tomorrow, yes.” Jill took a deep breath, crossing her arms. “And I’m guessing you’ll need more eyes than just ten.” He nodded, his lips curled into a smile. After another moment of silence, Jill said, “Alright, we’ll help but we want Liu not Lis and we keep anything we find during.”

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  “Okay.”

  The group walked away, leaving Ray and Mei Zhi alone. She turned to him, her eyes narrowed. “What are you planning?” He stretched his arms and began walking out of the alley. “You’ll see.” She let out a soft sigh, shaking her head, and they both made their way back.

  The day passed, the sun descended over the horizon, painting the sky a crimson glow that faded with each passing moment. The streets of Jade lit up, and the crowd continued wandering through market stalls. Ray walked, his gaze fixed on the road in front of him, the lights fading behind. As he neared the gates of Nyxia, the murmurs of the apprentices increased. A faint scent of peonies lingered around the grounds while he walked toward the back gate when he spotted Ruby sitting by the stairs. She stared at the moon, her chin resting on her palm. The scent of peonies was stronger here than at the gate. He stood frozen, his gaze unmoving, then he leaned against the wall, his head tilting. The moon shone even brightly as moments passed; Ruby sat staring at it while Ray stared at her. He took a step forward, just one, before his jaw clenched. He inhaled, exhaled and turned around, walking away.

  He halted at the gate, a yawn escaping his mouth. The guard standing nearby stared at him with half-lidded eyes; he then stretched. “Why are you wandering around, boy? Are you not one of the participants in tomorrow’s hunt?” Ray tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “Hunt? What hunt?”

  “The group hunt tournament.”

  Ray blinked, turning to face the guard. “How do you know it will be a group hunt?” The guard stared at him, his eyes blank, and then burst out laughing. “That is how it is every year. It is the most anticipated part of the festival of arms.” He straightened his back, adjusting his helmet. “Now scurry off, boy.” Ray shook his head, walking away from the road. He took a deep breath and sat under a tree, closing his eyes. A hunt… And drifted off to sleep as the night pressed on.

  Cool night breeze flowed gently, carrying the sounds of crickets and owls. The moonlight began fading as the sun peeked over the horizon, painting the dark sky in a golden glow. Ray opened his eyes when the sunlight landed on his face; he yawned and stretched, standing up and wiping the dirt off his clothes. A nearby commotion caught his attention as he yawned once more, placing a hand on his hip. He looked down, his brows deepening into a frown, and exhaled. “Right, I don’t have a weapon.” He scratched his chin, tilting his head and walking toward Nyxia. What do I do about my sword? Where even is it? A familiar voice broke his chain of thoughts as he looked up. “Good morning, Head Instructor Luke.”

  Luke glanced at his bandages, his eyes shaking, but decided against probing. “Are you prepared for today?” Ray patted his waist. “I would be if I had my sword.” Luke glanced over his shoulder, spotting Maya standing by the gate. “I suppose you could borrow one from Maya. You’ve already used it once.” Ray’s lips twitched, his smile faltering for a moment before he bowed and walked towards Maya. He halted before her; she gazed at him, her head tilted slightly. He took a deep breath, glanced at her sword, and said. “Could I borrow your sword for today?” She stared at him for a beat longer than needed, then unbuckled her belt. “Sure,” she handed it to him. He thanked her and was about to walk away, but she grabbed his shoulder. “Be versatile.” Letting go of it, she walked away. Ray frowned while tying the belt to his waist. What?

  Soon everyone made their way to the arena, which was already filled with people waiting and murmuring amongst themselves. Charles stood at the center, arms crossed, his face stern. Augustus sat in his seat, head tilted on his palm, a smile playing on his lips. Matthias sat beside him, while Ruben stood staring through his helmet at everyone who entered. Charles cleared his throat, silencing the crowd. “Let us continue with the festival.” His voice carried over the wind, echoing off the stone walls. “Today the forest valley behind roars, welcoming the younger generation.” The crowd cheered, their voices filling the surrounding area. “So follow me to our seats over the valley.”

  The crowd moved towards the valley, taking their seats, smiles forming on their lips; some worried, others excited. Beyond the seats, the forest valley sprawled beneath the morning sun—a sea of green stretching toward distant hills, hiding within its depths whatever waited for those brave enough to enter. Charles stood before the seated crowd and raised his hand. “I shall now say the rules, but only once, so participants beware.” Silence fell over the surroundings; everyone stared at Charles, who stood still for moments before speaking. “I shall form ten groups, with seven apprentices in each. No two of those seven shall be from the same academy.”